Can Somebody Tell Me Why I'm Getting So Many Damn Bucky Barnes Ffs On My Feed.

Can somebody tell me why I'm getting so many damn Bucky Barnes ffs on my feed.

MORE AND MORE

Word count: 5k

Genre: Psychology, comedic,

summary: when two worlds collide. Opposite who want the other things. When they finally discover eachother they just want to unravel more.

Warning: bad words, mentions of cuts, mentions of glass shards, a little smut just a sprinkle!, heavy making out, cheating, bed squeaks, rushed dramatic backstories lol, uhhhh I think that's it but if there's more inform me through dm 😙

Her skin represents dripping golden honey and her round lips tinted a rose pink. She prances around the small colorful coffee shop in her white long sleeved dress and her golden locks bouncing up and down. "Bye Jimin" she kissed her beloved cheeks before she left.

Areum Bailey

A young adult trying to navigate her life in nyc. She lives by herself... well, with her cat, Mindy. She's been working at this Cafe ever since her auntie passed away taking the lead manager role. It was nice on some days. When the days were rainy and the crowd was calm and collective but on days like these, mid summer days, the cafe was bustling with people of all sorts. Buisness leads trying to rush the baristas, old ladies holding the lines up, and your typical Karens not getting what they want.

But there was one person that the cafe was well known too. A regular you could say.

Jung Hoseok

Everytime he walked in his presence was known. He towered over everyone and his style was too specific. Hard but casual. Just a plain black turtle neck that showed off his wonderful broad shoulders and black cargo pants and not to mention a peek of his tattoo. He walked up to the counter looking down at Areum.

They don't know eachother formally but they do have mutual friends

"Mister Jung." Areum smiled "what will you be having today?"

Hoseok answered almost automatically "the usual. Plain. black. coffee." He emphasized and set more than enough cash down revealing his sleeve and into her eyes. This always happens. He likes to keep eye contact even when it feels unnatural

"Keep the tip. Nice pearls." He stares at her neck for a second then leaves.

"Uh.. thank you." That was as awkward as ever.. she thought to herself.

He was the epitome of nonchalant, getting a genuine reaction out of him seemed impossible. Areum distributed the cash properly. She always wondered about him. "Plain black!" She shouted to the baristas. It was his usual.

He never liked anything frilly or new. He always stuck with what he knew the best. Areum notes that he always came into her shop with nothing but some cash. He always stands up and waits for his coffee. It was like he was in a rush but he wasn't... something in the way he speaks or the way he looks is odd.. like he was hiding something.

"For Jung Hoseok!" She hands the coffee to him and he gently bows taking the coffee from her hands. "Thank you"

With that he walks away, making Areum even more curious about his life but no, she cannot fawn over customers that's improper work behavior. One of her colleagues, Frey often spoke about him in a conversation they were having at the time. "I went to college with him... he's very handsome and was a great student but 3rd year he got kicked out for some reason..." She turns towards Areum "he commits to this coffee shop more than he ever did in school. I think he likes you."

Areum laughed a bit as she prepared to close down "Frey, first of all i have a boyfriend and i am not trying to be that girl. he literally comes in, orders like any other paying customer, then walks out. He doesn't like me and quite frankly I hope he doesnt." She scoffed.

Frey sighed, her colleague was also her good friend. She was a fashion student "come on Areum. He comes in, orders a plain black coffee that his ass could just make from home, them leaves to where ever the f he goes!" She laughed. "I'm pretty sure he's coming for a bootycall at this point."

"I'm good with my cats and my current boyfriend thank you." Areum rolled her eyes. "And I'm not gonna get with some college drop out."

"Eieie, you're so harsh. He was a good student but I forgot that you live by whatever the hell your parents say. Arent they the one who set him up with you 'i can only see him once a week' boyfriend. Damn, do they even set up your bootycalls?"

"Can we stop talking about bootycalls in this warm kid friendly environment?" She ran her hand through her hair with a slight chuckle. "And no, I make my own decisions. Jimin and i... are very happy. He's very busy. Hes always on work trips and such" She mumbles the last part. A tiny part in her heart doubts that's true but Areum she has hope in this man... he's the best thing that's ever happened to her... right?

"Sure, whatever you say elmo." Frey ruffled Areums hair. She got her bag and prepared to leave "I'm just saying that you never know. Hoseok might just be right up your alley. Literally. I don't know much about him but the sexual tension is rising oooo, its getting hot!" She teased as she opened the door. Areum threw a empty bottle at her as she laughed and went along with her day.

The day went on and it was finally time for her to clock out and go home. Maybe catch up on some netflix. She drove home and unlocks the door to her own one story house. She was a stable women, with a stable check. Everything her parents ever wanted her to be. She had a good life and good friends but deep down inside she wanted to be living a different life.

She lied down on the couch and grabbed the remote, turning on dancing with the stars. When the show turned on she tossed the remote down and went to the bathroom.

She wanted to be one of them. One of the well known celebrities. She wanted her life to be fabricated. All the glitz and glam she really took care of herself to give that illusion.

Taking a makeup wipe she clears her face.

Even though she had everything she wanted... she wanted more. Like a girl that could never get satisfied. She needed something exciting in her life.. new... interesting. Something to keep her entertained

. "I went to college with him... he's very handsome and was a great student but 3rd year he got kicked out for some reason..."

The words echoed in her ear as she grabbed her face wash and squirted some on her hands. "Jung Hoseok..." She mumbles. Her mind stays on him.. what was he really like.

Jung hoseok..

She opened her computer screen and looked his name up. She couldn't help herself. She found a instagram page of him wearing a suit. It was set to private but the bio said "Secretary of Myrion Corporations"

Curse her lack to respect other people's privacy. Maybe Frey was right.

She looked up the company and apparently it was linked with her father's. A mining company. "What..." She didn't even know her dad had a partner until now. Not that she ever paid attention to her dad's buisness. She looked up the partnered ceo's name which apparently he had the same last name as Hoseok. "Yunho Jung..."

She quickly opened instagram up again and saw that his page wasn't private. "Partnered owner of Myrion Company..." She scrolled down and "bingo." She found a photo of Hoseok. He had a faint smile on his face as he shook hands with some important buisness people the caption said "glad my son is following in my footsteps." All his tattoos were covered

BANG BANG BANG

she hears amd quickly exits all of the tabs. "Who- who is it?" She stutters as she puts her computer away.

"It's your favorite! I came with pizza!" His voice booms. She could recognize his booming voice from miles away. The king of destruction. She opens the door "did you also come with the money you owed me for literally smashing my wall in?" She jested with a fake smile

"I was hoping the pizza would cover for that" he invited himself in. "What chu watching? Bad chics of Beverly Hills?"

She chuckled and helped Namjoon with the pizza. A genuine friend she cant deny. Shes known him since high school. "no, Dancing with the Stars. "

"Boring "

"I can't watch Beverly hills anymore because it rubs off on me! Last week when the mail man came I literally spilled all my junior high drama to him" she pulled a slice of pizza "then I got mad at him for not agreeing with me and then I apologized to him because I-"

"Damn fighting with the mail man, whatta new low for you." He sung. Areum scoffs and throws a pillow at him as he laughed. "Frey told me about your new crush. "

Areum sinks in the couch, pretending not to hear him. Of course she did... "I always loved pineapple on my pizza"

"Don't get with him. He's bad news" Namjoon sighed and took a huge bite. Areum bites her lip trying to hold back her curiosity but his comment made it even more difficult. "What do you mean..."

"Drugs, cheating, stealing, whatever you can think of this man has probably done it"

"Whaat?" She turns to him "no way! He can't be associated with any of those things. He's working under-" oops, her tongue slipped.

"Don't even act surprised that you can't hold a secret either. I know you looked him up. There were rumors going on about him. Him and I went to the same college. He got kicked out cause he was dealing drugs." He licks his fingers "and besides every day of the week he's with every other girl you could possibly imagine. Probably pulled Kim K once HA! You don't want him."

"Yeah i dont... I was just curious.. but aren't those just rumors? I saw his Instagram page and it looked professional"

"That was a font baby" he chuckled "you're better off with your part time boyfriend. Hand me the remote I wanna watch the last of us!"

"Here." She ponders on what he has said and looked at the time. Her eyes widened as she read '1:01' she had work the next morning and so did Namjoon. "Namjoon why are you even here!"

"Rents due."

-

The next morning was nice. It was the onset of fall and fall break for most young kids. So the cafe wasn't that busy. She set the mood of the cafe putting some lofi music on and welcomed her employees. The day was nice. Nobody called out and everything seemed to be unproblematic until her usual customer stumbled in.

This time besides his cargo pants he was in something more professional. A white button down that revealed a tiny part of his toned chest and grey slacks. Probably because of his new promotion. Everyone fawned over him today. Today was different ... somebody was alongside his hip.

A woman with her hair up in a bun. She wore a mini black flowy dress with business heels and lucky for Areum she knew exactly who this middle aged women was.

"Emma?"

Emma smiled at her "long time no see." Emma was the favorite in her dad's company. She held a much higher authority than Areum will ever. She has her PHD in buisness and yes she was an older girl. In her late 30s which made Areum even more curious why the hell Hoseok would choose her out of everyone

No

No

No

She will not get involved. She doesn't care who Hoseok lays his beautiful brown eyes on. "Long time no see to you." She smiled. Emma excused herself to use the bathroom as Hoseok just stares at her, waiting for her to say something. Areum sighed "your usual?"

"Mhm." Was his response but this time he whipped out his card.

"I didn't know you knew Emma." Areum tried to crack the awkwardness flowing around the air. It was almost painful to her. "Well what do I know huh" she chuckled.

Hoseok remained silent for a bit "you didnt?"

"..." what was that supposed to mean? Of course she didn't. "Of course not." She chuckled "you're just my customer, how would I know."

Chill Areum it's not a huge deal she thought.

He sighed and put his card back into his wallet "you know. If you wanted to know me you could've asked."

"what."

Emma then returns. "Oo! And this" She adds a cake pop to the table "I'll be in the car honey." And then walks away.

Areum waits until she walked away to clear her throat "well mister jung... it's hard to not be curious when a customer walks into your store everyday and orders nothing but a black coffee."

"Whats wrong with black coffee?"

She was thrown off and hoseok just smirks. "If you are that curious about me Areum I'd rather you not stalk my page." He pays for the cake pop. She was out of words because he was right but at the same time it was so embarrassing to get confronted about it. "How did you even know.."

"Spygirl360? You couldn't of made things less obvious. Your number is linked with your account so it shows you. I'm sure that like on my dad's buisness promotion post was an accident eh?"

Areum was silent, twiddling her fingers. He caught her. Now she's wishing he'd just leave "look, would you stop taunting me about it i understand that you're mad.. I'm s-"

"I never said I was mad. Here."

"Whats this?"

"My number. Call me sometimes.. with that he walked away like nothing ever happened. Damn you Hoseok.

-

The days are long and hard. Ever since the encounter with Hoseok he hasn't been coming into her coffee shop anymore. She felt like Joe Goldberg and even her boyfriend couldn't fill her empty void of curiosity but on the bright side it was their week together finally. Areum was at the store picking out only the freshest wine. She didn't reach out to Hoseok because why would she. She had a wonderful boyfriend. Jimin

She knew him every since they were kids and once they were of age both their parents set them up together. Because they were destined. The agreement was to get married by 30 and they'd have a set life with sufficient funds supported by each of their families. They weren't 30 yet but it was fastly approaching. Jimin came from a rich family. Much richer than Areum's. Some days it felt like they didn't agree among anything. His opinions were always one sided, he was always right but other days of was as if he was the happiest man on earth able to give her anything except sexual intimacy. They both never felt that way towards each other but tonight

Tonight Areum hoped to change that. She wanted to get rid of that void in her stomach. She wanted to try something exciting for the first time in her life so she wanted to take Freys advice to get laid. She threw on her red fenty under her short white dress. Jimin was supposedly already at her house just waiting on her.

"Long time no see." A deep voice approached behind her

Oh no, it was him. The man she's been trying to keep out of her head the entire time. She looked at him "hi."

"Why are you dressed so fancy today?" He walked closer to her "and where are your pearls?" Very close to her and reached for the whiskey above her. She blushed and finally stuttered out "i-I have a date actually!"

Hoseok let out a small laugh "oh?"

"Mhm!" For some reason she felt the urge to somewhat prove to him that she isn't some girl who stalks people all day and reads smut. No! She's definitely not.

"Well if you're looking to get laid that's not gonna get the job done." He took the alcohol put of her hand.

"Yah!" She whined "I'm not... I'm.. we're just gonna chill?"

"Well your fuck me dress says otherwise."

"Excuse me?"

"Look if you're looking to get laid miss innocent I prefer you buy this one." He hands her a bottle of liquor. "Mix it in some orange juice if you can't handle your alcohol." Areum takes the bottle from his hands in disbelief how blunt he was... he wasn't wrong.

"Bye miss Bailey." With that he was on his way. Areum shakes her head from her recent encounter then goes to grab a bottle of orange juice. "Screw you Jung Hoseok." How did he even know her last name?

Once she makes it home she heard squeaking of some sort. "What the..." maybe a fossit is broken or something? "Jimin?" She shouts. She sets her bags down and walks closer to the room. "Jimin!?"

The sound became more clear. A horrible melancholy of his moans mixed with some other girls. "What the hell!" She pulls the sheets up and what she saw shocked the living hell out of her

"FREY?"

That night was a blur. Yelling things out that she didn't even know she had in her mind. As if she turned into a whole nother being. Saying things she'd never say. She threw stuff around her house as her eyes flooded with tears. Her body was on auto pilot but her emotions were on a high. All for a bunch of "how could you" ,"I thought you loved me" , all for Jimin to say it was all a font and Frey to quietly get her stuff and leave. It was too much to take in

That night Areum sat on her living room floor, surrounded by glass thinking this was never what she wanted. What Jimin said "all of it was fake. We never loved eachother. " was true but Areum didn't want to believe that. It wasn't supposed to turn out this was. That night she had drowned herself in whiskey and picked up her phone

She had called Hoseok because why the not? There was a silence before he spoke "Areum?"

"Hey! Wanna come over?" Her words slurred.

