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Secret Affections

sypnosis: You and Jake live together, and you’ve been pretending to sleep to enjoy his nightly forehead kisses. When he finds out and confesses his love, things heat up between you.

now playing: sativa - jhené aiko

genre: fluff, smut

warning: NSFW

wc: 1.4k

Living with Jake had its perks and quirks. The apartment was always filled with laughter, shared meals, and late-night movie marathons. Y/N cherished every moment, but recently, something had changed.

It started a few weeks ago. You had been pretending to sleep, exhaustion pulling you into the sheets. You felt Jake’s presence near you, and then, a soft, gentle kiss on your forehead. Your heart skipped a beat, but you didn’t move, curious and hopeful. It became a routine; every night, as you went to bed, Jake would kiss your forehead before heading to his room.

Tonight was no different. You lay in bed, eyes closed, waiting for the familiar warmth. You then heard Jake’s footsteps approaching, felt the bed dip slightly as he leaned in. His lips brushed against your forehead, tender and lingering.

“I know you’re awake,” Jake whispered, his voice barely audible.

Your eyes fluttered open, meeting his warm gaze. You blushed, caught in the act. “How did you know?”

Jake smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Your breathing changes. Plus, you’re not as good at pretending as you think.” Jake reached out, gently stroking your hair. “Go back to sleep. We’ll talk about this tomorrow.”

You nodded, feeling his comforting touch, and slowly closed your eyes, a smile tugging at your lips. The next morning, you woke up with a mix of anticipation and nerves. You found Jake in the kitchen, making breakfast. The aroma of coffee and pancakes filled the air, adding a sense of normalcy to the day.

“Morning,” you greeted softly, your voice still groggy from sleep.

“Morning,” Jake replied, glancing at you with a warm smile. “Did you sleep well?”

You nodded, taking a seat at the table. “Yeah, I did.”

Jake placed a plate of pancakes in front of you and sat down across from you. There was a moment of silence, both of you knowing you had to address the previous night.

“So,” Jake began, his tone gentle, “about last night…”

You took a deep breath, your heart pounding. “Why did you start doing that, Jake? Kissing my forehead when you thought I was asleep?”

Jake’s eyes softened. “Because I’m in love with you. I didn’t know how to tell you, so I just… started showing it in little ways.”

Your heart swelled with emotions you had kept hidden for so long. “I’ve been waiting for you to do it when I’m awake,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper.

Jake reached across the table, taking your hand in his. “I’m glad you know now. And I want to show you more, not just when you’re asleep.”

You smiled, feeling a weight lift off your shoulders. “I’d like that, Jake.”

Jake stood up and pulled you to your feet. “I don’t think I can wait any longer,” he said, his voice husky with desire.

You looked up at him, eyes wide, heart racing. “What do you mean? “

He stepped closer, his hands resting on your hips, pulling you closer. “I’ve been holding back for too long. I want to show you how much you mean to me.”

Before you could respond, Jake’s lips were on yours, the kiss deep and passionate. You melted into his embrace, your hands finding their way to his hair, pulling him even closer. The intensity of the kiss left you breathless, and when you finally pulled apart, Jake’s eyes were filled with a mix of love and desire.

“Let’s take this to your room,” he whispered, his voice sending shivers down your spine.

You nodded, your hand in his as he led you back to your bedroom. As soon as the door closed behind you, Jake’s hands were on you again, his touch igniting a fire within you. He gently pushed you onto the bed, hovering over you as his lips found yours once more. His fingers moved to the hem of your shirt, lifting it slowly, inch by inch, revealing your smooth skin.

Jake’s lips followed the path his hands had made, kissing your stomach, your ribs, until he finally pulled the shirt over your head and tossed it aside. Your breath hitched as he took in the sight of you, his eyes darkening with desire. Jake’s own shirt was discarded quickly, revealing his toned chest and defined abs.

His skin was smooth, warm under your touch, and you marveled at the strength in his arms as he held himself above you. You ran your hands over his chest, feeling the hard planes of muscle, the steady thump of his heart.

Jake’s hands roamed your body, exploring every curve and eliciting soft moans from you. He took his time, savoring each moment, making sure you felt every ounce of his love and desire. As he removed his jeans, you couldn’t help but stare. Jake’s body was a work of art, every muscle defined, his legs strong and powerful. But it was his cock that made you gasp. He was large, at least nine inches, thick and ready. The sight of him sent a thrill of anticipation through you, and you licked your lips, eager to feel him inside you.

When he entered you, it was slow and deliberate, his movements measured and controlled. You gasped at the sensation, your fingers digging into his shoulders as he filled you completely. Jake’s lips trailed down your neck, his breath hot against your skin.

“Jake,” you moaned, your hips rocking forward, desperate for more. “Please,” you begged, your voice breaking. “I need more.”

Jake’s resolve crumbled at your plea. He snapped his hips forward, burying himself fully inside you. The sudden fullness made you cry out, your body trembling with pleasure. Jake set a fast pace, his thrusts deep and powerful, each one sending waves of ecstasy through you.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his lips brushing against your ear. “I love seeing you like this.”

Your response was a mixture of incoherent words and moans, your mind lost in the sensation. Jake’s hand slipped between you, finding your clit and rubbing it in time with his thrusts. Your body tightened, the pressure building rapidly.

“Cum for me,” Jake urged, his voice strained.

That was all it took. Your orgasm crashed over you, your body clenching around him as you cried out his name. Jake followed moments later, his release spilling into you as he groaned against your neck. You lay tangled in each other’s arms, your breathing heavy, skin slick with sweat. Jake pressed a soft kiss to your forehead, his lips lingering.

“Are you okay?” Jake asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes searched yours for any sign of discomfort or unease.

You nodded, a small smile playing on your lips. “Yeah, I am. Just… catching my breath.”

Jake’s hands roamed your body once more, the touch lighter now, exploring every inch of your skin. His fingers traced patterns on your stomach, moved up to cup your breasts, thumbs brushing over your nipples. Your breath hitched, a new wave of arousal building.

“Round two?” Jake murmured, his lips grazing your earlobe.

Your answer was a soft moan, your hips lifting to meet his touch. Jake’s hand slid down, fingers parting your folds, feeling the slickness there. He chuckled, low and husky. “You’re so ready for me,” he said, his voice filled with desire.

Jake positioned himself, entering you slowly this time, savoring the feel of you around him. He set a steady rhythm, each thrust deliberate, drawing out your pleasure. Your hands clutched at the sheets, your body arching towards his.

“Jake,” you whispered, your voice trembling. “Don’t stop.”

His movements quickened, his thrusts deeper, each one hitting just the right spot. Your moans grew louder, your body teetering on the edge once more. Jake’s hand found your clit again, rubbing it in firm circles. The pleasure built quickly, overwhelming you.

With a final thrust, your orgasm hit you, your body spasming around him. Jake followed soon after, his release spilling into you, a low groan escaping his lips. You collapsed together, limbs tangled, hearts racing. Jake’s fingers threaded through your hair, his touch gentle now, soothing.

"You’re so hot.“ you murmured, a contented smile on your lips.

Jake chuckled softly, pressing a final kiss to your forehead. "So are you. So are you."

And with that, you fell asleep, the room filled with the quiet promise of many more days like this to come.

OUR KIMCHI — s.jaeyun

PAIRING: bf!jake x fem!reader GENRES: fluff, slight angst WC: 3.2k+

WARNINGS: a slight disagreement between yn and jake, nothing too serious, and a lot of fluff, mention of food (the title gives it away hehe).

SYNOPSIS: what do you do when you get home after a tiring day at work and your boyfriend greets you with layla, your dog and… another puppy member that you both met on a walk?

NOTES: second enhypen story in a while, i've really gotten addicted to writing. i was looking at some pictures of jake and layla and just thought about it because, seriously, it's so cute. hope you enjoy it!

masterlist

Can you walk Layla today? I'll be a few extra hours at work. I love you guys, I'll be home with our dinner.

Jake smiled at the cell phone screen after undoing the buckle on Layla's leash, letting the dog run through the small park lit by the streetlamps. The boy sighed with relief that he had managed to get home from work early that day, no longer able to stand having to deal with numbers and spreadsheets for a while. It was a long way from his vacation - and he was grateful because he wanted to take it at the same time as you - so Jake opted to work some overtime and get an early start sometime during the week. Which was like today. And he knew you were doing the same because you would also need to leave work early sometimes to just throw yourself on the couch and rest. After a walk with Layla, of course.

The priority of the two of you with a canine daughter who barked excitedly every time Jake threw the colorful ball and called for her to bring it back. He genuinely laughed every time she ran towards him and even jumped on his lap, causing him to stagger and fall on his butt on the floor.

"Okay, girl. I guess we can go home" he was panting, and knew that Layla needed water by the time the dog had her tongue out "Are we lucky if mommy gets here before I get out of the bath?" Layla wagged her tail and Jake laughed again, as if that was the perfect answer to his question.

He then decided to let off her leash since it wasn't too far from where they lived to the park Jake had taken her to. He wouldn't have to cross any streets, so he felt relieved to simply let Layla free from his house. But the boy was wrong. Jake swallowed dryly when Layla barked loudly, running across the street and into a narrow street on the other side.

"Hey, Layla!" he shouted intending to call her, running to where his dog had gone. Jake was running so hard he didn't even know how out of breath he was and how his breathing almost failed him when he stopped running to meet her there. Standing near a pile of garbage and barking non-stop. "By God, do you want to kill me from the heart?" quickly his hands ran through his hair before resting on his chest to try to calm himself.

Layla kept barking, but as soon as she saw Jake, she started whining and even ran toward him.

"What is it? Is everything okay?" he asked as if she was able to answer clearly "Okay, where do you want to take me?" he asked again as she turned around and pushed her head into Jake's calf, forcing him to walk.

Without much effort to get to where Layla was standing, Jake felt a sudden urge to run away, because he didn't know what he would find there. And even less did he know why his dog was so desperate to show something in the trash. He had heard a few times from you that Layla liked to sniff strange places, but he thought it was normal because dogs usually do that. Only that was getting weirder and weirder.

"Layla, what—" Jake's speech was interrupted by a low cry, almost similar to Layla's. He widened his eyes before looking at his dog and then at the trash, mustering up a little courage to bend down and start pulling out some cardboard boxes that were there. Hoping that it wasn't a rat or some poisonous animal, or he would be putting his own life at risk just because of his dog's instinct to be so shrewd.

Once Jake got enough cardboard out, he moved a black bag that was torn, almost choking on his saliva when he saw that little shrunken puppy.

"Oh my God!" was the only thing he could say when, without thinking, he took it in his hands. Not caring how dirty the little critter was, just for taking it out among the garbage already feeling Layla around him barking louder "Thank you for saving…" Jake paused for a moment, analyzing the puppy before continuing "This boy here" he smiled nervously, holding him carefully as the dog barked and whined at the same time "You hungry, buddy? Hurt, maybe?" all the questions were directed at Layla and he knew that if anyone walked by on the street they would call him crazy because Jake was talking to two dogs.

But he didn't care. Quickly taking off his jacket, he managed to wrap the puppy in the fabric and held him carefully in his arms.

"And you, girl, will stay on the leash, I don't want another scare" with his free hand, Jake called for Layla to hook her leash onto the lead and make her more secure "Now let's take him to your vet? Will you be a good hero and share the care?"

And as predicted, Layla barked as if to answer him and Jake smiled proudly. Looking down at the puppy in his arms who had now stopped barking and was snuggling into the fabric of his jacket.

"Come on, he needs us, Layla."

Jake needed to walk fast until he got home and got the car, but that was no problem. As long as he could get the necessary care for the little dog, he and Layla would be happy.

Jake gave up counting how many times he paced back and forth in the living room of the shared apartment, wondering how he would tell you that now, in addition to Layla, he had another puppy in there. It wasn't definite, but when the vet said that he had a fractured leg and needed a place to rest for a few weeks, Jake quickly volunteered. The consequences of talking to you he would bear later, but at least the little mixed-haired one was sleeping on a makeshift bed in the corner of the room under Layla's supervision.

As he went over a whole convincing speech, all the words seemed to fade away when the clatter of keys was heard on the other side of the door. Quickly Jake looked at Layla, who already had her head up looking at him as well.

"You tell, I don't want to" he whispered to the dog, who stared at him without moving from her seat. At first, the boy thought it was cute, Layla was protecting the newly arrived puppy. Second that you had just entered the apartment calling for the two of you.

"I brought food" you hummed as you closed the door behind you. Jake stood in the middle of the living room when Layla finally stood up to run towards you "Hi my love, did you have fun with daddy today?" her weight on your legs made you smile, as you tried to balance the bags of food in one hand, with the other smoothing Layla's hair.

Walking quickly to the kitchen without looking at Jake, you left the food on the countertop and disposed of your bag on one of the stools, taking off your coat as well. Walking back into the living room, finally looking at your boyfriend who looked distressed.

"Is everything okay?" your question sounded so calm that Jake relaxed for a few seconds, just long enough to feel your arms around his body in a heated hug. He hugged you back, leaning in to kiss your lips as slowly as he could.

"Yeah" Jake whispered against your mouth "How was the overtime at work?" he was trying to make time so he could tell you, also letting the puppy rest a little longer before - maybe - you had a little outburst.

"Tiring" you sighed "But at least tomorrow I can get out early and walk you and Layla, can't I, baby?" your gaze searched for the dog and as soon as it landed on her, your whole body tensed "What's that?" your voice coming out a little higher from the fright, analyzing whether you had seen straight.

And from Jake's half-hearted chuckle, you weren't seeing things.

"Can you please explain to me why we have another dog in our living room, Jake Sim?" you were serious in tone, but you didn't sound angry. Still Jake shrugged his shoulders and when Layla let out a bark, the puppy woke up.

"Hey Layla, what did we talk about waking him up?" Jake pretended to scold her, running towards the small bed to kneel and pick him up on his lap "Hey buddy, I want you to meet someone."

Then he walked over to you with the puppy in his arms. He had a bandaged paw and you almost mumbled cute words when Jake was close enough to notice every little detail of the little animal.

"Love, meet our new guest," the joy in Jake's voice was that of a child who had just gotten a new toy. It made you chuckle softly, sighing as you accepted the little animal he was handing you, into your arms.

"New guest? What do you mean?" your question coming out as a whisper because now Jake had made you take the dog on your lap, and by the gentle way, he was coming back to sleep soundly in your arms at that moment.

"We found him injured in the street—" Layla barked right then and there "Okay, she found him. It was to her credit and not mine" Jake's frustration made you laugh, and you quickly excused yourself to the little guy on your lap when he stirred in fright.

Stopping to listen to the story of Jake and Layla, who found the little one injured, they both took him to the vet and gave him a proper bath. With all the consultations to get him out of there decently. But knowing your boyfriend, you knew that his huge heart would not let the little animal go to a place out of your sight. Jake would monitor him until he couldn't, and this whole guest thing wouldn't stop there. You knew that.

"Well…" you began, biting your lower lip as you handed the puppy to him again "We can't keep him, so… Have you thought about where to leave him when he gets better?"

"What?" Jake turned quickly to you after placing him on the makeshift bed. You were walking to the kitchen to serve dinner when he hurriedly followed you, "Why can't we keep him?"

You sighed for a while, not answering Jake as you went to the cupboard to look for pots and a plate to serve the portions and kimchi you had bought.

"Because we live in an apartment, Jake. And we already have Layla who takes up a lot of space" you had thought the little one sleeping in your living room was adorable, but thinking about how Layla was already there, it seemed impractical "Not to mention we barely have time for her. Let alone one more…"

"We'll manage. I don't know, I get off work early every day to hang out with both of them. I—"

"Jake" you called to him with a softer tone, causing him to stop talking. Jake stared at you with a sad look, swallowing dryly.

"He can't go back out on the street. Please, y/n, let's stay with him."

You noted that Jake sounded like a child asking this of an adult. And your heart broke when you nodded negatively at him, quickly, and the boy's gaze in front of you was bright.

"Okay. Thanks, y/n."

"Let's just eat…"

"I'm not hungry anymore, bon appetit" Jake left the kitchen just as quickly as he arrived. You threw your head back and huffed, trying to figure out a way to fix what you had done. Running the few steps into the living room, you realized that Jake was not there either. So he had probably gone to the room. It would be better to leave him alone for a while, talking in that state would not be very good.

"Are you going to hate me too?" you asked Layla who was lying with the new puppy the whole time. She lowered her head, seeming to feel the energy in the house. When you and Jake argued she always looked that way, so maybe it was no different. Or Layla shared the same sentiment as her owner, not at all pleased to hear that you wouldn't let the two of them have their new guest.

"Sorry," stooping down to stand near the two dogs, you stared at Layla for long minutes. The dog then looked at you and then stuck her snout between the covers of the quietly sleeping puppy. The quiet breathing and the little paws tucked in between the covers you identified as Layla's when she was smaller. You and Jake have never disposed of anything of her since you took her to the shared apartment.

"What have you done with those two, huh? You heart conqueror!" a whisper coming from your lips was enough for the puppy to open his eyes and move quickly on the bed. He barked a little, which caused Layla to become agitated beside him. "Okay, calm down," you ordered between giggles as the little puppy jumped on your leg wanting to climb into your lap. Layla, with her size, managed to knock you on your butt on the floor making you laugh even harder.

Now with both puppies close by, you gave Layla a long ruffle through her silky hair and kissed her affectionately on the top of the head as you always did. While the little one on your lap looked up at you intently. You looked back at him, holding him between your hands to raise him to the height of your face.

"I hate to be made to give in so easily, you charming little bugger," your voice deepened as the puppy barked and wagged its tail at you.

Then, in one swift movement, you also kissed the top of his head to put him back on the bed.

"I think I have to fix something first. Take care of him, okay?" your gaze ran over Layla and then over to the little dog who, even though he was awake, seemed to have enjoyed lying in his new bed.

Your direction then was to the room you shared with Jake.

Slowly approaching the room, you opened the door to notice your boyfriend lying on his side of the bed. The covers pulled up over his head, and only Jake's hair out of the blanket. You let out a heavy breath and decided that before anything else, you needed a shower.

You had barely arrived with so much information that you hadn't even taken off the clothes which you had worn to work.

The whole time you undressed, got yourself a clean set of clothes and showered, Jake lay motionless on the bed. And even though you knew he wasn't sleeping, you kept him still at all times until you slowly pulled back the covers to lie down on the bed next to him.

"Jake?" you whispered. He didn't respond to your call the first time "Jake, love" you called back, but he still didn't respond.

It was a difficult task for a grumpy, upset man lying next to you in bed, but you were not going to give up. So nimbly, running your hands around his waist and hugging the larger body in front of you, Jake moved his hands to place them over yours.

"Jake, talk to me" his request coming out as a whisper.

"No" the shaky voice indicated that he had been crying for a while before you came into the room.

"Then turn around and look at me, even if you don't say anything" your request, at least, was granted and Jake turned to face you.

His eyes were red evenly with the tip of his nose. You thought it was so cute that you wanted to crush him and kiss him, but then you closed your eyes and sighed for a while.

"I'm sorry for making you upset about this. Please?" your hand slowly ran up his arm and Jake closed his eyes at the contact, letting out all the breath he was holding.

Then with each sentence, his hands touched a different place. Now it had been his cheeks, squeezing them lightly and forcing a pout on him.

"I ended up speaking without thinking, and worse" you paused dramatically before sliding your thumb down his jaw, fitting your hand into the curve of Jake's neck "I tried to convince myself that what I said was an absolute truth."

"What do you mean by that?" the husky voice of Jake caused shivers to run through your body, you let out a long sigh when he opened his eyes and frowned at you.

"I mean I was right until I looked into those piercing, passionate eyes of that little puppy you and Layla brought in."

"Hey! Wait—" Jake's head lifted from the pillow, his eyes widening at you "Y/n…"

"Jake—" you called him as he did, widening your smile as the boy kicked off the covers and sat up in bed almost in a leap.

"You… I mean… Really?"

You sat up as well, feeling his hands grip your face and pull you close to him.

"Baby, is this serious? You're not kidding, are you?" he asked, seeing that you had denied it with a nod. "Can we… Can we keep it?"

"If you promise to do what you said."

"What? Leaving work early?" Jake asked.

"Yes. The three of us are going to need you earlier every day."

Jake didn't even respond with words, pulling you into a long, passionate kiss, almost throwing you on the bed again. If it hadn't been for the sudden barking from the other side of the door, the two of you would surely have deepened that kiss. Then you managed to shake off your boyfriend's elation when he got out of bed to open the door, revealing the two dogs standing there.

"Did you hear that, Layla? We're keeping Kimchi!" Jake took the puppy on his lap as Layla ran toward the bed to jump up and go on his lap.

"Kimchi? Have you decided on his name without me?" you asked laughing, earning the dog a lick on her cheek and Jake approaching with the little family member in his arms.

"I've been thinking…" he rambled as he sat on the bed, letting you pick up the puppy as Layla now went on his lap "It was one of the first foods we ordered when we first started living together. So it could be something of ours, you know?"

That had been one of the most beautiful thoughts Jake had verbalized to you. The way he thought of the name was full of affection and symbolism for their relationship. The nostalgia in remembering the sparsely furnished apartment when you first decided to move in together, but always ordering a serving of kimchi for dinner on the kitchen counter making plans for the future.

"Kimchi is perfect" you whispered, feeling your eyes burn at the sight of the dog licking your hand and snuggling into your arms.

But nothing compared to the warmth in your chest from watching your little family grow.

© ikeuverse, 2023. do not copy, translate or steal my stories.

HOLD ME LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO — s.jaeyun

PAIRING: jake x fem!reader  GENRES: angst, fluff  WC: 8.3k+

WARNINGS: mention of cheating and toxic relationship (not between jake and yn). fights, bruises, swearing, mention of alcohol consumption, kissing.

SYNOPSIS: jake's old relationship caused him to become a traumatized and withdrawn person. perhaps your unexpected hugs in the middle of the night became the medicine he needed, and didn't know it.

NOTES: i love reading angst and i thought about this one for a while. of course it's all just fiction, jake would never subject himself to that kind of thing. and another, if you live/lived/know someone who goes through a relationship like that… be supportive, or seek support. you deserve much more and no one has the right to be toxic with another person. for absolutely nothing!

masterlist

"Hey, Jake?" your voice came out as a whisper, afraid to wake the rest of the house as you tiptoed to the kitchen. Your route had been interrupted as soon as you passed the living room, noticing the boy sprawled on the couch.

With a quick movement, Jake stood up and sniffled softly as he wiped the tears that were pouring down his face.

"Hi y/n, I didn't know you were here" the shaky voice indicated that, once again, that scenario was repeating itself. He didn't even have to look at you to know that Jake was crying again.

With the sound of your tongue clicking inside your mouth, displeased to see him like that, you approached in quick steps until you were standing next to him in the center of the room.

"Lori again? What did she—"

"Let's not talk about it, okay? Just…" Jake felt his lower lip tremble as he began to cry copiously again "Hold me like you always do, please?"

Never that you would refuse that request, so your arms quickly wrapped around the body bigger than yours for sure. Jake wrapped his arms around your waist and buried his face in your neck to keep crying until he had no more strength.

As he said himself, you've always done this. Ever since you started going to the house he shared with his best friends a few months ago. You met Jake through Heeseung, your university classmate and your best friend's boyfriend. Thanks to you Heeseung and Kimi were dating. And thanks to Kimi you started to meet at Heeseung's house and his friends more often in addition to the campus parties that were always going on.

These encounters resulted many funny stories, many moments when you would have movie sessions and hear Jay's scream echoing throughout the room – and him denying at the end that that sound had come out of his mouth – even though everyone knew who had done it. And besides the fun stories, you also got to know the little painful moments.

It didn't happen because you wanted it to, but Kimi and Heeseung liked to vent to you and that led you to be a good listener. Always trying to understand what was going on and even listening about how Sunghoon felt like a bad student or how Jay was frustrated because he didn't know how to propose to the girl he loved. Everyone was there to talk to you. Except Jake.

Jake was the one you had the least contact with since you arrived there, and the stories about it reached your ears before you even introduced Kimi to Heeseung. Because the boy was venting about how sad his friend was. The reason? Dating. Or as you heard his friends call it, hell on earth itself.

You spotted Jake at a few parties you attended on campus, he was always a nice guy, and from the cool stories Heeseung told, he was great. But his shine dimmed when he was betrayed by one of his teammates on the soccer team. Jake Sim was the epitome of beauty and kindness, taking away any and all stereotypes of the varsity player being a real son of a bitch. Jake was not like that, on the contrary. And with that said, many girls would fall at his feet and he would have an equally beautiful girlfriend. Who has been turning ugly in his eyes since Heeseung told the whole story.

Lori and Jake studied together for a few classes in the semester, which brought them closer and they started dating. Jake gave all of himself, thinking his growing love was reciprocated until he saw his sweet girlfriend clinging to the team's quarterback inside the locker room.

That's dumb and very disgusting, you almost threw up your lunch when Heeseung was telling you all that, almost punching your salad with so much anger that the tomato flew off your plate.

It wasn't a long courtship, by the way. Jake wouldn't consider five months something he could suffer through like he did at the moment, but what hurt him was all the deception he went through. To feel that while he was trying to give of himself, he was being stabbed in the back by the person he thought he loved next to one of the guys he thought was his friend.

"Bro code and lack of character, he has to leave the team" Sunghoon wanted to punch the face of the man who made Jake be in that state, but he asked Jay, the team captain, not to do that. He didn't want to be in a situation that wasn't his fault.

Or at least he wanted to feel like it wasn't. Even with the constant encounters with Lori and her newest boyfriend, she seemed to make it a point to humiliate Jake until the boy simply wouldn't answer her and walked out of there. For her, that was a victory. For Jake, it was getting out of there in time to not cuss out every last generation of her and not offend her. Because he was too good for this world. Jake, unfortunately, cared about treating well those who didn't even think about how he would look in that whole situation.

Because he still frequented a few common places, the boy kept running into who he least wanted to be on that whole huge campus. He wanted to avoid, sidestep or just not look at Lori in his entire life, but she sniffed. She sensed Jake was around and always had a way of wiping out what shred of sanity he had and making him feel bad for nothing.

"You never get tired of seeing me, do you Jakey" her voice had become unbearable to him, causing his stomach to churn at the mere fact that his nickname had left her lips "Miss me?"

"Never" he managed to speak a little more firmly, making her raise her eyebrows in disbelief. Lori couldn't believe this was happening, in her mind, Jake was suffering for something she had caused.

"Oh, how rude" she laughed, and he rolled his eyes. With a little more closeness inside that library, Lori raised her hands to touch Jake's face, sliding along his jawline "That's why I did what I did to you, I was so bored I needed some fun in our boring courtship."

And those were just a few things he listened to relentlessly until he went home late at night and cried all he could. That's how Jake finally met you.

Having movie nights at the boys' house that Jake didn't attend, you'd hang around to sleep in Heeseung's room because he was taking Kimi home and everyone knew he wasn't leaving. So between hearing any noise coming from your friend's room with your friend, it was better to sleep in his room and dawn with unkempt boys who still made a great breakfast together.

But your nocturnal thirst prevented you from lying in your friend's bed all the time, so as if your biological clock sensed it, as soon as Jake was in the room quietly crying, you went downstairs.

Your first date with him wasn't that long, Jake just apologized for scaring you and went upstairs to his room. The next few nights followed equally until you decided to dare. Before he could pass you and go to the staircase leading to the bedrooms, you gently grabbed Jake's arm.

He shuddered at the touch but stopped walking instantly while keeping his back to you. Your next movement stiffened the boy's muscles, but he felt strangely welcomed as your hands passed around his waist, landing on his abdomen as you buried your face in Jake's back.

"You can cry, it's okay to do that…" your words felt like magic to him, because after that day, Jake would unconsciously wait for you to come down to get water so he could feel your embrace again.

You never said much and he said even less, being aware that Heeseung had already told him the whole story he had been going through lately. So words could be spared and Jake wouldn't feel his tears getting stronger and stronger if he had to relive the worst moment of his life so far. He wanted to focus on just being held by you and maybe feel your breath against the back of his neck as you held each other tighter. It calmed him down in a way, and the boy had no problem admitting it.

And you would also admit if they asked you that lately, you asked Heeseung to sleep at your house more with Kimi so you could silently help Jake. Because you were the only one who could get something from him, at least. None of your friends had gotten a single word from Jake Sim. They would have called you a good luck charm if they saw you hugging him in that living room.

It had been two months since you and Jake's nightly encounters. By this time, Heeseung only knew how to sneak glances at you during class and sometimes write in the corner of his notebook some teasing with it.

Have you kissed yet? He wrote this time. You rolled your eyes, huffing at the stupid question your friend had asked.

