Black Magic

Black Magic

Pairing: Witch!Yoohyeon x Fem!Witch!Reader

AU: Wizard / Magical

Warnings / Misc. -- Fluff, Mild Angst, Use of Potions, Smut

Word Count: ~ 9,921

Disclaimer: This writing is a work of fiction and no disrespect is meant for those mentioned herein.

A/N: Happy October, everyone! I’m back again with another writing. I hope you enjoy it :) Take care of yourselves, you lovely people.

P.S. ~ It gets better as it goes on.

💖 Happy Reading 🌹

◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚ ▸◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚ ▸◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚ ▸◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚

The day was dreary. A melancholic sort of fog had come to settle over the academy’s grounds, tinting everything with a grey hue that inspired nothing but lethargy. Rain clouds loomed overhead, holding within their dark wisps the promise of a stormy evening.

Just the same as the students were miserable and affected by it all, so too were the faculty. That shared trait meant the day would be a lazy one, given that no one had it in themselves to offer much more than the bare minimum. Work would still be assigned, of course, and deadlines were still in place, but the insipidity of the outside world had already seeped in and begun to take over. 

With everyone at its mercy, they did their best to just push through it. 

And you, sipping on your third energy potion of the day and hiding away in the back of the library, were making some progress on that mission. 

A hefty textbook laid open beside your notebook on the table in front of you, full of sketches and drawings to accompany the paragraphs of mind-numbing information in between. It was for your anatomy class, and you were studying for the exam you had coming up next week. 

To the left of you, windows arched high into the air, soaring until they reached the roof. A mural sprawled its way across the ceiling, picking up where the windows left off and stretching to the other sides of the room. It depicted a beautiful night sky, full of lone stars, constellations, and other celestial bodies. Paired with the wooden interior of the room – a rich brown that exuded pristine excellence – it looked wonderful.  

Only once you came to that conclusion did you realize that your eyes had drifted away from your book again. 

You rubbed them, hoping to ease the ache they felt and gear yourself up for another hour or two of study. The words in front of you had begun to blur together, though, and you knew you needed to take a break if you hoped to actually retain any information at all. 

The chair beneath you made a hushed squeak as you stood up and pushed it in. You didn’t bother to pack your things up before leaving; you were coming back soon, after all, and it was incredibly unlikely that anyone would want to steal any of it. If the worn pages and poorly done annotations enticed them that much, then more power to them. 

Endless shelves stood tall as you wound your way around them on your journey to the hall outside. The sea of books that resided on all of them, meticulously organized and not a hair out of place, painted the air of the room with a richness unlike anything else. The ink, the aged pages – it all intermingled, blending their every story into an amalgamated masterpiece. It was comforting, in a lot of ways, but a little overwhelming, too. 

The sheer amount of history that these four walls held was enough to make your head spin if you thought about it long enough. 

The library's glass doors swung open easily as you pushed them, revealing an unusually calm main hall. Activity was sparse, with merely a handful of students walking to class or digging through their lockers. A few pockets of people glanced your way upon hearing the door, but they went back to minding their own business a few seconds later. 

Along the walls, mounted torches burned brightly. Just like in the library, multiple arching windows gave a wide view of the academy’s grounds. Together, the two sources offered plenty of light to the hall. It still attempted to brood, though, with its dark corners and shady sections that vied to be different. 

As you passed by a set of lockers, a new poster caught your eye.

Fall Formal served as its title, big and bold at the top of the page. Below it were the specifics, like where it was being held and how much tickets were. Ophelia Square and thirty dollars, respectively. 

You simply shook your head at it and continued on. Brighton Academy had never once in its many years of existence pulled off a dance worth going to – formal or otherwise. And it was a pity, too, because the aesthetic and facilities were all there at its disposal. 

Could you have put any faith in it, you might have even considered going. 

But you learned your lesson long ago, during your first year here. Now it was your third; you were practically a natural at seeing through the many façades that the school tried to put up. 

At Brighton, a healthy dose of reality never hurt, anyways. Being surrounded by magic and other unthinkable things on the daily could cause people to get a little… out of touch, after all.

Clearly you valued your wit and cynicism more than most. 

For the most part, though, it seemed rather harmless. Perhaps you were judging too hard. Maybe this would be the year that they finally turned things around. 

“Yubin, I can’t do that!”

Suddenly, a hushed voice grabbed your attention. 

You stopped and looked behind yourself, doing a little spin as you searched for its source. When you spotted an empty classroom with its door slightly ajar and soft lamplight peeking out into the hall, you knew you had found it. Curiously, you moved a little closer to investigate. 

A reply came, unintelligible and masked by the static of a phone. 

“That’s wrong on so many levels.” The first voice returned, pleading for the person on the other end to have some sense. It was feminine, and sounded incredibly familiar…

“Yah, pabo–”

Holy shit. It was Kim Yoohyeon. Resident keeper of your heart. 

You pressed yourself against the rough surface of the wall in hopes of remaining unseen. Movement came from inside; pacing, from what you could make of it. Her footsteps were light but full of restrained tension. 

She twirled her wand in her hand, turning it over and absentmindedly fidgeting with its textured surface as she listened to Yubin. When she crossed between two of the lab tables in the room, you noticed her adamantly shaking her head. 

“Of course I like her, but I can’t take advantage like that. Did Mrs. Perlow teach you nothing in potions?! That’s more than dangerous.”

Yubin continued with her point, knowing she was capable of selling it if Yoohyeon would give her the opportunity. She was merely trying to convince her to practice a spell of enchantment… which she could then use on the person she’d been admiring from afar since the start of the year. Yubin was tired of seeing her best friend so lovesick – especially when, technically, something could be done to remedy the situation. 

“Fine. I’ll practice it, but only because I want to make sure I remember the spell. I’m not going to use it on her.”

Yubin sighed victoriously in their shared dorm across campus, raising a triumphant fist into the air. 

They shared a word of goodbye before Yoohyeon hung up and made a noise of annoyance at her phone in retaliation. 

You couldn’t help but smile.

“I can’t believe I’m really going to do this,” she muttered to herself, turning around. 

You ducked further behind the wall at the last possible second before being spotted. That was close.

When she began to cast the spell, her voice was as soft and sweet as ever. Unlike some of the other students, she didn’t need to be loud for her spells to work; her power went deeper than that. Truly, she was one of the academy’s most talented witches. A twitch of her finger could conjure a flame larger than even some of your professors’. The stomp of her foot could disarm other wizards within a ten foot radius. One glance from her could send people to their knees. 

From the moment she had arrived on campus at the start of the year, so charming and bubbly, she'd had you enraptured.

She was a force to be reckoned with in every sense of the phrase, and you couldn’t deny your excitement at being so close to such a skilled woman. 

You held your breath when she circled her wand into the air, pointing it towards the ceiling and subtly twisting it about. Her movements were simple yet graceful, and full of a practiced ease that she’d spent years of her life perfecting. 

A red and purple stream of haze began to form around her wand, circling on its way upwards like billowing smoke. It shimmered in the light of the room, almost like glitter. It was one of the most beautiful things you’d ever seen.

It made sense to you then why she was so reluctant to practice the spell; in just a matter of seconds, you were already being lured in by the simple sight of it. 

That could only mean that it was incredibly potent.

She repeated the incantation like a mantra, invoking more and more power by the second. 

You blinked a few times and looked away, snapping yourself out of your daze. 

As you straightened your posture some and attempted to regain the rest of your senses, a loud shout echoed from somewhere further down the hallway. The noise grew louder as more voices joined in, creating a thundering murmur of excitement. Footsteps were added to the mix; it sounded like a stampede of people were coming your way. 

That, you quickly learned, was the understatement of the century.

As you peered down the hall, members of the academy’s rugby team rounded the corner with an entire crew of supporters in tow. They whooped and cheered for them, celebrating what you could only assume was a recent success. Their mussed uniforms and sweaty appearances supported that theory, too. 

One of them – a second year student that you’d recently tutored – raised his head and locked eyes with you. A smile grew on his lips, and he cupped his hands on either side of his mouth as he shouted your name. You panicked and shook your head at him, frantically waving your hands to get him to stop.

But he didn’t. His calling drew the attention of some of the other people around him, leaving you with only one chance of escape.

Before more of them could notice you, you quickly darted inside the classroom with Yoohyeon and shut the door behind yourself. Your back pressed against the surface of it, and you sent out a silent prayer for them to stay away. 

But your unexpected intrusion came with consequences that you never saw coming. 

Ever the scaredy cat that she is, Yoohyeon was caught off guard by the suddenness of it all. She spun around to face you with a poorly muffled scream of terror; in the process, her jarred movement inadvertently cast her spell.

Just like in the movies, time seemed to slow down.

It shot across the room in a flash of red and hit you in the center of your chest, stealing away every bit of breath you had left in your body. 

As you helplessly gasped for air and fell to your knees, her eyes went wide. Panic set in immediately as she pocketed her wand and ran to you, letting out a slew of apologies. 

She crouched down beside you and took your face in her hands, raising your head so that she could assess you. 

With a brush of her thumb across your lips, she cast a recovery spell that allowed you to finally inhale a deep breath.

Warmth spread throughout your entire body, radiating from where you were hit. 

"Y/N?!" 

The poor girl was terrified that she might’ve killed you. When she lost control of the spell, it was no longer a simple one of enchantment. It became unstable before it hit you, shifting into something else entirely. There was no telling how powerful it was at the time of impact, or even what exactly it was. 

You put a hand on her forearm and sat up, leaning your back against the wall as you recovered. 

She kept your face cradled as your breathing began to return to normal, and she moved to sit cross-legged in front of you.

"Are you okay?" 

A shiver ran through your body at the sound of her voice. When her sentence stopped, it subsided. 

What the hell?

"I… I'm not sure." 

She shook her head and dropped her hands, absentmindedly allowing them to fall to your thighs. 

"I'm so sorry," she uttered regretfully. "I never meant for this to happen." 

The hair on the back of your neck stood up, keenly aware of the softness and sincerity in her tone. Her hands on you, attempting to provide comfort, felt better than they should have. The only thing that stood between her fingertips and your overly-sensitive skin was the material of your pants.

"It's okay," you soothed, though you were trying to convince yourself just as much as you were her. "I know you didn't." 

When her eyes met yours for a fleeting second, your heart fluttered. 

As she attempted to gauge your status, she couldn't help but notice the flush of your cheeks and the way you squirmed under her touch. When her fingers edged up your thigh the slightest bit, she could feel your body trembling.

"I should take you to the infirmary." 

You blushed at the idea of people seeing you like this. 

"That's not necessary; I'm fine."

She quirked a brow and leaned in a little closer. Her floral perfume washed over you, overriding your senses. "Are you sure? You don't seem like it." 

You simply nodded, not trusting yourself to speak in that moment. Her proximity was making your head fuzzy.

"Y/N, don't lie to me…" she warned, voice stern and a little deeper than before. 

You swallowed nervously, feeling as though she could see right through you. Your heart was racing faster than before, and the room was about ten hundred degrees too hot for your liking. Surely you looked a mess. 

"I'm–"

"Look at me," she interrupted, hooking two fingers beneath your chin to lift your head up. 

Her touch was electric.

Something changed as she peered into your eyes. Her rampant concern shifted – slowly, at first – as realization began to dawn on her. Your behavior was beginning to make sense now. 

Though you tried your hardest, you couldn’t pry your gaze away from her lips. They shined in what measly amount of daylight the window permitted to enter, looking so kissable you almost couldn’t stand it. Your hands were at your sides, grasping the material of your pants in an attempt to stay busy. 

It took every ounce of self control you possessed to keep from pouncing on her. 

Some indescribable desire was overtaking you, leaving you bewitched in a miserable way. It coursed through your body like the very blood in your veins and clouded your mind. All you could think about was Yoohyeon.

Whatever you were fighting was carnal.

Tense silence befell the room – tangible, yet as fragile as glass – as she unconsciously glanced down at your mouth. Curiosity burned in her, too, unbeknownst to you. She shifted a little closer without even trying. 

Your impulsive mind was begging you to take that as a sign and give in, but you fought it. Surely you were just imagining things. 

“What does it feel like?” She asked softly, breaking the quiet. She was still studying you intently. 

“I can’t explain it with words.”

You noticed the subtle way she bit the inside of her cheek when her gaze dropped down again. It filled you with foolish hope. 

“Is there another way? I want to know how to fix this, Y/N.”

Why did she have to be so kind? It would have been better for her to just leave you and let the spell run its course. 

“There… might be,” you answered hesitantly, avoiding eye contact. Having her attention like this made you feel small.

“Show me. Please.” A slight undertone of desperation was present in her voice, but it was obvious that she was trying to hide it. 

You were taken aback by that fact, and it showed when you looked at her again.

You raised a hand to her cheek and cupped it, smiling a little despite yourself when she leaned into it. Your heart pounded like never before. You were beyond nervous in every way possible, but you knew you could only fight your desire for so long; it was taxing. 

Especially when she was looking at you like that.

“Don’t hate me,” you mumbled apologetically.

Before she could utter a response, you were leaning forward and capturing her lips in a kiss. 

For a brief second, she tensed up. Her breath caught in her throat, and she made a little noise of surprise. But once you pressed your body closer to hers and ran the pad of your thumb across her cheek, she relaxed into you. 

Her lips were soft against yours, and the gloss that adorned them transferred to your own with your shared movement. It was her signature; you’d seen it on her so many times, both in class and at events that the academy put on. Its color was so distinct – so… her – and you’d always wondered what it tasted like.

Tropical fruit, you quickly discovered, as its flavor made its way to your tongue. It was warm and smooth – addictive – and you could feel yourself slipping further under when she pulled you in closer with a hand on your shoulder.

Her gentle breaths fanned out across your cheeks as she deepened the kiss, taking you by surprise. 

She let out a poorly-muffled sound of pleasure when your hands grasped at her waist a little restlessly, and the noise spurred you on. It reignited something in you, flipping a risky switch. You were quickly getting overwhelmed by it all, and what little composure you had left was slipping away.

“Yoohyeon,” you said against her lips, half-whining and half-warning. 

Why hadn’t she pushed you away yet? 

“Shhh,” she pacified, her voice like velvet. “Let me help.”

Her hands fell to your thighs again as she replaced her lips on yours, effectively silencing you.

Thunder boomed outside, mirroring the intensity you felt inside. The grey sky swirled, too, refusing to be still – just the same as your untamed heart. The lamp in the corner flickered a little as the academy’s electricity surged, fighting hard to remain on. 

Heavy droplets of rain pattered against the window in droves – unruly sheets carried by the unpredictable winds. 

But Yoohyeon seemed oblivious to the chaos around her. Or, at least, she didn’t mind it. All she cared about was the soft way you sighed into her mouth, and how you held her so desperately. It was a bit possessive, and she couldn’t stop the blush from rising to her cheeks because of it.

Your wanting hands buried themselves in the material of her skirt, gripping her hips. 

That’s precisely when the ache between her legs refused to be suppressed any longer. 

She guided your hand beneath the material with one of her own and led it to her inner thigh. All she needed in that moment was more of your touch. Something – anything. She didn’t care. Just more of you, in any way you’d allow. 

When you began to massage her skin in slow, teasing strokes, a breathy whine slipped out of her mouth. 

“Y/N, please,” she nearly begged. Her forehead pressed to yours as she rocked her hips a little in search of some sort of relief. Your eyes briefly fell to her lap, and you watched as your hand disappeared further and further under her skirt. The way she trembled for you was intoxicating.

The collar of her uniform top dug into her throat, too tight for comfort as her ragged breathing only got worse by the second. 

You reached up with your free hand and undid the button of it, hoping to ease her strain. She tilted her head back and moaned when your fingers lazily rubbed the newly-exposed skin to soothe it. The muscles there were taut and enticing, begging to be admired.  

Her brows knitted together and her teeth sunk into her lip when you toyed with the waistband of her lace panties, debating on whether or not to take things further. Her head spun with the stimulation she was receiving simultaneously; she didn’t know what sensation to focus on more. Even the smallest of touches from you had her wanting more. 

“P-please, jagi.”

Unable to help herself, she grinded against your hand when you slid her panties to the side. Your lips kissed a path from her shoulder to her pulsepoint, leaving a few lovebites in their wake as she writhed pitifully in your arms. Your name fell from her lips like a mantra as she pulled you flush against herself.

“Y/N.”

“Y/N,” strangely, her voice began to fade away…

“Y/N! Please wake up!” 

Your eyes shot open and you sat up with a start, dazed and confused. The classroom around you was the same, and Yoohyeon was next to you. You looked around, attempting to piece together what the hell had happened.

Your head had been her lap, you discovered, as you brought a hand up to the back of it to awkwardly scratch it. You turned to face her, finding her phone in her hand with Yubin’s name and contact image displayed on the screen. She had dialed her up the second you fell unconscious.

The genuine look of concern on her face tugged at your heart strings.

“What happened?”

“You passed out when my spell hit you. I’ve been trying to wake you up ever since.”

You swallowed thickly and brought a hand up to your chest, rubbing the area of impact again. It was growing warm just like before, and the sound of her voice only made the ache you felt earlier return. 

Had that really all been a dream? It felt so real…

She reached a hand out to you and moved to come closer, but you evaded her touch and backed away. You closed your eyes tightly, refusing to look at her; whenever you did, flashbacks of the dream (or whatever it was) came back in a rush. 

You missed the way her face fell in response to your rejection. 

“I-I’m better now,” you stuttered out, fumbling a bit as you stood up. Your knees were weak, and a bitter part of you wanted to laugh at that. Your body was acting as though your fantasy had really happened.

“Y/N, wait,” she requested, standing as well.

But you were already twisting the doorknob and slipping out into the hall before she could get another word in. Your form disappeared in a flash of embarrassment, and you did your best to hide your face as you began your hurried retreat to your dorm.

“...did she leave?” Yubin’s curious voice asked, sounding a little staticky over the phone line. 

Yoohyeon sighed, shaking her head at your actions. All she wanted to do was help. 

“Yeah,” she answered. 

Yubin tutted before going quiet for a moment. Only the faint sounds of pages turning could be heard. Yoohyeon paced in the meantime.

Before too long, the slightly younger witch spoke again. “I think I have an idea of what went wrong,” she said, as her eyes zeroed in on a certain spell in her book. The symptoms that Yoohyeon had informed her of, paired with your immediate reaction, all lead her to believe that it was what you were struck by. 

“It’s a variant of Amore,” she continued, “...and it’s really potent. We’ll need to whip up an antidote to ease her symptoms.”

“What will she experience?”

“Hallucinations, fever, and lust like never before," she listed, upon reading from the page. "Since this strain is only produced by a corruption of the original spell of love, it’ll heighten her existing desires tenfold or more.”

Yoohyeon’s eyebrows furrowed. “Existing desires? For who?”

“Whoever cast the spell, of course,” she replied. “You.”

That didn’t make any sense. Yubin had to be mistaken; you obviously didn’t have any pre-established feelings for her. 

“There’s no way that’s right, Yubin.”

“Why do you say that?”

She thought back to the way you had avoided her like the plague once you woke up. 

“She wouldn’t even look at me when she came to. That doesn’t really add up with your prediction.”

Yubin studied the page a little more before replying. She was humble enough to admit that the chance of her being wrong existed, but she highly doubted that that was the case now. Everything just aligned too well for it. 

“Just come back to the dorm. We can sort it out together here.”

“Alright,” Yoohyeon agreed. “See you soon.”

She pocketed her phone with a tense sigh before running her hands over her face a few times. 

Put lightly, she felt uneasy about the entire situation. It all felt… wrong. She shouldered any and all responsibility when it came to your predicament, and because of that, she regretted not putting up more of a fight when you left. Guilt made its inevitable, insolent journey to her heart in the wake of her failure to act. 

It made the classroom feel even more vacant and cold, as she stood alone in the middle of it. 

Judging by the noises you had made when you were unconscious – helpless, distant mumbles and calls of her name – she knew you were battling something stronger than either one of you had ever been up against. 