On the other end Hoseok had just gotten out of bed. He was just in grey joggers and nothing else and when he heard Areums voice he knew automatically something was wrong. She spoke again "I wanna know more about! Ow!" She shouts then giggles. Hoseok sighed and rubs his eyes. "Areum... send me your address."

When he finally arrived he could see Areum with multiple cuts along her thighs. Her dress was rolled up and it seemed that the glass shards on the floor graced her smooth legs. He quickly picks up Areum from the floor. Her drunken state couldn't feel the pain, she just giggled when she saw Hoseok. "Mister Jung is here."

He sat her on the bed. "Areum look at me." He held her droopy face and paid attention to her to see if she was alright. Areum just laughs "no man has ever held me like that...:

He lets her face go gently and gets a first aid kit she had in the bathroom. He's been in this situation one too many times to know what to do. He sits on the bed and places Areums legs in his thighs. Taking his time time to treat them efficiently. She gasps at the alcohol stinging her skin but blushes at the proximity he was to her.

She had pretty thighs but it pained him to see the cuts on them. He knew her

Areum Bailey, 23, her father always talks about how good she is and how excellent she is at owning her small cafe alongside her supporting now ex boyfriend, Jimin. He follows her recent posts on instagram and he even knew her before she even opened the shop. He always saw her at Myrion. Always admired how outgoing she was, her smile, and her cute little mistakes. A girl who was the definition of successful in her parents eyes. Something Hoseok could never be but he knew there was a part in her that wasn't so innocent and he wanted to dimish her disguise so badly, tear her down, and see what she's hiding

But she didn't deserve that. Not by him. That's what he thought until he saw her in this state. He always visited her cafe to support her cause he has always admired her. He was just not good with his words.

"So I heard you were a bad boy!" She blurts. "Like a drug dealer ! How exciting! " hoseok looked at her, all his thoughts stopped. "I've always wanted to do something naughty"

"Im sure youve heard a lot of things aboht me." He finishes bandaging her legs "and you miss perfect." He gently pinned her down to the bed. Both of her wrist trapped with his hands "what are you hiding?" With that he took his things and left her in bed.

"I..." She could feel herself slowly drifting off in a haze.

-

Areum woke up the next morning with a major headache. She groans loudly and helps herself up. She simply couldn't remember anything that happened last night... why was her room so trashed. She lifted all the thick covers from her body. "What the?" Why were her legs wrapped in white bandages. She carefully got out of bed and looked around. Her door was closed. She looked in her bathroom mirror to see her makeup smudged and her hair a mess. "Yikes... goddamm did I fight a bear or something?" She turns the shower on and freshens up, letting the hot droplets of water cleanse her skin.

Once she goes in front of the mirror she trues to recollect what happened to her that night. She picks her makeup up and fixes herself. Molding herself into an acceptable image. She looks at herself one last time before going to her dresser. She didn't have work today so she opted for just a oversized black t shirt. She took her dress off in front of her vanity just to be revealed with some very...very. revealing lingerie. Then it hits her.

"Areum?" Her door slides open. It was Hoseok, she quickly covers herself and blurts "did we do anything!"

Hoseok eyes her body. Even though she tried to cover herself up her vanity reveals her backside which Areum is quick to notice. "H-Hoseok!" Hoseok laughed a bit and closed the door, not answering her question.

"Oh my god ,oh my god ,oh my god." She repeats as she quickly takes her lingerie off and changes her clothes. She pulled on some pajama pants and quickly made her way to Hoseok. He was on his way out. "Nuh uh!" She blocks the door. "What the hell happened last night!"

"I dunno princess you tell me." he hummed

She looked at him "no.. no we.." and then she looked around the house. "I broke up with Jimin.."

"Mhm."

"But why are you here. And why was I" her hands swiftly went to her head. She groans as banging pain inflamed. "Whats going on." She whined.

Hoseok sighed as he looked at the time. It was time for hom to go to his job, his father, forced him into working. It wasn't like he wanted that promotion. That time he was promoted his father found out he was dealing drugs in college. Something that he's ashamed of ever since but he did it because he needed the money and he'd do it again in a heart beat.

He was everything his father never wanted...

He sighed as he took Areum by the shoulders leading her to her couch. He picked up most of the glass that night but he fell asleep to finish. He needed to stay and make sure she was alright.

"Sit down." He gets her a glass of water and some pills " look. I don't know what happened all that well but you called me and yoh were flat out drunk I'm guessing because you broke up with Jimin and you didn't mix your alcohol." He sighed.

"And I called you." Everything is slowly hitting her. She remembers what she told him that night and she could feel her heart going down to her stomach. "I'm so sorry." She runs her hands threw her hair and throws her head back on the couch.

"For what?" Hoseok stared at her "all you did was call me a drug dealer. "

"Augh." She drags as she fakes a bang on her head. "I'm sorry for that too! I." She finally gets the courage to look at him. "Look. I've just always been curious about you.. and I've heard things... I was just too scared to ask."

He looks into her eyes, he could tell she was speaking from her heart. "If you must know." He fixes Areums hair "I was dealing at a time in my life. My biological mother needed surgery and my father denied to supply. So I had too."

Areum listened intendly and Hoseok chuckled a bit "everything you heard about me was probably true. I'm not your perfect suit and tie guy." His eyes drift her her lips and defined collarbone. "The only reason I accepted that damn job was because of my mom. Her dying wish was for me to accept it. After all that she still died."

Areum heard him, she really did. He wasn't afraid to go against anyone, even though it was a bad choice it was his. He had his profound own freedom and achieved his own things... even though his ways were twisted but everytime he let out a small laugh she could feel her heart beating a mile a minute. She could feel his eyes mentally undressing her and even when it was silent it wasnt..

"But you. You are little miss innocent right?" He teased "you've never done anything that goes against what your parents say. Always in the modest outfits, cleanest makeup, even the way you speak is proficient"

"I..." Areum sighed, she didn't know of that was a compliment or. She could feel her cheeks getting red again. She hasn't experienced her own life yet.

"It's cute..." He kept caressing her face and lifted her chin. Yes, she still had an agonizing headache but it was as if everything stopped. "I'm guessing you called me because you wanted to change that?"

She was speechless but Hoseok was doing all the speaking for her "thats why I'm here... right princess?"

She meekly nodded her head, a part of her feeling guilty to admitting something she denied to heavily before.

"I will... but for right now I need you to rest." He picks her up and places her in bed. "Goodnight Areum."

That day over. Hoseok left but now she's waiting for him in a flowey lilac dress at a fancy rooftop restaurant she picked out. She really wanted to impress him today. She didn't see him at the shop so her anticipation to see him today was super high. Whenever she saw him it was as if she had a freedom. She chose him.. not anyone else. She did.

He finally shows up wearing a loose white button down and dress pants. "What a fancy place." He looks down at Areum and raises a brow.

As they sat it was silent. A lot of small talk as if they were just... buisness partners. Areum sipped her red wine.. maybe this wasn't gonna work. She couldn't think of a single word to say to him. Hoseok laughed a bit and got up. She finally spoke "are you leaving?"

"You clearly don't have good taste in restaurants so yeah." He extended his hand to her. "Lets go. I know a place not far from here."

She smiles as she took his hand. The elevator door opened for them and they were the only two going down. "I like your pearls." Hoseok complimented.

"Th-thank you." She gets the courage to compliment him back "I like your uh.. jawline."

There was a silence and they both laughed. The rest of the night was better.

Turned out the lady with a PhD owned a small cafe down the street that Hoseok helps out with. The waitress hands them their menus. Hoseok sits right by Areum, thigh on thigh as he points out to his favorites in the menu. He was very animated but not unnatural. She really loved getting to know him. His hands touched her as he leaned closer. "Yahhh." She blushed and giggles feeling his breath on her neck.

"You're such a hopeless romantic." He teased her more.

The night went on and they just visited local shops. Areum bought stupid souvenirs the small town had to offer. "Look! Imma a potato! Im your potato!" She turned to Hoseok with a potato hat and Hoseok smiled at the cashier a little embarrassed she had said it so loudly. "Okay Areum, let's go."

The night ended, it was very late. Areum texted Namjoon not to barge in tonight because she had something in mind... Hoseok had walked with her to her front door. He rested his shoulder on her door frame as he said his last goodbyes. "It was nice seeing you tonight. We should do this again."

"Mhm." Areum really couldn't focus on whatever this man was saying. He pushed all th right buttons today and his deep voice only pushed them in deeper. He continued on "so I guess I'll see you mnhm-!"

She couldn't help herself. She took him by the collar and gave him a deep kiss. She never had sex before but she was a good kisser... well.. at least she thought so.

Hoseok moaned as his firm being hands grasped her waist, pulling her closer. "Mm what a naughty girl we have?" He slightly pushed her into her house. Closing the door behind them he kissed her against the wall. Their tongues waltzing inside one another's mouths.

His hands ran up her curves , eager to just slip underneath her dress. He felt her dirty moans vibrating in his lips. "I wanna remember this." He smirks as he picks her up. He placed her on her kitchen counter and grabbed her thighs, intensly staring her down. His manhood was already hard and quite frankly, he's been hard ever since the date

A similar stare as hw had before in the coffee shop but more intimidating. "I'm gonna fuck you until you can't walk anymore princess " his hands ran up her breast as his lips pranced around her neck finally sucking her sweet spot.

Kissing turned into stripping and Areum revealed to him a new black piece of lingerie, "mmyou were anticipating this?"

"Maybe.." areum giggled making hoseok laugh a little. She finally spoke again "but... I... never done anything like this before."

"Really?" Hoseok looked at her shocked

"Uh.. is that bad. I uhm-"

"No its just surprising. Your so beautiful..." He kissed her lips sweetly before continuing "if anytime you want me to stop or slow down." He kissed up her cheek "just say so baby. I'll go slow."

"Mhm" areum moaned.

Hoseok stopped and lookes into her eyes with a little chuckle "what did I say?"

"Hoseok.." Areum whines from his sudden stop.

"Come on Areum this is serious." He hummed and held her chin up so she could look directly in his eyes

"If I want you to stop... I just say so."

Hoseok nods and then touches her gently, throwing Areum way back.

He wanted to crack her code. She was more than what met the eye.. he just knew it. The night was fantastic towards both of them. They both wanted eachother. Areum wanting to have freedom like Hoseok and Hoseok wanted to do at least something right in his life like Areum but there was more to meet the eye in both of their lives...

As they gently carresed eachother in bed, taking care of eachother after their session they craved more.

There had to be more...

_

Authors note: and I definitely have more for this "series" if you're interested give me a shout out! The coming chapters will definitely be more detailed on the characters backstories and even more psychologically thrilling.

Hot boy car wash? Sign me up please

BUTTER - CONCEPT PHOTOS (ver. 3)

MORE AND MORE

Word count: 5k

Genre: Psychology, comedic,

summary: when two worlds collide. Opposite who want the other things. When they finally discover eachother they just want to unravel more.

Warning: bad words, mentions of cuts, mentions of glass shards, a little smut just a sprinkle!, heavy making out, cheating, bed squeaks, rushed dramatic backstories lol, uhhhh I think that's it but if there's more inform me through dm 😙

Her skin represents dripping golden honey and her round lips tinted a rose pink. She prances around the small colorful coffee shop in her white long sleeved dress and her golden locks bouncing up and down. "Bye Jimin" she kissed her beloved cheeks before she left.

Areum Bailey

A young adult trying to navigate her life in nyc. She lives by herself... well, with her cat, Mindy. She's been working at this Cafe ever since her auntie passed away taking the lead manager role. It was nice on some days. When the days were rainy and the crowd was calm and collective but on days like these, mid summer days, the cafe was bustling with people of all sorts. Buisness leads trying to rush the baristas, old ladies holding the lines up, and your typical Karens not getting what they want.

But there was one person that the cafe was well known too. A regular you could say.

Jung Hoseok

Everytime he walked in his presence was known. He towered everyone and his style was specific. Hard but casual. Just a plain black turtle neck that showed off his wonderful broad shoulders and black cargo pants and not to mention a peek of his tattoo. He walked up to the counter looking down at Areum.

They don't know eachother formally but they do have mutual friends

"Mister Jung." Areum smiled "what will you be having today?"

Hoseok answered almost automatically "the usual. Plain. black. coffee." He emphasized and set more than enough cash down revealing his sleeve and into her eyes. This always happens. He likes to keep eye contact even when it feels unnatural

"Keep the tip. Nice pearls." He stares at her neck for a second then leaves.

"Uh.. thank you." That was as awkward as ever.. she thought to herself.

He was the epitome of nonchalant, getting a genuine reaction out of him seemed impossible. Areum distributed the cash properly. She always wondered about him. "Plain black!" She shouted to the baristas. It was his usual. He never liked anything frilly or new. He always stuck with what he knew the best. Areum notes that he always came into her shop with nothing but some cash. He always stands up and waits for his coffee. It was like he was in a rush but he wasn't... something in the way he speak or the way he looks is odd.. like he was hiding something.

"For Jung Hoseok!" She hands the coffee to him and he gently bows taking the coffee from her hands. "Thank you"

With that he walks away, making Areum even more curious about his life but no, she cannot fawn over customers that's improper work behavior. One of her colleagues, Frey often spoke about him in a conversation thrt werr having. "I went to college with him... he's very handsome and was a great student but 3rd year he got kicked out for some reason..." She turns towards Areum "he commits to this coffee shop more than he ever did in school. I think he likes you."

Areum laughed a bit as she prepared to close down "Frey, first of all i have a boyfriend and i am not trying to be that girl. he literally comes in, orders like any other paying customer, then walks out. He doesn't like me and quite frankly I hope he doesnt." She scoffed.

Frey sighed, her colleague was also her good friend. She was a fashion student "come on Areum. He comes in, orders a plain black coffee that his ass could just make from home, them leaves to where ever the f he goes!" She laughed. "I'm pretty sure he's coming for a bootycall at this point."

"I'm good with my cats and my current boyfriend thank you." Areum rolled her eyes. "And I'm not gonna get with some college drop out."

"Eieie, you're so harsh. He was a good student but I forgot that you live by whatever the hell your parents say. Arent they the one who set you with you 'i can onlu see him once a week' boyfriend. Damn, do they even set up your bootycalls?"