No, idiot. Your answer below is from a different colored pen to indicate your sentence.

He seemed to take a moment, looking straight ahead when the teacher gestured near where you were sitting. The focus was on two students sitting right in front of you, so Heeseung sighed and went back to writing.

I think you two match. You widened your eyes and quickly turned to Heeseung, letting your jaw drop at that.

"What's your problem?" you whispered as low as you could, pulling him by the sleeve of his sweatshirt as you spoke.

"What? You're the only one he listens to" Heeseung whispered back, afraid the teacher would scold you both.

"Does that mean we have to kiss?"

"Look, from the number of hugs you've given each other these past few months, I wouldn't be surprised if you two have already kissed" he smiled showing all those perfectly aligned teeth you always told your best friend, one day you'd break them.

But it wasn't the moment, because Heeseung's line was now echoed in your mind. He could be right, even if only in the slightest. Because you and Jake were meeting more often at the boys' house, you made Heeseung's room almost like your own. Now, apart from crying a little less, he kept a gentle caress on your waist until he dozed off on the sofa hugging your body.

It wasn't something to complain about, but to think about because his friend sitting next to him could be an idiot with good reason. It would be a lie to say that you didn't think about kissing Jake. But not while he was crying, only after the whole weight off his back moment that he released you from his embrace. Smiling in your direction and kissing your forehead before walking you to Heeseung's room.

"You're thinking too much" your friend nudged you "Is it Jake's kiss?"

"God, I hate you" you huffed "I regret introducing you to my best friend."

"Hey, you introduced me to the best thing in life, don't say that" Heeseung pouted, you rolled your eyes, but laughed it off.

Taking the conversation that way could take the focus off your friend's fixation on you kissing Jake. It wasn't something to deny, but you saw yourself as his source of escape, someone Jake trusted enough to see him vulnerable. You also didn't know how much he'd healed from everything he'd been through before you could try something, so just hugging him might be enough for you. That would content you, at least.

And with that thought you let the class go on without any more problems, Heeseung also didn't write in your notebook anymore until the end of the period, when you both put your things in your backpacks and he held his shoulders to divert you from the crowd of your classroom.

"I'm starving" he grumbled as soon as you left, abandoning your shoulders so he could walk beside you across campus.

"Do you want something to eat? I'm meeting Kimi and Sarang in five minutes."

"Tempting, but I can't" he groaned sadly, throwing his head back dramatically when you both stopped walking "I have practice now and Sunghoon already got us something to eat before we play. Will you tell Kimi I miss her?"

"You two saw each other yesterday" you grimaced "You slept together, Heeseung."

"I can't miss my girlfriend? You're annoying, y/n" he came closer and hugged you, messing up your hair "Wait until this happens with you and Jake, I'll laugh at your face."

Before he could get a slap from you, Heeseung rushed away only hearing your grumbles behind him. The cursed and mumbling of other words that he couldn't understand because he was too rushed to meet his friends at practice. He wanted to run enough so he could get home in time to shower and finish something from the university before meeting Kimi.

"He's here, finally" Sunghoon celebrated when Heeseung appeared on the lawn. Panting but smiling, the boy greeted all his friends until he let his backpack fall off his shoulders onto the bleacher bench.

"Were you expecting me? How sweet" he feigned commotion as he took a piece of sandwich Jay had offered him. Gratefully, he bit into a large piece listening to the captain and one of his best friends say a few things.

"Where were you?" Jake stopped beside him, nudging him with his shoulder. Heeseung swallowed the food before smiling without showing his teeth, but Jake knew that smile well. His friend's response would be less than malicious or pleasant to him.

"With your secret passion" he said once he made sure there was nothing on his teeth. Jake kept looking at him trying not to bite his lips in anticipation, then Heeseung sighed and said low "I was in the last class with y/n."

Jake choked on his own saliva rather loudly, his teammates looking directly at Heeseung since he was the one eating. The boy denied it, turning his gaze back to Jay who was instructing how today's game would go.

"Where the hell did you get that from? For God's sake, Heeseung," Jake said in a low tone, not wanting to hit his friend because he was eating and might drop his snack.

"Come on, you two walk too close. It's not time to—"

"You know it's not like that" Jake interrupted him.

"So you've thought about the possibility?" Heeseung's eyes flashed in anticipation and Jake couldn't help himself, slapping his friend's arm and yelping in fake pain. It hadn't even been that hard, after all.

"Am I getting in the way of you two lovebirds?" Jay raised one eyebrow at the two, who just looked at him with an apologetic nod afterward "Okay, let's start practice."

Running across the huge field after getting ready with their uniforms and helmets, they split into subgroups to start their training. Nothing too different from what they were used to. Excited shouts when someone caught the ball and scored a point, or when they managed to knock their opponent to the ground. Sunghoon was the one who celebrated the most, even more, if he had knocked Jay or Jungwon down.

Jake preferred to stay in his seat, waiting for someone to pass him the ball or call him over to assist on a point. Quickly his eyes ran over his teammates and soon stopped on Heeseung. The boy had a twinkle in his eye that Jake couldn't see, but he smiled broadly every time he looked at Sim. In a mixing motion, Heeseung formed two beaks with his hands, linking them together as if to make his fingers kiss. Jake froze.

He'd be a big hypocrite if he said he'd never thought about kissing you because it had already crossed his mind. But see this, Jake was still trying to heal from something that had been haunting him for a long time. He knew it would be completely difficult to try something with someone else if his ex-girlfriend was still a burden in his life. Not because he wanted to, but because he just didn't know how to get rid of it.

Jake felt that need, and he knew Heeseung was right in some ways. Because it was impossible not to feel like kissing you every time your lips touched his forehead gently after he sighed when he was done crying. Your lips curved into a small smile as you spoke words of endearment close to his face. Jake held back so much internally not to pull her face close to his.

Even more so when you nestled into his body pulling him into a hug. Your body was much smaller than his, it was obvious, but the way you held him was incredible. Every time your face was buried in Jake's neck and the shivers he felt could be put down to the intensity of the moment. He wanted to think it was because he was crying and venting all his frustration at that moment, not because his breath was beating against his skin involuntarily.

Jake wanted so badly to curse himself for thinking about your reddened, ajar lips, while you watched him ramble through what had happened and looked at him carefully on every subject. He would get lost sometimes and try to pick up again because he was glazed over by your lips. Maybe kissing them was something he wanted as much as you did, even if he had no idea about it.

"Jake, look out!" Jay's shout snapped him out of his thoughts as Jake looked forward, realizing he'd spent too long thinking about what it would be like if he'd kissed you. The ball hit his helmet so hard that he fell to the ground in seconds.

"Fuck" he groaned in pain, eyes closed and squeezed together as shadows loomed around him. His friends were already close enough to cover all the sun that shone on the soccer field that late afternoon.

"What the fuck, man. Didn't you hear me call you?" Jungwon scolded him with a concerned tone of voice. Jake felt his body being lifted and he knew Jay had taken off his helmet, opening his eyes slowly to see all his teammates standing there.

"Sorry, I… I guess I got distracted."

"We get it" Sunghoon joked "What were you thinking?"

Jake opened his mouth to answer, then closed it when he heard a short laugh from Heeseung.

"Son of a bitch" he didn't have the strength to get out of Jungwon's arms, otherwise he would have run to the other to hit him on the head too.

"Okay, we'll take a break from practice" the coach announced afterward, hearing from Jay that everything was fine and it was just a scare.

As the boys dispersed across the field, Jake decided to sit on the bench for a while and breathe deeply as his head ached. Maybe from the hit or, at worst, from thinking too much about you.

Jake doubted himself when he accepted that invitation after soccer practice. It had been months since he had known what it was like to attend a party properly without having his ex-girlfriend pestering him. He knew he was missing his friends since he always partied – as much as possible – with the almost weekly parties of the fraternities of that college. The boy sighed, letting those thoughts be pushed from his mind as he filled his glass for the second time, having Sunghoon's gaze and Jay's smile accompany him as the beer keg hose finished pouring its contents.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay being here?" Jay asked when it was his turn to fill the glass. Jake drank some of the contents, smiling with the plastic between his teeth as he did so.

He truly appreciated all his friends' concerns. And he also felt a little guilty because this situation involved everyone he cared about, and not in a good way. Because everyone ended up, in a way, feeling bad about the state Jake found himself in… Since he met you. That last part was new to him ever since Heeseung started pushing his buttons, even more so after he brought up the subject of kissing. It was just making him nervous.

"I'm sure" Jake snapped out of his thoughts when he felt Jay's arm go around his shoulder. He looked at Sunghoon, his glass full and a wide smile on his lips "Where are we going now?"

"To look for Heeseung, he's arrived" Sunghoon announced and was led the whole way into the busy house.

"And she came, you know, right?" Jay's whisper couldn't have stirred Jake as much as he would have liked. Shit, the boy thought, was he really looking forward to you arrival that much? Why did Jake feel his legs getting shaky as he walked with his friend by his side? Even though he knew it wasn't, in fact, to meet just you. But knowing that you were there waiting for the boys was one thing that made Jake a little more nervous.

With that, the boy decided to drink the entire contents of his glass to try, in a useless way, to clear his throat which was already starting to dry out due to his state.

"You've all finally arrived" with Jay's announcement, Jake froze as he looked straight ahead.

There you were, completely perfect. He always saw you in casual clothes because the settings were his house or college. The times Jake had bumped into you at a few parties, they were quick things and he was always accompanied by Lori, so it wasn't like the guy really remembered what you were wearing. When needless to say, he barely had any fun at parties being with the other girl.

"How nice to see you here, Jake" Kimi approached him, quickly hugging the boy who returned the act of affection with the same intensity.

"I missed that, actually" he said sincerely, smiling when she pulled away to give him space. The space he knew he couldn't fill because he was shaking too much to move.

When your eyes locked onto Jake's, he swore everything stopped for a few minutes. No music was heard but the sound of your heartbeat speeding up just because you had smiled at him. That smile that he used to see during the last few months as you consoled him for crying like an idiot. But even more so, it was the smile he looked for almost every night, even through the tears, just to feel good and be able to sleep peacefully.

"Hi" Jake blinked rapidly at your proximity, noticing you were standing right in front of him.

Now all your friends had scattered and he hardly knew where they were, leaving you two alone – not to mention the world of people surrounding you – but that didn't matter. It was just you and Jake, through both of your eyes.

"Hi" the boy smiled finally "Would you like a drink?"

"I'd love one" you smiled a little more because Jake was smiling broadly in your direction now.

Without much thought, as if it were a natural thing, he took your hand and entwined his fingers in yours. In response, you squeezed his hand and let him guide you to where the drinks might be. And all the way Jake followed like that, holding hands with you as if it was meant to be. As if the two of you had to stay like that until you reached the kitchen.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Hm… Beer?" you didn't know what you had, and you weren't going to start with something unknown either. Maybe beer could help you get used to the alcohol in your system until you interspersed it with other concoctions Heeseung would probably bring in the middle of the night.

Jake agreed with your request and went to the fridge to get a beer, and even that didn't make him let go of your hand, so you had to follow him walking beside him. With his free hand, Jake grabbed two bottles of beer and handed one to you, smiling in thanks as he closed the fridge to walk over to the counter.

"Want me to open it?"

"Please" you asked, and just at that moment, Jake released your hand to take the bottle and twist the cap with the edge of his t-shirt. It was a simple act, you had seen Heeseung and Jay do it when you went to the boys' house at night.

A normal thing between them. But why with Jake had it made you sigh? A silly sigh that had certainly not gone unnoticed by him. Because the boy had smiled so shyly that your cheeks were red now.

"Thanks, Jake" you said before picking up your drink and taking a long sip. It was hot, your throat was dry and you were nervous. Putting it all together and adding the fact that Jake's eyes never left your face, you needed to finish that bottle as soon as possible. And that's what happened.

By the time Jake opened his bottle and took a small sip, you had already finished yours and felt the bitterness of the drink in your mouth, grimacing.

"What? Is it that bad?" he laughed, pouring his bottle and taking a long sip since the two drinks were the same. Then another sip until he finished all the beer "You didn't like it?"

"I found it a bit bitter, I don't know" you shrugged, feeling the taste still against your lips.

"I think I can make it better" Jake didn't know with what courage he had pulled it out of his chest to make it come out of his mouth. And he also didn't know what courage he was having to be slowly pushed against your face.

His face inches away from yours, his nose brushing so slowly against yours that it was tickling lightly against your skin.

"With your mouth? But you drank the same thing I did" you were supposed to shut your mouth when you were nervous, or you'd spoil the fact that Jake Sim was leaning towards you, his breath hitching against your lips.

"I had a few other things to drink before you arrived too, I think that might help" he shrugged, laughing nonchalantly at your nervousness. Perhaps he was a little braver than you now.

"It's okay, you can try."

It was all he needed to hear to touch the icy fingers to your skin and pull your body to him. Touching his forehead against yours, Jake slid his head to the side to get his lips to fit slowly, torturously long before his lips brushed against yours. He started slow, just feeling the pressure of his mouth against yours before he asked for permission to intensify. You gave in you wouldn't be silly to deny something you wanted and that was instigating you as much as he was.

Jake's kiss, although tasting different from the beer you two had been drinking, tasted good. It was slow and intense, his hands squeezing you so carefully as if you were going to break at any moment. Your hands, on the other hand, rested against his cheek to feel the movements of his jaw as he kissed you even more. No speeding up so he could feel every inch of your mouth and no rush to tangle his tongue in yours.

"Jake, we— Holy shit" Heeseung cried out. Jake parted your lips from him in a quick pop but came back to seal them properly as he turned his head towards his friend who had just entered the kitchen.

"What is it, Heeseung?" he laughed at the older man's astonished expression, he swallowed an outraged cry as he bit his lips.

"You… You two…"

"What did you come to say?" Jake still had his hands on your waist, keeping you in place as your hands slid from his face to his arms, holding yourself against him.

"I said… I wanted to talk… About, you know… You know…"

"I think we broke him" you whispered, hearing Jake's laughter once more.

"Come on, Heeseung! Talk soon" the boy hurried.

Heeseung seemed to come to his senses and sighed loudly, unable to contain the huge smile that adorned his lips.

"Game outside in two minutes, the boys want you to go" he finally said.

Jake agreed with a small nod, looking at you this time.

"Want to meet Kimi while I go with the boys?" the concern in his voice and the intensity of his gaze made your knees wobble. You could only smile as you quickly agreed with a nod.

Jake kissed your lips once more, still slowly and holding your face between his hands.

"Holy shit, I love you both so much" Heeseung shouted again, jumping up and down from the kitchen door. Jake laughed against your lips and pulled away, pushing Heeseung out of the kitchen and letting you breathe a little.

It was your turn to look for your best friend and tell her what had happened. Your eyes scanned the huge room when you came out of the other room, not to mention the pair of eyes that stared at you all night.

"I don't believe it!" Kimi shouted as excitedly as her boyfriend did a while ago.

You laughed at her excitement together with Sarang, who hugged you non-stop almost knocking you down on the lawn.

"I'm so happy for you two, I swear" she squeezed you a little tighter, waiting for Kimi to join the pair to hug them too.

"Jake deserves this so much" Kimi whispered after she hugged you both "And so do you, after all, you've been with him all this time."

"We just kissed, come on" you laughed a little nervously at the statement of one of your best friends.

"But I'm being honest" she walked away with Sarang "It's impossible for you two not to have developed a crush on each other in this time of closeness…"

"Sure, it's months of helping him with all this shit" Sarang sat back down on the lawn, enjoying the night from the front of the house. She had these moments when she thought everything was too crowded inside, so she would call you and Kimi to join her for some fresh air "And you two are beautiful together."

"Visually and emotionally too."

"Idiots" you rolled your eyes, laughing and unfazed by it. There was no way they could have left you speechless any longer, why were your friends describing you so well? Was it too apparent how you and Jake were with each other?

"Okay, let's go inside. Y/n is turning red and we don't have any drinks for her to blame her embarrassment on" Sarang held her arms out for someone to help her up. You and Kimi joined in, pulling her off the ground and waiting for her to clear herself off the grass before you went inside.

Before your steps became solid back to the party, your eyes traveled to the person at the entrance. Your stomach almost churned at the sight of Lori staring at you.

You tried to look away and even felt Kimi's hand hold yours for a moment, maybe they could divert the path and go in the back, but something in you didn't want to go another way but to pass her. But the girl was quick to get down from the driveway and walk towards you.

"Y/n, right?" she asked as soon as she approached your trio of friends along with a friend of hers. The girl looked at the three of you with a disgusted expression, surely mirrored by Kimi.

"Do you know my name?"

"I had to go find out who the bitch who kissed my Jake was" at her audacity, the only thing you could do was laugh. Laugh with all your heart as you took a step forward, almost knocking the girl over by the way you leaned towards her.

"Yours?" your voice came out between your teeth "Claiming something you lost months ago? Please, honey, get better."

"Oh, y/n, where does all this courage come from to talk to me like that?" she pressed her forefinger against your shoulder, pushing your body slightly.

"Don't touch me" you slapped against her hand on impulse, seeing Lori's countenance stiffen. She ignored the fact of that and went back to pressing her index finger against your shoulder.

"I suggest you stay away from Jake, you know" her nail dug into your skin, and this made a sigh come out of your lips "It's only a matter of time before he comes back to me…"

"He'll never do that, I'll make sure it doesn't happen" you tried to smile and ignore the sting of her nail against your skin "And I told you not to touch me, bitch."

You felt your body being pulled back entirely, widening your eyes and wondering how Kimi had gotten so strong to pull you like that. But it wasn't her there. Immediately you found Jake's eyes riveted on you while looking forward, you could notice your other friends assisting the girl who was trying to get out of her own friend's arms.

Your tongue itched at the roof of your mouth to ask how he had gotten that far without you noticing, or your attention and anger were so well directed that you weren't even able to hear him yell from the front door when the game was over. Jake knew he had to run as fast as he could, thanking God for his position on the soccer team. He was fast enough to sneak up on you all and take Kimi's place to hold you back.

"I'll finish her off" Lori's voice brought you back to reality, finally facing the girl who was trying to get out of Hyunjin's grip and her friend's as well.

"I hope you make sure you do this well, because if I catch you—"

"That's enough!" Jake said sternly, but low enough that only you could hear him. Without waiting long – and knowing that you wouldn't leave without first trying a fight – he spun you around between his arms and used all the strength he had to pick you up and put your body over his shoulders.

"Jake, put me down" you struggled, knowing it was useless because the boy was much stronger than you and his grip on your body wouldn't be gentle enough for you to get out.

Your eyes were still agile enough to see Lori's even angrier face as Jake carried you over his shoulder into the house again, setting you down on the floor after he closed the door.

Without saying a word, he took your hand just like earlier in the evening, but it wasn't as subtle. The grip between your fingers would have hurt if it wasn't for the adrenaline still coursing through your bloodstream. He ran up the stairs with you, so quickly that your feet almost wobbled and tripped on some steps. Entering the room Jake had designated, unaware that it was a dimly lit room that served as a study area in the fraternity house.

"You have to let me down, Jake" you finally said, sighing heavily as he stood in front of the door after locking it.

"Only in your dreams" he smiled without showing his teeth, turning serious again when you took slow steps towards him.

"I need to" your teeth quickly clamped down on your bottom lip, taking a deep breath when he denied your request again "Jake, I'm not done talking to Lori."

"And you won't, y/n" he leaned in close enough that his face was level with you. Swallowing dryly with Jake's breath so close to yours, you closed your eyes "You need to do like me and ignore any shit she says."

His calm voice contrasted with his serious countenance. You let out a snort with your eyes still closed, feeling your whole body shiver.

"Of course, to see you look bad like that… Jake!" your eyes opened to meet his, so expectant that the boy would let you out of that room "She needs to hear me. I've kept this for a long time and—"

"And you don't have to do that, y/n. It's not up to you…" he didn't mean to sound rude and you knew he hadn't been, after all, Jake was right. It wasn't about you and his willingness to say anything to Lori was only to protect you.

"Just let me…"

"Stay away from her, please?"

Stop asking me like that, you idiot, you mentally screamed, knowing you'd already broken down the instant Jake's hands roamed your waist, pulling you closer to his body.

"But—"

"For me, can you do that?" a whisper so sweet against your lips as Jake slid his bottom lip between yours. You sighed loudly, letting your hands sprawl against his chest as you felt him hug your body even closer.

When you nodded slowly in agreement, Jake smiled weakly before taking your lips and kissing them gingerly. He wanted to take his time kissing you once more, feeling every little part of your mouth as he tried to calm you down from the little incident minutes ago. You could feel his heart beating against the palm of your hand and Jake could feel your rapid breathing gradually calming down against his lips.

The same way you had calmed him all those nights, he wanted to do it right then. Jake wanted you to feel all the care he could offer you.

The kisses, even as they intensified, never stopped being careful until you both needed to catch your breath and pull away from each other this time. No interruptions, no one watching. Just you and him.

"Now we can go home if you want" Jake said after a while, forehead still against yours and a smile adorning the plump lips reddened from the fresh kiss.

"Why? It's early…"

"I'm not going to risk leaving you down there right now" you didn't know Jake's level of concern, but seeing his gaze take over your entire face as he waited for an answer, it was clear he wasn't going to let you stay there unattended.

"Alright, we can go home" you sighed, receiving a grateful smile from him.

But deep down, something in your mind screamed that it wouldn't be easy to stay away from Lori. Because if she stalked Jake even after the breakup, what wouldn't she do to you after tonight?

You didn't know what was hurting more: the pressure of the ice pack on your face or Jake's glare in your direction.

Yes, you practically promised in a roundabout way that you would stay away from Lori. For him. But what about when she comes in with all the rage in your being throwing you to the floor of the university hallway? Should you stay quiet and just take it, or stand up for yourself and manage to twist her nose in the process? Of course, you did the second option without even thinking about the consequences.

It didn't matter that your best friends took you to the university infirmary, just to take care of the little bruises on your face while Kimi called Heeseung. That was the cause of the information and that was why Jake was in the infirmary room with you now.

He paced back and forth, his hands running through his hair frantically and occasionally squeezing his lips as he ran his hands over his face.

Now and then Jake would glance in your direction, catching your eyes on him or – often – seeing you with your eyes closed enjoying the fact that that ice was working on your sharp pain in your cheek.

"Jake" you decided to call him, annoyed by the sudden silence since he had walked in, only exchanging words with your friends before they decided to leave and leave you two alone.

He turned around, staring at you and waiting for you to continue. But nothing came out of his mouth. Just a sigh that he tried to ignore and went back to pacing around.

The silent treatment was making you nervous, even more, painful because it made your whole face contort from the expressions, while Jake barely said anything or mumbled anything. So you thought about getting up and abandoning the ice pack you were holding. Without making any noise, your steps slowly approached the boy who was now standing in the middle of the room with a loud sigh escaping his lips.

"Jake, hey" you called him once again, he turned around so fast by the fright of your voice so close to him. Seeing that your figure was only a step away, he sighed again. Their eyes dropped to the reddening on his cheek.

"What?" Jake finally said, the voice hoarse from lack of use making you – this time – sigh.

"Why are you acting like that?"

"I asked you, y/n. I told you…" his voice raising a little in pitch, he cringed and eased when he saw you shrug "I told you to stay away from her, but you didn't listen."

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!" a groan of pain left your lips as you felt your cheek hurt. Jake approached you so quickly that you barely realized his hand was touching your face now. "It was your fault" you whispered, making him widen his eyes and stop touching your face.

Jake stared at you for a while, hearing your breathing so close to him that the boy swore you could hear anything too. Even more so his heart racing even faster.

"My fault? But I… Why?" he cupped his hands and put them in the pocket of the pants he was wearing. It was your turn to move closer, your hands brushing against his shoulders to slide up to his neck, where you found support to intertwine your fingers in the back of Jake's neck.

"Well, I'll be honest, okay?" you asked, Jake nodding in agreement as his hands went to your waist. The contact made you sigh, smiling with a bit of pain at seeing him so reluctant in his words, but his actions showed otherwise.

You also felt your heart racing from remembering Lori's words, from every little syllable hammering in your mind while – ironically – a smile filled your lips. Jake frowned before he felt yours lean there. Faces close together as you continued to smile.

"She came in furious, screaming down the halls that I was a slut… Again" you shrugged, feeling a slow caress of Jake's fingertips on your waist. That wasn't going to make you lose focus, so to pull yourself together, you took a deep breath "I knew it would happen after that night, but what she said to me made me think about a lot of things."

"What did she tell you?" your eyes quickly traveled over Jake's face, the Adam's apple slowly swaying as he swallowed dryly. The boy's eyes in front of him were closed, dreading his words because, in a way, he could assume what was coming.

"After swearing at me so much, she said you two fought in the library…" Jake opened his eyes, already wide at you.

"Y/n, I—" you kissed his lips quickly to make him stop talking, without deepening the act because you needed to finish. When he understood your actions, the words died in your mouth and Jake remained still, already feeling his whole face burn.

"You finally stood up to her after months of this hell, Jake" your voice sounded cheerful, and with a hint of pride at seeing him finally get over it. Jake smiled just from being completely flustered and embarrassed, but your next words almost left him breathless "She kept wondering how you were able to fall in love with someone else" your face turned away just enough for your gaze to meet that of a static Jake "So you fell in love with me?"

Another dry gulp from your throat and you were able to turn Jake's lips ajar and quivering. He stared into your eyes, but his words wouldn't come out. Nothing was able to roll off his tongue and form something coherent to say to you.

Jake's fingers pulled away from your waist, his hands falling to the side of your body. He wasn't able to hold you while you were shaking.

It was true, he had fallen in love. And even more true, standing up to Loir was – a large part of it – because he'd gotten tired. Tired of all that humiliation she thought he should have to go through. The other part was because Jake, slowly, fell in love with you. Without effort, it flowed so naturally that when he realized it had been enough.

As he listened to his ex-girlfriend swear at him, offend him, and try to offend you as well, Jake stood up. He had never raised his voice with anyone off the soccer field. But this time the boy never felt so free.

"Enough of this shit, Lori. I don't care about you anymore" the look on the librarian's face would have been priceless if it weren't for the anger Jake felt at the moment. He saw the girl in front of him cringe, but pull herself together immediately to try and get out of the situation. He didn't, of course, raise an eyebrow when he remembered all the things she had said "You're going to leave me alone from now on. Because nothing you say to me will have any effect."

"Why?" she tried to laugh, failing when he lifted his lips in a smile "I know it messes with you, Jakey…"

"It did. Past" Jake's smile widened as he sighed to finish his sentence "I'm in love with someone else and she's taking very good care of me. Not letting me be affected by all that shit that comes out of your mouth."

He wouldn't stay in that place listening to whatever it was. Jake felt victorious after you left, even though he knew now that Lori had gone after you because she wasn't satisfied. It was true that you had taught her a lesson after what Jake heard from his friends, how you managed to defend yourself enough to put that crazy woman in her place.

But he also didn't know that Lori would count every word he said.

"Jake" your voice called him back to the present, blinking frantically when he saw you smile. As if catching his breath, Jake nodded his head. Enough for you to reach out again and pull him by the t-shirt he was wearing. Jake tilted his neck to level his face to yours, welcoming your soft lips that pressed against his.

The shared kiss was so full of feeling that he could only sigh against your lips as he fought for dominance inside your mouth. Jake's hands pulled you closer around your waist, pressing your body against his and being careful with the force exerted because he knew it could hurt if he tried any harder.

"I'm in love with you too, Jake Sim" your voice still being muffled by Jake's lips, who smiled between the kiss before finishing and sealing your lips with his.

That was music to Jake's ears. To feel good about someone again, even though he thought it would be impossible because of everything he had experienced. But when you arrived, without even asking permission, you had already completely changed the course of his feelings. He knew he was meant to have you in his life as soon as your arms went around Jake's waist that night, holding him without knowing him. Just to hear him cry and vent. There he knew.

"Come on, let's go home" he whispered before kissing you again, slowly and leaning his forehead against yours in the process.

"But I need to find the girls—"

"I'll call Heeseung and let them know we're going home, they'll find you there" Jake pulled away, taking your hand and entwining your fingers together with his.

"What's the rush, Jake Sim?" your hand slowly squeezed his, causing Jake to laugh as the boy grabbed his belongings from the infirmary room to leave.

Stepping through the front door, leading the way while still holding your hand, Jake felt your face lean against his shoulder. Gently as he still felt a little pain. Jake leaned down to kiss the top of your head quickly.

"Because I want you to hug me like you did the first time" you stopped walking as soon as you heard his words, your heart racing even more after seeing him smile at you. That smile so beautiful and bright right next to your face, you could only kiss him again, hearing him whisper against your lips "Only now I can earn some kisses too, right?"

