Softie

softie 🥺

It-Girl Checklist ✓

ෆ stay pretty

ෆ manifest daily

ෆ make reading a hobby

ෆ wear clothes that make you feel pretty and confident

ෆ be a pilates princess or do yoga

ෆ drink water daily

ෆ ignore drama

ෆ pray and practice gratitude

ෆ turn your pinterest/vision boards into reality (start creating and living out your dream life)

ෆ meditate regularly

ෆ dress well

ෆ make self-care a daily routine

ෆ observe more

ෆ learn as much as you can

(be hungry for knowledge, educate yourself on things you’re not sure of)

ෆ journal regularly

ෆ be classy

ෆ get rid of anyone or anything that no longer serves you

ෆ keep your hair clean

ෆ shower regularly

ෆ practice good feminine hygiene

ෆ don’t take shit from anyone

ෆ know that you’re THAT girl

ෆ be original

ෆ do skin care routine daily

ෆ speak your mind

ෆ keep your nails and toes clean & done

(cut them, shape them, clean them, polish, mani/pedi, acrylics optional)

ෆ don’t hide your emotions

ෆ affirm daily

ෆ keep your breath fresh

(brush your teeth at-least twice a day, use mouthwash and floss)

ෆ don’t let anyone bully you or walk all over you

ෆ don’t skip meals

ෆ be nice <3 being a mean girl is so not it!

ෆ wash off makeup before bed

ෆ be confident

ෆ stand firm on what you believe in

ෆ only accept princess treatment

ෆ delete, block, unfollow or mute anything that disturbs your peace

taking proper care of yourself mentally, physically and emotionally is the ultimate ItGirl thing to do! make sure you make yourself a priority and remember you’re beautiful, smart, kind, capable of anything, worthy of love and all great things! don’t ever let anyone make you think otherwise or make you doubt yourself. walk with your head held high and surround yourself with pretty things only, nice people only, positive energy only and peaceful vibes only. sending love always, bestie ‹𝟥

---

the sexiest thing a woman can wear is insanity

BTS fic recs: February 2024

I want to thank each and every writer on this list for creating such wonderful stories and art - you are truly amazing ✨ All the fics on this list hold a dear place in my heart 🥹

❗Most of these fics are smutty or dark as hell, so minors dni.❗ 

If you read anything on this list and you like it, please leave a comment to the writer or reblog the fic, it might seem like a tiny gesture, but it really means a lot for writers and I can guarantee it will put a smile on their faces💜 Let’s share and give lots of love!

Looking for more to read? Check ‘The Library’ or last years recs 🙂

[index] → jan | 💜 (jhs) | mar (myg) | apr | may | jun | jul | aug | sep (jjk)(knj) | oct (pjm) | nov | dec (kth)(ksj) |

Emoji meaning → angst = 🌩️, smut = 🥵, fluff = 🥰, comedy = 😂, yandere = 😈, thriller/dark = 👻, fantasy = 🪄. 

⭐Friend or Fuck pt. 2 @joonsmagicshop [10k]  // knj x f.reader // f2l // 🥰🥵

📝 Namjoon hasn't forgotten the promise he made you and he's ready to deliver.

🗨️ this part two really didn’t disappoint!!! So fucking good!!! I loved all the tension and Jungkook being the best (teasing) friend 😆 High recommend it— also reading part one first, if you haven’t already ✨

⭐Mistakes we Knew we were Making @btsgotjams27 [1.9k] // knj x f.reader // slice of life, marriage!au (failed marriage) divorce!au, exes!au // 🌩️

📝 young, careless, and in love. that's how mistakes are made.

🗨️ this was beautiful; slightly angsty and a bit heart wrenching, but wonderfully written 🥹✨ loved it very much 🥰

Where’s what I didn’t get to read this month, but itching to lay my eyes on:

The Sheriff @ppersonna

Hammer it Home @gukslut

Mistletoe @belovedkingx

Also, please take a look at last year’s Namjoon recs right here for more 💜

I truly feel so fucking sorry that I didn’t get to read any Seokjin fics this month. I’m a bad bun bun.

Where’s what I didn’t get to read this month, but itching to lay my eyes on:

10 Years @yoonpobs

My Plus One @btsgotjams27

Dream Come True @sugaurora

Also, please take a look at last year’s Seokjin recs right here for more 💜

⭐Things that Grow @violetsiren90 [0.9k] // myg x f.reader // established relationship, idol!au // 🥰🌩️

📝 the idea of having your first ever orgasm by talking to a hot, random stranger through your phone scares the living hell out of you, but maybe it won’t be as bad as you think.

🗨️ it is so fucking beautiful, I can’t even begin to articulate… fuck. I know it’s very short, but dammit I love it. Every single freaking word in this is PERFECTION.

⭐Hard Liquor @chateautae [8k] // myg x f.reader x jjk // business!au, age!au, executive boss!yoongi x employee!reader // 🥵

📝 your dull evening at a bar becomes hopeful when your mysterious, handsome boss min yoongi shows you the ropes on everything alcohol, but shows you much more when he ends up buried deep inside you.

🗨️ it was SO FUCKING INCREDIBLE like I don’t even know where to begin??? The smut??? That has left me in utter need of Holy Water, because DAMN 🥵 The writing, flow of the story was also just 💯✨

⭐Broken, pt. 2 [3tan ongoing series] @kithtaehyung [15.3K]  // myg x f.reader // brother’s best friend!au // 🥵🌩️🥰

📝 the championship game lights up... and everything goes down.

🗨️ I can’t truly articulate how much I adore 3tan (and Ryen) 😭 This chapter was another fucking perfection, and if you didn’t know it was out, this is your PSA 😂💖

⭐Make Me @violetsiren90 [16k] // jhs x f.reader // idol!au, f2fwb, BDSM lifestyle // 🥵

📝 you’ve been friends with Hobi for years, and he’s your comfort zone - but when he gets wind of a dark secret you drunkenly let slip, things between you take a sudden extreme change.

🗨️ oh. My.Goodness. My soul left my body multiple times when I read this!!! It is incredible!!! Really love this one, and if you like BDSM this is definitely for you, but even if you don’t (like me, this was out of my ‘comfort zone’) you will still enjoy it ✨👏💯 

Where’s what I didn’t get to read this month, but itching to lay my eyes on:

Benefits @cutechim

Just Like Christmas @yeoldontknow

Hurricane @floralseokjin

Also, please take a look at this year’s Hoseok fics right here for more 💜

⭐Peaches and Cream @snackhobi [9.1k] // pjm x f.reader // neighbor!au // 🥵

📝 you wouldn’t mind your cute neighbour being such a shameless fuckboy if a) the walls weren’t so thin and b) he didn’t seem intent on adding you as another notch in his bedpost. 

🗨️ I’LL NEVER BE ABLE TO LOOK AT PEACHES THE SAME WAY AGAIN 🥵

Thank you very much, this was so fucking hot I think I’m malfunctioning. And now, I’ve time I’ll eat a peach, or watch other people eat peaches— I’ll forever think of this story 🥵💯✨

Where’s what I didn’t get to read this month, but itching to lay my eyes on:

High on Love @peachypinkygloss

Give me Love [completed series] @writtenwhalien

Secrets by the Shore @chateautae

Also, please take a look at last year’s Jimin recs right here for more 💜

⭐Wanna Stream a Porno [part of the Wannabe Photographer Chronicles] @gimmethatagustd [4.8k] // kth x f.reader // frenemies to lovers, sex work, dub/sub themes // 🥵

📝 at this point, attempting to deny that you have feelings for Taehyung is laughable. Even his subscribers can sense the chemistry between the two of you.

🗨️ not gonna lie, the smut had me dripping 🥵 So fucking perfect like the rest of the series! If you haven’t read it or the series… GET TO IT ✨

⭐A Christmas Fix one & two @yoonia [54.7k] // kth x f.reader // christmas!au, secret baby!au, second chance!au, s2l // 🥵🌩️🥰😂

📝 one-night stands are supposed to be nothing more than just. It shouldn’t have involved seeing those two red lines looking back at you weeks later without a name or a contact number linking you back to your mystery man. Nothing more but his face. The unforgettable face that would sometimes appear in your dreams at night. So unforgettable that you immediately recognise him the moment he walks into your family home at Christmas, hand-in-hand with your older stepsister.

🗨️ this is VERY DRAMA— but fuck I loved every single fucking line in this 😭 My heart was beating fast in my chest at time, times where I was flat out crying or wanting to pull my hair out. But that is exactly what I love about fanfiction and why I can’t recommend this enough!!! The plot was just exceptional, the storytelling was on point ✨

Also, please take a look at last year’s Taehyung recs right here for more 💜

⭐To Give a Helping Hand @oddinary4bts [1.8k] // jjk x f.reader // idol!au // 🥵

📝 when Jungkook comes home from the gym, he goes feral thinking about you.

🗨️ I don’t know where to begin… everything Ella writes is pure gold, why would this short one be any different? 🥵 I fucking loved it; it was hot and Jungkook was so needy! And you know what? I think she’s working on part two!!!!! ✨🥵 (seriously, can’t recommend this enough!!!)

⭐When Worlds Collide [ongoing series] @letjungcoook7 [14k] // jjk x f.reader // college!au, slice of life!au, s2l, fuckboy!jk, virgin!reader // 🥵🌩️

📝 since your mother's passing a year ago, life has been a whirlwind. balancing your passion for ballet with a low-key presence at college, where you’re the top student, was your norm until Jungkook stepped into your world. known for his reputation preceding him, jungkook is the talk of the campus with his casual rendezvous that have the girls buzzing. despite his allure, you're puzzled by his need for your tutoring prowess, especially given his own academic merit. yet, succumbing to his persistent requests, you reluctantly agree, only to find yourself thrust into the spotlight you've always avoided.

🗨️ I was so lucky to read this before it was posted and damn! Jungkook is shady in this one and it is so interesting to follow his relationship with MC. It is morally grey in it’s vibes, so if you’re into those type of things, I really recommend giving this a read ✨💜

⭐You’ve Got a Dog in Me @jimlingss [20k] // jjk x f.reader // food truck!au, s2l // 🥰😂

📝 life is relatively peaceful and productive as a CEO of your own business. You’re thriving. But when Jeon Jungkook sets up shop right next to you — it’s the fucking showdown of the century. HOT DOGS VERSUS CORN DOGS.

🗨️ omg omg omg this was just so fucking cute and funny 🥹🥰✨ loved it 💖 Like I was laughing so much while reading this! Highly recommend it!!

⭐Does he Know? @letjungcoook7 [1.7k]  // jjk x f.reader // cheating!au // 🥵

📝 things can get complicated when you're involved with your boyfriend's brother.

🗨️ okay— normally I stay away from cheating!aus… but this is written by a friend and I want to show my support! And you know what? It was fucking hot! 🥵 A lot of questionable actions, yes. But the smut 👏 I highly recommend this one too 💖

Also, please take a look at last year’s Jungkook recs right here for more 💜

I’m so sorry for not having read enough this month 😭 I’ve been so busy with writing and some personal health issues also came up… that I didn’t even meet my own reading quota and I feel bad 😢

I hope March will be a lot better reading wise, although I’m still writing My Heart’s Home, but after that, I think I’ll take a small break from writing and just go nuts with reading, because I miss that 🥲

If you want more, you’re more than welcome to follow me! I do monthly rec lists and sometimes I post my own writing too (only bangtan). 

Borahae 💜

Joyride | KTH & JJK

Pairing: Taehyung x Reader x Jungkook

Genre: smut, strangers to lovers, College!AU

Rating: M (18+)

Warnings: swearing, drinking, smoking pot, kissing, grinding, fingering, oral (f receiving), hand job, masturbation (m), voyeurism, exhibitionism, public sex, sex on a beach (not the drink), unprotected sex (with bc), threesome, finger sucking, dick piercing, Taehyung has an oral fixation, grand theft auto, a bitch gets slapped, that bitch is Jimin

Word Count: 12.8K

Disclaimers: NSFW, obviously I don’t own BTS - they just inspire me

Summary: Senior year spring break sucks, thanks to the annoying spoiled little rich boy who won't stop trying to get your attention. When a scenic drive in his ridiculously expensive sports car goes wrong, you meet two sexy mechanics who decide to teach him a lesson - and show you the real meaning of "joyride."

Destination: Miami, FL

A/N: Written as part of the Spring Break-ing The Rules collab hosted by @btshoneyhive! For some reason, when I read the prompt "breaking the rules," Taehyung and Jungkook immediately jumped to mind as the likely rulebreakers. Who wouldn't want to go for a forbidden joyride with those two?

Unbeta’d as usual. I’d love to know what you think - my inbox is always open! 💕

Masterlist 💜 Find me on AO3 💜

The wind whips around you as the bright red sports car speeds down the bridge. The scenery outside your open window steals your breath away–nothing but clear blue skies above and tranquil turquoise waters below. Resting your arm on the molding, feeling the sun’s brilliant rays gently kiss your skin, you wish for the hundredth time that you were somewhere, anywhere other than paradise right now. 

“Hey sweetie?”

Clenching your jaw, you turn away from the stunning view outside the Lamborghini and face the source of your desire to be elsewhere. Sitting in the driver’s seat, one hand lazily resting on the wheel, sunglasses slightly lowered on his nose as he looks at you, Jimin flashes you a sickeningly sweet smile.  

“Can you close your window just a little? It’s starting to mess up my hair.” 

Oh, god forbid one strand of his luscious blonde locks should fall out of place. With a nod, you press the button to roll your window up, suppressing another sigh. 

When this trip ends and you get back to campus, you’re never letting your roommate make another decision for you, ever again.

Two months ago, you’d been standing in the tiny kitchen in your apartment, frowning at the hot plate that was taking way too long to heat up, when Jang-Mi had burst through the door. 

“Roooomieeee!” “In the kitchen!”

She’d bounded into the room, beaming from ear to ear, giggling like mad. You knew immediately the source of her elation. 

“What did Hoseok do today?” 

Hoseok was your roommate’s crush and the president of Beta Tau Sigma, the fraternity with the reputation for the wildest parties and the hottest members. Not to mention the richest - the entire frat seemed to consist of nothing but trust fund babies and the heirs to every mega-successful corporation in the country. Unfortunately, they always acted like they were entitled to whatever they wanted because of their wealth. 

As you loved to tell Jang-Mi, you can’t spell “spoiled brats” without BTS. 

For three years, you’d watched your friend moon over this (admittedly handsome, devilishly charming) man as he fucked his way around campus, before he finally shone his sunshiney smile her way. They’d been flirting up a storm in the last few weeks, and based on how she was practically dancing around the kitchen, you deduced that he must’ve finally made a move. 

“Pack your bags, roomie, we’re going to Miami!”

Once she was finished bouncing around the room, Jang-Mi explained that Beta Tau had reserved several floors of a swanky hotel in Miami for spring break, and one of the rooms was suddenly vacant thanks to a brother whose travel plans had already changed, so Hoseok had offered it to Jang-Mi. 

For free. 

Hoseok was your favorite of Beta Tau’s members, the only one who didn’t try to get by on his money and good looks alone, so if any of them were going to be generous, it’d be him. But still–without knowing the hotel, you could pretty much guarantee it was opulent and overpriced, so giving away a room to your roommate for an entire week was pretty incredible. He must’ve genuinely liked her.

“Are you serious? He’s offering you a spring break trip for free?”

Jang-Mi’s giddy effervescence was only slightly punctured by your incredulous tone. “Well, not the whole trip–we’d still have to find our way to Miami and back, but he’s giving us the room for free! He said the floors were paid for by one of the brothers’ dads, so there’s no need for me to give him any money for it. I’ve already been researching and there are some cheap flights and–you should really be more excited about this! Come on, senior year spring break! For cheeeeap!”

“You know, if you take the room, you’re probably going to have to fuck him,” you tease her. Jang-Mi rolled her eyes. “Oh, grow up, you know it’s not like that. But let’s be real, I’m already planning to, anyway. Come onnnnn, roomie!”

It wasn’t as if you weren’t dying to get away, anyway. Four years of busting your ass to get into medical school were coming to a head, exams and applications and interviews finally about to pay off, and you needed a fucking break. A chance to relax, have some fun. Why not Miami? Sure, when you pictured yourself on spring break, you didn’t imagine it’d be with the Beta Tau brats, but whatever, you could probably sneak away and plant yourself on the beach for a week without seeing any of them. 

You definitely weren’t in any position to turn down a free room, and you certainly weren’t about to let Jang-Mi go alone. 

“Okay. Let’s do it. Let’s go to Miami!”

Like you’d assumed, the hotel you were staying at was extravagant, a towering modern monolith of steel and glass glittering in the blinding Florida sun. The other hotel guests milling about at the entrance looked way posher than broke college students like you and your roommate, and a million miles (maybe a million dollars) away from the crowd at the motel you’d stayed at during last year’s spring break trip to Myrtle Beach. Somehow, you couldn’t picture these people setting up a slip-n-slide on the staircase between floors or drinking jungle juice out of a tub. 

Which was okay with you. All you wanted from this trip was the chance to relax, anyway. 

As you were dragging your suitcase off the airport shuttle, the sound of squealing tires caught your ear. A shiny red sports car zoomed into view, coming to a stop inches from where you and Jang-Mi stood, Lamborghini logo sparkling in the sun. An absolutely stunning blond man climbed out of the driver’s seat, clad in a green and white Gucci bomber jacket, and flipped his keys to the valet. He caught you looking and flashed you a charming smile and a wink. 

“Ooh, well, hello,” Jang-Mi muttered under her breath. “Looks like your ride is here, roomie.” 

You merely laughed as the two of you entered the lobby behind Mr. Gucci. Opulent didn’t even begin to describe the place–ornate chandeliers dripped from the ceiling, lighting the cavernous dark wood and chrome lobby. Fresh flowers decorated every surface, and a wall of windows behind the reception desk gave you a view of the dazzling courtyard, where three large pools laid separated by lounge chairs and palm trees. 

You could already see yourself lying on one of those chairs, all alone, sipping a cocktail from the cabana bar, enjoying the sun in silence.  Jang-Mi and Hoseok could have your room for the week, as far as you were concerned–you could just camp out by the pool 24/7. 

“Jimin!” At the sound of Hoseok’s voice, you and Jang-Mi turned towards the elevators. Hoseok emerged with a wide smile plastered across his handsome face, and strode across the lobby to hug Mr. Gucci. After a few seconds, Hoseok spotted Jang-Mi. “Mi-Mi! You’re here!” 

He quickly embraced your roommate, and you suddenly became interested in your luggage tags as the two of them greeted each other only using their tongues. Once they came up for air, introductions were made. 

“This is Jimin. We grew up together–our dads are business partners. He’s studying at the University of Florida.” Hoseok grins. “Actually, he’s not doing any studying this week. He’s blowing off his classes to join us for our spring break!” The two men then proceeded to perform a complicated handshake ending in both of them miming throwing back shots and slapping asses, making Jang-Mi giggle while you fought the urge to roll your eyes.

Must’ve been nice to be able to take two spring break trips in a year without worrying about classes or other responsibilities. If only you’d been born into a wealthy family, too. 

“Jimin, this is Jang-Mi, the girl I’ve been telling you about.” 

Jimin grabbed your roommate’s hand and pressed his plump lips to it as she giggled again. “Lovely to meet you. Hobi’s been talking my ear off about you.” 

“And this is Jang-Mi’s roommate, YN.” 

It was your turn to feel Jimin’s full attention, and holy hell, did you feel it. He lightly grasped your hand, fingers rubbing your knuckles as he brought your hand to his mouth, kissing it gently with his pillowy pink lips. His touch sent goosebumps rippling down your arms, and you couldn’t deny that he was hot as fuck as his gaze raked over you. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he purred your name. 

“Likewise.” 

“Jimin was just about to show me his new toy,” Hoseok informed you and Jang-Mi. 

“Yeah, got my graduation gift a little early,” Jimin grinned. 

“I can’t believe your dad got you a Huracán EVO Spyder,” Hoseok shook his head. “Sick.” 

“He bought you a spider?” Jang-Mi blurted in horror. “Spiders are so creepy!”

Hoseok burst into laughter, pulling Jang-Mi into a hug. “You’re so cute! It’s a car, babe.”

Jimin sniffed imperiously. “Yeah, my dad had her specially made–most come with a double-clutch system but he had them put in a classic manual transmission for me. She’s my second Lambo. First one was okay, but this one–she’s got some wicked power under the hood. Maxes out at 200 mph.” He grinned, leaning towards you. “Are you the kind of girl who likes to go fast? Wanna go for a ride?” 

Just as quickly as your desire for this man had appeared, it suddenly evaporated. Jimin was just another spoiled little rich boy, with cheesy lines to boot. Why did they always seem to go hand-in-hand? Oh, right, they assumed you’d swoon over their money and didn’t expect to have to work for your attention, so why bother to come up with something clever?

Hoseok saved you from having to answer. “I’ll text you when we get back and we can maybe make some dinner plans?” he asked your roommate, who nodded enthusiastically. “Cool. See you ladies later!” 

“Come on, I wanna get checked in so I can start planning my outfit for dinner!” Jang-Mi squealed, and you shook your head at her adorable excitement as you followed her to the reception desk. She was really crazy about Hoseok.

Once in your room, the two of you prepared for your evening. You tried to freshen up enough to look like you weren’t currently experiencing wicked jet lag while Jang-Mi primped as if she were preparing for a runway show, full hair and makeup going once she’d finally settled on a dress to wear. 

She suddenly turned to you with a solemn look, putting her curling iron down. “Roomie, I’m nervous.”

Applying a coat of mascara to your lashes, you blinked in the mirror. “Nervous about what?”

“I mean, I really like Hoseok! More than I thought I did, you know? Like…”

“Like beyond just wanting to jump his bones?” 

She nodded so seriously that you couldn’t help but laugh. “Jang-Mi! That’s wonderful! So what do you have to be nervous about?”

“I’m just afraid I’ll mess it up somehow! Like I’ll get in my head and say something stupid or do something cringe or maybe I’ll accidentally tell him I like him and he won’t feel the same and then I’ll–”

You cut her off before she ran out of breath and collapsed into a pile of gasping anxiousness. “Okay, okay, I get it. I think you’re already psyching yourself out over nothing–the man obviously wants you here, he gave you a free room to come and hang out with him–but I get it.” 

Jang-Mi worriedly twisted the cord of her curler. “Will you make me a promise, roomie?”

“Anything.”

“Can you–can you just hang out with me this week and help keep me calm like you do? So I can be around Hoseok without making an idiot of myself?”

The image of you lying on one of those lounge chairs, soaking up the sun in blissful silence, vanished before your eyes as you smiled at your roommate. “I will stick by your side and give you all the support you need to finally get your man, okay? I promise.”

So that’s just what you did. Whatever Jang-Mi wanted to do, you also did. Sunbathing on the beach? Shopping at luxury boutiques? Visiting the hotel spa? If Jang-Mi went, so did you. And so did Hoseok, of course, which was fine.

But unfortunately, if Hoseok was there, that meant Jimin was, too.

It only took about five minutes of talking to Jimin to realize he was absolutely not your type. Your assumptions about him being the type of man to flaunt his wealth proved to be true as he bragged about his car and mentioned his family’s vacation homes in Rome, Tokyo, and the Hamptons all within the answer to your opening question, “So, what did you do on your other spring break?” 