And although it should have, her skill in the arts did next to nothing in easing her worries. 

She knew she was gifted, but her imposter syndrome invoked her deepest fears of inadequacy when faced with a serious matter like this.

And – as selfish as it sounded – she couldn’t help but think that she might not have been so ashamed if anyone else had been her victim. She knew that nearly killing you wasn’t likely to score her any points, nor was it particularly advantageous in helping her gain your favor in the long run. 

She lamented over all of her wasted efforts thus far, fully aware that that single strike from her wand had surely eradicated all of the fruits of her labor from your heart and mind. 

Every study session that the two of you had shared before. 

Every late night escape to the outskirts of the academy, where you and your shared group of friends rendezvoused with hers to sneak around and do things you probably shouldn't have.

Every clumsily flirtatious line that she ever tried on you, with the excuse of alcohol floating nearby as a scapegoat. 

If Yubin was correct, the spell's power would eclipse all of those genuine moments and twist any true feelings you might’ve potentially had for her into something unmanageable. At her hands, you would suffer; and she expected to lose you because of it.

Once the enchantment was lifted, you'd certainly be exhausted by the mere sight of her. So, then, how could she expect you to still find any fondness for her in your heart?

It was impossible at best, and it disheartened her to say the least. She doubted you'd even want to be in the same room as her after it was all said and done.

Alas, all she could do now was hope to find the correct solution to heal you. She could settle for your full recovery, if nothing else.

—---

Your Dorm

After arriving, you quickly sent a text to your roommate – who was hidden away in one of the private study rooms of the library – and asked her to retrieve your abandoned belongings. 

She answered almost immediately and sent you a picture, confirming that she had collected it all safe and sound. She told you she still needed to study, though, and that she wouldn’t be back for a little while. 

You assured her that that was fine before throwing your phone onto the bed haphazardly. 

More than fine, you thought to yourself, as less-than-innocent thoughts of Yoohyeon returned to haunt you. You were miserable, completely and utterly, so it was a welcome thing to have the room to yourself in the meantime. 

For a very real, very serious second, you contemplated smothering yourself with your pillow. 

You buried your face in the loose folds of its silky case as you collapsed onto the bed, and you did all you could to put your racing mind to rest. Your entire body felt like it was on fire and you had no idea of how to stop it. 

A thin sheen of sweat appeared on your forehead before long; this spell took being hot and bothered to a whole new level. 

You felt the back of your shirt being lifted, inch by inch, until soft lips left open mouth kisses up your spine. Manicured nails ghosted over your skin, creating goosebumps wherever they went. 

“So beautiful,” Yoohyeon’s alluring voice whispered, only to you. 

Her hand slid down the front of your body, heading for your center when you unconsciously lifted your hips for her. She admired your every curve and line along the way, promising to worship them properly if you were patient for her.

You groaned loudly and shook your head, willing the fantasy away.  

This had to be some sort of cosmic torture. Karma coming back to bite you for some unspeakable atrocity you committed in a past life. 

Even the paintings on your walls judged you. They were poised above your turmoil and boasted cheerful people with smiles that you couldn’t mirror even if you tried. 

The rest of the room was full of a certain tranquility, too, that brought out the deepest parts of your envy. From your roommate's perfectly made bed to the two desks that sat beneath your window, not a thing was out of place. 

And yet there you were. An epicenter of chaos. 

Fearing for your own sanity, you wracked your brain for a temporary fix for your problems.

Should you cast a sleeping spell on yourself? No, that wouldn’t do. It would allow your body to recuperate, sure, but you’d also be trapped in your deepest dreams of Yoohyeon with no way out. There was no way of telling how that would end. 

Your next idea was to prepare a potion to combat your symptoms, but deep down you knew that you were incapable of producing one strong enough to do the trick. The spell was simply too powerful, and given your state, you were just too weak. Thinking clearly and rationally had long ago gone out the window, after all, and the very lines between reality and fiction were blurred irreparably. 

So, back to the drawing board you went. You ruminated, searching each and every corner of your mind for an avenue of assistance. Thankfully, before long, the universe graced you with a glorious eureka moment.

A cold shower! You brightened as the solution crossed your mind. 

That would do the trick, you promised yourself, as you hastily entered the bathroom. You stripped and set the water just shy of hypothermia-inducing temperatures.

When you stepped in, your initial reaction was to evade the stream of frigid water that bore down unsympathetically. But as you eased yourself into it, you discovered how welcome the feeling was. The droplets combatted the pervasive heat, and you finally felt capable of taking in a breath. 

You cherished the sensation for a while by running your hands up and down your body and turning to face the shower head. When you were satisfied, you reached for your shampoo to begin your routine. 

Everything went smoothly until you began to wash your body. 

You had just applied a generous amount of soap onto your loofah and began to work it into the textured material when it slipped from your hands. 

“You have got to be kidding me,” you lamented. 

Soapy water cascaded down your body as you bent at the waist to retrieve it; once it grazed your fingertips, you were quick to grab it.

Before you could upright yourself again, a dominant hand pressed to your back, keeping you bent over. You reached out to steady yourself on the wall as a pair of bare hips brushed against your ass, rutting subtly. 

"Why do you keep fighting your feelings, Y/N? I can make you feel so good, if you'll just let me." 

Your eyes fluttered closed at the familiar voice. It dripped with a confidence strong enough to ruin you. 

The warmth that radiated from her stood in stark contrast with the chilly water beating down on you. It felt too good for words.

Yoohyeon’s hands tracked their way to your hips, paying no mind to how crazy they drove you. She eased you further back against herself as she teasingly rutted again. A smirk tugged at her lips when she felt how wet you already were. 

"Stop," you weakly said. 

But she didn't. 

Her right hand simply dropped lower, and her fingertips circled your clit in response. 

Obscenities fell from her lips as you shuddered beneath her. She was bringing your body to life in such a wonderfully cruel way. 

"Say it with a little more conviction if you really want me to," she instructed, as she raised you up into a standing position again. Her naked body was flush against yours in an instant, clouding your judgement. 

She kissed your neck gently, allowing the action to be a full 180 from everything else she was subjecting you to. It was her version of a peace offering, as her hand still worked between your aching thighs.

A little treat to soothe your insatiability. 

"Please,” you begged. Had you had the energy to care, you might’ve been embarrassed at how pitiful you sounded.

"Alright, my love." 

When you opened your eyes again, you were alone. Every trace of her had vanished, just the same as the water swirling down the drain. 

You used the wall to steady yourself again, feeling humiliated. Your legs were untrustworthy. 

– 

Yubin & Yoohyeon’s Dorm

The two skilled witches stood side by side, reading from the same page of Yubin’s spellbook. The latter pulled on the adjustable arm of her desk lamp, bringing it closer until it hovered over the words and showered the annotations and sketches in warm light. 

They had been going back and forth for the past few minutes on whether or not her initial prediction was correct. 

Yoohyeon’s arms were crossed at her chest, and the look on her face screamed skepticism. 

“Look,” Yubin pointed at one of the formulas. “It had to have been a cross between the Amore variant and a spell of temptation.” She reasoned. “You were thinking about her right before you cast it, right?” 

The younger girl already knew the answer, but she wanted to check all of the boxes.

Yoohyeon bit the inside of her cheek, becoming a little flustered. She felt called out. “Yes.” 

The look in Yubin’s eye softened. When Yoohyeon had first started catching feelings for you – those incessant, fluttering butterflies that were annoyingly endearing – Yubin was the first and only person she told. She’d watched her pine for months on end, and that’s precisely why she encouraged her to practice the spell in the first place. 

But had she known that this would happen, she never would’ve pushed her to.

“I figured.” She nodded lightly. “That’s why I’m so certain I’m right.”

Yoohyeon sighed, though she kept the noise to herself as best she could. She didn't want to believe it.

“There’s no reasonable explanation for why her reaction was so strong. Corrupted variant or not.”

Yubin pondered for a moment. Her pencil twirled in her hand, and she rhythmically tapped its eraser against the surface of her desk as her mind worked its magic.

“Are you sure she doesn’t like you back? Even budding feelings can heighten the effects of these spells under the right circumstances.”

Her gaze fell to the floor, and her head shook, just a little. “I don't know."

You'd always acted so different around her than everybody else. She could never properly read you.

A frown formed on Yubin’s lips, full of pity. She had to be mistaken; any sane person would be head over heels for her.

“Well, there’s still good news,” she mitigated, looking at the bright side of things. “The antidote for this won’t harm her even if the enchantment she’s under really is a different one. Either it stops her symptoms or it does nothing at all.”

“That’s comforting.”

Yubin nodded. She drew in a deep breath and raised her head towards the work station of their room. It was complete with a cauldron, beakers, tools, and every ingredient that they would need. Thankfully the antidote didn’t require any outlandish or rare components.  

“If we work together, we can have it done before the end of the night.”

Yoohyeon’s lips pursed briefly in thought as she set her jaw. Her determination was as strong as ever. 

“Then let’s get started.”

–

Your Dorm

At some point between your disastrous shower and less-than-dignified retreat to bed, the raging storms outside had ceased. The skies were clearer than before, although the velvet cover of night was ridding them of any and all remaining daylight. Stars were picking up their twinkling again, and the moon was poised high above everything else. 

A wet washcloth was folded across your eyes to ensure that your body temperature didn’t exceed an acceptable limit. It eased your headache some, too, although it wasn’t enough to put you out of your misery entirely. 

Every fiber of your being still hummed and your stomach was full of butterflies. Your chest tingled, taunting you. The constant, neverending urge to writhe and squirm was challenging to hold at bay. Your body begged for friction – for release – but no matter what, nothing was ever enough. 

The inseam of your shorts teased your sensitive bud with every hopeless sway of your hips. The material of your shirt ghosted across your skin, flitting over the peaks of your breasts that begged for attention. 

Every added sensation left you breathless, but it failed to push you over the edge. 

You whined and flattened the cloth out across your entire face, praying that the cold material would be enough to offer a short reprieve.

The scent of Yoohyeon’s perfume permeated the air, almost as if she was really there. You'd never experienced such a visceral sense of neediness before in your life. You'd wanted things, sure – lusted after them, even, and with conviction – but nothing compared to this. 

The version of her that resided in your mind commanded your psyche in a torturously beautiful way. It was exhausting, to say the least, and oh so humiliating. But something about being so wholly at her mercy did things to you. And for some twisted reason, your mind decided to use that against you, over and over. 

She returned in waves. 

Any hope of release was continuously pushed farther with every visit she paid; she dangled it proudly, like a prize, just out of reach. 

Like an unbeatable race, she extended the finish line mere seconds before you reached it. A never ending saga, trapping you between the Heaven and Hell that the spell crafted into existence. 

If you were the powder, she was the fuse. And oh, how brightly you burned.

—

Later, Across Campus

Yoohyeon did her best to tread lightly, but the faint clicking of her shoes still echoed out across the expansive corridors of the academy. They were void of activity, given the late hour, and she appreciated that. With no interruptions or distractions, she could make it to you faster. 

Her conscience had been twisting itself into knots relentlessly for the better part of the evening anytime she stopped to imagine what you must’ve been going through. Tall tales and readings were the only means by which she had attained any information on the side effects of such a spell, and none of them eased her mind in the slightest. She was worried sick, and the only thing capable of consoling her was seeing you alright again.

The crystal bottle of antidote was cradled in her hands, shimmering with a slight green hue. 

She passed by more arching windows, finding streaky stains marring their typically spotless surfaces. The rain may have stopped, but it left traces like that everywhere, ensuring it wasn’t forgotten. Puddles of stagnant water reflected moonbeams all across the yard, pooling in various sizes. 

She felt bad for the groundskeepers that would be tasked with prettying it up in the morning. 

The towering ceilings of the grand hall greeted her as she stealthily continued on her journey. They loomed high above, keeping watch.

She remained vigilant to avoid getting caught by any passing faculty or patrolling guards there. It was past curfew, which meant they’d be more apt to question her if she got caught without a valid excuse for being away from her dorm.

So she made a promise to do whatever it took to remain inconspicuous. If the need presented itself, she was prepared to cast a spell of invisibility; the simple words of the incantation remained on standby, resting on the tip of her tongue. 

For you, she was set on making things right, no matter what it took. 

—-

Your Dorm

A knocking resounded from the door, causing you to peek at the time on your phone. A couple of hours had passed since your conversation with your roommate, so you’d been expecting her to arrive any moment. You knew her arms would be full of both your and her own belongings, and so you dragged yourself out of bed to assist her. 

The steps you took were weary and a bit unstable, but you disregarded all of that. You swung the door open and leaned against it, grateful for its sturdiness. 

When you made eye contact with the bane of your existence instead of your roommate, your shoulders sank defeatedly. She had the nerve to smile at you, acting as though she hadn't been encouraging your demise all evening. 

You paused and drew in a deep breath, fed up. This was getting ridiculous.

What did you have to do to put an end to it all? Would giving into the fantasy stop it?

She looked you up and down, studying the state you were in. When she noticed how mussed your clothes were and how ruinous you looked – completely and utterly fucked out – an expression of pity naturally pulled at her features. 

You mistook it as teasing arrogance. 

“Fuck it,” you muttered. Your exasperated voice was harsh against the quiet that had fallen over the academy.

Yoohyeon’s eyes went wide as you put a hand on the back of her neck and pulled her in close, all in one swift movement. Before she could even get a sound out, your lips were on hers and kissing her like your life depended on it. 

A vibrant, crimson blush sprawled its way across her cheeks and neck, even reaching the top of her ears as you unabashedly gave into your desire. The hallway was empty, but even still… did you have no shame? No fear of being caught?

She found her answer when your hand trekked down to the hem of her shirt and lifted it, revealing her toned stomach. Instead of using your words to admire it, your fingertips took their place; they caressed the sculpted lines and curves there, offering their own kind of praise. 

Her back arched involuntarily, searching for more of your touch.

She pulled her lips away from yours and turned her head, shying away as she attempted to catch her breath. Your free arm came to encircle her waist, and your head ducked down to her neck to kiss there instead. 

She sighed softly and allowed you to have your way with her.

“Y-Y/N, what are you doing?” Her voice was airy, and she fought every urge imaginable to keep from moaning when your tongue swirled over her pulsepoint. 

“Don’t play dumb now,” you said. “I’m just finishing what you’ve started.”

Her fingers gripped the material of your shirt at your shoulders in an effort to ground herself. She trembled, unable to process everything she was feeling. 

She tried to remind herself that you were simply at the mercy of the spell – that you wouldn't be doing any of this without its compulsion.

But having you on her in such a way made it easy to forget that. 

Your teeth grazed her sensitive skin, pulling a pretty whimper from her. Her eyes nearly rolled back at the rush of warmth it sent to her core.

“I don’t know what you mean,” she struggled out. 

You halted your movements long enough to pull back slightly and look into her eyes. When you did, you were mortified. 

This Yoohyeon wasn’t the one from your fever dreams at all. 

No; this Yoohyeon – the real Yoohyeon – was peering back at you with a dazed look in her innocent eyes. Her pupils were blown wide, and her lips were kiss-bitten and red. Her chest rose and fell quicker than normal, and you could feel how rapid her heart rate was from how close you still stood. 

Perhaps you had gotten a little ahead of yourself…

You detached yourself and stumbled backwards at once, embarrassingly bumping your head into the door. You reached up to rub the pain away and avoided meeting her eye again, wishing the ground would swallow you up and save you from such a humiliating fate.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to–”

“It’s alright. I know what you’re dealing with,” she soothed, with labored breathing.

Your head raised at that. How could she possibly know?

“Yubin and I finished a potion for you,” she informed, ensuring that the coast was clear as her hands reached into her pocket to retrieve it. It shimmered in the light of the hall when she held it up for you to see. 

“It should get you back to normal in no time.”

“Thank you,” you said, beaming with gratitude. “...so much,” you added.

A deep look of contemplation showed on her face; she was clearly debating on something. What it was, you had no idea. But the only thing on your mind was getting a taste of that enchantment. 

Fate had other plans, it seemed. 

When you went to take it from her, she pulled it away. Your brows furrowed in an instant, riddled with confusion.

But her explanation didn’t come in words. Instead, she reached behind you and pushed the door open wide before shoving you inside. You almost tripped over your own feet; but she tugged you by the shirt and pressed you into the door, ensuring that it shut fully behind you. Her fingers locked it as she quickly kissed you again.

“Yooh, what–” you mumbled against her lips.

“Shhh,” she pacified. “Let me help.”

The parallel between your first fantasy and the current moment threw you for a loop. Those words – the exact ones you’d heard before – were a million times more effective now, as she kissed you. What felt real in that fantasy paled in comparison to having her like this now, molding herself to you and chasing her own pleasure alongside you. 

She really was a dream come true.

“Here,” she offered, as she pulled away just enough to pop the cork out of the potion’s bottle. The liquid made quiet glug glug sounds as she took it all into her mouth, completely upturning the glass. You watched in awe as it disappeared in shimmery ripples.

She beckoned you closer with a simple touch, and you understood then what she had planned. Carefully, you pressed your lips to hers and lowered yourself down, allowing the antidote to flow freely from her mouth to your own. You swallowed it eagerly, pulling her soft body flush against yours to ensure that you received every last drop. 

You used your tongue to greedily lap up what remained on her lips and in her mouth, and she moaned deeply at the sensation. Her blush had returned, too, and in full bloom – but that was the last thing on her mind. 

“Fuck, you taste so good,” you breathed. Your voice was huskier than usual, and full of awe.

Her thighs pressed together instinctually as she let out a broken whine. Your simple praise, so raw and undeniable, made her grow even hotter than she already was.

The magic in the antidote was quickly taking the edge off of the misery that you had been in and enabling your natural desire and passion to come through. Power was finally returning to you, placing your fate in your own hands once again.

Part of Yoohyeon was still holding out in the chance that you would come to your senses in a rush and push her away, rejecting her. 

But that never happened. If anything, the opposite did. And precisely because of that, every resulting movement of your body against hers – so wanton and needy – made her realize just how wrong she had been before. 

Even in the absence of the spell's compulsion, you yearned for her. She could feel it all; each impatient touch sold you out a little more.

Clearly the attraction was a mutual thing… So why had you hidden it away until now? Had you really doubted how much she longed for you, too? Your oblivion truly knew no bounds. 

But, in the end, it simply made her all the more determined to prove just how badly she needed you. Then and always.

“Don’t stop,” she pleaded, when your hands began to roam her body in time with your kisses. “I want this, Y/N,” she whimpered, feeling you hike her skirt up to her waist in one fluid motion. 

“Me, too, jagi.” You assured her, pulling her ruined panties to the side just as she slipped her tongue into your mouth again. Your fingers slid easily between her folds, discovering just how wet she was for you already. 

Her uneven breaths fanned out across your skin in response, warming every bit of it that they touched. This time, that heat was a welcome feeling.

“Take me to bed,” she mewled weakly. Her hair cascaded over her shoulders, messy with want. 

She wrapped her legs around your waist when you obediently hoisted her up into your arms; you carried her over and laid her down, pressing her down into the soft comforter with your body. She tugged impatiently on the bottom of your shirt until you decided to appease her and take it off. 

With your upper half now clad only in your bra, she openly ogled you. Somehow, her shyness had disappeared along the way. 

“I want you to show me everything we did in those fantasies of yours, okay?”

You nodded dutifully, allowing her to soak in the sight of you a little longer. 

“We’re only stopping once we’ve done it all.”

A shiver ran up your spine at her assuredness. Could she get any more perfect? This side of her was sparking up your imagination equally as well as the spell had.

Perhaps she herself could count as an enchantment. Surely a drug, if nothing else. 

You hovered above her again the second she beckoned you closer, and ghosted your lips across her rosy ones. They chased after yours, falling for your tricks every time you pulled away at the last second. It was only fair to give her a taste of what you’d spent the day going through, after all. 