Laughing, you nibbled lightly on Jake's lip before pulling away. Hugging him like the first time, on the couch at his place while kissing him now… It was everything you imagined before, but it felt a thousand times better now that it was happening.

© ikeuverse, 2023. do not copy, translate or steal my stories.

CARE AND LOVE — s.jaeyun

PAIRING: jake x fem!reader GENRES: so much fluff, a pinch of angst WC: 1.9k+

WARNINGS: mentions of food, a little moment of tiredness after a work routine.

SYNOPSIS: being in a relationship means that the other person can take care of you when you need it. in your mind, you don't want to burden jake with that. fortunately for him, that's not how things work.

NOTES: i wanted to make a little surprise for my heart sister, @en-ternity. i just thought of some comfort i could write to her when she comes back from her hiatus to read. and realize how much she is loved by her friends, by me, and by jake!

masterlist

You felt your eyes water after throwing your body on the sofa. Your hair was still damp from the shower, the smell of your shampoo wafting through the air, and a small smile adorning your lips as you looked down at your clothes. The t-shirt was loose enough and still smelled of him.

It was strange and at the same time funny to see that you had just gone through the biggest cliché of all time. Your best friend becomes your friend with benefits, after a little declaration, he became more than that.

The two of you were in a relationship, you could say you'd been dating for a few months because it was official. It became official from the day Jake looked into your eyes and said he was starting to fall in love with you, and his bright smile when you said you felt the same way was the right answer for him to make it really official.

Having him with you felt so good, knowing that he was there now went beyond the physical touch. Even today you were feeling like crap and just dismissed him on a few calls.

I'm staying late at work, you lied, knowing how stressed and tired you were. You didn't want to take it out on Jake and have another cliché in your life, fighting with your new boyfriend because you just couldn't deal with the frustration of a day full of demands.

No. The last thing you wanted was to fight with Jake, so you preferred to tell a little lie. Or two, when he asked if you two could just have dinner together and you said you'd already eaten.

Nonsense. The only food in your stomach was a piece of toast that Niki, your best friend and work colleague, had bought you for lunch. And because he was so insistent, he blackmailed you into telling Jake if you didn't chew it.

And you did. The toast was wonderful, the taste of all the ingredients combined with some of the juice he'd also brought was divine. But you hated yourself for not feeling hungry when you had so much to do.

Work first, eat later. Jake hated your motto, hated it with all his might, and even knowing you like that, he still couldn't accept it. So that's why you just let yourself go. The next day you could tell him after it was over, so he could understand that you hadn't meant any harm.

But something in your plans had to go wrong, that's for sure. Because the sound of the doorbell resounded throughout your apartment and, as soon as you got up from the sofa, something in your chest hurt. You knew there could only be one person behind that door. And possibly not a good one.

Nevertheless, you walked over to open it, and, as soon as you did, your grip hurt even more.

Jake had a scowl on his face, looking straight into your eyes when you tried to smile at him.

"Hey, you…" your eyes dropped to his hands. Bags of food "Shit" you whispered.

"Yeah, pretty big shit" he said, maybe your whisper wasn't low enough.

"Look, Jake, I can…"

"Explain? I just— Let me in, please?" he asked, the disappointment in his voice telling you how upset he was and you couldn't tell if it was because of the lie told or not.

But you still let him in and Jake went straight to your kitchen. Walking behind him, you made your way to the opposite side of the worktop and watched as he took some things out of the bag to cook. Your heart ached with each ingredient because you knew he had chosen the things you liked best so he could cook them. Guilt consumes you little by little.

"Will you cook for me?" your voice came out a little louder than intended due to the silence in the kitchen. Jake looked at you, at no point softening the expression with which he entered your apartment.

He just nodded in agreement, washing his hands and picking up the things that needed cutting.

Silent treatment? You thought. Wasn't he going to talk to you while he was cooking, or wasn't he going to talk to you while he was in your apartment?

The thought alone made you gasp and almost want to cry. It had been on your mind long before Jake arrived, anyway, and now it was only made stronger by the guilt you felt and all the tiredness too.

Jake cut everything carefully, leaning over a few times to make sure everything was as he wanted it. You let a small smile escape as you saw that he had learned everything from Jay since it was he and you who cooked when everyone in the group of friends got together.

So he'd taken the time to try to cook just to make something for you? Another pang of guilt consumed you. You sniffled softly to stop the tears from falling and decided you couldn't stand there and just let him do everything. Or even worse, do it and not even look at you.

Walking slowly to the side of the workbench where Jake was standing, he didn't even notice you when you got close. He was so focused on his chores that he put everything in the pot to wait for it to boil.

Your arms then encircled his waist and that's when Jake noticed, startled by the sudden touch as he stopped everything he was doing.

"I'm so sorry," you sniffled once more, one or two stubborn tears trailing down your cheeks and you gratefully buried your face in Jake's broad back "I'm so sorry, Jake."

He knew he'd give in sooner or later since he'd decided to do it. So when Jake dropped the kitchen utensils, icy fingers quickly touched your skin. Your hand that was on his stomach being pushed away enough so that he could turn around and face you.

Now with your face buried in his chest, Jake lowered himself enough to touch his lips against your forehead, lingering in a slow kiss against your skin.

"Sorry for what, love?" he asked softly, the affectionate nickname giving you a little more reassurance.

"For lying to you" Jake's fingers now touched your chin, making you lift your face so he could look you in the eye.

His expression was a little softer than before, a smile at the corner of his lips as he looked at every inch of your face. He didn't say anything, just walking with you to the marble countertop to sit you down, quickly arranging his rightful place between your legs.

"I'm not mad about this" he said, one hand on your thigh through your pajama pants while the other went to your face to dry the damp skin and caress your cheek. You wanted to ask what it was, but Jake seemed to read your mind or know you well enough to answer before anything was said "I'm angry because I had to blackmail Niki into telling me you didn't eat today."

"What?" you almost shouted at that, taking a step away from Jake to see him smile at the sudden shock. You'd kill your best friend if you could right now.

"Just toast, really, y/n?" he asked. Your eyes wandered for a few seconds, feeling ashamed of having been caught in the act "And why didn't you want me to come, anyway? Just so you wouldn't tell me you ate badly today?"

Jake looked at the food on the fire to see if he still needed to leave some more. As things had barely cooked, he breathed a sigh of relief knowing that he wouldn't have to leave his place any time soon.

Feeling him move closer and snuggle even closer between your legs, you sighed. Something inside you knew you could tell him even if you wanted to hide it all and spare him. But Jake left his apartment, and went to yours to make you food, why couldn't you be honest with him?

"Because I didn't want to take my frustrations out on you" Jake seemed surprised by your confession. Eyebrows raised and the touch on your thigh became a little firmer when you answered him "I don't know, my day was so bad that I was tired and afraid that I might fight with you when, in fact, I just wanted you to be with me and… What?" you asked when you saw his smile widen even more.

He leaned in close enough to capture your lips in a slow kiss, the same kiss he gave you every time you met. It was welcome to know what you would become next. Would it remain slow? Would the kiss become intense? The two of you didn't know, which is why Jake always liked to take it slow and just enjoy the moment of your mouths together and your tongues intertwining leisurely.

As soon as the kiss was broken, Jake kept your face close to his. The tip of his nose brushing slowly and his hands holding your face, not wanting you to move away from him just yet.

"I think you think too much when you're stressed and tired" Jake whispered, "I'd come here anyway, I'd stay with you without asking."

"Really?" you whimpered in response.

"Yes, but you have to let it happen, y/n" he kissed your lips once more, looking into your eyes as he finished speaking "I'm here to take care of you and…"

Jake's speech was interrupted by the boiling of water, indicating that the food was almost ready. He looked at the pots on the stove, wondering whether he could leave it a little longer or simply turn it off. Jake opted for the first option, it wouldn't hurt to leave it a bit longer, after all.

"Where were we? Oh..." he seemed to remember the second he looked at you, the smile on his reddened lips making you smile too "I'm here to take care of you because now we're a couple and that's what couples do, take care of each other in the worst of times."

"I know, I'm sorry" you looked down, but Jake didn't let that happen for long, raising his head and making you look at him again.

"We're in this together, love. We chose to be together and I think we're going to go through this more often."

"You think, why?"

"Because Niki says you're too stressed" Jake shrugged, hearing your laugh as a weak slap was slapped against his chest, making him laugh too "Hey!"

"I love you, Jake Sim" your fingers intertwined with his, smiling even more as Jake moved closer to your face again.

The lips were inches apart, the breaths mingling as he whispered back.

"I love you more, y/n" before Jake could kiss you, the cooker beeped indicating it was time to turn it off.

He pulled away from you and stepped out from between your legs to stand in front of the stove and minister to the food to be best prepared. You left the worktop quickly, returning to hug him from behind, careful that your arms didn't get burned or that Jake didn't lose his concentration on cooking for you.

Giving him a small kiss against the skin of his back covered by his t-shirt, you whispered all night how much you loved him and how grateful you were that the relationship had gone further. Jake assured you the whole time that he would be there with you, never forgetting to whisper how much he loved you even more.

© ikeuverse, 2023. do not copy, translate or steal my stories.

PARTY IN THE U.S.A — s.jaeyun

PAIRING: jake x fem!reader  GENRES: fluff, humor  WC: 2.5k+

WARNINGS: just a few curses and (a lot of) kissing.

SYNOPSIS: you've never missed watching your best friend play, but unfortunately a match falls right on the day of a super-important exam. jake is distraught because it's right when his team loses, making him listen to the one song that everyone knows he listens to when he's sad… it's up to you to sort it out somehow.

NOTES: the vote for the next story had our dear jake as the winner, so here it is! i wrote this one a while ago at the time of the live he said he listens to this song when he's sad, so i thought about it and just came up with this. i hope you like it!

masterlist

"Are you really not going to watch my game today?" Jake's melancholy voice almost made your heart break even more.

It was more than obvious that you wanted to go, not least because you had never missed a single one of his games for the university team. But that same university was tearing your sanity apart by holding an exam in the middle of the afternoon, where more than half the students would be watching the soccer team play.

Jake was the top scorer. Famous for his relentless passing, his perfect goals – not to mention his breathtaking looks. You, as his best friend, couldn't deny the slight crush you felt. It was ridiculous to say that kind of thing when you knew that half the campus fell in love with him.

But on that particular day, it wasn't as if you weren't going because you wanted to. Your teacher would kill you – and your whole class – if you missed that test. It was important. So was Jake's game. Ever since you became friends at the beginning of high school and he joined every sport possible, you went to watch him play. It was a tradition for both of you, even if it was raining. That's why you accumulated raincoats of all colors in your closet and even one or two different umbrellas; one of them even too big for your liking to hold your friends when they went with you.

You did everything for Jake and he recognized that, so much so that he felt selfish when he sulked all day just because you weren't going today. He wouldn't meet your eyes once you got on the pitch.

He couldn't hear you shouting his name after a goal or even running up to the stands and hugging your friends. A mere excuse he had since you were always with all of them, so Jake could hug you too.

A long sigh left your lips as you left the university hall. The pencil and pen pressed against your fingers as you walked through the corridors with the thought that you had done well. The content was extensive, and the whole thing was giving you a headache, but studying every night had been worth it after all. Because even when you felt tired, even when you'd exhausted yourself studying at night, Jake would show up to keep you company.

Shit, Jake. You quickly checked your cell phone for a message from him, because by that time the game was surely over.

To your surprise, he hadn't sent anything, but your cell phone had hundreds of messages from Jungwon and Heeseung. Your heart sank at this.

Dialing the number of one of the boys, you were grateful when Jungwon answered on the second ring.

"Y/n?" he didn't even wait for you to say anything, just seeing your name flashing on the screen of his cell phone.

"Jungwon, hey. Is everything okay?" you knew it wasn't. And Jungwon knew that you were smart enough to know that since he had called your cell phone at least six times. Heeseung called four more.

"Well, no..." there was a slight pause on the other end of the line, his footsteps instinctively tightening as he walked across campus "Can you come to our apartment?"

He didn't even have to ask you once more to get you to agree and say you'd be there as soon as possible. It was a relief that the boys' apartment wasn't so far from the college, even if running hadn't been a good idea, but the desperation of Jungwon's call made your heart squeeze and think of a thousand different scenarios.

Had Jake been hurt during the game? What had happened to make things go wrong like that? The thought of Jake being hurt made your whole body ache, and he blamed himself for not being there and for not providing enough assistance.

It was the only game you hadn't been to in all these years of friendship, so this feeling was rather new. Add to that the fact that you'd had a crush on him for a while, wanting to see him play or do something alongside him, but that was something that wouldn't even come out of your mouth.

Standing in front of the apartment complex, it didn't take long for you to enter and go straight to the elevator that gave access to the boys' floor. But especially today, the journey seemed much longer and more time-consuming, and you'd been doing it for so long that you couldn't even count, but it was torturing you so much.

"Y/n" Jungwon called out as soon as the door opened, without letting you realize that you had already reached their floor, stopped at the door and even rang the bell.

"Hi" you hugged him briefly, entering the apartment and being greeted by Heeseung with a quick hug as well "So?"

"Look…" Jungwon sighed as he closed the door. The three of you walked to the center of the room as he took the initiative in the conversation "You know, we lost the game today…"

He didn't want you to feel guilty at all. Jungwon understood about your commitments, even Sunghoon was with you – because he was from your class – taking that damn exam. You both lost today's game.

"What? Wait… Did you really lose?" your eyes widened.

"It was just a friendly, anyway" Heeseung flopped down on the sofa, picking up a cushion to rest his head on "The problem is that Jake is devastated."

Yes, he hated losing a game. You knew that.

"But I don't think it has anything to do with our defeat today" Jungwon nibbled the inside of his cheek, staring directly at you. Your eyes wandered between him and Heeseung, a frown on the face of the older man sitting on the sofa.

"He's been listening to Party in the U.S.A since we arrived, y/n. You need to do something because I can't take it anymore," he exploded.

You laughed softly, seeing Jungwon give you a disapproving look straight away. Perhaps they had rehearsed a better way to tell you something, but Heeseung's impatience made him practically beg for your help.

"And how am I going to do that? Maybe going there will be worse because I didn't go to see today's game…"

"On the contrary" Jungwon quickly interrupted, "You're the only person who can make him turn that thing off."

"Why?"

A moment of silence and Heeseung dropped the cushion, getting up from the sofa.

"It's so obvious, y/n" he rolled his eyes, but there was a playful smile on his lips as he took hold of your shoulders and led you down the corridor of the apartment. The corridor gave access to the three bedrooms as well as the bathroom.

Jake's room was the last in the corridor and, as soon as you and Heeseung got close to the door, you understood why the other two boys were so frustrated. The music was extremely loud even with the door closed – and possibly locked – while you could hear nothing but Miley Cyrus' voice.

You turned to Heeseung, noticing now that Jungwon was also behind him. Both of them looked at you with such anticipation as you stared back at them.

"How am I supposed to compete with that? When he hears that song…" you whimpered, Jungwon taking the lead to hold you by the shoulders this time.

"We trust you and the power you have over that crybaby" he winked at her, laughing and making her laugh too "Now make him turn it off or I'm breaking that little speaker today."

Both you and Heeseung knew that would never happen. It would be easier for the older one to break the speaker or for you to hide it in your apartment than for little Jungwon to do anything that would make Jake sad or even angrier.

So, turning towards his bedroom door again, you dared to give it a few knocks.

No answer.

A few more knocks and Jungwon's hands came off your shoulders. You heard footsteps moving away, looking back while the two boys were still there. As if to encourage you.

When you knocked once more, the music seemed to get even louder. As if Jake didn't want to be interrupted from his moment. You snorted at this and turned the handle on an impulse, praying that it was open or you'd punch that door until it opened.

And to your surprise it was. Jake didn't usually lock his door because he knew his friends wouldn't come into his room unless he gave permission when he was in those melancholy moments. He hadn't realized that you had opened the door until the bang of closing it made him jump out of bed.

Looking at you with an astonished face, Jake got up from the bed and practically ran towards you. His eyes were glued to yours, bright and fixed on your eyes. He didn't look like he'd cried, but he was about to if you hadn't shown up for a few more minutes.

"Y/n? What are you doing here?" he asked, you were only able to understand because of the proximity. Your shoulders shrugged and your hands went straight to your ears, indicating that you couldn't hear properly because the music was still too loud "Fuck, I'm sorry" Jake ran over to the speaker to turn it down to a considerable volume. He didn't want to stop listening to you because he still felt bad, but he would leave the music in a more comfortable setting so that he could hear your voice more clearly.

"What did you ask me?" you said after he came closer, big eyes staring at you and lips parted.

He didn't need to know that you had heard him perfectly, you just needed an excuse for him to say something and then think about how to continue the conversation.

"What are you doing here?" he asked again.

Jake seemed restless in his seat, his hands hovering at his sides and sometimes going to the hem of the sweatshirt he was wearing to play with something between his fingers.

"The boys couldn't stand the music" you smiled, but he didn't reciprocate because he had looked away from you "And I wanted to know how you were after the game."

"We lost" he said dryly, staring at you for a brief moment "Happy now?"

Jake walked away from you, his hands running through his hair as he let out a long sigh. He had his eyes closed, but you couldn't see because he preferred to keep his back to you.

"Why would I be happy about this, Jake?" you didn't want to feel upset by his tone, knowing that it was a big part of the frustration he felt. Jake sighed again, turning towards you.

"Because in all these years of friendship, you've never lost a game I've played" he was angry, you could see the way his brow furrowed as he spoke. His forehead wrinkled and his lips reddened because he had brushed his teeth a few times before speaking.

"I had a test today, it's not like I'm going to lose your game because I just wanted to," you said in the same tone, trying to get it into his head once and for all.

Jake knew he was being selfish, he knew it, and he would never interfere with your future either, because university was important to both of you. But the frustration over his newly discovered feelings for you, Heeseung, and Jungwon's teasing and the loss of today's game only intensified and he knew he would explode at some point.

Listening to Party In the U.S.A would be the only thing that would de-stress him from that whole incredibly shitty day.

"Anyway, Heeseung said it was friendly, it wasn't even a big deal" you shrugged and didn't know why you'd said it. But you knew it hadn't been a good idea when Jake got angry again. His eyes darkened and he was about to scream from the looks of it.

"So my game was no good, y/n? Is that what you mean?" he asked, you opened your mouth to say something, but Jake was quicker "You know what? Fuck, it really wasn't a big deal whether you went or not" he turned the music back up to the same volume as before, if not even louder.

The looping of Miley's voice had never entered your mind so much at that moment and you knew you wouldn't be hearing that song for weeks to come.

Talking to Jake hadn't gone as well as you'd hoped because not only was he upset, but you were upset too. It wasn't possible that your best friend was acting like this just because you hadn't gone to the game.

But then Heeseung's words echoed in your mind. It's so obvious. You didn't like to play the fool for that kind of thing, especially when it seemed to be completely reciprocated. Losing Jake's feelings for you wasn't in your plans, even more so after you came to accept that you felt it too, even if he didn't know it.

So your body acted better than your mind and, before you knew it, your hands were resting on the back of his swivel chair. With a little effort to make it spin along with Jake's body, you managed to catch his startled gaze as he started to face you.

"Y/n, you—"

"No time for bullshit, you little shit" you cursed angrily, but your actions said completely the opposite when your fingers gently held Jake's face just to keep him in place.

You pressed your lips to his and a long sigh came out of Jake's mouth at the sudden contact. He remained static for a few seconds, processing whether this was really happening or whether he was imagining it too much. But no, he wasn't dreaming and he realized it when the tip of your tongue pressed against his lips to ask for passage.

Jake gave in willingly, he wasn't going to turn down something he dreamed about practically every night even though he thought it was wrong to fantasize about his best friend.

In one swift movement, his hands grabbed your waist and pulled you onto his lap. The kiss took on even more rhythm and desire as the two of you attacked each other's lips. Your hands tangled in Jake's hair and pulled slowly as he pressed you against his body.

Gasping breaths, foreheads pressed together and the tip of his nose lightly brushing against yours.

"Jake" you called after a period of silence, him murmuring softly as he caressed your waist over the T-shirt you were wearing.

"Yeah?" he replied.

"Don't listen to that song anymore, please?" he laughed at your question, opening his eyes to find yours still closed.

You were so beautiful, but you looked even more stunning with your lips red and moist with his saliva mixed with yours from the kiss you shared with him, sitting on his lap. Jake couldn't help letting out a sigh, closing his eyes, and brushing his lips against yours again.

"Only if you kiss me more often like you did today," he whispered, causing a shiver to run through his entire body "I bet that'll calm me down more than any song I could ever listen to."

© ikeuverse, 2023. do not copy, translate or steal my stories.

YOU HATE ME, UNIVERSE? — s.jaeyun

PAIRING: jake x fem!reader  GENRES: smut, fluff, slight angst, a pinch of humor WC: 9.4k+

WARNINGS: swearing, drinking, sexual tension for a while. jake is frustrated for the most part (poor thing, let's understand him here). unprotected sex, oral sex (f. receiving), holding the neck, but no hanging. cum inside (make it safe and cover it up), aftercare. lmk if i forgot anything.

SYNOPSIS: how much the universe could hate you and jake to conspire against you every time you two came close to kissing? it was driving him crazy, jake needed to do something about it.

NOTES: i honestly don't know how this idea came about, it just popped into my head and i let it flow. it was something so natural, so i just let it happen and here it is. i hope you like it!

masterlist

Anyone in their right mind could tell what was between you and Jaeyun whether it was the extremely palpable sexual tension or the mutual desire that coursed through both of you as you became closer and closer.

It was always like that. Ever since the day Sunghoon introduced the two of you as an excuse for his best friend to meet new people. Not in a sexual sense because he didn't want to interfere that much, but he also knew that Jaeyun needed to talk to someone other than him and Heeseung. The boy was completely lonely and it was driving him crazy.

The idea of you becoming someone to talk to, since you were the social butterfly of the group, fit like a glove. So well that Jaeyun quickly opened up to you and the two of you started chatting. But he was so much calmer than Sunghoon and Heeseung when approaching.

Jaeyun was subtle when he arrived, making eye contact first before greeting people. He would say hello to everyone until he sat beside you and brushed his hand against yours to get your attention. At first, it was innocent, you would even intertwine your fingers in his quickly as a response to the greeting, Jaeyun maintaining the grip for a while before being interrupted to greet other people.

What changed was that Sunghoon and Heeseung weren't like that with you. The two of them would come and hug you, and Heeseung would mess up your hair because he knew you'd complain, he liked to annoy you. But no one was able to hurt you because he would break up with anyone. Sunghoon treated you like a little sister, not least because he was dating your best friend and you were responsible for introducing the two of them. He was grateful for that, so he always took the best care of you, hugging you from the side and running to his friend.

Whereas Jaeyun never held anyone's hand during greetings. He didn't make a point of touching anyone other than you or his friends for a quick handshake. That sparked something in you… So this was something just for you and him? An intimate thing that you could call yours and Jaeyun's alone?

Not to be hasty or emotional, you never even asked him, not least because it might put him off or simply make him stop holding your hand. You remember the first day before you met him when Sunghoon told you how shy Jaeyun was around anyone. That's exactly why you approached him: so that he could meet and talk to more people.

But the touching of hands became the least of your problems when you and Jaeyun started to get more physical. He didn't mind holding your waist as he walked up to the bar of the nightclub where you two were with your friends, whispering in your ear whatever silly conversation you and he were having at the moment. You'd notice the way his eyes would leave any corner of the room to focus only on your lips, even if you weren't saying anything. Just listening to him and the words coming out of his mouth.

It was a game of cat and mouse where you and Jaeyun were cornering each other more and more until you couldn't take the pressure.

If you asked him what was going on, he wouldn't hesitate to say that he wanted you. He doesn't know when it started, whether it was the first look you gave him in the living room of Sunghoon's apartment or the warm and welcoming way you greeted him. But Jaeyun was charmed at that moment. He was truly enchanted by you.

Your beauty was unreal and he lost count of how many uncontrollable, low sighs came out of his lips every time you did the slightest thing.

Get a grip Jaeyun, she's Sunghoon's friend and she's being nice to you. He was trying to convince himself of this because a shy university student who didn't have many friends would never win over a woman like you. Outspoken, self-assured, smiling and so beautiful. Not to mention every curve of your body that he swore he wouldn't pay attention to, but it became more and more impossible as he spent more time with the guys and with you.

Jaeyun was terrible at hiding the fact that he was staring, sometimes with Heeseung's help with a gentle push. A push or a hold because you could tell. Not that Heeseung wanted to stop Jaeyun, he was a great supporter of the – almost – couple, but he also wanted to know if you were comfortable with the advances. So he just tried to make everything seem a little more normal.

“How about you get her a drink instead of staring?” Heeseung asked, leaning away from the dimly lit kitchen counter of the decadent party he and his friends had decided to go to that weekend. Jaeyun sighed, turning his back to you who was in another room, but in his view of the kitchen.

“Dude, that's not gonna happen” Jaeyun almost cried at the mention of hitting on you, knowing that he got nervous just by looking at you.

“Of course it will” meanwhile, Heeseung was filling two glasses with concoctions that the other didn't even pay attention to. He was in a dilemma between running out of that kitchen and not listening to Heeseung, or following his friend's advice and bringing you a drink “Now, take this and call her somewhere more private. Trust me.”

He wanted to trust, that's for sure. He wanted Heeseung to be right enough to drop those two glasses, run to you, and kiss you. Holding the plastic cups in his hand, with a little more confidence from his friend's encouraging smile, Jaeyun straightened up.

“Anything, I'll pretend nothing happened, that I was drunk and it's your fault” he said before leaving the kitchen, hearing his friend's laughter behind him before entering the busy, noisy room.

Without losing sight of you, even if his eyes weren't on you, he walked slowly towards you. You were talking to Allie, your best friend, and Sunghoon's girlfriend. Other girls were also around, but as he didn't know many people, just his best friend was enough for him to know that he was surrounded by trustworthy people.

At a moment when Allie decided to pay attention to some questions from another girl, you were speechless for a few seconds, looking around to stop your eyes automatically on Jaeyun. It was as if your body and brain were aware of his approach and where he was.

“Hey” you moved your lips, he knew what had been said just by reading your lips. And because he always looked at your mouth.

“Hey” he greeted back, coming close enough to you to offer the glass of drink. Your throat was screaming for something wet to wash away all the talk from before because when you got together with your friends, there wasn't a minute when you were quiet.

“How did you guess I needed it?” you asked an amused tone in your voice making Jaeyun smile at you.

“Thought transmission?” he suggested, shrugging and sipping his drink.

“Uh girls, I think it's about time” Allie looked between you and Jaeyun, a small smile forming on her lips. You'd say you were innocent if it weren't for the double-entendre noises coming from your other friends.

At that moment you wanted to crawl under that filthy party mat and never leave. Or you wanted to be drunk enough to pretend that your cheeks weren't burning fiercely and that you had nowhere else to look but at him.

“I'm sorry, I—” you began, your voice breaking as there was only you and Jaeyun left in that corner.

“It's okay, I suffer a bit from that with the boys too” he said.

You bit your tongue to ask why, if it was for the same reason as yours since that could mean he had feelings for you too. But instead of asking, again, you let Jaeyun grab your hand as he always did and pull you to another corner of the party. No protest came from your lips as he left with you and went to the balcony of the busy house.

No one stayed there at that moment, even though it was dark and quiet. People seemed to want the movement and loud music, or the rooms stinking of sweat and sex from who knows how many people who had passed by. You and he preferred the calm of the wooden gang with their almost empty glasses of booze.

He sat down first, stretching his arm on the back of the bench while you sat down next to him and, without thinking, snuggled closer into his body.

“Can I…”

“Of course, you can” he didn't even need your continuation to know, you could be like that with him, even more so outside where the small gusts of wind were hitting you both. Jaeyun wanted to go back and get his coat to warm you up, but that would have meant leaving you alone, and that wasn't the plan. He wanted to follow what Heeseung had said in the letter and it was already a big step to have your head resting on his shoulder at that moment.

Not that it had never happened before, the two of you had been like this before. On the sofa in the boys' apartment, when you two went to the movies with Sunghoon and Allie, or during class breaks in the library when you shared a headset. It was so good to be close to him. The glow of the night added a finishing touch to what you and he needed.

The minutes of silence became a little longer, but at no point did you and Jaeyun feel like saying anything. He just listened to the sound of your breathing and, sometimes, your fingers touching his hand, which was resting on your shoulder. It was intimate and cozy, and he wished he could do more with it. The internal dilemma about raising one hand and touching you, pulling you close, and kissing you was screaming in the back of his mind.