"Can we stop talking about bootycalls in this warm kid friendly environment?" She ran her hand through her hair with a slight chuckle. "And no, I make my own decisions. Jimin and i... are very happy. He's very busy. Hes always on work trips and such" She mumbles the last part. A tiny part in her heart doubts that's true but Areum she has hope in this man... he's the best thing that's ever happened to her... right?

"Sure, whatever you say elmo." Frey ruffled Areums hair. She got her bag and prepared to leave "I'm just saying that you never know. Hoseok might just be right up your alley. Literally. I don't know much about him but the sexual tension oooo" She teased as she opened the door. Areum threw a empty bottle at her as she laughed and went along with her day.

The day went on and it was finally time for her to clock out and go home. Maybe catch up on some netflix. She drives home and unlocks the door to her own one story house. She was a stable women, with a stable check. Everything her parents ever wanted her to be. She had a good life and good friends but deep down inside she wanted to be living a different life.

She lied down on the couch and grabbed the remote, turning on dancing with the stars. When the show turned on she tossed the remote down and went to the bathroom.

She wanted to be one of them. One of the well known celebrities. She wanted her life to be fabricated. All the glitz and glam she really took care of herself to give the illusion.

Taking a makeup wipe she clears her face.

Even though she had everything she wanted... she wanted more. Like a girl that could never get satisfied. She needed something exciting in her life.. new... interesting. Something to keep her entertained

. "I went to college with him... he's very handsome and was a great student but 3rd year he got kicked out for some reason..."

The words echoed in her ear as she grabbed her face wash and squirted some on her hands. "Jung Hoseok..." She mumbles. Her mind stays on him.. what was he really like.

Jung hoseok..

She opened her computer screen and looked his name up. She couldn't help herself. She found a instagram page of him wearing a suit. It was set to private but the bio said "Secretary of Myrion Corporations"

Curse her lack to respect other people's privacy. Maybe Frey was right.

She looked up the company and apparently it was linked with her father's. A mining company. "What..." She didn't even know her dad had a partner until now. Not that she ever paid attention to her dad's buisness. She looked up the partnered ceo's name which apparently he had the same last name as Hoseok. "Yunho Jung..."

She quickly opened instagram up again and saw that his page wasn't private. "Partnered owner of Myrion Company..." She scrolled down and "bingo." She found a photo of Hoseok. He had a faint smile on his face as he shook hands with some important buisness people the caption said "glad my son is following in my footsteps." All his tattoos were covered

BANG BANG BANG

she hears amd quickly exits all of the tabs. "Who- who is it?" She stutters as she puts her computer away.

"It's your favorite! I came with pizza!" His voice booms. She could recognize his booming voice from miles away. The king of destruction. She opens the door "did you also come with the money you owed me for literally smashing my wall in?" She jested with a fake smile

"I was hoping the pizza would cover for that" he invited himself in. "What chu watching? Bad chics of Beverly Hills?"

She chuckled and helped Namjoon with the pizza. A genuine friend she cant deny. Shes known him since high school. "no, dDancing with the Stars. "

"Boring "

"I can't watch Beverly hills anymore because it rubs off on me! Last week when the mail man came I literally spilled all my junior high drama to him" she pulled a slice of pizza "then I got mad at him for not agreeing with me and then I apologized to him because I-"

"Damn fighting with the mail man, whatta low for you." He sung. Areum scoffs and throws a pillow at him as he laughed. "Frey told me about your new crush. "

Areum sinks in the couch, pretending not to hear him. Of course she did... "I always loved pineapple on my pizza"

"Don't get with him. He's bad news" Namjoon sighed and took a huge bite. Areum bites her lip trying to hold back her curiosity but his comment made it even more difficult. "What do you mean..."

"Drugs, cheating, stealing, whatever you can think of this man has probably done it"

"Whaat?" She turns to him "no way! He can't be associated with any of those things. He's working under-" oops, her tongue slipped.

"Don't even act surprised that you can't hold a secret either. I know you looked him up. There were rumors going on about him. Him and I went to the same college. He got kicked out cause he was dealing drugs." He licks his fingers "and besides every day of the week he's with every other girl you could possibly imagine. You don't want him."

"Yeah i dont... I was just curious.. but aren't those just rumors? I saw his Instagram page and it looked professional"

"That was a font baby" he chuckled "you're better off with your part time boyfriend. Hand me the remote I wanna watch the last of us!"

"Here." She ponders on what he has said and looked at the time. Her eyes widened as she read '1:01' she had work the next morning and so did Namjoon. "Namjoon why are you even here!"

"Rents due."

-

The next morning was nice. It was the onset of fall and fall break for most young kids. So the cafe wasn't that busy. She set the mood of the cafe putting some lofi music on and welcomed her employees. The day was nice. Nobody called out and everything seemed to be unproblematic until her usual customer stumbled in.

This time besides his cargo pants he was in something more professional. A white button down that revealed a tiny part of his toned chest and grey slacks. Probably because of his new promotion. Everyone fawned over him today. Today was different though... somebody was alongside his hip.

A woman with her hair up in a bun. She wore a mini black flowy dress with business heels and lucky for Areum she knew exactly who this middle aged women was.

"Emma?"

Emma smiled at her "long time no see." Emma was the favorite in her dad's company. She held a much higher authority than Areum will ever. She has her PHD in buisness and yes she was an older girl. In her late 30s which made Areum even more curious why the hell Hoseok would choose her out of everyone

No

No

No

She will not get involved. "Long time no see to you." She smiled. Emma excused herself to use the bathroom as Hoseok just stares at her waiting for her to say something. Areum sighed "your usual?"

"Mhm." Was his response but this time he whipped out his card.

"I didn't know you knew Emma." Areum tried to crack the awkwardness flowing around the air. It was almost painful to her. "Well what do I know huh" she chuckled.

Hoseok remained silent for a bit "you didnt?"

"..." what was that supposed to mean? Of course she didn't. "Of course not." She chuckled "you're just my customer, how would I know."

Chill Areum it's not a huge deal she thought.

He sighed and put his card back into his wallet "you know. If you wanted to know me you could've asked."

"what."

Emma then returns. "Oo! And this" She adds a cake pop to the table "I'll be in the car honey." And then walks away.

Areum waits until she walked away to clear her throat "well mister jung... it's hard to not be curious when a customer walks into your store everyday and orders nothing but a black coffee."

"Whats wrong with black coffee?"

She was thrown off and hoseok just smirks. "If you are that curious about me Areum I'd rather you not stalk my page." He pays for the cake pop. She was out of words because he was right but at the same time it was so embarrassing to get confronted about it. "How did you even know.."

"Spygirl360? You couldn't of made things less obvious. Your number is linked with your account so it shows you. I'm sure that like on my dad's buisness promotion post was an accident eh?"

Areum was silent, twiddling her fingers. He caught her. Now she's wishing he'd just leave "look, would you stop taunting me about it i understand that you're mad.. I'm s-"

"I never said I was mad. Here."

"Whats this?"

"My number. Call me sometimes.. with that he walked away like nothing ever happened. Damn you Hoseok.

-

The days are long and hard. Ever since the encounter with Hoseok he hasn't been coming into her coffee shop anymore. She felt like Joe Goldberg and even her boyfriend couldn't fill her empty void of curiosity but on the bright side it was their week together finally. Areum was at the store picking out only the freshest wine. She didn't reach out to Hoseok because why would she. She had a wonderful boyfriend. Jimin

She knew him every since they were kids and once they were of age both their parents set them up together. Because they were destined. The agreement was to get married by 30 and they'd have a set life with sufficient funds supported by each of their families. They weren't 30 yet but it was fastly approaching. Jimin came from a rich family. Much richer than Areum's. Some days it felt like they didn't agree among anything. His opinions were always one sided, he was always right but other days of was as if he was the happiest man on earth able to give her anything except sexual intimacy. They both never felt that way towards each other but tonight

Tonight Areum hoped to change that. She wanted to get rid of that void in her stomach. She wanted to try something exciting for the first time in her life so she wanted to take Freys advice to get laid. She threw on her red fenty under her short white dress. Jimin was supposedly already at her house just waiting on her.

"Long time no see." A deep voice approached behind her

Oh no, it was him. The man she's been trying to keep out of her head the entire time. She looked at him "hi."

"Why are you dressed so fancy today?" He walked closer to her "and where are your pearls?" Very close to her and reached for the whiskey above her. She blushed and finally stuttered out "i-I have a date actually!"

Hoseok let out a small laugh "oh?"

"Mhm!" For some reason she felt the urge to somewhat prove to him that she isn't some girl who stalks people all day and reads smut. No! She's definitely not.

"Well if you're looking to get laid that's not gonna get the job done." He took the alcohol put of her hand.

"Yah!" She whined "I'm not... I'm.. we're just gonna chill?"

"Well your fuck me dress says otherwise."

"Excuse me?"

"Look if you're looking to get laid miss innocent I prefer you buy this one." He hands her a bottle of rum. "Mix it in some orange juice if you can't handle your alcohol." Areum takes the bottle from his hands in disbelief how blunt he was... he wasn't wrong.

"Bye miss Bailey." With that he was on his way. Areum shakes her head from her recent encounter then goes to grab a bottle of orange juice. "Screw you Jung Hoseok." How did he even know her last name?

Once she makes it home she heard squeaking of some sort. "What the..." maybe a fossit is broken or something? "Jimin?" She shouts. She sets her bags down and walks closer to the room. "Jimin!?"

The sound became more clear. A horrible melancholy of his moans mixed with some other girls. "What the hell!" She pulls the sheets up and what she saw shocked the living hell out of her

"FREY?"

That night was a blur. Yelling things out that she didn't even know she had in her mind. As if she turned into a whole nother being. Saying things she'd never say. She threw stuff around her house as her eyes flooded with tears. Her body was on auto pilot but her emotions were on a high. All for a bunch of "how could you" ,"I thought you loved me" , all for Jimin to say it was all a font and Frey to quietly get her stuff and leave. It was too much to take in

That night Areum sat on her living room floor, surrounded by glass thinking this was never what she wanted. What Jimin said "all of it was fake. We never loved eachother. " was true but Areum didn't want to believe that. It wasn't supposed to turn out this was. That night she had drowned herself in whiskey and picked up her phone

She had called Hoseok because why the not? There was a silence before he spoke "Areum?"

"Hey! Wanna come over?" Her words slurred.

On the other end Hoseok had just gotten out of bed. He was just in grey joggers and nothing else and when he heard Areums voice he knew automatically something was wrong. She spoke again "I wanna know more about! Ow!" She shouts then giggles. Hoseok sighed and rubs his eyes. "Areum... send me your address."

When he finally arrived he could see Areum with multiple cuts along her thighs. Her dress was rolled up and it seemed that the glass shards on the floor graced her smooth legs. He quickly picks up Areum from the floor. Her drunken state couldn't feel the pain, she just giggled when she saw Hoseok. "Mister Jung is here."

He sat her on the bed. "Areum look at me." He held her droopy face and paid attention to her to see if she was alright. Areum just laughs "no man has ever held me like that...:

He lets her face go gently and gets a first aid kit she had in the bathroom. He's been in this situation one too many times to know what to do. He sits on the bed and places Areums legs in his thighs. Taking his time time to treat them efficiently. She gasps at the alcohol stinging her skin but blushes at the proximity he was to her.

She had pretty thighs but it pained him to see the cuts on them. He knew her

Areum Bailey, 23, her father always talks about how good she is and how excellent she is at owning her small cafe alongside her supporting now ex boyfriend, Jimin. He follows her recent posts on instagram and he even knew her before she even opened the shop. He always saw her at Myrion. Always admired how outgoing she was, her smile, and her cute little mistakes. A girl who was the definition of successful in her parents eyes. Something Hoseok could never be but he knew there was a part in her that wasn't so innocent and he wanted to dimish her disguise so badly, tear her down, and see what she's hiding

But she didn't deserve that. Not by him. That's what he thought until he saw her in this state. He always visited her cafe to support her cause he has always admired her. He was just not good with his words.

"So I heard you were a bad boy!" She blurts. "Like a drug dealer ! How exciting! " hoseok looked at her, all his thoughts stopped. "I've always wanted to do something naughty"

"Im sure youve heard a lot of things aboht me." He finishes bandaging her legs "and you miss perfect." He gently pinned her down to the bed. Both of her wrist trapped with his hands "what are you hiding?" With that he took his things and left her in bed.

"I..." She could feel herself slowly drifting off in a haze.

-

Areum woke up the next morning with a major headache. She groans loudly and helps herself up. She simply couldn't remember anything that happened last night... why was her room so trashed. She lifted all the thick covers from her body. "What the?" Why were her legs wrapped in white bandages. She carefully got out of bed and looked around. Her door was closed. She looked in her bathroom mirror to see her makeup smudged and her hair a mess. "Yikes... goddamm did I fight a bear or something?" She turns the shower on and freshens up, letting the hot droplets of water cleanse her skin.

Once she goes in front of the mirror she trues to recollect what happened to her that night. She picks her makeup up and fixes herself. Molding herself into an acceptable image. She looks at herself one last time before going to her dresser. She didn't have work today so she opted for just a oversized black t shirt. She took her dress off in front of her vanity just to be revealed with some very...very. revealing lingerie. Then it hits her.

"Areum?" Her door slides open. It was Hoseok, she quickly covers herself and blurts "did we do anything!"

Hoseok eyes her body. Even though she tried to cover herself up her vanity reveals her backside which Areum is quick to notice. "H-Hoseok!" Hoseok laughed a bit and closed the door, not answering her question.

"Oh my god ,oh my god ,oh my god." She repeats as she quickly takes her lingerie off and changes her clothes. She pulled on some pajama pants and quickly made her way to Hoseok. He was on his way out. "Nuh uh!" She blocks the door. "What the hell happened last night!"

"I dunno princess you tell me." he hummed

She looked at him "no.. no we.." and then she looked around the house. "I broke up with Jimin.."

"Mhm."

"But why are you here. And why was I" her hands swiftly went to her head. She groans as banging pain inflamed. "Whats going on." She whined.