But she wasn’t in the mood for your games. She wasted no time in rolling over and pinning you to the bed instead, with her hands pressing yours into the mattress above your head. Your fingers intertwined when she reconnected your lips, picking right back up where you left off. 

Now that your shorts had ridden up and exposed more of your legs, she took advantage of the opportunity that presented itself. Her thighs came to straddle one of your own, and she eagerly lowered herself down to brush her bare pussy against it. Your brain short circuited initially, unaccustomed to such a feeling in the world of the conscious; but the sensual roll of her hips and the moans that slipped out of her grounded you. 

Her slick dripped down the sides of your thigh as she began to work herself up more and more, using your body like a plaything. You flexed your leg beneath her in time with her rutting, wanting to watch her come undone above you. 

Her appreciative whines resounded around your room, filling the space with their beautiful sounds. As her sensitivity became more apparent, the noises she made grew higher in pitch. They were precious displays intended solely for you to hear; each one a little breathier than the last as she chased her high more freely.

And, lacking any sense of hesitation anymore, you offered yourself readily. In any way she wanted you, you were hers. 

The corners of her lips tweaked up into a smirk when you fully submitted beneath her. The tension in your muscles dissipated, and your strain subsided. Your hands no longer squirmed underneath hers; they gave up their fruitless pursuit of freedom.

You surrendered yourself to her, prepared to lose control once and for all. Now, the elusive release that you’d been searching for was promised. No more tricks.

“Are you ready, jagi?” She asked, trailing her lips down your jawline. They lazily painted your skin with a few marks, taking their time. She reveled in the feel of your embrace and the reactions that you had such trouble containing.

Everything about her was full of restrained desire and tension as she waited on your answer. Controlling herself was always hard when it came to you. 

Then and always. 

“Yes.” You whispered, as the last remnants of her spell faded completely from your system.

Now, she had you entirely at her mercy. Un-bewitched, maybe, but more enamored than ever.

-- Bonus --

A Considerable Amount Of Time Later

The sound of Yoohyeon’s phone ringing disrupted the post-sex haze that you had found yourselves in, and she rushed out a slew of apologies as she begrudgingly untangled herself from you. She pressed a long kiss to your lips before getting out of bed, and her shaky legs nearly buckled completely when she first used them.

You fought hard to hold back your laughter as she searched through her discarded clothes on the floor for the phone, aided only by what bits of moonlight flitted in through the window.

She stumbled to the bathroom after finally locating it, as clumsy as ever. The darkness didn’t help anything either, but she eventually managed to make it there without breaking anything. 

“What, Yubin?” She whispered, a little harsher than intended, once the door was closed.

“Hello to you, too, sunshine,” Yubin mocked.

Deciding to check your phone as well, you blindly reached out towards the bedside table for it. Once its smooth, chilly screen made contact with your fingertips, you snatched it up. 

You kept an eye shut as you unlocked it to prevent yourself from going completely blind. An unread message pulsated, asking to be clicked on. 

-- Y/Roomie’s/N -- 

Cramming late tonight with my study group. I think I’ll just crash at their dorm. Lmk if you want me to run your things over!

Huh. Somewhere along the way, you had completely forgotten about your roommate. Oops…

But knowing that you had the night to yourself – that it was free to share with Yoohyeon – made you inexplicably giddy. You smiled and put your phone down again before returning to your initial position. A content sigh left you as you nuzzled further into your blanket.

Despite Yooh’s very obvious effort to keep her conversation inaudible, the opposite occurred. And although her voice was hushed, it wasn’t hard for you to make out everything she was saying.

“How did it go? Did you ask her to–” Yubin asked curiously, before being cut off.

“No, I haven’t asked her to Formal yet. We got a little… sidetracked.”

You smiled against your pillow at that. So she wanted to take you, huh? 

“I’ll ask her when I ask her,” she resolved, attempting to quiet her best friend’s nagging. All she wanted was to be back at your side. “And I’ll tell you about everything later.”

“I’m counting on that, Yooh. I want to know if my potion worked,” she pouted a little, despite the fact that Yoohyeon couldn’t see it. 

“Patience,” was all the older witch said before she abruptly hung the call up without another thought.  

Yubin muttered an annoyed “Aigoo” to herself, all tucked away in bed. She took a sip of her tea and picked her book back up, ready to wind down by reading until she fell asleep. 

Yoohyeon emerged from the bathroom to find you still on your side, just as she left you. The curve of your face looked so pretty that she took a second to simply admire you. You were more beautiful to her than words could ever describe. 

She climbed back in beside you and pulled the covers over herself before snuggling up. She cuddled close and leaned up enough to press a sweet kiss to your neck, right above one of the darker marks that she had left earlier.

“You’ll have to help me find something to wear for Formal,” you uttered, no longer feigning sleep. 

She jumped a little, not expecting your voice to suddenly break the quiet. When she recovered, she laughed lightly. Such a pleasant sound.

Her arm draped across your side when you shifted further back against her. It provided comfort and security in a beautiful way.

“You heard that?”

"Mhm," you lazily mumbled, covering her hand with your own. It came to rest against your stomach.

"I'm kind of glad you did." 

"Yeah?" 

"Yeah," she smiled against your back. You could feel it through your shirt. "I've been wanting to ask you for a few weeks now." 

"No way." 

"Yes way. You know, you've had me hooked since our first project in alchemy." 

Your brows furrowed briefly as you worked to recollect it. 

"When I singed half of my eyebrow off?" 

"Ding ding ding. How could I have resisted?" She teased, pretending to swoon. 

You clicked your tongue and moved to jokingly push her away, but she simply laughed and wrapped herself around you before you could.

Her giggles bubbled up within her chest, allowing you to feel just how happy she was as her body shook against yours. You knew you could never get tired of that sound – not in a million years. 

"Yah," you said fondly, no longer fighting the smile on your lips. "You're lucky you're cute." 

The hint of warning in your voice, paired with the compliment, only made her grin harder. 

"I know." 

Perhaps this year, for once, Brighton Academy found a way to turn things around after all. 

Yoohyeon – and a little bit of happenstance – were just what it needed.

your latest jiu work is so good!?,#*@! omg it felt like a treat reading it esp for a jiu stan like me 30k words too you're fucking amazing😭😭😭 i hope u write more gosh !!! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Me opening my inbox and seeing all the love for that fic ^^^

Lmao thank you so much for reading through it all and enjoying it! I know it was lengthy, so hearing that you liked that about it is always a plus <3

You're making my day with these messages 💖 and anon, you're boosting my ego over here... 🤧

(Also, Jiu stans rise 🫡)

Patience

Pairing: Siyeon x Fem!Reader and Yoohyeon x Fem!Reader

Warnings / Misc. -- Love Triangle, Angst, Pining, Fluff

Word Count: ~ 10,895

Requested By: @mandu-17​

Disclaimer: This writing is a work of fiction, and no disrespect is meant for those mentioned herein.

A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you're having a good day / night and that you enjoy this piece :) Drink some water!

💖 Happy Reading🌹

◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚ ▸◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚ ▸◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚ ▸◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚

- Three Months Ago -

Seoul Fair

The entirety of Seoul and its inhabitants fell silent as you tossed one final, plastic ring towards the sea of bottles in front of you. With bated breath, you watched as it sailed through the air.

One side of it hit first, causing it to flop back and forth while fate decided what to do with it. 

After a tense few seconds, it circled around the corner bottle’s rim and sunk down over the neck of it with a satisfying clink. 

The crowd that had formed around you erupted with cheers and applause in an instant. You spun around in a rush, raising your arms into the air in celebration.

One person in particular caught your eye, with the soft smile that was on her face and the look of adoration that shined in her dark eyes. A few strands of her fluffy hair were blowing in the wind, caught by its currents. 

Siyeon. Precisely the woman you were trying to win a prize for. 

She opened her arms as you closed the short distance that stood between the two of you, catching you with ease as you leapt into them. She spun you around victoriously, sharing her cute little laugh with the world and warming your heart in the process. 

She kissed your cheek before setting you back down on the ground, and you tugged her over to the booth so she could choose her prize. 

Per her instruction, the worker used a hook and retrieved a wolf plushie from the top rack. She took it and you both thanked him before leaving. 

“When did you get so good at that game, jagi?” Her arm looped with yours as she began to toy with the wolf’s ears. The neon lights of the attractions around you washed over the park, causing the plushie’s beady eyes to shine as they peered up at her. 

“Beginner’s luck,” you shrugged, still smiling. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Like it?” She stopped in her tracks, making you do the same. 

“I love it. Best gift ever,” she complimented, and leaned over to kiss your lips. You laughed against her as she pulled you in again and wound her arms around your middle, holding you close in her warm embrace. 

She shivered when your hands pushed open her flannel jacket and made contact with her exposed midriff, caressing her skin. Your fingers looped in the waistband of her jeans, pulling her flush against your body as her lips moved against yours. She simply couldn’t get enough of you; you were too perfect for words. 

Just a little ways away, Yoohyeon watched the two of you with a scowl. The line that she was waiting in was stagnant and apparently incapable of any movement whatsoever, much to her annoyance. Her sudden change in attitude became apparent to both Jiu and Dami – who were standing in front of her – when she let out a light scoff into the night air. 

Just a few minutes prior, she was as bubbly and smiley as ever; but when she spotted you together, her mood soured immediately. She felt sick to her stomach, and the sinking of her heart only made things worse. 

She couldn’t have you, no matter how much she was dying to. What a cruel fate.

Ever since Siyeon had introduced you to all of the girls a few months ago, Yoohyeon had been grappling with her blossoming feelings for you. Everything about you drew her in, from your sweet smile that was always capable of cheering her up to your sense of humor that matched hers perfectly. As you became a bigger part of all of their lives, she found it more and more difficult to deny the way that you made her feel.

It wasn’t hard for all of them to grow fond of you, with how much Siyeon gushed about you and how frequently you were invited over to the dorm. Just recently they had begun to bring you on little trips and outings such as this, certain that you would find a way to make them even more special somehow. And you always did. 

But as much as Yoohyeon loved your presence, a part of her loathed it. Holiday dinners and movie nights in particular were some of the most destructive occasions for her resolve, because they meant that you were in her proximity for hours on end, looking radiant without even trying. The subtle touch of your hand was enough to make her heart speed up, and anytime she made you laugh or smile it was like the world stopped spinning for a moment. Her clumsiness was always countered by your vigilance, with you often swooping in to save her at the last second before she could trip over nothing or knock something over. 

In so many ways, you complimented her better than anyone else ever had before. It made her wonder that if circumstances were different, perhaps you could’ve found the same love in your heart for her that she had for you. Maybe, if she had been the first to meet you instead of Siyeon, you would’ve been winning prizes for her now, at the fair, and waiting in the world’s slowest ferris wheel line by her side. 

Ah, surely that was just wishful thinking. At least, that’s what she told herself.

“Look, unnie,” Siyeon beamed, holding the wolf up to Jiu as the two of you made your way over. 

The eldest gave Yoohyeon another concerned once-over before regarding Siyeon with a pleased smile. Her free arm was still wrapped around your waist, and the sight made Yoohyeon turn away again. 

“Woah, Y/N,” Jiu breathed, full of amazement. “I heard that game is totally rigged. How did you beat it?”

You grinned shyly when they all looked at you again, patiently waiting on your answer. With how intrigued they were, it was like you held the key to the universe.

“I had a good reason to win,” you said, bumping your shoulder into Siyeon’s. She blushed and used the plushie to cover her face, making everyone laugh. 

“Yah, you’re such a flirt,” she groaned. “You know we’re already dating, right? You don’t have to win me over all the time.”

Dami noticed the subtle way that Yoohyeon twisted the top of her sneaker into the dirt at that, swiping it back and forth. 

“And miss out on making you blush?” You quirked a brow like she was crazy. “Never.”

She muttered a quiet “Omo,” into the air before playfully rolling her eyes in response. 

“Do you guys wanna join us?” Jiu asked, tilting her head to the side with a smile of gentle encouragement. 

You looked at Siyeon, silently debating for a moment. Yoohyeon’s sad frame caught your eye when you returned your gaze to Jiu, leaning against the metal bars of the barrier. 

“Of course. We’d love to.”

Though you didn’t see it, Yoohyeon shut her eyes in response. Why did you have to say yes? Out of every possible ride and booth here, you had to choose this one next? Her luck must’ve run out and turned negative somehow.

Siyeon helped you duck your way under the bars before doing so herself, officially joining the rest of them in line. You passed the remaining wait time by discussing your plan for tackling the remainder of the park before it closed for the night. There was only about an hour or so left before you had to leave, and you wanted to make the most of it by hitting up the rides that had the biggest reputations. Both Jiu and Dami liked your scheme, and so they decided then that they wanted to tag along with the two of you for it.

“What about you, Yoohyeon? Wanna come with?” You asked, concerned by her lack of a response thus far. She hadn’t joined into the conversation really and it upset you to see her so unlike herself. You missed her happy-go-lucky attitude.

When she felt you approach her side and innocently take her hand, she glanced over at you. 

Why did you have to be so beautiful? 

The smile on your lips knocked away any ill-feelings she had; every ounce of annoyance she had stored up melted away at the sight of you. Her defenses came tumbling down, just the same as her reservations. 

“Sure,” she said, though she wanted to kick herself for being swayed so easily. 

“Good.” You squeezed her hand with both of your own, showing your sincerity. “It wouldn’t be as fun without you.”

Siyeon put her chin on the younger girl’s shoulder and loosely wrapped her arms around her, giving her a back hug. Yoohyeon smiled, half-forced and half-genuine for a multitude of reasons. 

She always did her best to refrain from taking her frustrations at the situation out on Siyeon, because at the end of the day it wasn’t her fault. When it comes to love, no one holds the reins; and precisely because no one can be blamed, the pain is a million times worse. She couldn’t find it in her heart to hate her member even though she wanted to; it would’ve made life far easier, and she could’ve distanced herself accordingly to attain some relief. But she was stuck in limbo – an odd and complicated area between love and jealousy – with no way out in sight. 

So she grinned and bore it, allowing the two of you to show her some affection. Caught between love and loyalty, she struggled. Who knew that two of the people she cared about most in the world could leave her feeling such a way? 

The ride attendant motioned you forward as the line surged one final time, and you were ushered onto the next available cart. It was large enough to fit all five of you, thankfully, and you ended up sitting between Siyeon and Yoohyeon. Jiu and Dami took the other side, sitting on either end of the bench there to more evenly distribute their shared weight.

Yoohyeon did her best to ignore your hand on her thigh, holding it tightly as the cart was taken higher and higher into the sky. It was warm and tempting against the chill that seeped in, both from the atmosphere around you and the metal seat that you were sat on. Should she have trained herself to be any less cynical, it might have given her some kind of foolish hope. When you shifted closer and settled against her side, briefly shutting your eyes when you neared the top of the wheel, she might’ve taken it as a sign of something more than what it was: innocent affection. 

But as she caught a glimpse of the jacket wrapped around your shoulders – Siyeon’s, she quickly deduced – her senses were returned to her in full. 

Siyeon was busy snapping pictures of the view for the two of you to look back on later; just the same as you, she loved aerial views like this. The flashing lights of the fair swirled and pulsated in different rhythms, all vying for the attention of passersby. Shouts of joy rang out, both from children and adults alike, and the comforting scents of different fair foods floated up on the breeze. 

Yoohyeon tracked your line of sight to the city lights that shined from a little ways away – a different kind of hustle and bustle existing over there than the one you were centered in. Every beautiful thing around you was just that – beautiful – but the longer she looked at you, she realized none of it could compare.

Your smile had taken on a new kind of thrill – in the last few seconds it had learned a new way of beaming that reduced her to nothing but a bumbling fool. The joy on your face was contagious, and as she caught herself staring she registered that she was grinning back. 

She was totally, utterly, and irrevocably in love with you. Head over heels in every sense of the phrase, though even it didn’t do justice to what she felt for you. It was a dangerous game that her heart and mind were playing, toying with one another with no regard for how it ruined her. 

But she took your hand during a lapse in judgement and intertwined your fingers, allowing her thumb to caress your skin. It offered comfort when you peered over the side of the cart at the ground and immediately straightened up, regretting your decision. 

She simply admired you, close but so far, wearing her poorly-guarded heart on her sleeve. She knew she couldn’t have you in the ways she truly wanted, and she knew she’d have to make peace with that in time. 

But for now, she was okay with settling for this. 

For the curl of your fingers around hers, and the nervous laughter you shared whenever the cart swayed a little. For the sweet way your voice uttered her name as you called for her attentioned and pointed out things you wanted her to see throughout the park below. 

It might not have been capable of feeding her delusions forever, but in that moment it would suffice. 

It was glorious torture, all at once; and she couldn’t say she wanted it to end. 

《》《》《》《》《》《》《》

- Present Day -

As it went, fate had an odd way of panning out with time. 

The members were gathered around Siyeon’s bedroom door, sharing hushed whispers of what plan of action they wanted to take. Yoohyeon was in the mix, too, although she was doing more listening than she was contributing to the conversation. 

Her back was leaned against the hallway wall, and at the mention of your name she only pressed against it harder. The rigid surface remained steady, compensating for the weakness she felt.

“It’s been hours, unnie,” Gahyeon said, fixing her eyes on an uncharacteristically quiet Sua.

The second oldest tensed her jaw and nodded, acknowledging her. “I know, but I have no idea what to do. I’ve never seen her like this, guys.”

Jiu sighed and rubbed her forehead. Yoohyeon could only imagine the stress that she felt day in and day out by simply being their leader. It had to be exhausting. 

“Have any of you heard from Y/N? Maybe she knows.”

Dami made a noise of contestation. “I think whatever it is that has Siyeon down right now has everything to do with Y/N.”

“She mentioned something about it to me this morning during breakfast, before she locked herself away,” Handong uttered. Everyone looked to her, awaiting her explanation. “It wasn’t much, but my guess is that they’re taking a break or something.”

Yoohyeon hated the piece of herself that rejoiced at that. She felt completely selfish.

“Seriously?”

“I wonder why…”

“There’s no way, they were so good together.”

“It must just be a misunderstanding.”

The girls all spoke over each other, simply sharing their disbelief. 

A framed picture came into Yoohyeon’s view as she looked away, feeling ashamed. It was one of the three of you, smiling and happy on a trip you took with all of them to a national park some time ago. You went during the change in seasons, when the cherry trees were blossoming and offering their petals to the world. In fact, Jiu had managed to snap the picture just as some had landed in your hair; both Yoohyeon and Siyeon stood at your side, attempting to get them out for you. 

It was a beautiful picture – a wonderful memory, even – yet it made Yoohyeon frown regardless. If that really was the case – if you had broken up – then both of them would be left heartbroken and neither one could do a thing about it. 

It was one thing for Yoohyeon to suffer alone if it meant that at least Siyeon could be happy with you. But now? No, that didn’t sit right with her. She had grown used to the heartache, and she knew she could handle it; Siyeon didn’t deserve to feel it, too.

“Why don’t I go see how Y/N’s doing while you guys try to get through to Siyeon? She might tell me what happened and we can get both sides of the story that way.”

The girls all looked at her, silently weighing the pros and cons of the suggestion. Jiu, ever observant, was acutely aware of the feelings that the younger girl harbored for you; she knew it would be upsetting for her to confront you in such a way, and especially over a topic like this. But something shined in Yoohyeon’s eyes, and she knew she was determined to make things right in any way she could. 

“I think that would be good. Do you have her number?”

Yoohyeon nodded. You’d given it to her on your second visit to the dorm, when you’d lost your phone and needed to call it in order to locate it. Even now, she could remember the way you jumped around together in celebration once you’d found it buried beneath the couch cushions. 

“If she’s in the same state as Siyeon I doubt she’ll want to leave her apartment,” Dami said. 

“I’ll just put something comfortable on then. Maybe she’ll let me come over.”

“I’m sure she will,” Sua agreed. 

