JN (Part II)

JN (Part II)

I’d like to thank everyone who loved the first part of this mini-series, so now I offer you the second part. I’m not sure how many parts this will have; I’ll have to see my archive first. 

As a clue to what you’ll be reading, here’s a GIF of him in his trademark off-duty outfit. Doesn’t he look cozy? And if you’ve noticed, he tends to use that word a lot too.

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: Yup, our content for this whole week and possibly into the next ones will still come from my writing based on the prompt list created by @neoculturedrabbles​.

POV: 2nd person for both. 

Word count: 1,600+ words

–––

Prompt #3: “Is that my hoodie?”

Living with Johnny and Mark means you get to swipe items from each other. If not that, either one of you uses the item of the other.

For example, every time you bring out your sandalwood soap, Johnny and Mark use it. You noticed that it was used when there were remaining bubbles on the soap when it was your turn to take a bath. You wrinkled your nose in annoyance, remembering that Johnny criticized your soap preference.

“Baby, this smells like a man’s soap. Unless you like that, of course,” he told you one time you stepped out of the shower after using a newly-opened bar of sandalwood soap.

“The hell you care, dude. I’ve become used to it, and it helps with my skin conditions,” you grumbled in response before storming back to your room.

To pay back for his bashing and using your soap with no permission, you decided to get one of his million hoodies inside his closet. You were lucky that he didn’t lock his room at all – it was easy to get one of them whenever he was out. Mark was abroad again, and that means you have the apartment all to yourself lately.

You got a light brown hoodie from his closet, which was one of your favorites on him. You tried it on, and you wiggled in delight at how soft and comfortable it was. “This is mine for now, Johnny Suh,” you whispered to no one in particular before leaving his room.

\\\

When he arrived at home late that night, you were lounging in your room in his hoodie and your jogging pants. You were working on your novel again, writing about the back story on one of your characters. As you typed furiously in front of your laptop while listening to a curated playlist to get into the mood, you didn’t notice him enter your room.

As you write about to finish one sentence, you heard someone clear their throat. You looked up and saw the towering form of your housemate, who raised his eyebrow at you.

“Hey,” you greeted briefly before going back to your manuscript.

“Hey yourself,” you heard him through your headphones, “and is that my hoodie?”

You didn’t respond, intent on finishing the sentence you were working on.

“Is that my hoodie you’re wearing?” He asked again, his voice louder (and a bit annoyed) this time.

You took off your headphones and looked at up him again with a smile on your face. “Yeah, it is. It’s mine now,” you said confidently, flashing him your pearly whites.

“Hey, is this your payback for using your soap? Come on! I like that hoodie!” He whined, now sitting beside you and tugging the sleeve of the hoodie you were wearing.

“You have a lot of hoodies, Youngho. You bought what, like 4 or 5 of them in one go? It wouldn’t hurt for you to let go of one,” you muttered, prying his fingers off your arm.

“But that’s one of my favorites! It’s part of my Top 5!”

“Nope, it’s mine now.”

“Essieeeeee!” Johnny tackled you on the bed, and you thwacked him on the head. “Duuuude!” You grumbled, sitting up to put away your laptop on your vanity. “Don’t do that when my laptop is here.”

“And you’re more concerned about your laptop than me?” He fake-sobbed first before tackling you again back to the bed.

What ensued was a hilarious (and a bit awkward) bed wrestling fight – you two were a tangle of limbs on your messy bed.

“Ow!” He cried when he got poked by your plastic hand bookmark that has now escaped the book you were hiding under your bed. “Serves you right for messing with me!” You stuck your tongue out and pushed him off you.

He didn’t let you do that easily – he pinned both your arms and was now on top of you.

“Give back my jacket please, baby,” he purred, giving you his best aegyo even if his face was as flushed as a tomato.

“No, it’s mine. For now, that is. Can’t I borrow it for a week?”

Johnny let go of his hold on you and laid beside you on the bed. “Fine, just for a week. After that, it goes back into my closet.”

“Then I’ll pilfer another one next time,” you snickered, which earned you a pinch on your sides. You glared at him, which he ignored as he continued to pinch you more.

“No, I get to choose which one you’ll get next time,” he said, now tilting his body to face you. “There’s nothing wrong with you wearing my stuff, but you’ve got to ask permission first, okay?”

“But you didn’t ask for my permission when you used my soap!” It was your turn to whine, and he just laughed at your statement.

“Essie, it’s just soap. And I bet you have a truckload of that since you always ask your sister to get you that every time she goes to the States. So please, don’t mind us when you use your soap.”

His words took a moment for you to absorb. “Mark uses it too?!” You were close to hysterics already, making the tall guy laugh harder. “Yeah. As you said, it smells good, and it helps with skin conditions.”