Hoseok sighed as he looked at the time. It was time for hom to go to his job, his father, forced him into working. It wasn't like he wanted that promotion. That time he was promoted his father found out he was dealing drugs in college. Something that he's ashamed of ever since but he did it because he needed the money and he'd do it again in a heart beat.

He was everything his father never wanted...

He sighed as he took Areum by the shoulders leading her to her couch. He picked up most of the glass that night but he fell asleep to finish. He needed to stay and make sure she was alright.

"Sit down." He gets her a glass of water and some pills " look. I don't know what happened all that well but you called me and yoh were flat out drunk I'm guessing because you broke up with Jimin and you didn't mix your alcohol." He sighed.

"And I called you." Everything is slowly hitting her. She remembers what she told him that night and she could feel her heart going down to her stomach. "I'm so sorry." She runs her hands threw her hair and throws her head back on the couch.

"For what?" Hoseok stared at her "all you did was call me a drug dealer. "

"Augh." She drags as she fakes a bang on her head. "I'm sorry for that too! I." She finally gets the courage to look at him. "Look. I've just always been curious about you.. and I've heard things... I was just too scared to ask."

He looks into her eyes, he could tell she was speaking from her heart. "If you must know." He fixes Areums hair "I was dealing at a time in my life. My biological mother needed surgery and my father denied to supply. So I had too."

Areum listened intendly and Hoseok chuckled a bit "everything you heard about me was probably true. I'm not your perfect suit and tie guy." His eyes drift her her lips and defined collarbone. "The only reason I accepted that damn job was because of my mom. Her dying wish was for me to accept it. After all that she still died."

Areum heard him, she really did. He wasn't afraid to go against anyone, even though it was a bad choice it was his. He had his profound own freedom and achieved his own things... even though his ways were twisted but everytime he let out a small laugh she could feel her heart beating a mile a minute. She could feel his eyes mentally undressing her and even when it was silent it wasnt..

"But you. You are little miss innocent right?" He teased "you've never done anything that goes against what your parents say. Always in the modest outfits, cleanest makeup, even the way you speak is proficient"

"I..." Areum sighed, she didn't know of that was a compliment or. She could feel her cheeks getting red again. She hasn't experienced her own life yet.

"It's cute..." He kept caressing her face and lifted her chin. Yes, she still had an agonizing headache but it was as if everything stopped. "I'm guessing you called me because you wanted to change that?"

She was speechless but Hoseok was doing all the speaking for her "thats why I'm here... right princess?"

She meekly nodded her head, a part of her feeling guilty to admitting something she denied to heavily before.

"I will... but for right now I need you to rest." He picks her up and places her in bed. "Goodnight Areum."

That day over. Hoseok left but now she's waiting for him in a flowey lilac dress at a fancy rooftop restaurant she picked out. She really wanted to impress him today. She didn't see him at the shop so her anticipation to see him today was super high. Whenever she saw him it was as if she had a freedom. She chose him.. not anyone else. She did.

He finally shows up wearing a loose white button down and dress pants. "What a fancy place." He looks down at Areum and raises a brow.

As they sat it was silent. A lot of small talk as if they were just... buisness partners. Areum sipped her red wine.. maybe this wasn't gonna work. She couldn't think of a single word to say to him. Hoseok laughed a bit and got up. She finally spoke "are you leaving?"

"You clearly don't have good taste in restaurants so yeah." He extended his hand to her. "Lets go. I know a place not far from here."

She smiles as she took his hand. The elevator door opened for them and they were the only two going down. "I like your pearls." Hoseok complimented.

"Th-thank you." She gets the courage to compliment him back "I like your uh.. jawline."

There was a silence and they both laughed. The rest of the night was better.

Turned out the lady with a PhD owned a small cafe down the street that Hoseok helps out with. The waitress hands them their menus. Hoseok sits right by Areum, thigh on thigh as he points out to his favorites in the menu. He was very animated but not unnatural. She really loved getting to know him. His hands touched her as he leaned closer. "Yahhh." She blushed and giggles feeling his breath on her neck.

"You're such a hopeless romantic." He teased her more.

The night went on and they just visited local shops. Areum bought stupid souvenirs the small town had to offer. "Look! Imma a potato! Im your potato!" She turned to Hoseok with a potato hat and Hoseok smiled at the cashier a little embarrassed she had said it so loudly. "Okay Areum, let's go."

The night ended, it was very late. Areum texted Namjoon not to barge in tonight because she had something in mind... Hoseok had walked with her to her front door. He rested his shoulder on her door frame as he said his last goodbyes. "It was nice seeing you tonight. We should do this again."

"Mhm." Areum really couldn't focus on whatever this man was saying. He pushed all th right buttons today and his deep voice only pushed them in deeper. He continued on "so I guess I'll see you mnhm-!"

She couldn't help herself. She took him by the collar and gave him a deep kiss. She never had sex before but she was a good kisser... well.. at least she thought so.

Hoseok moaned as his firm being hands grasped her waist, pulling her closer. "Mm what a naughty girl we have?" He slightly pushed her into her house. Closing the door behind them he kissed her against the wall. Their tongues waltzing inside one another's mouths.

His hands ran up her curves , eager to just slip underneath her dress. He felt her dirty moans vibrating in his lips. "I wanna remember this." He smirks as he picks her up. He placed her on her kitchen counter and grabbed her thighs, intensly staring her down. His manhood was already hard and quite frankly, he's been hard ever since the date

A similar stare as hw had before in the coffee shop but more intimidating. "I'm gonna fuck you until you can't walk anymore princess " his hands ran up her breast as his lips pranced around her neck finally sucking her sweet spot.

Kissing turned into stripping and Areum revealed to him a new black piece of lingerie, "mmyou were anticipating this?"

"Maybe.." areum giggled making hoseok laugh a little. She finally spoke again "but... I... never done anything like this before."

"Really?" Hoseok looked at her shocked

"Uh.. is that bad. I uhm-"

"No its just surprising. Your so beautiful..." He kissed her lips sweetly before continuing "if anytime you want me to stop or slow down." He kissed up her cheek "just say so baby. I'll go slow."

"Mhm" areum moaned.

Hoseok stopped and lookes into her eyes with a little chuckle "what did I say?"

"Hoseok.." Areum whines from his sudden stop.

"Come on Areum this is serious." He hummed and held her chin up so she could look directly in his eyes

"If I want you to stop... I just say so."

Hoseok nods and then touches her gently, throwing Areum way back.

He wanted to crack her code. She was more than what met the eye.. he just knew it. The night was fantastic towards both of them. They both wanted eachother. Areum wanting to have freedom like Hoseok and Hoseok wanted to do at least something right in his life like Areum but there was more to meet the eye in both of their lives...

As they gently carresed eachother in bed, taking care of eachother after their session they craved more.

There had to be more...

_

Authors note: and I definitely have more for this "series" if you're interested give me a shout out! The coming chapters will definitely be more detailed on the characters backstories and even more psychologically thrilling.

MORE AND MORE

Word count: 5k

Genre: Psychology, comedic,

summary: when two worlds collide. Opposite who want the other things. When they finally discover eachother they just want to unravel more.

Warning: bad words, mentions of cuts, mentions of glass shards, a little smut just a sprinkle!, heavy making out, cheating, bed squeaks, rushed dramatic backstories lol, uhhhh I think that's it but if there's more inform me through dm 😙

Her skin represents dripping golden honey and her round lips tinted a rose pink. She prances around the small colorful coffee shop in her white long sleeved dress and her golden locks bouncing up and down. "Bye Jimin" she kissed her beloved cheeks before she left.

Areum Bailey

A young adult trying to navigate her life in nyc. She lives by herself... well, with her cat, Mindy. She's been working at this Cafe ever since her auntie passed away taking the lead manager role. It was nice on some days. When the days were rainy and the crowd was calm and collective but on days like these, mid summer days, the cafe was bustling with people of all sorts. Buisness leads trying to rush the baristas, old ladies holding the lines up, and your typical Karens not getting what they want.

But there was one person that the cafe was well known too. A regular you could say.

Jung Hoseok

Everytime he walked in his presence was known. He towered everyone and his style was specific. Hard but casual. Just a plain black turtle neck that showed off his wonderful broad shoulders and black cargo pants and not to mention a peek of his tattoo. He walked up to the counter looking down at Areum.

They don't know eachother formally but they do have mutual friends

"Mister Jung." Areum smiled "what will you be having today?"

Hoseok answered almost automatically "the usual. Plain. black. coffee." He emphasized and set more than enough cash down revealing his sleeve and into her eyes. This always happens. He likes to keep eye contact even when it feels unnatural

"Keep the tip. Nice pearls." He stares at her neck for a second then leaves.

"Uh.. thank you." That was as awkward as ever.. she thought to herself.

He was the epitome of nonchalant, getting a genuine reaction out of him seemed impossible. Areum distributed the cash properly. She always wondered about him. "Plain black!" She shouted to the baristas. It was his usual. He never liked anything frilly or new. He always stuck with what he knew the best. Areum notes that he always came into her shop with nothing but some cash. He always stands up and waits for his coffee. It was like he was in a rush but he wasn't... something in the way he speak or the way he looks is odd.. like he was hiding something.

"For Jung Hoseok!" She hands the coffee to him and he gently bows taking the coffee from her hands. "Thank you"

With that he walks away, making Areum even more curious about his life but no, she cannot fawn over customers that's improper work behavior. One of her colleagues, Frey often spoke about him in a conversation thrt werr having. "I went to college with him... he's very handsome and was a great student but 3rd year he got kicked out for some reason..." She turns towards Areum "he commits to this coffee shop more than he ever did in school. I think he likes you."

Areum laughed a bit as she prepared to close down "Frey, first of all i have a boyfriend and i am not trying to be that girl. he literally comes in, orders like any other paying customer, then walks out. He doesn't like me and quite frankly I hope he doesnt." She scoffed.

Frey sighed, her colleague was also her good friend. She was a fashion student "come on Areum. He comes in, orders a plain black coffee that his ass could just make from home, them leaves to where ever the f he goes!" She laughed. "I'm pretty sure he's coming for a bootycall at this point."

"I'm good with my cats and my current boyfriend thank you." Areum rolled her eyes. "And I'm not gonna get with some college drop out."

"Eieie, you're so harsh. He was a good student but I forgot that you live by whatever the hell your parents say. Arent they the one who set you with you 'i can onlu see him once a week' boyfriend. Damn, do they even set up your bootycalls?"

"Can we stop talking about bootycalls in this warm kid friendly environment?" She ran her hand through her hair with a slight chuckle. "And no, I make my own decisions. Jimin and i... are very happy. He's very busy. Hes always on work trips and such" She mumbles the last part. A tiny part in her heart doubts that's true but Areum she has hope in this man... he's the best thing that's ever happened to her... right?

"Sure, whatever you say elmo." Frey ruffled Areums hair. She got her bag and prepared to leave "I'm just saying that you never know. Hoseok might just be right up your alley. Literally. I don't know much about him but the sexual tension oooo" She teased as she opened the door. Areum threw a empty bottle at her as she laughed and went along with her day.

The day went on and it was finally time for her to clock out and go home. Maybe catch up on some netflix. She drives home and unlocks the door to her own one story house. She was a stable women, with a stable check. Everything her parents ever wanted her to be. She had a good life and good friends but deep down inside she wanted to be living a different life.

She lied down on the couch and grabbed the remote, turning on dancing with the stars. When the show turned on she tossed the remote down and went to the bathroom.

She wanted to be one of them. One of the well known celebrities. She wanted her life to be fabricated. All the glitz and glam she really took care of herself to give the illusion.

Taking a makeup wipe she clears her face.

Even though she had everything she wanted... she wanted more. Like a girl that could never get satisfied. She needed something exciting in her life.. new... interesting. Something to keep her entertained

. "I went to college with him... he's very handsome and was a great student but 3rd year he got kicked out for some reason..."

The words echoed in her ear as she grabbed her face wash and squirted some on her hands. "Jung Hoseok..." She mumbles. Her mind stays on him.. what was he really like.

Jung hoseok..

She opened her computer screen and looked his name up. She couldn't help herself. She found a instagram page of him wearing a suit. It was set to private but the bio said "Secretary of Myrion Corporations"

Curse her lack to respect other people's privacy. Maybe Frey was right.

She looked up the company and apparently it was linked with her father's. A mining company. "What..." She didn't even know her dad had a partner until now. Not that she ever paid attention to her dad's buisness. She looked up the partnered ceo's name which apparently he had the same last name as Hoseok. "Yunho Jung..."

She quickly opened instagram up again and saw that his page wasn't private. "Partnered owner of Myrion Company..." She scrolled down and "bingo." She found a photo of Hoseok. He had a faint smile on his face as he shook hands with some important buisness people the caption said "glad my son is following in my footsteps." All his tattoos were covered

BANG BANG BANG

she hears amd quickly exits all of the tabs. "Who- who is it?" She stutters as she puts her computer away.

"It's your favorite! I came with pizza!" His voice booms. She could recognize his booming voice from miles away. The king of destruction. She opens the door "did you also come with the money you owed me for literally smashing my wall in?" She jested with a fake smile

"I was hoping the pizza would cover for that" he invited himself in. "What chu watching? Bad chics of Beverly Hills?"

She chuckled and helped Namjoon with the pizza. A genuine friend she cant deny. Shes known him since high school. "no, dDancing with the Stars. "

"Boring "

"I can't watch Beverly hills anymore because it rubs off on me! Last week when the mail man came I literally spilled all my junior high drama to him" she pulled a slice of pizza "then I got mad at him for not agreeing with me and then I apologized to him because I-"

"Damn fighting with the mail man, whatta low for you." He sung. Areum scoffs and throws a pillow at him as he laughed. "Frey told me about your new crush. "

Areum sinks in the couch, pretending not to hear him. Of course she did... "I always loved pineapple on my pizza"

"Don't get with him. He's bad news" Namjoon sighed and took a huge bite. Areum bites her lip trying to hold back her curiosity but his comment made it even more difficult. "What do you mean..."

"Drugs, cheating, stealing, whatever you can think of this man has probably done it"

"Whaat?" She turns to him "no way! He can't be associated with any of those things. He's working under-" oops, her tongue slipped.