Yoohyeon fished her phone out of her pocket and held it up at them, wiggling it in the air to dismiss herself. She padded off to her room and scrolled until she found your contact, hitting the call button just as the latch of her door clicked into place behind her. 

It rang a few times, and each second that passed by felt like a small eternity. She paced lightly as her fingers toyed with the sweater paw that her sleeve made. 

“Hello?”

“Y/N!” She said a little too enthusiastically. She cleared her throat, correcting herself. “Y/N,” she repeated, a great deal calmer. “How have you been?”

“Not the best,” you answered truthfully. “You?”

“I’ve been better.”

“How’s Siyeon doing?” The hopefulness in your voice was obvious.

“Not the best,” she echoed, using your own words. 

The line went silent for a few seconds in response, and was only broken by the subsequent sniffle you let out. She could tell you tried to conceal it, but she heard it regardless and it broke her heart. 

“Can I come over? I want to see you.”

You sniffled again, not fully trusting your voice to keep from wobbling. “If you’re okay with seeing me as a mess, then sure.” 

Her shoulders relaxed some. She was afraid you were going to reject the idea outright.

“Text me your address. I’ll leave soon, okay?”

“Alright,” you spoke gently into the phone, cradling it against your cheek. Its screen was cool against your heated skin, and the sensation made you grateful that she had called you. 

You hung up after a shared word of goodbye and headed to the bathroom, wanting to look somewhat decent for her arrival. The hoodie, shorts, and bags underneath your eyes could stay, but your hair needed to be tamed and your nose needed to be blown. All the crying you’d been doing as of late had turned you into a wreck, plain and simply.

—-

- Your Apartment -

A gentle series of knocks came a little while later, letting you know she’d arrived. 

Yoohyeon fidgeted in the small hallway in front of your door while she waited and busied herself by studying the dim hanging light that resided in the center of its ceiling. Her nerves were running high for some reason, and she couldn’t seem to calm them down. 

You opened the door shortly after, revealing yourself in all of your… glory.

Her features pulled together in sadness as she regarded you and stepped inside. You shut the door behind her and were prepared to launch into the speech you had been rehearsing, but she spared you from giving it. 

Her arms wrapped around you instead in a silent embrace, pulling you in until your body was pressed to hers. She didn’t care that you looked messy, or that you would dirty up her shirt; she simply offered herself to you and allowed you to find comfort in something other than your pillow for once. Her hands caressed your back as you began to cry again, painting her shoulder with the heavy droplets. They each held a little bit of your sadness and frustration; the more you cried, the lighter you felt. 

She backed up until she reached the couch, and she quickly sat down and pulled you along with her. Your legs stretched across her lap and you settled your head in the crook of her neck, letting yourself go. 

You had no idea why you felt okay enough to be so vulnerable in front of her; normally, you don’t cry in front of people. You’ve found over the years that your emotions are better dealt with in the safety and security of your bedroom or the shower, where prying eyes and ears don’t have the chance to listen in and question you about it later on. 

It was unlike you in every way to openly sob in front of another person – even Siyeon herself had only seen you cry maybe once or twice, and neither of those occasions were of this caliber. 

But something in the way Yoohyeon held you let you know everything would be alright. The occasional kisses that she left against your temple and the mindless way her fingers played with your hair calmed you down, giving you an avenue to ground yourself with. She even shed a few tears of her own, having been affected by how pitiful you were in her arms. If there was one thing she hated in this world, it was to see you cry. 

Once your body began to relax against hers and your sobs turned to occasional sniffles, she knew you were making progress. You lifted your head and she cupped your cheeks, wiping away the remaining tears that streaked their paths downward with the pads of her thumbs. 

“Only tell me about it if you’re comfortable and ready to, okay? I’ll stay right here regardless.”

You nodded and remained that way, shutting your eyes; she continued to cradle your face and hold you like you were the most precious thing in the entire universe. Your lips and cheeks were a bit puffy and your eyes were red, but your wet lashes looked full as they shimmered in the light of the room. You had that post-cry glow – one of the only positives in the situation at all. 

When your breathing reached normalcy again, you moved a little out of her hold and allowed your back to lean against the arm of the couch behind you, taking advantage of its support; your legs still remained across her lap, however. Her hands fell to them, and her fingertips traced patterns against your skin while you found the courage to finally share what had happened. 

“We broke up last night.”

She nodded, intending to give you the floor and let you do the talking.

“Things had been weird for a few weeks, and so we discussed them, but… I-I don’t really know where it all went wrong. We had always been fine before, but something about this one seemed really final.”

“Was it about anything in particular?”

You shook your head. “Not really? Just…” you let out a deep breath, “...I feel like we’d been growing apart for a little while, and then I guess it all just piled up. But even then, I don’t want us to throw away everything we’ve been through together, you know? We’ve been with each other for a while now.”

“I get that, Y/N/N.” She pushed the nagging in her heart aside. “Do you think she feels the same?”

Your shoulders lifted and fell in a heartbroken shrug, and another few tears dripped down your cheeks. “I don’t know. Probably not, after the last talk we had about it.”

She put a hand over yours on your lap, squeezing it tenderly in support. 

“I wish it could’ve been a big blow out fight so I could start hating her and get past it. But she was reasonable and calm,” your breath hitched a few times, like babies do when they’re settling down, “...neither of us were harsh to each other, and yet somehow I still feel awful.”

“If it’s any consolation, she isn’t doing much better. Since breakfast she’s been locked in her room and not speaking to anyone. Not even Sua.”

A sigh left your lips at that information. “What do you think we should do?”

She took a little while to consider it, genuinely pondering. “Maybe just give it some time? Things like this always hurt the most when it’s all fresh and new. If you take a few days to think about it all and see how you feel then, maybe you’ll have a better grasp on what to do moving forward.”

“You’re right, Yooh. Thank you.”

“Of course; it’s what I’m here for.” 

You wiped the remaining tears on your cheeks again and swallowed thickly, completely and utterly worn out. Truthfully, you’d expected to have run out of tears by the time she arrived; clearly that wasn’t the case by any means. 

“Have you eaten today?”

You shook your head, prepared for an earful. Instead, she simply stood up and stuck her hand out, pulling you up as well. “Then let me make you something.” 

She led the way into your kitchen, and when she spotted the island inside, she ushered you over to it. She pulled one of the high top chairs out for you and scooted it in once you were settled before heading to the sink to wash her hands. 

“Any requests?”

“Y/FavFood/N, please.”

She smiled and rinsed the suds from her hands with the hot water that streamed from the faucet. “Alright, Y/N, but you have to promise to stay in here in case I start a fire. The last time I made that, our kitchen almost exploded.”

You laughed at that, surprised that her clumsiness had ever been that extreme. Surely it had to be a world record of some kind. 

“I promise,” you said with a smile. 

For a shining, wonderful moment, the heartbreak that you were going through became second on the list of things taking up space in your mind. It obviously didn’t go away completely, but the sadness was eclipsed by a certain 5’6” beauty that stood in front of your open refrigerator, scanning the shelves for all of the ingredients she needed. 

The midday sunlight that streamed into the room offered a nice glow to everything, coating it in warmth. Her hair flowed elegantly in soft waves, and it caught the golden rays in various ways as she moved about. Her silhouette cut through the light gracefully, casting a shadow that was nearly capable of rivaling her real-life beauty.

You’d always thought she was incredibly attractive, though you never planned to act on it in any way. It was just a simple, undeniable fact of life. She was divine, and you didn’t mind being her admirer for once. 

As she worked, you eyed her unabashedly. She caught you a few times and hid behind whatever utensil happened to be in her hand or threw a stray ingredient at you to convince you to stop, but it had the opposite effect. Without even trying, she drew you in. This woman, so sweet and gentle, waltzed into your life again when you needed someone more than anything. She was waiting without judgment, prepared to comfort you at your lowest without seeking a reward to show for it. Her kindness spoke volumes, and it wasn’t lost on you in the slightest.

How you would repay her, you weren’t sure. But you knew then that you could count on her no matter what, and that was huge. 

—-------

In line with Yoohyeon’s advice, you allowed a week to pass before you met up with Siyeon to discuss things again. She came to your apartment and sat down with you, respectful in every possible way. It was odd to greet her with a short hug instead of a kiss like you were used to, but you managed. The atmosphere was still a bit tense – a little charged – as unfinished business hung in the air between you, but you both handled it like adults and did what you could to dispel it. 

Tears were shed and you comforted one another like always. No matter what, you both hated to see each other so upset.

Amicably, you agreed to remain broken up and see what the future held. It was obvious that you still loved one another deeply and cared just as much as you had when you first fell. But times were changing, and life was beginning to take you in different directions; no matter how sad or disappointing it was, it was simply growing pains. Neither of you were to blame, and you found some solace in the fact that you hadn’t cheated or done anything rash to hurt one another in such a way.

Your friendship didn’t have to end by any means, and you made a promise to stay in touch. Neither of you believed you’d get over the other anytime soon – at least not fully, anyway – but you knew this was the best decision you could make for the both of you. Watching the relationship unravel any further would’ve only ended worse and caused more harm than good; you saw no real point in dragging it out when you could end on a relatively positive note instead. 

So, that day, you shared one final goodbye kiss and left it at that. Whether it was merely the end of this chapter for your love story or the entire book, you’d find out in time. 

—--

- Four Months Later -

When you entered your apartment after a morning of grocery shopping, you were surprised to find Yoohyeon sprawled out across your couch. Her limbs were haphazardly strewn about, and all of her focus was zeroed in on the phone in her hands. She was playing a game, you quickly realized, by the fast movement of her fingers and the look of concentration on her face. 

As you latched the door behind yourself and locked it, the screen lit up red, washing her face in the color of defeat. 

She groaned loudly and sat up before locking her phone and tossing it to the other end of the couch like a toddler. Sometimes she was really a sore loser. 

“How was shopping?” 

She stood up and stretched, and you did your best not to stare too hard when her shirt rose up enough to expose her midriff. The lines of her abs were clear, begging to be admired. But you averted your gaze before she could catch you. 

“Fine. Pretty uneventful, really.”

She wordlessly took some of the bags from your hands and followed you into the kitchen, padding her way in with sock-clad feet. As you began to unpack everything and put it in its rightful place, she helped.

“How long have you been here?” You asked over your shoulder, bent at the waist as you placed some vegetables in the produce bin of the refrigerator. 

Yoohyeon’s eyes raked over your backside, starting at the flexing muscles of your shoulders and flitting all the way down to your calves. Just as much as she’d fallen for your personality and mind, she’d fallen for your body as well. You were gorgeous to her in every capacity. Just the sight of you made her want to–

“Earth to Yoohyeon!”

She jumped, putting a hand over her heart. 

“U-uh sorry! What did you ask?”

Her hand raised to the back of her neck as she scratched it, beyond embarrassed. She continued to hand you groceries as you reached out for them.

“I asked how long you’ve been here.”

“About an hour. The girls are out doing their own things and I knew you wouldn’t be gone too long, so I decided to come here and hang out with you.”

“You didn’t have anything better to do?” You quirked a brow, standing up straight and shutting the fridge.

“I always want to spend time with you, Y/N. That is one of my better things to do.”

“Yah,” you felt the beginnings of blush bloom on your cheeks as warmth spread to them, “...stop it with the smooth talk.”

She smiled so widely that her eyes formed into crescents in an instant. Knowing that she had such an effect on you never failed to put her in a better mood. 

“No can do,” she shrugged, approaching you with open arms. She wrapped them around your neck and sighed into your hair when she felt yours wind around her waist, pulling her close. Her breath on your neck caused goosebumps to appear, and it took all the self restraint you had to keep from shivering.

The power she had gained over you in a matter of months was astounding, if you did say so yourself. 

Following your breakup with Siyeon, Yoohyeon had established herself as a constant in your life that you could count on for just about anything. 

Late night runs to the convenience store when you were having a bad week? She would be outside of your place with the car running before you could even hang up the phone.

You needed to unwind when work got you down? She was at your door with all of her favorite co-op video games, and all of your favorite snacks. If that didn’t cheer you up, she was always down to go for a walk in the park or watch TV shows or movies to take your mind off of things. 

You were sick? She would run to the store at any hour and pick up every medicine you needed and every snack she knew you’d appreciate. Once she made it to your apartment, she wouldn’t leave until she witnessed you drink plenty of water and eat some of her home-made soup. (Even then, if you asked her to stay longer with you, she would agree in a heartbeat). 

The more you got to know her, the more you began to fall. In the beginning, you did everything you could to prevent it, seeing as how both of you were still close with Siyeon. It felt slimy, in a way, to pull something like that with your breakup still relatively new. And, truth be told, you still weren’t completely over her. You were a lot further along than from where you started, but some progress still remained to be made. Siyeon’s quirks and mannerisms stuck with you, some becoming little habits of your own that you had picked up during your time together. The little things still reminded you of her from time to time, but you tried not to get too hung up on them.

From what you heard, she was on track to getting over you and seemed to be handling things well, too. It pleased you to hear that; more than anything, you wanted her to be happy. She deserved nothing less; and if you couldn’t be the person to give that to her, you wanted her to find the one that could. 

Maybe you could be just as lucky, too, someday.

Yoohyeon’s phone rang, and she let go of you to go retrieve it from your living room. You watched her head out with a small smile, feeling content.

*ring ring*

“Hello?”

“Hey, Yooh,” Jiu chimed on the other end. “Are you still at Y/N’s house?”

She reentered the kitchen and sat down at one of the island chairs, meeting eyes with you across the room. 

“Mhm.”

“Oooooo,” she teased.

“Unnie, what do you want?” Yoohyeon deadpanned. She was unamused.

Jiu pouted, tutting into the phone. “Ask Y/N if she wants to come over for a movie tonight. Sua and I are gonna make some food, too.”

She relayed the question, and you drew in a deep breath. You hadn’t visited the dorm again since things ended with Siyeon, so there was a high chance that it could be awkward. The last thing you wanted to do was ruin everyone’s night by making them walk on eggshells.

“I think it’ll be fun,” she added, smiling at you. “I’d love it if you’d come along.”

How could you deny her?

“Alright fine, you’ve convinced me.”

Both Yoohyeon and Jiu rejoiced at your decision, and once the eldest shared the message with the other girls you heard Sua screaming in the background victoriously. You laughed and shook your head, incredulous as to how her lungs and vocal chords were capable of projecting her voice so loudly. She never ceased to amaze you.

Yoohyeon said a couple more things into the phone before hanging up and turning to face you.

“They want us over there by six o’clock,” she informed. “Does that work for you?”

You nodded, leaning against the counter. You crossed your fingers, hoping for the best for the night ahead.

—---

- Dreamcatcher Dorm -

Yoohyeon snuck a glance at her phone. “5:55,” it read, before she pocketed it again. Not bad. 

She opened her jacket for you as the two of you waited outside, and you slid your arms around her, reveling in the heat that she provided. It held the chilly air at bay and gave you an excuse to be close to her, leaving you with no reason to complain. She enjoyed the simplicity of the moment as well, far more than she probably should’ve. She was getting ahead of herself, like she always used to do before. But that was easy to do when you were brushing your hands across her exposed skin and holding her like it meant something deeper. Getting lost in her fantasies had always been easy when it came to you. 

Gahyeon and Handong were the first to greet you when the door was flung open, nearly coming off its hinges. The youngest smiled eagerly and pulled you inside, loudly informing the rest of them that you’d arrived. Sua had clearly been teaching her her tricks.

She hugged you tightly, and you reciprocated. Once she released you and allowed you to inhale some much-needed oxygen again, you brought Handong in for a much softer embrace. Although you had gotten the least amount of time to bond with the two of them, they still treated you like an old friend and acted as if they’d known you for years; connecting with them just came naturally. It made you happy to know that they wanted you there and enjoyed your presence so much. 

Dami appeared in the hallway as you conversed with the two of them, briefly catching up and finding out how they’d been after all your time apart. When you noticed her, a sincere smile made its way to her lips and she hugged you as well. She was pleased that you were doing well, and the sight of Yoohyeon behind you – watching you with a smile of adoration – only made her happier. 

Knowing that the two of you had been so upset and down in the dumps before really bothered her, and so seeing that you had managed to help each other out of that place warmed her heart. 

She led you to the kitchen – more accurately, the war zone – where you were greeted by the very messy sight of Jiu and Sua. They were covered in food, condiments, and…. some things that you couldn’t quite place, but you wiped the grimace from your face and smiled at them. Jiu waved a spatula at you in lieu of her hand, making you giggle. But when you looked to Sua, your grin faded a little; she had a dangerous look in her eye, and you half expected her to splash you with an ingredient or two. 

Instead she rounded the corner of the counter with her arms outstretched, making grabby hands at you despite the batter that they were covered in. You slowly backed away as she came closer and closer, but when she began to run, so did you. 

Only, a problem arose. Your body collided with something on the second stride, stopping you in your tracks. 

Well, someone, more precisely. It was none other than Siyeon.

Sua looked between the rest of the girls with an awkward expression as she crept back behind the counter to hide, just in case things ended up going south in the wake of your impromptu reunion.

Siyeon was dressed in a cozy sweater and matching pair of sweatpants, looking undeniably adorable as her dark hair fell across her shoulders in a gentle wave. She wore slippers as well, and you noticed with a smile that they were the ones you’d bought her for her birthday. 

“Hey, Y/N/N,” she said softly, leaning in to press a kiss to your cheek and hug you. You sunk into the strong embrace of her arms, beyond happy to have reached a place again where this was acceptable. She still gave such great hugs; no matter what, the softness of her touch would always be something you loved. 

“Hello to you, too,” you responded, squeezing her a little tighter before letting go completely. 

Though you were none the wiser, Yoohyeon was leant against the hallway wall as she watched the two of you catch up, trading jokes and conversation like it was nothing. 

The rest of the girls had gone back to talking or were leaving to do their own thing by then, but she stayed, unable to take her eyes off of you. She was transfixed, more or less, and for more reasons than one. Jealousy had begun to bubble up within her, returning like it always did before. Dami noticed her sudden change in mood and put two and two together; finally, she understood. 

Like the good friend that she is, she decided to distract her from the scene playing out in front of her. She slid her hands across her shoulders and guided her away, mentioning that no one could decide on what movie to watch and that they could use her help with choosing. 

Yoohyeon glanced at you before leaving, but you didn’t return the gesture. You were too busy smiling at whatever an animated Siyeon had just said. With a sigh, she relented and padded alongside Dami a little defeatedly. 

–

- The Kitchen -

When your time with Siyeon began to wind down and she decided to kick back in the living room with the others, you opted to lend a helping hand to Jiu and Sua. They were doing dishes and wiping the counter down, respectively. 

When you approached the two of them, they greeted you with a smile again, now able to properly hug you since their aprons were off and their clothes were cleaned off. Jiu rubbed your back in a motherly sort of way, and it brought you more comfort than you even realized you needed at the time. 

Sua too was gentle for once, and you grinned against her shoulder at her calm embrace. Her hold on you was strong, allowing you to sink further into to.

It lasted for all of about three seconds, though.

“No!” She screamed suddenly, right next to your ear. 

You winced and pulled away, bringing your hands up to guard it in case she decided to surprise you again.

“What?!” 

“The cake!” She whined, pointing behind you. She stomped like a frustrated child.

You turned around and Jiu peeked around your side to see what she was so upset about. An unopened box of cake mix stood behind a few plates and bowls of the side dishes that they had prepared, almost completely hidden from view. They must’ve overlooked it in the chaos of all the other cooking they’d been doing.

Jiu sighed, clearly tired. Cooking for the lot of them in general was exhausting, and she felt every possible side effect. But cooking with Sua… well, she deserved some sort of compensation for that. At least an award or something.

“I can make it,” you offered. “You guys can go rest. I’ll have it in the oven in no time.”

Their eyes lit up at that, like two kids on Christmas morning. Your offer was better than five hundred presents under the tree to them in that moment. 

“You mean it?”

“Of course.”