You tried, you really did. Knowing that Jang-Mi was worried about things going smoothly with Hoseok meant that you had to watch your tongue around Jimin, fearing that upsetting him might upset Hoseok. So you kept trying to engage him in conversation in the hopes of finding something you might have in common. Not that he ever bothered to ask you anything about yourself, always steering the conversation back to himself any time you attempted to jump in with something remotely relevant from your own life. 

He was an absolutely shameless flirt, too. Unfortunately, his personality (or lack thereof) was too much of a turn-off for you, so you continuously avoided his advances, politely rebuffing him as best you could, hoping he’d eventually get tired and pursue any of the BTS groupies who had also flocked to Miami for spring break with the boys. 

But rejection appeared to be a foreign concept to Jimin, and instead of discouraging him, it simply made him try even harder. And he started using his considerable wealth to do it. He paid for all of your meals, bought you drinks at every bar and club that your group visited, even slapped down his black card when you pondered splurging on the best package at the spa. No matter how much you argued with him or attempted to slip your own (debit) card to the staff, Jimin managed to scoop up the bill every time. 

At first you’d felt guilty, but you quickly got over it the more you were subjected to his dull monologues (you can’t call it a conversation if one person does all the talking, can you?). Not to mention the incessant pick-up lines, each one worse than the last. By the time the week was half over, you’d stopped caring and simply accepted him buying everything as your payment for putting up with him. 

And now you’re here, stuck in a ridiculously expensive car zipping down US Highway 1 towards the Florida Keys, with the most noxious man–no, boy–you’ve ever met. Hoseok and Jang-Mi are in the car ahead of you, another fancy Lamborghini that Hoseok rented for the day, since there are no backseats in Jimin’s car. The plan is to go snorkeling, and you’re excited that you’ll get a little break from Jimin for once because he won’t be able to talk your ears off underwater. 

If you guys even make it to the Keys, that is. For all his talk about his beloved Lambo, Jimin’s clearly spent very little time behind the wheel and doesn’t appear to really understand how a clutch works. You, on the other hand, know how to drive stick, and you recognize that the constant grinding sound every time he shifts is most definitely not a good sign. 

He’s either playing it cool or legitimately doesn’t seem to see any reason for worry as he grins, fingers curling around the shifter again. “Traffic is thinning. Let’s open her up a little, shall we?” he asks rhetorically, and as he toggles the knob, stepping down on the clutch, the car lets out an ear-splitting shriek of metal-on-metal and begins to vibrate. “Uh. Fuck. Let me try…” He shifts again, and the squealing sound intensifies. “Fuck!” 

“Is everything okay?” you ask, knowing full well the answer is no. 

“Yeah, sweetie, no worries.” His smile is dazzling but his sunglasses are still lowered enough for you to see the fear in his eyes. He presses a few buttons on his console and Hoseok’s voice suddenly blares through the speakers.

“Jimin? What’s up?” 

“Hey, the Lambo’s kinda making this weird noise.” As if to corroborate his story, the car squeaks again. “I’m going to pull over for a second to try to figure it out.” 

“Do you want us to stop with you?” 

“Nah, keep going and we’ll catch up. I’m sure we’ll be back on the road in a few minutes.” 

But fifteen minutes later, you’re still sitting on the side of the road, sighing heavily as Jimin scrolls agitatedly through his phone. He’d lowered the roof, at least, so you’re getting a nice breeze as you wait impatiently for him to realize that he’s going to need a professional to fix whatever’s wrong with his car.

Finally, he lowers his phone. “Maybe something just got caught in the engine? Let’s head back out and see if we still hear it.” 

He flips the ignition, steps on the gas, then steps on the clutch. Nothing happens. He repeats the steps, to no avail. With an angry curse, he slams the shifter back into park and kills the engine again. 

“I think we’re going to need a tow truck,” you declare, pulling out your own phone. 

“No way. A tow truck driver will take one look at this car and charge me double what he’d charge anyone else.” 

You can’t help yourself. You laugh right in his handsome face. The man who has been throwing his credit card around all week is suddenly feeling frugal? “You’re seriously worried about paying too much?” 

“It all adds up,” he informs you sagely, and you roll your eyes. “Let me see if I can figure this out.” 

“Well, if you’re not going to call for a tow, what exactly is your plan?”

He shrugs. “You can find anything on the internet. There has to be some article somewhere that will tell me what to do.” 

“Ah, right. I forgot, mechanics don’t even undergo training anymore - they just sit in their shops and Google ‘how to make car go’ all day.”

Jimin’s smile disappears as he glowers a little. “Look, just give me a minute, okay?” His fingers fly over his phone again. 

“I’ll give you ten. And then I’m calling a tow.” 

Twenty minutes later, Jimin sulks quietly while you wait for the tow truck to arrive. You’d managed to find a shop that specializes in imports like his Lamborghini, but it’s back in Miami city limits. So much for Key Largo and snorkeling. 

You’re expecting panic from Jang-Mi when you tell her as much, figuring she’ll insist on making Hoseok double back for you, or even send you a rideshare, but to your surprise, she’s totally fine. 

“You know, this might be for the best!” she has the audacity to tell you when you slip out of the car to call her. “Things are going really well with Hoseok today. I think we’re okay on our own!”

Well then. “That’s great! But what the fuck am I supposed to do now instead?” 

“I don’t know, just keep Jimin company, I guess? He’s probably going to be upset if his car’s fucked up.” 

You haven’t told Jang-Mi how much Jimin repels you, not wanting to burst her happy little Hoseok bubble, so you bite your tongue again instead of stating your desire to ditch him as soon as possible. “Yeah. I guess. Hopefully the shop can fix whatever’s wrong quickly enough that the whole day isn’t shot.”

Jimin triggers the mechanism to close the roof as you climb back into the car. You’re contemplating telling Jimin you’re going to call a rideshare when a gigantic black truck slowly pulls over in front of you. The license plate reads “BEOM 1.” “This must be the guy from Tiger Motors,” you sigh thankfully. 

A tall, vibrantly purple-haired man dressed in a greasy pair of navy coveralls climbs out of the cab of the truck and ambles back towards Jimin’s car. He saunters, really, his walk a little bow-legged but confident. When he reaches the driver’s side, he slowly lowers himself until his face appears in the window. 

“Howdy. Y’all need a ride?” He grins at Jimin, and then his gaze shifts to you, and you literally feel your breath stick in your throat as his smile shifts into a smirk. The man is absolutely gorgeous, dark brows setting off deep brown eyes and a plump lower lip adorned with a spider bite piercing on the right adding to his beauty. Multiple other piercings dot his brow and nose, twinkling as they catch the sunlight reflecting off of the driver’s side mirror. 

“What do you think?” Jimin grumbles petulantly, and the man just laughs, thumbing towards the truck. 

“C’mon, go take a seat in the truck. I’ll be done here in a minute.” He strolls away to prepare the towing mechanism. 

Jimin reaches the cab first, and you wait for him to open the passenger’s door for you, but he just leans against the vehicle with his arms crossed, so you sigh and yank it open yourself. He really doesn’t seem to like that you took charge, and is choosing to act like a huffy baby about it. 

The tow truck only has a bench seat in it, so you slide into the middle of the cab to make room for Jimin beside you, carefully arranging the skirt of your short sundress so it covers your bare thighs. 

Jimin stares out the side window as you wait, arms still folded. Even when the driver joins the two of you, he doesn’t turn to acknowledge him. If you’d known all it would take to get Jimin to ignore you was taking charge, you would’ve done this day one. 

The three of you ride in absolute stillness for a few minutes before the tow truck driver clears his throat. “Spring break?” 

“Hmm?” You tear your eyes from the highway to glance at the driver. The light streaming through the window filters through his violet locks, giving him a soft glow. 

“You two on spring break?” 

“Oh. Yeah.”

“Mmm.” A hush falls over the cab after your short answer. You turn back to the windshield, the dotted white lines on the road lulling you into a hypnotic trance, only to startle slightly when something brushes your thigh. Glancing down, you see the driver’s hand on the stick shift, which is currently close enough to your leg that his hand rests against it. 

“Sorry, it gets a little crowded in here with three,” he apologizes, moving his hand. 

“No worries.” You’re transfixed by his arm. Tattoos cover nearly every inch of visible skin, flowing from his bicep all the way down onto the back of his hand, and you realize there’s another sleeve of ink on his other arm as well. And then he catches you staring, and you feel your face heating as he shoots you a quick wink. You snap your head back so quickly, your neck cracks. 

“It’ll be about another ten or fifteen minutes until we reach the shop,” he informs you. “I can turn the radio on, if you’d like?” 

Jimin seems content to continue ignoring the two of you, so you answer. “Sure, thank you, uh…” 

“Jungkook.” 

“Thanks, Jungkook.” 

With another smile, this one softer, his long fingers twist the knob on the console and music fills the air. Again, you find yourself watching his hands as he drives, and it quickly dawns on you just how ridiculously horny you are. 

It’s been weeks since you’ve had the time to go out and get laid. You’re always too busy for anything serious, but lately you’ve also been too occupied to find the time to scratch that particular itch with your usual no-strings hookups. And while your main plans for this week were originally to find some peace and quiet alone, part of you was also hoping to sneak in a few quick trysts in between naps by the pool.

And then Jang-Mi made her request and Jimin glued himself to your side and any hope of getting in even just one good quick fuck went right down the drain. 

So you find yourself gawping at the handsome man whose strong hand keeps flitting against your thigh, and you wonder if he can feel the goosebumps that arise there every time. 

Gnawing on your lip, you wait for the next brush, and when his hand skims against your leg again, you push back. Just a little. 

Jungkook’s eyebrow quirks, a silent confirmation that he felt your touch. His hand glides by again, and this time you watch the stick shift and realize he’s not even changing gears, and you wonder if he even has been this whole time. 

Jimin is still facing away from you, pretending neither of you exist. 

One more touch, and you raise your leg off the seat slightly, nudging harder. You glance at Jungkook’s profile and witness his tongue darting out to lick his lips, catching a brief glimpse of silver on the pink muscle. Another piercing. Your attention is suddenly drawn away by his pinky as it hooks itself under the hem of your skirt, pulling the cottony material up just an inch or so as he draws his hand back. It’s enough to make you nearly gasp as his finger dances up your thigh, tracing patterns into your skin. 

You can feel yourself starting to grow damp and shift slightly in your seat, clamping your legs together. Fuck, you must really be hard up if you’re getting wet from just this. 

Jungkook fiddles with the radio, turning the volume up. He glances at you. “Is this okay?” And then his hand lands on your thigh, bypassing the stick shift completely. To Jimin’s turned back, it would appear that he’s asking about the music. 

“Yeah,” you breathe, eyes focused on the long fingers lightly gripping the soft flesh of your upper leg. His palm is warm, heating you despite the AC blasting throughout the cab, and the contrasting sensation makes you shiver. 

Jungkook slowly slides his hand underneath your skirt. You bite your lip as hard as you can, doing your best to keep your heavy breathing down enough that the music covers you. His gaze never leaves the road, but you glance at Jungkook’s face as his fingers slip between your thighs and graze your underwear, finding how drenched they are, and his eyes widen briefly before he smirks, spider bites glinting as his lips twitch.

“Are you getting close?” Jimin whines, his voice cutting through the air like the annoying squawk of an airhorn, making you jump. Jungkook’s hand is back on the steering wheel before Jimin finishes twisting in his seat. “Has it been fifteen minutes yet?” 

He’s wearing a ridiculously expensive Patek Philippe on his wrist, so there’s no reason he can’t answer that for himself, but you don’t point that out as Jungkook just grins. 

“Shop’s right there,” he indicates with a wave of his hand as the truck turns off the highway. 

The garage is quiet, a few other luxury vehicles scattered about in various states of repair. Once Jungkook finishes detaching the Lamborghini from the tow truck, Jimin immediately corners him. 

“Exactly how long is this going to take?”

Jungkook shrugs. “We gotta run diagnostics first, to see what the issue is. Once we know that, we’ll know how long it’ll take to fix her up.” He pats the hood of the car tenderly. 

Jimin frowns. “And once you know the problem, you’ll start working right away to fix it, right? Or do we have to wait for you to finish the other cars first?” He cranes his neck, scanning the garage’s waiting area. “I don’t see anyone here waiting, so we should get priority, right?” 

“You in a big hurry to get back to your kegger?” Jungkook leans his lanky frame against the Lamborghini’s hood, and Jimin’s eyes narrow.

“Can you please not sit on the car? I just had her waxed!” 

Jungkook raises his hands as he straightens up. “No problem, man. Let me grab my boss and we’ll get going on the diagnostics, okay? He can answer all the other questions you undoubtedly have.” He wanders off towards the garage’s little office as you give Jimin a look. 

“Is that how you usually talk to your mechanic?” 

Jimin squares his shoulders. “Look, sometimes you have to be firm with these people. Otherwise, they’ll walk all over you and charge you twice what they’re worth while they do it.”

Crossing your arms, you just sigh, hoping Jang-Mi is having the time of her life right now with Hoseok. 

When Jungkook returns, he has another unbelievably handsome man in tow, dressed in matching overalls covered in dirt and grease, with thick curls barely restrained by a bandana. As he peers at you with dark, alluring eyes, a thin white stick dangles between his full lips, and he tugs on it slightly, revealing a cherry red lollipop. 

“I’m Taehyung. Welcome to my shop. Jungkook said you had some questions for me,” he says in a calm, clear voice full of bass, and you realize you’re once again gawking as the man breaks eye contact with Jimin long enough to wink at you. It occurs to you that Jungkook might have told him about what the two of you were up to in the tow truck, and you glance away as your neck starts to heat.

Jungkook jerks his thumb towards the waiting area. “You can have a seat in there,” he murmurs to you as Jimin starts firing off questions at Taehyung. “They might be a while.” 

You nod gratefully, happy to slip away from Jimin for a few minutes.

Eventually, he comes to join you. “Well, that was a waste of time. They couldn’t tell me when we can expect to be out of here or what sort of cost I’m looking at or anything.” 

“Mmm,” you reply, not bothering to remind him that they have to run their tests to diagnose the problem first, knowing he won’t listen. “So, should we get a ride out of here…?” You hold up your phone, where you already have your rideshare app open. 

Jimin scoffs. “You want to pay for surge pricing right now? It’s spring break, those companies are all charging triple what they should!” He throws himself into one of the plastic chairs sitting against the wall. “Besides, I don’t want to leave my baby here alone with those two.” 

His baby? Blech. 

“Well, I don’t mind paying for a lift, so I’m just going to head back to the hotel, if that’s okay with you.” 

The pout leveled your way is quite powerful. If you were a weaker woman, you’d be on your knees right now, trying to console Jimin as he gazes at you pitifully. “You’re going to ditch me? First Hoseok, now you?” His lower lip is practically dragging on the ground. “Fine. Just go. You know what, maybe I’ll see if Hoseok and Jang-Mi are done snorkeling yet–maybe Hoseok will come keep me company.” 

As much as you might be annoyed with your roommate, you’re not about to let Jimin cockblock her. Jang-Mi is going to owe you big time when this trip is over. Like, firstborn-big. 

“No, don’t do that,” you sigh. As gracefully as you can, you flop into the seat next to him. “I’ll stay.” 

After thirty-or-so minutes of scrolling on your phone, Jungkook pops his head into the waiting area. “We’ve narrowed it down, if you want to come look.” He strolls away without waiting for an answer, and Jimin follows, and so do you, out of sheer boredom. 

As soon as you reach the car, Taehyung launches into an explanation of the issue. You’re only half-listening, too distracted by the way his rather plush lips form the words as he says them, but you catch that the issue has to do with the clutch. “It’s surprising,” he drawls in his deep voice, “given how few miles you have on her, the clutch mechanism shouldn’t be worn out already, but it’s definitely ground down.” 

“And what would cause that?” Jimin asks.

“Not knowing how the fuck to drive stick,” Jungkook mutters under his breath behind you. You tip your head to catch his eye, and smile at the way his nose wrinkles when he grins back. 

“Could just be that the part was defective to begin with,” Taehyung states, and you marvel at his diplomatic answer. “But the good news is, we have a replacement on hand, and we can definitely get you fixed up today.” 

“How long, and how much?” 

“About two to three hours. As for the cost, here is our estimate.” Taehyung holds out a piece of paper. Jimin snatches it up as his eyebrows disappear beneath his perfectly coiffed hair. 

“Uh. I need to make a phone call.” As he heads towards the shop’s entrance to step outside, you catch the beginning of his conversation. “Hey, Dad, remember when you said I couldn’t have the limit on my credit card raised any more? Well….” 

It’s just you and the two mechanics now. You shift from one foot to the other, hands in the pockets of your skirt, not quite knowing how to make small talk, when Jungkook gently pats the hood of the Lamborghini. 

“It’s a damn shame that this beauty is being wasted on that prick.” He runs a hand along the hood of the car, long fingers skimming lightly over the curve of the metal. “He clearly has no idea what he’s doing with her.”

“No kidding,” Taehyung pipes up. “That clutch is so worn down. I’m not sure how he did that. Ride it constantly, maybe?” 

You snort, unable to suppress a snipe. “With him, it’s more likely that he talked it to death.” 

Taehyung’s smile is slightly boxy and sends a wave of warmth flaring through your body as you share a laugh. Meanwhile, Jungkook giggles delightedly, and for the first time today you feel yourself relax a little, content to be in their company while Jimin is still outside, obviously begging daddy for more money. 

Taehyung wanders around the other side of Jimin’s car. “But you do have a point, Kook. She’s obviously way more than he can manage–I mean, just look at her. You can tell it’s been too long since she was last handled properly.” He sucks on his candy, eyes shining impishly as he peers at you and not the car. “Bet it’s been ages since anything got her motor revving.” 

“Maybe we should take her for a spin, hyung. Really open her up, get her purring.” Jungkook’s looking at you now, too, a knowing grin on his face.

The garage feels a bit stifling all of a sudden, and you wonder if you’re flushing as the two men smirk at you. 

“Do the two of you usually take your, uh, client’s cars out for a ride?”

“We’re professionals. We follow a strict code of conduct.” Taehyung assures you. “We’d never do anything to break our clients’ trust. But…” He caresses the roof of the car as he pops the lollipop out of his mouth. “Sometimes we bend the rules a little, don’t we, Kook?”

“That’s right. And I’m just suggesting we give her what she wants,” Jungkook replies, lowering his ear to the hood. “Can’t you hear that? She’s just dying for someone who knows what they’re doing to take her for a little joyride.” 

“Like I said, we’re professionals.” Taehyung leans over the car, tongue flicking out to recapture the lollipop. His eyes roam over you slowly, like he’s drinking you in inch by inch and savoring every sip. “And we’re not satisfied until everyone is satisfied. So we should give her whatever she wants. Whatever she needs.” 

There’s absolutely no question what they’re talking about now, and the implication has your clit throbbing with need, wetness growing between your thighs again.

Naturally, this is when Jimin reappears. 

“All right. Do what you have to do to get us back on the road.” He holds out his credit card to Taehyung, who nods. Then he pivots on his heel and heads for the waiting area, and once again you’re alone with the two mechanics, but the spell is broken now, and you slink back to the hard plastic chair by Jimin’s side to wait. No matter what you do to distract yourself and pass the time, though, all you can think about is how insanely jealous you are of the Lamborghini, with her hood propped open and two pairs of skillful hands buried deep inside her. 

Nearly three hours later, after you’ve scrolled so far on your phone that you’re sure you’ve hit the end of the internet, the Lamborghini is ready. Jimin is super cranky, so eager to get out of there that he has the car thrown into reverse before you’ve even stepped inside. 

“Thank you,” you say to the mechanics, thanking them for Jimin who barely grunted at them after getting his receipt, but also thanking them for yourself, for making your day a little less shitty than the rest of your week. Sure, it would’ve been even better if either of them had actually taken you for that “joyride” they’d mentioned, but the suggestion alone was enough to lift your spirits, just a bit. 

“You’re welcome,” Taehyung inclines his head. 

“Enjoy your evening,” Jungkook gives you a crooked grin. Both men wave as Jimin peels out of the parking lot, tires screeching loudly. Regret slices through you, a cut that feels like a missed opportunity, a connection denied, but you don’t dwell on it. It seems silly to think too much about what could’ve been. You don’t like to play the “if only” game. 

As you and Jimin rush back to the hotel, you decide you’re going to do something about your unrelenting horniness tonight. Even if you have to bang a server in the bathroom at dinner or fuck someone behind the dumpster at the club afterward, you are going to get laid if it’s the last thing you do. You just have to figure out how to get Jimin off your back for five minutes first. 

Jang-Mi practically floats into your room when she returns from her snorkeling date with Hoseok. She twirls around a few times, humming to herself, stopping when you step out of the bathroom. “Whoa, roomie!” She whistles as you model your dress for her, a short, backless satin halter dress that leaves very little to the imagination. It’s by far the skimpiest piece of clothing you brought with you, something you’d picked up on a whim while shopping for your trip. 

“Is it too much?” you inquire as you study yourself in the mirror on the closet door. 

“Depends. What look are you going for?” 

“I was thinking something along the lines of ‘extremely fuckable.’”

“Oh, you achieved that! I’ll be surprised if you make it to dinner–Jimin’s going to rip that off you the first chance he gets.” Jang-Mi combs through her suitcase, missing the rude face you make at Jimin’s name. 

“I’m not averse to this dress ending up in tatters if it nets me at least one good orgasm. I might explode without one soon.” 

“Says the future doctor.” 

“Shut up. You know what I mean. It’s just been too long since someone else got me off.” 

“Hmmm, can’t relate,” Jang-Mi singsongs as she waltzes into the bathroom. 

“Ohhhh, you mean you two finally…”

“Yep!” Jang-Mi sticks her tongue between her teeth, wiggling it lasciviously. “Hobi and I spent a little time in the shower together at the beach after we were done snorkeling. When I tell you that that man has a strong stroke game, roomie!” she squeals, and the two of you spend the rest of the hour giggling over the sordid details of Hoseok’s impressive skills. By the time you leave for dinner, you’re even more committed to getting your own happy ending, no matter what it takes. 

Of course, the universe does not make it easy for you.

Dinner is a total bust. Somehow the trauma of his poor baby’s breakdown (which he caused) makes Jimin even clingier than usual, and he parks himself at the table close enough to sling an arm over the back of your chair. One might think he’s doing it to seek comfort, but to you it just feels weirdly territorial. All of the waitstaff at the restaurant are too busy meeting the frat boys’ impatient demands for you to attempt to flirt with any of them. Jimin’s obviously not an option, and the only other BTS brothers you’d even consider–the quiet, pink-haired Yoongi or the hilarious, almost-too-handsome-to-be-real Seokjin–are both already sloshed, having pregamed in their hotel room, so they’re both no-gos. 

Somehow, this long fucking day just keeps getting longer, but you’re not giving up. 

After dinner, the party relocates to yet another club. This one blurs together with the others you’ve visited earlier in the week, another cramped room packed full of spring breakers closely gyrating  in the flashing lights. Shots are ordered and you quickly tip yours back before someone orders a second round. It’s when the server returns with the drinks that you glance around and realize you’re basically alone. 