You looked at him for a hot minute and focused your attention on his neck. “I doubt it’s helping you,” you said, pointing at the red mark on his neck. “Your insect bite is still there.”

“Heeeeey!” He swatted your finger away from his neck and held it. “That doesn’t count. But maybe if I use it more…”

“Fine. Let’s call it quits. You can use my soap, and I get to keep this hoodie.”

“No way, Jose! It’s still mine. You can use it for a week, that’s it.”

“But Johnnyyyyy!”

///

Prompt #19: “Hey, babe?”

“Yeah?”

“How much do you love me.” 

Sometimes, you wondered how much Johnny loved you.

Even if you always get into spats now that you’re already in the fourth month of your relationship, he never seemed to hold his anger for long. It was usually him who apologized first, and you forgot what you fought about when he made up with you.

Tonight was a normal night for you – cuddling on the bed watching Netflix, your bedside tables with a bottle of beer each. You wore one of his shirts and a pair of boxer shorts, while he wore a sleeveless shirt and sweatpants. You were watching ‘Money Heist’ on his iPad Pro, and both of your arms were linked around each other’s bodies – yours were on his neck and his were on your waist. You nuzzled your face on his chest, and he responded by kissing the top of your head.

“Did you miss me that much, baby?” He asked, tilting your head to look at him. You were not sure if he was tipsy – his face and ears were flushed.

“Yeah,” you murmured, stealing a peck from his lips, “we’re always so busy during the weekdays that we can only catch up every weekend.”

“I’ll fix my schedule so we can have dinner at least every other day. Sounds good?” It was his turn to peck you on the lips, which you returned with much force.

You paused the episode you were watching and caught up with you intimately with cuddles and kisses. When you pulled away to catch your breath, he pressed your forehead against yours.

“Hey, babe?” You started, looking up at his deep chocolate eyes.

“Yeah?” He tightened his hold around your waist and pecked your forehead.

“How much do you love me?” You cringed inwardly at how saccharine you sounded, but you were curious to know his answer.

“Baby, do I really need to answer that?” He broke his hold on you as he massaged his temple with one of his hands. “Of course, my love for you is limitless! It knows no bounds! It can’t be measured at all.”

“Why do you love me so much?” This time, you sounded as if you were about to cry. You were quite moved with his answer, but you just had to hear more from him.

“Because I just do?” You cocked your head to the side, signaling for him to continue. “There are some questions that don’t need answers because really baby, actions speak louder than words.”

With that, he kissed you again, and you reciprocated with all the love you have.

You were lucky to have a man like him in your life, and you wanted everyone to know of that. Maybe soon, because now he’s all yours for the taking.

“You’re so clingy right now, are you ovulating?” He asked, squeezing your butt. You thwacked him on the shoulder and bit his upper forearm.

He yelped in pain, which motivated you to dig your teeth deeper into his arm. When his scream sounded more girly than yours, you let go.

“You idiot, of course not! I just missed you, that’s all,” you said after wiping the saliva from your mouth. He glared at you for a moment before peppering your faces with kisses.

“And I missed you too. I hope we can have more moments like this every day, baby.”

“Same, love, same,” you whispered, caressing his cheek.

You exchanged more mellifluous words before Johnny decided to continue watching the series you put on hold.

You were back again in your original position, arms wrapped around each other as you watched ‘Money Heist’ in his device.

–––

FIN

Cool Off (Part II)

After the giggles come the tears again, and here is the second and final installment of this brief series. 

Expect a lot of depressing music here too, so if you’re up for those, I hope you’ll like my recommendations. 

Here's a photo of a young Johnny playing in front of the piano as a fitting teaser.

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: Read Johnny cope with Essie’s short-lived disappearance as he sings the most heartbreaking songs that she loves. 

POV: Keeping it up with 3rd person. 

Word count: 943 words 

Warning: There’s nothing that you haven’t read yet in other stories, but Italics are for thoughts and lyrics. Mostly the latter though, because I went ham with that one. 

Recommended listening: The titles of the songs are mentioned in the story, so I’ll add them at the end of the story for your listening. Feel free to suggest songs of the same caliber – I would appreciate it so much! 

–––

Since Essie hasn’t returned from her self-imposed exile, Johnny has been on his piano a lot. He usually played depressing hits late at night, probably during times when he couldn’t fall asleep due to the situation. Although Mark hears him play from the comfort of his room, this time he was able to catch his hyung hunched over the keyboard in the living room as he sang his heart out to ‘The Songwriter’ by Father John Misty.

What would it sound like if you were the songwriter

And you made your living off of me?