What if he was such a coward? What if you thought he didn't like you or didn't feel anything, even if all the sexual tension was seen by anyone outside? It made him a little dazed, maybe even nervous, he could tell.

But Jaeyun hadn't counted on the fact that you could be a bit quicker, with more attitude. Or he could have waited since you were his opposite.

Raising your head enough to look at him, you noticed that Jaeyun was already looking in your direction. The dark, curious orbs shone a little more brightly than usual. The drinking glass had long since been emptied and placed next to the foot of the bench you were both sitting on. So you had your hands free to lift and hold his face between your hands. Jaeyun sighed at the tender touch of your fingertips, almost living a little dream as your thumbs slid across his cheeks. The tickle of tiny stubble ran down his smooth, well-drawn chin.

“Jake” you whispered, as a warning that he could stop you if he wanted to. But his response was the opposite, taking his free hand to your waist to pull you closer to him. The touch of Jaeyun's fingers reached the little bit of exposed skin between the waistband of your pants and the T-shirt you were wearing that night. He pressed his fingers there to know that you could go further, that he wanted to too.

Then slowly you leaned in. Jaeyun's other hand slid from your shoulder where his arm was resting to go to the back of your neck and hold your face closer, afraid that you would regret it and abandon him. He couldn't miss it.

When your breath hitched against his ajar mouth, his lips red and kissable, you saw him moisten them with the tip of his tongue before moving in too. The softness of Jaeyun's mouth brushed against yours before the bang of the door caused you and him to break apart in shock.

“What—” you turned towards the door, your eyes widening with the slight fear that invaded your body and Jaeyun's too.

“You two…” Heeseung stammered, his Adam's apple bobbing in a dry, regretful swallow. He looked between you and Jaeyun with wide eyes, his hand going back and forth from the bench to the inside of the house “I— I got in the way?”

“No” you said slowly.

“Yes, Heeseung” Jaeyun replied, abruptly getting up from the bench and walking over to him “What happened?”

“I'm sorry, I— Shit” Heeseung looked like he was going to cry at that moment, his eyes glazing over at the two of you as he watched you slowly get up behind Jaeyun “I just wanted help because Sunghoon's drunk and I thought I should look for you, but—” he stopped looking at his friend and his eyes went towards you “I can't believe I did that, what the fuck.”

“Hey bro, calm down” Jaeyun seemed a little less nervous, trying to understand that Heeseung really was worried about Sunghoon and wouldn't do that on purpose. You understood too, even though your heart was pounding frantically. Both from the fright and the near-kiss with Jaeyun.

“You can continue, I—”

“No, let's go after Hoon” Jaeyun held Heeseung by the shoulders, giving him a little squeeze before pushing his friend back into the house. You would have breathed a sigh of relief if he had gone in with Heeseung, but instead, he turned towards you.

Jaeyun's eyes stared at your face while you looked everywhere but at him. Come on, you were the one who had leaned in minutes before, so why be embarrassed when he was approaching you? His fingers found their way to your chin and you were forced to hold the man's gaze. A small, shy smile played on the lips you should have been kissing at that moment.

“Do you mind if—” Jaeyun asked.

“No, go help him, please” you knew that the three of them were inseparable, but you were sure to end Heeseung's life when he sobered up.

Jaeyun smiled a little wider, sliding his hand around the curve of your neck and pulling your face to his chest. His lips slowly kissed your forehead and sniffed your hair as if he needed to smell you before he pulled away.

He smiled once more, this time pulling away for real so that he could enter the house and help Heeseung with the task of taking his drunk friend home. While you felt your whole body tingle, even more so in the parts where Jaeyun had touched you, like an addictive drug you hadn't even tasted yet.

Anyone could live with being interrupted just once when they were about to kiss someone they liked. But Jaeyun already felt flames coming out of his ears because it had happened more than once. He couldn't count the number of times he'd tried to be alone with you, looking for more intimate contact with you beyond that party.

First, it was in the apartment he started sharing with Heeseung and Sunghoon. Movie night could always add Allie, you, and any girl Heeseung was interested in. Jaeyun felt lucky to be sitting next to you with his fingers tangled in yours. The small moment when he stared at you, like a silent request to go to the kitchen and make more popcorn with him. Even though the bucket on Allie's lap was practically full. It was just an excuse to sneak away and be alone with you. Slowly pin you against the counter and completely forget about the popcorn that neither of us wanted. His gaze would alternate between your lips and your eyes, the sliding nibble of Jaeyun's teeth against his lower lip to make him suppress a smile, driving you crazy without even realizing it.

He would lean towards you, his breath hot against your mouth again as your heart pounded in anticipation. Only for Heeseung's girl to arrive the next second looking for a glass of water. She was oblivious to everything the two of you were having but didn't fail to apologize for the interruption, listening to Jaeyun's masked response of affection as he pointed out to her where she could get the drink.

The second was at university, late at night, where Jaeyun always ended up staying to study a bit more on Tuesday nights. Calculus was the core of his course, but even so, it was a subject he liked to dedicate himself to, even if he found it easy. He always studied alone and had the company of the famous headphones or a few snacks to pass the time until he returned to the shared apartment, but that changed as soon as you started attending at the same time as him.

Your advanced literature lessons could be a good companion to his calculus classes, while the two of you shared snacks and exchanged furtive glances, Jaeyun could smile slowly every time your hand touched his as you went to pick up the package or simply sneak forward to get the water bottle. He didn't even bother to change seats so that he could sit next to her, get a little closer, and feel the warmth of your body in those last few minutes of studying. Finishing the task with the smell of your perfume in the air was the only thing that could calm him down at that moment.

“I'm almost done” Jaeyun whispered to you, looking in your direction, although your eyes were still on your reading material. He studied your whole calm and relaxed profile, only to almost swallow a sigh when you looked in his direction.

“There's no need to rush, I'll wait for you” you smiled so sweetly that he couldn't help himself. It was now or never, he would have to kiss you because there was no one else there to interrupt. After so long he could finally feel your lips.

Giving a fuck about any personal space rules or anything like that, Jaeyun wrapped his hands around your face and pulled you close to his. He no longer wanted to waste a second without feeling your lips and that's why the rush had to be in his favor now. If it wasn't for the damn librarian and that demon encyclopedia that fell on the floor.

“Fuck” Jaeyun wanted to shout at that moment, his hands still on your face as he felt his whole body tremble.

Your shy laughter only made everything seem worse because you were just as embarrassed as he was. There was no way this could be happening.

“The universe can only hate me, it's not possible” he finally said, moving away from you to collect the materials.

Those were the few times he clearly remembered that he didn't get to kiss you, although there could have been more, but Jaeyun simply wanted to erase them from his mind because he got stressed about that kind of thing.

He knew that it affected the mood of his friends and of everyone around him. It wasn't just you who was a social butterfly, but his best friends too. Living on the university campus with a bunch of talkative people at least gave Jaeyun more to talk about. But he wasn't in the mood. His head was spinning with the thought that the stupid universe was playing tricks on him and he'd never get to kiss you. He could even settle down to know that the attraction between the two of you would be nothing more than physical touches and the light brushing of lips – which was the closest you ever got to each other.

It took his sleep away in an inexplicable way, because how could this be happening? How could someone be capable of bringing him to the brink of collapse just because they'd never managed to kiss? It was humanly impossible, wasn't it?

“Jake” Sunghoon caught his eye, throwing the bath towel over his friend's head as he watched him entertain himself on his cell phone. However, Jaeyun's thoughts were far away from the device in his hands.

“Hm?” he asked, lifting his gaze to look at his friend just out of the shower. Sunghoon was already dressed from the waist down, for which Jaeyun was grateful, so he ran from one side of the room to the other in search of his shirt.

“Are you ready? I need to call Allie and Y/n, they're meeting us at the party” he sighed defeatedly. One more moment he'd be close to you and nothing would happen because there would always be something to get in the way.

“I'm already there, just waiting for you and Hee is having a snack” he muttered.

Sunghoon knew Jaeyun's obvious frustration and how he dealt with it all. He couldn't blame him, after all, if he had been in his friend's shoes, he would have lost his mind. But it turned out that Jaeyun was calm about it, otherwise he might well have locked you in a room at the university and kissed you right there. But everyone was talking about Sim Jaeyun, the calmest, quietest boy they knew. Even if he was collapsing with desire, he would never get past that point. Even if now, in addition to the desire, he felt anger and frustration that nothing had happened.

“Then go get something to eat too, I don't want to see you looking ugly all night” he joked, knowing that Jaeyun's countenance wasn't due to hunger.

With no room for discussion or any jokes, he just headed out of Sunghoon's room and into the kitchen. His steps were slow, contemplating what would become of his and his friends' evening together, yet another university party where he knew he'd be bumping into you all night and being interrupted at every turn. It was frustrating to unravel the evening when it hadn't even happened yet.

“Peanut butter and jelly or just a slice of cheese?” Heeseung greeted Jaeyun as soon as he entered. The sandwich ingredients were spread out in front of him on the counter, making the newcomer's smile widen a little. Heeseung was funny without even trying.

“Peanut butter and jelly sounds good” he said.

“And we can hold our drink for longer” added the other, preparing a sandwich for Jaeyun while keeping his eyes on each slice “You know, man, I think you should bring Y/n to the apartment today.”

“What? What do you mean?” he couldn't take his eyes off Heeseung's movements, the swipe of the knife with jam on the bread, the mixing of the peanut butter until he closed the bread and handed it to his friend. It was all so fast, but Jaeyun focused on each movement just so he wouldn't have to deal with a pair of curious eyes staring at him.

“We can see your anger smoking from afar, Jake” he laughed a little, “Get to the party, find her, and bring her here. So you two can be alone.”

Determined to take a bite of bread and get it over with, he didn't want Heeseung to be so sure of his thoughts. But it turned out that Jaeyun had also been avoiding you for a few weeks because he knew he'd get frustrated every time he got close to you and it came to nothing.

“I'd better let it go” he chewed a little, wiping the corner of his lips with his fingertips when a bit of jam almost got on his cheek “I don't think that's going to happen. I have to accept that and that the universe must hate me so much.”

“Come on, bro, stop being an idiot” Heeseung wanted to throw a slice of bread at him, but he knew he'd be scolded by Sunghoon as soon as he saw it. So he settled for taking a deep breath and biting into the bread he had made for him a while before Jaeyun arrived “You and her just need a space where there won't be anyone, and our apartment will be empty.

“But someone will come” he finished his snack in a few bites, surprising himself with how much he needed it. Searching for a paper napkin, he finished cleaning up the small mess before looking at Heeseung “Some neighbor is going to knock, the cell phone of one of us is going to ring… Anything” he huffed, irritated “It feels like I'm living in the worst romantic comedy of my life.”

“That's why you have the two best friends in the world to help you with this” Sunghoon appeared, stealing the piece of bread Heeseung was about to eat. Avoiding any protests as he made his way to the other side of the kitchen counter.

“And how, exactly, would you two do that?” Jaeyun asked “Heeseung has already gotten in my way once.”

“And I blame myself every day for it, I really do.”

“He almost cries just remembering it” Sunghoon laughed out loud, being joined by Jaeyun in that little implication with the older man “But Hee's right, you two need to come here. It's making even me and him angry.”

Seeing his best friends share that feeling would have been comical, if it hadn't been so tragic for him. Everyone knows the internal drama Jaeyun was going through just for not kissing someone he wanted to. He didn't want to get his hopes up because he knew how the universe wrote things for him and you, so he just shrugged and nodded in agreement.

“Great, then let's go” Sunghoon grabbed Jaeyun by the shoulders, pushing him out of the kitchen.

“Just don't use the armchair in the living room, please. I love snoozing in it” Heeseung whined one last time before turning off the lights in the apartment, bidding a small farewell to the sacred place Jaeyun could take you at the end of the party.

The familiar scene made Jaeyun's body tremble in anticipation. Parties weren't a big deal, but at least he could have some fun and talk to some people before he had to take you out of there. It was his only goal after Sunghoon and Heeseung had convinced him to take you out of that party. He just didn't know how to approach you, since he had been avoiding you for a while.

There would be no need to avoid you if he thought that exchanging a few words was enough since the last time you two were interrupted. But there was no way to think straight and he knew his feelings were confusing, fighting them wasn't working, so the only thought was to keep quiet.

Jaeyun didn't know what it was like to touch your hand or feel you so close for a few weeks. He skipped a few study sessions and even pretended to be tired the times you went to his and the boys' apartment with Allie. A goodnight wave was the only thing you received, not counting the unread messages and some with apologies: I'm busy today, can we talk later? He was a complete jerk, for sure. Now, besides fate denying all of this, you could have lost interest in him just because Jaeyun couldn't deal with his own feelings.

He tried not to focus on that, after all, the party was going on and he just needed to find you. He only needed a few seconds to talk to you and get you out of there, so that was the mission as soon as Sunghoon received the call from Allie, that the two of you had arrived at the party.

It's now or never. He thought. His hands were in his jeans pocket trying to camouflage his nervousness while he had Heeseung and Sunghoon by his side, waiting for the two of you to arrive, which didn't take long. Just like every party, Allie quickly found Sunghoon, consequently finding his friends too.

Jaeyun's eyes quickly found yours, without even needing to know where you were looking because, to his surprise or not, you were already looking at him. Your smile wavered a little, not knowing if he would ignore you again or treat you coldly like he had been doing for the past few weeks, and Jaeyun felt that as you approached Allie. Your eyes wavered, although they didn't leave his for a minute until you were finally close.

“Hey, we found you all” Allie smiled, hugging each one until stopping at Sunghoon, where she remained in her boyfriend's arms.

“We were waiting for you two” Heeseung sang, hugging you and then standing next to the newly embraced couple “How about we get a drink?”

“I think that's a great idea” Sunghoon sang, pulling Allie with him and hearing Heeseung's footsteps right behind.

Your eyebrows narrowed, your gaze confused because neither of the other two spoke much to you and only led Allie away. Not even she had talked that much to Jaeyun in the short seconds that the two of you had appeared. Your gaze followed where the three had disappeared and that made you even more curious, they didn't even bother to call the two of you.

Was this something between them or were your friends wanting to give you and Jaeyun some privacy? You didn't know and it made you apprehensive because after some time you were alone with him with no one around – besides the strangers from the party – so looking in his direction again was different this time.

“Do you—” your voice broke a little, nervous for the first time in Jaeyun's presence “Do you want to accompany them? They're going to drink and we—”

“No” he interrupted you quickly, praying to the heavens that he hadn't sounded rude in his tone or he wouldn't know what to do next. You just raised your eyebrows, surprised by the way he spoke to you. Jaeyun's tone had been nothing compared to his actions as he walked the few steps that separated the two of you, extending his hand to you. The small touch in your hands finally returns little by little. He slid his fingers between yours as calmly as he had ever done since the first time. You smiled involuntarily at that, your heart skipping a beat when Jaeyun's eyes landed on yours. “Let's get out of here.”

“What?” you asked. “Jake, we—”

“Please? Come with me.”

You knew a little about Jaeyun’s vulnerability. The sweet protests he made when there was an argument between his friends, or when he pouted because he couldn’t understand something about college. Even the way he messed up his hair when he was nervous was adorable. But you never thought that seeing him say please with those eyes would make you give in to anything for him.

Your nod was all he needed to grab your hand even tighter and walk to the kitchen door quickly. His friends were still busy preparing drinks without realizing that Jaeyun was standing there.

“Hey, idiots” he shouted enough to get Heeseung and Sunghoon’s attention. Allie smiled when she saw you behind him. “Don’t knock on my room door, or I swear to God I’ll kill you the second that happens.”

It was a short warning, but understanding enough to know that he had finally gathered the courage. Heeseung held back a scream when he saw you holding hands with Jaeyun, waving your free hand without really knowing what was happening, but praying that whatever he had thought of, could happen.

“What does Jake mean by that?” Allie asked as soon as you and him were out of sight, now looking at her boyfriend.

“We left the apartment for him and Y/n tonight” he said. “This kiss needs to happen.”

She laughed at the idea, not being able to believe that this was happening. This almost task force just to make a kiss happen. But she was happy that it would finally be fixed, because neither the boys nor her, could stand to see you and Jaeyun almost falling over because of this.

Arriving at the shared apartment had never been so torturous for him, even more so with you by his side and in silence the entire way back. Jaeyun knew you had countless questions about what was happening, perhaps focused on an explanation as to why he hadn't spoken to you so much in the last few weeks. But the truth behind taking you to his and his friends' apartment was now even more explainable. He wanted to look into your eyes, without interruptions, and be able to tell you that he couldn't stand another second without having to kiss you.

The same silence that stretched in the car was followed by the walk to the lobby of the building, the elevator, and, finally, the apartment where Jaeyun unlocked the door and let you enter first. Quiet and silent, dark and with the wind blowing against the window. That was how the environment was if none of the three boys were inside.

Turning to you after he locked the door, Jaeyun sighed slowly.

“Can we go to my room?” it was almost begged at his request, his voice wanting to scream, but it was as restrained as the desire he had to grab you right there. You just agreed, without protesting at all to his requests since you found him at the party. Although your mind made a few more notes to ask him later what was going on.

You followed Jaeyun with careful steps down the hallway, feeling the scent of masculine lotions mixing in the environment. There was a bit of Heeseung, Sunghoon, and Jaeyun everywhere. At least it was clean and smelled good, unconventional for any apartment where only boys lived. His friends were careful, at least that made you feel relieved.

When the two of you reached the door to his room, it was your turn to sigh, thinking about what awaited you while you were there with the boy. Even though it was his room, Jaeyun didn't let go of his gentlemanly manners and made way for you, his back against the frame and his hand on the doorknob to give you a better view of the room. It was cozy and so… Sim Jaeyun. You couldn’t explain it, but everything in that room was definitely him. From the frames and photos to the trophies and the bookshelf with things on display. Some medals and full bottles of liquor. One of the boys could have given him a gift and he didn’t even open it. You smiled at that, imagining that in the short time you had known him, Jaeyun was the one who drank the least among the boys.

“Sorry if this is all sudden, but—” his voice radiated to your ears, alerting you to the current situation you two found yourselves in. You turned to him, noticing how shy Jaeyun seemed inside his room. The click of the key locking the door didn’t scare you, especially because it wouldn’t be a threat to be locked in there with him regardless of how long the two of you spent. It could be a precaution while the two of you were alone “I needed this time with you.”

Slowly, Jaeyun approached where you were in the middle of his room. Your hands didn't have a clear path, a little nervous about what to do with them, so you left them at your sides and just watched him walk towards you. His head lowered and his eyes wandered all over the floor until he finally looked up at you.

“We're here now, aren't we?” you asked softly, the sound of your voice echoing through every fiber of Jaeyun's body and making him feel electric.

“We are” he said in the same tone, moving a little closer until there was finally no more space between you and him “Y/n…” Jaeyun tilted his head enough so that his height was no different from yours. The same slow ritual that was done before anything got in the way of the two of you. One of his hands slowly reached your face, pushing away any strand of hair that had been left there as you took the steps until you reached his room. His other hand went to your waist, holding you in front of him so that you had no chance of escaping.

You didn't want to be left behind, you needed to touch him too, so your hands slowly moved up Jaeyun's chest until they grabbed the collar of the shirt he was wearing. Your fingers played with the fabric before one of them entered the shirt and held him by the shoulders. That touch made him shiver all over.

Jaeyun tilted his head to one side and you, like a rehearsed dance, tilted it to the other. There was no need for any conversation between the two of you to know what you both intended to do at that moment. Your lips curved into a small smile when your eyes met his, so close and bright to yours. Those eyes that were seen in every way were now staring at you with so much repressed desire that you wondered if you two might have been feeling the same thing.

His hand slid from your face to your jaw, slowly tracing the line until it went down to your neck and anchored between it and your shoulder. The perfect place. As if Jaeyun's hand was literally made to be there. He held you subtly until he brought your face closer, his mouth finally brushing against yours. You weren't ashamed of the groan you let out when his lips finally brushed against yours, feeling the softness that was his mouth for more seconds than you had ever felt before.

But nothing would be so easy for the two of you if it weren't for another interruption. Not so direct this time, but the honking of some son of a bitch on the street startled you and Jaeyun at that moment, almost making him hesitate and let go of you.

“Fuck off” he cursed without caring, not caring that his heart was still in a frenzy from the small scare and interruption. He wouldn't let anything else ruin that moment.

Without thinking about anything else, Jaeyun finally joined his lips with yours in a slow kiss, even though his desire was overwhelming. Pressing his mouth to yours and feeling the heat of your lips, he could melt at that very moment. Your mouth was as delicious as he thought it would be, and as you slowly opened it to let his tongue pass, Jaeyun wasn't ashamed of the pleasurable sound he made at the touch of your warm, wet muscle against his.

The kiss was slow, although loaded with an underlying desire that the two of you had been keeping for so long. Jaeyun's hand remained on your neck as your tongues played in sync, your mouths sliding against each other as if they were made to fit together in that kiss. Your hands slowly ran to his hair, pulling the small strands on the back of his neck as he slid his teeth along your lower lip, just in time to suck on the tip of your tongue before kissing you again with even more intensity.

A shiver ran through your body as his hands began to grope your sides, bringing you even closer and pressing your body against his. You could feel every muscle in Jaeyun's body tense at your touch, but relax as you and he intensified that kiss. You had both waited for so long that now you could die in each other's mouths if it were possible.

“Y/n” he moaned your name, sliding his mouth along your jaw and spreading a bit of shared drool across your skin. You didn't mind the sloppiness, it was turning you on much more than you could admit. Jaeyun found a space between your neck to scrape his teeth and suck a good amount of your skin in a slow hickey.

“Jake” you moaned back, your hands running over his shoulders and down his body until stopping at his hips. It was all involuntary, but you were unable to stop yourself and grabbed him by the waist to press his hips against yours.

“Holy shit” Jaeyun gave an even more passionate hickey on your neck, running the tip of his tongue to soothe your skin when you moaned in response. He wanted to apologize for the carelessness, but he didn’t know how to react to that “You’re going to drive me crazy doing this, for God’s sake” panting, he lifted his face to align with yours. His slightly sweaty forehead was now against yours, his breathing practically irregular as he opened his eyes to look at you.

Unreal. That was what Jaeyun was like after a full session of making out with you. His lips had become even more annoyingly beautiful when they were red and drooling with your drool. His eyes were dazed and downcast from your touches. His entire state in front of you was because of you. It made your panties feel wet.

“Sorry, I—” you sighed, your hands still on Jaeyun’s hips as you tried not to focus on his kissable mouth in front of you “You brought me here and, well… We…”

“I needed to kiss you” he blurted out. His mouth went down to yours again to slowly kiss you again. Jaeyun traced your entire lower lip with the tip of his tongue before feeling you sucking on the tip of his tongue like he had done to you before. That was going to kill him, for sure “I had to bring you here to do this because I couldn’t stand anyone interrupting us anymore. It got on my nerves and—”

Your laugh escaped softly. You looked at him and now reality hit you. It had all been part of a scheme he created so he could finally kiss you. Sim Jaeyun had made all that effort just for a kiss from you… It couldn’t be more perfect.

You leaned into him, your arms wrapping around Jaeyun's neck as you pulled him down and brought his mouth close to yours.

“Now we have plenty of time to do more than just kiss, Jake” you brushed the tip of your nose against him, feeling Jaeyun's breath hitch “What do you think?”

“Would you… Would you let me—” your nod was the confirmation he needed for this to happen. Not that he was intending to, especially since Jaeyun didn't even know if he would be able to kiss you. Let alone have you in his bed that same night. It was a bonus he wouldn't miss for anything in the world.

His heart was beating hard inside his chest, the sight of you slowly moving away from him as you walked backward to the bed was the most perfect sight he had ever seen. There was no way anything could disrupt that moment and he swore that if any noise made, or something happened, he wouldn't stop. There was no way. Nothing could take his focus away as your hands went to the hem of your shirt, slowly pulling it off and showing him the bra you were wearing. Jaeyun was left breathless by all of that. If you were perfectly covered up, without your clothes on he was thinking he might go crazy.

As your hands tangled in the waistband of your pants, he couldn't stay behind and started to undress himself too. Without taking his eyes off you, the eye contact was very vivid as each piece of clothing was discarded on the floor of his room. Neither of you wanted to waste a single second without looking at each other until you were completely naked.

Jaeyun approached, holding you by the waist and gently placing you on his bed. The mattress hugged you like a comfort while his body fit perfectly between your legs. His eyes traveled over every curve of your body, every little detail to record in his memory until he finally looked at your face. So close, so delicate, and at the same time breathtaking. It was then that he kissed you again. This time with a little more intensity than before.

He settled between your legs, one hand holding your hip while the other went to hold your chin, steadying your face as the kiss became hungrier. Tongues fought for dominance and a small trickle of drool ran down the corner of your mouth, but neither of you cared about that. Both you and he wanted to make up for lost time forget any disagreements with the outside world and focus only on each other.

Jaeyun's mouth separated from yours, thirsty to taste you in every corner. He wanted to know what you tasted like beyond the kiss he had been waiting for. Still holding onto your waist, he held your body in place as he trailed his lips down your chin, trailing a teasing path of drool and hot breath against your skin. Down to your collarbone, where his tongue made a longer path up to the top of your breasts.

You moaned his name so beautifully that Jaeyun never thought his cock could vibrate so much because of a sound. It was pathetic for him to admit, but he would say if anyone asked, that you had been the only person on the face of the Earth to get that from him.

“You are simply unreal to me” he whispered against your skin, licking up your chest and down to your nipple. He circled the tip of his tongue and sucked on the sensitive bud.

“Fuck, Jake” you grabbed his hair, almost crushing the boy’s face into your chest. His mouth made a warm place against your nipple as he sucked slowly and deliciously. The sucking made you even wetter.

He smiled against your breast as he gave the other one his due attention, bringing his hand to the one that was already containing his drool to squeeze the soft flesh between his fingers. There was no way you could go any further for that man between your legs. You wanted to pull out every strand of Jaeyun's hair for the little provocation, even more so every time you moaned his name softly and he made sure to suck on your nipple a little more.

Jaeyun's mouth went down between your breasts this time, running his drool over your skin up to above your belly button. He circled the tip of his tongue there, looking up to meet your closed eyes and delighting in the sensation.

“Eyes on me, Y/n” he asked softly, his mouth blowing hotly above your pussy when he finally aligned his head down there. You didn't know if you were able to see him in that state, but if he was unreal kissing you, what was sucking you? There was no way to know that if you didn't look. So you just obeyed him, opening your eyes and finding him looking at you “I promise I’ll be quick, I just need to taste you.”

You don’t even know why you nodded at his request and much less why he wanted to taste you, but you wouldn’t be crazy enough to stop him. Not when the tip of his tongue touched your clit so slowly. As hot as when he touched your nipple.

“Shit— Jake, what…” you moaned once more, a little more prolonged when he stretched out his tongue and licked a large stripe on your pussy. Collecting your essence with the tip of his tongue.

Jaeyun licked your pussy as if he was kissing you in the mouth. Each pass of his tongue through your inner lips and each circle on your clit was another reason to make you moan even louder, intertwining your fingers in the dark strands of his hair and controlling yourself with the urge to push your pussy against his face. It was surreal the way Jaeyun was eating you. The alternating between fast and slow licks, circling your needy hole that was clenching around almost nothing, was too much for you to handle.

And he felt it. Jaeyun felt every contraction of your entrance as he passed the tip of his tongue, circling the area and feeling your taste even more. It was addictive. Like everything about you was. He held his hands on your hips as you fixed your fingers in his hair, slowly letting you ride his tongue as he left the muscle erect for you to delight yourself as you pleased. He wanted you to feel pleasure on his tongue at that moment, although Jaeyun was already feeling his cock ache, pressing it against the mattress of the bed.

“Jake” your voice brought him back to reality as you rubbed your pussy on his tongue, Jaeyun taking the break between keeping it still and, sometimes, sucking on your clit when he felt your pussy descend completely into his mouth “I’m going to cum—”

“No” he stopped quickly, lifting his head from your pussy to look at you.

Jaeyun’s chin was covered with all your juices in addition to the amount of saliva he deposited while sucking you. Your eyes didn’t leave his face for a second as he lifted his body so that his face was close to yours again.

“I said I just wanted to taste you a little, you’re not supposed to cum right now” he sighed, his breathing still fast from being so fixated on your pussy that he almost forgot to breathe. You smiled tiredly at him, even though you weren’t even halfway through what the two of you were going to do.

“Why not?” you pouted, feeling Jaeyun settle between your legs and your hands quickly ran up to his face. Your thumbs ran over his chin, wiping away any traces of you or his mouth, even though your scent was still there. He leaned in a little more, capturing your lips in a slow kiss. The slow sharing tried to calm the nerves between the two of you for what was about to happen.