You motioned to the living room with your head, encouraging them to take a break. Sua pinched your cheek as a thank you and Jiu informed you of where the ingredients that you would need were located. The eldest only stopped talking once Sua managed to pull her through the doorway and convince her to relax for once in her life. 

You shook your head, amused and now alone. 

You could already hear the girls running around and laughing with one another from the next room over, only separated by a wall. It brought you peace, in an odd way, even though you weren’t a part of whatever fun they were having. They brought the dorm to life whenever they were all together. 

Their happiness was simply contagious, you concluded, as you made your way over to the cabinets and began to gather all of the ingredients you needed. You filled your arms and returned to the counter before making a second trip for the refrigerated components. Once all of them were splayed out in front of you and you’d retrieved the necessary utensils, you pulled your hair back and approached the sink to wash your hands.

A passing couple caught your eye through the window that resided above it, walking their dog together, all bundled up and close to each other. One of them took their phone out to snap some pictures of the sweet moment as you dried your hands off and grabbed one of the unused aprons to tie around yourself. 

The three of them looked so… right together. They each complimented each other in some way, whether it be hair color, aesthetic, or even their amount of clumsiness. The puppy in particular was especially uncoordinated – with the way his big paws trod and stumbled over one another in his excited discovery of the land around him – but his two humans were right there beside him to catch him anytime he fell and get him back on track. 

It was endearing, really, and it caused a feeling of wistfulness to tug at the strings of your heart, plucking them without minding the dissonant twinge that resounded as a result. 

You wanted something like they had. Maybe you’d get it someday.

Alas, the task at hand returned to your mind, beckoning you back down to Earth. When did you start getting so daydreamy all the time?

You shook your head as you approached the counter again, checking through all of the ingredients one last time. With a quick tuck of your sleeves, you got to work. 

-

In the living room, Dami was playing with the ends of Yoohyeon’s hair as she rested her head in her lap. The rapper peered down at her best friend, sensing the disappointment that she was trying so hard to hide. The years they’d shared together made her a certified Yoohyeon expert, though, and she saw through her poorly-crafted mask time and time again. 

She poked her cheek, gaining her attention. 

“Why don’t you go see how she’s doing?” She suggested, cocking her head to the side, towards the kitchen. The rest of the girls were having their own conversations, so she didn’t have to worry about being too secretive. 

Yoohyeon’s shoulders raised and fell noncommittally. She didn’t even bother to reply with words. Your previous interaction with Siyeon was still at the forefront of her mind, and it discouraged her in a major way. The two of you shared so much history and looked so good together that she questioned if she even stood a chance at all, no matter if you were single or not. There was always a possibility that you’d end up with her member again – especially considering the way you two hit it off and picked back up on good terms immediately – and that fact was beginning to wear her courage down.

“Go,” Dami simply said. If she didn’t give her a little push, she’d never do it on her own.

She sighed heavily – a bit comically, even – but sat up regardless. Even if she couldn’t be brave when she faced you, it was impossible for her to deny that she wanted to see you. 

Dami sent her an encouraging smile as she went, and once she was out the door Jiu caught her eye from across the room. She was perched on the couch opposite her, aware of what just went down between the two of them. She took a deep breath and released it, sending a prayer out to the universe that things would end well.

Or, at the very least, without a fight. Or fire. Or a structural collapse of the dorm.

(Un)surprisingly, with the combined efforts of all seven of the girls, two of those outcomes had already happened on multiple occasions. Jiu really hoped your encounter with Yoohyeon wouldn’t result in the third. She’d managed to narrowly avoid it thus far, and she planned to keep that going for as long as humanly possible.

- 

When the door creaked open slowly, allowing a flood of light to enter your peripheral, you glanced up. A soft looking Yoohyeon came into focus as she emerged from the living room. 

“Hi,” she said, voice altered by the small smile that crept onto her face when she saw you in your apron. 

After sliding the cake onto the oven rack and shutting its door, you uprighted yourself.

“I was wondering if you’d ever show up.”

“Did somebody miss me?” She teased. 

“Mhm,” you nodded. “I always do.”

You were casually leant against the countertop as she approached, eyeing the cake. 

Along the sides of the bowls and utensils that you had prepared the batter in, remnants of the ingredients were visible. The bag of flour was standing tall next to them, as well as the sugar and baking soda. 

“Did you guys decide on what movie to watch?”

She nodded, taking one last glance around the kitchen before returning her gaze to you. “We haven’t started it yet, though. Once the cake is done we’ll dig into everything and turn it on.”

Your eyes fell briefly to the numerous dishes of food further down on the counter that were just waiting to be eaten. Their containers were all insulated and covered well, preserving their steam and heat to prevent them from turning cold anytime soon. 

“You look really cute like this,” Yoohyeon blurted out of the blue, like a secret she couldn’t contain anymore. 

Taken aback, you regarded her with a surprised smile. “You think so?”

“The whole look,” she affirmed, motioning up and down your body. “Messy apron and all.”

A terrible, centuries-old, forsaken idea came to mind at the utterance of her words. 

“Mmm,” you hummed, nodding to yourself as you pushed your body away from the counter and took a few steps closer to her. Her eyes widened a little as she became flustered, and she felt the fleeting urge to take a half-step back in response to your approach. 

Something about the look in your eye worried her. 

“If I can manage to pull off looking messy, then I’m sure you could, too.”

Your finger inconspicuously dipped into the cup of icing that you had prepared just before she entered the room. Its rich, chocolatey color coated it completely. 

“What do you mean?” Her subsequent chuckle bordered on nervousness. 

“Just this,” you said nonchalantly, as you casually brought your hand up to her cheek and ran your finger down it, past her jawline and down across her neck.

Her mouth fell open and she squealed, tightly closing her eyes. You couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. 

The icing shimmered as she shifted away from you, now pouting. 

“You’re mean.”

“Just making us even.”

“You call this even?!”

You nodded, unfazed by her whining. Your nonchalance drove her crazy, both in the best and worst possible ways. If only she could wipe that stupid smirk off your face…

“I don’t think so,” she mumbled, striding around you and towards the flour. She cupped her hands and filled them with the white powder, ready to strike.

But you caught on immediately and spun around to face her, knowing you could dodge her incoming act of retaliation if you had a clear view. You rounded the other corner of the kitchen island so that it stood in between you, giving you something to hide behind. 

“Nuh-uh, Y/N. Get over here and take it like a woman.”

Your head shook. “I’m not so easy, Yooh. You’ll have to catch me yourself.”

She groaned and emptied her hands, dusting them off with an annoyed pout. “You’re no fun,” she complained, before crossing her arms. 

She was giving up that easy? Huh…

You approached her cautiously, closing the distance between you as you returned to your original spot in front of the oven. 

When you were within arms reach and she hadn’t made a surprise dash for one of the other ingredients to attack you with, you relaxed some. 

Her sulking frame settled next to you in front of the oven, watching it work its magic. She gently laid her head on your shoulder, inadvertently making you tense a little bit. You didn’t dare move or breathe too hard, just in case it caused her to pull away. Having her so close was comforting, all cozy and relaxed here at the dorm. 

Even if she was subtly wiping the chocolate from her cheek onto your sweater. 

“You know, Y/N, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately.”

“Yeah?” You asked. “About what?”

“You, mostly.”

Your heart skipped a beat. 

“And about how gullible you are.”

Your brows furrowed as you turned to her, confused as to what she meant. 

But she was smart, and far faster than you ever knew she could be. She reached into her pocket and retrieved the handful of flour that she had deposited there, and in a second it was cascading over the top of your head in a powdery, hazy wave. 

She must’ve hidden it in there when you had your back turned before.

You coughed and fanned it away, blindly reaching out for her. Her maniacal laughter filled the air around you. 

She evaded your hands, dodging left and right as she hastily dipped two of her fingers into the mixing bowl behind you and gathered up some of the leftover cake batter onto them.  

By then, you had cleared your eyes of the flour and caught her in the act. Before she could get you again, you grabbed her wrist and pushed her flush up against the counter, pinning her there with your hips. 

She froze, immediately blushing at the intimate contact. 

Oh… oh. So it was like that.

The playfulness of the moment quickly dissipated, shifting into something far less innocent as her giggles died down.

Her heart was racing – evident in the sporadic thumping you felt at her wrist’s pulse point. A mix of emotions all competed with one another inside of her, but the lust in her dark eyes slowly faded in, eclipsing the rest. 

She searched your face for some sort of confirmation – some sign that you were just as affected as she was – and she found it in the way that you bit your lip. Your gaze was set on her mouth, admiring the fullness of her lips and the beautiful curves of them. It was achingly close to yours – just a breath away. You moved in a little closer, wanting to test the waters, but were still too afraid to make the next move.

So she made it for you.

Her free hand tangled itself in the material of your apron and tugged on it, closing what little distance was left between you. Her lips were soft and tasted of her favorite vanilla balm as they met yours halfway, pressing to them with a sense of urgency. 

You could be caught at any moment if someone decided to walk in. But, strangely, that didn’t faze her. The only thing on her mind was you.

When you didn’t pull away, her body relaxed against yours. Your hold on her wrist loosened some when she deepened the kiss by tilting her head to the side and opening her mouth a little more. 

She let both of her hands fall to your hips, which they gripped rather possessively. You whimpered at the feeling of her nails digging into them. An eagerness laid just beneath the surface of her somewhat calm demeanor, and it took every bit of power she had to keep things tame. 

Everything she’d been waiting on was finally happening; she never wanted the moment to end.

You slipped your hand underneath the front of her shirt and allowed it to trace the lines of her toned stomach, caressing them in admiration. A shuttered sigh left her mouth in between kisses in response, and her knees grew weak. 

You’d lost count of how many times you’d wanted to have her like this over the past few months. She was lost in you, completely and utterly, with how she trembled both in want and nervousness. Never in her entire life had she been so high-strung for someone. Her body hummed for you, encouraged by each and every one of your touches, no matter how small. They simply unraveled her. 

She was vulnerable, there in your arms, basked in both the dying sunlight that filtered in through the window and the warm light of the oven that cast against your tangled legs. Hope blossomed in her chest like a poisonous flower, equal parts terrifying and beautiful.

But, all too quickly, a set of not-so-distant shouts and footsteps from the living room rang out.

It was Siyeon and Gahyeon, apparently playing some type of Guess Who game to pass the time. 

The sound caught you off guard and snapped you back to reality. You pulled away at once, blushing at your own indiscretion.

Your eyes met Yoohyeon’s briefly before you averted your gaze and took a couple of steps away from her. Perhaps that interruption was a sign for you to stop while you still had the chance.

Her pupils were blown wide, and her lips were kiss-bitten and red – a little swollen. She swallowed thickly, looking dazed; her chest rose at a quicker rate than before, showcasing just how much you affected her. 

“I, uh… I’m gonna get some fresh air,” you mumbled, before quickly turning to leave. 

Still reeling and attempting to recover, she simply nodded and let you go. 

Her palms made contact with the cool surface of the counter once you had exited the dorm and shut the front door behind yourself. Her lips were tingling, and she couldn’t help but smile as she pressed them together. 

She couldn’t believe the two of you had just done that. 

-

Outside, you paced for a few seconds in order to calm down. Your flushed skin thanked you, reveling in the slightly chilly breeze that soon rolled in.

You couldn’t believe the two of you had just done that.

You wondered, for a genuine second, when you had become clinically insane. Surely if you were to visit a doctor they’d have come to that conclusion. 

How had you allowed yourself to get so carried away in the dorm, of all places? With your ex so close, and capable of walking in at any moment? And with Yoohyeon? Her own member?! Your head spun at your own stupidity.

The last thing you wanted to do was put your mending relationship with Siyeon back on the rocks with a stunt like that. You had to be more careful. 

But why – why – did kissing Yoohyeon feel so right? It came naturally, like you were always meant to do it. You ebbed and flowed together, pushing and pulling, offering the perfect amount of chase and release.

Your connection with her was entirely different than what you had shared with Siyeon. It was new territory, full of promise just waiting to be discovered, while what you shared with Siyeon was familiar and safe. 

It was a battle between routine comfort and the branching of comfort zones. Siyeon offered consistency and predictability – two things you valued most. But Yoohyeon promised a chance at adventure; with her, nothing was certain yet. 

It was a love story already written versus an entirely new book, opened to its first, clean page.

If you chose to pursue something with Yoohyeon, you would have to forge your own way together, learning the ins and outs of each other – what made you tick. You’d have to start from scratch and put your trust in her, just the same as you’d done with Siyeon before. You’d have to be unafraid of being hurt again, or at the very least be brave in the face of that fear. 

You’d have to entrust your poorly-mended heart to a woman capable of both healing it completely, and breaking it ten times over.

A groan slipped past your lips as you buried your face in your hands and sat down on the edge of the sidewalk. What a predicament you were in.

- 

When you failed to return after a few minutes, Yoohyeon began to overthink the situation and worry about you. Her mind ran wild, and she knew the only way to quiet it was to just talk to you about it.

She grabbed her coat and slipped her boots on at the front door before heading out.

You were sitting on the sidewalk and toying with the pebbles that rested near your feet in an attempt to distract yourself. She took a seat beside you without a word, and you were grateful for that. You had no idea where to even begin. 

Something warm wrapped around your shoulders and back, and as she tugged the sides of it further around you, you realized it was her jacket. What had you done to deserve her?

Her hands came to rest in her lap, and you gently reached over to hold them. She interlocked her fingers with yours and placed her free hand on top, bringing you comfort. Her thumb softly rubbed the top of your wrist.

She was always so patient with you, no matter what. She held you like no one else and regarded you with far more adoration than you probably deserved; but day in and day out, she chose that. She chose you.

Above everything else – beyond any hidden desires of her heart or selfish vies for personal gain – she wanted you to be happy and cared for. Truly, she loved you more than words could explain.

“I want this, too,” you said quietly, gazing out across the street in front of you. “I want to try,” you affirmed, and turned to look at her. “But I just need some more time. Being back here after all this time and seeing her again has me a little scattered.”

A pensive expression of contemplation befell her features as she took the news in and processed it. She didn’t bother to rush. Instead, she took her time and tried to put herself in your shoes to better understand you.

After a moment, she nodded and squeezed your hand. 

“I’ll wait however long you need me to, Y/N.”

You released a breath of relief that you didn’t even know you had been holding in.

“You’re worth every second,” she added simply, and smiled at you. 

God, that smile. You were convinced it could end wars with just how pure it was. 

When she turned shy under your gaze and tilted her head down, you noticed a bit of chocolate icing still remained on her cheek. You leaned in and pressed your lips to it, kissing just beside one of her small dimples. 

She blushed heavily when you uprighted yourself and swiped your tongue across your lips, tasting it. 

The action was simple, but you used it as a means of insuring the promise you were making. With time, she’d have full access to you with every single flaw and messy string attached. But in the meantime, slow and steady would surely win the race. You wanted to do things right.

You lifted the side of her jacket and motioned her closer so that the two of you could share it. When she scooted up next to you and settled against your side, you wrapped it around her and pulled it shut, holding the cold atmosphere around you at bay. Her head found its way to your shoulder, right where it belonged, and you rested yours atop it. 

“Thank you,” you uttered softly, so as to not disturb the peace you’d created together.

“For what?”

“Everything.”

You Again?

Pairing: Jiu x Fem!Reader

AU: Non-Idol

Warnings / Misc. -- Some Angst, Smut, Fluff, Happy Ending :)

Word Count: 9,955

Summary: Y/N and Jiu have history. Unresolved tension, unanswered questions, lingering desire: the inconvenient kind. But when they both unwittingly agree to attend a mutual friend's vacation trip, they're forced to confront their feelings head on and learn to live with one another again.

Why, exactly?

Because they just so happen to be rooming together.

Disclaimer: This writing is a work of fiction, and no disrespect is meant for those mentioned herein.

A/N: Hi everyone! I apologize for my absence, but I hope you enjoy this piece :) I have more stories coming, so stay tuned! 💖 Make sure to eat something good today and drink plenty of water.

💖 Happy Reading 🌹

◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚ ▸◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚ ▸◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚ ▸◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚

This has got to be a day for the record books. One of the worst, most unfair in all of human history. 

Well, let’s be realistic: one of the worst in your life. Maybe “human history” is a bit of a stretch – though you can’t exactly blame yourself for giving into the dramatics at a time like this.

The sound of your best friend sighing in frustration brings you out of your annoyed daze, pulling your attention back to her. 

“Y/N, you’re acting like a child. It’s only for one night.”

“Exactly, Y/BFFs/N; one night is far too long for the two of us to be around each other.”

She scoffs, but you don't budge. There's no way you're accepting this without a fight. 

"Why don't we have somebody else switch?" You suggest. 

She shakes her head, dismissing you. "Most of the girls already went up," she explains, motioning behind herself to the cabin. Sure enough, you can see shadows moving within the rooms – forms hidden behind pulled curtains, almost taunting as they shift around in the visible lamplight.

“And I’ve already told Jiu about it.”

You roll your eyes.

"Plus we all sorted this out beforehand." She shrugs. "Since you both joined at the last minute, it only makes sense to put you together."

Now it's your turn to sigh. Suddenly, an idea pops into your head. 

"How about I sleep in the car?" You brighten at the thought of your own scheme; quite literally anything would be better than being trapped between four walls with Jiu. 

"Ha ha, very funny," Y/BFFs/N mocks, clearly not amused. "You can't stay out here. You'll either freeze to death or waste all of our gas trying not to, and I don't think you really wanna do that." 

A disappointed tut leaves you; your warm breath turns to a puff of white air before dissipating into the night. 

Alright, maybe it's colder than you thought. Maybe.

"I'll talk to the others tomorrow morning and see what I can do, okay?" She offers, bringing a hand up to rub the back of her neck. She looks tired, and a pang of guilt washes over you when you notice it.

"Okay. I'm sorry." Regret shines in your eyes, but it's quickly eased by the growing, sleepy smile on her face. 

"Don't worry about it," she reassures you, looping an arm with yours. The two of you fall in step together, heading back to the cabin. 

"I know it's difficult, after everything. But it's just a few hours. I'm sure you can survive that, no?" 

You shake your head, though you're grinning. 

"We'll have to see. I'm sure she'll make it hard." 

Y/BFFs/N slides her free hand along the polished oak handle of the porch's glass door, opening it for the two of you. 

"Just be civil and it'll all be fine. You don't even have to talk." 

The resulting glare you send her makes her laugh. 

Tonight will definitely be the death of you. 

–

Across the first floor, tucked away in the kitchen, Jiu is hard at work. She stands in a pair of shorts and an oversized sweatshirt, cleaning the grill she helped prepare dinner on earlier. A few strands of her hair have evaded the grasp of her ponytail holder, coming down to frame her face as she scrubs away. 

“Why don’t you just save that for the morning?” Someone unseen inquires, sounding half asleep. 

She turns around to find one of your friend’s other invites moseying over to the center island, bottle of water in hand. Her face is scrunched up some, and the small bags under her eyes immediately remind Jiu of who she is.

It’s Sua, the person who pre-gamed too early and overexerted herself when the group first arrived at the cabin earlier this morning. She’s been nursing a headache for the past few hours as a result. 

The low groan that she lets out as she hauls herself onto the high-top chair makes Jiu giggle, but she stifles it to the best of her ability. The younger girl has managed to brighten everybody’s moods all day long despite feeling how she does; she's truly a gift. 

“I want to get it done so I can rest easy,” Jiu finally answers. 

Sua rolls her eyes. “Sleep now, clean later. This is a vacation for a reason, you know? We deserve to procrastinate.” She raises her bottle to her lips, taking a long drink. 

“You do that, I’ll clean,” Jiu resolves, nodding to herself. 

“Suit yourself, pabo.” 

Sua folds her arms on the countertop and lays her head down, yawning as she nuzzles her cheek against the soft material of her sweater. Jiu glances at her and smiles, amused. She appreciates her nonchalance likely more than anyone else on this trip; it’s distracted her from her worries.  

Namely, you: her biggest inconvenience. 