"Don't even act surprised that you can't hold a secret either. I know you looked him up. There were rumors going on about him. Him and I went to the same college. He got kicked out cause he was dealing drugs." He licks his fingers "and besides every day of the week he's with every other girl you could possibly imagine. You don't want him."

"Yeah i dont... I was just curious.. but aren't those just rumors? I saw his Instagram page and it looked professional"

"That was a font baby" he chuckled "you're better off with your part time boyfriend. Hand me the remote I wanna watch the last of us!"

"Here." She ponders on what he has said and looked at the time. Her eyes widened as she read '1:01' she had work the next morning and so did Namjoon. "Namjoon why are you even here!"

"Rents due."

-

The next morning was nice. It was the onset of fall and fall break for most young kids. So the cafe wasn't that busy. She set the mood of the cafe putting some lofi music on and welcomed her employees. The day was nice. Nobody called out and everything seemed to be unproblematic until her usual customer stumbled in.

This time besides his cargo pants he was in something more professional. A white button down that revealed a tiny part of his toned chest and grey slacks. Probably because of his new promotion. Everyone fawned over him today. Today was different though... somebody was alongside his hip.

A woman with her hair up in a bun. She wore a mini black flowy dress with business heels and lucky for Areum she knew exactly who this middle aged women was.

"Emma?"

Emma smiled at her "long time no see." Emma was the favorite in her dad's company. She held a much higher authority than Areum will ever. She has her PHD in buisness and yes she was an older girl. In her late 30s which made Areum even more curious why the hell Hoseok would choose her out of everyone

No

No

No

She will not get involved. "Long time no see to you." She smiled. Emma excused herself to use the bathroom as Hoseok just stares at her waiting for her to say something. Areum sighed "your usual?"

"Mhm." Was his response but this time he whipped out his card.

"I didn't know you knew Emma." Areum tried to crack the awkwardness flowing around the air. It was almost painful to her. "Well what do I know huh" she chuckled.

Hoseok remained silent for a bit "you didnt?"

"..." what was that supposed to mean? Of course she didn't. "Of course not." She chuckled "you're just my customer, how would I know."

Chill Areum it's not a huge deal she thought.

He sighed and put his card back into his wallet "you know. If you wanted to know me you could've asked."

"what."

Emma then returns. "Oo! And this" She adds a cake pop to the table "I'll be in the car honey." And then walks away.

Areum waits until she walked away to clear her throat "well mister jung... it's hard to not be curious when a customer walks into your store everyday and orders nothing but a black coffee."

"Whats wrong with black coffee?"

She was thrown off and hoseok just smirks. "If you are that curious about me Areum I'd rather you not stalk my page." He pays for the cake pop. She was out of words because he was right but at the same time it was so embarrassing to get confronted about it. "How did you even know.."

"Spygirl360? You couldn't of made things less obvious. Your number is linked with your account so it shows you. I'm sure that like on my dad's buisness promotion post was an accident eh?"

Areum was silent, twiddling her fingers. He caught her. Now she's wishing he'd just leave "look, would you stop taunting me about it i understand that you're mad.. I'm s-"

"I never said I was mad. Here."

"Whats this?"

"My number. Call me sometimes.. with that he walked away like nothing ever happened. Damn you Hoseok.

-

The days are long and hard. Ever since the encounter with Hoseok he hasn't been coming into her coffee shop anymore. She felt like Joe Goldberg and even her boyfriend couldn't fill her empty void of curiosity but on the bright side it was their week together finally. Areum was at the store picking out only the freshest wine. She didn't reach out to Hoseok because why would she. She had a wonderful boyfriend. Jimin

She knew him every since they were kids and once they were of age both their parents set them up together. Because they were destined. The agreement was to get married by 30 and they'd have a set life with sufficient funds supported by each of their families. They weren't 30 yet but it was fastly approaching. Jimin came from a rich family. Much richer than Areum's. Some days it felt like they didn't agree among anything. His opinions were always one sided, he was always right but other days of was as if he was the happiest man on earth able to give her anything except sexual intimacy. They both never felt that way towards each other but tonight

Tonight Areum hoped to change that. She wanted to get rid of that void in her stomach. She wanted to try something exciting for the first time in her life so she wanted to take Freys advice to get laid. She threw on her red fenty under her short white dress. Jimin was supposedly already at her house just waiting on her.

"Long time no see." A deep voice approached behind her

Oh no, it was him. The man she's been trying to keep out of her head the entire time. She looked at him "hi."

"Why are you dressed so fancy today?" He walked closer to her "and where are your pearls?" Very close to her and reached for the whiskey above her. She blushed and finally stuttered out "i-I have a date actually!"

Hoseok let out a small laugh "oh?"

"Mhm!" For some reason she felt the urge to somewhat prove to him that she isn't some girl who stalks people all day and reads smut. No! She's definitely not.

"Well if you're looking to get laid that's not gonna get the job done." He took the alcohol put of her hand.

"Yah!" She whined "I'm not... I'm.. we're just gonna chill?"

"Well your fuck me dress says otherwise."

"Excuse me?"

"Look if you're looking to get laid miss innocent I prefer you buy this one." He hands her a bottle of rum. "Mix it in some orange juice if you can't handle your alcohol." Areum takes the bottle from his hands in disbelief how blunt he was... he wasn't wrong.

"Bye miss Bailey." With that he was on his way. Areum shakes her head from her recent encounter then goes to grab a bottle of orange juice. "Screw you Jung Hoseok." How did he even know her last name?

Once she makes it home she heard squeaking of some sort. "What the..." maybe a fossit is broken or something? "Jimin?" She shouts. She sets her bags down and walks closer to the room. "Jimin!?"

The sound became more clear. A horrible melancholy of his moans mixed with some other girls. "What the hell!" She pulls the sheets up and what she saw shocked the living hell out of her

"FREY?"

That night was a blur. Yelling things out that she didn't even know she had in her mind. As if she turned into a whole nother being. Saying things she'd never say. She threw stuff around her house as her eyes flooded with tears. Her body was on auto pilot but her emotions were on a high. All for a bunch of "how could you" ,"I thought you loved me" , all for Jimin to say it was all a font and Frey to quietly get her stuff and leave. It was too much to take in

That night Areum sat on her living room floor, surrounded by glass thinking this was never what she wanted. What Jimin said "all of it was fake. We never loved eachother. " was true but Areum didn't want to believe that. It wasn't supposed to turn out this was. That night she had drowned herself in whiskey and picked up her phone

She had called Hoseok because why the not? There was a silence before he spoke "Areum?"

"Hey! Wanna come over?" Her words slurred.

On the other end Hoseok had just gotten out of bed. He was just in grey joggers and nothing else and when he heard Areums voice he knew automatically something was wrong. She spoke again "I wanna know more about! Ow!" She shouts then giggles. Hoseok sighed and rubs his eyes. "Areum... send me your address."

When he finally arrived he could see Areum with multiple cuts along her thighs. Her dress was rolled up and it seemed that the glass shards on the floor graced her smooth legs. He quickly picks up Areum from the floor. Her drunken state couldn't feel the pain, she just giggled when she saw Hoseok. "Mister Jung is here."

He sat her on the bed. "Areum look at me." He held her droopy face and paid attention to her to see if she was alright. Areum just laughs "no man has ever held me like that...:

He lets her face go gently and gets a first aid kit she had in the bathroom. He's been in this situation one too many times to know what to do. He sits on the bed and places Areums legs in his thighs. Taking his time time to treat them efficiently. She gasps at the alcohol stinging her skin but blushes at the proximity he was to her.

She had pretty thighs but it pained him to see the cuts on them. He knew her

Areum Bailey, 23, her father always talks about how good she is and how excellent she is at owning her small cafe alongside her supporting now ex boyfriend, Jimin. He follows her recent posts on instagram and he even knew her before she even opened the shop. He always saw her at Myrion. Always admired how outgoing she was, her smile, and her cute little mistakes. A girl who was the definition of successful in her parents eyes. Something Hoseok could never be but he knew there was a part in her that wasn't so innocent and he wanted to dimish her disguise so badly, tear her down, and see what she's hiding

But she didn't deserve that. Not by him. That's what he thought until he saw her in this state. He always visited her cafe to support her cause he has always admired her. He was just not good with his words.

"So I heard you were a bad boy!" She blurts. "Like a drug dealer ! How exciting! " hoseok looked at her, all his thoughts stopped. "I've always wanted to do something naughty"

"Im sure youve heard a lot of things aboht me." He finishes bandaging her legs "and you miss perfect." He gently pinned her down to the bed. Both of her wrist trapped with his hands "what are you hiding?" With that he took his things and left her in bed.

"I..." She could feel herself slowly drifting off in a haze.

-

Areum woke up the next morning with a major headache. She groans loudly and helps herself up. She simply couldn't remember anything that happened last night... why was her room so trashed. She lifted all the thick covers from her body. "What the?" Why were her legs wrapped in white bandages. She carefully got out of bed and looked around. Her door was closed. She looked in her bathroom mirror to see her makeup smudged and her hair a mess. "Yikes... goddamm did I fight a bear or something?" She turns the shower on and freshens up, letting the hot droplets of water cleanse her skin.

Once she goes in front of the mirror she trues to recollect what happened to her that night. She picks her makeup up and fixes herself. Molding herself into an acceptable image. She looks at herself one last time before going to her dresser. She didn't have work today so she opted for just a oversized black t shirt. She took her dress off in front of her vanity just to be revealed with some very...very. revealing lingerie. Then it hits her.

"Areum?" Her door slides open. It was Hoseok, she quickly covers herself and blurts "did we do anything!"

Hoseok eyes her body. Even though she tried to cover herself up her vanity reveals her backside which Areum is quick to notice. "H-Hoseok!" Hoseok laughed a bit and closed the door, not answering her question.

"Oh my god ,oh my god ,oh my god." She repeats as she quickly takes her lingerie off and changes her clothes. She pulled on some pajama pants and quickly made her way to Hoseok. He was on his way out. "Nuh uh!" She blocks the door. "What the hell happened last night!"

"I dunno princess you tell me." he hummed

She looked at him "no.. no we.." and then she looked around the house. "I broke up with Jimin.."

"Mhm."

"But why are you here. And why was I" her hands swiftly went to her head. She groans as banging pain inflamed. "Whats going on." She whined.

Hoseok sighed as he looked at the time. It was time for hom to go to his job, his father, forced him into working. It wasn't like he wanted that promotion. That time he was promoted his father found out he was dealing drugs in college. Something that he's ashamed of ever since but he did it because he needed the money and he'd do it again in a heart beat.

He was everything his father never wanted...

He sighed as he took Areum by the shoulders leading her to her couch. He picked up most of the glass that night but he fell asleep to finish. He needed to stay and make sure she was alright.

"Sit down." He gets her a glass of water and some pills " look. I don't know what happened all that well but you called me and yoh were flat out drunk I'm guessing because you broke up with Jimin and you didn't mix your alcohol." He sighed.

"And I called you." Everything is slowly hitting her. She remembers what she told him that night and she could feel her heart going down to her stomach. "I'm so sorry." She runs her hands threw her hair and throws her head back on the couch.

"For what?" Hoseok stared at her "all you did was call me a drug dealer. "

"Augh." She drags as she fakes a bang on her head. "I'm sorry for that too! I." She finally gets the courage to look at him. "Look. I've just always been curious about you.. and I've heard things... I was just too scared to ask."

He looks into her eyes, he could tell she was speaking from her heart. "If you must know." He fixes Areums hair "I was dealing at a time in my life. My biological mother needed surgery and my father denied to supply. So I had too."

Areum listened intendly and Hoseok chuckled a bit "everything you heard about me was probably true. I'm not your perfect suit and tie guy." His eyes drift her her lips and defined collarbone. "The only reason I accepted that damn job was because of my mom. Her dying wish was for me to accept it. After all that she still died."

Areum heard him, she really did. He wasn't afraid to go against anyone, even though it was a bad choice it was his. He had his profound own freedom and achieved his own things... even though his ways were twisted but everytime he let out a small laugh she could feel her heart beating a mile a minute. She could feel his eyes mentally undressing her and even when it was silent it wasnt..

"But you. You are little miss innocent right?" He teased "you've never done anything that goes against what your parents say. Always in the modest outfits, cleanest makeup, even the way you speak is proficient"

"I..." Areum sighed, she didn't know of that was a compliment or. She could feel her cheeks getting red again. She hasn't experienced her own life yet.

"It's cute..." He kept caressing her face and lifted her chin. Yes, she still had an agonizing headache but it was as if everything stopped. "I'm guessing you called me because you wanted to change that?"

She was speechless but Hoseok was doing all the speaking for her "thats why I'm here... right princess?"

She meekly nodded her head, a part of her feeling guilty to admitting something she denied to heavily before.

"I will... but for right now I need you to rest." He picks her up and places her in bed. "Goodnight Areum."

That day over. Hoseok left but now she's waiting for him in a flowey lilac dress at a fancy rooftop restaurant she picked out. She really wanted to impress him today. She didn't see him at the shop so her anticipation to see him today was super high. Whenever she saw him it was as if she had a freedom. She chose him.. not anyone else. She did.

He finally shows up wearing a loose white button down and dress pants. "What a fancy place." He looks down at Areum and raises a brow.

As they sat it was silent. A lot of small talk as if they were just... buisness partners. Areum sipped her red wine.. maybe this wasn't gonna work. She couldn't think of a single word to say to him. Hoseok laughed a bit and got up. She finally spoke "are you leaving?"

"You clearly don't have good taste in restaurants so yeah." He extended his hand to her. "Lets go. I know a place not far from here."

She smiles as she took his hand. The elevator door opened for them and they were the only two going down. "I like your pearls." Hoseok complimented.

"Th-thank you." She gets the courage to compliment him back "I like your uh.. jawline."

There was a silence and they both laughed. The rest of the night was better.

Turned out the lady with a PhD owned a small cafe down the street that Hoseok helps out with. The waitress hands them their menus. Hoseok sits right by Areum, thigh on thigh as he points out to his favorites in the menu. He was very animated but not unnatural. She really loved getting to know him. His hands touched her as he leaned closer. "Yahhh." She blushed and giggles feeling his breath on her neck.

"You're such a hopeless romantic." He teased her more.