Jimin sits at a table to your left, talking to one of the other BTS brothers–Namjoon, maybe? You’re not entirely certain of his name, since you mainly refer to him as “Sexy Hulk” when talking to Jang-Mi about him. To your right, Yoongi and Seokjin are playing some sort of drinking game that they both appear to be losing, based on how they can’t seem to stand up straight without starting to fall over. Behind you, Hoseok has Jang-Mi pinned to the wall with his tongue down her throat. 

Well, fuck all this. Snatching Hoseok and Jang-Mi’s untouched shots, you down them one-two in rapid succession, then stalk off towards the dance floor. 

As the music swirls around you, you tip your head back, running your fingers over your hair and down your neck. The bass thumps through you, driving all that irritation, all that endless frustration of your horrible trip far, far away. 

All week long, you’ve been holding yourself back, trying to be polite and not cause any trouble for Jang-Mi’s sake. This means you’ve been quieter. Smaller. Less than. But here now, under the strobe lights, surrounded by the crush of bodies losing themselves in the music, you let go. Break free. Arms raised, eyes closed, you give yourself over to the rhythm and surrender to the beat.

A hand brushes lightly over your hip.

Opening your eyes, you twirl in the direction of the glancing touch. A pair of dark eyes gleam at you from a face you never thought you’d see again.

The purple-haired mechanic’s lips twitch at your surprised expression. Gone are his greasy coveralls, replaced by unbelievably tight black jeans and a sheer black shirt, two nipple piercings peering at you through the flimsy material. His hand drops to your side again and this time he grips, bringing you towards him. 

It’s too loud to hear his words, but you know what he’s asking and simply slide your arms around his neck, letting him guide your hips to rock in time with his. He smells like jasmine, and also leather, an unusual combination, delicate and strong all at once, and you shift a little closer as his fingers curl into your dress, sliding it up a little. 

Rolling your body, you grin at the way his breath huffs when your breasts press into his chest. But before you can repeat the movement, he suddenly takes a step back and spins you, pulling you flush against him. As his arm snakes around your waist, his other hand tips your head up so you’re looking straight ahead.

To see the man standing on the edge of the dance floor, watching you both. Wearing a white blazer over a low-cut silk white top, several chains looped around his neck, Taehyung’s untamed dark curls hang in his eyes, but you can still feel the heat of his gaze as he observes you writhing against Jungkook. Another white stick hangs from his lips. 

“Is it okay if Taehyung joins us?” Jungkook breathes in your ear, and you nod emphatically. Oh yes. Please. “Let him know.” 

Raising your hand, you beckon to the other man with a single finger. Come. 

As Jungkook lets go, the older man takes you in his arms smoothly, without missing a beat. He slides a leg between yours and the two of you grind, moving together as one for a few bars before hands on your hips and a solid chest at your back let you know that Jungkook has joined the two of you. 

Hot breath glides down your neck, your cheek. Sweat drips on your arms, your back. Is it yours? Theirs? Who knows. You’re completely ensnared, caught between the two men as you sway to the throbbing beat. Your skin tingles where they touch you, aches where they don’t. You want so badly to stay here, in this song, this moment, for the rest of the night, the trip, your life. With the pulsating music and these two sexy men wrapped around you, you feel so alive.

“Uh, what the fuck?!”

Like a bucket of ice cold water, Jimin’s voice crashes over you, extinguishing the moment. Then his hand clamps around your upper arm, and Jungkook and Taehyung both jump aside as Jimin drags you away.  

“What are you doing?” you shout, yanking your arm out of his surprisingly strong grip once you reach the edge of the dance floor. 

“What are you doing?” he hisses back, glaring. “Out there slutting it up with those two?”

“Excuse me??’” Your jaw nearly scrapes the ground at his response.

“You heard me. All week long, I’ve been buying you dinner and paying for your drinks and dropping ridiculous amounts of money on your frigid little ass, and all I get is a goodnight kiss on the cheek? And then I turn around and see you sandwiched between the help, for God’s sake, just giving it all away for free?!”  

Several partygoers around you gasp as you slap Jimin soundly across the face. He reels, eyes opening wide in shock as his hand flies to his cheek, and you round on your heel and storm through the crowd towards the exit, not slowing when you hear Jimin yell your name. 

The air outside is unexpectedly chilly, and you rub your arms for warmth as you stomp towards the car. The nerve. The nerve of that fucking asshole. He really thought he could just buy you? Throw money at you all week and then, what, you’d fuck him? 

Reaching the Lamborghini, you pause. What exactly is your plan here? You don’t have the keys and even if you did, where would you go? You flick a hand out and touch the roof, expecting an alarm to sound, but nothing happens. Surprising. You’d think Jimin would put an alarm on his “baby.”

Leaning against the car, you drop your head onto your arms. What a fucking disaster of a trip. So much for rest and relaxation. Jang-Mi will be lucky if you ever speak to her again after this. Why didn’t she run out here after you? Oh, right, she probably couldn’t see you with her face suctioned to Hoseok’s. 

Deep breaths. As your heartbeat returns to normal, you hear a small cough, and glance in that direction, towards the back of the club. 

Jungkook lifts his hand in a small wave. He and Taehyung lean against the wall near the fire exit, smoking. Jungkook holds his cigarette out to you, inviting you to join them. 

“You look like you need this,” he says as you approach, and you realize it’s a joint, and yes, yes you do. Taking a hit, you hold it as long as you can, letting it swirl inside you, collecting all your anger, before tilting your face up to exhale it all into the night sky. 

“Thanks.” 

Jungkook nods. 

“Your boyfriend is a dick,” Taehyung announces. Orange embers flare in the shadows as he inhales. 

“Not my fucking boyfriend,” you snarl, taking the joint again. “But he is a dick. A fucking enormous one.” 

Jungkook holds out his hand as Taehyung reaches into his pocket and produces his wallet with a sigh. He slaps a bill into the younger man’s hand. 

“Uh…”

“I told Tae there was no way you were dating that asshole. He didn’t believe me.” 

Even though you don’t really know this man, you’re deeply insulted. “You honestly thought I’d date him?”

Taehyung shrugs. “He’s rich and handsome. That’s all some women want.” 

“Well, that’s not enough for me.” 

“Hmm.” Taehyung finishes the joint, stubbing the end on the brick wall. “What more do you need?” 

You snort. “Anything. Everything. What do you got?”

The flickering light hanging over the fire exit illuminates Taehyung’s face as his eyebrow quirks.

“You’re here on vacation, right?” You nod. “Have you gone for a ride through the city at night?”

“No, my nights have mostly consisted of avoiding Jimin at various dance clubs.” 

Jungkook laughs, the pleasantly high-pitched giggle tugging at the corners of your lips. “I bet that’s a full-time job.” 

“You have no idea.” 

“Well, then it sounds like you could use a break. We could show you around, if you’d like.” Taehyung gestures to himself and Jungkook. “Give you a tour.”

“A tour?” 

“Yeah. You know. Go for a ride.” 

If Jang-Mi were here, she’d tell you not to go. You can hear her now, grousing at you to wake up and snap out of it, insisting that you bid these men, these strangers, goodnight and walk right back into that club. But honestly? You’re tired of always doing what Jang-Mi would want. All week long, you’ve been so worried about making sure she’s having a great time that you’ve sacrificed your own happiness. 

Tonight is about what you want instead. And right now, more than anything, you want to have some fun. 

“Mmmm. That does sound… kinda nice, to be honest.”  Fuck it. “Okay. Let’s go. Which one is your car?”

“This one right here,” Jungkook replies, veering over to the Lamborghini and stroking the roof. 

“Uh.” Both men look at you expectantly. “Very funny. That’s Jimin’s?”

“It sure is. And I think she’s still waiting for that joyride.” Jungkook winks. 

“Riiiight. Are you suggesting we steal his car for this… tour?” you ask, fingers twisting nervously into your skirt. What had Taehyung said earlier, about bending the rules? This is not that. This is breaking them. You’re no saint, but for the most part you’re not a rulebreaker. Grand theft auto is way beyond anything ‘bad’ you’ve done before. 

“We’re just going to borrow her for a little. We’ll bring her back, in perfect condition. But don’t you want to see what she can do in the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing?”

“And someone who ‘knows what they’re doing’ - that would be you two, I take it?”

Jungkook reaches forward and pinches your chin in his fingers. You go still at his touch, staring up into his warm doe eyes. “Yeah,” He lowers his face, brushing your mouth with his as he breathes the words, “Want me to show you?” 

Ams wind around your waist, tucking you against him as you kiss. You’re vaguely aware of Taehyung walking away, too focused on Jungkook’s tongue slipping into your mouth. His nipple rings brush against your chest as greedy hands slide down your bare back and grip your ass tightly, and he swallows the shocked yelp you utter. Strong fingers caress your flesh, holding you close, and you lose yourself in him, arousal pooling in your belly again. 

Until a strange jingling sound catches your attention. Taehyung slides a thin metal tool into the passenger’s side door of the Lamborghini. After jimmying the rod a few times, the locks spring open. 

Jungkook immediately opens the driver’s side door and jumps in while Taehyung leans over the roof. “You in?”

“Are you okay to drive?” you question Jungkook.  

“I don’t drink,” he answers. “Just had a few hits. I’m fine to drive.” 

“I promise you, he’s fine,” Taehyung adds. “I wouldn’t get into a car with him otherwise.”

Again, both men look at you, waiting. 

Nibbling on your lower lip, you contemplate for a minute what you’re doing. Stealing Jimin’s car and riding away with two near-strangers, slightly high and slightly drunk, to go god knows where and do god knows what. 

Finally, this vacation is looking up. 

“Fuck it, let’s go.” 

The smile on Jungkook’s face is electrifying, as he dips his head beneath the steering wheel, popping a panel open and hurriedly twisting a few wires together. The engine roars to life. 

Taehyung climbs into the passenger’s seat and spreads his long legs. He glances at you, patting his lap. “Come on.” 

Carefully, you fold yourself into the car. Your legs fit between his, back against his chest, ass firmly on his crotch. He wraps the seat belt around you both before his arms do the same.

“Safety first,” he chuckles, a low rumble that vibrates through you. 

Jungkook flips on the headlights, and smoothly backs the car out of the parking space. Before he shifts into drive, he presses the button to lower the roof, opening the cab up to the heavens above. 

“Ready?” he asks.  

You nod.

He revs the engine once, twice, and then steps on the accelerator.

The air whips through the car as the three of you burn down the highway. Tilting your head back, you watch the stars zoom by, tiny specks of light blurring into streaks as Jungkook presses the pedal into the floor. He lets out a joyful whoop, and you can’t help but laugh, elation coursing through you. It’s exhilarating. 

The city is awash in neon lights as you race past soaring skyscrapers and imposing high rises. Jungkook is an amazing driver, handling the road so gracefully, one hand on the wheel, the other on the stick shift. This time, after he switches gears, he doesn’t lightly brush your leg, he firmly clutches it, giving your thigh a tight squeeze that has you yearning for more. 

Taehyung says something, but the wind carries his words away, so Jungkook flips the roof shut. 

“What was that?” 

“I was just asking if you were enjoying the ride.” 

You twist slightly, looking back and up at him. “This is easily the highlight of my day. My whole week, actually.” 

“Is that so? As happy as I am to hear that, I can’t help but feel it’s a fucking shame. And I’m guessing no one’s been taking care of you all week.” One of his arms is still wrapped around your waist, holding you tight against him, while the other has drifted down, resting on your knee. You can’t help but stare at his fingers like you did Jungkook’s. Taehyung’s are longer, you note, observing the way they tap on your skin like he’s drumming along to a song only he can hear.

“What makes you say that?”

“Kook told me how excited you were in the truck today. He said he barely touched you.” 

Shit, you knew he’d said something!

“He did, did he?” You cast a glance at the man driving the car, and he has the audacity to smile and nod. 

“I did, baby. I’m sorry, I just couldn’t help myself.” Normally, having a man you barely know call you “baby” would set your teeth on edge, but the word drips so sweetly from Jungkook’s mouth that you don’t mind at all. “But to tell you the truth, what I’m really sorry about is that I didn’t get to slip my fingers in before that asshole interrupted us.” His eyes flit back to the road as he licks his lips. “I just wanted a little taste.” 

“Fuck,” you murmur quietly, rubbing your thighs together, suddenly in need of some friction. Wherever this ride is going, it needs to arrive soon or you might actually implode. A little louder, you proclaim, “Oh, god, please don’t mention that man. I don’t want to think about that jerk at all right now.” Both men snicker, simultaneously squeezing your knees. 

“How’d you end up with that guy, anyway?” Taehyung inquires. 

“Pretty sure I’m cursed,” you quip. “My roommate and I were given a free room for spring break, but it turned out to be some sort of monkey’s paw situation. The unspoken cost was having to put up with that fucker all week. But I’m the one left suffering while my roommate is having the time of her life with the guy she likes.” 

“Mmm, poor baby. You’re free of that douchebag now. We’ll do our best to make sure you have a good time tonight, okay?” Taehyung’s breath hits the back of your neck as he speaks. He’s so tantalizingly close, but not as close as you want him, so you decide to make it clear to him that you want more. That you’re here for that good time, nothing more, nothing less.

Rocking your hips slightly, you press your ass more firmly into Taehyung’s lap, smiling to yourself as you hear him hiss slightly. The fingers wrapped around your side grip you a little tighter.

Downtown shines in the rearview mirror as Jungkook takes the car out on the open road, away from the city. Here, he’s able to push the limits of the engine’s power, and you watch as the needle on the speedometer climbs and climbs as he deftly weaves the sports car down the highway, flying past tourists and townies alike out enjoying the gorgeous summer evening. 

“So… where are you taking me?” Your voice is casual, relaxed, belying the tension coiling in your belly as you shift in Taehyung’s grasp, still slowly grinding against him. 

Jungkook and Taehyung exchange a look. “Somewhere scenic, where you can really enjoy all the beauty tonight has to offer you,” Jungkook states, letting his hand drop to your thigh again.

“Somewhere private,” Taehyung adds. “So you can… indulge yourself in what we have to offer you.” Until now, your hands have been in your lap, clutching the hem of your skirt, but you’re struck by the urge to feel him, so you place one hand on his arm where he holds you, and let the other fall onto his thigh. His leg is so solid and strong underneath you. 

It’s been too long since you’ve touched and been touched like this, and you don’t want to wait to reach whatever destination you’re cruising towards to get more. 

“And what exactly are you offering me?” you ask, still shamelessly rubbing your ass into Taehyung’s crotch. 

His lips skim your ear. “Anything. Everything. What do you want?”

Turning your head, you demand, “Touch me,” before his mouth captures yours. He steals your breath away with his kiss, tongue poking and prodding at your lips before slipping inside to tangle with yours. Then he obeys your command, fingers disappearing beneath your skirt as you inhale sharply against his mouth. 

“Oh, naughty girl,” Taehyung groans as he traces along your sodden folds, “you forgot to wear panties tonight, huh?” 

“Didn’t forget,” you practically pant as he dips a finger into your slit, sliding all the way in. “Didn’t want to wear them.” 

“And why was that?” He crooks his finger just so, and you keen.

“Ahhh! So… so…” 

“So someone could do this?” 

Taehyung’s long fingers feel like they were made for your cunt, the perfect width to scissor you apart as he slides a second one inside, the perfect length to find that sweet spot on your inner wall that makes you see stars. 

“Fuck, that feels good,” you praise him, digging your fingers into the meat of his thighs, causing Taehyung to curse into the back of your head. 

“She’s so fucking wet, Kook. Like you said she was earlier. She’s gonna make such a mess all over this leather seat,” Taehyung tuts as he fucks you with his fingers, pumping them in and out rapidly. All you can do is take it, mouth falling open in ecstasy. 

“Is that so?” Jungkook’s hand suddenly lands on your inner thigh, tracing through the slickness there. “Ah, shit, you weren’t kidding, hyung.” His index finger circles your clit before withdrawing. You watch him suck the digit into his mouth. “Shit, she’s so sweet. Like honey.” 

“Oh fuck,” you shudder, watching as Jungkook palms himself through his pants. Then you gasp helplessly as Taehyung adds a third finger, stretching you even more. “Taehyung! Fuck!”

“You like that? Hmm? Poor baby, just needed someone to touch her like this.” His tongue snakes down the side of your neck, hot and wet. The sensation sends goosebumps rippling down your bare arms. “Am I making you feel good?”

“So good!” You’re rapidly falling apart, humping his hand, hips jerking forward to try to get him deeper. “Fuck, so good.” 

Taehyung is hard beneath you, his cock poking sharply into your ass, the sensation making you even wetter than his plunging fingers, so you slide forward a little and reach behind you to unzip him.

“Baby, what are you…?” he rasps brokenly into your ear as you quickly free him from his pants and wrap your fingers around his length, stroking without hesitation. His tip is slick already from his excitement. “Fuck!”

“Are you… do you have…” You can barely choke out the words as his hand withdraws from your core. 

“I’m clean. Are you…?”

“Clean. On… on pill…” With his hand no longer working its ministrations between your legs, you’re nearly out of your mind with need, so you roll your hips back and position his cock so it drags through your soaking folds. He hisses at the way you drench his length, his forehead pressing into the back of your head as he bucks against you. 

“Fuck, are you two about to–”

“Yes!” You and Taehyung shout in unison, cutting Jungkook off. He just huffs out a loud laugh and steps on the accelerator. As the car shoots forward again, easily zipping around the other vehicles on the bridge, you feel Taehyung’s head breach your lower lips. 

“Oh god damn,” you moan, sinking down onto him. He’s not the biggest man you’ve ever fucked, but he is the thickest, filling you in a way you’ve never been filled before. Your toes literally curl as he rubs against your walls. “Taehyung.” 

“That’s right, baby. Say my name.” His thighs slap against yours as he thrusts up into you, hands gripping your waist to hold you in place as he pounds away. “Fucking sing it, baby, such a pretty voice!”

The car fills with your wanton mewling as Taehyung fucks you. Jungkook has one hand on the wheel again as the other rubs at his crotch, and you can’t resist reaching out. His cry of surprise becomes a shaky groan as you pet him through his tight pants. You’d love to help him out, but given the crazy fast speed that you’re currently hurtling along at, that would probably be a really bad idea right now.  

Jungkook must have had a similar thought, because he turns off the highway and brings the car to a smooth stop in an empty lot. A sign enlightens you that you’re at a beach, and that’s as much as you’re able to comprehend in your current state, having your brains fucked out by the sexy man underneath you. 

As soon as the car is parked, Jungkook unzips his pants with trembling hands and pulls his cock out. A flash of silver catches your eye.

“What, ah, ah, is that?”

Jungkook’s tattooed hand is stroking his long shaft furiously, but he stops at your question, running his thumb over the engorged head. He flicks at the piercing, a barbell sticking out of the top and bottom sides of the head. “It’s called an apadravya piercing.” He reclines back against the seat as he watches you and Taehyung fucking, starting to jerk himself off again. The warmth in his eyes has flamed into full-blown lust. “I’m pierced for your pleasure, baby.” 

“Ah!” You squeal as Taehyung gives a particularly hard thrust. “I wanna know, ah, what it feels like!”

“Don’t worry.” His hand moves so swiftly as he concentrates on the way your tits jiggle under your dress. “You’ll find out.”  

“Ah!” you shout again, this time because Taehyung has pinched one of your nipples. 

“You can focus on him all you want later, baby. Right now, focus on me,” he rasps, pinching your other nipple. “I wanna feel this pussy choke my cock.”

“Fuck!”

Rolling your hips, you take him as deep as you can, and Taehyung growls, one hand digging into the flesh of your side as the other tugs at the knot of your halter. The silky fabric spills down your torso, exposing your breasts. Taehyung’s free hand gropes your right breast as Jungkook reaches across the console and kneads the left. Jungkook’s touch is tender, almost reverential, while Taehyung’s is rough and desperate, and somehow it’s too much and not enough at the same time. 

Taehyung’s mouth latches onto your neck, sucking away, and you thread your fingers through his dark hair, holding him in place, urging him to nip harder, to bite and leave his mark. 

“Ah, Taehyung, ‘m so close! Harder, please, fuck, harder!”

With no hesitation, Taehyung’s hands fly to your hips again and he holds you as he pumps into you. Your cries of delight turn to pain as your head smacks into the ceiling of the cab. “Ow! Fuck!” 

The roof suddenly opens, and you shoot Jungkook a grateful smile before Taehyung resumes his thrusting, bouncing you freely now that there’s nothing hanging over you to stop him. As Jungkook’s free hand finds the sensitive nub between your legs, you let your head fall back onto Taehyung’s shoulder, staring into Jungkook’s hooded eyes as he cums, white lines crisscrossing the black ink on his hand. He doesn’t stop strumming your clit, and soon you’re wailing both their names as you’re swept away by your orgasm. 

A moment later, Taehyung clutches wildly at your breasts as he nears his peak. “I’m gonna cum, baby, can I fill you up?”

“God, yes,” you nearly beg, and he lets out a desperate cry as he climaxes, and then there’s nothing but panting and the scent of sex swirling around the tiny cabin of the Lamborghini and out into the starlight. 

“Goddamn,” Taehyung finally sighs, breaking the comfortable silence. 

“Mmmhmm,” you hum, twisting to brush your lips along his jawline. He places a large palm on the side of your face and pulls you in for a proper kiss. 

“Me next,” Jungkook insists, a tiny whine in his voice, and you turn back to the purple-haired driver, smiling into his lips as he kisses you needily. 

The sound of waves crashing on the shore calls to you. 

“Can we go down there?” 

“Sure thing, baby.” 

After clumsily disentangling yourself from Taehyung, the three of you walk down to the beach together. You leave your heels in the car, letting your bare feet dig into the still warm sand as you cross the dunes to the ocean below. 

A cool breeze kicks up, sending your skirt fluttering as you walk along the edge of the water. You take a deep breath, listening to the swell of the waves as they break over and over, and for just a minute, your eyes slip shut as a surge of peaceful contentment ripples through you. 

Free. Standing on the shore, water swirling around your legs as you inhale the salty air, you feel so free. 

Then you turn and look at the two men next to you. 

“Come here.” You raise your hand and motion to Jungkook, who steps forward to embrace you ardently. His kiss hits like a tidal wave, slamming into you, knocking you off your feet. He catches you, arms slipping behind your knees, and you wrap your legs around him as he carries you towards a pavilion a few yards away. 

Taehyung follows, and as Jungkook lays you on your back on a table, the older man kneels on the bench beside it, stooping to kiss you as his hands find the new knot around your neck and loosen your dress again. His mouth trails hungrily down your neck and into the valley of your breasts, and as he flicks his tongue over a nipple, waking the bud, you feel another tongue lapping at your entrance.

“Jungkook,” you sigh, lacing your fingers through his soft hair, holding it back from his face so you can watch him watching you as he works. He flattens his tongue against your clit, the small silver metal bead of his piercing pressing against you just right, and you feel like you’re being dragged in the undertow, losing all sense of self, only perceiving the wetness on your breasts and your cunt, the tongues and lips and fingers working together to pull you under again. 

“Are you ready for me, baby?” Jungkook asks, licking his lips as he slips a finger inside you, then a second one. You’re still soaking, or maybe you’re wet again, you’re not sure, but he meets no resistance as you roll your head back with a moan. “Yeah, I think you’re ready.” He stands and pulls his sheer shirt over his head before sliding his tight jeans off. Completely naked, completely shameless, he stands in front of your spread legs, stroking his hard cock as you admire his beautiful body, golden skin covered in ink and metal sparkling in the light of the moon. 