Neither you nor Jaeyun were nervous about this, just apprehensive about the fact that it would be your first time with each other. The kiss had been magnificent. Everything had been perfect so far, and he wanted this to end up being perfect too. So, slowly, he brought one of his hands to his cock and held it firmly. He ran the head of his cock all over your wet and drooling pussy, wanting to collect as much essence as he could so that his entrance inside you wouldn't be painful.

After a while he finally managed to do that, the head of his cock circled your hole and, carefully, Jaeyun inserted himself inside you little by little. The slow burn of his cock makes your hole mix in pain and pleasure. He filled you with every inch since he entered and you don't remember anything having filled you as well as the few seconds of Jaeyun's cock inside you.

“Because I want you to cum on my cock” he lowered his face into the crook of your neck, pressing his lips close to your ear and with a shit-eating grin on his face even though you weren't seeing it.

Jaeyun's hands went to your hips, using them as leverage to start thrusting into you. Starting the slow and sensual movements, moving his hips to a point where he could go all the way deep inside you and slowly pull it out. The coming and going of each veiny inch of his cock inside your walls only gave more fuel to your moans with his name and your hands desperate to touch something. The target this time was Jaeyun's bare back where his nails dug in as he began to pick up the pace.

“You feel so good— Fuck” he groaned as he thrust hard for the first time. Your groan almost made him back out and apologize because he was so lost in the pleasure that he didn’t even ask if he was hurting you. But as soon as he heard your groan and felt your nails burn on his back, Jaeyun knew he was doing the right job.

“Jake!” your hands ran up to the back of his neck, sliding to Jaeyun’s face and holding him facing you. It got even more intimate as he thrust a little harder into your pussy. “Don’t… Don’t stop, please.”

“I don’t plan on doing this, baby” he was panting, his cheeks flushed and his lips even redder. God, you couldn’t cum just from that sight, you had to pull yourself together with this.

Jaeyun felt the encouragement in your eyes and your words as he watched your mouth part and the hold of your gaze each time he went deeper into you. His balls slapping against your pussy made the wet noise between your legs even more erotic as it accompanied your moans and his. The slaps on your skin were getting faster and louder as Jaeyun's hips gained strength to go deeper inside you.

He was stretching you too much, your pussy getting wetter and wetter as he went deeper. The head of his cock nudging your spongy spots so well and rubbing against your tight, sensitive walls.

You pulled Jaeyun's face close to yours, your mouths inches apart sharing each other's breaths and swallowing the moans you both spilled without caring about each other's names.

“You're going to cum with me, aren't you?” he whispered against your mouth, outlining your lower lip with the tip of his tongue. You only moaned in response and Jaeyun thrust deeper, earning a scream from you when his cock hit your cervix. His hand slowly grabbed your throat and he lifted your face, although you two still had your mouths close to each other.

“I want to cum all over your cock, Jake” you replied, your hand circling his fist that still had his hand on your throat. Jaeyun didn’t apply any pressure to the spot, but having you at his mercy like that was already creating countless scenarios for next time.

Unconsciously his thumb slid over your lower lip, seeing how red your mouth was from the whole session you two shared. In an act of lust and excitement, you circled the tip of your tongue on his finger, putting it inside your mouth.

“Holy shit—” he moaned.

“Faster, Jakey” your pleading eyes and your voice muffled by his thumb were too much for Jaeyun to handle. And Jakey? That had never been said to him, and even more so in such a sensual way and with such a delicious moan that it made his hair stand on end.

He felt something rush into his blood at the combination of your lips sucking on his thumb and your pussy sucking on his cock in equally delicious and wet ways. Jaeyun was feeling on cloud nine having you like this. His hips rocked even harder, using his free hand to support the side of your hips and gain even more momentum to slam mercilessly into your pussy. The slaps on your skin burned his pelvis each time he met your drooling pussy hard. His cock being swallowed deliciously by every wall of yours.

“Oh, fuck” your lips slipped from his thumb as Jaeyun hit you deep again, his pussy-covered cock filling you in every corner. He decided to abandon his hand from your mouth to replace it with his own, feeling your hips stutter as his cock pulsed violently inside you.

“Can I—” he whispered, lips hovering over yours in ragged breaths as the sweat and sheen of Jaeyun’s skin reflected in his eyes. “Can I cum inside you?” he asked so gently, unlike the relentless movements of his hips slamming against yours.

“Please” your moaned plea was enough for him, there was no way to push Jaeyun’s buttons any further like that.

So he focused on kissing you again, sharing the movement of your tongues frantically as he drank in all your moans as his hips gained strength against yours again. Jaeyun’s heavy balls slapped against your clit with each thrust, the hot sound of wetness between the two of you and that was when he lifted your body a little as he pulled your hips that aligned the perfect angle. You felt your entire body tremble as the knot in your stomach broke and you came. So hard and intense, squeezing the walls of your pussy and almost making Jaeyun stop thrusting into you.

But he wouldn't give up, and as you came and squeezed him, it was too much to take. He moaned your name loudly followed by the curses he could remember as he emptied his load of cum inside you. Feeling your walls milk his cock as the jets of cum bathed your walls in a thick, hot white.

Jaeyun could still feel your walls convulsing around his still throbbing cock and spilling the last drops. The two of you stayed still in that position for some time. Countless minutes if you were to notice, but the feeling of still being like that was surreal.

“I think…” he breathed deeply, his mouth still close to yours breathing the same air as you. Rough and warm, irregular and comforting “We need to clean up.”

He didn't want to hear your protests, although he wanted to stay there and he knew that if he pulled out quickly, it would make both you and him sensitive. Then, carefully, Jaeyun pulled his cock out of your pussy with a hiss, earning a moan from you at how empty you felt. The sight of your hole leaking from how much he came could make him jump you for a second round, that wouldn't be a bad idea. But he had to be rational and try one thing at a time. At least for now.

So quickly, running to the bathroom, he grabbed a towel and wet it before wringing it out and only dampening the cloth. Running back to the bed to clean up the remains of his and your sex as carefully as he could. Wearing the towel in the laundry basket before getting back into bed with you.

“Hey, Y/n” Jaeyun whispered your name as he lay down next to you, pulling your body close to his and snuggling you against his bare chest. You grunted softly, feeling the tiredness take over every fiber of your body, but gathering some energy to lift your face and rest your chin on his chest.

“Yes, Jakey?” you smiled slowly, the redness on your face still evident and Jaeyun felt his heart pound even more at that. You looked beautiful in every way.

“Thank you for that, it was so…” he sighed “Amazing, seriously. Thank you.”

“You were amazing at everything, you know that?” you lowered your face to kiss his chest, moving his aching body up just enough for your mouth to be close, kissing him slowly there “I thank you.”

“Let’s thank the universe for conspiring in favor of this, then” he smiled against your mouth.

“Finally. Thank you, universe” you smiled too, kissing him back before feeling Jaeyun’s arms around your waist to make you lie down next to him. Snuggling you a little closer and enjoying the moment that the two of you should have had a long time ago.

Because both of you would enjoy the truce that the universe gave you two, after all, you and Jaeyun deserved it. Nothing else conspiring against what you and he should have had from the start.

© ikeuverse, 2024. do not copy, translate or steal my stories.

e(nnn)-

(a no nut november series)

what will happen when two boys bet a ps5 if either one of them make it through no nut november?

heejake x fem!reader (y/n is a different y/n for each hee and jake!)

smut!! mdni!! warnings will be posted on individual works

masterlist!

authors note!!! this series will NOT be finished. i’m going to leave the heejake versions up but the other members will not be posted. i’m really sorry to everybody who looked forward to it 😞

prologue

“just sit on my lap, it’ll be fine” - lee heeseung

release date: nov 5th, 2023

synopsis: your video game obsessed boyfriend is determined to win a bet made with his friends for a new gaming console, all while depriving you of sex for an entire month. luckily for you, your boyfriend lacks any amount of self control

warnings: p in v, cockwarming, oral (f receiving), hickeys, grinding, exhibitionism (? the boys hear them over the mic😭), unprotected sex (wrap before u tap!!), lmk if there’s anymore!

“happy birthday, pretty boy” - sim jaeyun

release date: nov 18th, 2023

synopsis: while your boyfriend is trying his hardest to win a bet made by his best friends to not have sex for a month, you couldn’t help but give him a little show on his birthday

warnings: oral (f&m receiving), making out, 69 position, lingerie mentioned, idk what else to put help me

hi guys!! i am so excited for this series since it is my first one!! i hope you all enjoy and i apologize for the shitty titles i kinda rushed to get this out since i planned for it late :((

tag list (closed!) -

@yannew @hanienie @beomgyusonlywife @akirakinimi @multifandomgurllll @boutyouwonu @kissmunalodz @5xiang @ibsysbsfsunsbs @guqsnfics @hellaboredd @wvnkoi @kpopslover @heerinnie @climbingmandevillas @rikisly @simeonswhore @lilriswife4life @daegutowns @harrietbarnesblog @wonniie3 @ariadores @yizhoutv @lilizinho @firstclassjaylee @olivehues @ikeusol @bunhoons @electrobutterfly @choijxn

(if your name is not greyed out i cannot find your acc!)

World of Sinners | SJY Masterlist

⟶ 𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑦: your parents are the head of one of the nation’s most lucrative syndicates and your older brother is heir to the throne which leaves you free to leave this world of evil behind. you’ve been waiting for this day for twenty years of your life, you can practically taste the freedom. what will you do, however, when your parents arrange a marriage for you to bind together their empire with the lee’s to stop a full on gang war?

❥ 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔: sim jaeyun x f!reader ft brother jung sungchan and lee heesung

❥ 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑟𝑒: mafia!au, arranged marriage!au

❥ rating: 18+

⟶ 𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠: dark themes, mentions of drugs, mentions of violence, vulgar language, mentions of death and murder, forced marriage, corruption, consumption of alcohol, possessiveness, explicit sexual content.

a/n: another fic that has been in the basement finally getting to see the light of day! send in an ask or leave a comment to be added to the taglist. chapters will be posted every friday at 12pm est starting july 5th ! maybe sooner if i get impatient

↳ status: incomplete

↠ chapter 1: “she looks at me with shadowless eyes.” (9.0k)

↠ chapter 2: “my heart craves it even though i’m such a monster.” (8.0k)

↠ chapter 3: “you’re the only savior to me full of scars.” (8.4k)

↠ chapter 4: “i can only be me when i’m by your side.” (7.0k)

↠ chapter 5: “in the end, it’s always you, only you.” (7.0k)

↠ chapter 6: “i’m still a monster.” (8.4K)

↠ chapter 7: “i’m not a monster.” (10.8k)

world of sinners vi | sim jaeyun

⟶ 𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑦: your parents are the head of one of the nation’s most lucrative syndicates and your older brother is heir to the throne which leaves you free to leave this world of evil behind. you’ve been waiting for this day for twenty years of your life, you can practically taste the freedom. what will you do, however, when your parents arrange a marriage for you to bind together their empire with the lee’s to stop a full on gang war?

❥ 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔: sim jaeyun x f!reader ft brother sungchan and heesung

❥ 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑟𝑒: mafia!au, arranged marriage!au

❥ 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡: 8.4k

⟶ 𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠: dark themes, mentions of violence, vulgar language, mentions of death, forced marriage, corruption, consumption of alcohol, possessiveness, mentions of pregnancy, slight talk about childhood trauma. pls let me know if i missed anything !

previous | masterlist | next

“Send me in.”

Jake’s eyes widen, his voice hardening. “No way. Absolutely not. I’m not sending you in there.”

You take a step closer, your resolve unshaken. “Jake, listen to me. I know how to corner Yerin and get her to show her cards.”

Jake shakes his head vehemently. “You don’t understand how dangerous this is. Yerin’s ruthless. If she even suspects something—”

“That’s exactly why I need to do this,” you interrupt, your voice firm. “Think about it, Jake. Why would Yerin want me out of the picture? It’s because with me gone, Heeseung gets the ‘throne’. The only thing standing in the way of Heeseung taking over now is if we had a baby. Yerin is banking on us not having a child to take us out and give the position to Heeseung.”

Jake’s face tightens with realization. “But we don’t have a kid. Nor are you pregnant. And everyone knows that.”

You smirk, a determined glint in your eye. “I have a plan. Just trust me on this.”

Jake’s skepticism is palpable. “What plan? How can I trust you if I don’t know what you’re planning?”

You shake your head. “The less you know, the better for now. Trust me, Jake. I can do this. I just need some time to plan it out.”

Jake’s eyes search yours, looking for any sign of doubt. Finding none, he sighs heavily, still hesitant. “Fine. But I don’t like this. Not one bit.”

You turn to Sunghoon. “Get Jungwon to tap Yerin’s phone. I want every conversation she has monitored.”

Sunghoon nods, immediately pulling out his phone to make the call.

Then you look at Jay. “I need you to keep a close eye on Yerin. Follow her, watch her every move. See if she slips up.”

Jay gives a curt nod before walking away to make the necessary phone calls.

Jake, still clearly unhappy, pulls you aside. “I don’t like not knowing what’s going on. And I hate the idea of letting you walk into the wolf’s den like this.”

You place a reassuring hand on his cheek. “I know it’s hard, but you have to trust me. We need to act like everything is normal, like we’re none the wiser.”

Jake’s pout is almost endearing. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

You smile softly, pressing a kiss to his lips. “I’ll be careful.”

Jake sighs but nods, “okay.”

With that, you both say your goodbyes and head home. You slip into Jake’s bed, maintaining the facade of normalcy, but your mind is racing with plans and contingencies. Jake pulls you close, his warmth a comforting reminder that you really are in this together, it’s no longer you versus the world but instead, you have Jake fighting not just with you but for you.

A week later, Jake is still tense, his worry evident in his every action. As you sit down for breakfast, he’s unusually quiet, his eyes flickering to you with concern.

“You need to eat,” you remind him gently, pushing a plate of French toast Rose had prepared towards him. “We have to keep up appearances.”

Jake picks at his food, his appetite clearly diminished by the stress. “I know. I just can’t shake this feeling, you know? That something’s going to go wrong.”

“Nothing will go wrong if we stick to the plan,” you reassure him. “Yerin won’t see this coming. She’s too confident in her position, too sure that she’s covered all her bases.”

Jake sighs, finally taking a bite of his food. “I hope you’re right.”

You sip your coffee, watching him carefully. “We need to act normal, Jake. If she senses anything off, she’ll bolt, and we’ll lose our chance.”

Jake nods, chewing slowly. “I just don’t like not knowing what’s going on. I’m worried about you.”

“I know you are,” you say softly, reaching across the table to squeeze his hand. “But I won’t let anything happen to me.”

Jake grips your hand tightly, his eyes searching yours. “I wish I could do more. I hate feeling helpless.”

“You’re not helpless,” you assure him. “You’re doing everything you can by supporting me and keeping an eye on Yerin.”

He sighs again, but some of the tension in his shoulders seems to ease. “Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

“Always,” you promise, giving him a small smile.

The two of you continue breakfast in relative silence, the only sound being the clinking of silverware against plates. Despite the tension, you try to enjoy the moment, savoring the familiar comfort of your home and the presence of Jake.

After breakfast, you check in with Sunghoon and Jay. Sunghoon informs you that Jungwon has successfully tapped Yerin’s phone and they’re already gathering data. Jay reports that Yerin has been acting normally, which in itself is suspicious.

“Everything’s set,” Sunghoon confirms. “We’re monitoring her every move. If she makes a call, we’ll know about it.”

Jay nods. “I’ll keep a close eye on her today. If she slips up, we’ll be ready.”

You thank them, feeling a bit more reassured knowing they’re on top of things. You end the FaceTime call and head to your room to start getting ready, sitting down at your vanity to do your makeup. As you focus on the task, trying to keep your mind clear, Jake enters the room, watching you for a moment before speaking.

“Am I allowed to know the plan now?” he asks, his voice a mix of curiosity and concern.

You meet his gaze in the mirror, pausing your makeup routine. “Alright. I’ll fill you in. The plan is to trick Yerin and your father into believing that I’m pregnant. It’ll force Yerin’s hand. She’s been banking on the fact that we don’t have a child to take us out and give the position to Heeseung. But if she thinks we’re expecting, she’ll have to make a move.”

Jake’s eyes widen slightly. “How are you going to pull that off?”

“I have a plan for that too,” you explain. “I’ll be subtle about it at first, drop hints. Then, when I’m with them, I’ll have a doctor’s note confirming the pregnancy. It’ll be enough to make them believe it. Yerin will start making calls to ensure everything goes her way, and that’s when we’ll find out her plans and end her.”

Jake runs a hand through his hair, looking both impressed and worried. “That’s a smart plan, but you’re willingly putting yourself in danger.”

“I know,” you admit, resuming your makeup. “But it’s the best way to get Yerin to reveal herself and figure out who else she might be working with. Once we have that information, we can deal with them.”

Jake watches you carefully, his concern evident. “I hate this. But I can see how it could work. Just... promise me again you’ll be careful.”

“I will,” you promise, finishing up your makeup. As you stand up, Jake wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you close.

“Why are we still using separate bedrooms?” he asks softly, his breath warm against your ear.

You blush, realizing you don’t have a good answer. “I don’t know,” you admit. “We probably shouldn’t be.”

Jake smiles, pressing a kiss to your temple. “While you’re off with Yerin, I’ll have some of the maids move my things into your room. You have the master bedroom, after all.”

You nod, feeling a warmth spread through your chest. “I’d like that.”

You kiss him goodbye, a lingering kiss filled with unspoken promises and reassurances. Then you head outside, where Niki is waiting by the car. He gives you a nod as you slide into the backseat.

“Ready?” he asks, his eyes meeting yours through the rearview mirror.

“Ready,” you confirm, steeling yourself for what’s to come.

As Niki drives you to your in-laws’ home, you take a deep breath, focusing on the plan and the roles everyone is playing. Before you enter the compound, the car rolls to a stop and Niki hands you a Manila colored envelope.

“Jay-hyung left this with me, he said it has what you asked for.”

You smile curtly and thank him before placing the envelope in your Rive Gauche tote. “Thank you for taking good care of this.”

Niki nods before proceeding to drive. The car pulls up to the grand estate, and you step out, smoothing down your dress. With one last glance at Niki, you turn and walk towards the house, ready to put your plan into action.

Inside, the house is as opulent and imposing as ever. The staff greets you with polite smiles, but there’s a tension in the air, an undercurrent of unease that matches your own. You make your way to the sitting room where Yerin and your father-in-law are waiting.

Yerin looks up as you enter, her expression unreadable. "Good morning," she says, her voice sweet but laced with something sharper.

"Good morning," you reply, forcing a smile. "I hope I'm not too early."

"Not at all," your father-in-law says, rising to kiss your cheek. "We're glad to see you. How are you feeling?"

"A bit tired, but otherwise fine," you say, subtly placing a hand on your stomach. It's a small gesture, but you see Yerin's eyes flicker to it for a split second before she masks her reaction.

As you sit down, you notice Yerin's gaze lingering on you, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. You force yourself to relax, to play your part convincingly.

"So, how have things been here?" you ask, trying to keep the conversation light.

"Busy as always," Yerin says smoothly. "There’s always something to take care of."

You nod, pretending to be interested in the mundane details of their lives, while your mind races with the next steps of your plan. Yerin may be sharp, but you have the advantage of knowing her endgame. And you're determined to turn the tables on her, no matter the cost.

Jake’s father stands, gesturing towards the dining room. “Why don’t we move into the dining room for brunch? I have a new wine imported that I’d love to try.”

You force a polite smile, shaking your head gently. “I’ll pass on the wine, thank you. Could I have some tea instead?”

Yerin’s eyes narrow slightly, but she says nothing, while Jake’s father looks a bit disappointed. “Alright, I’ll save it for when Jake comes around. The three of us can enjoy it together.”

You nod, pretending to be flustered. “That sounds wonderful.”

As you take your seat in the dining room, the maids bring out a charcuterie board. The sight of the pepperoni makes your stomach churn, and you place a hand over your mouth, mimicking a gesture as if you’re about to vomit.

Yerin’s grip on the table tightens, her eyes sharp. “What’s wrong?”

You give her a bashful smile. “I’ve been having an upset stomach for some time now. It’s nothing serious, just something that comes and goes.”

Jake’s father, concerned, signals the maid. “Take that away and bring something else. What would you like, dear?”

You apologize, looking genuinely sorry for the inconvenience. “I’m so sorry for being a bother. Some cut-up fruit would be lovely.”

Once the maid brings the fruit and everyone has been served, Jake’s father clears his throat, looking at you intently. “You know, we talked about grandchildren at our last family brunch. Any improvement on that front?”

You act shy and embarrassed, lowering your eyes. “I’d rather not talk about that.”

Yerin, her curiosity piqued, presses further. “Oh, come on. You can share with us.”

You pause, sighing softly before reaching into your bag for the envelope Niki had given you. It contains pictures of doctored sonograms you had asked Jay to obtain for you. He handed the job down to Jungwon who was able to change the name and date for you. You hand it to your father-in-law, who takes it with a puzzled expression.

“What’s this?” he asks, opening the envelope.

“Well,” you begin, casting your eyes downward in feigned embarrassment, “Jaeyun wanted to break the news together, but now is as good a time as any. I’m pregnant.”

Yerin’s eyes flash with disbelief, her skepticism evident. “May I see the envelope?”

Jake’s father passes it over to her, and she examines the sonogram. Despite her best efforts, her face betrays her shock.

“You’re three months pregnant?” Jake’s father exclaims, his voice filled with confusion.

“Yes,” you confirm, a small, proud smile on your face. “Jaeyun and I couldn’t keep our hands off each other before the wedding. After a night of drinking, we were so hammered we forgot the condom. We were too embarrassed to say anything until I was farther along, which is why we lied about not having consummated our marriage when asked about kids.”

Yerin, her eyes narrowing to slits, asks pointedly, “If you’re so close, why do you sleep in separate rooms?”

Feigning a blush, you explain, “Jaeyuine was scared he’d hurt the baby with his constant moving in his sleep. But rest assured, we’re moving into one room now. The maids are moving his things as we speak.”

Jake’s father, convinced and ecstatic, beams at you. “You should have said something sooner! This is wonderful news!”

Yerin offers a forced smile, her words through gritted teeth. “Congratulations.”

You return her smile with one just as insincere. “Thank you.”

Patting your stomach, you stand. “I’d better go. The further along I get, the more tired I am.”

Jake’s father stands as well, concern in his eyes. “Should one of my drivers take you home?”

You shake your head, smiling. “No, thank you. I came with my own driver.”

He nods, already planning. “We should have a dinner to inform Heeseung about the news as well.”

You nod in agreement and make your way to the door. As you step outside, you feel the weight of the encounter lift slightly. Once in the car, you pull out your phone and call Jake.

“How did it go?” he asks immediately.

“Hook, line, and sinker,” you reply, a triumphant smile spreading across your face.

Jake exhales, relief evident in his voice. “That’s great news. I knew you’d pull it off.”

“I’ll be home soon,” you say. “We’ll go over the next steps then.”

Niki glances at you in the rearview mirror, giving you a small nod of approval. As the car drives away from the estate, you feel a surge of confidence. That bitch is going down.

Niki pulls into your driveway, the afternoon sun casting long shadows against the garage. As the car rolls to a stop, you notice Jake waiting near the garage, his posture tense. Niki swiftly opens the door, allowing you to step out. He stands protectively behind you as Jake approaches.

Jake greets you with a kiss, his arms wrapping around you in a comforting embrace. As you hug, he whispers in your ear, "Jungwon’s inside. He said Yerin made some phone calls once you left. I'm not sure who yet, but-"

Before he can finish, the roar of a sports car pierces the quiet afternoon. You turn to see Sungchan's car speeding towards you. He parks abruptly, nearly skidding to a stop, and frantically makes his way to your side. Jake holds you a little tighter as Niki reaches for his gun, but Jake stops him with a subtle shake of his head.

“That was quicker than I thought.” Jake mutters under his breath as Sungchan gets closer.

Your brother reaches for you, attempting to pull you away. "You're not safe," he mutters under his breath, his grip firm. "You need to leave."

You wince and pull away, acting concerned and oblivious. "Sungchan, you're hurting me. What are you doing here?"

He doesn't relent, repeating, "You need to leave with me. You're not safe."

Jake steps in, pulling you to his side and wrapping an arm around your stomach. "Stop, Sungchan, before you hurt her."

Sungchan pauses, staring at your stomach. You take a deep breath and speak up, "I'm not going anywhere, Sungchan. I'm safe here."

He tries to argue, desperation in his voice. "You don't know what you've gotten yourself into. You're not safe here. You need to leave."

All the while, he keeps staring at your stomach. You hold Jake's hand and shake your head, still acting coy. "Jake will protect me from whatever it is you're talking about.” You wait a beat before adding, “especially since I'm pregnant."

You wait for his reaction, but when Sungchan doesn't respond, you follow up, "But you already knew that, didn't you?"

Sungchan is taken aback, his confusion evident. "W-what? How did- how did you know that-?"

You don't back down, maintaining your gaze. "We know about you and Yerin. Talk. Now."

Sungchan sighs deeply and pulls at his hair in frustration but finally begins to speak. "It's true. I've been sleeping with Yerin, but-"

Jake cuts him off, growing impatient. "Yes, we already established that. We want to know when it started and what she's planning."

Sungchan looks down, ashamed. "It started the night of the dinner party. When Jake took you to the garden to propose, Yerin needed to use the bathroom but got lost. I was getting a new bottle of wine our dad had requested. I helped her find the bathroom, but before I could leave, she stopped me and made a move on me. We kissed and had sex in the bathroom."

You try to hide your disgust, but it’s clear as day, making Sungchan even more embarrassed. He continues, "I thought it would be a one-time thing, but it continued. It’s almost like she could tell how desperate I was to help you out of the engagement and preyed on that. During one of our pillow talks, she told me she would help me if I helped her. She wanted Heeseung to take over, so she convinced me to help sabotage Jake. That way, he wouldn’t be the eligible heir, and you could leave him. Heeseung would take over as it was meant to be."

Your anger boils over, and you take a step towards him, your voice shaking with fury. "How could you, Sungchan? Not only did you put yourself in danger by crossing our father to work with Yerin, but you also put me in danger. You’ve jeopardized everything for a woman who never had any intention of keeping her promises."

Sungchan shakes his head, desperation in his eyes. "No, we agreed nothing would ever happen to you. The plan was to get Jake out and Heeseung in. You were never supposed to be hurt."

You scoff, incredulous. "Did you forget about the attempt on my life? Yerin was only ever in this for herself. She was never going to uphold her end of the deal, and you were a fool to believe she would."

Tears well up in Sungchan's eyes, and he begins to cry, his voice breaking. "I did this for you. Please, you have to understand. I thought I was helping you."

Shaking your head, you step back, the disappointment clear in your voice. "I’m so disappointed in you, Sungchan. You’ve let her manipulate you into risking everything."

Sungchan is visibly distressed, reaching out to you, but you pull away and move closer to Jake. Jake holds you securely, kissing the top of your head. Sungchan watches in confusion, having always believed Jake to be a bad person.

Jake steps in, his tone firm but calm. "Sungchan, do you know what Yerin is planning now?"

Sungchan nods and sniffs, struggling to regain his composure. "She called to tell me that ____ showed up at her home to announce her pregnancy. She said our original deal is off. She has to kill you now. That’s why I came to get you out of the country. Yerin is going to order a hit on you."

A cold silence falls over the three of you. Jake tightens his hold on you, his expression turning steely. Sungchan continues, his voice trembling. "Before, the plan was to make Jake look unfit so his father would take him out of power and the marriage could be broken off. But now that there’s a possible heir, even if they were to kill Jake, the empire goes to you and the baby. Yerin would never allow that."

Jake’s eyes flash with anger as he nods. "I’ll take care of it."

Sungchan's frustration flares, and he takes a step towards Jake, his anger palpable. "She’s in this position because of you! How can you be so calm about this?"

Niki steps between them, ready to intervene, but Jake raises a hand to stop him. "I love her, Sungchan. I will do everything to protect her and our baby. Make no mistake though, you’re only still alive because of the love she has for you. But if you ever dare to cross me or hurt my family again, I won’t let you off so easily."

Your heart skips a beat as Jake’s words sink in. He loves you. It's the first time he's ever said it, and it catches you completely off guard. You’ve never heard those words directed at you with such genuine emotion. Sure, you’ve experienced love from your brother and friends, but this is different. This is a romantic love, a deep, all-encompassing feeling that you’ve never felt before. For a moment, the world stops. You want to say it back, to let Jake know that you’re equally in love with him, but now isn’t the time. There are more pressing matters to address. So, you tuck the words away, making a mental note to talk to him about it later. You need to let him know how you feel, how his love has become your anchor in this storm.