The night went on and they just visited local shops. Areum bought stupid souvenirs the small town had to offer. "Look! Imma a potato! Im your potato!" She turned to Hoseok with a potato hat and Hoseok smiled at the cashier a little embarrassed she had said it so loudly. "Okay Areum, let's go."

The night ended, it was very late. Areum texted Namjoon not to barge in tonight because she had something in mind... Hoseok had walked with her to her front door. He rested his shoulder on her door frame as he said his last goodbyes. "It was nice seeing you tonight. We should do this again."

"Mhm." Areum really couldn't focus on whatever this man was saying. He pushed all th right buttons today and his deep voice only pushed them in deeper. He continued on "so I guess I'll see you mnhm-!"

She couldn't help herself. She took him by the collar and gave him a deep kiss. She never had sex before but she was a good kisser... well.. at least she thought so.

Hoseok moaned as his firm being hands grasped her waist, pulling her closer. "Mm what a naughty girl we have?" He slightly pushed her into her house. Closing the door behind them he kissed her against the wall. Their tongues waltzing inside one another's mouths.

His hands ran up her curves , eager to just slip underneath her dress. He felt her dirty moans vibrating in his lips. "I wanna remember this." He smirks as he picks her up. He placed her on her kitchen counter and grabbed her thighs, intensly staring her down. His manhood was already hard and quite frankly, he's been hard ever since the date

A similar stare as hw had before in the coffee shop but more intimidating. "I'm gonna fuck you until you can't walk anymore princess " his hands ran up her breast as his lips pranced around her neck finally sucking her sweet spot.

Kissing turned into stripping and Areum revealed to him a new black piece of lingerie, "mmyou were anticipating this?"

"Maybe.." areum giggled making hoseok laugh a little. She finally spoke again "but... I... never done anything like this before."

"Really?" Hoseok looked at her shocked

"Uh.. is that bad. I uhm-"

"No its just surprising. Your so beautiful..." He kissed her lips sweetly before continuing "if anytime you want me to stop or slow down." He kissed up her cheek "just say so baby. I'll go slow."

"Mhm" areum moaned.

Hoseok stopped and lookes into her eyes with a little chuckle "what did I say?"

"Hoseok.." Areum whines from his sudden stop.

"Come on Areum this is serious." He hummed and held her chin up so she could look directly in his eyes

"If I want you to stop... I just say so."

Hoseok nods and then touches her gently, throwing Areum way back.

He wanted to crack her code. She was more than what met the eye.. he just knew it. The night was fantastic towards both of them. They both wanted eachother. Areum wanting to have freedom like Hoseok and Hoseok wanted to do at least something right in his life like Areum but there was more to meet the eye in both of their lives...

As they gently carresed eachother in bed, taking care of eachother after their session they craved more.

There had to be more...

_

Authors note: and I definitely have more for this "series" if you're interested give me a shout out! The coming chapters will definitely be more detailed on the characters backstories and even more psychologically thrilling.

Après Moi, Le Deluge (JHS x F!Reader)

pairing: Hoseok x afab!reader genres/au/rating: angst, smut, some fluff, mafia au, sort of arranged marriage au, exes au, 18+ summary: It was one night. One night where Hoseok sought refuge from the storm outside, from the life he led, from the past that haunted him. And where else does fate lead him but back into your arms?

word count: 8.2k

warnings: the mafia, mentions minor character death, cursing, smoking, alcohol use, use of weapons, strained relationships with parents, mental health issues, mentions threats against people Hoseok cares about, brief, non-graphic depiction of blood and injuries, breakups, makeups, a cameo by one Xu Minghao, Hoseok and OC are both very closed off and bad at communicating, Hoseok is lowkey an asshole for most of this, happy-ish ending, smut warnings: making out, fingering (fem receiving), nipple play, unprotected sex, marking, teeny bit of cockwarming

a/n: Hello it is me, profusely apologising because there is no reason this should have taken this long to write, other than I had the worst case of writer's block ever, but I missed Hoseok and I needed to see this through. This fic is set in the same universe as Doom Boy, my Namjoon mafia fic! You don't necessarily have to read Doom Boy to read this, but it may help some of the moments mentioned here make sense! The title is a reference to a famous saying by King Louis XV of France, or if you're me, season 1 episode 11 of The Originals. I hope you all enjoy <3

The rain slams down on the pavement, rendering the soles of Hoseok’s shoes even more sodden than they’d previously been. A cold, sticky feeling settles across his spine, and he heaves for breath, wishing he could just stop and take a break. But he can’t. He has to keep moving. Resisting the urge to shiver and warm himself up, he rounds the corner.

The day had started off normal enough. Hoseok had been assigned patrol duty for the day by Namjoon, a task he was more than familiar with. After the collapse of the Kim empire and his father’s death, Namjoon had returned to clean up the family business. And he was doing a damn good job at it, training the younger ones like Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook in how to run a business.

But there was more to this than a business, and Namjoon knew that well enough. Someone had to be around to air out the dirty laundry, to clean up the streets. And who better for the job than Hoseok? 

He was used to it anyway, more comfortable around knives and guns than he’d ever been around people who weren’t Namjoon, Yoongi, or Seokjin. It was partly the reason he’d been sent out tonight, to monitor the slimy activities that took place under the cover of night. 

Yet sometimes, the downpour got the best of Hoseok. He hadn’t been expecting the Choi cronies to spot him, much less for them to be armed. Luckily they were as thick-skulled as Hoseok expected them to be, and he’d been able to craft a quick escape. For the time being.

But it wouldn’t last for long. Hoseok knew the men would be on his tail all night, and as much as he wanted to call for backup, he didn’t feel like bothering Namjoon, Yoongi, or their families, at this time of night. He wouldn’t have had a problem bothering Seokjin, but that fucker had run the moment he’d shot up Namjoon’s father. 

Looking around, he falters. The buildings around him loom ominously, stretching much taller than he’s used to, the lights from the highest floors creating artificial stars against the cloudy backdrop of the sky. Hoseok gathers that he must be in the swanky part of town. He scoffs, knowing from personal experience the rich were no better than the mobs and gangs they pretended to look down upon, licking at their bootstraps whenever the necessity arose.

Still, he decides it’s better to take cover. He spots the sleeping security guard from outside one of the buildings, and slips in, shaking the raindrops from his hair. Making his way to the elevators at the end of the lobby, his mind ran with plans of how he’d clean up the mess with the Choi men in a way that Namjoon would approve of. 

Which is why he misses the other person entering the elevator at the same time as him, instead collapsing against the railing and letting out a loud sigh, rubbing at his eyes.

“H-Hoseok?” the voice that calls out to him is quiet, barely above a whisper. But its familiarity sends a chill down Hoseok’s spine. It’s a voice he thought he’d never hear again.

His eyes open slowly, and he sees his shocked reflection mirrored in the ones directly across from him, eyes that he’d never been able to forget. The way they look at him now is the same way they’d been the last time he saw you, on a similarly cloudy day.

The eyes of his former fiancée.

The doors of the elevator screech shut, the sound doing nothing to drown out the pounding of your heart. The soft tiny plops of raindrops echo on the grey floor, falling from Hoseok’s hair as he freezes at the sound of your voice.

You suck in a breath, lungs desperately searching for air, unable to squeak out anything beyond his name. Brows furrowing, you check him for any signs of injury, relieved when you find nothing but his blank eyes blinking back at you. You didn’t have to ask him where he’d been tonight. Both of you already knew.

It infuriates you that even after everything, after all this time, he still manages to have this effect on you. You hate how you can’t take your eyes off the lean curve of his neck, or the tiny mole above his heart-shaped smile.

A chill runs down your spine, despite having never stepped foot out in the rain. 

“Why are you…” your throat feels heavy, struggling to get the words out, to ask him why he ended up here of all places. Especially when you made it clear you never wanted to see him again after the last time.

“Choi’s men were tailing me, I had to get them off my back,” he barks, immediately regretting his harsh tone when he looks into your weary eyes, on the verge of tears.

“I’m sorry,” he adds on, more gently this time. “If I’d have known, I would never…”

Never what? Never managed to infiltrate the one place you thought you could be free of him, from the past the two of you shared?

Your shoulders slump against the panel, and you realize you’d never pressed the button to go up, too consumed by his presence. Finally managing to muster up the focus, you turn away, hearing the elevator creak to life.

“You’re always sorry. How can I be sure that this time, you mean it?”

Hoseok is annoyed. First of all, this damn elevator is taking nearly too long to go anywhere, and he longs for escape from this metallic box that’s imprisoning you both. Second of all, your words cut at him, sharper than any knife and hotter than any bullet any of Choi’s men could have sent his way tonight.

As far as he remembers, you’d been the one to end it. You’d been the one to walk away from your arrangement.

He doesn’t know why he grits his teeth, biting down to combat the throbbing pain in his temples. You were supposed to be gone, your goodbye delivered in the same way the designer bags and packages piled up at your doorstep - neat, polished, shallow, the ties that had brought you together unraveling before they’d even had a chance to be joined properly. 

Unfinished business. That’s what you were. And Hoseok hated unfinished business. But somehow, he’d never managed to hate you. You’d never given him a fair chance.

. . .

Hoseok shrugged the wife beater over his head with a grunt, immediately turning around to see if he’d woken up his sleeping companion, but she remained unfazed, her soft snores echoing into the pillow. 

He lets his eyes linger over her body appreciatively one last time before he slips on his leather jacket and is out the door. For a brief moment, his hand twitches, yearning to reach into his pocket and call Namjoon for old times’ sake, detailing every last detail of his lascivious romp. The thought is abandoned immediately, Hoseok’s mood souring at the thought of his former best friend. Namjoon had no trouble leaving all of them behind, so why should he even bother? Instead, he reaches into his other pocket, his frenzied emotions finally calming down when he pulls out the lighter. Ducking under an awning, he checks his surroundings for anything suspicious before affirming that the coast is clear, lighting up and taking a drag. The smoke drifts away on the nighttime breeze, and Hoseok follows, roaming the city streets. 

It’s lonely at this hour, not another soul in sight, but Hoseok prefers it that way. Gone are the days when he and his friends would run through the city, stealing cars and honking horns at everyone for fun. Now, shit had hit the fan big time, and there was no room for fun anymore. With Namjoon gone, Hoseok, along with Seokjin and Yoongi, had been sucked into the tangled web of duties he’d left behind, each stepping up in their own way.

Holding a gun in his hands for the first time had been a sobering experience for Hoseok. It rattled him that if he pressed down on the trigger, so many things could change in a split second. He’d heard the higher-ups in the organization rave with glee about how much fun it was putting the city’s other families in line, Namjoon’s father at the head of them. And for a brief moment, Hoseok understood what it was that Namjoon had run away from. That didn’t mean he wasn’t still pissed off about it though. 

His lips turn up in a smile when he takes in the graffiti on the building in front of him, thinking back to his younger, more rebellious self, before faltering. Someone else was there. 

He wonders if you’re cold, the thin satin gown doing nothing to protect you from the chill, and he wants to laugh at the contrast between his well-worn leather jacket and the jewels dripping from your ears. They must cost a few thousands of dollars, money he’d never had in his pocket. His eyes scan around for someone, anyone – a boyfriend, or a husband maybe. But you’re alone.

Nobility has never been Hoseok’s forte - Namjoon and Seokjin had always been the womanizers, and poor Yoongi had been in love with the same woman for over ten years, but he clears his throat, prompting you to turn around, eyes widening at your company.

If he catches a glimpse of unshed tears in your eyes, he doesn’t say anything. 

“Kids these days, huh? They’ll do anything to cause a little chaos,” he quips, a sinking feeling building up in his chest when you don’t respond.

“Ma’am,” he grapples with whether he should ask for your name, “do you need me to walk you home?”

“Did you read it?” your voice is quieter than he expects, yet he draws closer, wanting to hear more of it. Coming to stand beside you, he takes in the captivating features of your face, made all the more alluring by the shadows cast across them.

Following your gaze, he looks at the mural on the wall. A giant wave, Hosukai-style, crashing into a set of words. “After me, the flood,” your voice whispers, and Hoseok feels a rush of emotion at the way you say it, his mind circling back to everything that had happened in the past few years - the dark cloud that had settled over all their lives with Namjoon leaving, the city’s underbelly coming to life, crawling out of the woodwork. 

“I have to go,” you interrupt him, heels clacking against the pavement, before Hoseok’s gaze turns sharply on you, the desperation in his eyes begging you not to go. Come sunrise, he’d be forced back into the same grim routine, but right now, it felt nice, standing here with you.

“Will you be okay getting home alone?” he asks, grappling for any chance to prolong the moment.

“My driver is around the corner,” you tell him. “Thank you for keeping me company, –”

“Hoseok,” he fills you in, his chest aching with the desire to ask for your own name, but you’re already gone.

. . .

Hoseok wakes up the next morning to the rattling of the blinds, the sunlight causing him to immediately shut his eyes and bite back a groan. There was only one person who’d have access to his apartment at this hour – and exploit it.

“Eomma?” he rasps, burrowing his head further into the sheets. “What are you doing here?”

“Did you forget Hoseok-ah? Hurry up and get dressed, everyone’s waiting! You have five minutes.”

Forget what? His mother’s fussing continues in the background as she leafs through his closet, no doubt trying to find him a suitable outfit amongst the many pairs of ripped denim and oversized shirts he prefers on a day-to-day basis. Hoseok wracks his brain, trying to remember what could have called for such an occasion, but comes up empty, his mother’s stern warning echoing in his ears. 

As per usual, if it had anything to do with the organization, he’d do best not to ignore it.

Slipping on the stark white shirt and tie she’d chosen, the fabric itches against his skin, and he rakes his fingers through his hair, attempting to comb the mess into something somewhat presentable. He’s sure there was little to be done about the bags under his eyes, and the faint smell of tobacco emanating from him, and hoped that whoever these important guests were, they wouldn’t catch onto his late-night activities from the previous day. 

Stumbling into the hallway, Hoseok hears the faint chatter of voices, his father’s bellowing laugh a stark contrast to his mother’s delicate titter, and is immediately confused. Conversations with the bosses of the organization weren’t usually so… enthusiastic. 