Taehyung climbs onto the table, motioning for you to sit up. He cradles you, one thigh on either side of yours, hands massaging your arms. You press your back into his chest and tilt your head up to kiss him as Jungkook rubs the head of his penis over your slit, coating himself in your arousal. 

“Will I feel that?” you ask him, nodding towards his piercing. 

Jungkook grins. “That’s kinda the whole point of it,” he informs you as he slides in. 

“Oh, fuck,” you groan happily as he enters you slowly, just the tip, then a little more, languidly plunging in and out. 

“Shit, you feel so good.” His head falls forward, mouth agape as he watches himself disappear into your welcoming heat. “So wet, so tight.” 

He suddenly grabs your thighs, pulling you down the metal table further, and thrusts until his pelvis is flush with yours. You wail in surprise and pleasure as his piercing hits your g-spot. 

“Oh, Jesus!” 

“No,” Jungkook says, thrusting again, and again, faster and faster, “Jungkook.” 

Taehyung’s tongue finds its way into your mouth as his fingers rove over your breasts, tweaking your nipples just as hard as he did in the car. His touch is harsh, callused hands rough on your smooth skin, and he holds you upright as Jungkook fucks you.

“Ah, ah, ah!” 

Jungkook’s fingernails dig in as he grasps your thighs, keeping your lower half in place while he ruts into you. Again and again he hits that spot inside you, an intense expression on his face, hell-bent on making sure you’re enjoying every move he makes. 

Despite the chill in the air, sweat trickles down your chest, and Taehyung collects it with his fingers, brings it to his lips. “Fuck, I just want to run my tongue all over you,” he declares, demonstrating by bringing one of your hands to his mouth and sucking your fingertips one-by-one as you nearly sob.

The nonstop jackhammering at your g-spot overwhelms you, leaves you endlessly moaning, and Taehyung drops a hand to your clit, rolling it between his fingers, and you know your end is coming. 

“Come on, baby,” Jungkook pants, “tell me, are you feeling it?”

“Fuck, oh god, I feel it, I feel it!” you babble, head nuzzling into Taehyung’s neck as you totally let go, every muscle in your body relaxing as you let him completely support you, every muscle except the ones in your core, which are so tight tight tight–

“Oh f-fuck!” Jungkook stammered, hips jerking erratically. “I feel you, holy shit, come on, baby, cum for me!”

Intense, white hot ecstasy rips through you with every stroke. Your orgasm floods your body, drowning your senses, driving everything out of your head except for the words you hear but don’t realize you’re chanting, two names, over and over. Jungkook continues to pump away, but his rhythm gets sloppier and sloppier as you clench around him, until he finally succumbs to his own end, cock spurting hot inside you. 

You melt into Taehyung, who brushes your face with soft kisses, a tender gesture that surprises you as much as it pleases you. Jungkook releases your legs, collapsing forward, and Taehyung scoots backwards, bringing you with him, making room for the younger man to join the two of you on the table. Sandwiched between them, you inhale deeply, breathing in their musly scents. 

Bliss. You feel absolute bliss at this moment. Nothing but pure joy. 

After a few minutes of lying this way, music drifts over the dunes, stirring you from your reverie. Faint, but familiar, the tune repeats itself, and you sit up with a jolt, disturbing both men, who grunt grumpily in tandem. 

“Fuck, that’s my phone!”

It was a random BTS groupie, wanting to know which club you were at, or were supposed to be at, anyway, and your panic subsides, but only slightly. Jang-Mi clearly hasn’t noticed you’re missing, and Jimin hasn’t realized his car is gone, but the longer you’re away, the greater the risk you’ll get caught. With a heavy sigh, you turn to the two mechanics. 

“Time to go.” 

A block away from the club, you suddenly grab Jungkook’s arm. “Don’t park at the club. Stop there.” You point to a restaurant. 

“Are you okay?” Taehyung asks, arms once again locked around your waist. 

You nod as Jungkook guides the car into the parking lot. “I’m fine. Listen.” Swiveling, you sit sideways in his lap so you can face them both while you speak. “I don’t want you to get into any trouble, in case someone sees us getting back. So you walk from here, and I’ll drive it back.” You don’t care if Jimin finds you driving his car–after the way he spoke to you tonight, you’re kind of itching for another confrontation. But you don’t want these two to get caught, knowing Jimin won’t hesitate to call the cops on them.  

“You can drive stick?” Jungkook asks.

You can’t help the grin that spreads over your face. “Of course I can.” 

As soon as he’s out of the car, Taehyung grabs your hip, tugging you to his chest. “Take care of yourself,” he murmurs, kissing you gently. 

“I will. And thank you, for tonight.” 

“You had a good time?” 

Nodding emphatically, you smile. “The best.” 

You feel Jungkook behind you, and as the older man releases you, you spin and fall into Jungkook’s embrace as his lips dance with yours. “Good night, baby.”

Jimin is not outside the club when you park the Lamborghini, and you huff a sigh of relief. Inside the club, Jang-Mi and Hoseok grind on the dance floor, still completely oblivious to the world around them, and you find Jimin slumped over a table, snoring obnoxiously.

“Some men just can’t hold their liquor,” Seokjin mutters disdainfully as he joins you. He’s tilting pretty severely to one side, but he’s still awake and coherent, so you give him that much credit. He catches your wide grin. “I don’t think I’ve seen you look this happy all week. What’s–what’s gotten into you?”

“Oh, nothing,” you hum, tapping on your phone to call a rideshare. In your hand is a business card that Taehyung slipped you when you said your goodbyes. You still have a few days of vacation left. It might come in handy. “Just found my joy.”

© 2022-23 by sunshinerainbowsbts/minisugakoobies. Crossposted to AO3. Please do not copy or repost.

Taglist: @babycoffeefire @parkdatjimin @reliablemitten @yuugehn @ut-dixisti @hesperantha @seokjinger-ale @bangtanintotheroom @taeshuworld @nch327 @hannahbee12719ficrecs @7minsuga96 @dvalitaes @wonieclub @thatlongspringnight @miscelunaaa @acquiescence804 @itsirisz @velvetskize @starbtslove @ajw05

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Space for two

Pairing: demon!Kim Taehyung x f!reader

Genre: smut, both angsty and fluffy, dark themes, positive ending, historical au (maybe like 18/early 19th century Joseon)

Summary: Trapped in a marriage arranged by our families, married to a cold, uncaring man and taking care of a farm in the middle of nowhere, I had sunken to the lowest lows. Aware of my husband's gambling habits and love for brothels that often kept him from home, I'd gotten used to the feeling of falling asleep in a cold, empty bed. But that changed one day, when an uninvited guest made himself quite at home and brought with him warm touches and scorching dreams. Gentleness coming from the one least expected may just be the push into the right direction.

Word count: 25.4k

Warnings: some dark themes, demon Taetae (he's a sweetie though), he's messing with the reader a little tho, he does have some slight yandere vibes, themes of depression and loneliness, infidelity, a shitty husband, some themes and mentions of domestic violence and verbal abuse (at one point the husband grabs her by the hair, throws stuff around the house), mentions of death and murder

NSFW warnings: slightly dubcon-ish (at first he visits her dreams), reader is inexperienced and embarrassed, slight innocence/corruption kink if you squint really hard, wet dreams, fingering, dirty talk, praise kink, making out, handjob, unprotected sex (it's joseon :// you be careful out there), some slight breeding kink, half clothed sex

A/N: super late but finally here!! i'm sorry for all the delays, but this just kept getting longer and longer and i had to juggle it between schoolwork, but i hope it is worth the wait! this is actually based on a korean folklore story of prince cheoyong, which i explain in the end notes so i don't spoil anything hehe

I was preparing the food in silence, the only sounds in the room the clanking of my knife on the cutting board and slight bubbling in the pot over the fire. It was winter and so I kept the doors leading to the yard closed, but I still heard the thuds of my husband chopping firewood, the dull thumps of the wood hitting the ground, the swish of his axe in the air.

I was already well used to this, to the silence of this place.

It was a quiet that could only come from unhappiness and spite, the kind that made you feel lonely and desolate, knowing the only other person around rather chose to not speak than engage with you. It was what I had come to know very well in here.

I had found myself married quite abruptly. It was a little over a year ago, when a messenger from the Ryu family of the neighbouring village arrived at our door. My father accepted him, but didn’t speak of what the meeting was about, which raised some suspicions between the women of the family. I was the second child of the family and the eldest of the daughters, and way past the age when women of my standing usually married. It felt like we all knew what it would come to.

My unmarried status was a bit of a controversial story around these parts.

I wouldn’t call our family exactly disgraced, but we weren’t at the full glory the Kangs used to stand at, back in the days of my great great great great-grandfather, who built the family into a considerable fortune, but whose grandson to the family’s great embarrassment failed the gwageo examinations several times and couldn’t secure an official position. The family had tried to bribe their way into the office, but the local official came from a family that had been feuding with ours for a few generations, over something that was no doubt petty and no longer relevant. He basked in the desperation of our family and wished for nothing more than to see them crash and burn, thus if we couldn’t secure a position through the examinations, he wouldn’t allow any bribery in order to destroy our clan.

The embarrassment continued as neither his son, nor his grandson were able to pass the qwageo and our family was stripped of our title. We had been living on the rapidly thinning fortune, trying to keep some sort of decorum, but feeling the full force of shame the other inhabitants from our area showed towards us. To them, we were pathetic. Just some thirty years ago we were strolling through these streets as if we owned them and now, disgraced and quickly running out of options, here we were – on the same level as them.

My father was able to break the family curse by starting a successful shop with trinkets, toys and other useful little devices, which allowed us to stay afloat money-wise, but cast us further into shame, considering our family had once been part of the yangban class and thus weren’t supposed to work. Even if disgraced, rules applied to us, and we were a great embarrassment to those who we used to call friends and allies.

The curse was further broken when father in his quite advanced age managed to pass the gwageo and got a spot in local office. He pushed my younger brothers into studies, as his pride never took this situation lightly. He was brought up to be an aristocrat, but here he was, working his days away like a commoner. In the end, his obsession was fruitful when two of my three brothers also passed their examinations and entered into civil duty, one striving for the office and one for the military service. The middle son, who struggled with his studies, was put in charge of the shop where he excelled.

As such, we were suddenly catapulted back into our previous standing, after several generations of disgrace, after struggling financially and fighting for survival every month, we were back to walking the streets with our chins held high, wrapped from head to toe in silk.

And that’s where the controversy about my marriage started.

As most young people, I had been promised and engaged to a young boy from a different neighbouring village. Due to the fact that we lost our title, I couldn’t strive for marriage withing the yangban class – after all, social standing was inherited after the mother, so I couldn’t be more than a concubine since I would curse my child with low social status. But that would be a hit to my father’s pride. Therefore he rather engaged me to a son of a lower middle class trader. To them, I was someone of a better status as they had never received a title, and my family would expand their funds.

But then several things happened all almost at once.

We regained our status, thus our marriage in my father’s eyes was no longer appropriate, even though finding someone from the yangban who would want me to marry their son would be nigh impossible. He demanded the breaking of the engagement, which was something the society looked down upon, especially since he had sealed the deal years ago. The two families started feuding, the trader now even more eager to secure me for them, and my father with his regained confidence insisting upon marriage to someone “of our class”. And during this time, the boy fell ill and promptly died.

Since we were engaged, I now was to be considered his widow even though we hadn’t had our wedding, but my father insisted that the engagement was broken off and I had no such obligation. The trader of course claimed the complete opposite and demanded we go through with everything as was arranged. The people in the area, even if they followed the drama between the two families closely and listened to gossip religiously, they themselves couldn’t tell who was telling the truth. Our engagement had been in place for years, but it was also widely known that my father has changed his mind and demanded for the wedding to be off.

In the eyes of some I was free to marry, but some viewed me as a young widow, a ghost bride, and thus I couldn’t find another husband unless I wanted to bring huge shame on the family and reap cosmic consequences. But most simply disliked my father for his underhanded tactics and newfound arrogance.

But this situation had made the question of my marriage impossible to solve. It was already unlikely that a match of my father’s expectations would be willing to take me as a first wife and honour me as such, since the yangbans looked down on us heavily, and now I had become tarnished goods in the eyes of potential suitors. My family still tried desperately to pawn me off to someone, but we had turned into a huge joke between the families in the area and I was doomed. Some even started to view me as a cursed woman, touched by black magic, that would bring death to any man who would want to marry me, and that was a final nail in the coffin of my marriage.

But my father wouldn’t give up so easily. He still had something that many desired enough to risk a curse on their family – money and power.

Thus, when the messenger had come and father refused to divulge any information about the nature of the meeting, the wives and daughters that had amassed in our house over the years all whispered about a potential engagement. I thought it was possible, but it was probably for one of my younger sisters. I was wrong.

The Ryu family used to be a powerful local aristocracy, but over the last few generations they had fallen considerably. Their disgrace wasn’t as openly talked about as ours, even though they were the centre of some mean-spirited jokes, however they had one powerful advantage. They didn’t lose their title, just most of their money. While their children still could live their lives telling everyone they were yangbans, they didn’t have the money to uphold the lifestyle. Only one of their sons had an office and it wasn’t enough to keep the whole extended family afloat. There were rumours of gambling, addiction and unwise spending, which were the most probable factors in their fall.

They knew no one self-respecting would marry their children, who were all pushed into working for their livelihood, and they couldn’t marry under their standing lest the children lose their status. That’s when they came up with the bright idea to get into talks with our family.

My father didn’t waste any time. For him, this was perfect – the right class, family with still some respect left intact, he had enough money, so he didn’t mind striking a business deal with the mostly impoverished family and I was used to working, as I had also grown up before our rise. It was just the perfect deal.

From the moment I had first heard about it, it was barely two months before I found myself fully engaged and a week away from a wedding to a man I’d never met before. He was the second son; he had a house on the foot of the mountain a little further away from the town that was the heart of this area. It would take some travelling, but still remained close enough to keep close ties.

Our wedding ceremony was brief and awkward, a lot of stilted conversation and pretend joy, while my mother and sisters all gathered around me in silent support. I saw their sad and worried eyes, the graveness of their usually more cheerful voices, the barely masked sympathy they looked at me with when I interacted with my stone-faced husband. Marriage was something I had since long made peace with, after all it is what every woman has to face at some point in her life, so I had just squeezed their hands and smiled at them gently, whispered words of assurance and prepared myself for the long journey to my new home.

I had soon found out he was a cold quiet man, rough and unhappy. Most of the time he wouldn’t address me with much more than grumbling complaints, cross when I tried to speak to him, when I asked him questions or requested something to be bought, turning away from me and rather spending time tending to his house and to his animals.

I was suddenly confined to a few rooms within an unwelcoming dark house, knitting or sewing or cooking, trying to lose myself in the mindless tasks of caring for a man and a household instead of dwelling on the growing despair in the pit of my stomach. Since then the situation between us has considerably worsened, but I found that the angrier he grew with me, the less he wanted to see me and the more he avoided me, which had begun to bring me relief. I was lonely and I did feel abandoned, but it was better than surviving in the same room as him.

I had gotten used to the air of gloom hanging over this dwelling.

My hand reached over for another carrot and found none, and I startled myself out of reminiscing. The vegetables were cut and the stew was boiling vigorously, so I busied myself with finishing. The sounds of chopping wood have ceased and I could no longer hear any traces of my husband’s presence.

Curious, I opened the door and peeked outside. The bitter coldness of the air immediately bit into my face and I shuddered, my body shocked by the sudden freezing temperatures when it was so warm from the kitchen fire. Looking over the yard, I didn’t see the hulking form of the man I’d come to live with, but I did see his fresh footprints in the snow leading towards the pig sty. Satisfied I walked back in and closed the door again. Rubbing my hands on my arms and cheeks I hurried back to the pot to warm up.

Soon the sun would go down and night would fall, so he was tending to the pigs for the last time tonight, making sure they had everything, which gave me a little more time to finish up dinner.

Some maybe half hour later the door finally opened roughly and he made his way in wordlessly. There were wet footprints on the floor left behind and a puddle was slowly gathering as melted snow dripped from his coat. I bit my tongue and said nothing, just pulled out the table and started setting it for dinner.

No words were traded and yet the atmosphere chilled considerably, the mood dropping low along with the sun on the horizon. We sat down, we ate in silence. Once he was done, he again got up, put a fresh coat on and was out of the door before I could even wish him a good night.

I used to ask where he was going, but there was no longer any need for that. He spent his evenings and nights in the same place every day, it was a habit that must have started a little before our betrothal. He had found himself some new friends from the town, friends that very happily spent most of their time playing cards, smoking opium, drinking and crawling from brothel to brothel.

Around the time of our wedding, he only joined them a few nights of the week and usually came back in the middle of the night. Back then I saw it as a problem and oftentimes tried to dissuade him from throwing away money this way. His family lost all they had because their young lord lived this exact lifestyle, it was foolish for him to fall down the same trap, but it was a frequent cause of arguments between us and the more I pushed for him to not go out and spend so much money, the more he wanted to. Gradually he went more often, came back later, until I had started waking up to an untouched, unslept in bed.

But I do have to admit that nowadays I saw it more as a relief that he never spent his nights home, even if that meant our already hard-to-come-by money was being thrown out the window like it was nothing. I’d come to prefer spending time alone.

I cleaned up after dinner and started preparing myself for bed. The ritual of changing clothes, brushing out my hair and smoothing out the bedding on the mats was helping me calm down every evening, but tonight I couldn’t find rest for some reason. While I sat on the floor and carefully brushed my hair, the house felt chillier than usual and I kept hearing soft creaks from the outside as if someone was walking around on the porch. It’s just the wind and the frost, it must be.

Unsettled I lost the battle with myself and went to look out into the yard. The moment I got near the door, suddenly a gust of chilling wind bust the door open and I screamed with shock, covering my naked arms to shield them from the frost. Immediately I jumped towards the door to close it back up, not before looking out into the yard and the forest beyond the walls of our house. There was a full moon hanging over us in the night sky and its light allowed me to see everything with startling ease, casting an eerie silver glow over the murmuring trees. I quickly shut the door and sat back down to help my heart calm down, as it was beating so hard I feared it might tear right out of my ribcage.

After I laid down, it took me a long moment to settle down enough for sleep to start licking at my consciousness. I kept startling myself with every crack and every hum of the wind outside and the fright from before still coursed through my veins, making me shiver and trying to persuade me there was something wicked hiding behind the darkness, lurking in every corner and waiting for an unguarded moment.

But somewhere along the way I did nod off and when I woke up in the morning, I was certain the strong arms that at some point found their way around my waist and pulled me into a warm wide chest were nothing more than a dream. An embarrassing dream that just spoke of my sombre solitude.

In the first months of our marriage, much to my chagrin, Minhwan practiced his marital rights almost nightly. Some nights he would return late from his outings with friends and immediately roll over on me and demand I submit. I did of course, it was expected of me and I was well aware of that. I had been taught that.

But over the course of several months, the frequency of such encounters lessened as I wasn’t getting pregnant, until we no longer even spoke to each other and his side of the bed became permanently unoccupied.

Of course, there was a simple, and really the only, reason for my introduction into this family – a child. A son. That was the end-goal of this union and the purpose for my existence in their eyes. After I had failed to fall pregnant despite months of effort, the man I married who already wasn’t very kind to me slowly turned into someone crueller, angrier. I could see the frustration taking over him until he completely lost himself in the rage at my uselessness.

He couldn’t divorce me, even though my inability to bear him an heir would be a legitimate reason. His family was already teetering on the edge of respectability, and this would make them the laughing stock of the town, since they definitely wouldn’t be able to find him another bride. That was because of the other issue. Money. They bought me with what last they had left and if divorced they would not only lose my father’s protection and financial help, but also wouldn’t be able to scrounge up enough money to buy another woman, if they even found one that was willing.

Minhwan knew that, knew that he couldn’t get rid of me, and even though his status would allow him to take a second wife or even a concubine, he couldn’t afford them. What little he had he gambled away and spent on girls in the red district; and not much was left for actually running the household and keeping us alive. No self-respecting family would let their daughter enter a family like that and women who were after money and status wouldn’t find anything here. And if he had an illegitimate son from a kisaeng, he could hardly bring it here and claim him as an heir, his father would never let him disgrace the bloodline like that.

Thus in his eyes I was worse than useless. I was his doom, a wasted effort that only pushed him further down and he no doubt felt that the best thing I could do for him was to die, so he could remarry. That’s why I preferred when he didn’t return home for the nights. Living alongside such pure hatred was draining.

When I was sitting by the mirror in the morning, I had just heard him return home. I opened the door a crack and peeked outside, just catching his eye as he was changing into fresher clothes. He held the contact for a few beats of my wild heart and then looked away.

“Breakfast?” he asked gruffly, not even forming a full sentence, while still looking away from me. I followed his gaze and found it stuck to the door leading into kitchen. I sighed quietly, making sure he couldn’t hear me lest he gets angry with my insolence.

“I will prepare it in a second,” was my short answer. He wasn’t interested in hearing anything more, the less I said the better. Thus my morning routine had to be cut short. Walking past him, I was suddenly bombarded with the smell of smoke, stale alcohol and cheap perfume and powder. The stench was a bit too strong for my queasy morning stomach and I felt it roll a few times, threatening to spill even though it was empty. I subtly covered my nose and busied myself into the kitchen smelling pleasantly of food and spices. This room has become my refuge. I knew he wouldn’t overstep here, this was my domain and I felt at least a semblance of power in here.

As distracted as I was, I kept finding my tools in places where I didn’t leave them in. I would turn around and suddenly my spoon would be laying two paces further into the room then I remembered leaving it. I told myself I was just tired, I was feeling unnerved by my husband’s hulking presence on the doorstep of the room, watching me prepare porridge as if fearing I’d poison him if he’d look away for a moment, I was still flustered by my dreams and nervous from the scare the night before. Surely it was that.

That day I spent mostly inside, sitting by a dying fire trying to mend broken and torn clothes, worn thin by hard labour and years of wear, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling of unsettlement that has been plaguing me since yesterday’s evening.

By the time the night fell and Minhwan left again, I found myself quite anxious to be left alone in the cold house, still feeling like a presence was glued to my side, invisible and watching me, but every time I would look over my shoulder, I’d find an empty room. Before settling down to sleep, I walked out and checked the courtyard again, and just like the previous evening, it was illuminated by a silver light so brightly it was almost shocking.

I looked to the sky and was stunned by the giant full moon hanging over my head. The night was calm, much calmer then yesterday, no wind shaking the trees and the only sound was the distant cawing of a bird. The white snow reflected the night sky and blinded me, but not enough to not notice the stark contrast of pitch black footsteps disrupting the otherwise clean coat over the ground. I could see their path clearly, leaving the house and disappearing behind the gate, and they filled me with gentle sadness. With my mind off of the ghost of a feeling that’s been following me the whole day, I made my way back inside to sleep. But I wasn’t prepared for what the night had prepared for me.