As you stand there, your mind drifts back to your own parents. The love you’ve witnessed between them is nothing like this. Your mother’s love for your father always eclipsed any affection she showed you. She’s so brainwashed by his power and influence that you always felt like an afterthought. It hurt, knowing she didn’t have the capacity to love you the way you deserved. And your father? He’s only ever seen you as a walking dollar sign, ready to sell you off to the highest bidder for his gain. His cold, calculating nature left no room for genuine affection.

But Jake? He’s different. He values you—not just your opinions, but you as a person. He goes out of his way to make sure you’re comfortable and safe, to protect you from the dangers that lurk in your world. The love he’s shown you is something you never thought you’d experience, and you’re certain you never want to let him go.

You stand a little taller at his words, from the knowledge that you have someone who loves you and will stand by you no matter what. It’s a new, unfamiliar feeling, but one that you cherish deeply. And as you look into Jake’s eyes, you know that despite the mess of your life, you’ve found something truly precious.

Turning back to Sungchan, you try to keep your emotions in check. "Sungchan, you need to stop sleeping with Yerin. If today has shown us anything, it’s that she’s willing to kill anyone to get what she wants. You need to get out."

Sungchan nods, tears streaming down his face. "I will. I promise."

You offer him a small, reassuring smile. "I still love you, Sungchan, but I need some time. This has been too much."

Sungchan understands, his expression filled with sorrow and regret. He weakly congratulates you on the baby before slowly walking to his car. You watch as he drives away, the tension in the air finally beginning to dissipate.

Jake gently squeezes your shoulder. “We should go inside now. Jungwon’s waiting for us.”

You nod, following Jake into the house. As you enter, you see Jungwon sitting at the dining table, his hacking setup sprawled out around him. He’s focused on his laptop, typing furiously. When he hears you both come in, he looks up and greets you with a nod.

“Hey,” Jungwon says, giving a small smile.

Jake nods back and gestures for you to sit down. “Jungwon, give her an update on what’s happening.”

Jungwon leans back in his chair, pushing his glasses up his nose. “Okay, so after you left your in-laws, Yerin made three phone calls. One to Sungchan, one to Heeseung, and one to Byun Baekhyun.”

You feel a jolt of shock at the mention of Baekhyun. You turn to Jake, but he’s already heard this information, his expression more controlled.

“What did she discuss with Baekhyun?” you ask, trying to keep your voice steady.

Jungwon flips through his notes. “All she said was ‘green’ before hanging up.”

Jake cuts in, his face grim. “I’m assuming Baekhyun is the one who’s going to carry out the hit on you. And if not him, he’s the one who’ll find the hitman.”

Jungwon nods. “I’m trying to tap Baekhyun’s phone to see his next moves.”

You feel a new wave of frustration and fear wash over you. “How are you going to handle this, Jake?”

Jake looks at you, his eyes steady. “I have Sunghoon tailing Baekhyun until we can tap his phone. We need to know what his next step is before acting. Can’t let him know we’re on to him.”

Unable to contain your frustration, you stand up, the force knocking your chair over. “I can’t believe Sungchan could be so reckless! Now I can’t even leave my home because I have a literal target over my head.”

Jake stands and pulls you into a hug, trying to reassure you. “I’ll fix this. Sungchan was just trying to help you, even if it was a terrible plan. His intentions were never bad. I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”

As Jake tries to calm you down, Jungwon’s voice cuts through. “Uh, guys.”

You and Jake turn to look at him as he beckons you over. “Yerin is making another phone call.”

The room falls silent as Jungwon listens in on the conversation through his headphones. The call is quick, and Jungwon’s face goes pale as he removes the headphones.

Jake asks, his voice edged with urgency, “What’s wrong?”

Jungwon swallows hard. “She ordered another hit.”

Jake scoffs. “Is it for me?”

Jungwon shakes his head. The worry gnaws at you, and you step closer. “Is it for Sungchan?”

Jungwon’s face is tense as he shakes his head again. Jake’s patience snaps. “Just say it, Jungwon! The suspense is making it worse.”

Jungwon takes a deep breath, his voice barely above a whisper. “The hit is for your father.”

The air seems to freeze around you. Jake’s father is the head of the biggest syndicate in Seoul, the one with the power to decide anyone’s fate. The implications of this hit are enormous.

Jake’s jaw tightens, and he clenches his fists. "She’s trying to destabilize everything. If my father is taken out, it throws everything into chaos. Yerin and Heeseung are making their move."

You shake your head. “No, there’s no way she would be that reckless? Does she know we’re on to her?”

Jungwon looks up from his screen, his expression serious. “My system is legit and undetectable. I wouldn’t have brought this to you if I wasn’t sure.”

Jake paces the floor, his frustration evident. “What’s her angle? Why would she want to take out both my father and you?”

You place a hand on your chin as you try to wrack your brain for any reason as to why Yerin would compromise her entire operation by placing a hit on her husband.

“It doesn’t make sense. Everyone would know Yerin killed her husband. He doesn’t have any competitors, and if this goes according to her plan, both ‘the baby’ and I will be dead. There’s no way anyone would think it’s all a coincidence. She’s getting sloppy.”

Jake pauses at the mention of sloppiness, muttering under his breath. “Loose ends.”

You and Jungwon both focus on Jake, your concern growing. “What?”

Jake’s eyes widen with realization. “This is Yerin tying up any loose ends. My father will be dead, you’ll be dead, I’ll be stripped of my power, and she might even kill me too. The only person left who would come after her would be Sungchan! Yerin is going to frame Sungchan for my father’s death. That way, she gets what she wants, and no one besides Heeseung will ever know what really happened.”

You feel physically ill, unable to believe the depths of Yerin’s evil. Jungwon curses in shock, but you’re left gobsmacked by how good Yerin is at being a mafioso.

Jake starts barking out orders. “Get Niki to keep an eye on Sungchan. Wherever he goes, Niki follows. Have Jay set up an extra security detail around the family home, and make sure they’re discreet. Go do a check around the perimeter to ensure no one suspicious is on the property. Take one of the guards with you.”

Jungwon nods, already moving to comply with Jake’s commands. He taps furiously on his laptop, sending out the necessary messages. Within moments, he’s coordinating with the team, his fingers flying over the keyboard.

You watch Jake, his anger palpable. He stops pacing and pulls you into a tight embrace, his voice steady and reassuring. “I just need to hold you.”

As you melt into his arms, you’re struck by how Jake, despite everything, remains vulnerable and open with you. He’s not the cold, calculating mafioso the world sees; he’s a man fighting to protect the people he loves. Your heart aches for him, for the weight he carries and the danger that constantly surrounds you both. His embrace feels like a sanctuary, a moment of peace amidst the storm.

You pull back slightly, looking into his eyes, and then you lean in, capturing his lips in a kiss. The kiss starts slow, tender, but quickly escalates. You pour all your fear into it, desperate to feel close to him. Jake responds with equal fervor, his hands gripping your waist, pulling you closer. The world fades away as the kiss deepens, becoming more urgent and passionate. You lose yourself in the sensation, in the warmth of his touch and the intensity of his love.

Just as you begin to forget the chaos outside, Jake’s phone rings, shattering the bubble of intimacy. He groans but pulls away anyway, looking at the screen. It’s Stella.

“Stella, what’s up?” Jake answers, placing the call on speaker.

Stella’s voice crackles through the speaker, her tone chipper and bubbly. “Hey there, you two lovebirds! Guess what? I’ve got some juicy updates for you! So, I managed to get the morgue to release the chief’s body—don’t ask me how, it involved a lot of charm and maybe a bribe or two—and my buddy at the NFS is going to do an official autopsy. We think the original results might have been tampered with. Scandalous, right?”

“What does this mean for me?” you ask, your voice trembling slightly.

Stella’s tone remains upbeat. “Right now, it means the case can’t be closed, and you, my dear, will not be arraigned. Also, I received information about the witness. I’ll be sending the files over to Jake. I’m sure if you pay him a little visit—wink, wink—the witness will recant their statement. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.”

Your eyebrows shoot up. “Isn’t that... illegal?”

Stella giggles. “Well, technically, yes, but let’s just call it ‘creative problem-solving.’ Given the circumstances, we won’t split hairs, will we?”

Jake’s expression is resolute. “Thank you, Stella. That’s good news.”

Stella hums in agreement. “Once the autopsy is complete, you’ll be a free woman. And then, we’re going to go after the police department for conspiracy, civil rights violations, and malicious prosecution. Oh, and we’ll make sure they issue a public apology so your company stocks can rise again. We need to keep those investors happy, right?”

You’re shocked. “Is that necessary?”

Jake scoffs. “Of course it is. With the way they treated you and handled your arrest as a public figure, we should sue for more.”

Stella chimes in, her voice firm despite the bubbly tone. “I can throw in negligence, false arrest, defamation, and harassment for how they interrogated you. The works!”

Jake nods. “Do it. I won’t stop until the bastards who put her in cuffs and conspired with Heeseung are behind bars as well.”

Stella’s voice is filled with understanding. “Got it. I’ll take care of it. And don’t worry, I’ve got a few more tricks up my sleeve if we need them.”

Jake smiles slightly, a hint of relief in his eyes. “Thank you, Stella. We appreciate everything you’re doing.”

Stella’s voice warms even more. “Anything for you two. Now, go take care of each other, and I’ll handle the legal circus. We’ll be in touch soon.”

You, Jake, and Stella bid your goodbyes, and Jake ends the call. The room falls into a heavy silence as you process the information. It’s a small victory in the midst of a war, but it’s a step forward.

Jake pulls you close again, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “A win is a win, right?”

You nod. “Hopefully the first of many.”

Just then, Jungwon returns, his expression calm but focused. “Jay is stationed outside the family home, and the property is clear. Niki also says he has become Sungchan’s official shadow. Everything is secure.”

Jake and you both nod in gratitude. “Thanks, Jungwon,” Jake says. “You’ve been a huge help. You’re free to go home now and get some rest.”

Jungwon smiles slightly, a hint of relief in his eyes. “Take care, both of you.” With a final nod, he gathers his equipment and heads out.

Once he’s gone, you turn to Jake, a mix of anxiety and curiosity in your eyes. “What now? We still have to be cautious, you know.”

Jake gives you a reassuring smile. “It’s still light out, and I was thinking we could have a date night.”

You scoff, unable to suppress a smile. “A date night? Have you forgotten that someone is out to kill me?”

Jake chuckles, shaking his head. “I never said we had to leave the house. I’ve got a surprise planned. All you have to do is go shower and get dressed up.”

You roll your eyes playfully and give him a light shove. “Stop being weird.”

Jake catches your hand, intertwining his fingers with yours. “What? Can’t I spoil my beautiful wife?”

A giggle escapes your lips, a mix of embarrassment and delight. His words send a warm flush through you, contrasting sharply with the tension of the past few days. Jake leans in and pulls you in for a kiss. It's soft at first, but the intensity builds, the world around you fading into the background. His lips are warm and insistent, conveying a depth of emotion that makes your heart race.

Just as you're getting lost in the kiss, Jake gives your butt a light slap, causing you to gasp in surprise. "Go on, get ready," he says with a grin.

You try to slap his butt in return, causing Jake to curse and reach to tickle you. You yelp, dodging his hands, and sprint to the stairs, your laughter echoing through the house. As you reach the top, you glance back to see Jake watching you with a tender smile, his eyes filled with love and something deeper—something you're starting to recognize as home.

As you reach the top of the stairs, you dash into your room, your laughter echoing from the playful chase downstairs. You slow to a stop, breathing heavily, and push open the door. The sight that greets you makes your heart skip a beat.

Your room is still familiar, but it's now distinctly Jake's as well. His belongings are scattered around, blending seamlessly with your own. His glasses sit on the bedside table beside a well-worn book, and his multiple rings are laid out next to the book, catching the soft light. A soft smile tugs at your lips as you take in these personal touches.

You walk further into the room, each step revealing more of his presence. The closet door is ajar, and you peek inside to find his extensive shoe collection neatly arranged. His jackets hang in the closet, along with a few pairs of baggy jeans—the kind he only ever wears around the house. Seeing his items amidst your own creates a warm, comforting sense of unity.

A wave of emotion washes over you as you look around. This room, once a sanctuary solely for you, is now shared with Jake. The small details—the glasses, the rings, the casual clothes—reflect a life intertwined with yours. Knowing that Jake, who grew up in a room stripped of personal comforts, has chosen to fill this space with his belongings for the sake of being close to you makes your heart swell.

You run your fingers over the familiar items now infused with his presence. It’s a poignant reminder of how different his life was before and how he’s building a new, shared life with you. This room, filled with his personal touches, signifies his commitment and love for you—a love that goes beyond mere words.

You step toward the bathroom, carrying the comforting warmth of the room with you. The gentle hum of the shower invites you in, and you let the warm water cascade over you as you prepare to unwind. As the steam envelops you, your mind drifts back to Jake and the love he has shown you.

He’s made such a significant effort to be close to you, to share his life with you in such an intimate way. His presence in your room is a testament to his dedication and affection. It’s a love that feels so genuine and different from anything you’ve experienced before. In the midst of everything happening, this gesture reminds you of the strength of your bond.

You take a deep breath, letting the soothing water clear your mind. You think about how you want to express your love to Jake, how you want him to know that you’re just as deeply in love with him. For now, you set aside that thought, ready to enjoy the surprise he has planned for you. As the water washes over you, you feel a sense of peace and anticipation for the evening ahead.

Stepping out of the shower, you wrap yourself in a plush towel, the softness a comforting contrast to the heat. You move to the mirror, wiping away the steam to reveal your reflection. You begin to apply light makeup, enhancing your features with a touch of color and glow. The act of getting ready feels almost therapeutic.

Once finished, you head to the banister and call down to Jake, “What should I wear?”

He looks up, a playful grin on his face. “Something comfy!”

You chuckle, turning back to the closet. As you browse through your options, your eyes drift to Jake’s side of the closet. You decide on a pair of comfy sweats and a hoodie from Jake’s collection. It’s one of his baggier ones, enveloping you in its soft fabric and his lingering scent. It makes you feel close to him, even when he’s not right beside you.

Dressed and feeling cozy, you head downstairs. Jake comes running to stop you at the base of the stairs, excitement in his eyes. “Wait, I’m not ready yet!”

He pauses when he sees you in his clothes, his expression softening. “You look so cute.”

He leans in to kiss you, but you gently push him away with a giggle. “I want my surprise first!”

Jake pouts, leaning in again. “Just one kiss?”

You giggle again, turning your cheek so he kisses there instead. He whines, but you can see the amusement in his eyes. “Please, just one real kiss?”

Relenting, you give him a soft kiss, feeling the warmth and love in the simple gesture. When you pull away, he sighs contentedly. “You’re the best.”

He then straightens, his expression turning serious again. “I’m not ready for you yet. You need to wait a bit longer.”

You raise an eyebrow, curious. “What could you possibly be up to?”

He smirks, guiding you toward the living room. “It’s a surprise, remember? Just sit tight.”

Reluctantly, you sit on the couch, watching him with amusement. He kisses your forehead and heads upstairs, calling over his shoulder, “I’m going to take a quick shower and then I’ll be right back down to join you.”

You nod, settling into the couch and trying to quell your curiosity. The house is quiet except for the faint sound of the shower running upstairs. You smile to yourself, feeling a sense of contentment and anticipation.

After a few minutes, you hear Jake’s footsteps coming down the stairs. He appears, dressed in sweats and a hoodie similar to yours. He grins, spreading his arms wide. "Look at us, a cute matching couple."

You snort, shaking your head. "You’re so corny, Jake."

He pouts, crossing his arms. "You’re such a meanie."

Laughing, you get up from the couch and take his outstretched hand. He leads you toward the kitchen, glancing back with a mischievous smile. "I dismissed all the staff for the night, so it’s just us."

You raise an eyebrow. "Who’s going to cook dinner then?"

Jake’s smirk widens. "I am."

Your eyes widen in surprise. "You can cook?"

He nods, looking quite pleased with himself. "I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

He ushers you to the kitchen island, where some drinks are laid out. He picks up a glass and hands it to you. "I made us some cocktails."

You smile in delight, taking the glass from him. "You really went all out, huh?"

Jake chuckles, holding up his own glass. "Only the best for you. Cheers."

You clink glasses and take a sip of your mojito. The strong taste makes you cough, and Jake grimaces apologetically. "Sorry, I think I added a bit too much liquor."

You laugh it off. "It’s a good thing I’m not really pregnant then."

Jake laughs with you, but there’s a hint of something else in his eyes. You notice the shift and ask, "What’s up?"

He shrugs, looking down at his drink. After a moment, he asks, "Do you want kids?"

The question takes you by surprise. You play with your drink, thinking carefully about your answer. "I’ve always wanted to be a mom. I want to prove to myself that I can love my child the way they deserve, to raise them surrounded by love and happiness. And if it’s with you, I know there would be so much love. But... our lifestyle... it’s dangerous. It wouldn’t be fair to bring a child into that world."

Jake takes in your words, nodding slowly. He sets his glass down and looks you in the eyes. "I want out."

You’re confused. "What do you mean?"

He takes a deep breath. "I’m giving the reigns to Heeseung. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that nothing compares to the love I have for you. I meant it earlier when I said I love you. I’m willing to do anything to make you happy, even if it means going legit. If giving Heeseung what he wants means I get to have you and maybe one day a family, then fuck it. It’s his."

Tears well up in your eyes. "Are you sure?"

Jake nods, his voice steady. "I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life. You’re it for me."

You lunge at him, wrapping your arms around his neck and kissing him fiercely. Between kisses, you murmur, "I love you. I love you. I love you."

Both of you are crying now, the intensity of your emotions overwhelming. This type of love is new to both of you, and it feels almost surreal. You pull back slightly, looking into his eyes.

"I’ve never experienced anything like this before," you say softly. "I’m so happy that you’re the one I get to love in this lifetime. You make me feel safe, cherished, and valued in a way I never thought possible. I love you more than words can express, Jake. You’re my home, my heart, my everything."

Jake’s tears mingle with yours as he kisses you again, his arms tightening around you. "You’re my world," he whispers. "And I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe and happy. I love you so much."

Jake wipes away your tears with his thumbs, his touch gentle and reassuring. "No more tears," he says softly, pressing a final kiss to your forehead. "It’s time to make dinner."

You sniffle, a small smile forming on your lips. "What are we making?"

"It’s a staple from my childhood," Jake replies, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

Intrigued, you watch him move around the kitchen, collecting ingredients with a practiced ease. As he starts preparing the meal, you lean against the counter, your curiosity piqued.

"So, how many kids do you want?" you ask, your tone playful.

Jake glances at you, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "I’ve always imagined having two or three. Enough to keep things lively but still manageable. What about you?"

"I think two sounds perfect," you reply. "A small, close-knit family."

Jake nods in agreement, his focus shifting back to the ingredients in front of him. "Do you have a preference for a boy or a girl?"

"Not really," you say, considering the question. "But I can see you as a great girl dad."

Jake laughs, shaking his head. "Really? I’ve always pictured myself teaching a son how to play football."

You smile, imagining the scene. "You scream girl dad, Jake. And who knows? You might end up being a ballet dad too."

Jake grins at the thought, his eyes lighting up. "I’d be honored to have a daughter who wants to dance. I’ll be there at every recital, cheering her on."

As you continue to brainstorm about your future family, Jake finishes cooking and turns to face you, presenting the plates with a flourish. You burst into laughter when you see the meal: a grilled cheese sandwich with a side of barbecue sauce.

"Is this it? A grilled cheese sandwich?" you ask, amusement clear in your voice.

Jake feigns offense, holding up a finger. "For your information, it’s a ham and cheese toastie, not just a grilled cheese sandwich."

You laugh harder, but you relent, taking your plate. "Alright, I’ll give it a try."

Jake raises his own half of the sandwich, and you clink them together like glasses. "Cheers."

You take a bite, and to your surprise, the combination of melted cheese, ham, and barbecue sauce is delicious. "Wow, this is actually really good," you say, a note of wonder in your voice.

Jake beams with pride. "Told you."

You finish your sandwich quickly, licking your fingers. "You have to make another one."

Jake laughs, shaking his head. "I have the rest of our lives to make ham and cheese toasties for you."

He steps closer, wrapping his arms around you in a warm hug. He holds you tightly, his chin resting on top of your head. "I love you," he whispers once more, his voice filled with sincerity.

You close your eyes, savoring the moment, feeling the strength of his love surrounding you. After a few moments, Jake pulls back slightly, a playful glint in his eyes. "Come on," he says, taking your hand and leading you into the living room.

He walks over to the stereo, queues up a soft, romantic playlist, and then turns to you, extending his hand. "Dance with me?"

You smile, placing your hand in his, and he gently pulls you close. You rest your head on his chest as you sway to the music, the world outside fading away. The slow dance feels like a perfect encapsulation of your love—gentle and steady.

As the music plays, you lose yourselves in each other, moving in sync, sharing soft whispers and tender glances. Jake occasionally twirls you around, making you laugh, and then pulls you back into his embrace, his arms a safe haven.

After a while, you both settle onto the couch, deciding to spend the rest of the day enjoying each other's company. You watch movies, baking cookies during intermissions and sneaking kisses as you share the warm treats. You cuddle under a cozy blanket, your bodies intertwined as you laugh at the screen, savoring the sweetness of these simple moments.

As the sun sets you turn to Jake, a contented sigh escaping your lips. "We should go to bed," you suggest, feeling the day’s happiness settle into a gentle fatigue.

Hand in hand, you walk up the stairs, entering your room together. You both go through your nightly routines, brushing your teeth side by side, sharing smiles and soft touches. Once you’re ready for bed, you slip under the covers, and Jake immediately pulls you close, his arms wrapping around you protectively.

"I'm so happy I get to hold you," he murmurs, pressing a tender kiss to your forehead.

You snuggle into his embrace, feeling completely at peace. "Goodnight, Jake," you whisper, your voice filled with love.

"Goodnight, my love," he replies, his voice gentle.

With your heart full and your body warm against his, you both drift off to sleep, wrapped in each other's arms.

taglist: @dreamiestay @inkpot-winters @minniejenseo @faithnsstuff @sumzysworld @sunpov @laurradoesloveu @iheartjayke

world of sinners vii | sim jaeyun

⟶ 𝑠𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑦: your parents are the head of one of the nation’s most lucrative syndicates and your older brother is heir to the throne which leaves you free to leave this world of evil behind. you’ve been waiting for this day for twenty years of your life, you can practically taste the freedom. what will you do, however, when your parents arrange a marriage for you to bind together their empire with the lee’s to stop a full on gang war?

❥ 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔: sim jaeyun x f!reader ft brother sungchan & heesung

❥ 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑟𝑒: mafia!au, arranged marriage!au

❥ 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡: 10.8k

⟶ 𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠: dark themes, mentions of violence, vulgar language, mentions of death, forced marriage, possessiveness, mentions of pregnancy, slight talk about childhood trauma, lots and lots of kissing.

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The morning light filters softly through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room as you begin to wake. The first thing you notice is Jake's arms securely wrapped around you, his body warm and comforting against yours. You shift slightly, your movement causing him to stir as well. His hold tightens, and he buries his face in the crook of your neck, pressing a soft kiss to your skin.

“Good morning,” he mumbles, his voice deep and raspy with sleep.

You smile, turning in his arms to face him. His eyes are still heavy with sleep, but there’s a soft, loving look in them as he gazes at you. “Good morning,” you reply, reaching up to brush a few stray strands of hair from his forehead.

Jake’s hand starts to trace slow, lazy circles on your back, his touch gentle and soothing. “It feels like a dream,” he says quietly, his voice tinged with awe. “Waking up like this… with you in my arms.”

You tilt your head up to look at him, your eyes meeting his. There’s so much love in his gaze, so much depth and emotion that it nearly takes your breath away. “We’ve come so far, haven’t we?” you whisper, reaching up to brush a strand of hair away from his face.

Jake nods, a soft smile playing on his lips. “We really have,” he agrees. “I can’t believe it. Everything we’ve been through… and now, here we are. Together.”

You both fall into a comfortable silence, letting the weight of those words sink in. You think back to everything you’ve faced together—the threats, the fears, the moments of doubt. But also the laughter, the joy, the way you’ve grown closer with every obstacle. It’s been a journey, and you know it’s far from over, but right now, in this quiet morning light, you feel like you’ve reached a milestone. A place of security and love that you never imagined could be possible.

Jake’s fingers brush along your jaw, tilting your face up toward his. “I wouldn’t trade any of it,” he says softly, his eyes locking onto yours. “Every moment, every struggle, it’s all been worth it to get to where we are now.”

Tears prick at the corners of your eyes, but they’re tears of happiness, of overwhelming love. “I wouldn’t either,” you whisper back, your voice thick with emotion. “I’m so grateful for you, Jake. For everything you do, for how much you love me. I never imagined I could feel this way.”

He tightens his hold on you, his arms wrapping around you like a protective shield. “You’re everything to me,” Jake whispers, his voice filled with emotion. “And I promise I’ll keep doing everything I can to make you happy.”

You lift your head to look at him, your heart swelling with love. “You already make me happy, Jake. Every single day. I don’t need anything else.”

He gazes at you, his eyes reflecting the depth of his feelings. “You deserve the world,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “And I’m going to spend the rest of my life giving it to you.”

Your breath catches in your throat at his words, and you feel tears prick at the corners of your eyes. You lean down, pressing your forehead against his. “I love you,” you whisper, your voice thick with emotion. “So much.”

Jake’s hand cups your cheek, his thumb brushing away a tear that escapes. “I love you too,” he replies, his voice equally soft. He pulls you down for a kiss, and you can feel the love and tenderness in every movement of his lips.

The kiss is slow and unhurried, filled with all the emotions you’ve both been feeling. His hand trails down your back, and you shiver at the sensation. As the kiss deepens, you feel a warmth spreading through your body, a familiar heat building between you.

Jake’s lips move to your jawline, trailing soft kisses down to your neck. He nips at your skin gently, and you let out a quiet gasp, your hands gripping his shoulders. “Jake,” you murmur, your voice a mix of longing and affection.

He hums against your skin, his hands wandering lower. “Hmm?” he responds, his voice deep and filled with desire. “Just let me take care of you…”

You’re about to reply when the sound of your phone vibrating on the nightstand breaks through the haze of warmth and affection. Jake groans in frustration, his lips still pressed against your neck. “Ignore it,” he mumbles, his voice slightly muffled as he continues his kisses.

You let out a soft laugh, gently pushing against his chest. “Jake, we can’t just ignore it,” you say, though there’s a playful note in your voice. You reach over to grab your phone, but he catches your wrist, his eyes dark with desire as he tries to pull you back to him.

“Come on,” he whispers, leaning in to capture your lips again. “It’s probably nothing important.”

You manage to twist in his grasp and grab the phone, glancing at the screen. Your eyes widen slightly when you see the caller ID. “It’s Yerin,” you say, holding up the phone.

Jake pauses, a small frown forming on his lips. “Yerin?” he echoes, his brow furrowing slightly. He finally releases his hold on you, letting out a sigh of resignation. “Why is she calling?”

You swallow the unease rising in your throat and answer the call, pressing the phone to your ear. “Hello?” you say, your voice edged with caution. “Yerin?”

“Good morning,” Yerin’s voice comes through, smooth and detached. There’s no warmth in her tone, just a cold, measured cadence. “I trust I’m not interrupting anything important.”

You glance at Jake, who is watching you with a mix of tension and curiosity. “No, not at all,” you reply, forcing yourself to remain steady. “I just wasn’t expecting to hear from you. Is everything alright?”

There’s a pause on the other end, the kind that makes you feel as though she’s assessing you, weighing every word. “Everything is fine,” Yerin says eventually, though her tone suggests otherwise. “I thought it appropriate to check in. How is the pregnancy progressing?”

Your heart skips a beat. You had hoped the pregnancy story you spun would be enough to keep Yerin at a distance, but it seems to have had the opposite effect. Quickly, you compose yourself, leaning into the narrative you’ve woven. “It’s… progressing,” you say, allowing a faint sigh to escape your lips. “The morning sickness has been rough—worse than I expected. I’ve barely been able to keep anything down.”

Yerin’s silence stretches, thick and oppressive, before she speaks again, her voice laced with a subtle edge. “I see. I’m sure Jake has been doing his part, taking care of you. He’s always had a way of getting too involved in matters.”

You bristle at her thinly veiled jab but keep your tone light. “He’s been wonderful, really. I’m lucky to have him.” You emphasize the last part, hoping to deflect some of her bitterness.