When he rounds the corner to his living room, he stops in his tracks. Sitting next to his mother and father is another older couple he doesn’t recognize. They reek of wealth that his family could never even imagine, he notes, the polished Italian leather of the man’s shoes and the older woman’s massive diamond ring speaking for themselves. But he could honestly care less. Because to their left side, sitting on his favorite armchair, is you. The woman from in front of the mural. You’re clad in a simple sundress today, but you still manage to be nothing short of breathtaking against the backdrop of the sun’s rays. 

“There you are, Hoseok!” his father beckons him over jovially, but Hoseok remains frozen. “This is Mr. and Mrs. ____, and their daughter ____.”

Hoseok’s turns his gaze to his father, watching him recoil at the sharpness present in his son’s expression, a thousand unspoken questions lingering on his lips as to why these people were here, what purpose they had in his home, his space.

“We’d like for the two of you to get to know each other,” your mother speaks up with a smile so wide, he’d assume it’d been plastered onto her face. 

“Why?” he finally manages to whistle out in between grit teeth, looking only at you. But you don’t meet his eyes. Instead, your gaze is looking out his window, at the city beyond, the same loneliness from last night ever present in your eyes. 

“Because,” his father continues uncertainly, fidgeting the glass of wine in his hands, “___ is going to be your wife.”

You can feel Hoseok’s eyes glaring into the back of your head as he follows you wordlessly down the hallway. Moments pass before you come to a stop outside your apartment, and you hear the faint stumble of Hoseok’s boots as he stops unexpectedly in his tracks. His warm breath fans against the back of your neck for a brief moment before he straightens with a grunt, and you resist the urge to shiver, despite having never stepped foot into the rain.

The lock clicks, and he follows you inside. You can hear him rustle behind you as he struggles to remove his coat and boots, but you look straight ahead, hoping the darkness can hide how your fingernails are digging into your palm. 

“I won’t stay long,” his low voice breaks the silence. “Just until the storm passes.”

“Please,” you manage to muster up your most polite sounding voice. “Have a seat. I can get you something, maybe some water, o-or a cup of tea…” 

You want to curse your voice for wobbling in his presence, hating the way he still affected you even after all this time apart. Your brain bades you to walk away instinctively, and so you pad into the kitchen, wanting to put distance in between you and Hoseok so he can’t hear the rapid fluttering of your heart. The noise pounds in your ears as you rattle around in the cupboards, cursing when you realized you’d forgotten to turn on the light. It seemed embarrassing to do it now, and so you reach aimlessly, looking for some coffee. 

The pot bubbles, and in mere moments, you’re clutching two steaming mugs, finding your way back onto the living room. Hoseok has settled himself onto your couch, taking extra care not to rest his soaked shirt against the back of it, instead hunched over and dangling an unlit cigarette from his fingertips.

“Sorry, I didn’t know if you’d be okay with me…” he gestures to it, twirling it around in his fingers. “I know you don’t like the smell.”

You’re unsure whether to be touched that he remembers, or uneasy at the way he says it so monotonously, as if you’d still judge him for something so mundane when so much else had happened in between you.

“Here,” you set down the coffee in front of him, taking the seat directly opposite. “It’ll help take the edge off.”

The warm liquid burns your throat as you rush to take a sip, and you nearly sputter trying to keep it down. Over the rim of your cup, Hoseok remains frozen, his own mug steaming and untouched. His dark eyes bore into you, studying your face, and you feel your cheeks begin to burn.

If he notices the bags under your eyes, he says nothing. The same way he says nothing when he probably remarks at your simplistic clothes and lack of jewelry, a far cry from the expensive dresses and diamonds he’d been used to seeing you in. 

“Were you about to go out?” Hoseok asks, and the question catches you off guard. “I’m sorry if I stopped you from going somewhere.”

“Or meeting someone.” The last part is a hushed whisper, mumbled underneath his breath, in the hopes that you wouldn’t catch him. But you had. You wish he’d stop apologizing. It makes you feel guilty when you shouldn’t be, like he’s trying and you’re shutting him out, when in reality it’d been the exact opposite. 

All of a sudden, your phone buzzes to life, a text message lighting up the screen. You freeze when you see who it’s from, quickly snatching your phone and cursing in your head. Minghao was a friend of a friend, the two of you running into each other a number of times over the past couple of weeks, before he’d finally plucked up the courage to ask you for a coffee date.

You’d told him you’d think about it, and now here he was, lighting up your phone to ask you about your decision. Of course, how was he supposed to know that the reason you’d been holding off was the very man sitting in your living room, whom you’d almost married, and still couldn’t seem to let go?

Clutching your phone to your chest, you turn it to silent, setting it down beside you. Hoseok’s eyes are alight with curiosity, his lips turned up in a faint smirk, as though he’s remembering his statement from earlier. 

You take another sip, willing the caffeine to give you some strength, to rein in the bare threads of this conversation back to your control.

“How are your parents?”

Hoseok is taken aback by the question. He hadn’t expected it from you. There had once been a time where you’d been bright eyed and eager, wanting to know everything about him, bombarding him with question after question every time you were together. And yet somehow, he’d never managed to give you the time of day, always giving brusque answers and half-hearted excuses that there were other things that needed his attention.

He knew it was just a poor attempt to fill the silence, but his heart lurches at the thought that there’s so much you don’t know anymore. Namjoon coming back, Seokjin running away, the life that Hoseok knew being turned inside out. What’s more unsettling is the fact that he yearns to tell you, despite knowing he’d lost the privilege to do so.

“They’re okay. Doing well,” he lies through his teeth. “We all are. How about yours?”

He thinks it’s an innocent question, but he watches your fingers blanch as you grip the mug so tight, he thinks it’ll break. 

“I wouldn’t know,” you whisper out softly, and his heart stops. “I haven’t spoken to them since– you know.”

Hoseok feels dizzy at your confession. What do you mean you hadn’t spoken to them? Suddenly, it all begins to make sense in his head. The fact that he hadn’t expected to run into you tonight, because he hadn’t expected you to live alone, with your austere clothes and hair tossed up into a messy bun. It was so different from the woman he’d known, the dazzling one he’d written off as hollow in his mind, the one he was incapable of forming a real relationship with. 

And here you were, living the exact opposite of the cozy life he’d painted for you in his head. He thought you’d be fine, that you’d move on, your family offering you up to the next prospect that came along. And you’d accept them, like you’d accepted Hoseok with all his flaws, not caring that he could barely give you what you deserved.

His thoughts flash back to the last conversation you had, tears streaming down your face as you sobbed.

I can’t live like this anymore.

“I’m sorry,” he says again, and he watches annoyance flash across your face. He knows he’s done nothing but apologize this entire time, but it probably isn’t even worth a damn. No consolation would ever make up for losing someone that meant everything to you. He’d known that when Namjoon had run away.

“Hey,” you set the mug down, leaning over the table. For a brief second, he sees your hand reach out blindly in the darkness, almost as if it’s searching for his, but you withdraw just as quickly. “I’m okay. I really am.”

“I wish you’d stop pretending,” Hoseok blurts out, and he watches you jolt in surprise. “Why do you always have to pretend like everything’s okay, like nothing affects you? Is it the society training? Or do you really just not care about what happened at all?”

You chew the inside of your cheek, mulling over Hoseok’s words in your head.

“The same way you can pull the trigger on someone and be able to lie in your bed and fall asleep,” you seethe, a venom that Hoseok has never heard in your voice. 

“I knew who you were Hoseok. I knew what kind of man I was marrying. You think it didn’t affect me? You think I wasn’t scared out of my wits because of what you did, what other people could do to you?” 

You rise up, palms quivering as you open and close them, strolling over to the window. Hoseok watches your shoulders shake before they slump completely, and he knows that you’re crying.

He’s up before he can stop himself, feet ready to walk out the door. He’d fucked up the moment he’d stayed in the elevator with you, all the ugly feelings between you coming to a head, ones he’d struggled so hard to keep buried. 

But his body betrays him, instead leading him right behind. He pauses until he’s just close enough that if he reaches out, he’d be able to grab your arm and turn you around to face him. But he waits instead.

“I did what I did because I realized I was chasing a ghost,” you huff out, resignation in your tone. “I wanted you to be someone you weren’t. I wanted you to care so badly. But you didn’t. I don’t want any part in whatever you’re caught up in, Hoseok. Whatever has a hold on you so badly that you couldn’t even look beyond your cynicism to give me a chance.”

“I just want to survive.”

Hoseok grips the bathroom sink, knuckles turning white. His cell phone clatters on the counter beside him and he has to keep from heaving. This whole thing was a mess – no one had counted on Namjoon coming back. Even less so on him refusing to take up his father’s mantle. And so the threats continued – the words from the anonymous phone call still ringing in his ear, your name echoing across the line.

While he didn’t know what he felt for you, or whether he could even marry you, Hoseok knew you were an innocent person. You didn’t deserve to be the victim of your parents’ greed, them using you to bury their secrets in the hands of even more powerful people. You deserved gardens full of flowers and meals together every night, not coming home to an empty bed. Or a fiancé who couldn’t spare a moment during the entire night to even dance with you. 

He’s so lost in his brooding that he doesn’t hear the door the click behind him, the soft tapping of heels on the floor coming up behind him. 

“Is something wrong?” you ask him gently, and he feels the bristle of your hand on his jacket. 

So much was wrong. You couldn’t even begin to understand. 

“It’s fine,” he clears his throat, straightening up to adjust his jacket. “I’ll need to leave soon. I can have the car stay behind for you.”

The farther away he got from you, the better. That way no one could hurt you – or him. 

“I can go with you,” your voice echoes from beside him, “I was getting tired anyway.”

Hoseok turns to face you, watching you recoil at the red rimming his eyes, the bags underneath them becoming even more prominent in the dim lighting of the bathroom.

He doesn’t know what possesses him to reach for the single strand of hair that has managed to escape your polished bun, but he watches you suck in a breath, lips parting in surprise.

Before he knows it, your face is drawing in closer, and he can smell the rosé on your breath. Your lips barely ghost against his, and he has to fight every nerve ending not to grab your hand and run away from here, somewhere where he wasn’t Hoseok, and you weren’t ____, and you didn’t need protecting from everything around you – most of all him. 

His paralysis slowly melts away and he’s pushing you away without realizing, the door to the bathroom suddenly materialising in front of him. 

“Like I said,” he doesn’t bother turning around, knowing his heart would twist at whatever expression he found on your face. “I’ll have the car stay behind for you.”

Before you can wrestle with the weight of your confession to Hoseok, a hand is clamping over your mouth. Caught in a silent scream, you turn your eyes to see Hoseok lifting a finger to his lips, willing you to stay quiet. And that’s when you hear them. The voices.

Raucous laughter echoes through the hallway, tinged with malevolent glee. The air around you feels cold, a breeze at the base of your spine, and you instinctively curl into Hoseok.

“Come out, come out,” the disembodied voice cackles from the hallway. “Are you hiding from us, Jung? Found some poor rich girl to use as a body shield?”

Your hand seizes Hoseok’s wrist clamped against your mouth, nails digging into his arm, the fear taking over. Slowly, his wrist lowers, slipping to take your hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“I won’t let anything happen to you. Do you trust me?” 

He’s so quiet you almost can’t tell he’s said it at all. You nod reluctantly, eyes continuing to dart to the door.

“Go hide underneath the bed. Lock the door. I may or may not come back but please stay inside. Don’t come looking for me.”

His voice is clipped, the faint hint of nerves colouring his tone, but his eyes are filled with a resoluteness you know all too well. You’d spent the better part of over a year staring into them, hoping they’d look back. And now they finally were. 

“Be safe.” Your voice comes out louder than you’d intended, but there’s no anger in Hoseok’s expression. All he does is nod, and then you turn, stumbling down the hallway to your room, never bothering to look back until you hear the door click behind you.

. . .

Hoseok’s heart pounds in his chest, a strange pain settling in his ribs – he never expected to be in this position again. His sense of duty had always been his biggest downfall – and while you were no longer his, he owed it to you to make sure he gave you exactly what you’d asked him for – the chance to survive, to come out on the other side of this. That’s why he had to settle this once and for all.

Choi’s cronies linger at the other end of the hallway, too dumb to notice Hoseok slipping out of your door, reaching for the revolver he’d kept hidden in his coat pocket. A chill settles in his bones as he runs his fingers over the metal.

The brief events of the night play over in his head – the rain pounding against the pavement, the ding of the elevator, the now-cold mug of coffee that sat on your coffee table. And then there was you – your eyes, the softness of your skin, the faint smell of gardenias that lingered on your skin.

And it hits Hoseok that while he was very much alive – he’d been in mourning. Mourning for the friendships he’d never be able to recover, for the youth that had been taken away from him. But most of all, Hoseok’s heart mourns for the relationship he’d never gotten to have with you. The glass walls he’d so carefully put up around himself shatter, making way for a torrential deluge. 

After me, the flood.

He remembers the first night you’d met, how he’d been drawn to you without even trying, the portrait of the wave. He remembers the months that passed afterwards, where you drew closer to him and he drew back. He remembers the regret he’d buried deep in his heart for not kissing you back the night of the gala, not knowing he’d never get another chance.

But most of all, he remembers the somber expression on your face the day you’d ended things, pressing the engagement ring back into his hands, the very same ring that was still sitting in the first drawer of his nightstand. 

Choi’s men finally perk up, noticing Hoseok’s solitary figure lingering at the end of the hallway, smirks twisting on their grotesque. A shot rings out, and Hoseok thinks of you now, hiding under your bed. And then he charges.

The alleyway was grim at this time of day, the sunlight barely able to reach beyond the towering skyscrapers, the clouds casting everything in grey. Rain fell softly from the sky. You clutch your coat tighter around you, unable to stop looking at the mural of the wave.

So much had changed since you’d first seen it. And yet it was still the same.

You know Hoseok from the thud of his boots against the pavement, coming up beside you. His head turns, an eyebrow raised in your direction, wondering why you’d asked to meet him here of all places.

You avoid his eyes, fingers clasping around the blue velvet in your pocket. His eyes widen with surprise when he sees the box, confusion marring his handsome face. 

A knot forms in your chest when you watch the confusion turn into alarm as you press the box into his hand, the dazzling diamond no longer on your left finger.

“I don’t understand,” he grunts, breath visible in the cold air.