It was heartbreaking to see Johnny struggle with his performance, whether he was aware that someone was watching him or not. Mark bit his lip as he watched his housemate from a dark corner, crossing his arms repeatedly until he felt comfortable with his position.

Goodbye little songbird, now you’re free

Don’t forget I’m the only fan of yours who has the sense to ever leave you be

How could do this to me?

That last line broke the older guy as he stopped playing and cried for what seemed like an eternity. Mark was glued to his spot, trying not to cry with his hyung.

Never has he seen Johnny so broken over someone, and he wished that Essie would come back soon. However, even if she does come back, it would either be to resume the relationship or cut it off completely. He hoped that it was the former because Johnny will never be the same again.

What would it sound like if you were the songwriter

And loving me was your unsung masterpiece?

The six-footer stood up after finishing the song and returned to his room. It was Mark’s cue to return as well, and he found it hard to sleep after hearing that soul-crushing song.

It got more depressing after that – Johnny sang ‘Without You’ by Tobias Jesso Jr. at three in the morning, which the younger guy remembered was the most straightforward depressing song Essie ever heard. Maybe that’s why he’s playing it, he thought while he lay on his bed.

Why can’t you just love me?

Should I move on or should I wait?

And how’d you get so high above me?

I reach higher every day

But nothing changes

No, it all just stays the same

Mark heard his hyung’s voice break when the chorus came, and he couldn’t help but cover his ears a bit out of secondhand embarrassment and hurt.

I can hardly breathe without you

There is no future I want to see without you

I just don’t know who I would be without you

There is nothing out there for me without you

Without you

Once Johnny was done playing, his crying was the next sound that permeated the whole apartment.

The last song that Mark heard from his hyung before Essie returned was ‘The Ultracheese’ by the Arctic Monkeys, which he knew the couple adored. The band was one of the things that brought them closer, and it was during their concert that Johnny realized he was in love with Essie.

The song was not as depressing as the previous ones, but it still sounded painful as the older guy sang with all his hurt.  

Still got pictures of friends on the wall

I suppose we aren’t really friends anymore

Maybe I shouldn’t ever have called that thing friendly at all

This time, Johnny was able to compose himself and not let his emotions get to the best of his singing. Mark closed his eyes to savor his hyung’s rendition since it was not always he heard him cover a song like this.

Oh, the dawn won’t stop weighing a tonne

I’ve done some things that I shouldn’t have done

But I haven’t stopped loving you once

The croon at the end made the song more melancholic than it is, and the sole audience made his presence known by clapping loudly.

Johnny whipped his head to look at Mark, who was silently crying as he continued to clap. “That was amazing, hyung,” he said, slowly approaching the performer.

“Thanks, dude,” Johnny whispered, looking away from the younger guy. “I miss her so much. I wish she’ll come back now.”

“She will. You’ve just got to be patient.”

“It’s been almost two months, Mark Lee. I’m worried that she has moved on with another person. She should let me know if we’re going to continue this or not, you know?”

Johnny’s voice was starting to break again, and Mark went to his side to comfort him.

“I’m sure she will. Maybe she’ll be back tonight. I can feel it.”

His words proved to be true as the girl returned a bit past after midnight, reeking of cigarette smoke.

Mark was speechless as she popped into his room first and asked him what had happened since then.

“Noona, I’m happy you’re back and all, but please don’t cause any more trouble to your relationship with Johnny hyung by talking to me first,” he said, hoping that his honesty will not be taken against him.

“I’m sorry, Marky. But I wanted to return with a surprise. Is he asleep now?”

He took a deep breath first before responding. “Please, noona. You can surprise him now if you want. I’m sure he would be happier if he was the person you talked to.”

“Sheesh, no need to be grumpy with me, Mark,” she chuckled. “And I’m sorry again for this. Okay then, I might as well surprise him now. Thank you.” With that, she went to Johnny’s room, and they made up for lost time with tears and snuggles.

–––

FIN

A Tale of Two Valentines (Part II)

There’s not much to say, really. I just love Johnny Suh, and the scenarios my mind comes up with in imagining him as my partner. 

If only we could end up together, like most of us dream of with our biases. 

This is one of my favorite photos that he shared on his Bubble lately, which I tweaked a bit.

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

–––

Summary: This is the sequel to the first post, wherein Johnny and Essie struggle on what to do for Valentine’s Day now that they are a couple. 

POV: 3rd person as this is part of my pre-quarantine writing from this year. 

Word count: 780 words flat.

Warning: If you squint, there’s some suggestive behavior here. Well, they are a couple anyway. They can do what they please, right? 

–––

It has been a year since Johnny dragged Essie out of her previous apartment to hang out with him on Valentine’s Day. They weren’t together yet, but people thought that they were.