As soon as I closed my eyes and started drifting off, I felt the mat and bedding shifting as another body laid down next to me. I had fully accepted it, not questioning the arms making their way around my waist and pulling me into a warm hug. It felt as a very clear dream, and I found myself fighting to open my eyes to see, but instead chose to sink into the comfortable atmosphere. There was a hum behind me, but the voice was so deep and pressed so close to me it almost felt like a purr. Non-consciously I answered with my own, drifting with the current. I fooled myself into this, so desperately needing to feel a nice touch that I didn’t even want to think about why somewhere deep down I felt alarmed and unsettled at the situation. I buried that away and let the hands run along my sides, basked in the quiet humming somewhere right behind my ear and the warmth it filled me with.

When I woke up in the morning, it was to the sound of a door slamming open and heavy steps and sighs. I was confused for a few moments, subconsciously searching for the comfort I had felt in my sleep, only to be hit with a wave of embarrassment and mortification. I had been dreaming again, imagining inappropriately a stranger’s presence in my bed, hoping for a touch and comfort of man’s hands.

I felt the blush spill over my face just as the door to the bedroom flew open and my husband found my gaze. I saw suspicion in his eyes, most probably not used to seeing me in such a flustered state and questioning what could stand behind it. His eyes shifted subtly over the room as if looking for a hidden lover and in my mind I chuckled. He dragged me away into the woods, and living in the middle of nowhere and not allowed to leave the house without him or an attendant I couldn’t afford, how could I have possibly found a lover? No one came here and I went nowhere, the only company I knew was the animals and a warm fire, a needle and a thread and worn books, I couldn’t take the same liberties he has been taking for a better part of our marriage.

When Minhwan made sure I was completely alone, just as he left me, he looked back to me and asked for breakfast. That broke the strange silence and I was thrown right back into the routine of my normal days.

Over the following few nights, the dream kept coming back to me, but every time the unknown man in my fantasy went a little further. More often than not I found myself waking up with a start, blushing red from head to toe at the daring hands that kept straying more and more south, embarrassed with myself but also not wanting them to stop before I had the chance to experience whatever my subconscious wanted to grant me.

At first, his hands would only lightly caress along my side, as if trying to console me and help me sleep peacefully, while he hummed along some kind of a lullaby behind me. Everything always felt pleasantly fuzzy and I’d come to think of him as my dream guardian. My days, in comparison, felt dull and sad, and I’d found some sort of peace in these dreams.

But soon, the direction started to change. The hands strayed lower onto my thighs, grabbing the flesh lightly and teasingly, or going over my stomach until they were right under where my breasts were. I could feel him pressed closer to me too, his front moulded around my back, shoulders caging me in, the sweet humming slowly turning into something more akin to satisfied purring, causing me to flush red and a rush of excitement to flow through my veins. He always laid behind me and his existence felt like half here half not, but the closer he pushed himself, the more solid his presence was, the warmer I felt in the embrace and the more flustered I woke up.

Clearly, I hadn’t been taking proper care of my body and it was screaming for some sort of attention, there was no other explanation for these embarrassing dreams. The shame I felt from such urges surfacing in this manner was overshadowed only by the pressing loneliness, and I kept telling myself that even if I am a married, proper woman, dreams are dreams, and indulging in them a little wouldn’t hurt anyone, right? So, I let myself slip into sweet sleep every night, anticipating where my mind would take me.

During the day the little slip ups would continue. I would misplace things, find them in completely different places then I’d left them before. Sometimes it felt as if I was losing my mind, that the combination of the strange dreams and my sudden scatteredness meant I was finally feeling the effects of the situation I’d find myself in. But I could swear sometimes I would catch a glimpse of shadow or hear a gust of wind that sounded suspiciously like a laugh when I couldn’t find something. It made me feel even more insane.

The moment I realised what was truly happening came a few days later. Even though I was a little unsettled, I’d grown accustomed to the dreams and I treated them as my little escape, no matter whether I should have been concerned or not. I felt comfort from them and they felt like a dirty secret of mine, something I shouldn’t have been doing but it felt so nice I couldn’t stop myself. My husband spent all his nights god knows where doing god knows what with god knows who, I could allow myself this little thing.

Usually, I would sleep through the night without a problem and in the morning I’d be woken up by Minhwan coming back home and barging into the bedroom to ask for a breakfast, but that night for some reason I was shaken out of my sleep somewhere in the dark hours of the early morning. There was some noise outside, something that sounded like a wolf howl, and it was so close I was almost afraid to check the yard in case there was a wild animal there, but I had to go see whether the rabbits and chickens we were keeping were peaceful, just to be sure.

I moved to get out of the bed, but found an arm around my waist pinning me to another body and keeping me in place. My first instinct was to panic, but quickly that was overridden by utter bottomless embarrassment. What if Minhwan has been returning home earlier than I thought and this whole time my mind only substituted some unknown man in the place of my husband as I was falling asleep? Had I been embarrassing myself in front of him the whole time, dreaming about such immoral things and imagining a stranger’s embrace? But he had never touched me like this, and even when we shared a bed at the beginning of our marriage, he never showed the habit of hugging something while sleeping. He always kept himself to his side and never touched me unless completely necessary, even during marital activities. I couldn’t imagine him slipping quietly into bed in the middle of the night and embracing me so tenderly.

Complicated emotions flooded me, not knowing what to make of this, but in a moment of weakness I fooled myself into thinking this could maybe be a beginning of a better marriage. That was shattered the moment I reached back to gently pat at his thigh to wake him up to go check on the animals. There was some shuffling, the arm tightened around my mid and suddenly I could feel him nosing at the crook of my neck, laying a single long wet kiss there. I froze and flushed, completely flustered and even more confused by the situation. Then he chuckled and ice cold flooded my veins. I felt myself freeze in place, terror keeping me so still I barely even breathed. That wasn’t my husband’s voice. It was deep and velvety, rich like the dark chocolate I’d once gotten the chance to try in the city, completely different from Minhwan’s quiet rough commands.

Fear was making it hard to think, but I knew he realised I was awake based on how stiff I’d gotten, I could hear him quietly breathing and waiting for my reaction. There was certain amusement to him, I didn’t know how I felt it, but somehow I just did, something about him gave off excited anticipation and I imagined a sly smirk stretching his lips as he laid there. Then suddenly as if everything caught up to me, I felt my body jumping into motion, tearing his arm away and flying out of the bed. I grabbed the first thing I could see, which were my shoes, and turned around to try my best in defending myself against this stranger that’s apparently been sneaking into my bed deep into the night.

But the moment my eyes fell on the bed, it was empty. No sign of anyone being there. Frightened out of my mind, I searched the room with my eyes, but it was mostly bare and there wasn’t a place that could hide a man. I knew he was bigger than me, I’d felt him behind me and I was sure he couldn’t have been hiding in the sorry state my bedroom was.

For a moment I just stood there and processed before my knees gave up on me and I slid down to the floor, shoes still tightly clutched in my hands, heart beating out of my chest. I wasn’t going insane. My mind wasn’t playing tricks on me. There was something not human in my bed.

Needless to say, I spent the rest of the night sitting on the bed leaning on the wall and watching the room. My eyes frantically jumped to any movement, even the tiniest flickers of shadows would make my hands twitch, fingers tightening around my slippers, ready to jump out and fight for my life. But nothing happened. The only sounds I could hear were coming from the wind tearing into the walls of the house and messing with the trees and branches outside, and at some point the room was so still I almost felt as if I fell through the cracks into a painting and was now stuck inside.

Thus I had hours to sit there and stew in my fear and humiliation. Whatever the being was, it must have had nefarious intentions, why else would he sneak in like that and make my dreams turn to such depravity? And here I was, fooling myself into thinking it was okay to feel such cravings and giving into them, anticipating them and with bated breath hoping maybe the next night the dream lover will finally cave and touch me in a way I’d barely ever felt in my life. Instead I almost gave myself over to a demon, let him have my body and feed off of my energy, damn my soul and prove that I truly was cursed.

I also had a lot of time to think of my next steps. But what could I really do? I could never tell Minhwan and ask for his help, he’d chase me out as an impure woman. Once I’d tell him the nature of the encounters,  he’d accuse me of adultery and use it as an opportunity to get rid of me. If I was returned to my father in such a manner, death would be more welcoming than facing his rage and humiliating the family. Telling him would do more harm than good.

I could buy myself talismans and hide them around the house, but there were many, each of them used for a different ailment. I’d have to visit the village shaman and pay her to exorcise me and our home. I’d have to explain to her the troubles I’ve been having so she could paint me appropriate protective talismans. It was obvious that the being must have been a demon of lust and once I admitted that, the delicious  gossip would no doubt spread and I would be as good as dead.

No, I couldn’t tell anyone what was happening. I had to chase him out myself, no matter what it took. Come morning, I was completely exhausted but determined to deal with the situation myself.

When Minhwan barged into the house, pale in complexion and with dark bags under his eyes, I was already preparing the breakfast on the small table, looking similarly dead on my feet. The man’s eyes flitted over me, but he didn’t seem to take notice od my state and only grunted, pleased at not having to wait for food or scream for me to leave the bed.

I was so lost in my thoughts I didn’t even notice when he left for the yard, didn’t even have time to process the usual air of coldness and disinterest he brought with him, as I was too preoccupied thinking of the unwelcome guest. The little tricks with misplacing things must have also been him. I felt rage lick at the edge of my mind, suddenly making itself known in such an intensity I surprised myself. I’d fully start to believe I was no longer capable of feeling such strong emotions, but here I was. Thinking of million ways to get back at someone who’s been making a fool of me for his own entertainment for the past weeks.

The next few days were suspiciously uneventful. No more visits, no more “dreams”, even all my tools stayed suspiciously still and didn’t suddenly appear at places they weren’t supposed to be, but I wasn’t a fool. I knew he wouldn’t give up so easily, not to mention I still couldn’t get rid of the feeling of being watched or messed with.

And slowly he had begun giving me subtle hints he was still as present as ever. The books that were put in order, the robe that was waiting for me on by the partition one evening, water refilled in a cup I knew I’d finished. He suddenly switched to being helpful instead of messing with me, but I knew it was all just entertainment to him.

One of the bigger ones was some days later in the evening. I’d taken to walking around the veranda checking on the yard and the forest outside of the yard walls. As usual, there were footsteps in the snow, my husband left them there every night when he left, but that evening there was something different about them. I frowned, trying to discern what about them caught my attention. I leaned over the railing to inspect them closer with a sense of foreboding looming over my head like a silent monument. The moment I realised what it was I gasped and dread and anticipation filled me. The footsteps, they didn’t lead from the house. They led towards the main entrance.

This must be it, I thought to myself. This must be the night.

When I walked back inside, I lingered around each room a little, watching the surroundings like a hawk and expecting him to jump out at me from every corner and every shadow. But the house was still and silent, not even any sounds from outside creeping in. I slowly walked towards the bedroom and found it empty and in the same state as I’d left it. I made it through my little nightly ritual without a hitch, but anxious and expecting something to happen any moment. It didn’t. Lying down in bed, I continued sharply watching the room, but to no avail. Even though I could basically taste the anticipation in the still air of the room, and knew the demon was most definitely watching me back, he didn’t make any move. I fell asleep suddenly, without realising I was even teetering on the edge and when I woke up, I wasn’t sure whether the fingers I felt gently carding through my hair just as I succumbed to sleep were my imagination or not.

He didn’t return abruptly, instead he slowly built it up, as if testing how far I’d let this go. Sometimes he would hand me things when cooking or I would be looking for something only to find it gingerly sitting on the table a few hours later, as if suddenly becoming helpful would make me more accepting of whatever his end goal was and I would let him return like nothing happened.

The problem began when he started leaving flowers for me. The gentle quivering of my heart when I saw a beautiful little flower in bloom laying by my bedside was alarming to me, and I didn’t want such a confusing feeling to enter my life. But I couldn’t help myself.

Without thinking I picked it up and brought it to my nose. It smelled sweetly, almost too ripe, the scent permeating the air and everything around it, making me slightly dizzy. I couldn’t remember when was the last time I received a flower like this, maybe when my little brother was still a child and brought it for me from playing in the fields. Our father scolded him then, for running around with other boys instead of studying, but after that whenever either of us saw the little white blossom, we would giggle at each other, sharing smiles like tiny secrets.

I was startled by a tear sliding down my cheek at the memory, the sudden reminiscing of my family, of the one person I was truly close to before he joined the military and went to Hanyang. He was to be married soon too, already at that age when the promises turn to actions and I couldn’t wait for the spring to come so I could travel for his wedding. I’d met the girl before, she was a shy quiet daughter of a smaller aristocratic family who just recently got their title for their merits. I quite liked her, even if I didn’t get much time with her before leaving.

He was the one person in our family who had a chance of a happy marriage, I hoped he would. No matter what our father tried to create out of him, he was a sensitive boy, full of mischief and laughs. I so desperately wanted his life to turn out better than mine did. Or that his marriage wouldn’t end up like our eldest brother’s did. He had married first, when we still scrounged for money, I remembered going to his wedding as a young maiden and being swept away in the celebrations, wishing for my own wedding with red blushing cheeks as young girls did. His wife was a practical woman, strong and resolute, but kind. They never had much affections between them, but they had an understanding and their marriage functioned well. I believed my brother respected her as a husband should his wife, but I was wrong.

After our title was restored, our father started pushing my brother to divorce her so he could marry a lady from an aristocratic family, but he couldn’t do that. She had given him children and wasn’t causing him any troubles, so a divorce wouldn’t be allowed. So my brother did the next best thing. He married a woman of a high standing and made her his main wife, pushing the first wife into a secondary position in the family and robbing her children of their inheritance of the title. Since then she became quiet and withdrawn, no longer she was allowed to make any decisions and lived only to serve a man that didn’t even look her way anymore, couldn’t even explain to his firstborn son that he no longer would inherit his estate and left her to pick up the ashes and survive such disgrace.

It was terrifying when it happened. While she never showed much gentleness, she always smiled at the children and sometimes would sneak me sweets like I was one of her own, even when I was the second oldest child of the family. My heart bled for her, and I started to fear my own marriage, knowing I would never get any aristocrat’s respect due to our family history. At that time, I had no idea that what would happen to me would be even worse.

I was startled by a sudden touch on my cheek, a finger wiping away the few stray tears falling down while I sat on the ground and stared at the pretty flower. I gasped and tried to flinch away, but another arm snaked around my waist and I could feel his head leaning on my shoulder. He sat behind me once again, like always, holding me as if he didn’t want me to see him.

“Shhhhhh…,” came his deep honeyed voice, whispering in such a gentle way that I could feel a wave of goosebumps hitting me, “I didn’t know it would make you cry.” Against my better judgment, I could feel my body relaxing into his embrace and a few more tears slipping out. He rocked us from side to side, trying to console me, but it was like my dams broke and soon I was sobbing in his arms, pushing my face into his shoulder and clutching the single blossom in my shaky hands.

I couldn’t say when the last time I was held so tenderly by someone was, but it must have been when I was a child still, begging for my mother’s touch any time something happened. I was warm, wrapped into him, and soft. There was a hand in my hair, carding through the locks and caressing me like a lover would. I couldn’t stop the stream of tears and emotions and I felt ashamed and scared. I couldn’t trust him, and it hurt because no one’s ever treated me so softly, but I knew. Knew it might be just a way to get closer to me. So I decided to allow myself this just for a moment.

I let him hold me, listened to him hum some kind of a song I didn’t recognise, let him lull me into a half-asleep state until I was draped over him, boneless and numb. His hands never strayed like before and he seemed to be genuinely trying to console me. In my mind I scolded myself, believed myself pathetic for falling for such tricks and for being so desperate I would let a demon embrace me just to feel some warmth, but outwardly I didn’t let anything show. I was too drained for that.

When I quieted down and just limply hung off of his frame, he must have decided it was time to sleep. He grabbed me and carried me onto the bedding, making sure my head was pushed into his shoulder so I couldn’t look at his face. I found it strange, but had no energy to ask him anything, just letting him manoeuvre us around until we were lying just like we used to before I caught him, on our side with him behind me. Sleep came and claimed me suddenly and out of nowhere, but I found myself strangely comfortable.

When I awoke in the morning, the house was silent and the bed was empty, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Would I have confronted him and demanded answers? Or did I allow myself to be vulnerable around someone that wished for my downfall and now I found myself inappropriately attached? One thing I knew for sure was that I didn’t like thinking about it, and so I got up and went about my day as if nothing had happened. I did find myself wondering what happened to the flower, as it was nowhere to be found, wondering whether it even was real or if I hallucinated it. But after that night, a fresh blossom was waiting by my bedside every evening, leaving me full of complicated confusing emotions. No sight of my demon, though.

“Do you want that?” a gruff voice by my shoulder growled and I barely stopped myself from scowling. The hairpin I had been staring at was suddenly plucked from the table by the eager merchant who understood that question as my husband’s intention to buy it for me. The older man pushed it towards me and started reciting all the reasons why such a lady like me absolutely had to have such a decoration, hoping to pitch it to a loving husband doting on his wife. Unfortunately, his guess was completely wrong.

“How much is it?” I asked towards the merchant, who seemed confused by me talking to him while Minhwan stared daggers into my back. His eyes flitted between us, awkward silence taking over for a few seconds before he stuttered out the price, looking at no one in particular. I went to fish out the amount from my purse, but my hand was stopped by another much bigger and rougher one.

“You don’t need it,” Minhwan said resolutely, voice leaving no space for discussion, “Don’t waste money on useless things.” I gritted my teeth, minutely losing control of my expression as rage swept through me at his statement, but as soon as I saw my husband’s eyes narrow in warning, I schooled myself and pulled from the stall.

“Of course,” I answered with false demureness, shooting the merchant an apologetic smile before ducking my head down and following after Minhwan through the market like the picture of the perfect wife. We walked around for some time, from stall to stall, haggling for vegetables and tools, whatever was needed around the house. Minhwan didn’t like it when I spoke to the vendors, he had me trailing behind him with a veil on or my head demurely ducked down like an obedient wife, and I was to speak only when he asked me something. Thus I spent most of the time in the market saying only “yes, we need it” or “no, I think we still have enough”. I hated it, but there was nothing that could be done.

The ride back to the house was also incredibly tense. I could still feel my husband’s rage at my earlier behaviour and knew that the moment we walk back through the gates of our farm, he’ll have some things to say. So I sighed and waited for the endless journey to finally reach its final destination.

To my shock and unease, nothing came when we walked back into the house, supplies in hands and struggling to pull the baskets through the door. Silence was all that greeted me. Minhwan helped me pull things into the kitchen and then with one last burning hateful stare he walked across the house. I watched him rummage through a chest, pulling out his only other jungchimak he usually wore when outing with his friends. It was the better one, in deep indigo colour, that made him look like a young affluent yangban. I snickered behind my hand and pretended to sort through the different bags and baskets we brought back.

When Minhwan was done changing, he charged out of the door without even a second glance. I looked out of the kitchen door facing into the yard and watched him until the gate slammed shut behind him, then I returned to the task at hand with a sigh. He didn’t do this often, but sometimes when I would make him angry, he just left. Without a word. He likely wouldn’t return until late noon tomorrow morning.

I’d long since given up on trying to stop him when the sun was still high up in the sky, he would still leave, just significantly angrier, which would result in him throwing out more money, so it was better to not get in his way when he wanted to drink, smoke and fuck his frustration away god knows where with the other young men.

I busied myself cleaning around the house and caring for the animals, finishing the work he had left. I found myself gritting my teeth in anger and annoyance as I chopped the firewood, wildly swinging the axe around and taking it out on the logs. When the time to go to sleep came, I was drained, both emotionally and physically, too strung out and tensed to even enjoy my nighttime routine like I usually did.

When I turned to the bed, a single hairpin was lying on the bedding. A beautiful, red, lacquered hairpin with a carving of a flower and a single red gem in the centre. The one I’d been looking at while we were in the town and almost bought to spite Minhwan. A mix of emotions overtook me, the most prominent one being sudden anger. My heart stuttered under the weight of it, the frustration of the day and the past weeks bursting through me in one big eruption.

Our uninvited guest was keeping himself surprisingly scarce after that night I had cried, but kept bringing me flowers. I accepted them with complicated feelings, but I had convinced myself into believing that since they’re already here, since they already have been plucked, it would be cruel of me to not accept them. So, night after night I tucked them away so Minhwan could never find them. I didn’t even know where the demon was getting them, since we were in the middle of a tough winter, but after all, I should care for them all the more, right?

But the hairpin was a step too far. I did not need to be reminded of my shameful behaviour and of the fact that my husband felt it appropriate to blow all his money away but couldn’t spare a single silver to let me buy a hairpin, and definitely not in such a way.

“Okay, come out,” I spoke loudly into the empty room, “We need to talk. This can’t keep happening.” I looked around, but everything stayed silent and still. Then, a soft voice rang out.

“Close your eyes.”

I stood up and crossed my arms defensively, spinning around to try and catch a glimpse of the being.

“Why?” I asked gruffly, speaking to an empty bedroom like a lunatic, “Why do you not want me to see you?”

“I can’t let you see me until you truly want to,” the answer came, the voice just as melodic and soft as it was before, as it was always, and I involuntarily shuddered.

“I do want to see you, right now,” I replied, ticked off. He just wanted to have the upper hand and not face me head on, I was sure of that. There was silence again, seemingly even the wind outside the door quieting down to listen to us, the room unnaturally still.

“You want to scold me,” he answered petulantly after a moment, sounding more like a child. I could hear the pout on his lips, the childlike upset of doing something wrong and not understanding why. My resolve softened a little, but I pulled myself together, determined not to let the demon play me like that. I couldn’t keep letting him get away with everything.

“So you know,” I stated, the anger seeping back into my voice, “You cannot keep doing this.”

“Doing what?” I could hear genuine curiosity in his question, one that filled me with exasperation.

I gestured to the hairpin wildly. “This!” I exclaimed loudly, “The leaving of gifts, the creeping around, nothing of it. Leave while I’m still asking nicely.” Even as the words left my mouth, they felt like an empty threat. What could I possibly do against him? I’d let him go this far, what could I do to stop him now? But he completely ignored the second part and focused solely on the gifts.

“Do you not like them?” there was slight dejection present in his voice, like he didn’t understand why it was such a problem, “I thought you did. You never threw them out.” I cursed my soft heart. I should have never let him get away with bringing me flowers, I shouldn’t have let him get to me like that. I should have been resolute and told him to leave right then, not let him coddle me and embrace me when I felt sad.

I hesitated for a moment, not knowing how to answer. I found myself not wanting to upset him by saying no, falling victim to his sweet demeanour. Again. I groaned with frustration and hit my forehead with my palm.

“It’s not that I don’t like them,” I started a little softer than before, “It’s just embarrassing.”

“Why?” I groaned again. Good lord, this was going to take a while.

“Because…” I stuttered for a moment, the vulnerability of words on my tongue shocking me, “It feels humiliating. My own husband wouldn’t buy it for me and it feels like an insult for a demon to do that.” There was a beat of silence, in which I almost managed to persuade myself that there was never anyone there and I had been talking to myself the whole time, but then he spoke again.

“I didn’t mean to humiliate you,” his voice was quiet, contemplative, “I wanted to make you happy.” That shocked me enough to have me stutter over a few breaths, wildly looking around the room with wide eyes. “W-why?” I managed to squeak out, flabbergasted at such admission.