A cold hum is the only response you receive, the sound low and calculating. “Indeed. Well, I’ll be arriving shortly for brunch. I expect to be there within the hour.”

Your heart stops momentarily, shock rippling through you. “You’re coming over?” You try to keep your voice even, but the surprise seeps through.

“Yes,” Yerin replies, her tone indicating that it’s not up for debate. “I assume that won’t be a problem? I’d hate to disrupt your ‘rest,’ but it’s important that we have a conversation.”

You scramble to regain composure, forcing a polite tone. “Of course. I just… wasn’t expecting company. I’ll do my best to get ready.”

“You should rest,” Yerin counters, a hint of mock concern in her voice. “I won’t be long. We’ll talk, and then you can go back to taking care of yourself.”

“Right,” you say, feeling cornered. “I’ll see you soon, then.”

“Good,” she says, her tone clipped and final. “I’ll be there shortly.”

The line goes dead, and you slowly lower the phone, still trying to process the conversation. Jake’s eyes are fixed on you, concern deepening as he reads the confusion and unease on your face. He reaches out, his hand finding yours, and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

“What did she say?” he asks gently, his voice low as if not to startle you.

You blink, coming back to the present moment. “She’s coming over,” you say, the words feeling strange on your tongue. “She wants to have brunch and… talk.”

“Talk?” Jake echoes, his brows knitting together. “About what?”

You shake your head, frustration and confusion bubbling up inside you. “I don’t know, she didn’t say. Just that she wouldn’t stay long.” You pause, biting your lip as a thought occurs to you. “Do you think she’s caught on? About the bugs we had Jungwon plant?”

Jake’s expression hardens, the playful warmth from earlier vanishing as he considers the possibility. “I don’t think so,” he says after a moment. “If she had, I doubt she’d just show up for a chat. But I’ll check in with Jungwon, just to be sure.”

You nod, feeling a little better at his reassurance, but the anxiety still simmers beneath the surface. Jake gives your hand another squeeze before releasing it, his voice softening as he says, “Come on, let’s get ready. We’ll figure this out.”

You manage a small smile and follow him as he leads you toward the bathroom. The tension in your shoulders starts to ease as you settle into the familiar routine of getting ready together. Jake’s presence is a comfort, his calm demeanor helping to ground you.

As you both stand side by side at the sink, Jake hands you your toothbrush with a small, playful grin. “Think she’ll be impressed by our synchronized brushing?”

You let out a soft laugh, the sound easing some of the tension in the room. “She’ll probably criticize our technique.”

“Let her,” Jake replies, his tone teasing. “We’ll dazzle her with our perfect coordination.”

You can’t help but smile as you start brushing your teeth together, the mundane act surprisingly comforting in the midst of the morning’s uncertainty. Jake catches your eye in the mirror, giving you a small wink that makes you laugh again.

After brushing your teeth, Jake moves to the shower, turning on the water and testing the temperature. He looks back at you with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Care to join me?”

You raise an eyebrow, feigning skepticism. “Are you trying to distract me, Mr. Sim?”

“Absolutely Mrs. Sim,” he says without missing a beat, reaching for your hand to pull you into the shower. “And I’ll do a good job of it, too.”

You can’t argue with that, and soon the warm water is cascading over both of you, washing away the last of your lingering tension. Jake is gentle, his touch soft and comforting as he washes your body. It’s moments like this that remind you just how much he cares, how much he wants to protect you from anything that might cause you stress.

“Thank you,” you whisper as he rinses your body.

“For what?” he asks, his voice low as he leans in to press a kiss to your temple.

“For always knowing what I need,” you reply, turning to look at him. “Even when I don’t know it myself.”

Jake smiles, a soft, loving expression that makes your heart swell. “I’m just doing what I can to take care of you,” he says, his thumb brushing over your cheek. “You’re the most important thing in my life.”

The shower becomes a tender exchange of affection, each touch, each kiss filled with unspoken words of love and support. By the time you step out, your earlier anxieties have been replaced by a warm sense of security. You both take your time drying off, the simple act of helping each other with towels becoming another quiet expression of your bond.

Jake, ever the thoughtful partner, starts rummaging through his side of the closet as you begin your skincare routine. You catch him glancing over at you, a contemplative look on his face.

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” you ask with a smile as you apply moisturizer.

Jake grins, holding up one of his oversized hoodies. “I was thinking… Can I dress you today?”

You burst out laughing, the idea of Jake playing stylist both endearing and amusing. “You want to dress me?” you repeat, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” he says, his tone serious but playful. “You’re ‘pregnant’, right? Comfort over anything else.”

You shake your head, still laughing but touched by his suggestion. “Yerin’s going to have something to say about me wearing your clothes instead of dressing up.”

“She’ll have something to say no matter what,” Jake counters, stepping closer and holding the hoodie out to you. “Besides, I think you look beautiful in my clothes.”

You pretend to think about it, but the truth is, you’re already sold on the idea. There’s something incredibly intimate about wearing his clothes, especially when you know it’s for his comfort as much as yours. “Alright,” you say, taking the hoodie from him. “But if she makes a snide comment, I’m blaming you.”

Jake chuckles, leaning in to kiss your cheek. “Deal.”

You slip on the hoodie, the soft fabric enveloping you in warmth, and you can’t help but smile at how it practically swallows you whole. It’s cozy, and despite the situation, it makes you feel safe. Jake watches you with a satisfied grin, clearly pleased with his choice.

As you finish getting dressed, the two of you hear a soft knock on the door, signaling that Yerin has arrived. Your heart skips a beat, but Jake is quick to grab your hand, squeezing it gently. “Ready?” he asks, his voice steady.

“As I’ll ever be,” you reply, taking a deep breath as you head downstairs with Jake by your side.

When you reach the bottom of the stairs, you see one of the housekeepers opening the front door for Yerin. She steps inside with the air of someone who expects the world to bend to her will. Her posture is as straight and poised as ever, her eyes as sharp as knives as they sweep across the foyer, taking in every detail. The moment her gaze lands on you, her eyes narrow slightly, lingering on your oversized hoodie. But before she can comment, you notice something unusual: a decent sized chest in her hand, intricately carved and clearly old. Your heart skips a beat, but you force yourself to remain composed, deciding not to ask about it just yet.

Jake steps forward, his tone polite but wary. “Mother,” he greets, gently guiding you to stand beside him. “Thank you for coming.”

Yerin’s smile is a little too perfect, her demeanor uncharacteristically warm. “Jake,” she responds, her voice honeyed. “It’s good to see you. It’s been too long.” She glances around the house with an approving nod, then turns her attention back to Jake. “You’ve got a lovely home here.”

Jake raises an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard by her sudden amiability. “Thank you,” he replies cautiously. He exchanges a quick glance with you, as if trying to gauge your reaction to this new, unsettling version of his stepmother.

Yerin doesn’t miss a beat. “And you, my dear,” she says, turning to you with a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Pregnancy seems to agree with you. You’re positively glowing.”

You offer a polite smile in return, the unease bubbling beneath the surface. Yerin has never been one to dole out compliments, especially not to you. “Thank you,” you manage, feeling the need to tread carefully.

Yerin continues, making an effort at small talk, something she rarely does. “Jake, how’s the business going? I hear we’re expected to receive a five percent bump in the next quarter.”

Jake nods, clearly suspicious but unwilling to show it. “Yes, we’ve been doing well,” he replies. “The team’s been working hard.”

She nods approvingly, as if she’s genuinely interested, but there’s something about her tone that feels calculated. “That’s good to hear,” she says. “Your father is proud.”

Jake’s grip on your hand tightens slightly, a subtle sign that he’s not entirely buying her act. “Thank you, Mother,” he says, his voice carefully neutral.

Yerin then turns to you with that same unsettling smile. “I’d like to spend some time with you, dear. One-on-one, if you don’t mind,” she says, her tone light, almost too casual. “It’s important for us to get to know each other better.”

You feel Jake stiffen beside you, his protective instincts flaring. “I’d prefer to stay,” he interjects. “The pregnancy has been taking a toll, and I’d feel better if I were here.”

Yerin’s smile doesn’t waver, but there’s a hint of something sharper in her eyes now. “Jake, I gave birth to Heeseung,” she says, her voice calm but firm. “I’m more than capable of looking after her. Besides, it’s only right that she and I have some time to talk, don’t you think?”

Jake hesitates, clearly torn. You can sense his reluctance, his unwillingness to leave you alone with her. But he knows better than to push back too hard, especially when Yerin is being this... diplomatic. With a sigh, he relents. “Alright,” he agrees, though his tone betrays his dismay. He turns to you, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. “I’ll be in the study if you need anything,” he says softly, his eyes conveying a silent promise to return if things go awry.

You watch him go, feeling a knot of unease tighten in your stomach. Yerin’s sudden shift in demeanor is unsettling, and you can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to her visit than she’s letting on. Once Jake is out of sight, you turn to Yerin, trying to mask your discomfort.

“Shall we?” you say, gesturing toward the kitchen, forcing a smile.

Yerin follows you, her eyes still roaming the house as if she’s evaluating it, judging it. Once in the kitchen, you move to put on a pot of tea, trying to steady your hands as you do so. The silence between you is thick, almost suffocating, but before it can stretch too long, Yerin surprises you again by attempting to make conversation.

“How have you been feeling?” she asks, her tone carefully measured. “Pregnancy can be such a trying time, especially in the early months.”

You glance at her, wary but trying not to show it. “I’ve been managing,” you reply, keeping your tone neutral. “There are good days and bad days, but Jake’s been very supportive.”

Yerin nods, as if this is exactly what she expected to hear. “That’s good. You’re lucky to have him by your side. He’s always been such a strong, reliable boy,” she says, and for a moment, you wonder if she’s actually sincere. But there’s an edge to her voice that makes you doubt it.

As you wait for the water to boil, Yerin’s eyes land on a canvas propped against the far wall, one of your unfinished paintings. “I see you’re still working on your art,” she comments, her voice casual, almost offhand. “I heard Jaeyun is opening up an art sector for your works.”

You blink, taken aback by the fact that she even remembers your interest in the fine arts. Yerin has never shown the slightest interest in you let alone your artwork before. “Yes, I am and he is,” you say slowly, unsure of where this is going.

Yerin tilts her head slightly, as if considering something. “It must be challenging to find the time now, with the baby on the way and all. But it’s good that you’re still pursuing your passions.”

You nod, feeling more and more unsettled by the second. “It helps to keep me sane” you admit, wondering if there’s an ulterior motive behind her sudden interest.

The kettle whistles, cutting through the tension like a knife. You busy yourself with preparing the tea, grateful for the distraction. As you pour the steaming liquid into two delicate cups, you can’t help but wonder what game Yerin is playing. Her demeanor is too pleasant, too... nice. And Yerin is never nice without a reason.

Once the tea is ready, you bring the cups to the table, setting one in front of Yerin and one for yourself. She takes a sip, her eyes never leaving you, and you feel like a specimen under a microscope.

Finally, Yerin sets her cup down and reaches for the small chest she had been holding earlier. Without a word, she slides it across the table toward you, her expression unreadable.

You slowly put down your own cup, your heart pounding in your chest. “What is this for?” you ask, your voice carefully neutral.

Yerin’s smile is still in place, but there’s something almost predatory in her eyes now. “It’s a chest filled with things Jake’s mother left behind for him,” she explains, her tone soft, almost too soft. “It was meant to be given to him once he got married.”

The revelation takes you completely by surprise. You blink, trying to process the information. “Why are you giving this to me?” you ask, suspicion creeping into your voice.

Yerin sighs, as if the answer should be obvious. “We were instructed to give it to Jake once he was married, but his father thought it would be a hindrance, make him weak, so he decided to hide it away. I thought it would be a nice surprise for the two of you, especially now that you’re expecting. It’s only appropriate.”

You hesitate, your mind racing. This is the last thing you expected from Yerin, and you’re not sure how to react. The chest likely contains items that will mean the world to Jake, perhaps the last things his mother left behind before she was killed. The weight of the decision presses down on you—should you open it now, or wait for Jake? But curiosity wins out, and with trembling hands, you unlatch the chest and lift the lid.

Inside, you find letters upon letters, baby clothes and shoes that must have belonged to Jake, and pictures of Jake and his mother when he was younger. Your heart aches as you take in the contents, your eyes skimming a letter addressed to “the one my son chooses.” Though it doesn’t explicitly bear your name, the intent is clear. You’re absolutely shocked, unable to hide your emotions as you think about how much joy this will bring Jake.

“Thank you,” you manage to say, your voice thick with emotion.

Yerin hums in response, taking another sip of her tea as she examines you, her eyes narrowing slightly. There’s something about her gaze that makes your skin prickle, as if she’s sizing you up, waiting for something. The air is thick with tension, and you can’t shake the feeling that Yerin’s pleasant demeanor is just a facade.

Then, with a delicate clink, she sets her teacup down and leans back in her chair, her smile fading. The air around her seems to chill, the warmth draining from her expression.

“Let’s drop the coy act, shall we?” she says, her voice smooth as silk, but laced with something cold and dangerous. The shift is so sudden, so jarring, that it takes you a moment to process. All at once, the real Yerin.

You can’t help but scoff lightly at her sudden change in tone, but you don’t back down. Instead, you sit up straighter in your chair, meeting her gaze head-on. "I’m sure you know why I’m here," she continues, her voice smooth and full of confidence.

You tilt your head slightly, genuinely puzzled. "Whatever do you mean?" you ask, keeping your tone even. You have a feeling that she’s here to ask for something, or perhaps she’s aware that you and Jake are on to her, but you’re not about to give away anything just yet.

Yerin’s lips curl into a smirk, a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes. "I’m not stupid. I know you’re on to me," she says, her voice dripping with condescension.

Her words catch you off guard, but you force yourself not to react. Internally, your mind is racing. How much does she know? Should you admit it, or continue playing dumb? The weight of the decision presses on you, but after a moment, you decide that the truth might be the best leverage you have right now. She’s clearly here with an agenda, and perhaps you can use that to your advantage.

“…Yes. I am,” you admit, your voice firm, locking eyes with her to convey that you’re not afraid.

Yerin doesn’t miss a beat. “Good,” she says, her tone as smooth as silk. “Then I’ll get straight to the point. I want you to join me.”

You scoff again, leaning back in your seat and crossing your arms over your chest. “Join you?” you echo, incredulous. “Have you forgotten the hit you put on me?”

Yerin waves her hand dismissively, “That wasn’t me,” she says casually, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

Her response throws you off balance. You stare at her, confused. “What do you mean it wasn’t you?” you ask, suspicion and disbelief mingling in your voice. Of all the people who would benefit from your elimination, Yerin seemed like the most obvious culprit.

Yerin’s expression turns cold, her eyes narrowing. “The hit wasn’t meant for you,” she explains, her tone clipped. “It was meant for Jaeyun.”

Your breath catches in your throat as you process her words. “But why would—”

“Heeseung,” Yerin interrupts, her voice laced with disdain. “He was impulsive, reckless. He disregarded my direct orders to sit tight and decided to take matters into his own hands. The fool thought he could eliminate Jaeyun and make his move, despite knowing how dangerous that would be.”

You mull over her words, the pieces slowly falling into place. It does make sense—Heeseung has always been ambitious, desperate to prove himself, but his impatience has always been his downfall. You remember Jake telling you about how Heeseung was constantly trying to one-up him during the time the throne was up for grabs. But it’s one thing to suspect Heeseung of being reckless; it’s another to hear it confirmed by Yerin herself.

“And what about the second hit?” you ask, your voice hardening. “The one meant for me and my baby?”

Yerin smirks, her eyes gleaming with something dark. “Water under the bridge?” she suggests, her tone light, almost playful, as if the attempt on your life were some trivial matter.

You’re completely unamused by her response, your expression turning stony. Yerin sighs, as if disappointed that you didn’t find her little joke funny. “I underestimated you,” she admits, her tone begrudgingly respectful. “You’ve proven to be a worthy opponent.”

You don’t comment on her backhanded compliment, your mind racing with all the implications of what she’s revealed. Instead, you decide to hit her where it hurts. “Jaehee will kill you when he finds out what you’ve done,” you say coldly, knowing full well the truth of your words.

But Yerin doesn’t flinch. In fact, she looks like she was counting on this response. “You won’t say anything,” she counters smoothly, her voice dripping with certainty. “Because that would mean admitting that Sungchan slept with me. And we both know Jaehee would definitely kill him if he found out.”

Her words hang in the air, a challenge laid bare between the two of you. For a moment, she seems to think she’s won, that she’s backed you into a corner. But you’ve already anticipated this. You know the stakes, and you know how much Yerin is underestimating you right now.

“My brother made his bed,” you say, your tone icy, your expression unwavering. “He should lie in it.”

Your response visibly rocks Yerin. You can see the brief flicker of shock in her eyes, the way her composed facade cracks for just a moment. She thought Sungchan would be the one thing she could hold over your head, the one leverage she could use to control you. But now, she realizes she’s severely misjudged you.

It takes her only a second to recover, masking her shock with a cold smile. “Ruthless,” she remarks, her tone almost admiring. “That’s what I need. Not someone weak or impulsive like the men surrounding us.”

You shake your head, not buying into her attempt to flatter you. “What about Heeseung?” you ask pointedly. “Aren’t you doing all of this so he can take over?”

Yerin sighs, taking a deliberate sip of her tea before responding. “That was the original plan,” she admits, her voice tinged with disappointment. “But Heeseung has proven himself to be reckless and a liability. I need someone who’s calculated, trustworthy, and seen as an underdog—someone like me to work in the background alongside him.”

You nod, understanding where she’s coming from, but you’re not convinced. “And Jake?” you press, needing to know where her loyalties truly lie.

Yerin’s lips curl into a knowing smile. “I don’t need Jake,” she says, her tone matter-of-fact. “And neither do you. In this game, Jake may be the king, but the king is nothing without the queen. And I know you’re the one who’s been controlling Jake, guiding his moves. Why let all that power go to waste over a man?”

Her words cut deep and send a chill down your spine, Heeseung said the exact same to you the night of your wedding. You don’t let it show how much the words have rocked you, instead, you sit there, processing everything she’s said. Before you can respond, Yerin stands, her movements graceful and deliberate. She’s ready to leave, the conversation clearly over in her mind. But as she turns to go, she tosses her phone onto the table, her eyes gleaming with dark amusement.

“Oh, and the next time you decide to tap my phone, do make sure it’s untraceable,” she says, her voice laced with condescension.

Your heart skips a beat, but you keep your expression neutral, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing you react. Yerin smirks, clearly pleased with herself, and then she turns on her heel and strides out of the kitchen, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

You watch her go. Yerin’s proposal hangs in the air, a disturbing truth to where her allegiance lies, with herself. She truly is just as ruthless as you thought her to be but more than that, you’re left with the knowledge that this battle is far from over. Yerin is playing a dangerous game, and if you’re going to survive, you’ll have to be just as ruthless as she is.

The door clicks shut behind her, and you’re left in the heavy silence of the kitchen, Yerin’s phone still lying on the table like a taunt. You glance at it, your mind already working through the possibilities. You knew Yerin was dangerous, but now you’re certain—this is a war, and you’ll have to play every card right if you want to come out on top.

The sound of footsteps approaching pulls you from your thoughts, and a moment later, Jake steps into the kitchen. His eyes immediately go to the phone on the table before they shift to you, concern etched on his face.

“What happened?”

You take a deep breath, still processing the encounter. “Yerin tried to recruit me,” you say, the words sounding surreal even as they leave your lips.

Jake’s eyes widen in shock. “Recruit you?” He can’t hide his disbelief. “Does she know we’re onto her?”

You nod slowly, your thoughts already two steps ahead. “Yes. She knows. She also knows about the tap we had Jungwon put on her phone.”

Jake’s expression shifts from shock to something more focused, more dangerous. “But why would she want to recruit you? Isn’t this all for Heeseung?”

Shaking your head, you reply, “I don’t think so. She said Heeseung is impulsive, I doubt she’d willingly hand everything to him now.”

Jake pauses, his mind clearly racing as he tries to piece together the puzzle. “You don’t think…” His voice trails off, his thoughts moving faster than he can articulate them.

“What are you thinking?” you prompt, watching as the realization begins to dawn on him.

“Yerin is always ten steps ahead,” Jake says slowly, his tone filled with a dawning horror. “She wouldn’t offer you this position unless she was planning on getting rid of Heeseung completely.”

Then it clicks, the horrifying truth settling over both of you like a shroud. “She’s going to kill him,” you say, your voice low. “And take all the power for herself. This was a distraction! She’s counting on us trying to figure out her motive so she can eliminate the last obstacles in her path!”

Jake’s face hardens with resolve. “We need to call Heeseung,” he says. “He’s probably next on her hit list.”

Without another word, Jake pulls out his phone and hurries out of the room to make the call. The urgency in his movements mirrors the urgency you feel in your chest. But as Jake’s footsteps fade, your gaze drifts back to the chest Yerin had brought earlier. The memories inside are precious, and you don’t want Jake’s attention to be divided. He deserves to have all the time in the world to reminisce about his mother’s keepsakes without the looming threat of Yerin overshadowing everything.

Carefully, you pick up the chest and carry it to your bedroom. Finding a safe spot in the closet, you tuck it away where it won’t be disturbed. For now, it’s best if Jake’s focus remains solely on the danger at hand. You’ll revisit it when the time is right—when Jake can afford to let his guard down.

Returning downstairs, you find Jake in the sitting room, pacing anxiously. The phone is still in his hand, and he’s tapping it nervously against his thigh. The silence between you is heavy, laden with the knowledge of what’s about to happen.

The doorbell rings, cutting through the tension like a knife. Jake moves to answer it, and a moment later, Heeseung strides into the room. He’s as confident as ever, a smug grin playing on his lips as he looks between you and Jake.

“What’s going on?” Heeseung asks, his voice dripping with amusement as he looks between you and Jake. His demeanor is as smug as ever, and you can tell he isn’t aware of the situation.

Heeseung smirks as he saunters into the room, making a show of looking around. “I see you’re still playing house,” he says, his tone condescending. He then turns his gaze to you, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “So, how did you enjoy your stay in jail? I hear the accommodations aren’t exactly five-star.”

You bite back a retort, forcing yourself to remain calm. Jake, however, seems less inclined to humor his brother’s arrogance.

“Heeseung, this isn’t a joke,” Jake says firmly, his tone leaving no room for misinterpretation. “We know what you and Yerin are up to. We know about Sungchan, the shipments, the hits. All of it.”

For a moment, Heeseung’s smug expression falters, but he quickly recovers, letting out a scoff. “And what exactly do you plan to do with that information? Turn me in? Or maybe you’d rather end things now and hand over the family business?”

Before Jake can respond, you step forward, your patience wearing thin. “Yerin is going to kill you,” you state bluntly, cutting through the tension with cold precision.

Heeseung stares at you for a moment, and then bursts into laughter, a genuine, deep laugh that echoes through the room. “Kill me? You’re delusional. Why would my own mother kill me?”

Jake remains silent, his eyes narrowing as he watches his brother. When the laughter finally dies down, Jake speaks, his tone steady. “Yerin is doing this for herself, and for power. It was never going to be fully yours.”

Heeseung’s smile falters, just a little. “What are you saying?”

Jake takes a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. “Yerin offered, ____ your position,” he nods toward you, “just a few minutes ago.”

The smile drops from Heeseung’s face entirely, replaced by something more calculating, more dangerous. “Fuck,” he mutters, running a hand through his hair. The reality of the situation is sinking in, and for the first time, Heeseung looks truly shaken.

“What now?” he asks, the bravado gone from his voice, replaced by a genuine uncertainty.

Jake looks back, his hand finding its way to yours and entwines them, grounding both of you. “You can have it,” Jake says quietly. “If you want it, I’ll give it to you. You just have to promise me that nothing will happen to my family. Nothing can happen to her.”

Before you can say anything, Heeseung cuts in, disbelief coloring his words. “You’re serious? You’re willing to give up all this power and respect…for your wife?”

Jake fully turns to you, his expression softening as he smiles. Leaning in, he kisses you softly, a gentle brush of lips that conveys more love and certainty than words ever could. “I have everything I could ever need,” he says, his voice filled with quiet conviction.

The sincerity in his tone, the warmth in his eyes—everything about this moment touches you deeply. Heeseung sees it too, and for a moment, the cold, calculating demeanor fades, replaced by the brother Jake grew up with—the one who was kind, who had dreams beyond the family business.

Heeseung sighs, the fight leaving him. “Alright,” he says, his voice resigned but tinged with something softer. “I’ll turn on her. I’ll make sure nothing happens to your family.”

Jake nods, his relief evident as he pulls out his phone again. “I’ll make the calls,” he says, walking into the sitting room. He dials his father’s number first, asking him to come over immediately, his tone leaving no room for argument. Once he’s done, he calls Jay, instructing him to keep an eye on Yerin, to make sure she doesn’t try to pull anything before they can set the plan in motion.

As Jake moves to make the next set of arrangements, you glance at Heeseung. He’s leaning back against a pillar, staring at the ceiling, the weight of his decision settling over him. Despite everything, there’s a sense of finality to the moment.

You take a deep breath, deciding to approach him. As much as the past few months have been tense between the brothers, you know there’s still a bond there, something that’s worth saving. “He misses you, you know?” you say softly, drawing Heeseung’s attention. He lowers his gaze from the ceiling, eyes narrowing in confusion.

“What are you talking about?” he asks, though there’s a hint of guarded curiosity in his tone.

You take a step closer, choosing your words carefully. “Jake. He misses you,” you clarify, meeting his gaze. “Despite everything that’s happened, you still mean a lot to him. He’s missed his older brother. He just doesn’t know how to reach out anymore. Maybe… maybe it’s not too late for you two to fix things.”

Heeseung remains silent for a moment, the tension in his expression softening just slightly. He’s listening, even if he doesn’t want to admit it. “You really think that?” he finally asks, his voice quieter, more vulnerable than you’ve heard in a long time.

You nod. “I do. But it’s going to take effort, Heeseung. Jake might not show it, but he’s hurting. He needs his brother… the one who used to be his hero. You can still be that person to him, if you try.”

Heeseung’s gaze falters for a moment before he looks away, a deep frown settling on his face. It’s clear that your words have struck a chord, but he’s not ready to admit it out loud. "It’s not that simple," he mutters, but there’s a hint of doubt in his voice now, like maybe, just maybe, he’s considering it.

“You’re right," you agree, not pushing him further. "But nothing worth having is ever simple."

Satisfied that you’ve planted the seed, you offer him a small, encouraging smile before excusing yourself. “I’m going to get some snacks. I’ll be back in a few,” you say, giving him a chance to sit with his thoughts.

In the kitchen, you start putting together a finger food board, carefully arranging slices of fruit, cheeses, and crackers. As you work, the sound of muffled voices drifts in from the living room. You pause for a moment, recognizing the familiar tones—Heeseung and Jake.

At first, you can’t make out what they’re saying, but soon enough, the quiet murmur of conversation turns into something you didn’t expect: laughter. The sound is warm, genuine, and for a moment, you find yourself smiling. Maybe your words got through to Heeseung after all.

Before you can finish the snack board, Rose walks into the kitchen, her expression one of gentle insistence. “I’ll take over from here,” she says, giving you a pointed look that says she knows exactly what’s happening in the other room. You hesitate for a moment, but then nod, allowing her to take over as you wipe your hands on a nearby towel and head back to the living room.

As you step out of the kitchen, you hear a knock at the front door. You know immediately who it is— Jaehee. Taking a deep breath, you walk over to the door and open it, greeting him with a polite smile. His eyes soften as he sees you, his usual stern demeanor tempered by the thought that you’re carrying his future grandchild.

"How’s my grandchild doing?" he asks, his voice full of genuine warmth and excitement.

Your stomach twists at the mention of the baby—a lie you know you’ll have to address soon—but for now, you play along. "Doing well," you reply with a tight-lipped smile, quickly changing the subject. "We’ve got some important news to discuss. Jake’s in the living room."

"Important news, huh? Jake sounded pretty cryptic on the phone," Jaehee comments as he follows you inside, his curiosity piqued.

Rose passes by with the snack board just as you’re ushering Jaehee into the living room. When you reach the living room, you find Jake and Heeseung sitting side by side on the couch, the television playing a football match in the background. They’re laughing, relaxed, sharing a moment that feels both foreign and familiar. It’s a sight you haven’t ever seen, and judging by the look on Jaehee’s face, it’s one he hasn’t seen in a while.

Jaehee is the first to break the silence, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. “Well, this is a welcomed surprise,” he comments, a small, genuine smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Jake and Heeseung look up from the snacks they’ve been munching on, both grinning like kids caught in the middle of some harmless mischief. "Yeah, it’s been a long time coming," Jake says, his eyes meeting Heeseung’s with a mix of relief and fondness.