They decided to be a pretend couple on that day, but who were they fooling? They were in love with each other, and it was a matter of time before they got together for real.

Now that they are officially a couple, the two were lost on what to do for their partner the next day. “I feel like Valentine’s Day is every day when I’m with you,” Essie said while holding a half-empty glass of wine.

Even if she came back from a night out with her girlfriends – her usual Galentine’s Day celebration – she was still up for more drinks.

“That’s sweet of you, baby,” Johnny cooed, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her cheek. Both were at the kitchen as they shared a bottle of wine to end the night. “I think the same too.”

“So, what are we going to do then? Tomorrow’s the day,” the girl handed her glass to her partner, who accepted it and drank the rest. “What do you want to do?” He answered after licking his lips clean.

“I don’t even know what to do, to be honest. I just want to be with you,” Essie replied, her turn to wrap her arms around her boyfriend. “It doesn’t matter if we go out or not, I’m content just being with you tomorrow.”

Johnny placed the empty glass of wine on the counter and carried his girlfriend bridal-style toward the sofa. “You read my mind, but still baby! I want this to be special. After all, this is our first Valentine’s Day as a couple,” he said when they settled comfortably on the couch. Essie was sitting on his lap with her arms hooked around his neck while his arms were linked on her waist.

“Let’s do the usual, and maybe we can spice it up with something?” she suggested, slowly removing herself from his lap. “What do you mean spice it up?” He raised an eyebrow at her as if doubting her statement. She got his sentiment and rolled her eyes. “My God, John! You’re already thinking of that?”

“And I’m sure you are as well,” he wiggled his eyebrows this time, eliciting laughter from his girlfriend.

“We’re both horny bastards anyway,” she said, thwacking him on the shoulder. “But no, I don’t mean it that way. Maybe we can spice it up in terms of doing something we don’t usually do?”

“That’s nice, but if we decide to do something unusual, those places might be booked already. Let’s just do the usual and end it with a workout.”

Essie groaned at his suggestion and thwacked him again. “I’d rather have sex than go to the gym, love.”

Johnny laughed at her response, which made him put her back on his lap again. “Hey, what do you have against the gym? It’s a great place to work out!” He pecked her cheek and squeezed her sides delightfully.

“But I don’t like it there! I hate all those equipment,” she grumbled, looking away from his taunting face. “I’d rather work out with little to no stuff at all.”

“If that’s what you say, baby,” he pinched her cheeks and peppered her with kisses afterward. Essie was defeated, but at the same time she loved it – it has been a while since Johnny tackled her with his love.

“I missed this baby,” he whined, kissing her forehead. He was on top of her, but he made sure that she wasn’t squished underneath his weight. “Me too,” she said, pecking him on the lips. “I know I haven’t been a great girlfriend as of late, and I’m sorry about that.”

“Hey, we have our down moments. I understand that,” Johnny removed himself on top of Essie, “and I’m glad that I have these moments with you again. I hope we’ll have them more often,” he helped her get up on the couch and squeezed her hand afterward.

“That I can promise you, love. I hope there’ll be less down moments too,” she kissed him on the cheeks this time, which he reciprocated. “I love you so much, John Suh.”

“And I love you more than that, Jessica Park.”

“No, I love you to infinity and beyond! Beat that, lover boy!”

It was his turn to roll his eyes, but his sarcasm didn’t last long. He laughed at her competitiveness and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Fine, you beat me, Buzz Lightyear. Let’s go to sleep now, shall we?"

–––

FIN

Day Dream

Through the help of my office mate, I was able to retrieve a copy of some of my previous writing. This is one of them, which I hope you’ll enjoy. 

To be honest, I didn’t know what I was thinking – this just happened like a daydream. Yes, the pun was definitely intended.

Here’s an edited outtake of Jaehyun from the same song that appears in their Neo Zone album. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

–––

Summary: This is inspired by Essie and Jaehyun’s steamy affair. I can’t believe I write smut for Jaehyun, but not for Johnny. How come, self? 

POV: 3rd person since this is quite new, meaning this was written pre-quarantine this year. 

Word count: 720 + words. I think this is the shortest so far? Let me get back to you on that soon. 

Warning: This is as smutty as I’m going to get for now. 

Recommended listening: Sorry if I’m going to ruin your thoughts on their song, but I did write this while listening repeatedly to it. 

–––

The longer Jaehyun and Essie went on with their trysts, the more it felt like a dream.

She lost count on what day it is – was it the third or fourth day? – as they made out on her couch.

Johnny was in Chicago while Mark was in London, so they were confident enough to do this at her apartment. Jaehyun felt that his soul was watching above their bodies and observing what it must feel like to have her as his.