“It felt like you needed it,” came his simple reply, as if talking about the weather. That statement drained the whole fight out of me, leaving me standing there unsure and confused, filled with shame and wonder at the simplicity of it all.

“What?” I whispered, not really looking for an answer, just voicing out my inner turmoil.

“It felt like you needed it,” he replied a little louder, “You were always so sad. I didn’t like it. You shouldn’t be so sad.” It was such a simple statement and yet it pulled down the walls of my heart and made it flutter. I chided myself for being so easy to fool with a few sweet words, but I couldn’t stop the lightness taking over my heart, the relief bleeding into my every pore.

Someone saw my suffering, I thought to myself. Someone noticed my pain.

“What are you?” I whispered the question into the empty house, but no man stepped out into the light, no shadow moved. He was silent for a moment and then said: “Close your eyes.” And this time I did.

The moment my lids fluttered closed, I could hear slight shuffling of clothing behind me and light footsteps. On instinct I went to turn around, but a hand suddenly tightly covered my eyes, startling me slightly. I jumped a little, pushing myself back straight into his chest, which embarrassingly enough was a position I’d gotten used to over the past weeks. Then a silken ribbon touched my cheek and the hand moved quickly to tie it over my eyes.

“So you don’t try to cut this meeting short,” he explained lightly, voice full of amusement.

“But I do want to see you, is it not enough that I no longer wish to scold you?” I asked, confused by the strange rules.

“You need to desire to see me, truly, with your soul,” he said lowly, voice deepening into the honeyed register I was used to hearing from him and I shuddered lightly, feeling the words trickle down my skin and bite into my very being.

“S-so I can only see you when I want t-to-“ I couldn’t bring myself to finish that thought, the sinful image burning into my brain making me stutter and blush so fiercely I felt as if I burst into flames. I ducked my head, but his chuckle followed me, melting over me. There was no longer any amusement in his voice, now there was something darker and heavier, threatening to consume me from the inside out.

“Smart girl,” he whispered and I couldn’t help the wave of goosebumps that hit my skin when I felt his breath on my ear and neck. The sudden turn from his earlier more innocent voice and words left me confused and flabbergasted, blushing at his newfound confidence. I felt him lean closer into me, nose almost touching the crook of my neck, only to whisper: “Time to sleep.”

Before I could react, he swooped me into his arms and I yelped in surprise, before hiding my face in my hands in embarrassment. He carried me to the bed and very gently laid me there, his hands smoothing down my nightgown and pulling the blanket over us. My face burned, but I stayed silent and let him happily chirp behind me as he pulled me closer to his chest and made himself comfortable.

It felt like years before I fell asleep. I just laid there, feeling his chest move and his breathing deepen until I was sure he was sleeping, but even then I didn’t reach back to untie the ribbon. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to trust his words. That’s how I finally got pulled under, with my heart trembling with careful hope.

Come morning, something new happened. When I woke up, his strong arms were still wrapped around me and as soon as I started wiggling in his grip, he woke up with a content groan and a big stretch, like a cat. I blushed again, which seemed to become more of a permanent thing in his presence. I went to call out to him to scold him, when I realised something. I didn’t know his name. I haven’t asked him for his name all this time.

“Good morning,” came his morning raspy voice, then he burrowed his face somewhere deeper into the bedding and my hair. The ribbon slipped during the night and with my movement it unravelled onto the pillow, making me freeze slightly. I reached for it, playing with it between my fingers a little, before I spoke to him too.

Good morning...” I trailed off uncertainly, not sure how to ask him his name, “d-demon?” I flushed in embarrassment. Truly perfect, why not just call him a pervert if I was going to be like that? Behind me, the man chuckled and wriggled a little, presumably to make himself more comfortable. I couldn’t believe I let myself lie with a man like that, but it was better to just not think about it.

“Taehyung would be a bit better, but I’ll take it,” he replied nonchalantly, but then suddenly stiffened. Before I could truly register his alarm, the entrance door slammed open and heavy footsteps made their way into the house. I panicked and flew out of the bed, but when I turned to warn Taehyung, I was met with an empty bed. The other half was even made as if nobody slept there.

Seconds later, the doors to the bedroom slid open and my disgruntled husband peeked in. His hair was a mess, his face taunt and white, bloodshot eyes adorned with dark circles underneath. He looked like death itself, the exhaustion seeping out of him in waves, but he still managed to scowl when he laid eyes on me still in my nightgown. I wondered what time it was, but concentrated on schooling my expression and not showing my flustered state, my heart still beating wildly in my chest. He regarded me with slight suspicion in his eyes, but ultimately decided not to comment on it.

“Make me a breakfast,” was all he said and then he disappeared into the house. I glanced at my little vanity sitting in a corner of the room and noticed the hairpin sitting gingerly right in the middle of it. I swiped it away quickly putting it with the flowers, and started getting ready for the day. But the thoughts of Taehyung and his words and behaviour wouldn’t leave me for the rest of the day, plaguing me when I was making breakfast, when I was cleaning up the melted snow Minhwan carried into the house on his shoes and clothes, and embarrassingly enough even when I went to wash up that evening, wondering whether he could see me now too.

The peak of the winter came and went, but the layer of snow stayed thick, blanketed over the world and painting it pure white. I had found myself much fonder of the quietness it brought, how it swallowed all sounds and created a bubble of calm over everything, especially when my husband was gone from the house, which has become more and more frequent. Lately he left earlier and came back later, turning more and more pale with every morning. He didn’t speak to me about what he did, he barely ever spoke at all, but the tension in his shoulders and the troubled angry expression that has made itself home on his face told me that he must have gotten himself into some big trouble. I found myself just as anxious, waiting for him to tell me we would be losing it all because he made a bet or let himself be swindled.

Taehyung, during that time, worked hard on trying to distract me, bringing me little gifts and messing about the house trying to help me. Anytime I would come across clothes that have been rearranged or things that have been cleaned up, but put into the wrong places, I would sigh and jokingly glare around the room, but I couldn’t stop the fluttering of my heart and the fondness that spread through me at hearing his disembodied giggles.

During these evenings he took to covering my mirror, sitting behind me and brushing my hair for me. We would spend this time in comfortable silence, resting against each other and enjoying the simple companionship. It was such an intimate act, like we were lovers taking care of each other, like husband and wife who love each other, I would find myself flustered and blushing, feeling like it was my wedding night all over again. It was such a strong contrast to how tensed and hostile the silence was when my husband was around, that I often shamefully dreamed and pretended that Taehyung was my spouse, that this was a part of our life and our routine. He would caress my hair, my sides, press soft kisses to my shoulders, play with my hands and my fingers, and when we retired for the night, he hugged me tightly, pressing himself into me and making me feel safe and secure.

The longer this went on, the more torn with fervent longing I was, wishing this was my life and not just pity that a passing demon took on me. I was choked up with emotions, the words “stay”, “show yourself to me”, “love me” always on the tip of my tongue, fighting to spill, chest heavy and full like I was about to burst. It hurt. I hurt. I wanted a life I couldn’t have; I wanted a man that would take my soul and leave once he’d gotten what he came for, and I hated myself for it and I hated my life.

Taehyung felt this in me, felt this shift from happiness back into tortured silence, I could feel it in his touch, in how gently his hands and fingers regarded me, how reverent his lips were on the skin of my shoulders and neck, I felt it in his voice whispering praise to me. The desperation to make it all better, the frantic beating of his heart against my back because he feared he did something to upset me. No matter how much I wanted to ease him, the words would just not leave my mouth.

And my body, it betrayed me. It lit up with every touch, heat pumping through my veins with every brush of his lips, I could feel it swirling in my lower belly and oftentimes found myself hoping for his daring hands to explore as they had been doing back then before I caught him. But Taehyung stubbornly never strayed from the safe spots, never returned to his previous antics.

One night when he didn’t show up, I had a lot of time to think about where this was going and how I was dangerously teetering on the edge of improperness. When I sat alone by the bed and worried for him, called out to him and then promptly spiralled into believing he had grown tired of me, the feelings of pain and despair it filled me with shocked me. I missed him. I missed his touch, his presence, his voice. I didn’t want him to leave me. I’d grown attached to him, to a shadow that spoke to me and treated me with gentleness and kindness.

I wanted to see him. I looked at the ribbon lying on my vanity, the one he used every night to cover my eyes so I couldn’t swindle him and peek when he wasn’t paying attention. I wanted it gone.

I wanted. I longed. I needed.

Falling asleep that night was a challenge, I couldn’t find a comfortable position when I suddenly laid alone once again, too used to a warm comforting body behind me. And when tiredness finally overcame me, he visited me in my dreams, his bold hands exploring places that haven’t been tenderly touched before; drawing out sighs out of me, body trembling with unknown pleasure as his fingers dipped between my legs and leisurely moved in little circles over the bundle of nerves. My dream self was moaning and writhing in his arms, begging for him to never stop as the pleasure mounted until it burst out in a bolt of pure ecstasy. I jolted awake, breathing heavily and still shaking from the intense sensations. Startled I realised there was wetness coating my intimate parts and the top of my thighs, the sticky feeling making me blush in embarrassment. My whole body seemed to be tingling from this experience and I couldn’t calm myself down.

“Taehyung?” I called out carefully, checking that he wasn’t around to witness this. When no answer came and the man himself didn’t come out and shown himself, I quickly ran to the vanity to grab the first cloth I found and cleaned myself. My shaky hands couldn’t hold onto anything properly and I couldn’t get my breathing back under control, the experience leaving me full of confusing feelings, longing filled with arousal mixing with shame until I my head was spinning and my chest hurt. After that, I didn’t fall asleep again, instead I sat on the bed and tried to make sense of my own heart.

The only thing that saved me from getting suspicious stares from my husband was that he himself barely looked at me. But it felt different from his usual coldness, he looked haunted and worried, too preoccupied with his own thoughts to even realise anyone else was present. It made me anxious. Whatever he’d gotten himself into, it seemed bad and if it came to it, he’d drag me down with him. For the first time in so long I found myself wishing he’d just talk to me, tell me what was happening so I could stop drowning myself in worry. But I knew that if I had come to him and asked him, he would get angry. So I waited for my life to end with bated breath.

Taehyung returned after two days and acted as if he was never gone, as if he didn’t suddenly disappear without a word and left me spinning, thinking he’d never return. When I heard his voice ring out it the empty house for the first time in so long, I couldn’t stop the tears of relief and he spent the whole evening and night holding me and consoling me, whispering into my ear how he’d never leave again.

More than ever I realised the burning desire coursing through my veins whenever he touched me. I wanted him, like wife should want a husband, and it was getting harder to ignore the way my body responded to him. I wasn’t sure if Taehyung was aware of my plight, if he registered how I seemed to stiffen anytime he pushed me closer to himself, how I held my breath when his arms snaked around my waist, how I shuddered when his hands slipped through my hair when he tied the ribbon over my eyes. I didn’t know if he noticed, but if he did, he didn’t say or do anything. Sometimes he would get closer to me, nose at my neck or play with my ear and then he would suddenly stop, as if he remembered himself, and pull away. And I wanted to scream at him. To not go. To do more.

And the more the situation went south in my marriage, the more I realised that my heart has long since been stolen by a being I haven’t even seen, but whose actions spoke louder than thousand words.

And so I decided to take the situation into my own hands. Or, well, to put it into Taehyung’s hands.

Some nights I would dream about him, even when he laid behind me I just wouldn’t have enough. And in those dreams, he would do the things I desired from him. It felt like my dirty little secret, enjoying him in such way in the privacy of my own mind, but knowing he was there. That he could be witnessing me be improper, could be witnessing my needs resurfacing in this manner. He never showed it, but sometimes I wondered if he knew, if he was waiting to make a move. And it excited me even more. The tension kept thickening, and I boiled, I boiled until one day I just… burst.

I had woken up in the middle of the night, woken up by my own dream as usual, hot and breathless, but just short of release, pent up and frustrated and needy. Taehyung behind me stirred, but his breathing stayed deep and stable, arms minutely tightening before he relaxed again. I felt my wetness seeping down my thighs, squeezing them together on instinct to chase the pulsing and throbbing there, choking out a little whimper and squirming in my place.

That seemed to shake Taehyung out of his sleep, I could hear the shuffling of his clothes, his hand flexing on my belly. He raised his head and murmured something, but I couldn’t hear through the rushing of blood in my ears. I was so aroused my head was almost spinning, my mind zeroing only on getting back to the pleasure I had been feeling. I squirmed in his arms again and whined.

“What’s going on? What’s happening?” came his quiet raspy voice by my ear and I could feel goosebumps breaking out over my arms. Without saying anything I reached for one of his hands and pulled it lower, until it laid over my thigh. There was silence behind me and neither of us moved for a moment.

“What?” he whispered again, confusion lacing his voice as he started caressing my thigh, thinking I just needed comfort, “Did you have a nightmare?” I shook my head, frustrated at myself for not being able to get the words out of my mouth, so instead I grabbed his hand again and this time I gently laid it over the very top of my thighs, the tips of his fingers just grazing my intimate area. Taehyung froze for a moment, and I held my breath, fearing his reaction.

But then he released a long breath and his hand moved, grabbing onto my nightgown and slowly pulling it up over my legs. “Are you being naughty?” he asked me playfully and I trembled with anticipation, the searing heat seemingly reaching a crescendo with the promise of his touch. The moment I felt him gently caressing up the naked skin of my thigh, I whimpered again and immediately lifted my leg to grant him access to where I wanted him the most.

Behind me, there was a chuckle, so deep and rumbly I felt it in my bones, satisfied and overjoyed with my eagerness. Taehyung nosed up my shoulder, until I could feel him laying searing wet kisses into the crook of my neck. His hand suddenly shot up back to my knee, grabbing it so he could hook it over his legs and keep me spread. I blushed, but another gush of wetness seeped onto the skin of my thighs at the prospect this finally happening.

“Want to have your pretty little cunt played with, hmm?” Taehyung whispered into my hair, the smirk evident in the smugness of his voice. This was his element, and I ducked my head into my arms, embarrassed by the words and the actions, embarrassed by my body screaming for him. He didn’t seem to need an answer, pleased with my shyness and with how my body responded for me, arching into his touch and begging for more. So he indulged, both himself and me.

His fingers descended between my legs suddenly, shocking a moan out of me as they glided through the wet folds until they settled over the little bundle of nerves. He touched me teasingly, circling it lightly, tapping and pressing on it and then sliding his fingers down to play with my entrance, as if testing how much I would be able to take.

I trembled whole, overflowing with relief, pleasure and burning need for more, spilling out of me on sighs and whimpers. I lost the control of my body as it swayed and arched, pushing into his elusive playful fingers. When my whines took on a more desperate tone, Taehyung finally seemed to be satisfied enough to stop teasing. He started playing me masterfully, fingers drawing tight quick circles on my clit, making me choke on my spit, brain not comprehending the sudden onslaught of sensations.

I found myself hurling towards that edge of ecstasy quicker than I’ve experienced before, my whole body singing under his touch, thrumming with the fulfilment of all the desires that had been piling up over the past weeks.

“Let go whenever you need to, don’t be afraid,” Taehyung whispered to me, voice low and aroused, and I arched with a silent scream as the release overtook me, bursting through my body in a single white flash. Taehyung carried me through it, fingers slowing down but never stopping, little quiet groans leaving him at seeing me blissed out. When the pleasure ebbed away gradually, I pushed his hand away with a quiet whine, feeling too much all at once.

He led me down from the high gently, hands running over my body, over my sides, his voice murmuring loving words into my ear, telling me how lovely I was, how well I did for him. I soaked it all up, preened under his care and attention and loved every moment of it, the fear and insecurity about his intentions taking the backseat for a few calming moments. My body thrummed with the after-shocks of my climax, and I pleasantly floated on the feelings of relief and release.

I was still catching up to my brain, when the words “I want to see you” tumbled out of my mouth. Taehyung’s hand stopped for a moment and then grabbed onto my arm gently. He hummed, non-committally, fingers suddenly teasing again as he lightly dragged them on my arm up and down.

“Do you really?” he whispered sensually, almost purring, and I gasped at the sensation. Before I could reply, he was suddenly gone. I heard him moving around in the room, the sound of his steps, his stable breathing and the light clanking of items as he moved them. I had no idea what he was doing, but when he was satisfied, he returned to me. Taehyung leaned down to me and grasped my arm, pulling me up to stand.

“Get on your feet, darling,” he told me sweetly, the sudden nickname making me blush as if we weren’t just wrapped in each other in such sinful ways. I stood, knees still a little shaky, but managed to hold my weight. I was a little achy, but it was a pleasant and boneless feeling, as if everything had been drained away and all that was left were soft sweet clouds.

Taehyung’s hands left me, and I could hear him stepping away, his heels hitting the wooden floor heavily. I held my breath in anticipation, my hands trembling, my body still confused from the screaming pleasure it was put through just moments ago.

Then, he spoke.

“You can pull the ribbon down.” His voice was smooth, kind and happy. My arms moved as if they had a mind of their own, lifting up to my head to grasp at the ends of the ribbon to pull. When it fell away, at first I was left blinded by the light for a moment. I blinked; eyes hurt from getting flashed with white after so long in the dark. I hurriedly wiped away the few stray tears and gently pressed on my eyelids to alleviate the pressure. When I opened them again, he stood in front of me.

He was beautiful, absolutely breathtaking. I gasped as I took him in, the softness of him.

He had long black hair, half done up into a bun at the back of his head. He was dressed in a black cheollik with red hems and pulled together by a silk red string adorned with dark grey jade, and his underclothes were also in black. He was barefoot, standing on my cold wooden bedroom floor like he didn’t feel the chill at all, when I already started shivering in my thin night robes. My eyes shot back to his face. He was ethereally pretty, all sharp edges but still looking so soft and lovely it stole my breath away. Even though his eyes were shockingly blue, I could see the kindness in them, unlike his mouth that was pulled into a mischievous smirk. Just I as I imagined he so often had.

I could see he started nervously fiddling with his sleeves, face flashing with panic and unsureness. He stepped from foot to foot, looking at the ground bashfully, before looking back up at me with wide round eyes full of pure-hearted earnestness.

“What do you think?” he asked, as if I was looking at fruit at the market. He squirmed in his place again and I couldn’t bare to let him believe that I didn’t think he was the most beautiful man I have ever seen. In a few quick strides I crossed the room to him and threw myself into his arms. He caught me, as always, and I had begun believing he always would, and pressed me closer into him. Before I could talk myself out of it, I pulled him down by his neck and pressed our lips together.

Taehyung caught on quickly, wrapping his arms around me and taking charge, kissing me like a man starved, passionate and hungry and all-consuming, filling my head and my heart with him and only him. I dreaded my husband’s return, because it would mean my little fantasy dream life would dissolve and Taehyung would have to disappear again, but for now I focused on his mouth claiming mine with such fervour it left me breathless.

Seeing Taehyung made things both easier and more difficult. Nothing much changed between us, only now I saw him messing with my things and “helping out” around the house. I heard his endless giggles and sometimes would catch a glimpse of his figure before he disappeared into a different part of the house, and I always trailed behind him and looked for whatever it was he misplaced or swapped.

I found that even though he was visible to me most of the time, he still didn’t talk much, preferring to sit by me and watch me with fond eyes. He would silently take heavy things from my hands and carry them for me, only sending a playful grin my way, or push me away from the cutting board to prepare the ingredients himself with a simple quiet “let me help”. I liked it. Taehyung filled the space with his presence, with kind eyes and gentle laughs and comfortableness I haven’t felt with anyone else. Sometimes laughs would just bubble out of my throat at his antics or at his expressions and I stopped, surprised at my own ability to laugh. I was happy. I felt content.

I loved him, and I knew that. I wanted my life to be like this from now on until the end of time. More and more often I found myself thinking how married life wouldn’t be that bad if my husband was Taehyung, and I blushed at those thoughts, but couldn’t fully fight them away. I imagined him chopping the firewood in the yard (he already did that for me after he saw me with an axe one), taking care of the animals (it wasn’t unusual for him to feed the hens and the pigs after sundown, since Minhwan was already long gone around then) and then coming home to happily eat supper I worked so hard on (he loved my cooking and never failed to compliment me). I loved watching him walking around the farm as if it was him who owned it, him who married me. Him who loved me.

And during the nights… Taehyung was more than happy to dote on me, naughty hands suddenly insatiable once I showed interest, bringing me to the peak of pleasure every morning, wandering around my curves and gently squeezing and loving on every inch he could reach. I melted in his hands, my brain suddenly interested only in how to get him to please me again. But he never moved it further, no matter how much I gently probed, tried to touch him back or insinuated that I would like to do more, he always grasped my hands and pulled me into a tight hug until we ended up falling asleep.

I was confused. I wasn’t a virgin. I knew how it worked between men and women and I trusted him with my body and my pleasure, and I wanted to return it too, learn how to please him too, but he didn’t seem to want that to happen. He would always give me this unsure smile and then hold me all the tighter and I didn’t want to push him.

But while I found my domestic bliss in Taehyung’s presence, it was harshly brought down every time my husband returned home. Even though he’d become strangely withdrawn, he always seemed to fill the house with gloom and uncomfortable tension, choking every spare inch in despair. I was dancing on eggshells around him, trying my hardest not to draw his attention lest he redirects his ire to me.

This explosiveness was also new. He’d been angry at me before, but never like this, never with bloodshot eyes and shaking hands, spewing poison until I was trembling with fear and shame, and then walking out. He would scream at me for the food not being warm, about spilling something on the floor, about not cleaning proficiently enough, and I begun to dread his returns, because he would always smell of alcohol, opium and other vices, and immediately find something to vent on, only to become silent and absent the moment after.

I could see on Taehyung he was worried for me. I wasn’t a fool, I knew he was present and heard everything, I could feel it in his sad tender eyes, in his loving caresses and the little gifts he would leave me. I wanted to assure him that everything was okay, that this was just my life and I had to deal with that, that him being around the house was already making a dreadful reality all the more bearable, but sometimes he just zoned out and I saw the cogs turning in his head, trying to come up with a way to somehow deal with this. But there was nothing that could be done.

While Minhwan spiralled and came home looking worse and worse every day, Taehyung tried his best to raise me up and make me feel better. And I couldn’t be more grateful for that.

One afternoon we were enjoying a particular sunny day, the door to the kitchen cracked open to let in the crisp freezing air, but I couldn’t feel the chill, not with Taehyung plastered to my back. He hung off of me, hugging me and whining playfully, his hands ever so often straying to my thighs or breasts, trying to rile me up while I made broth. I would always slap them away, but I couldn’t hide the blush on my cheeks or the way my body started responding to him and demanding his attention lower.

I was playing with the idea of letting him pleasure me right in the kitchen in the middle of the day, when Taehyung behind me stiffened, arms tightening around me. At first I didn’t register it, but when the sound of snow crunching under someone’s shoes reached my ears, I panicked. Throwing the wooden spoon away I turned and pushed Taehyung away from me.

“Quick, disappear! Minhwan must have returned!” I whispered urgently, almost sobbing with frustration when the dark-haired man just continued standing there as we both listened to the footsteps getting closer. He was looking out the door, his face curious but impassive, as if he didn’t realise the impending doom.

“Taehyung!” I cried out desperately, pushing him away just as the doors slammed opened. I froze and turned to the door, while Taehyung’s arm snaked around my waist and pulled me into his chest. At first I recognised the gesture as protective, but then I realised it was too casual.