When news reached her of Y/BFFs/N’s plans for a week-long getaway, she was intrigued. Work had been a hassle, she was stressed, and all in all she just needed a break. So, she pulled some strings, got her shifts covered, and took the time off.

All was well for the first few hours, when everyone was at Y/BFFs/N’s house, readying up to make the long drive to the forest resort; but then you made a surprise appearance there, busting in and looking just as good as you did the last time Jiu saw you. 

Effectively, it ruined her mood.

You’d glanced at her, then, when you first walked through the door. She was the one closest to you, having been on her way to get a refill of the drink she had in hand. Truthfully, it felt like slow motion; for a second, it was like the two of you were back to where you had been all that time ago. 

When you were still together.

You crossed the threshold with an eager smile, luggage bags weighing heavy in your hands before you allowed them to slip off your fingertips and land on the ground with a soft noise of impact. She met your eye for a fleeting moment, and she unconsciously took a small step toward you. Her lips began to pull back in the soft grin that you always told her you loved, mimicking the happy expression on your face. For that foolish second, she was transfixed. Foolish.

It was as if you were looking through her; you hadn’t actually perceived her at all, really. She was a passing face as you searched for Y/BFFs/N’s, only caring to register hers. 

Just before Jiu could utter a word or reach you, a loud cheer rang out from behind her. The entirety of the group had picked up on your arrival, word spreading fast throughout the living room once one of them caught a glimpse of you. 

She cursed quietly and retreated a few steps, allowing the excited crowd to gather around you and visit. 

You happily shared the story of how your boss – who’s always regarded you with a distant indifference – finally showed her humanity and adjusted the schedules so that you could have some time off. Not the entire week, of course, but a few days to go and be with your friends. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to see you; even the ones who barely knew you, having only heard of your existence through the stories that Y/BFFs/N had told them. It all made Jiu feel like the odd one out.

But she could remember a time when just hearing your name made her heart flutter, too, so she couldn’t exactly fault them. 

From a distance, she watched you. How you moved. How your hands danced around as you explained your stories. The way your lips pouted and pursed with every syllable, almost taunting her. 

She thought she had gotten over you months ago, after things ended. She thought she was stronger than this; but clearly, moving on would be impossible with you around. That was to be done separate, no more strings attached. The idea of having to look at you, to hear your laugh, to be near you in such a way and pretend like everything was fine seemed unfathomable. With every trace of you gone, maybe, maybe then she could move on. 

Anything less destroyed even the chance of closure for her. But, she supposed, closure would just have to wait a week or so. 

—

25 Minutes Later

Put lightly, Jiu is avoiding you. 

After washing the grill and dishes, she took her time with leading a groggy Sua back to her room and making sure she got settled fine. She made some small talk with some of the other girls in passing, but nothing as serious as she was looking for.

She’d be happy to debate the meaning of life right now if it kept the two of you apart for a little longer.

But with lights out rapidly approaching and everyone dragging themselves to their respective rooms, she knows the chances of that are nearing zero. So, begrudgingly, she makes her way up to the suite. 

With every step she takes, she wonders what you’re doing in there. Are you already asleep? Reading? Watching television? Maybe you’re scrolling mindlessly on your phone. Maybe you’re not even in there at all. 

The questions pile up in her mind until she eventually gets fed up and decides to be unaffected for once. Or, at least, to appear that way. She shouldn’t care regardless, and she reminds herself of that fact. All the two of you have to do is make it through the night, and then something can be arranged so that you can stay far, far away from one another. Not so hard, right?

Wrong. Certifiably, absolutely, unequivocally wrong. 

When Jiu opens the bedroom door, she finds you fresh out of the shower. A lacy bra adorns your upper half, while a towel is wrapped around your waist; you’re bent over your suitcase in search of some shorts to wear.

She looks away quickly, but it’s too little too late; even as she shuts the door and turns around, pressing her forehead to the wooden surface, she can picture your body. 

She mentally curses the water droplets that run their paths down your chest and abdomen, free as they edge closer and closer to where the towel meets your waist. They touch you in a way that she never can again, and she hates that.

More specifically, she hates the fact that she wants to.

Your eyes land on her as you stand up, shorts in hand. A heavy feeling of embarrassment settles over you. 

“Uh, sorry,” you mumble, not knowing what to do. 

She turns back around to face you after a moment, but she refuses to meet your gaze. If she does, her resolve will surely falter and crumble.

“There should still be plenty of hot water left if you’d like to take a shower,” you offer, extending an olive branch of sorts. From the angle you have of her face, you can see relief spread across it. 

She wastes no time in sending you a quick thank you and slipping off to the safety of the bathroom, leaving you to question what the hell just happened.

Most of the time, she’s engaging and bold; her liveliness is one of the things that made you fall in love with her. Even at the end of your relationship, when things were falling apart, it was never like this; she never refused to look at you as many times as she had today, or been so weary anytime you entered a room. She never used to despise you so much, and as that sinks in you realize just how much it hurts.

Despite everything, you hate how unbothered she is. 

While you’ve watched her from afar all day, agonizing over the curl of her lip when someone said something witty or the sound of her easy banter with the other girls, she’s clearly been fine. Paying you no mind doesn’t seem to be a challenge for her anymore, and you dislike that more than you thought you would. 

Truth be told, you hadn’t prepared yourself for that. With the scope of your relationship and the lack of closure you received, it only made sense for you to assume she’d miss you as much as you miss her. To be just as affected now, by it all, as you have been. 

But that’s clearly not the case. 

—

Once she’s alone, Jiu takes the opportunity to steady herself. Her hands find their way to the cool marble countertop of the sink, and she draws in a deep breath. 

She can’t stand you. 

Now, from just that small interaction, all she can think about is you. The subdued lighting of the room only brought out your features more, leaving shadows to fall across the parts of you that were untouched by it. Your muscles pulled and strained as you sifted through your bag, parting clothes left and right in search of your shorts. She could see your face, too, looking just as kissable as always. 

She really can’t stand you. 

Defeatedly, she turns the water on. The cold streams down, unaccompanied by any real heat whatsoever; this will be a freezing shower, she’s decided. She doesn’t trust what she might do otherwise, alone in here with her thoughts of you and steam clouding her judgement. 

The subtle throb between her legs is enough to warn her; she knows she’ll do something stupid if she doesn’t stop herself now, before it has the chance to start. 

When she strips out of her clothes, she does her best to think of anything other than the way you used to undress her. How you sat on your knees before her, slowly inching her pants down as your warm lips left kisses in their wake. How you’d take your time with her panties afterward, holding eye contact with her and stopping your motions anytime she looked away. 

Even now, goosebumps rise to her skin at the memory. It was torture then, but for entirely different reasons. 

She was promised sweet release then, no matter how much you may have edged or tested her. Now she'd consider herself lucky to even be rewarded with a conversation. 

Shaking the thoughts from her head, she steps into the tub. The frigid water makes contact with her back, and she has to sink her teeth into her lower lip to keep from shouting. But if this is what it takes to keep you out of her mind, then so be it. 

–

The muscles of your neck and shoulders ache as you sit at the mahogany desk on the far side of the room, half-heartedly working on the report your boss asked you to start. It was what you had to give in order to take the time off, which is only reasonable. Even still, you're having a hard time staying focused. 

The desk faces one of the large bay windows of the room, overlooking the forest and mountains that surround you. Darkness completely envelops the land, save for the occasional house light far off in the distance. Moonbeams hit the treetops, coating them in a sparkle that contrasts with the midnight sky. 

Nearby, an electric fireplace crackles, reminding you of its presence. It's situated as the centerpiece of the lounge area of the suite, providing the room with some additional warmth and light from its place beneath the television. Faux flames waver within it, vibrant as they mingle with one another. Some burn brightly while others glow dimly; the wild versus the tamed.

Despite everything, maybe this trip will do you some good. Escaping the hustle and bustle of your life back home is always a plus, and being in nature never fails to ground you again. Some circumstances might be unsatisfactory, sure, but you're determined to not let that stop you from enjoying this time away. You deserve it, after all.

Just as you find the inspiration to start your reporting again, another one of your distractions makes herself known. 

From the bathroom, a pleasant humming fades in; it's Jiu, reciting the chorus to one of her favorite songs. She breaks into vocals occasionally, switching between the two. 

No matter how much you wish you could, you can't deny that it sounds perfect, coupled with the atmosphere that surrounds you. Given its range and ease, her voice has always been a comfort; getting sick of it is simply impossible. That fact annoys you, but at the same time you give up trying to fight it; you know there's no use.

It takes you back in more ways than you know how to handle, but you don’t complain. For now, you’ll bottle up this feeling and store it away for later, when you part ways and return to the chaos of your own lives. 

Maybe then you could open such a Pandora’s Box.

-

A few minutes later, she finally emerges from the bathroom; you attempt to ignore the urge to perk up. It's difficult, no doubt, after being left to your own devices for so long. Knowing she's so close and yet so unattainable doesn't help either. 

You don't turn around, just in case she isn't fully clothed.

It isn't anything you haven't seen before, but you're afraid you don't have that kind of permission anymore. The last thing you want to do is overstep.

Jiu wishes you'd look at her.

One thing she misses the most about you is your attention. You always paid it so freely – so willingly – rarely taking it off of her. It was ready for her anytime she wanted it, mainly because she had you so enraptured. 

Just the same as you’d always watched her, she watched you. She lived for the way your eyes lit up whenever she smiled or laughed, shining beautifully in a way they never did otherwise. She ached over how they darkened when she'd strip, parting her legs for you and putting herself on display. 

She was the art and you were the beholder. The only one she ever wanted to share herself with.

But now is a totally different time. You don't even so much as glance in her direction when she comes out, with her towel draped precariously around her body in a way that she was sure would drive you crazy.

It’s disheartening, but it doesn't make her want you any less. As she opens her bag and retrieves her clothes, slipping them on, she keeps an eye on you through the standing mirror in the corner of the room. 

Your legs spread as you readjust in the chair, making an attempt to rid your muscles of the tension within them. They're tight with the culmination of all the stress you've felt lately. 

When you allow your head to loll back, rolling from one side to the other, Jiu has to stop her wandering hands. The angle of the mirror allows her to see the way your brows knit together, pain and pleasure intermingling. She doesn't know how much longer she can stand this. 

One of your hands finds its way to your shoulder, rubbing a knot there, and Jiu gets an idea. Is it wise? Not in the slightest. But is she going to give in and go with it? Absolutely. 

What was it that Sua said earlier? This is a vacation for a reason. She can escape sound judgement and reason for now. Surely they'll return in full once you're out of the equation again, anyway.

She deserves to be a little reckless for once.

"Y/N," she calls, getting your attention. You wordlessly turn to look at her.

A bottle of lotion rests in her hands; she nervously toys with it.

"You can use some of this for your shoulders, if you want. It works pretty well." 

You consider her offer. "Thanks, but I'm alright," you declare, turning her down. "I can't reach what really hurts anyway." 

A beat passes before her eyebrows gently raise. "I can help you," she says, trying to keep the eager tone of her voice at bay. 

You pull a face. "Are you sure? You don't have to do that."

I want to, she thinks to herself.

"It's not a problem." She shakes her head, cementing her decision. "Just come here and lay down." 

You stand and relent with a soft noise of acceptance, almost imperceptibly. She takes notice of the way your eyes track down her body before dropping to the floor, lingering just a second too long for innocence. 

She dismisses the thought at once, not wanting to give herself hope.

When you cross in front of her and pause, though, slipping your shirt over your head with a subtle glance at her, it’s all she can do to restrain herself. The fading sunburn that you received earlier in the day, stretching across your nose and cheeks, looks like a natural blush from this close. 

She wants to kiss it.

“Thank you in advance,” you say over your shoulder, carefully laying down on your stomach. The fluffy comforter welcomes you in full, partially distracting and preventing you from overthinking what you’re about to experience.

She takes a steadying breath and releases it, glancing up at the ceiling like she’s pleading with a higher power. 

"Don't mention it," she dismisses, getting on the bed after you. 

In her mind, she debates the best way to go about this. Where should she sit? Overstepping the unspoken boundaries you've established isn't something she wants to do. 

Her fingertips play with the hook of your bra, sliding over the material. "Can I…" she trails off, both of you aware of what she's asking. 

"Go ahead," you permit.

She unclips the fastener and watches as the two sides fall down, fully exposing your back to her. Once you slip it off of your arms and toss it towards your suitcase, her fingertips ghost over your skin, tracing the gentle curve of your spine. 

She dons a musing smile when she notices goosebumps appearing in their wake. 

Perhaps she was wrong. Maybe all along, you've been the art and she the beholder. 

Her knees go to either side of your waist as she moves to straddle you, settling down onto you. Once she's sure you're comfortable, she retrieves the bottle of lotion from its place on the bed and squeezes some out onto her fingertips. 

It's smooth as it slides against them, medicated and cool. Her favorite brand makes it, and she never leaves the house without it. She'll be thanking her lucky stars endlessly for that habit after tonight.

Something crossed between a hiss and sigh fights past your lips when she makes contact for the first time, spreading the chilly cream across your shoulders. The attempt she made to warm it beforehand clearly didn't work as well as she thought, and she has to stifle a laugh at your reaction. 

Beneath her fingers, your muscles tense and jump; you do your best to relax them as she pushes harder, kneading them with care. She does so with a steady rhythm, using the base of her hands to loosen you up first before focusing her fingers on the more persistent knots. Every circle of her hands against you warms the lotion up more, convincing you to relax and give into the relief she’s able to provide.

You close your eyes, wanting to focus on her motions. 

What you failed to prepare yourself for, though, is the notion that she’s closer to you than ever. Only separated by the material of your shorts and hers, she sits atop you, her warm thighs trembling slightly with effort anytime she has to push herself up to reach you better. 

When she steadies herself on your lower back, splaying a hand across it, you can feel the subtle way her hips rut against your ass as she readjusts her position. 

Maybe you're just imagining it.

Serious work is put into leaving that idea behind, but at every opportunity she gets, Jiu seems to enjoy feeding your delusion. 

When she accidentally gets too much lotion at once, her solution comes in the form of leaning down and running her hands up your outstretched arms, reaching as far as she can to further spread it. In the process, her front presses against the length of your body; her breathing is shuddered, too, just like yours. 

Did she do that to show you it’s mutual?

If only you knew.

Her eager eyes rake over your body, pleased to have you like this in front of her. At her mercy, reacting to the faintest of touches. Possessing this kind of power again makes her feel brave in a dangerous way; should things continue like this unchecked, she might do something impulsive.

But, is she to be blamed? No; she rejects that. 

The subtle rock of your hips is far guiltier than her, adding fuel to the fire of her imagination. The way your hands fist in the sheets, fingers twisting in a show of pain and pleasure whenever she hits a particularly sensitive spot, are in the wrong; the sight makes her wonder, for a desperate second, how they would feel in her hair. 

Her motions – now more wanton, unafraid of touching you – grow a little more rough, shying away from demurity. They’ve arrived at your waist now; a risky place to be. 

She can tell that the appropriate amount of time for two exes to spend doing something like this is dwindling fast; the window of propriety will be closing soon, leaving any further contact between the two of you up for suspicion. She’s aware of that, and yet she has no desire to stop.

In this game of yours, she’s merely a pawn; that’s something she realizes when the sound of a guttural, appreciative moan from you makes her heart flutter wildly. 

She freezes in place, taking a cautious breath; she shouldn’t have enjoyed it as much as she did.

A few beats pass… one…. another…. before you ultimately take her stunned reaction as a sign of discomfort.

“Uh, thanks again,” you say quietly, suddenly feeling ten times too exposed and five hundred degrees too hot. A couple taps to her leg gives her the memo, and she climbs off of you.

Embarrassed and upset with yourself for doing such a thing, you refuse to even so much as make eye contact with her again. 

An apology from you fizzles into the air, but she’s still too overwhelmed to fully process what just transpired. It all happened too fast; she wants to go back and relive it, but it’s too late. You’re already slipping your shirt back on and burying yourself under the covers, humiliated. When you cover your face with the pillow, debating on smothering yourself, she spares you by reaching over and turning the lamp off. 

She lifts her side of the covers afterward, getting in beside you. You face away from one another, back to back, establishing distance once again.

This night is proving to be anything but predictable.

—

2:07 AM

Insects perform their songs outside, languidly calling to one another from high above – nestled in the leaves of the tree tops – and far below, amid the grassy trails and branching networks of hills. All is calm… until it isn’t.

Suddenly, the stillness of the night is interrupted by a recurring, unintelligible noise. 

The first time you hear it, you ignore it, opting instead to bury your head a little deeper into your pillow. It's probably just the house settling or something outside, you reason.

The second time, you're annoyed enough to pause your attempt at restful sleep with the hopes of discovering its source and stopping it.

It comes again a little later, but from somewhere you never would've expected. Rather, you suppose, someone.

Your name takes the shape of a mumble as it slips through Jiu's lips, altered slightly from how her cheek is pressed to her pillow. Any other time you might find it exciting to hear her say it, but here and now, you can't say you do. 

Warmth spreads to your cheeks as your sleepy mind recalls what happened just a few hours ago, making you relive your embarrassment.

The noise comes again, and a little louder this time; an irritated groan leaves you as you take one of the throw pillows and nudge her, attempting to quiet her. It seems to work for a minute, but just as you settle back down to rest again, something even worse happens.

"Y/N… ah," she moans, her voice breathy and ragged. 

Is she...?

Your eyes open wide when you realize what's taking place right beside you.

Jiu is totally having a sex dream about you.

What a revelation to have.

She writhes in search of relief, causing the covers to fall down her body and expose more of it. Her pajama top, too, has ridden up and ruffled in her pursuit of friction. 

She looks an absolute mess, you realize, as you roll over to look at her. Her hair splays across the pillow in every which way, her chest rises and falls at a faster rate than normal, and her thighs push together to lessen the throbbing between them. Your blood runs cold when you notice that she isn’t wearing her shorts anymore. Only a pair of lacy, white panties conceal her, gleaming in the moonlight with a softness that begs to be touched.

Hot and bothered is the only way to describe her.

"Please," she whines, desperation hanging heavy on the tones of her voice. 

Selfishly, you don’t wake her right away. Seeing her like this, so close and beautiful, is something you don’t want to give up again. At least not yet.

Her full lips part as her head pushes into the pillow, exposing her neck. Her muscles are pulled taut as she squirms; her hands fisted in the sheets at her sides. A thin sheen of sweat is visible on her forehead, showing just how affected she is. 

Maybe you should play nice and put an end to her suffering…

Her hips begin to rock, slowly at first; the motion draws a soft sigh from her as she finally gets some relief. Your body begs you to touch her in some way, feeling your own desire grow at the sight of her. 

Unconsciously – and to prevent you from reaching out to her – your fingers thread themselves in the cover that's thrown haphazardly over you. You bite your lip to keep it busy; otherwise you'd be tempted to wake her up with your mouth, as she's asked you to before.

Only when your own arousal becomes too much to bear do you decide to end this little game. 

She whimpers when you move in closer, still a world away. Her hand falls on your thigh, however, making you falter for a moment. It's warm and dangerously close to your center, trembling slightly against you. Her nails threaten to leave indentations, should she flex her fingers the right way.

Unable to deny yourself such a simple pleasure, you allow it to stay where it is. 

"Jiu." 

She doesn't stir. If anything, the sound of your voice only drags her further under. Her breath hitches in time with another stutter of her hips.

You'll have to try harder.

“Jiu, wake up,” you whisper, leaving a kiss on her cheek. Your lips hover nearby to utter her name again, should they need to.

Gently, you bring a hand to her shoulder and shake it, hoping to coax her out of her dream and back to reality. After a moment, your plan works; her eyes open gingerly, blinking a few times to adjust from her daze. 

“Y/N?” Confusion is prevalent in her voice, coupled with her drowsiness. It’s cute, really, and it takes you back to all the mornings you would wake up by her side. 