“Oh Jay, please don’t stop,” she said breathlessly as he peppered kisses from her neck down to her collarbone. “No, I won’t, baby doll,” he murmured, his lips now at the edge of her shirt’s collar.

He thought that they would spend the days just hanging out and kissing, but it turned out to be a carnal affair. They couldn’t help but fuck each other, and then end the day acting like a regular couple.

They ended up naked on the couch, their clothes scattered on the floor. Before Jaehyun entered her, he lay above her and took in her naked glory with his hungry eyes. “You are so beautiful, Miss Jessica Park,” he breathed, his hands pinning her wrists down.

“And you are a beautiful man yourself, Jeong Yoon Oh,” she replied in the same manner, giving him a smile that made him pound her immediately with reckless abandon. It was the first time they were doing it without any protection, and damn the consequences for he wanted to feel her raw.

Her moans were music to his ears, and he loved it especially when she screamed his name.

“Scream for me more, baby,” he grunted, thrusting quicker inside her. “P…please Yoon Oh, fuck me some more,” she said, almost at her limit.

“I can’t hear you,” he taunted, his hands now snaking on her throat. “More, baby,” he pleaded, giving his all in thrusting into her.

She screamed his names loud and clear, forgetting that her neighbors might hear her screaming another name other than her boyfriend’s. Essie didn’t give a fuck right now – she had to admit that Jaehyun satisfied her sexual desires more than Johnny.

When they both came from their sexual highs, he peppered her whole body with kisses. “You are the best, Jay,” she said, arching her back a little so he could have more access to other areas of her body.

“Really? Am I better than Youngho?” He looked directly into her eyes as he asked this, hoping that she gives him a brutally honest answer.

“Oh, definitely,” she replied, one of her hands ruffling his hair. “You do me like nobody else.”

“I’m glad that you think that way, mon amour,” he said, kissing her inner thigh before hovering over her again. “Let’s take a shower, yes?” When she nodded, he pulled her up and carried her bridal style to the bathroom.

\\\

As much as they wanted to take a bath normally, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. They had another round inside the shower stall, and unbeknownst to Essie, he came inside her. She couldn’t tell because they were both damp with soap and water, and she was exhausted.

He carried her again toward her bedroom (she still has a separate room in case she doesn’t want to sleep on Johnny’s bed) and both dressed each other. Jaehyun helped her get into a pink slip dress (and no underwear, of course), while Essie dressed him in a pair of boxer shorts and a black shirt.

“Loving you feels like I’m dreaming,” he sang to her as he caressed her cheek. “I can say the same too, darling,” she said, mimicking his action.

“I love you so much, and I wish you were mine for real,” he pressed his forehead on hers and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Oh ma cherie amour, je t'aime tellement que ça me fait mal.”

“Touché, mon cheri,” she replied softly, tilting his chin to look at her. “But I don’t want to think about reality right now. I want to be in this dream with you.”

He responded by kissing her, which felt more comforting than sensual. It was as if she was comforting him that he couldn’t have her, and the only thing he could do was just to give in for now.

–––

FIN

Did you find out the translation of Jay’s badly-translated French statement? 

JN (Part I)

And we’re back with more Johnny content here! Of course, he’s the apple of my eye, my ultimate current bias, the love of my life, and the list go on. But I do get tempted by other good-looking K-pop men sometimes...

Here’s a GIF of him looking adorable with some noticeable blush. The color reminds me of Glossier Cloud Paint in Storm, but of course, I could be wrong. Drop that blush shade, dude! 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: These pieces were inspired by a prompt list by @neoculturedrabbles​. Since you guys know how I feel about Johnny, please expect that the next installments will feature two prompts in it too. 

POV: 2nd person since I wrote this late last year. I know; you’re getting tired of reading that over and over. 

Word count: 1,800 words 

–––

Prompt #1: “Shut up!”

“Make me!”

Now that you and Johnny were a couple, that didn’t stop him from annoying you to tears.

You were working on an article at the dining table when you heard him sing Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ off-key. He was at the kitchen, cooking his trademark omelets for breakfast.

“John, please!” You shrieked, turning your head towards the kitchen. “Can you pipe it down? I’m trying to work here!”

He responded by continuing the song, his voice more off-key than before.

You rolled your eyes and went back to your laptop, huffing in annoyance.

A few minutes later, Johnny emerged from the kitchen with your breakfast, and he was now singing Heart’s ‘Alone’ in the same irritating manner.

“Love, what’s up with you? Why are you annoying me? Do you know I’m about to have my period soon?” You said when he placed a plate of omelet and rice in front of you.