I forced myself to see through the panic and registered that in the door stood a complete stranger. He regarded us both with a bored expression, his eyes sliding down my panicked frozen face and then skipping to Taehyung, sneering lightly in a pretend angry manner.

“So this is where you spend your days, I haven’t seen you in forever,” he grumbled a touch whinily and made himself comfortable on one of the seating pillows in the corner. He had elegant gestures and moved about in a graceful manner, he was also dressed in expensive clothes, showing off to everyone his status as a son of a wealthy yangban family. His face was sharp and impassive, but I could see a strange spark of something in his feline eyes.

“Hyung,” Taehyung said cutely and pulled me towards the man in expensive robes, “this is Y/N.” I stared dumbly between the two men, flabbergasted at the situation I had suddenly found myself in. Hyung? Was this another demon?

The man in question nodded towards me, showing polite interest. He looked intimidating, but whenever his eyes jumped to Taehyung, there was softness in them, and his face would suddenly relax and look more human and boyish.

“This is one of my hyungs,” Taehyung said towards me and then leaned closer until he could whisper into my ear: “He’s a tiger spirit.” I gasped lightly and looked at the man. He gave me a goofy toothy grin, his posture loosening as he made himself more comfortable. I slipped into the hostess mode and started offering drinks and food and he indulged happily, even getting Taehyung to take a glass with him. I listened to their gentle teasing for a while, content with watching him be so happy and carefree.

“So if one wants to see your face around these parts, they have to come here, huh?” said the tiger with a little smirk and winked towards me. I giggled and added: “As long as my husband isn’t home.” I immediately blushed, but the feelings of shame I used to feel over this have ebbed away and now I could only feel a little twinge of it as a phantom pain, before I put it away and focused on the men in my presence.

“Oh, I know your husband very well,” the man said, his face turning into a mysterious sharp hungry grin, “He isn’t home very often.” Taehyung tensed behind me, and I glanced at him, before throwing a confused smile at the visitor.

“What do you mean you know my husband well?” I asked, ignoring the way Taehyung’s hands tightened around me. I refused to turn his way, instead focusing my all attention at the dangerous being sat in front of us.

“He plays cards out of his league,” the man stated, eyes glinting with some feral contentment, “He lost a lot of money to a lot of people. An especially big sum to a certain very dangerous man that likes to prowl around those parlours.” It felt as if I was thrown into a freezing water, the panic seizing me at this information. I had known, to a certain extent, that he must have gotten himself into something, but losing in cards and owing money to someone dangerous, that would absolutely destroy my life alongside his. Distressed, I looked to Taehyung, who immediately pushed his hand into my hair in an attempt to comfort me.

“Hyung, stop that,” he scolded the man gently, “Stop scaring her.” I blinked at Taehyung owlishly.

“You knew?” I whispered the question, my heart aching when the dark-haired man looked away with guilt etched into his handsome face.

“I told him,” the older man piped up again, gently inserting himself back into the conversation he himself started, “I happen to have an insight into the situation. Don’t fear, dear, this is between your husband and the forces he messed with.” The vague statement did nothing to ease my anxiety and my eyes flitted between the two men again, but I chose to not say anything anymore. They shared a resolute look, full of determination, and then moved on from the topic.

Mr. Min, as I finally learnt his name, stayed for a better part of the afternoon, only departing once the night fell with only the moon lighting his way. His sharp eyes seemed to glow in the dark and once again I was reminded that he was a spirit of the mountain. I snickered gently at that. Look at me, the cursed widow dining with a demon and a tiger. If the old ladies in my home village knew that, they would lose their minds.

Taehyung wrapped his arm around my shoulders as we watched his friend go, looking at my amusement fondly, but the way his hand squeezed me I could tell he was worried about the conversation we had. I looked at him, truly looked at him, and contemplated whether to bring it up again.

He sensed it, his face turning a little guilty and sheepish again, before turning to me, grabbing both of my shoulders and saying: “Y/N, do you trust me?” Did I? Of course I did. I loved him, I loved him more than I have ever loved anyone. He never failed me, never gave me a reason not to trust him. So I nodded firmly.

“Then know that it will be taken care of,” he stated, voice gentle and kind, “I wouldn’t let this impact you.” I nodded again, looking at him fondly before caving in and seeking the warmth of his embrace. He held me tightly, then and through the night, whispering words of love. I trusted them.

I should have known that this would smudge lines, that me living my little fantasy with Taehyung and him living in the house fully visible would lead to us being careless and slipping. But still, when it happened, I was sorely unprepared for the whirlwind it started.

We depended too much on the belief that Minhwan wouldn’t return home early. He didn’t, in the past weeks. Every morning, I would watch the sun climb pretty high up on the sky before the door slammed open and he trudged in wordlessly demanding food. Taehyung spent the mornings lazily spread out in the bed, stretching like an over-sized cat, grinning at me lazily and watching me get ready for the day. And usually I would be woken up by his gentle hands or kisses, or by the sun shining through to my face, or the cold would make me turn and snuggle deeper into my lover’s arms.

So when I got woken up by a scream, I was shocked and confused to my core. I jerked up into a sitting position, eyes wide open and looking for the source of the commotion, heart beating out of my chest and throat tight. It was a cry of rage, a man’s ire bursting through the quiet comfortable space of early morning.

There was a flash of movement and then suddenly I was being painfully pulled out of the bed by my upper arm. I cried out, legs fighting to get into working order and stop the pain from the uncomfortable angle. Suddenly I was face to face with a seething Minhwan, his face red and bloated, twisted into a grimace of pure primal rage. He grabbed onto both of my shoulders, nails digging into my skin until I feared he would draw blood, shaking me violently.

He screamed something, but I was too tired and shocked to fully comprehend what has happened. Panic started pumping through my veins, my breathing getting out of my control as I choked on the instinctual fear of being met with a man in such an emotional state. He shook me again and I got dizzy. Behind me the bed was empty, but very obviously slept in.

 As if wading through a thick fog, I finally realised he must have seen Taehyung in the bed and my knees buckled. He let me fall, let me knock painfully into the wooden floor as he paced around the door. Thoughts going a mile a minute I scrambled to try and come up with something, with anything instead of just sitting there staring dumbly. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, slipping slowly down as my mouth opened and closed. My head hurt, my chest was so tight I could barely breathe and my heart was beating so fast I feared it might just tear right out of my body. I looked at my shaking hands and released a few strained breaths.

“Are you even listening to me?!” Minhwan was suddenly screaming right into my face and I flinched. It was as if a filter lifted off of the world and the sound was suddenly getting to me fully, the thumping of his feet on the floor, his ragged breathing, his enraged mumblings. I stared at him blankly for a moment and in a split second decided to play it the only way I could.

“W-what happened?” I asked quietly, still looking at him with wide confused eyes, movements sluggish. I put a hand to my head, shaking it from side to side. At least I didn’t have to pretend I had a headache.

Minhwan stopped pacing and regarded me with suspicion. Come on, I prayed to myself, I know you must have seen him disappear in front of your eyes. He watched me for a moment, and I made sure to look as disoriented as I could, blinking blearily around and pulling a blanket closer over my rapidly cooling body. The seconds ticked away as he just looked around the room, watched the bed, the doors, as if measuring whether the man could have gotten away around him. He wasn’t saying anything for the longest time, and I felt like I was losing my mind, fearing any moment he’ll decide I was a liar and do god knows what in a fit of rage, but then he looked at me again with eyes filled with more confusion and fear than rage.

“Do you really not know?” he inquired, and his voice was grating to me, rough from speaking and drinking the whole night. I nodded slowly and then asked again: “What happened? Why were you screaming?” His face filled with determination, and he wordlessly walked out of the room. I scrambled to follow after him.

“Where are you going? What’s going on?” I hammered him, looking for a confirmation that I was safe, at least for the moment, but he just silently started fastening his hat back on. Finally, right before walking back out of the door, he turned to me and said: “I’m getting the exorcist.”

The next few hours I spent sitting in the house in panicked silence, wondering what my fate would be beyond this day. What would the shamaness say? How will this go? Do I have to pretend to get exorcised? I tried calling out to Taehyung, but he didn’t respond once. I bit my nails and paced around the house, counting every second ticking by as if waiting for execution.

By the time the door slid open again and stone-faced Minhwan stepped in, my nerves were completely frayed, and I could barely support my own weight on my shaking knees. My head snapped into the direction of the noise, and I saw a man and a woman step inside. The moment their eyes landed on me, they bowed slightly to me, but said nothing and instead followed my husband through the house into the bedroom. I hurriedly trailed after them, shaky hands with nails bitten almost bloody grasping onto my skirt to ground myself at least a little bit.

When I stepped into the room, Minhwan was gesturing to the bed, still unmade as I was too panicked to clean, and explaining what had happened.

“I walked in and saw four feet instead of two,” he said darkly, anger shining through to the surface again, “They were clearly man’s feet. I threw a shoe at him and started screaming, but then he was just gone. He disappeared into thin air. When she woke up, she was disoriented and had no idea what was going on.” I listened to him with a lump in my throat and when they all turned to look at me standing in the door, my knees almost buckled. I hoped that my nervousness would be interpreted as my unawareness, but when the woman’s eyes bore into me with a startling intensity, I couldn’t help but flinch and look down.

She came over to me and an expectant silence fell over the room, all of us collectively holding our breath and waiting for her judgement. She grabbed my chin, not roughly but definitely not gently, and moved my head so that I was looking at her. Her eyes flitted across my face, in search of something. I wasn’t sure what she was looking for, but I wondered how I must have looked to her. Did I look guilty? Did I look sick? What did she see?

She examined me for a moment and then let me go and stepped back to the man. She looked at him and nodded.

“It is a demon of sickness,” the man spoke, “He was draining your wife’s life energy, eventually saddling her with plague or similar illness. It is good you caught him before he did irreparable damage to her.” I touched my own face, wondering how bad I looked for her to come to the conclusion I was getting drained in such a way, but felt immense relief. Before I caught myself, I swayed, the feelings of anxiety crashing onto me, leaving my body too weak to stay upright. I crashed into the door and barely managed to catch myself before I hit the floor full force. The woman rushed to me and pulled me up, holding onto my arm and helping me stand in a manner she must have believed was comforting.

“Don’t worry, darling, he will not get you,” she whispered in a raspy old voice, “We will take care of this.” I mumbled something out, an insincere thanks, and propped myself up by the door. Instinctively I looked to Minhwan and found him already looking at, eyes coldly assessing me. He was scaring me, I had no idea where I stood with him and what was going through his mind, but I hoped this would buy me some time. I looked back to the floor and started smoothing out my skirts with shaky hands.

“We will get the supplies we’ll need and return tomorrow with the dawn,” the man spoke again, looking mainly to Minhwan, “For tonight, hang garlic and onion around the house. The foul smell will keep the demons away. I will draw you a talisman for your door and main gate, plaster it on the wood and keep it there until we come.” My husband curtly nodded.

The pair started moving towards the door to leave and Minhwan followed them out. I took the time to slide down to the door. I was trying to keep myself calm, but the stressed tears came anyway, rolling down my cheeks and there was nothing I could do to stop them. Once Minhwan returned, I was silently sobbing on the floor, too overwhelmed by everything that’s happened in these few hours.

Minhwan regarded me silently and then moved to the main room, sat by the fireplace and didn’t speak again. I sat there, filled with dread, and waited. Waited for the other shoe to drop, for him to fly off of his handle and do something, but the house was eerily silent. In the end I pulled myself together and moved about my day as if nothing was happening, as if Minhwan wasn’t sitting in the other room counting minutes before sun went down. The uncomfortable atmosphere stretched over us like a suffocating blanket and even though I went with the motions, cooked food and served it, I wasn’t even interested in eating, and neither seemed to be Minhwan.

With dark setting over the dwelling, the moon shining over the snow and creating a silver glow over everything, I found myself anxiously glancing at my husband to see whether he would leave, but he stayed firmly sat. I didn’t know what to do. I felt like I had to have a talk with Taehyung, confide in him and see what he thinks we should do. I desperately craved his comfort and calming presence, I needed him to hold me and kiss me and whisper about all the things he loved, I needed him to whisk me away into the woods and keep me away from this life I had found myself in.

As I paced around the bedroom nervously, I realised that. I wanted to leave with him. I wanted to flee into his reality and leave my own behind. I needed to talk to Taehyung soon.

The door slid open, and I flinched and instinctively moved a few steps further into the room. Minhwan looked at me, his eyes empty and dark, and then moved to the corner of the room, sitting down and staring soullessly at me.

“Aren’t you going to get ready for bed?” came his gruff voice when I stood there frozen for too long, watching him out of the corner of my eye. I could hear a certain accusation in it and my heart jumped into my throat. Without saying anything, I mechanically moved to my vanity and started brushing my hair while keeping an eye on my husband’s dark form slouched in the corner. His eyes never left me, slowly with every second ticking by filling with more and more pure hatred.

The room felt as if it was freezing, the air so heavy with tension I could taste it on my tongue. I could feel my heart beating hard in my chest, my clammy hands squeezing around the brush.

“I feel quite stupid now, you see,” Minhwan started suddenly, his cold voice startling me. I turned around to look at him, trying to keep my expression neutral but knowing I probably looked truly scared and guilty. He stared at me expectantly, but when I failed to say anything, he continued.

“I saw it,” he simply stated, “the hairpin.” It felt as if time stopped, the blood freezing in my veins with one simple word. I opened and closed my mouth a few times, but I ultimately failed to say anything. He knew I wouldn’t be able to go back to the market to buy it myself, there was nothing I could say to excuse that.

“I saw how certain mornings you seemed to be flustered,” he continued quietly, “how you changed, I saw the flowers you tried to hide.” He chuckled darkly, mirthlessly, but stayed sprawled out in the corner, watching me. I sat frozen in front of my vanity, brush still in hand, thoughts going a mile a minute.

“I ignored it, of course,” Minhwan carried on, seemingly okay with being the only one to talk, “I know how hard it is to get here and there’s no one close enough to sneak here like this. But when I went to town for the shamaness, I started remembering these moments. I saw the hairpin in my mind, as clear as day. And it made sense. Whatever he is, you knew about him.” I gulped, but said nothing, staring at my hands. Out of the corner of my eye I saw movements and I looked up startled. Minhwan was now moving towards me, slow and calculated, and dread filled me.

I looked up at him and couldn’t help a few stray tears escaping me. Minhwan watched me coldly, but it was so different than what I was used to from him and it terrified me. This was a different kind of rage, the kind that made people unpredictable, the kind when you know the person is so angry they’ve become calm.

He slowly threaded his hand into my hair, gripping it tightly until I could feel slight pain. He angled my head, watching the tears slide down my face with a scowl. Then he pushed my head away and released my hair, sending me crashing into the vanity. I caught myself on my hands, but the impact still hurt and I whimpered through the tears.

I heard Minhwan moving about the room, thrashing the chest I kept some of my belongings in, tearing through my fine robes and sending little reminders and keepsakes flying through the room and crashing into the floor and the walls. With every crash I flinched again and again, shrinking into myself and slowly slinking into the corner behind my vanity.

Minhwan finally got to what he was looking for – the dried flowers and other little gifts Taehyung has been bringing me. Whatever he got his hands on, he destroyed, tearing the flowers apart or breaking things by throwing them on the floor. I watched him helplessly, now fully sobbing as I witnessed my life being torn apart.

Minhwan paid me no mind, his eyes catching onto something in the chest. He bent over to pull out the object, and I eyed him carefully before I realised what it was. The hairpin. He glanced over at me and when he saw my eyes trained to it, he smirked with such malice it made shiver. He gripped it with both hands and then with a quick gesture broke it in half. Before I could stop myself, I cried out with my hands outstretched going to grab it, grab him, just do anything to stop it from happening, but I couldn’t. Minhwan threw the broken pin on the floor, and I watched the little gem break away and fall through the tiles.

Minhwan walked over to me again and crouched down so he could look at me closer.

“Did he get you pregnant?” he suddenly asked, and it was such an unexpected question it shocked me into silence as I just stared at him dumbly. Then I just slowly shook my head. Minhwan’s face stayed impassive. He just stared at me until I started squirming in my place, my skin crawling with fear and nervousness.

Then he just got up and walked out.

I stayed put, not daring to move from my place, but I strained my ears to hear whatever he was doing. He walked around the main room for a moment and then his footsteps seemed to get further away until I heard the door slide open, slide shut and then silence. I held my breath, waiting for a moment before I allowed myself to decompress, immediately slumping down onto the ground. With the stress rapidly draining from my body, I found myself a shaking crying mess. I crawled over to the chest and grabbed onto whatever destroyed piece of memory I could, cradling them to my chest and desperately hoping that I could mend it, that it would all go away. That I’d wake up in Taehyung’s arms and he’d console me and tell me it was all a bad dream.

I didn’t sleep that night. And Minhwan didn’t return in the morning. The shamaness and her husband came knocking with the dawn and I sat on the porch and expressionlessly watched the main gate rattle and shake under their fists, listened to their raised concerned voices calling to be let in. I was drained, empty and exhausted. I waited until they got tired of it and left, and then I continued sitting there watching the trees move, the sun travel the sky. I could barely feel the frost biting at my fingers, my arms, my face. I could barely feel anything.

For two days, I waited. I sat around the house and watched the walls, walked around the yard and looked outside, into the forest and the trees. Minhwan didn’t return. Taehyung didn’t return. I was completely alone, in the silent house, just wondering whether I was forsaken by both of them, wondering what would happen if neither of them came back.

On the dawn of the third day, I heard footsteps in the yard. My stomach dropped and my heart felt like a piece of ice. Footsteps meant Minhwan. Footsteps meant the end of my life, meant my husband was back and there was no telling what he would do.

I drew the blanket closer to myself and resignedly made my way outside. I would accept whatever was to come. Except the moment I slid the door open, I saw a sheepish Taehyung nervously stepping from foot to foot in our yard. I could only guess how I looked, but when he saw me, he closed the distance between us in a few quick strides, arms immediately pulling me into his chest. I felt my resolve break and desperately clawed at him, pulled him closer, just needing to touch him and make sure he was real and he came back.

He pulled back and I whined, but he took my face into his hands, gazing upon me with tenderness and sadness and despair. His fingers smoothed out the worried lines on my face, touched the puffy cheeks and eyes, gently caressed my face until I could see my vision blurring with unshed tears. Taehyung sighed and bent down to lightly kiss my forehead.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered quietly, his voice like soft caress for my soul after days of loneliness and solitude, and sudden onslaught of emotions hit me like a stone wall. I grabbed onto his robe and looked into his kind beautiful eyes.

“Where were you?” it came out choked on a sob and I couldn’t even wait for his answer before the dam broke and I started crying. Taehyung held me through it, he took me in his arms and carried me inside, petted my back and held my face, whispered to me and it almost felt like a huge déjà vu to the first night I let him get closer to me. He apologised again and again, and I should have pressed for more answers, but I was so relieved he returned, I couldn’t bring myself to ask more.

When I calmed down, Taehyung’s attention was finally drawn to the state of the house. I didn’t clean up the bedroom, I barely even slept, and all the broken things were still lying around. It must have been quite a sight – a broken life, and in the middle of it all, a broken me. But instead of saying anything, he just reached over to grab the remnants of the hairpin. I watched him wordlessly, heart struck with grief at the sight of it, but he played with it for a moment, eyes peeking over at me and grinning mischievously. I returned it shakily, heavy emotions still weighing the corners of my mouth down but I tried, head leaning on his shoulder.

He encased the broken parts of it into his hands and shook them little. I thought nothing of it, watching his hands turn from side to side, expecting this to be just a way to distract me, but when his hands stopped, he uncovered his palm with a grand gesture and I gasped. There, lying on his palm, was the hairpin in one piece, looking as if it’s never been broken.

I immediately went to grab it, but he moved his hand away, keeping it out of my reach. Instead, he grabbed my brush and started slowly brushing out my tangled unkept hair. I let him care for me, I sat there on the floor of my thrashed bedroom, leaned on him and listened to him hum as he played with my hair. When Tae was satisfied with it, he tied my hair with his red ribbon and then pushed in the hairpin.

The fondness in his eyes when he looked over his work warmed my heart, and I relaxed into his embrace.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” Taehyung whispered again, “I shouldn’t have left you alone.” I shook my head and tightened my arms around him.

“There was nothing you could have done,” I told him and attempted to smile. I wanted to ease his worries, but I still felt too shaken.

“I should have been here,” Taehyung reiterated, “You needed me, and I failed you.” I squeezed his waist, trying to share comfort to him as he did to me. He looked at me fondly with a little smile, then kissed me gently.

“Where were you?” I asked again, this time much more calmly. Taehyung’s face fell immediately and I expected him not to want to tell me, but with some difficulty he started talking.

“I went to my hyung,” he admitted to me, and I realised there was guilt in his expression, “I asked him to sort something out for me.” I looked at him confused, but his face has turned hard and cold, gazing out of the room. I wanted to ask more, but I couldn’t bring myself to. It didn’t matter now, all that mattered was that he returned.

“We need to leave,” I blurted out suddenly, the calmness leaving my body. I turned on my knees and grabbed onto his clothed shoulders, looking into his eyes with urgency. Taehyung smiled at me and attempted to sit me back down, but I wouldn’t let him. “We really need to leave, before my husband returns,” I continued, the words falling out of me quickly, “I don’t know where he went, he hasn’t returned for a few days, but when he returns I cannot say what he will do.”

Taehyung’s hands pushed onto my shoulders, gentle smile on his face, mouth opening to tell me something, no doubt to calm down, but I jumped in before he got a chance.

“No, you don’t understand Taehyung, he knows,” I whispered urgently, “He knows about us. When he returns… Taehyung, I’m scared of what will happen…” I trailed off, hands flexing and bunching up the fabric of his robes. A few stray tears escaped my eyes, and I was surprised I even had some left in me, after the last few days.

Taehyung gave me a soft smile, hands coming up to hold my face. He gently wiped my tears away and bent down to kiss my forehead, my nose and finally my lips. I watched him, despair mixing with love and fear inside of me, making me feel like I was about to explode. I didn’t know how else explain to him that we weren’t safe here.

“I’m ready to leave,” I whispered again, desperate and broken, “Please Taehyung, I’ll go with you. I’m ready to go. There’s nothing left here.” He said nothing, but caressed my hair, fingers smoothing out the edges of my cold wet face. His eyes were trained on his hands moving on my skin, as if he wasn’t registering what I said at all. I could see in them that he was battling something, lips pursed in a bittersweet smile like they were trying to keep in some awful truths.

My heart gave a few painful pumps before it felt like it stilled completely. My hands fell from him as despair and hurt took over. Suddenly the realisation hit me, the realisation of what this must have been for him. A goodbye. My lips curled around a silent sob, but I couldn’t cry more, there was nothing left inside.

Taehyung noticed my plight and immediately pulled back into him, and I realised why he looked so guilty when we sat down.

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” the words barely left my mouth, so quiet they could be barely heard, but Taehyung reacted to them immediately, arms tightening around me.

“No, darling, of course I’m not,” he replied, but I didn’t want to hear more lies, not now and not ever. My own hands balled into fists in my lap.