“It’s me; I'm here,” you reassure her, moving your hand to her hip. Now with your arm stretched across her body, you can feel the warmth radiating from her. It starkly contrasts with the chilly air of the room, making you want to hide away under the covers and pull her in close. 

But, of course, you refrain. That’s not something you can do anymore.

Her dark eyes shine in what little light the room has to offer, gazing up at you with a sweet innocence that you find endearing. She's vulnerable in this state, and yet by the way she shifts closer in your arms, she makes it known that she trusts you. 

You watch as her gaze travels down your arm, towards where your hand still rests against her hip. Momentarily, she looks as if she's questioning something within her mind – attempting to piece something together. 

"Y/N, did we…?" She trails off, unsure. 

"Did we what?" You push, testing the waters. You have an idea of what she wants to know, but hearing her say it would be so much better. 

Surprisingly, she puts her hand over yours, keeping it in place. 

"Did we have sex?" The question comes out in a husky whisper as she makes an effort to be quiet.

You shake your head in reply as a slightly humored smile works its way onto your lips. 

The movement draws her attention to them; they're a beautiful shade, with the moonlight hitting them just right. She can't find it in herself to look away. 

A few seconds pass before you speak again; her hand grips yours a little tighter. 

"It was just a dream. You–"

Your explanation is cut short by her lips as they press to your own in a swift kiss. 

Reckless. 

You pull away at once, almost like you've been burned. Why would she do that? 

Both of you pause, regarding one another. Your eyes work hard to decipher her intentions – what she wants – through the darkness of the room, as if they have such a gift. Hers do the same, searching your face for the answer she wants.

She gets it in another form, however, as your hand slides higher on her waist. Her heart lurches in her chest, its rate increasing somehow. Part of her is afraid you can feel it; but, truthfully, that's exactly what she wants. If you could feel how badly she needs you in this moment, maybe you'd show some mercy and help her. 

Maybe.

Tension hangs heavy in the air of the room as she slips her hand higher, too, moving it between your thighs. The heat that's come to pool there encourages her, compelling her to cup you through your clothes. 

You gasp, earning a smile from her. You clearly aren't as over her as you pretend to be. 

Empowered, she rolls you over, trading your positions. Now she hovers over you as you lie on your back, waiting with bated breath to see what she'll do. 

Her hand slides up and over the waistband of your shorts slowly, edging closer and closer to your center with only your panties separating her from you. Your eyes flutter closed in response.

"I'm going to kiss you again," she whispers, sounding more confident than ever. "If you want me to stop, tell me. Okay?" 

You nod, trying to stay still. Fighting the urge to rock your hips into her hand is easier said than done.

She leans into you, letting her body mold into yours as she shuffles closer. She replaces the hand between your thighs with a leg, giving you something to grind against. You thank her by slipping your hands beneath her top and pulling it over her head.

"Beautiful," you whisper against her lips, as she presses them to yours again. You take her into your arms in a safe embrace, sighing into her mouth when her bare chest rubs against you. The thin material of your shirt does little to obstruct the feeling. 

Though the shadows hide it, a deep, crimson blush warms her cheeks. She can taste the cinnamon toothpaste that you used earlier and smell the familiar scent of your hair products. You still use the same ones, she realizes. 

Her leg flexes instinctively as you cup her cheek and deepen the kiss, tilting your head to the side. As you raise your hips to meet hers, she slides a hand up to your chest to offer it some attention. A pitiful noise leaves you when she makes contact, cupping your breasts. She pulls away from your lips to admire you, wanting to see the effect she has.

“Such a pretty thing,” she compliments, feeling arrogant when you bite your lip to stifle a moan. She toys with you like a plaything, switching her movements every so often to garner different reactions. You’re restoring her confidence without even trying; such sweet oblivion.

What she doesn’t fully grasp in the moment, though, is that your arrangement is very much so a two way street. You demonstrate the power you still have over her as you take hold of her hips, pulling them down as you thrust up to meet them. 

Just as her thigh is between your legs, so is yours between hers; the mutual relief you receive at the motion entices you, making you repeat it.

She curses into your ear, the sound so full of raw desire that you nearly lose all sense of reason right then and there. Her head falls against your shoulder in ecstasy as she revels a little longer, enjoying the heat that spreads throughout her body the more you touch her.

It’s just like it used to be in so many ways, but somehow new. Still exciting. Still everything she hoped for.

Her lips find their way to your cheek in the darkness, leaving a trail of kisses downward, along your jawline and neck. They’re desperate and needy, accompanied by her shuddered breaths as she attempts to convey everything you’re making her feel. She can only cross her fingers and hope that it’s mutual.

“Come here,” you instruct, tapping her leg. She understands in an instant, wordlessly repositioning herself so that she’s straddling your waist now. The new angle is even more comfortable, and she sits back to give you a better look at her body as a way of expressing her gratitude. Her perky breasts are on full display, looking absolutely divine above the lines of her abs. You run a finger over the latter, tracing the hard-earned muscles in admiration. 

Subtly, her hips begin to gyrate. She wants the movement to be tortuous, starting slow and building up until you can’t take it anymore. It’s only fair to give you a taste of your own medicine after all this time. 

“Shit, Jiu,” you exhale, glancing down to where you’re joined. Her panties glisten as she writhes, displaying the wet spot that you’ve caused; when her grinding becomes a little sloppier, you can feel her slick spread to your abdomen. 

"You like that, baby?" She muses, breathing heavy. You nod vehemently, not quite trusting your voice enough to speak yet. 

You splay a hand across her pelvis, using your thumb to tease her clit. 

She shakes as a surprised, broken moan slips out of her mouth. It’s louder than either of you expected it to be, and you find yourselves wanting to laugh for a moment.

“Play fair,” she warns, glaring at you. “...unless you want to wake everyone in the house up?” It’s posed as a question rather than a statement. 

“I wouldn’t be–” you pause, exhaling when she presses into you a little harder, cocking a brow, “...opposed to that, necessarily.” 

A sexy smile plays on her lips, making them look more kissable than ever. “No?” Something dangerous shines in her eyes.

“Try me.”

She bites her lip, weighing her options. You asked for it.

Her voice is whiny when she speaks again, and about five times louder than necessary at that. “I need you, Y/N. Please…” her hands thread into her hair exaggeratedly, playing into the show she’s giving. “Fuck me–”

You sit up at once, clasping a hand over her mouth and using the length of your body to push her backwards and pin her down against the bed. Adrenaline surges through your veins as you remain deathly still for a few tense seconds, trying to make sure her little stunt didn’t actually wake anybody up. 

You didn’t really think she’d do it.

The sound of distant footsteps fills the hall, a series of padding and waiting, before the latch of a bedroom door clicks. The floorboards creak… someone's weight shifting from one foot to the other as they peek into the hall. 

Jiu smiles against your palm, feeling every thump of your nervous heart. 

When she wraps her legs around your waist and slips a hand between your bodies, your eyes screw tightly shut. 

"Stop," you whisper, the noise like harsh wind on a calm night. 

Her wanting eyes peer up at you, observing. The situation is delicate, so that's exactly how she'll treat it. 

Slowly, she places her free hand beside her head on the bed and glances at it, inviting you to hold it. Upon hesitantly removing your own from her mouth, you thread your fingers with hers as you pin it down.

Innocently, she kisses your neck again, just above your pulse point. Her warm breath tickles your skin, only further stirring the fire within you. 

"Do you really want me to?" She asks, voice sinful and rich. Her lips still, full and tempting, awaiting your answer.

Another door opens somewhere else in the house, followed by heavy footsteps. Someone trekking to the kitchen, it seems. Your mouth runs dry.

Her fingers toy with the hem of your shorts, edging them down little by little. "Say it again and I will," she promises. "Tell me you don't want me and I'll stop." 

You sigh as she pulls your panties to the side, finally slipping her hand past the material. She finds your clit easily, with no real effort necessary; she knows your body now just the same as she did before. 

"I…" you start, fighting back a stutter. Two of her fingers dip down to your entrance, gathering up some of your wetness. "...I can't." 

"You can't what, Y/N?" She moves her fingers left and right, teasing. 

"I can't say I don't want you," you groan, annoyance bubbling up within you. 

"Why not?" You can tell she's smirking just by the sound of her voice. 

"Because I'm sick of lying," you admit. "I've always wanted you." 

Her cocky attitude falters. 

A beat passes.

All footsteps outside retreat back into their respective rooms, and closing doors resound shortly after. 

Effectively, the two of you are alone again.

Silence prevails following your confession – an eternal moment unbroken by any words of reciprocation from her. It lends your mind to chaos, filling it with worry.

You shouldn't have said anything. This was a mistake. 

Embarrassed, you sit up and remove yourself from Jiu, moving towards the edge of the bed. She reaches out for you, though you don't see it. 

"I'm sorry," your head shakes, discontent. "I shouldn't have–"

"Shush," she commands, surprising you. She refuses to let this end like before, with you retreating and shutting her out.

Your eyebrows raise as you turn to look at her; she still lays where you left her, only now she's propped up on her elbows. 

"Don't say you regret it. Please." Her voice sounds small. 

"But I thought…" 

Her eyes remain on you as she sits up, carefully moving to sit next to you on her knees. 

"I never stopped either, Y/N. I just couldn't believe you've felt the same all this time." She explains, not wanting you to misinterpret her silence any longer. 

Your fingers toy at your thighs, still jittery with nerves. She notices, and lays a comforting hand on top of them.

"I've missed you," she adds. Softly, quietly. So as to not disturb this process. Together, you're beginning to pick up the pieces of what you let slip through your fingers before. 

"Me too," you reassure her, bringing a hand up to caress her cheek. She leans into your touch, letting her eyes fall shut. 

The walls she so adamantly built around her heart are lowering, little by little, and the notion scares her. If she gives herself to you tonight and you end up walking away, she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to recover. 

“I’ve got you." The phrase sounds like a promise from your heart to hers; it’s as if you read her mind. “I won’t let things get in the way like before.”

She looks at you again, peeking her eyes open. The earnest look on your face is sincere enough to convince her of anything. “I’ll spend however long it takes proving it to you, Jiu.”

Her eyes shine with unshed tears. “I believe that.”

“Good,” you say, releasing a small breath of anticipation you hadn’t realized you were holding in.

She squeezes your hand three times, reminding you of the past. 

Nostalgia befalls you, both in good ways and bad. So much regret exists between the two of you, centering around the breakup that neither of you really wanted in the first place. Life got in the way, then, and you were both too naive to fight against what you thought were fate’s currents. 

It was decided that if you couldn’t be together, you’d have to settle for the ghost of one another. 

Jiu found you in midnight moonlight, shining brightly amid the darkest of hours. You ruled from high above, with your impact spanning further than you ever realized. 

She found you in the sound of laughter – the kind that starts by surprise, bubbling up from within and spilling out in a way that couldn’t not be contagious. The kind that everyone appreciates when they tell a joke with their fingers crossed, hoping it lands. 

In warm tea and fireside reading you resided; a comforting hug on winter’s coldest day.

But traces of you were left behind in unwanted places, too, like fingerprints on a window. No matter how many cycles of washing and drying her sheets went through, they still smelled like you. 

Her skin still remembered the way you touched her, igniting a fire that only you could put out. Her lips remembered your taste, knowing nothing could compare. She tried, for a time, to replace the imprints you left behind; but her efforts were in vain. 

You were her mirage in the desert; a distant, elusive dream. Glimmering with untapped potential, waiting to be caught. She ebbed, you flowed. That’s how you would be, then and forever.

Or so she thought.

Had she known that she was the Sun to you, perhaps her hope would’ve been restored. 

Or maybe she would have laughed, knowing that you found her in the strangest of places. Like seatbelts, for instance, and napkins; always necessary, and always staving off the bad that the world had to offer. 

She was the chilly blast of air provided by the AC on summer’s most humid day, greeting you at the door of every shop you entered. 

She was the sleepy delirium you slipped into on your days off, all pleasant dreams and comfortable positions.

The flowers and blossoms of the world were all her kisses, like a goddess’s gift to the Earth. Elegant, sweet, perfect. Being showered in them was a good luck charm; they rode the air currents on spring days, fluttering greetings on their way.

Coming home. To you, that was her. The familiarity of the floorboards, knowing where to step to avoid them creaking; the refrigerator light against a pitch-black kitchen, its crescent shape holding the darkness at bay; the support of your bed, offering relief to the parts of you that needed it most.

Truth be told, both of you found each other in everything. Bits and pieces, all fragments far too small to equate to the immensity of what you shared. Glimpses would never do in the long run, and you knew that. But what else were you to do?

Perhaps that silent hope that you held out, all daydreams and utterances of what if, swayed the universe into this. Into giving you an in; an opportunity to right your wrongs. A chance to hold tighter, this time, and accept trials and tribulations as signs of growth to be handled together – not reasons to give up. 

You feel yourself smiling before you realize you’re even doing it. Her presence has a whole new meaning now, a whole slew of possible outcomes. Wherever the two of you decide to take things is up to you again; there’s nothing holding you back anymore. 

She brings a hand up to your cheek, brushing her thumb across your soft skin. Even just holding you like this, so simply, is something she’s been longing for. Since the day you walked into her life, you’ve ruled her world without even knowing it. Sweet oblivion, yet again.

“Kiss me,” she says, after a moment. It draws you from the hold of her spell, bringing you back down to Earth. 

You obey with a smile, but just before your lips meet hers, she stops you. She didn’t mean there.

“Here,” she corrects, as her hand guides yours back between her thighs. She’s wetter now than she was before, somehow, and you moan against her at the feeling. She muffles the noise with a kiss of her own, knowing how badly you need it. 

She bites your lip as she pulls away. “We’re not leaving this bed until you’ve made up for every night we’ve been apart. Do you understand me?”

You sigh, half-amused. “I’m fairly certain that the group is going hiking in the morning,” you inform, “...so I think it’s important that you’re still able to walk for that.”

“Who says we have to join them?” She raises a brow, pushing you down onto the bed and moving to straddle you again. 

You pull a face, feigning concern. “You wouldn’t want to be improper, now would you?” 

Her shoulders rise and fall in a shrug, accepting no blame. “What happens is up to you. Take me now or forever hold your peace.” She declares it proudly, posing herself before you. 

The view of her on top of you – nearly naked, her body humming with want, waiting for your touch – dispels any and all remnants of humor. Your shared desire wins out, filling the air of the room; she’s aware of her power over you, but she’d be a liar to act as if watching your eyes darken didn’t make her stomach flip just like it did the first time you ever took her. 

With a hushed curse, you capture her lips in a searing kiss. She gasps into it when you roughly pull her panties down, showing little care in being gentle now. Her response comes in a similar form, with her hastily tugging your shirt over your head; once you’re exposed to her, she can’t help but stare. She admires every curve like it’s the first time she’s seen it; every line like it’s her last. It’s adoration and desperation, all at once; appreciating it all is important to her, but so too is relearning it. 

Luckily for you, she happens to be best at a hands-on approach.

Her nails drag across your abdomen on their way downward, leaving faint marks on your sensitive skin; she can’t wait to see how many she can leave on you. It’s always been one of her favorite things to do.

In one fluid motion you flip her over, cradling her close in the process. Her hands cup your cheeks as she kisses you, and you hurriedly remove any remaining clothes from your bodies. 

She spreads her legs for you as you begin to slide down her body, leaving one final kiss to her lips. 

Her hands hold your hair up as you explore her abdomen, painting her fair skin with an array of love bites. Her nails dig into your scalp when her impatience hits a high, making you smile against her despite the sting. 

She hums appreciatively when you finally slide your hand down, ready to prepare her for what she wants most. She’s absolutely soaked, and by the whine that she lets out when you press your palm to her clit, it’s safe to say that she’ll only get worse. The bed sheets below her have already received some of her slick, proudly displaying a wet spot for you to bear witness to. 

“Enough teasing, jagi,” she groans, breathless and tired of your games. With shut eyes and furrowed brows, she pushes her head back into her pillow and takes up the writhing again that she had become so good at earlier. Her hands fall to your shoulders, pushing you down further.

You settle her thighs on your shoulders, basking in how smooth and warm they are around you. She’s perfection in human form; divinity personified.

“Keep it down, Jiu,” you command, taking control. “If you pull another stunt like earlier, I’m stopping altogether.”

She nods feverishly, lacking the desire to be a brat anymore. If playing nice is what it takes to have you, then so be it. That promise of release is finally back again, after all this time, and she can let herself get lost in you. 

These four walls – what she once loathed – are creating an oasis.

Her personal utopia.

—

The Next Morning

Overzealous birds work as your alarm clock of sorts, claiming the prize of waking you up. You blink the sleep from your eyes and stretch, feeling a pleasant soreness in parts of your body it hadn’t been before last night. The ache reminds you of everything you did just a few hours ago, and you find yourself smiling like an idiot as you roll over to greet the resident sadist next to you.

When your hand meets the cold, empty expanse of the bed instead, your expression sours.

The bedside table is void of any note or message, too, you discover, though your phone sits atop it, charging. At some point this morning she must’ve plugged it in for you. Sweet, but not enough. You wanted to wake up in her arms, or at the very least next to her. 

Grumbling, you sit up and head to the bathroom to get cleaned up.

You have no idea what the day will hold for the two of you.

–

Clean and dressed, you take a seat on the bed. Your fingertips mindlessly press to the hickey on your neck – one of the many, many that you discovered as you got ready – rubbing patterns against the abused skin there.

You unplug your phone and turn it on, mentally crossing your fingers as you scan through your message notifications for her name. 

Your pursuit proves fruitless. Not even a text.

You huff like a child, rolling your eyes. So much for a vacation; now you’re stressed all over again. 

When staring a hole into your phone doesn’t result in her notification magically popping up, you decide to give it a rest.

Standing up, you slip it into your back pocket and head for the door, ready to track Y/BFFs/N down and tell her everything.

However those plans, too, come to a screeching halt right before your eyes as you swing the door open to reveal a shocked Jiu. Your timing truly is impeccable.

“AHHH!” She shrieks, frightened. 

She hastily scrambles to keep the large tray in her hands upright and off of the floor. 

Spilling the spread of foods she just finished preparing for the two of you doesn’t sound too appealing to her, after all.

Immediately, you spring into action and successfully help steady it. Some fruits fell out of their separate containers and a bit of milk spilled over the side of its jar, but all of that is easily fixable. Jiu releases a tense breath as she realizes that the worst case scenario was avoided, but she glares at you as she pushes her way into the room.

“Pabo,” she mutters, striding over to the bed. The slight limp in her step makes you smile inwardly, proud of yourself.

Once the food is safely laid down and she cleans up what spilled, she turns to look at you. 

“Sorry,” you mitigate, grimacing. When you approach her and look at everything she put together, your annoyance from before gives way to guilt. A plethora of your favorite foods decorates the tray, assembled with love.

She regards you for a moment, pretending to be angry. When her eyes land on one of the darkening marks on your neck, pleased mischief comes to gleam in them.

“You’re lucky I like you,” she threatens, pointing a finger at you.

Playfully, you bite the tip of it. 

“I’m aware, jagi.”

Cautiously, you ease your arms around her waist, ready to pull away if need be. Although her lips still rest in an unamused pout, she doesn’t stop you. 

The jackhammering of her heart has eased now, and you can feel its pace returning to normal as you draw her into your arms. She loops hers around your neck and sweetly presses her cheek to yours, content with staying like that for a bit.

You sway gently, rocking from side to side. This definitely makes up for the rude awakening you received earlier.

Once you’re satisfied, you pull away enough to look at her. Your fingertips brush a few stray strands of hair out of her face, tucking them behind her ear. She leans in, finally kissing you good morning.

“Ready to eat?”

Your lips purse in mock contemplation as you scan the food again. 

"Mmm, five more minutes?" You suggest, leaning forward to kiss her again. She laughs into the embrace lightly, returning the gesture. 

Her lips taste of the strawberries and cherries that she stole bites of earlier, as she cooked. It's addicting, you find, when she deepens the kiss and wraps herself around you, melting into your arms. You hold her close, just like she wants. 