“We can’t do this anymore, Hoseok. I can’t do this. I can’t live like this.”

“Was it something that I did?” he questions you, desperation creeping into his voice.

You scoff, watching him flinch, pain on his face. 

“No, it’s the opposite. It’s what you haven’t ever been able to do. It’s been an entire year, Hoseok. I’ve watched you answer every phone call that comes your way, disappear into the night to do god knows what, run whenever your friends call. And in that entire time, have you ever thought about us? About the future?”

You take a deep breath.

“I know that neither of us chose this, but Hoseok, we were engaged. Did that mean anything to you?”

He squares his shoulders, fists clenching at his sides, a tick in his jaw.

“You don’t understand. I-I’m not good for you, ___. I dont think I’ll ever be. There’s too much that’s happened, too much I’ve lost. But please don’t walk away like this.

“I thought it’d be enough,” you whisper, and Hoseok freezes. You didn’t know he’d heard you.

“I thought me loving you would be enough for the both of us. But it’s not. I need more. I need someone who I know will come home to me every night. But what I need even more than that, is for you to let me walk away so I can breathe again. So I can be myself.”

Your eyes are just as sad as the first time Hoseok saw them, and all of a sudden, you remark at how stagnant the two of you had been together.

“Hoseok please, I know I can’t ask you to do it if you love me, but if you’ve ever cared about me, even the tiniest bit, let me go.”

You watch him open the box, gazing at the ring. Moments pass by before he slips it into his own pocket, his eyes flitting to the wave as he gives you a small smile, the most genuine one you’d ever seen.

“Goodbye, ____. 

Hoseok’s fist rattles against the door, before he slumps over, heaving for breath. The pain in his side licks at him like the flames of a fire. He hisses when he presses a hand to it, eyes widening when it comes away covered in blood. Those fuckers had managed to get him. Shit.

His eyes are about to close when the door springs open, the wide eyes of Kim Namjoon taking in his battered figure. 

“Hobi, what the fuck?” Namjoon seethes, offering him an arm and pulling him inside. Slinging an arm around Hoseok’s shoulder, the two of them hobble to Namjoon’s kitchen, the burning in Hoseok chest causing him to let out a loud groan.

“Hyun is sleeping,” Namjoon chastises him, and Hoseok bites his tongue, remembering that this Namjoon was dealing with a pregnant wife and a toddler. “You gonna tell me what the hell happened, or do I have to force it out of you?”

“I made a mistake, Namjoon. I went somewhere I shouldn’t have tonight. I fucked up, but I-I didn’t mean to I swear…”

Hoseok feels himself shake as the words pour out, the ruined mission the furthest thing from his mind. He tells Namjoon everything – from being tailed to running into to you, to how he’d left, not knowing whether you were okay or not. 

“That was a dick move,” Namjoon huffs.

“Excuse me?” Hoseok looks up at his best friend, who looks more pissed off than he’s ever seen him. 

“I said what I said. That was a dick move, just leaving her like that.”

“I don’t need a lecture on running away from you, Namjoon-ah.”

Namjoon wipes away the blood on his side, and Hoseok bites his tongue at the sting of the alcohol, before slumping into the chair next to him. 

“You’re an idiot, Jung Hoseok. You’ve been so afraid of letting yourself feel things for so long, and I know it’s because you think that everyone around you is going to leave, or that you’ll lose them. But I’m telling you right now, that’s the stupidest thing you could ever do.”

“You have to let yourself just be, Hobi. Just let go. Enjoy things - life, your friends, your family. Be open to the possibility of love. It’s the only thing that can keep the darkness away.”

Namjoon’s voice shrinks when he says the last line, and Hoseok knows his friend is far off in his own mind, battling the demons that plague him. 

“I think I’m too far gone for that, Namjoon,” Hoseok tells him. “Maybe some of us weren’t meant for happiness. Maybe some of us needed to make sacrifices so others could live the lives they wanted to.”

“That’s a damn lie if I’ve ever heard one, Hoseok.” Namjoon striaghtens, rising up from the chair. “I know you’ve been angry at me for leaving, for keeping you all in the dark. I know how much it hurts to not be able to share your happiest moments with people you love. And I’m sorry for that. But you have a chance to change things.”

“Listen Hobi,” Namjoon crouches down to his level. “I want to be the best man at your wedding – I want to be there for you in all the ways you didn’t get to do for me. This is my way of making amends, but you need to fix whatever this is between you two.”

“What makes you think she’ll even take me back? I was awful to her… god, she didn’t deserve that Joon. She deserves so much better.”

“Do you love her?” Namjoon asks him, and Hoseok is shocked when he doesn’t even have to pause to think about it. He wants to start over, to be by your side, to have a chance to love you properly this time around. 

“Second chances come when you least expect them, Hobi. Think about what would have happened if you hadn’t stepped out into the rain last night. And don’t let it happen again.”

The knock at the door startles you, your phone clattering to the floor. Swearing under your breath, you pick it up, perusing the message from Minghao once again. He was nothing if not persistent. And Hoseok was never coming back. You’d convinced yourself of that.

It’d been over a week since he’d left you that night - the promise to keep you safe burrowing its way into your heart. And then radio silence. You’d heard the gunshots in the hallway, but when you’d opened the door, no one was there, the only evidence of the showdown being the faint splatters of blood on the wall. When the police had questioned you, you’d left Hoseok’s name out of it – those words echoing in your mind, instilling a false sense of loyalty in you.

Why did you think things would be different this time around? It’d been foolish to assume that Hoseok thought anything more of you. But you couldn’t forget the look in his eyes, the gentle touches, the way he’d promise he would never let anything happen to you, and you fell for him all over again.

Throwing your phone aside, you grumble as you make your way to the door, making a mental note to respond to Minghao later, agreeing to the date.

Swinging it open, you freeze when you see who’s on the other end. Hoseok, looking worse for wear with bruises on his jaw and a nasty cut on his forehead, nervously twirling a tiny bouquet of flowers in his hand.

You’re dumbfounded - unable to speak as you take him in, his dark, inquisitive eyes gazing into your shocked ones. 

“You better let me in, ____,” he says with a grin. “Or the neighbours are gonna think I did something really bad this time.”

Wordlessly, you open the door to allow him to enter, watching as he slips off his coat and shoes, an exact repeat of a week ago. You watch him, trying to open your mouth and say something, ask him anything, but nothing will come out. 

“These are for you,” Hoseok nearly shoves the bouquet in your hands and you watch him rub at the back of his neck, his ears reddening.

“Are you okay Hoseok?” you finally manage to ask him, setting the flowers on your coffee table. Your concern wins out over your confusion once again, but the whole scene is odd – him, smiling in your apartment, the late afternoon sunlight casting half his angular face in a mysterious shadow.

“Just a little nick to my side,” he lifts his shirt up, your eyes widening at the bandages on his abdomen. “But actually, I’m not okay. I haven’t been okay since the day I let you walk away, and I can’t live with it anymore.”

You take a step back, unable to breathe. The space in between you seems to have lessened considerably, and you can make out every delicate detail of his face. Dizzy, you put some distance in between the two of you.

“Everything hurts, ___. It hurts because I look at you and I feel like I can’t breathe anymore, knowing how much pain I put you through. It hurts knowing that you’re so kind, so understanding of someone like me, when I don’t deserve it at all. And what hurts the most is that knowing that I love you, and I’ve been lying to myself this entire time because I’m afraid you’ll leave just like everyone else, but I lost you anyway.”

Hoseok’s voice cracks on the last words, and you watch him sway, gripping onto your counter for support.

“I thought it was just me this entire time,” you finally manage to look him in the eyes, tears spilling out of your own. “I thought I was crazy, because ever since you walked out that door a week ago, all I’ve been doing is waiting for you to come back.”

“I’m here,” Hoseok closes the gap between you, arms wrapping around you. You breathe in the faint scent of tobacco on his leather jacket, mixed with the spice of his cologne. “And I’m not leaving. Not this time.”

You grip his lapels, before your arms come up to wrap around his neck, running your fingers through the soft hair at his nape. 

“What if it’s not different this time around?” you whisper into his neck. “What if nothing changes?”

“What if it is?” his low voice rumbles into your hair. “Can you trust me, ___? One more time?”

You take his hand in yours, bringing it to your chest, his lips parting in awe at the fluttering of your heartbeat.

“Only you can do that to me,” you say softly, a smile gracing your lips. 

Before you know it, Hoseok’s lips are crashing against yours, and you can feel him release a euphoric sigh, groaning into your mouth. It’s slow, tentative in the way he waits for your body to respond, never pushing more than you’re comfortable with. Eventually, even the small bit of distance in between you becomes too much to bear. You card your fingers into his hair, pulling slightly at the strands, warmth blossoming in your chest.

It feels too short when he pulls away all too soon, lips tinged with red and eyes dark with something that sends a shiver down your spine.

“I’ve wanted to do that ever since the night of the gala,” he rasps, warmth blooming in your chest at his confession. “You were—, I mean you still are, breathtaking.”

You can feel the rapid beat of his heart, his pulse point right there below your fingertips, and you reach for his hand, watching his entire body soften at your touch. 

“Come with me,” you ask him, eyes turning down the hallway to your bedroom. “We have a lot of lost time to make up for. 

Hoseok tries to ignore the rapid rushing of blood in his ears, his focus narrowing to your head resting on his shoulder, the two of you looking out at the city together for the last little while from your bed. It’s somewhere he never imagined he’d be, but he’d felt the ice around his heart melt the moment he’d finally kissed you for real, warmth filling his veins.

And despite relishing in your presence, it was spiking to a fever pitch. He’d tasted you, and now he couldn’t get enough. All it takes is a brief moment for you to look in his eyes, and he’s pulling you into him once again, mouth hard on yours, unable to resist the desire for more, more, more. 

You whine into his mouth, hands fisting at the edge of his shirt, struggling to pull it over his head. He uses one hand to pin both arms behind you, reaching over with the other to finally peel it off, and you lie back, eyes alight with desire as you take him in. 

He kisses you again, his lean body hovering over yours, hands roaming everywhere – your arms, up your neck, and on your thighs. He inches higher and higher, hiking your dress up to your stomach, fingers ghosting over your core.

“Hoseok please,” you whimper, digging your nails into his shoulder blades. “I can’t wait anymore.”

You part your thighs for him, and he wastes no time, pulling your soaked underwear to the side and dipping his fingers into your arousal. He presses another hard kiss to your lips, catching your moans in his mouth while he works you open, leaving you trembling underneath him.

You whine when his fingers leave you, clenching around nothing, and watch as he hikes your dress up even further before eventually taking it off, cupping your exposed breasts in both hands while he licks and sucks at your nipples.

“Fuck,” he groans against your chest. “How are you so perfect? How are you even mine?”

His voice breaks, and you mouth at his jaw, mirroring his actions until purple bruises begin to bloom in the spots where your lips previously were.

“I’m yours,” you nip at his bottom lip. “Whether you like it or not.”

“Believe me,” he smirks. “I like it. I like it a lot actually. Let me show you how much.”

With adept skill, he manages to remove your panties in seconds, throwing them to the wall. The clinking sound of his belt drives you mad, and your hands join his, the two of you awkwardly fumbling to remove it.

You feel your mouth go dry when his cock springs free, and he chuckles at the depraved look in your eyes.

“Some other time, love,” he whispers, voice lowering a few octaves. “Right now, I need to feel you.”

You gasp when he pushes in, and he pauses, wondering if it’s too much, but you nod, letting him know it’s okay. He thrusts shallowly, before pushing in all the way, watching you squirm underneath him while rutting your hips.

“Move, please,” you beg him, and he obliges, hiking one leg up over his shoulder to open you up for him, the wet sounds of your pussy accompanying the fluid snap of his hips. His knuckles grip the headboard, turning white while he pins you underneath him, unable to take his eyes off the way your tits bounce with every thrust. His hands grip at your ass, every jerk of his hips an excuse to hold you tighter, until he can see your skin redden underneath his fingers. 

“Oh my god, Hoseok, I can’t–, it’s too much,” you groan, rocking against him in an attempt to quell the sparks underneath your skin, lighting you up like a livewire.

“Come for me,” he grunts, trapping your clit in between his fingers, rubbing tight circles until you snap, seeking his lips once again, your orgasm flooding your entire body like a wave. Hoseok speeds up his thrusts to join you, roaring when he feels himself explode, before slumping against you, chest heaving with the weight of his breaths. 

Moments pass like this, him remaining inside you while he burrows into the crook of your neck, his warm breath fanning your damp skin. Eventually he pulls out of you with a soft whine, brushing away the sweat-soaked strands of hair at your temple, before rising. 

You trap his wrist in your hand, panic settling in. He watches your expression change and immediately stiffens, cradling you against his chest.

“That expression you always talk about, the flood. I-, I looked it up. And I know the life I have isn’t ideal, and maybe things will only get harder, but I promise I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. I don’t want to live out the rest of my life not caring anymore.”

“Do you know what I was thinking of that night, looking at the wave?” you mumble in his ear, and he gazes at you inquisitively, watching the way your skin glows under the moonlight as you take a breath.

“My whole life, people have forced me into this box, this image, of someone they want me to be – the perfect daughter, the perfect wife. It’s been suffocating. All I wanted that night was a taste of freedom - that feeling of happiness you have on a beach, feeling the waves crash at your feet. And then I saw you.”

Hoseok leaves a kiss in your hair, his fingers intertwining with yours. Briefly, his heart drops at the absence of the ring he’d given you on your finger, but he knows when you’re ready, it’ll be waiting for you. He’ll be waiting for you. And the two of you will step into the flood, together. 

a/n pt. 2:  Okay long ending note here. First, please visualize this Hoseok with the undercut ;) Second, I don't normally say this but the writer's block really got me good with this one, so I apologize if it's not up to my usual standards (pls be kind tho). And third and last, this fic definitely would never exist if it weren't for the wonderful Guarded series by Ana (@xjoonchildx). I think about it more than is necessary and this is definitely my tribute to the impeccable Captain Jung.

As always, any comments or feedback are much appreciated, but I appreciate you all anyway. Lots of love, Isi <3

taglist (pls let me know if you want to be removed): @jalexad @secfir @hobi-love @back2bluesidex @temptingempress