“I’m not doing anything unusual,” he said, this time placing a cup of coffee beside your breakfast, “I’m just being myself, you know?” He winked at you and patted your shoulder.

“But baby, you know when I’m in front of my laptop, I’m most likely working,” you grumbled, now taking the cup of coffee to sip on it.

“I can never tell,” he sat on the seat across from you, “Maybe you’re just reading hentai or playing your porn games,” he wiggled his eyebrows for effect, and you almost spit your coffee.

You just flipped him the bird and took another sip of the coffee he made. As always, he got your preferred taste perfectly – strong and sweet, just like he is.

“How dare you, Suh Youngho! I don’t do that anymore!”

“Yes, you do! You fell asleep with your Incognito window on a hentai comic the other day!”

That was the last straw, and you went to his side and pinched his cheeks. “You silly boy! Stop taunting me!” You squeaked, pinching his cheeks harder while he laughed at your flushed and annoyed face.

“No, I’m not going to stop teasing you! It’s also my job to annoy you since your sisters are out!” He said in between your pinching.

“Johnnyyyyy!” Your hands snaked their way around his neck, and you felt tears brimming at the corners of your eyes. “Shut up!”

“Make me!” He challenged, his face serious.

Now that was something you didn’t expect – he had his poker face on, and he seemed calm. You let go of your hands around his neck and settled them on his shoulders.

But when he gave you his trademark wink, you felt miffed again. You decided to play his game and pecked him on the lips instead.

You weren’t able to get away from him since he locked you in his embrace and deepened the kiss.

As your tongues clashed against each other, you gasped when you felt something poking beneath you. Ugh, not again! He was turned on with what you did, and you tasted like coffee, of course.

You let go when you felt very bothered by his boner and pinched his nose this time.

“You big freak,” you huffed, raising your middle finger at him again, “You’re such a tease, you know?”

“I know, baby,” Johnny had the guts to lick his lips in front of you, “and I’m going to taunt you every day with all my loving.”

“Can we have breakfast now?” You got your spoon and fork and started digging into your meal.

“Sure thing, baby,” He said while he moved his plate and drink beside you. When he was done, he sat on the chair to your left and fed you a spoonful of rice and omelet. “Say ‘ah,’” he instructed in a flirty tone, which you obeyed.

“Don’t be so grumpy, my baby princess,” he cooed, wiping the excess rice on the top of your lip.

“But I’m about to have my period! My chest feels heavier, and I feel more bloated,” you whined.

“Even if your boobs don’t get bigger and you don’t look plumper, you are always a grumpy girl,” it was now his turn to pinch your cheek.

You crossed your arms over your chest and looked away from him. Since his hand was still on your chin, he tilted it again toward his direction.

“If you promise me that you won’t be grumpy anymore, I’ll stop teasing you.”

You sighed in defeat and nodded. “Okay, I’ll try my best.”

“No buts! You should do it. You look the most beautiful when you smile.”

You pinched his arm in embarrassment and went back to eating with your head down. “You are such a flirt, love. But thank you.”

“You’re welcome, baby.” He kissed the side of your head, and both of you ate in silence after.

///

Prompt #12: “You’re a pain in the ass, you know?”

“Yeah, but I’m your pain the ass.”

Your head was throbbing in pain because a) you lack sleep, and b) Johnny was being such a pain in the ass to deal with.

As you searched the cabinet for some Advil, you saw a pair of long arms reach over you and grabbed a large pink pillbox.

You turned around to see it was the source of your headache, grinning sheepishly at you. “I assume you need Advil?”

You nodded in response, silently grabbing the pillbox from him. You went to the dining table where a glass of water was waiting for you and opened the box to get your much-needed medicine.

You felt Johnny’s eyes on you as you swallowed the pill and drank water. You closed your eyes for a bit, savoring its bitter taste in your mouth.

But then, you remembered all the things he did during the previous week that got on your nerves.

He hid your strawberry-flavored Greek yogurt from the fridge just when you were craving for it.

He placed your usual mug in the highest cupboard the day after he was in charge of doing the dishes. You had to climb up the sink just so you can reach it, and he laughed at your attempt to grab it the first time you discovered it was up there.

He woke you up by replacing your alarm with his voice recording remixed with EDM beats. He laughed again when he saw your grumpy reaction, your hair sticking all over the place as you chased him around the house with your pillow.

He used your favorite tote bag (which you waited for ages to be restocked!) when he went grocery shopping all by himself, ruining it in the process. Now it was under his care, and you didn’t know if he has finished mending it yet.

But the most annoying thing that he did was when he tickled you to tears when you didn’t wake him up when he needed to be up early for a schedule. Although he seemed annoyed at first, he was also in tears from laughter as he saw you writhe in his touch.