“Please, tell me the truth,” I said resolutely, looking straight into his eyes that were coloured by confusion at my statement. “What are you talking about?” Taehyung asked, lost and worried. His hands travelled across my shoulders and back, grabbing onto anywhere they could and then passing on as he tried to comfort me without fully knowing what was happening.

“You didn’t respond before,” I told him, and the realisation seemed to hit him almost instantly. “Oh, darling,” he whispered and kissed me softly again, “of course I want you to leave with me. But…” He seemed to struggle there, looking down to his lap guiltily, fingers digging into my shoulders nervously. I grabbed onto his shoulders too and pressed a little closer, until our faces were just a breath away.

“What is it?” I asked, desperate for a resolution, desperate to leave this all behind and go into the woods with him, follow him wherever he’d take me.

“Your husband…” Taehyung started and I tensed at the mention, but I wasn’t prepared for what came out of his mouth next, “he isn’t coming back.” I scrunched my face up in confusion. Taehyung avoided my eyes again, this time looking towards the door with a quiet resolution painted on his face.

“What are you talking about?” I pushed out of my mouth, mind muddled and tongue tied, “Of course he is, and he’ll bring all hell back with him.” Taehyung sighed, hands flexing into my skin.

“Y/N, you don’t understand,” he reiterated, urgency taking over his sweet, honeyed tone, “He isn’t coming back. Ever.” I froze when I finally put together what he had tried to tell me. I wish I could say I was terrified. I wish I could say that I was filled with dread and panic and disgust instead of relief, I wish I could say that I pushed him away, confused and hurt, instead of letting out a shocked laugh, hands immediately searching for his face. I turned him so he’d look at me.

He was painted with shame and guilt, with fear that I would hate him for the implication, so I gently caressed his face and laid a little kiss over his furrowed brows. He closed his eyes, sighing in relief. My heart was beating fast, but I couldn’t tell if it was out of nervousness or joy. I wondered whether that made me a bad person, whether I was cursed after all. But when Taehyung opened his eyes and gave me a toothy grin, it didn’t seem to matter much.

“What did you do?” I asked the question in a hushed whisper, as if discussing my husband’s demise was a thrilling secret just between the two of us. Based on the dark-haired man’s reaction to it he was expecting to hear a horror-struck tone, not the casualness with which I spoke about this matter, but he shook the surprise quick enough.

“Do you remember my hyung? The tiger?” Taehyung begun his explanation, a small smile taking over his face when I nodded in answer, “He was the one your husband owed money to. It was a matter of time before he’d gotten himself reaped, I just called in an early favour.” I frowned slightly at that.

“You mean that my husband was always destined to die?” the question was asked more out of curiosity than concern, but Taehyung still seemed to be a little on edge, fearing my reaction and attempting to gauge my emotional state. Still, he indulged me.

“He was since the moment he decided to play cards against a spirit,” Taehyung explained, “Tigers don’t play for money. We have no need for earthly possessions. But the more the human loses to you, the more under your power they are. With the mounting debt, the spirit only bides his time, terrorising the soul and pushing them into losing more. Then the spirit only waits until they’ve lost the amount of money that could buy their soul, before reaping. Your husband was a lost cause since Yoongi set his eyes on him.” I took in the information slowly, but to me his death was inconsequential now. Taehyung would take me away, I didn’t have to fear being left behind and collected by a family-in-law and living out the rest of my life as a proper widow, a property of my husband’s relatives. With that my only concern was taken care of and I found myself empty of any big reactions regarding his impending sudden demise.

“Do souls have prices, then?” I inquired more, interested in his earlier statement. Taehyung’s eyes sparkled slightly, as if he was delighted I wanted to know more, delighted that I wasn’t mourning, that I didn’t think him a murderer.

“Yes they do,” he answered simply, “a saint would be hard to tempt, the amount would be higher. A tyrant on the other hand, a sinner, they don’t take much.” I hummed quietly, absent-mindedly playing with some of Taehyung’s long hair. It didn’t take much to know which category my husband fell to. Getting my questions answered, I was satisfied to let this subject go. I felt as if a great weight has been lifted off of my shoulders and off of my heart. I found myself cautiously hopeful, looking forward to leaving this house and everything in it behind, letting it rot and fall to the ground and never return. But Taehyung seemed to have something else on his mind still.

“It was me,” he confessed quietly and suddenly, leaving me confused what he meant. He looked at me, gauging my reaction, fingers nervously playing with the edge of my jeogori. “It was me who told hyung to seek him out and tempt him into playing,” the man finally got out and it seemed as if a weight has been lifted off his shoulders too.

I said nothing, hands migrating to caress his hair gently, smiling softly, and then getting up. I walked across the room to where my possessions laid strewn across the floor as if they were violently gutted from the insides of the chest. I found a cloth big enough and started piling the most important things inside. Taehyung watched me quietly, unsure of where I stood, still believing I could shun him for this. I smiled at him again when I caught his sad eyes watching my hands move. He returned it, in the same cautiously hopeful way I felt, and I could just think to myself. How perfect. We’re perfect like this.

“I just need to grab a few things and we can go,” I said, giving him a reassuring smile. His returning one was as bright as the sun itself and I felt my drained heart tiredly jumping in joy.

When I gathered everything, he took the bundle from me gently into one of his hands, the other holding mine as I quietly led him out of the cold empty house. Outside, the air was crisp and freezing, but the sun was shining and it filled me with happiness. The snow was sparkling, reflecting the rays of sunlight, blinding me slightly, but I had everything I needed, and it was a beautiful day outside. I squeezed Taehyung’s hand and he returned it.

Once stood in the gate, I turned back to the house wordlessly. I could see through the open doors the mess that was left inside, the state of the bedroom, and the two trails of footsteps leaving forever. Taehyung watched me carefully, making sure I was okay. I nodded at him and he grinned gently. We both turned and walked away.

He led me through the forest, up the mountain path. I’d never been here before, and it seemed that it was a long time since someone else than the demon himself took this path. Briefly I wondered if it even was visible to other people or if it was one of those paths you see once out of the corner of your eyes and then never find it again, even if curiosity kills you from the inside.

Taehyung was walking confidently now, once we crossed the threshold into his world he gained strength and resolve and led me through the trees until we reached a little clearing with a dwelling firmly in the middle of it.

It was smaller than our farm, but it looked much nicer, with little windchimes and colourful decorations hanging from the beam over the porch. Their clanking created a nice ambience in the background and their colourful flashes reflected off of the snow. I smiled fondly at that, feeling at ease.

The house only really had two smaller rooms and a kitchen, but they were filled with books and clothes and paintings. Taehyung seemed to be a lover of arts, his walls full of various pieces varying from flowers to landscapes and portraits. I peeked at them curiously, but Taehyung seemed eager to pull me along until we reached the other room, where a bed was unfolded but untouched. There was a vanity on one side, very similar to the one I had, ready with a brush and another beautiful hairpin sitting next to it, waiting for their owner. I smiled at that, heart filled with so much love it felt like bursting.

Taehyung carefully laid the bundle with my things on the ground and then skipped back over to me, plastering himself to my back, arms possessively coiling around me and lips and nose immediately running over the expanse of the skin at my shoulder and neck. I shuddered lightly, noting his palpable excitement at bringing me to his home.

“This will be our bedroom from now on,” he whispered in a rough voice, laying a series of wet open-mouthed kisses down my shoulder, “This house will become a home.” His hand splayed over my stomach and pushed me more into his form, his heated body melting over me instantly, lips travelling wherever a sliver of skin presented itself to them.

I shuddered lightly, squirming in his arms. I managed to turn to face him and immediately was met with fond eyes full of unshed tears. I grabbed his face and gently pressed our lips together. I meant for the kiss to stay innocent, but Taehyung clearly had a different idea, descending onto me with an urgency of a starving man, lips devouring mine in a hot all-consuming kiss.

I moaned lightly into his mouth, hands tightening in his clothes and subconsciously pulling him closer to me. He used the opportunity to slip his tongue inside my mouth, sighing with content when it met mine and twisted and pushed around each other. He towered over me, with every second bending down a little more, making me arch into the kiss. The dark-haired man was grabbing onto my hips, as strong as a vice, digging fingers into the layers of fabric with such force I still felt his nails biting into my skin. My own hands slowly travelled up, tangling into his hair and wrapping around his neck. When I pulled on the strand lightly, Taehyung sighed into my mouth and pushed us closer together.

My mind was quickly becoming muddled, only thoughts of the man in my arms swimming around in my brain, body heating up rapidly and begging for his attention in the way that he used to give me. And with the way he held onto me and pressed into me, he was in a similar state.

Without interrupting our kiss, Taehyung started slowly sliding down to the floor and pulled me with him. I gasped slightly and finally broke our kiss to breathe and take in the new position, but Tae didn’t get discouraged and continued his path down my jawline and my neck. I had enough mind to breathlessly move my head out of the way and present my neck for him, which made him hum appreciatively, his low deep voice purring into my skin. All I could really do was hold on to him and let the sensations sail me further.

I could feel his hands inching higher, until they were kneading my waist, thumbs slipping under the jeogori and messing with my undergarments. My whole body trembled like a plucked string, desire wreaking havoc on my psyche. I released a shaky sigh and decided to be a little bit braver. I grabbed one of his hands, Taehyung making a little questioning sound in the back of his throat, but didn’t stop his ministrations, and I pushed it towards the bow tying my top together.

Taehyung paused only for a second, eyes searching mine for any kind of hesitation, but I only blushed under his heated gaze, the lust taking over the control of my body and pushing my chest more into his curious hands. He no longer wasted time after that, leaning a bit back and making quick work of the binding and soon he had me sitting in his lap in only my undergarments. My lips found his again, needing to feel his touch more than I needed to breathe oxygen.

With new skin now visible Taehyung seemed to be over the moon, a little content sighs and quiet moans leaving his mouth as his fingers travelled across the expanse of my shoulder blades and my arms. The intensity of the kiss kept increasing, my body confusedly trying to move with the motions and seek even more pleasure. When Taehyung gently bit on my lower lip, my hips jerked forward on their own and I could feel a hardness sliding across my centre. We both gasped, Taehyung’s hands jumping to my hips to stop them, but I felt as if a lighting struck me to my core, pleasure zapping through me on a jolt. I gasped, hips mindlessly chasing after the feeling again. Taehyung separated the kiss on a groan, his head falling to my shoulder, hands now encouraging my hips to move instead of stopping them.

For a moment we just enjoyed each other, mindlessly kissing here, grabbing onto each other and chasing the pleasure, moving against each other. I managed to get Taehyung out of his outer robes too and he was clad only in a thin undershirt that teased a little bit of his collarbones, which I immediately covered in kisses. We didn’t speak and the room was filled with the sounds of shifting clothes and airy little gasps and moans, but I needed more. I needed so much more.

Taehyung’s lips travelled down to the edge of my undergarment, kissing the soft swell teasing my breasts, and I gasped and arched and curved into him, but I could feel the smirk settling on his face as he moved away again. I whined, mind gone and begging for more solid touch, for his hand between my legs and his lips biting into my shoulders.

I pushed onto his shoulders and as Taehyung wasn’t expecting it, he went easily, slight alarm painting his face, but I just grabbed him and pulled his face back to mine. The moment our lips crashed together, I keened, licking into his mouth desperately. The dark-haired man chuckled, but he seemed to take pity on me.

With one hand gently laid on my lower back, he slowly toppled us over until I was lying on the ground with his weight settling gently on top of me, legs tangled and lips intertwined. With a wet smack our lips separated and for a moment we both just looked at each other breathing hard, but then the time and reality caught up to my overheated excited brain and I immediately started tearing at his clothes, untying anything I got my hands on and pushing the fabric away until his whole torso was on display.

I choked on a moan, the desire reigniting within me tenfold. He was beautiful, strong and lean, honey-toned skin blemishless and perfect. Distracted with all the possibilities and my body screaming at me to have the man take me now, take me as soon as possible, my hands wildly flitted over his chest, kneading the skin but not settling anywhere for too long. I decided to pay back the favour and my lips latched onto his neck, making him shudder and moan. I played around lightly, just like he had, kissing anywhere I could, moving south to his pecks and then back up all the way to his ear with wet open-mouthed kisses, revealing just how far gone I was and how needy he made me with his earlier ministrations.

Taehyung buried his face into the crook of my neck, skin rippling with every touch, releasing low groans right into my ear, which made me work even harder. I was ecstatic that I was finally able to touch him too, ecstatic by the prospect of returning the pleasure he had been bestowing me with all these mornings that would have otherwise been cold and lonely.

With that thought in mind, my hands shifted to his hips, at first seemingly just sitting there and holding onto him, but slowly moving downwards, pushing the pants down. Taehyung didn’t seem to notice at first, but once I got low enough to expose the v of his hips and the thicker part of his happy trail, he let out a loud excited groan, body shaking with anticipation.

His lips pressed into my ear. “Do you want to see me? Touch me?” he whispered, voice rough and aroused. I gasped quietly, legs falling open more so that he could settle his hips more comfortably and I could see the moment I finally pushed them low enough, breath held in excitement.

“Yes, please,” I answered in a similarly debauched hushed voice, “please, Taehyung.” His chest rumbled happily, lips busying themselves with biting and kissing into my neck. I must have been absolutely covered with little red and purple bruises and the thought sent a bolt of arousal through me, my body jerking underneath the bigger man.

“Go ahead then, darling,” he said sensually, regaining back a little control. His hips stiffened, allowing me to pull them down the final stretch, releasing his erection. It hit his lower stomach with a tiny noise, the wet tip leaving a little smear of clear liquid there. I clenched on nothing, a gush of wetness suddenly leaving me at the prospect of having him inside of me. He was watching me closely, a wild look on his face, and the more excited I felt, the hungrier he looked.

Then Taehyung pressed his face to mine again, lips caressing the shell of my ear as he whispered: “Do you want it? Do you want my cock, darling?” I nodded, a whimper escaping me, thighs and pussy throbbing with pure burning need. I was so aroused my head was spinning and every thought inside curled around the pleasure this man was providing me with. He clicked his tongue though, and shook his head a little, giving me a playful grin.

“Then you need to say it,” he stated meanly, eyes sparkling with mischief, “Good girls always ask for it.” The way his tongue wrapped around the words good girl made me borderline delirious, back arching and thighs spreading even further, until my hips hurt and I was gasping with the liquid lust coursing through my veins.

“Please!” I whined out again, hands grabbing onto his searing hot skin and attempting to pull him closer, but he didn’t budge.

“No, no, no, darling,” his voice seemed even darker and richer than usual and I was losing my mind on the little rasp, his tongue peeking out to play with the lobe of my ear quickly sending me spinning, “You need to say it.”

“Please, Taehyung,” I choked out, a few tears of frustrated arousal slipping down my cheeks, “I want you.” He smiled, giving me false sense of victory, but still kept his hips away from mine. I whined again, not knowing what else to do.

“I want to hear the words from your mouth, darling,” he stated firmly, “Say ‘Please Taehyung, I want your cock’.” I gasped at his words, the flush on my face deepening despite the lewdness of the situation I already found myself in. My tongue darted out to wet my dried lips and Taehyung’s eyes zeroed in on my mouth, fascinated.

“I want your cock,” I whispered, the arousal pushing me into boldness I’ve never displayed before, “Please, Taehyung, I want your cock so bad.” He groaned and I saw the exact moment his pupils expanded with pure lust and his eyes were overtaken by desire to have me. While his lips crashed to mine, his hand grabbed one of mine and pulled it towards his cock and wrapping it around it.

I squeezed on instinct and Taehyung moaned into me, hips bucking gently. I took a moment to feel him out, just gently ran my hands over the ridges and curves. I could feel the way Taehyung trembled, the way his breathing stuttered on tiny, muted groans, his eyes firmly shut. His hands grabbed onto my thighs and dug into them through the underskirt still half covering me from his eyes.

When I began sliding my hand up and down the shaft, Taehyung’s head once again fell to my shoulder, open mouth pressing into my skin and releasing rugged moans. His hips jerked forward in tiny motions, thrusting lightly into my curled hands. I was content with touching him, but my body also screamed for attention, thighs shaking and muscles in my belly contracting in pleasurable little ripples. I was so wet I could feel my essence sliding down my thighs and my bottom, leaving a little puddle on the bedding under us.

I squeezed around him lightly and he jerked into my hands harder, a debauched groan leaving him. I spasmed, pussy pulsing around nothing, begging to be filled up to the brim, an answering moan leaving my own lips. Taehyung looked at me through half-lidded eyes, reason completely overridden by the need to push himself into my tight wet heat at the clear need depicted on my face, he shuddered again, pre-cum leaking out the red tip of his painfully erect cock.

His hands scrambled to grab my skirt and push it up my legs until it pooled around my stomach, wet pussy exposed to his needy hands. He didn’t waste any time and pulled his fingers through my folds, teasing my clit for a moment and punching out desperate moans out of me, whole body spasming at the sudden onslaught of pleasure cursing through me, but then his fingers hurriedly slid down and pushed inside of me. At the feeling of his fingers getting so easily swallowed up by my wet cunt he groaned, thrusting them in a little and scissoring to make sure I was absolutely ready to take a cock, but both of us were beyond gone with desire.

I was enjoying the feeling of finally having something inside of me, but it didn’t last for long. After a few hurried thrusts of his fingers, Taehyung pulled his hand away and I whined, arching my back, pussy chasing after him. He quickly swatted my hands from his length and lowered his hips until we were pressing into each other, his cock snuggly sliding through my wet folds.

Our breaths were knocked out of us on deep satisfied groans. He moved his hips back and forth a few times, coating himself in my juices to ensure easier slide, and then pushed inside with one firm motion, cock driving inside of me without any resistance, filling me absolutely all the way up on the first thrust. I threw my head back, mouth open on a silent scream, the contentment of finally having him inside me lighting my every nerve on fire and satisfying something deep inside of my core. I trembled, desperately holding onto him as my brain turned to mush with barely anything.

Taehyung was having more trouble staying silent, mouth open and instantly pumping out groans and moans, shaky hands keeping my hips still and desperately trying to stop himself from immediately mindlessly driving into the divine pleasure that was the feeling of being enveloped by my wet tight walls.

I whimpered and squirmed underneath him, grabbing onto him. I wasn’t even fully aware of myself, body and mind consumed by the heavenly feeling of being filled by him.

“Please!” I whined out loud, desperately needing him to finally start doing something, like there was an itch deep inside of me that needed scratching, “Please, give me more!”

Taehyung chuckled above me, trying to stay suave and smooth but I could hear how breathless he was, could feel his hands tightening and loosening on my hips. His hips trembled against mine, jumping with excitement at my words.

He pulled his hips back and slowly slid back in, making us both sigh with content. He kept the pace slow and deep, covering me with his body and claiming my mouth with his while I fell apart on his well-aimed pace. I moaned on every stroke, arching my hips and spreading my thighs to let him hit deeper, pull him in closer.

The slow build up of the pleasure had me losing my mind. I felt like I was getting gradually submerged into boiling water, the heat steadily rising with every thrust filling me with deep primal satisfaction. My hands roamed over Taehyung’s body, appreciating his smooth skin and muscles as they jumped with movement, soaking up Taehyung’s little hick-uped groans when I passed over sensitive areas.

Taehyung changed the angle a little bit and when he pressed all the way inside, his tip pressed into a spot that had me keening loudly underneath him, eyes tightly shut and mouth wide open. My hands instinctively grabbed onto his waist and squeezed, nails digging into his skin, and Taehyung groaned loudly, hips jerking into me roughly, punching out a whiny moan out of me.

That seemed to break us into a frenzy, my hands sliding down his body and grabbing onto his ass, pushing him into me and encouraging his movements. Taehyung happily took the sign and started thrusting faster and harder, filling the room with sounds of our moans and the wet slapping of our hips. I couldn’t stop the sounds spilling out of my mouth, his every stroke hitting deep inside me and lighting my every nerve on fire, stoking the lust and the bliss in pulsing consuming waves.

I felt myself getting close to the peak I was so familiar with from his hands, the sensations drowning me and washing over me in over-powering waves. Taehyung’s moans were reaching crescendo, getting higher and whinier as his hips unfalteringly pounded into me.

“So close, darling,” he croaked with a raspy voice, “going to paint you with my seed, going to fill you to the brim.” I moaned in response, pussy throbbing and clenching around him, sucking him in deeper. I needed us both to peak, I needed it more than air to feel him unwind and release, get consumed with pleasure I provided him with.

“God, just a little more,” I answered to him breathlessly on a pleasured sigh. My hands squeezed his bottom and pushed him a little rougher. His breath hitched, but he changed his pace accordingly, slowing down but snapping his hips into me harder and rougher, making me wail with pleasure.

I felt myself spiralling into the heat, knowing I wouldn’t last too long like this. Above me Taehyung watched me through half-lidded eyes, mouth open and face consumed with raw lust at my blissed-out state. I caught his eyes just seconds before my whole body spasmed and then stilled, climax exploding over me with force that shocked a raspy scream out of me. I blanked out, trembling and overflowing with bliss and ecstasy, legs spasming and toes curling with the sensation of the fire consuming me inside out. It was the best feeling I’ve ever felt, the most intense thing my body has ever gone through, but I loved every second of it. It felt as if all the stress just drained away from my body and was replaced by molten gold.

Taehyung fucked me through the orgasm, and it took him only a few more thrusts before his hips jerked wildly, pleasure mounting until he released deep inside of me with his head thrown back and a long drawn-out moan. I felt his cock throb and pulse inside of me as it spurted his seed, his hips lightly swaying in circles to ride it out, until the boneless weightless feeling set in and he collapsed on top of me.

I was feeling so content, body pleasantly light and thrumming with aftershocks of our shared moment, eyelids heavy with sleep. I felt Taehyung slip out and move away from me, his release running down my legs and making me blush again, but I didn’t have any strength to move or wipe it away, so I just laid there and waited for the man. He returned with a piece of cloth, still just as naked, shooting me a little playful wink when he saw me looking at his body. I turned around, embarrassed, even though we had just enjoyed each other like husband and wife.

I heard his little chuckle, but then the cloth suddenly pressed onto my thighs, making me gasp quietly. Taehyung squeezed my leg in apology and continued cleaning me up. I couldn’t help the little sighs of content leaving me, the warm cloth and his gentle touches filling my heart with love.

When he was done, he threw the piece of cloth away carelessly, before jumping onto the bedding and snuggling up to me. We ended up like we always have, Taehyung holding me from behind, hands pulling me as close to him as I could go, lips and nose pressing into the crook of my neck and into my hair, trilling happily.

I let it gently lull me to sleep, melting into his loving embrace, listening to his content purrs, our bodies moulding perfectly together like it was always meant to happen. I closed my eyes, and welcomed sleep, feeling the most comfortable I’ve been in years.

I couldn’t remember what I was thinking right before I slipped under, but I did with the feeling of just everything being right.

I would be okay. We would be okay.

hope you enjoyed yourself and see you around <3

A/N: the story of prince cheoyong, the son of the dragon king who neglected his wife to which a demon of pestilence took a liking and sneaked into her bed - one day cheoyong returned home and saw four feet sticking out of the bed instead of two, and he chased out the demon with singing and dancing, saving his wife and becoming a guardian god - it was said that no demon or evil spirit could enter a house as long as there was a likeness of cheoyong there, so people bought his portraits or talismans with his face and put them on their door, but i kind of switched the sides hehe

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