"Does this mean…" she mumbles between kisses, "we're still gonna room together?" 

You pause to laugh. "Yeah, jagi. We're still roommates. No getting rid of me now." 

She replaces her lips on yours, kissing them again and again as you attempt to control the growing smile on your face. She sweetly cups your cheeks, rubbing her thumbs across them as you continue.

Abruptly, jarring clapping resounds from the doorway. Fake sniffling can also be heard, and so the two of you look up to investigate. 

It's none other than Sua and Y/BFFs/N, standing side by side with their hands clasped tightly together like proud parents. 

"I told you it would happen," Sua wails, dabbing fake tears from the corner of her eye. Y/BFFs/N agrees, nodding enthusiastically. 

“Mission accomplished,” she quips, looking straight at you. 

It seems as though they had been playing Cupid all along…

Sneaky.

THE AT YOUR SERVICE FIC GUYS... ppl are not joking when it's absolutely the most best jiu fic ever, THE WAY ITS WRITTEN GOT ME GIGGLING AND SCREAMING LIKE DEADASS 😭 MAKE MORE JIU FICS I BEG THE WRITING IN IT IS SO GOOD

I love you guys so much 😭 I'm so happy you're enjoying it

And anon, this message just made my night. You're the best 💖 More Jiu fics are deffo on the horizon

Dreamcatcher Reaction: Their S/O Picks Up One Of Their Habits

Pairing: Dreamcatcher x GN!8thMember!Reader

Requested By: Anon

A/N: Hope you guys enjoy this fluff! :) Stay safe and healthy <3

◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚ ▸◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚ ▸◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚ ▸◂ ❚ ⊱ꕥ⊰ ❚

Jiu

Habit: Admiring people when they talk

She loves to watch you do this to the other members

The way you look at them is just so full of endearment and love that it makes her heart burst

But when it's her turn to be admired by you, she always gets a bit shy

Cue blushy Jiu

She loves it, though, and you both know it

And to be fair, she partakes in her habit alllll the time. She's almost always admiring you and the girls in some way, and she never hides her adoration. So it's only right that she gets a taste of her own medicine

You tend to be a sentimental drunk, so anytime you drink together she catches you doing it a lot. You’ll be close to her and just silently regarding her with a sweet smile as she says something to the girls; when she eventually notices, she’ll hide behind her hands and shy away.

You also tend to do it during livestreams and interviews, which drives her crazy and embarrasses the hell out of her.

In fact, the very first time she found out that you had picked up her habit was thanks to the host of a variety show you were appearing on for one of your comebacks. 

(>.<)

Jiu’s eyes were bright and shining in the special way that they do as she answered the host’s latest question. She smiled widely as she gushed about how hard everyone had worked to prepare for the comeback and how lucky she felt to be surrounded by such talented and kind people.

Meanwhile you were sitting a few seats away from her and leaning forward in your chair a bit to get a clear view of her. The grin on your face mirrored hers as you looked on, totally enamored and falling more and more in love as she went on. You just couldn’t help yourself; she looked so pretty and radiant like that. So genuinely happy and pure.

Unbeknownst to you, the cameraman picked up on your lovesickness and zoomed in to capture the moment as it unfolded (when you watched the episode later on, you learned that the editing team had had a field day with that clip. They plastered a plethora of heart emojis on your face to really drive it all home). 

The host noticed, too, after a moment, and he jokingly teased you for it. Jiu’s cheeks took on a pink tint almost immediately, and she squealed when she looked over and locked eyes with you. She hid behind Yoohyeon until you stopped, fearing that her reaction would give away her very obvious feelings for you and provide your shippers with a little too much evidence for the next video that they would inevitably make. 

Once you relented and the interviewer moved onto the next question, she took a deep breath.

A few minutes passed, and your moment with Jiu had begun to fade to the back of your mind. Dami was the next to answer the host’s question; as she began sharing her response, you heard a quiet psst from nearby. Upon searching, you found it to be your girlfriend, leaning behind the girls to get your sole attention. 

She grinned at you, still blushing, and held her two fingers up to you in the shape of a heart. 

“Saranghae,” she mouthed, just to you. The moment was precious and intimate as you hid away from the cameras, in your own little bubble. 

You blew her a kiss, which she caught and pressed to her chest before leaning forward again, like nothing had happened.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Sua

Habit: Being clingy and affectionate

As we know, Sua is the human embodiment of affection. She can't go more than a few minutes without kissing you or being close to you in some way, whether that's a simple hand on your thigh or her head on your shoulder.

Her touch always has a way of calming you down and providing comfort. She always knows just what to do to make you feel better – especially when you’re stressed and just really in need of some attention.

She holds you and looks at you like you’re her entire world.

Ever since she expressed how much she loves your affection and touch as well, you’ve given her more and more of it. It brings out Soft Bora, after all, and there’s nothing as precious as that

Her pretty smile is always so cute to see

And, considering you're around her 24/7, it truly was only a matter of time before her habits rubbed off on you. 

(>.<)

It was a cold, rainy day in Korea when you and the girls decided to gather in the living room of the dorm and watch a movie together.

Apart from Sua, all of you were lazing about on the couches as it played on the television. 

Your girlfriend had slipped away to whip up some food for all of you once she caught wind of your shared plans; she always loved to provide for you in that way and show how much she cared. You often joked that food was her second love language, trailing right after physical touch.

The movie held your interest for the first few minutes that it was on, but eventually you began to find the paint on the walls more noteworthy than what was on screen. You knew it was simply because you missed Sua, though, so you excused yourself and headed to the kitchen.

She greeted you with a smile as you entered, and you found her standing in front of the oven, stirring a pan that contained one of her latest tasty creations. You grinned lazily, feeling some tension leave your body at the mere sight of her; she was dressed in one of your hoodies, and clearly comfortable.

You padded over and wrapped your arms around her, holding her close in a long back hug. 

Even when she had to grab some seasonings from a nearby cabinet, you didn’t let go of her; your refusal to do so made her feel more loved than you even realized at the time. It’s not often that people match her level of clinginess, so the fact that you were the one who did made it ten times better to her.

When she returned to her original spot and you tightened your arms around her waist, she let her free hand skim down to yours, which she held lovingly. Her fingers intertwined with yours, and she felt your cheek press to her back as your body aligned with her own. Holding you and having that special moment with you really comforted her and made her happy. 

The cherry on top came when you lightly bit her shoulder, like she always does to you. It drew soft laughter from her, and she turned around enough to press a kiss to your lips.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Siyeon

Habit: Zoning out / pinching people

Some InSomnias began making edits and compilations of you zoning out when they noticed that you had taken up Siyeon’s habit. They were some of the first to spot it.

You definitely watch those videos together.

The girls tease both of you for it. They say you’re so in love that your brains are linked (and you share the same brain cells)

Or lack thereof

Siyeon thinks you look adorable when you just stop what you’re doing and pause for a moment, letting the wheels of your mind turn. Other times you go full “no thoughts, head empty” and she can relate.

It makes her laugh honestly. Both of you end up laughing together anytime you catch each other doing it.

But that isn’t the only habit of hers that you picked up…

(>.<)

Moonlight snuck its way into the dorm through the gap in the curtains that Yoohyeon had forgotten to fully close earlier. Its gentle glow lit up the kitchen, where you stood next to a busy Siyeon. The microwave’s clock read 3:19 AM.

A pot of noodles bubbled on the stove in front of you, thanks to her. When you had been lounging around with her in your shared room a few minutes ago and she heard your stomach growl, she decided to come in here and fix a late night snack for the both of you. 

As she stirred the contents together and watched steam billow upwards with a proud smile, she felt a subtle pinch on the back of her arm. 

She glanced back at you, only to find that you were zoned out again as your fingers mindlessly toyed with her soft skin. The feeling warmed her heart; it was gentle, and even while your mind floated around in outer space, you still stayed grounded with her in that little way.

It elicited a soft chuckle from her, which snapped you back to reality. When you laughed at yourself and lowered your hand, though, your gaze dropped to the floor. It was obvious that you were embarrassed. 

She simply leaned over and raised your head, planting a soft kiss against your lips. Her eyes were full of love as she peered back at you, admiring you. 

“You’re precious, jagi. Don’t be shy.”

Her words only made you blush harder and hide your face in her shoulder, seeking a reprieve from your embarrassment. 

<><><><><><><><><><>

Handong

Habit: Making faces // judging the members

You have a lot of things in common with Dongie. Getting homesick easily, being introverted at times, having witty comebacks, etc.

But probably the biggest trait you share is your playful judginess

The more time you spend with her, the more savage you become. (All in good fun, though. She simply encourages your teasing)

You usually end up locking eyes across the room while cringing at something one of the members are doing

She absolutely loves the fact that the two of you are so in tune with one another

It leads to a lot of laughter

The girls usually complain that you gang up on them to bully them

Partners in crime

Plenty of content for Somnies to make videos of, too. 

(>.<)

During the making of Love Stealer, you were gathered in a dressing room with Yoohyeon, Sua, and Handong while you waited for your individual photoshoots to begin. You were scrolling on your phone as your makeup artist applied a few touch-ups, and Sua and Yooh were talking to the camera for some behind the scenes content. 

The second oldest had stolen some candy from one of the staff members earlier, and Yoohyeon was asking for it. The price she had to pay? Her pride, evidently, as Sua ordered that she do aegyo to prove how badly she wanted it.

She clearly thought that that would deter the younger girl and allow her to keep the candy for herself, but she was wrong. Yoohyeon launched into an incredibly embarrassing display of over-the-top cuteness, complete with a baby-voice and sad little pout as she regarded her unnie. 

The noise made you look up and over at the pair, unable to fight the grimace showing on your face. The cameraman picked up on your reaction and panned to you, allowing you to look at the audience like you were in an episode of The Office. 

Instinctually, you glanced over at Handong and found that she was sporting the same expression. The camera followed your line of sight, capturing her recoiling in her seat with an even bigger grimace than you. 

Laughter burst from her when you locked eyes, and Yoohyeon shouted at both of you. She cupped the camera lens and redirected it to her face, pouting as she asked, “Somnies, can’t you see how mean they are?”

Both of you stood up and joined the other two in front of the cameraman; your arms wound around Yoohyeon’s waist, and Handong poked her cheek repeatedly as a way of apologizing. 

“Can you blame us?” Dongie earnestly asked after a beat passed, earning herself a smack to the shoulder.

<><><><><><><><><><>

Yoohyeon

Habit: Staying up late to play video games

During one of her birthday gaming livestreams, she invited you to join her

Ever since then, you’ve been hooked. You’re totally her gaming partner

The Player 2 to her Player 1, if you will. You have matching set ups

It’s super relaxing for you guys

It made her so happy when you started playing more and more and becoming interested in her favorite games

Both of you are already night owls by nature and stay up later than most of the other members, but when you game it’s a whole nother story. 

She loves to enter into that hazy, loopy, 4 AM state of existence with you when you’re both fully aware that you should be asleep but you’re having too much fun to stop

Snacking with her in between rounds and sneaking some victory kisses here and there

Losing your mind over how cute she looks with her headset on, and her squealing over your adorable sleepy smile

The two of you cuddle up together once you finally decide to tumble into bed

(>.<)

A yawn slipped past Yoohyeon’s lips as she rolled over in bed and blindly reached for her phone in the dark. Her fingers eventually made contact with the cold screen, and she picked it up. Light cast on her face and she winced, cursing under her breath until her eyes began to adjust. 

2:37 AM, it displayed, as she swiped up and input her code. She had been having trouble sleeping for the past hour and a half; she just couldn’t unwind no matter how hard she tried, and she was growing bored of attempting to.

She opened one of her homepage’s folders and clicked the mobile game that she had been into recently. It was her tried-and-true solution for restlessness. 

A list of players available for invite popped up beside her character, and she mindlessly scrolled for a bit as the game loaded up. When she spotted your gamertag, her eyes widened immediately and she sat up a little in bed. A green dot pulsed from the bottom of your profile picture, confirming that you really were active. 

She clicked on your name and invited you, only to grin when you accepted it within a matter of seconds.

–

“Yes!” You whisper-screamed, shaking your fist in the air triumphantly. Your screen displayed a winning title and showed the prizes you had earned. As you clicked through them, you heard a knock at the door. 

A little confused, you stood up and turned your bedside lamp on before meandering over to it. When you cracked it open, you found a cozy looking Yoohyeon smiling at you from the other side. You opened up and let her slip past you without a second thought, but before you had time to fully shut the door behind her, she was pushing you up against it and stealing a quick kiss from your lips. 

You blushed and allowed her to do as she pleased, kissing back. 

“Did you think I wouldn’t get my victory kiss just because it’s late?” She asked against your lips, smiling gently. 

“I-I…” You stammered, incapable of forming coherent thoughts due to your sleep deprivation and her ministrations. It truly was a deadly combo.

She just giggled in response, fully aware of the effect she had on you. “Let’s play another round or two,” she commanded, taking a few steps back as she pulled on your hand to encourage you to follow her. 

You merely nodded and climbed into the bed after her, settling down at her side. She cozied up against you, and the two of you quickly joined a lobby together and readied your characters up for the next round. 

Her eyes scanned across the matching outfits that your avatars wore, and she briefly glanced down at you afterward. Warmth radiated from your body, comforting her in ways nothing else could; you fit against her perfectly. Your chest rose and fell softly, and your blinking was showing signs of becoming heavier and heavier. Such a precious sight to her.

She was so busy admiring you that she nearly missed the start of the match; the only thing that drew her from her dorky stupor was the soft poke you applied to her side. She simply smiled and snuggled a little closer, reveling in the moment you were sharing. 

<><><><><><><><><><>

Dami

Habit: Reading often (does this count as a habit?)

Ever since she started recommending books and poetry to you, you started adding them to a list

One day, she finds it

Aaaand she also finds you sitting by the window in the dorm, reading from the first book on the list. It warms her heart to see you all cuddled up and invested in the words on the page, completely tuned out to what’s happening around you

She also loves the fact that you actually take her recommendations to heart. Other people just brush them off, but you never do

She takes you on dates to local cafes and bookstores, and the two of you cozy up next to the hearths there and read together. Sometimes she’ll pull your legs up across her lap so you can be close together in real life while your minds wander around in the worlds you’re reading of

She always keeps an eye out for new releases that you might like, and she’s super good at it because she knows you so well

Uses the titles of the books on your shelf to spell out little messages for you. Usually “I love you” or one of the million pet names she calls you

Matching bookmarks

You in glasses? Definitely does something to her (and vice versa)

(>.<)

“Are you almost here, my love?” You asked into the phone, securing it between your cheek and shoulder as you rifled through the bag in your hands. 

“Almost. Shouldn’t be too much longer,” she sighed, sounding a little tired. You could hear one of the managers say something to her in the background.

“I love you. See you soon.”

–

Dami was visibly exhausted as she shuffled into the dorm and sat her bag down in the entryway. You weren’t waiting at the door to greet her like she was expecting, and a frown worked its way onto her face because of that. The dorm in general was far quieter than usual, and it confused her. But she didn’t have the energy to question it, and so with a soft tut she padded into the living room. 

When she opened the door, she was not prepared in the slightest for what awaited her. 

“Surprise!” You shouted, followed by a chorus of cheers from the girls. Sua and Yoohyeon released party poppers into the air, and their resulting confetti showers landed on Dami. 

She was clearly confused and taken aback. 

“Look at what I got for you,” you said, gaining her attention as you held out a box to her. She raised a brow at you, but your subsequent nudging convinced her to take it and open it up. 

The cover of a brand-new book gleamed at her, and as she read the title she realized it was the latest release of one of her favorite authors. She had wanted to buy it herself and even attend the signing event that the author had announced, but her schedules had gotten in the way. 

Her eyes raised to yours, full of pleasant shock and disbelief. So much pure love was conveyed through her simple gaze that it made your heart ache a little. 

“Open it,” you smiled proudly. 

She did, and her hand immediately shot up to her mouth. The author’s bold signature adorned the inside of the cover, and a sweet message was etched above it, personally addressed to her. 

“Y/N…” she whispered. When she looked at you again, she noticed the rest of the girls grinning at her from all around you. They were happily watching your moment unfold.

“I went to the signing today,” you explained with a wide smile, unable to help yourself after seeing her reaction. It was everything you'd hoped for. “...couldn’t miss out.”

Dami sat the book back down in the box and put it on the coffee table before approaching you. Her arms wrapped around you and pulled you in for a tight hug. “Thank you, jagi. I love it,” she said lowly, her voice altered slightly with how her cheek was pressed against your shoulder. 

“I love you,” she added, as she pulled back enough to look at you. You shied away, slightly taken aback by the way she was looking at you, but she didn’t accept that for long. Her hand cupped your cheek as she turned your face towards hers again and leaned in to kiss you. 

The girls all squealed and cheered; some teasingly groaned, too, but they were all happy to see you so happy. It was a perfect memory for all of you. 

<><><><><><><><><><>

Gahyeon

Habit: Pouting

She’s truly the queen of whining and pouting

You’re the only one capable of rivaling her abilities

When both of you want the same thing, sometimes you find yourselves having a sort of pout-off to see who can guilt trip the rest of the girls (or each other) more

With her protected status as maknae, that can definitely be a challenging task

But you give her a run for her money a lot of the time

She complains about the fact that you pout as well as you do, but secretly she loves how you look when you do. The way your lips purse and your eyes turn puppy-like never fails to make her grin

She almost always gives in and gives you whatever you want

She squishes your cheeks and kisses your frown away 

You started mimicking her habit more and more when you saw the effect it had on her. Plus it was another method to use to tease her

She noticed it gradually, when you did it more often

She secretly really really loves it. You’re so adorable to her

(>.<)

The two of you were at a diner one evening, casually munching on your food beneath the fluorescent lights of the establishment. A few remaining streaks of daylight stretched across the sky, but the Sun had already set a few minutes prior. 

Soft clanking sounds filled the dining area, and the many different conversations that were taking place amongst the patrons around you all melded together to create a lively hum.

Through the windows beside your booth you could see the cars that drove by outside, passing by in zips and whizzes of tail lights and tires.

As you took another bite of the dish you had ordered, you glanced longingly at the fresh batch of fries that gleamed on Gahyeon’s plate. Steam still emitted from them, and the salt that adorned their crisp surfaces seemed to sparkle. 

She saw you in her peripheral, and she smiled before she even fully looked up at you. Around a mouthful of her sandwich, she asked, “Do you want some, baby?”

You swallowed and nodded, waiting for her to raise her head. When she finally did, she was smirking. “Too bad.”

“Yah! Gahyeon!” You whined, stomping your foot beneath the table. 

She snickered when you scowled, knitting your brows together and looking adorably upset. You crossed your arms and looked away with a huff. How rude of her…

“Here, Y/N/N,” she giggled, sliding the plate a little closer to you. “You’ve convinced me.”

Your face lit up immediately and you grabbed a couple, eager to taste them. As you took a bite, you realized that they were even better than you had imagined they’d be. 

You plucked another from the batch and held it up to her, and she opened her mouth for you to feed it to her. She hummed at the flavor as well.

“You know, I got them for you anyway,” she added after a minute, admiring you with a soft smile as she watched you enjoy them. She loved to see you eat well.

“Yeah?”

She nodded. “I knew you’d be stealing mine if I didn’t order enough for you, too…”

“Hey!” You shouted in retaliation at her remark, and tossed a fry at her.

It hit her right in the forehead, and she pretended to cry upon impact. She whined like you had before and rubbed the area, acting as though it had really hurt her.

You kissed your fingertips before pressing them to the spot, and she stopped immediately, as if nothing had happened. The childish scowl on her face disappeared, and her lips stopped their famous pouting within a second.

The two of you laughed together, completely oblivious to the waiter that stood behind the counter, eyeing you oddly.

Even if you had noticed him, you wouldn’t have cared. You were odd together, and that’s all that mattered.

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