You let out a huge groan before lying on the couch. “This headache sucks,” you said, curling up on the sofa.

“You need some rest, baby,” you heard Johnny say, who was now standing in front of you. He wore a basketball jersey and jogging pants, which was his usual home attire.

But as always, you were distracted with his big and meaty guns. You grabbed the pillow at your foot and covered your face in it so you couldn’t see his towering figure over you.

“I’m resting right now. Please,” you looked at him briefly, “stop annoying me. You’re one of the reasons why my head is throbbing right now,” you covered your face with the pillow again.

“Oh, but why me? I have been nothing but good to you!” You felt an additional weight at the end of the sofa, which meant that he sat down beside you.

“But you kept on annoying me by hiding my food, ruining my stuff, and most of all, you almost tickled me to death!” You threw the pillow at him, which he caught. He held it in front of him and looked at you with puppy eyes.

“But Essie! You know that’s one of the ways to show that I love you!” He whined while making cute faces at you.

“Johnny, there are times that I appreciate it, and there are times that I do not,” you grumbled, now sitting up on the couch. “You’re a pain in the ass, you know?”

“Yeah, but I’m your pain in the ass,” he responded smoothly, running one of his hands through his hair.

“Ugh, Suh Youngho!” You groaned, lying back on the couch again. As soon as your back hit the sofa, you were flustered to see him on top of you with a Cheshire cat grin on his face.

“But you’re so cute when you’re grumpy!” He said playfully before his hands went to your sides and tickled you until you were in tears again.

“I’ll get you for this, John!” You said in between wheezing and kicking.

The tall guy snickered, but then he looked at you with concern when he noticed that your tears didn’t stop falling. He stopped tickling you and wiped your tears away. “Sorry, baby,” he whispered, now kissing your forehead.

You shut your eyes for the nth time today, processing this intimate moment you got yourself into. He was too close, and you could feel his breath against your forehead. Your body felt warm from head to toe, and his body felt that way as well.

But come to think of it, your head stopped pounding. You opened your eyes and saw that he gave you the sweetest smile before kissing your temple.

“Do you feel better now?”

“Surprisingly, yes. I feel much better now,” you gently pushed him away from you as you sat up once more. “But I think I should still get some rest.”

“That you do need, baby. Come,” he held your hand and led you to your room. “I’ll tuck you in.”

“No, John! I’m fine. You don’t have to do that for me,” you mumbled, looking away from him as he squeezed the hand he held.

“I insist. I want to make it up to you for being a pain in the ass.”

“But you’ll always be even if you do sweet shit like this, you know?”

“Yeah, I do. But still, please? Can I tuck my surly baby in bed?” He pleaded, blinking his eyelashes cutely at you.

“Ugh, fine. I request for hair brushing and thigh tapping too, please.”

“Anything for my dear Essie,” he said before carrying you into your bedroom bridal-style.

–––

FIN

Soul-searching (Part II)

Sometimes, we need to commit mistakes to learn from them. It may sound horrible, but deep inside, you know it’s not far from the truth. 

Anyway, this wraps up Essie’s so-called journey before she reconciled with Johnny. If you’ve been a loyal reader since day one and know which story it’s connected to, please give me a holler?  

Since Oh Sehun from EXO co-stars in this piece, here’s a dreamy GIF of him. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: This picks up from the last installment, but with a few days’ interval. Essie, who felt hurt, depressed, and lost after her encounter with Kun, ends up drinking with Oh Sehun in a bar. Before you know it, the story has become one of those cliches. In short, another brain fart from yours truly. 

POV: Shockingly, I wrote a 1st person POV! Do you think I should keep it up?

Word count: 1,200 + words

–––

“You know, if things were different, we could’ve dated.”

I almost spat the beer I was drinking when Sehun that. “Dude, please. Be serious.”

“But I am,” I heard him shuffling closer to me, “and I know what I’m saying doesn’t help your situation either.”

“Well, maybe you’re drunk than you’ve let on,” I whispered, examining the bottle I was holding. Its amber color was intoxicating, even if I have already held it a hundred of times.

“Babe, I’m far from drunk,” he scoffed, “haven’t you heard that when you’re drunk, you’re more likely to tell what’s on your mind than when you’re sober?”

I looked at him briefly, and he grinned like the cheeky bastard that he is. “It’s true. Youngho knows that I like you, but he told me not to pursue you. As a friend, I respected that.”

I was shocked with the information I heard – Johnny told Oh Sehun not to take his chance with me, which makes me cringe at the mere thought of it.

I have to admit that I found him handsome when I first met him. He had that mysterious charm around him, but the more he stayed with us, the more I found him cocky and annoying. That put me off with him completely, and I forgot that I even liked him in the first place.

Now that I ended up at this bar with him, I don’t know what to feel or say for now. I got another bottle of beer from the bucket we ordered and drank silently as I looked out into the night sky.

“What’s on your mind, princess?” Sehun broke the silence, and I felt him close the small space between us. I could feel his body heat as well as his sweat.

“I wonder why I end up in these kinds of situations,” I glanced at him and saw that he was also looking at the dark cityscape.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I ruin relationships, I guess? I broke Youngho’s heart because I had an affair with Yoon Oh, and I lead on Kun,” I took another swig of beer before searching my bag for another pack of cigarettes.

“Here,” Sehun gave me his stick that had already burned halfway. I did not hesitate to put it in my lips and took a long drag. I felt so awful right now, and I know that having drinks with him wasn’t helping at all.

But he was drinking alone at this bar that I’ve always wanted to go to, and now I ended up in a private area at the rooftop with him. Fortunately, we could smoke here as much as we could, and he wouldn’t make me feel guilty if I finish a pack or two.

“Wow, that’s quite a record,” he said after he was halfway through a new stick, “but things happen for a reason. Maybe they ought to teach you a lesson or two for breaking other people’s hearts. Or maybe it’s karma? Did you do something horrible before?” He snickered before putting out the cigarette on the ashtray.

“I don’t know anymore, seriously. But you know,” I leaned back on the couch, holding the beer bottle closer to my chest, “based on what you told me earlier, we could’ve dated in a situation like this.”

The alcohol is doing its job on ruining myself more; the sober side of me thought after this was all over.

“Hm? Tell me more,” Sehun mimicked my actions, and he gave me a dopey smile this time.

“I could be drinking with a couple of friends, and you’ll be on the other table. We’d catch each other looking, and we’ll be giggling messes because we’ve drunk quite a bit. Later on, we’d make excuses to get to know each other by going to the bathroom, and before we know it–––”

He never let me finish the story because he had already kissed me.

He tasted like memories of a careless past – a bittersweet mixture of alcohol, cigarettes, and his personal taste. I am reminded of the times I used to kiss boys back in college during parties and then kick their nuts when they wanted to have sex with me when I didn’t want to.

I had the urge to pull him away, but I couldn’t. He had already pinned my arms on the sofa, and his kisses became more ravenous.

When we almost lost our breaths to that intense kiss, he broke away but still held my wrists.

“That story of yours could’ve been us, really,” he said, still panting, “but now we got to the part that can happen but won’t ever get repeated.”

“Sehun, please,” I cried, “Don’t make things worse. I’m begging you.” My whole face felt warm, probably because of the alcohol and shame I was feeling. Even the tears that I cried felt like it was going to burn my face.

He let go of my wrists and resumed drinking. He didn’t say anything when he finished another bottle and took out another cigarette. All of that, I observed while I cried silently.

“I’m sorry, Essie. I admit I know what I’m doing, but rest assured, it would be the last time I’ll do that. So please,” he looked at me with teary eyes, “do the right thing and fix everything with Youngho before it’s too late.”

A few minutes later, we were at the sidewalk waiting for a cab.

“I would suggest that you return in a prettier state, not like the hot mess that you are now,” he chuckled, eyeing me from head to toe. I rolled my eyes at him and shoved my hands deeper into my coat’s pockets. “I can freshen up inside the car, dude. No need to worry about me.”

When Sehun finally hailed an empty cab, he pulled me into a half-hug and patted my shoulder. “Remember, do the right thing,” he whispered.

I nodded as I stepped inside the cab. We waved at each other once I was inside, and I burst into tears again when he was out of sight.

///

I did my best to compose myself before returning to the apartment I shared with my boyfriend and our common friend. I wiped away the damage my tears have done to my makeup and retouched. I took a couple of mint candies and spritzed some perfume on my pulse points.

What took most of my time inside the cab was that I prayed for things to better, for me to be more responsible for my actions and to be more understanding of how other people feel.

I prayed for a lot of things that would help me become a better partner because I know that Johnny Suh is the one for me.

I’ve done a lot of questionable things over the past few months, but my heart knows that it is with Johnny that I find true peace and contentment.

To those I have hurt, I deeply apologize for what I’ve done. I can’t claim that I never meant to break your hearts, but as sad as it sounds, what happened was part of a learning process for us.

Maybe we’re meant to burn our bridges, or maybe we can still be friends without falling for each other.

I took a deep breath when I was in front of our apartment. I noticed that the lights were off – it was already three in the morning – but that didn’t stop me from going back to where my heart has always belonged.

I’m back, my love.

–––

FIN