Heeseung clears his throat, the moment of vulnerability passing as he stands up, Jake following suit. Jaehee’s expression turns serious again as he addresses them both. "So, what’s this about? While I like seeing you two get along, I doubt this was a social call."

The mood in the room shifts slightly, the weight of the situation returning as the three of them prepare to explain. Jake takes a deep breath and begins. “We’ve uncovered some things… things about what Yerin has been doing behind the scenes,” he starts, his tone serious.

Heeseung jumps in, backing up Jake’s words with his own account of what he’s uncovered. "She’s been running operations behind our backs, consolidating power for herself." As they go on, you can see Jaehee’s expression darkening, his anger barely contained as he listens to the full extent of Yerin’s betrayal.

When they finally finish explaining, you decide to step in, knowing that the next part might be the hardest for Jaehee to accept. “There’s one more thing,” you say, drawing everyone’s attention. “Yerin… she had an advantage because she was sleeping with my brother. He was manipulated by her, doing everything for my sake. Please, Jaehee, leave him out of this. He doesn’t deserve to be caught in the crossfire.”

Jaehee’s eyes flash with anger, his jaw tightening as he processes your words. But then, surprisingly, you see a hint of something else in his expression—perhaps a begrudging respect for you all. “Impressive,” he finally says, his tone measured. “The lengths you were all willing to go.”

He turns to Heeseung, his gaze sharp. “But let me make this clear. The decision is final. The syndicate belongs to Jake. He’s proven that he’s the right one for the job.”

Before Heeseung can react, Jake cuts in, his voice firm but calm. “Actually, I’m giving it to Heeseung,” he says, causing everyone in the room to pause. “He’s always wanted it more than I did. I’ll remain in control of our legitimate businesses, but the mafia… that’s his.”

Jaehee stares at Jake in shock, unable to hide his disbelief. “Why are you giving it away? After everything Heeseung’s done… he tried to kill you!”

Jake’s expression softens as he glances at you, his hand reaching out to squeeze yours. “Because it’s not worth it,” he says quietly, but with conviction. “I never wanted it to begin with. I’ve found something much more important in my life. I’ve found love.”

Jaehee’s gaze shifts between the two of you, and he finally nods, though there’s still a lingering tension in his eyes. “Very well,” he says, turning to you. “But I can’t let Sungchan go scott-free. It won’t send the right message, he still slept with my wife. There will be consequences—a tax on all future imports.”

You nod, understanding the gravity of the situation. “Thank you,” you reply, relieved that the punishment is at least somewhat lenient.

Jaehee’s expression darkens again as he turns back to Heeseung. “And as for Yerin… I’ll deal with her.” You all know what that means, it’s clear—Jaehee plans to kill her.

Heeseung steps forward, a mix of defiance and desperation in his voice. “Is that really necessary? She’s still my mother.”

Jaehee scoffs, his voice cold. “Need I remind you of the hit she’s placed on your head? On Jake’s head? On your unborn nephew’s head?”

The truth of Jaehee’s words hangs in the air, heavy and undeniable. You can feel the tension rising again, and in a moment of nervousness, you let out a small laugh, cutting through the silence. "Actually... I’m not really pregnant," you admit, your voice tinged with a mix of guilt and relief. "It was a ploy to get Yerin to show her hand."

Jaehee huffs, his eyes narrowing slightly as he processes your confession. But then, surprisingly, a hint of admiration flickers in his gaze. “Impressive,” he repeats.

Heeseung, sensing the thick tension in the room, tilts his head and gives you a half-smirk. “Well, I’m glad you’re not pregnant,” he quips, his voice light. “I was starting to worry how we’d ever explain the lack of resemblance between the baby and Jake.”

A chuckle escapes Jake, and even Jaehee’s stern expression softens, a begrudging smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. The air in the room lightens a bit, the tension easing just enough to make everyone feel like they could breathe again.

Jaehee shakes his head, the hint of a smile still lingering. “You all certainly know how to keep things interesting,” he says, more to himself than to anyone else. He looks between Jake and Heeseung, his gaze lingering on his sons. There’s a sense of pride there, mingled with the frustration and disappointment that had clouded his features earlier. Finally, he nods, as if coming to a conclusion. “I’ll leave you to it, then,” he says, turning to head for the door. “You know where to find me if you need anything.”

Jake and Heeseung stand side by side, watching their father leave. As the door closes behind Jaehee, a quiet stillness falls over the room once again. The two brothers remain where they are, not speaking, not moving, just absorbing the gravity of what’s happened.

After a moment, Jake turns to Heeseung, his expression softening. “You know,” he starts, his voice low, “I didn’t expect this. Any of this. But... I’m glad you’re here.”

Heeseung glances at Jake, his usual cocky demeanor tempered by something more genuine. “Yeah, well, you’ve always had a knack for dragging me into things,” he says, though there’s no bite to his words. In fact, there’s something almost tender in the way he says it, a hint of the older brother Jake used to know—the one who protected him, the one who cared.

Jake’s lips curl into a small smile, his gaze dropping to the floor for a moment before meeting Heeseung’s again. “I’m serious, Heeseung. I missed this... missed you.” There’s a vulnerability in his voice that’s rare, something raw and real that he’s only ever let show in the most private of moments.

Heeseung seems to struggle with his emotions, the tough exterior he’s maintained for so long wavering. He opens his mouth to say something, then closes it, the words seemingly caught in his throat. Finally, he lets out a breath, one that sounds like it’s been held for years.

“I missed you too, Jake,” he admits quietly, his voice almost a whisper. “More than I ever let on.”

Jake’s heart swells at the admission, and before he can think twice, he steps forward and pulls Heeseung into a hug. It’s awkward at first—two brothers who have spent years at odds with one another—but then Heeseung relaxes into it, his arms wrapping around Jake in return. For a moment, they’re not two men caught up in the dangerous games of power and betrayal—they’re just brothers, trying to find their way back to each other.

“I’m sorry,” Heeseung murmurs, his voice muffled against Jake’s head. “For everything.”

Jake tightens his hold on Heeseung, shaking his head slightly. “Don’t be,” he replies. “We’ve both done things we’re not proud of. But we can’t change the past... we can only try to do better moving forward.”

Jake pulls back slightly to look at Heeseung, his eyes searching his brother’s face for any sign of hesitation. But what he finds there instead is a quiet resolve.

“Let’s do better, then,” Heeseung says, his voice firm with determination. “For both of us. For our family.”

Heeseung nods, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “For our family,” he agrees.

The two brothers stand there for a moment longer, the weight of their shared history settling into something a bit lighter, something they can carry together. It’s not a perfect reconciliation—there’s still so much left unsaid, so much that needs to be worked through—but it’s a start. And for now, that’s enough.

Heeseung breaks the hug with a gentle pat on Jake’s back, a soft smile still lingering on his lips. "Well," he starts, trying to lighten the mood, "if you ever do need advice on, you know, anything baby-related, just remember—I’m always available."

Jake chuckles, shaking his head. "I’ll keep that in mind, but something tells me you’re not exactly the expert."

Heeseung smirks, raising an eyebrow. "You’d be surprised. I’m great with kids—just ask anyone. Besides, who could resist this charm?" He winks at you playfully, adding, "If Jake ever messes up, you know where to find me."

You laugh, shaking your head at his teasing. "Sorry, Heeseung, but I’m just as madly in love with him as he is with me. So, I’m afraid you’ll have to look elsewhere."

Heeseung smirks, “are you sure, sweetheart? I’m known for being the bigger brother.”

Jake rolls his eyes, but there’s a grin on his face. "Nice try, Heeseung. But you’re going to have to find someone else to charm. This one’s off-limits."

Heeseung shrugs with a good-natured smile. "Can’t blame a guy for trying." He turns serious for a moment, glancing between the two of you. "But really, I’m glad you both have each other. It’s good to see you happy, Jake."

You and Jake exchange a look, warmth filling the space between you. "Thanks, Heeseung," Jake says, his voice soft. "That means a lot."

Heeseung nods, and the three of you stand there for a moment, a comfortable silence settling in. But then, Heeseung’s mischievous grin returns. "But just so you know, if Jake ever messes up... I’ll be right here."

You laugh, leaning into Jake as he wraps an arm around you. "I’ll keep that in mind, Heeseung. But I think Jake’s doing pretty well so far."

Heeseung chuckles, giving Jake a playful punch on the arm. "Take care of her, Jake. Don’t make me come back here and steal her away."

Jake grins, pulling you closer. "Don’t worry, Heeseung. I’ve got this."

With one last smile, Heeseung nods and heads for the door. "Alright, I’m out. Get some rest, both of you. And Jake—remember, I’m just a call away."

"Will do," Jake replies, his voice genuine.

As the door closes behind Heeseung, the room feels quieter, the intensity of the earlier conversation fading away. Jake turns to you, his arms wrapping around you in a tight hug. “It feels like this is finally the end of all the bad,” he murmurs into your hair. “The start of something good—something real.”

You nod, resting your head against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. “I believe it’s only going to get better from here.”

Jake pulls back slightly to look at you, his eyes filled with a mix of relief and hope. “Yeah, it will. We’ll make sure of it.”

You smile, brushing a hand through his hair. “Speaking of making things better… I have something to share with you. Something Yerin gave me.”

Jake’s brows furrow in curiosity. “What is it?”

You take his hand, leading him upstairs to your bedroom. “It’s something your mother left behind for you,” you explain, your voice gentle as you open the closet and pull out the chest Yerin had brought earlier. “She wanted you to have it when you got married.”

Jake’s eyes widen in surprise as he takes in the sight of the chest. “My mother… did this?”

You nod, setting the chest down in front of him. “Yes, before she passed away. It’s full of things she wanted you to have, to remember her by.”

Jake slowly lowers himself onto the bed, staring at the chest with a mixture of awe and disbelief. His hand hovers over the lid, almost as if he’s afraid to touch it. “I can’t believe she did this… for me.”

You sit beside him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “She loved you, Jake. She wanted to make sure you knew that, even if she couldn’t be here.”

Taking a deep breath, Jake finally opens the chest. Inside, he finds the baby pictures, a pair of tiny booties he wore as a baby among other baby clothes, and the stack of carefully folded letters. The sight of these treasures brings tears to his eyes, the emotions he’s held back for so long finally breaking free.

He picks up one of the baby pictures, his hands trembling slightly. “This is… me,” he whispers, his voice choked with emotion. Then he reaches for the little booties, holding them as if they were the most precious thing in the world. “She kept these...”

Tears spill from his eyes, and you rub his shoulder, your heart aching for him. “She wanted you to have these memories, Jake. To remember her and the love she had for you.”

Jake wipes at his eyes, but the tears keep coming. He sets the booties aside and picks up one of the letters, the one addressed to him at the very top. With a deep breath, he opens it and begins to read aloud.

The letter starts with a heartfelt message: “If you’re reading this, Jaeyun, then my biggest fear has come true. I’ve been taken from you, and I’ve left my only joy behind. But I want you to know that I love you more than anything in this world. You’ve been the light of my life, and I’ve cherished every moment we had together.”

Jake’s voice breaks as he continues reading, tears falling freely now. “I hope you grow into the man I always knew you would be—a good man, a kind man. And I hope you can forgive me for not being able to stay. I wanted to be there for every milestone in your life, but since I can’t, I’ve written these letters for you. Each one is meant for a different moment, a different milestone. Keep them close, and know that I’m with you in spirit, every step of the way.”

He pauses, overwhelmed by the emotions surging through him. You squeeze his shoulder gently, offering silent support as he finishes reading the letter.

Jake sets the letter down, his eyes red and swollen from crying. But there’s a sense of peace in his expression now, a weight lifted off his shoulders. “She... she really thought of everything,” he whispers, almost to himself.

As he digs through the chest, he suddenly pulls out another letter, this one addressed “To the one my son chooses.” He sniffs, his eyes meeting yours with a mixture of sadness and hope. “This one’s for you,” he says, handing it to you.

Your hands tremble slightly as you take the letter, your heart pounding in your chest. With a deep breath, you open it and begin to read.

The letter is filled with warmth and love, the words carefully chosen. “To the one my son chooses,” it begins. “To the one my son chooses… I hope you know how extraordinary he is. His heart is kind, but strong. He’s slow to anger yet always ready to defend his friends and help anyone in need. If I can be so bold, I dare say he has everything good from myself that I wished he would have when I first found out I was pregnant with him. Courage, compassion, selflessness, and an undying love for math.”

You pause to clear your throat, the words getting to you as well. “Jaeyun was raised by his father following my death. I'm sure he wasn’t awarded the luxury of love or empathy and so I hope that the one he chooses— you, I hope you are good to him.”

“I suppose every mother wishes the best for her child. I hope you are everything he needs and deserves. I hope you support him when he doubts himself, I hope you encourage him to be the best person he can be and I hope you challenge him when he needs to be challenged. Know that he will want to give you everything. He will love you with all of his heart. That is just the way he is. Please be good to him, because he believes so deeply in the goodness of the world, and I never want to see that vanish. If he has found you, then I am glad you'll be there for him as I can not.”

“Thank you for loving Jaeyun. Thank you for being there for him when I couldn’t be. I know he’s in good hands with you, and that brings me so much peace. Please, take care of him, cherish him, and help him find the happiness he deserves. And know that I’m grateful for you, for the love you’ve brought into his life. All of my love, sieomeoni.”

You look up at Jake, tears brimming in your eyes. “Your mother... She was an incredible woman, Jake. I’ll do everything I can to honor her wishes.”

Jake smiles through his tears, pulling you into a tight embrace. “She would have loved you,” he whispers. “Just like I do.”

As Jake pulls you into the embrace, his warmth and the steady beat of his heart against your cheek soothe the storm of emotions swirling inside you. His arms around you feel like a sanctuary, and you lean into him, drawing comfort from his presence.

He gently pulls back, his eyes searching yours, a tender smile still lingering on his lips. “Thank you for being here,” he murmurs, his voice hushed but filled with gratitude.

You nod, your eyes misty as you try to hold back the tears. “I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” you reply softly, reaching up to touch his cheek. The tenderness of the moment seems to stretch between you, an unspoken understanding passing silently in the space.

Jake’s gaze drops to your lips, and he takes a slow, deliberate breath. His hand brushes along your jaw, fingertips barely grazing your skin, igniting a spark of warmth that spreads through you. He leans in, his lips brushing yours in a gentle, exploratory kiss.

The touch is electric, sending shivers down your spine as you respond, your hands finding their way to the back of his neck, pulling him closer. The kiss deepens, growing more passionate as Jake’s hands slide to your waist, drawing you in.

As the kiss deepens, the world around you seems to dissolve into the softness of the moment. Jake’s hands move gently across your back, pulling you even closer. You can feel his heartbeat quicken, a rhythm that matches the quickening pace of your own.

The intimacy of the kiss is overwhelming, a blend of tenderness and passion that makes it hard to distinguish where his emotions end and yours begin. Jake’s lips are warm and inviting, and the way he holds you feels both protective and loving.

Gradually, the intensity of the kiss starts to subside. Jake pulls back slightly, his breath mingling with yours, his eyes searching yours with a mixture of emotion and vulnerability. You can see the depth of his feelings reflected in his gaze, a silent conversation passing between you.Jake’s thumb lightly brushes against your cheek, and his expression is one of pure tenderness. “I love you,” he says softly, his voice a gentle murmur.

You smile through the haze of emotion, your heart swelling with affection. “I love you too,” you whisper back, your voice barely more than a breath.

Jake takes your hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Come on,” he says with a soft smile, guiding you up the bed. The room feels warm and inviting, and you follow him willingly, your heart full of love and contentment.

He lays down on the bed and gently pulls you down beside him, wrapping his arms around you in a cozy embrace. You settle against him, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat and the comfort of his presence. The warmth of the bed and the closeness of Jake create a safe and serene haven where you both can simply be.

Jake kisses the top of your head, his voice soft and content. “I’m really happy with how things have turned out,” he murmurs. “I didn’t know what to expect, but being here with you now… it feels right.”

You snuggle closer, resting your head against his chest, and listen to the steady thrum of his heartbeat. “Me too,” you reply softly. “I’m grateful for every moment we’ve shared and for the chance to be here with you.”

Jake’s arms tighten around you, and you both settle into the peaceful quiet of the room, wrapped in each other’s warmth. The sense of connection and love between you feels more profound than ever, and you know that, no matter what the future holds, you’ll face it together, with each other’s support and affection.

As you drift into a comfortable embrace and silence, the world outside fades away, leaving just the two of you in a cocoon of love and contentment.

taglist: @dreamiestay @inkpot-winters @minniejenseo @faithnsstuff @sumzysworld @sunpov @laurradoesloveu @onlyhyunjin @iheartjayke

the last thread SENT ME🤣🤣

boomerang － thirty one ; sunoo best wingman

SYNOPSIS you and jake sim have always been academic rivals. it was always you against him for top of the class, and jake is sure that you two were made to hate each other. a couple years later when you debut and become an idol, you find yourself talking to him again - but it’s in a group chat with other aussie idols, and perhaps you realise that he isn’t that insufferable.

thirty one － sunoo best wingman! previous ★ next ♡ masterlist

authors note: and we are now entering jakey/n romance era!!!! 9 chapters of boomerang to go (not counting the special chapters i have lined up ^_^)

BOOMERANG! a jake smau. genre: smau, angst, fluff, crack, enemies to lovers pairing: idol! jake x idol! fem! reader warnings: swearing, ignore timestamps, photos of yujin from ive will be used to visualise outfit / concepts for y/n! taglist is CLOSED!

the manager chat SENDS ME

boomerang － thirty five ; in a bro way

SYNOPSIS you and jake sim have always been academic rivals. it was always you against him for top of the class, and jake is sure that you two were made to hate each other. a couple years later when you debut and become an idol, you find yourself talking to him again - but it’s in a group chat with other aussie idols, and perhaps you realise that he isn’t that insufferable.

thirty five － in a bro way! previous ★ next ♡ masterlist

authors note: love the managers theyre slayers . jake still in his denial era?? COME ONNNNNN

BOOMERANG! a jake smau. genre: smau, angst, fluff, crack, enemies to lovers pairing: idol! jake x idol! fem! reader warnings: swearing, ignore timestamps, photos of yujin from ive will be used to visualise outfit / concepts for y/n! taglist is CLOSED!

✦ HOW SWEET DOES IT TASTES? ⸻ 엔하이픈 OT7 𓈒 ˒ ── 𝗂𝗇 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝖾𝗇𝗁𝗒𝗉𝖾𝗇 𝗌𝗍𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗌 𝖺 𝗄𝗂𝗌𝗌 𝖿𝗋𝗈𝗆 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝗅𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎'𝗋𝖾 𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝖼𝖺𝗇𝖽𝗒.

﹙ 𝓹𝐥𝐨𝐭 ♡𝓹𝐫é𝐜𝐢𝐬 crush!enha x fem!r. 𖥔fluff ot7 works based on that horimiya scene,‎⸝⸝⸝ kissing, not proofread wordcount` 812. 𓈃 ◌⠀⠀˖ 𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐕𝐄 𓏵⠀

! feedbacks and reblogs are highly appreciated and encouraged! PLS REBLOG ♡

𝐋𝐄𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐔𝐍𝐆 (이희승)

you pop the candy into your mouth, expecting sweetness but getting an overpowering burst of licorice instead. your nose wrinkles at the bitter taste, and you struggle not to spit it out. heeseung, standing close by, notices your expression and raises an eyebrow.

"what flavor is it?" he asks, curiosity lacing his tone.

"licorice," you manage to mumble.

without warning, heeseung leans in, his lips brushing yours as he steals the candy from your mouth. his lips are soft and warm, sending a shiver down your spine. when he pulls back, he grins, savoring the licorice.

"not my favorite, either," he says plainly as if he didn't kiss you.

rest of the members below !!

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐉𝐀𝐘 (박종성)

you put the candy into your mouth, expecting sweetness but getting an unexpected burst of sour grape instead. you give a sour expression. jay, standing nearby, notices your expression and smirks.

"what flavor is it?" he asks, amusement in his voice.

"sour grape," you reply, wincing.

without a moment's hesitation, jay steps closer, his lips meeting yours in a swift. he kisses you deeply, his tongue gently stealing the candy from your mouth. his hand cupping your cheek. when he finally pulls back, he smirks, the sour grape now his.

"not bad," he says, eyes glinting with mischief.

𝐒𝐈𝐌 𝐉𝐀𝐊𝐄 (심재윤)

you pop the candy into your mouth, expecting a fruity burst but instead getting an overpowering wave of bitter lemon. you can't help but wrinkle your nose. jake, who's been watching you, laughs softly.

"what's wrong? bad flavor?" he asks, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"bitter lemon," you mumble, trying to endure the taste.

jake steps closer, his hand gently tilting your chin up. "let me help," he whispers.

before you can react, he leans in, his lips meeting yours in a tender yet firm kiss. his tongue slips past your lips, capturing the candy and mingling with the bitter lemon taste. when he finally pulls back, he holds the candy between his teeth, grinning.

"much better," he says, winking playfully.

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐍 (박성훈)

you unwrap the candy and pop it into your mouth, expecting a burst of sweetness. instead, you're hit with an intense wave of bitter coffee. sunghoon, lounging nearby, catches your expression and raises an eyebrow.

"bad flavor?" he asks, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"bitter coffee," you mutter, grimacing.

sunghoon stands and strides over, curiosity in his eyes. "let me try something."

before you can respond, he cups your face gently and leans in. His lips meet yours in a soft, unexpected kiss. his hand resting lightly on your neck. when he finally pulls back, he savors the candy for a moment before making a face.

"definitely strange," he says, his eyes locking onto yours with a playful glint.

𝐊𝐈𝐌 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐎𝐎 (김선우)

you unwrap the candy and pop it into your mouth, you're hit with an overwhelming taste of salty licorice. you gag slightly, trying to hide your facial expression. sunoo, who’s been watching you from across the room, laughs out loud.

"what kind of flavor is that?" he asks, walking over with a grin.

"salty licorice," you manage to say, struggling to keep it down.

sunoo's eyes sparkle with mischief. "let me taste it,"

he leans in, his hand gently cradling your cheek, and kisses you softly. when he pulls back, he holds the candy between his teeth, giving you a playful wink.

"better me than you," he says with a laugh, the salty licorice still in his mouth. "next time, let's pick something sweeter."

𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐆 𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐖𝐎𝐍 (양정원)

you pop the candy into your mouth, and immediately, a wave of regret hits you. the taste of pickle-flavored candy makes your nose wrinkle in disgust. jungwon, your crush, notices and asks with a smirk, "what flavor did you get?"

before you can answer, he leans in, his lips brushing against yours as he steals the candy from your mouth. the unexpected kiss sending a jolt of electricity through you. when he pulls away, he raises an eyebrow and grins.

"pickle? that's... unique," he says, laughing softly. your heart flutters, the taste of the candy now forgotten in the warmth of his kiss.

𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐔𝐑𝐀 𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐈 (西村力)

you unwrap the candy and pop it into your mouth. you're surprised by an intense burst of sour lemon. your face twists in a mixture of surprise and mild discomfort. riki, noticing your reaction from across the room, raises an eyebrow with concern.

"is everything okay?" he asks, stepping closer.

"sour lemon," you reply, trying to mask your distaste.

before you can protest, he leans in, his hand gently holding your chin as his lips meet yours in a gentle kiss. the kiss lingers for a moment, warm and reassuring, before he pulls back with a smile.

"there," he says softly, holding the candy between his fingers. "better?"

enhypen reaction when you cry during movies

pairings: enhypen x fem!reader | genre: fluff, ot7 work, imagines | wc: 600+ | warnings: not proofread, crying, petnames, kisses | an: didn't do ot7 works in a very long time so... + thank u to the anon who requested!! | LIBRARY FOR MORE...

이희승 (lhs)

as the emotional person you are, movies are no exception. as you watch, fingers intertwined, you feel your eyes filling up with tears at the scene on the screen. heeseung's focus is laser-sharp on the movie, but he can't shake the feeling to turn around to you (his heeseung-tingly senses tingling). when he turns to you, he notices your watery eyes, filled with tears. immediately concerned, he pauses the movie to make sure you're okay. even after you assure him it's just the movie, he remains a bit of a worried. throughout the film, he checks on you time to time, pulling you closer into his arms to make sure you feel safe and happy.

박종성 (pjy)

when you cry in a movie, he would be full on worried mode. if you thought heeseung was worried, jay is 1000x more. he would pause the whole movie, and make sure you're totally fine. "are you okay, my angel?" (SFJLDKJF) would literally go to the kitchen and make you your favorite snacks just so you can feel better. + he would get all of your favorite stuff out

심재윤 (sjy)

this man would process the sniffling noises he's hearing. when he realizes it's you who's crying, he would suddenly feel so guilty. he would be thinking to himself if it was him who did something or maybe he was too focused on the movie and not you. then he would apologize like 10000x times. so when you would say it's just the movie, he would be so relieved that it wasn't him who made you cry. then he comforts you and kisses your tears away, whispering stuff like "my pretty girl doesn't deserve to cry".

박성훈 (psh)

sunghoon would most likely freeze the moment he sees you cry. he would take like a solid 2-3 minutes processing what to say and what to do. after realizing, he would immediately hug you. no words. just a hug. you let your tears stain his shirt as he forgets about the movie and only cares about you. he would brush your hair softly and just embrace you tightly, letting you cry quietly.

김선우 (ksn)

sunoo would be crying with you. he would already be sobbing by the time the sad scene is finished. you and him would be crying together about the scene, hugging each other. just crying. but after a few minutes, you guys would just glance at each other and laugh. holding hands, the two of you would forget about the movie and just talk for the rest of the hour.

양정원 (yjw)

jungwon would be scared but yet guilty when you cry. as a person that didn't cry much, he was worried about why you were crying. he would then ask you, "why are you crying, baby?" and when you tell him its the movie. he would laugh slightly at how cute you are then squish your cheeks softly before comforting you by leaving soft kisses on cheek and then saying some sweet words

西村力 (nsr)

riki would most likely be teasing you at first before realizing you were actually crying. he would be first like "imagine crying over a movie," and then 3 seconds later he would realize you're actually crying. he would feel the biggest guilt. riki would apologize like twenty times and hug you tightly to show how sorry he is to you. then those hugs would turn into tight hugs, which then leads to you two playfully fighting each other, teasing each other, and eventually, you forget about crying. so in the end, riki really does help you stop crying.

𝒩ot a bet﹕hyung line

𝑒nhypen x fem!reader ⚹ cw: each member ranges from 5-1k wc, fluff, lowercase intended, they swear, crying, uh someone kneels, not proud w heejake's 😞, not proofread ( lmk if i missed something! )

sypnosis : upon learning that you were merely the stake in a bet, they wasted no time in mending your relationship.

part one !

★ LEE HEESEUNG ( 0.8k wc )

"y/n wait!"

heeseung's voice only made you walk faster. you didn't want to humiliate yourself further by stopping and talking to him. all you wanted to do now was to just march out of the school, go home, lock yourself in your room and maybe eat a tub of ice cream while you ugly cry yourself to sleep.

"y/n, please." heeseung pleaded, taking your elbow in his grasp as he spun you around and pulling you closer to the point you can feel his breath on fanning your nose.

he looked at you pleadingly. "it's okay," you managed to say in a shaky voice. "i understand, you can all laugh at me all you want now-" he shook his head, "it's okay really!" you added, pursing your lips.

"i just want to be left alone now okay?" and even if he knew you didn't mean just 'now.' he'll respect your wishes and let you go, but he won't give up.

heeseung watched you walk away from him with a heavy heart, wanting nothing but to just explain everything to you before it was too late. he couldn't lose you, not like this.

when he couldn't see your figure anymore, he messily messed his hair and made his way back to the gym eager to teach a guy how to not spit nonsense.

it's been a week since that happened and a week since he's seen you in the school. he asked some of your classmates and club members but all he received were nasty glares and short cold answers. what happened between the two of you spread like wild fire the following day you walked away from him. everyone knew you were kind of a nerd, but they also knew you were a complete angel and had a heart soft as a pillow.

they also knew that betting on a person's feeling isn't exactly it. — more under the cut!

so throughout that week too, his popularity decreased day by day. he used to receive heart eyes on the hallways and joyful 'good morning, heeseung!'s by random students, now all he received were judgemental glances and they avoided him like a plague, scared to be the next target of a cruel bet.

he didn't care though, all he cared about was your wellbeing. it's been a week and you've still yet to show up to class, so imagine his surprise when you suddenly walk in to the room with your usual hair do, your bag slung over on your shoulder and your glasses almost falling off your nose bridge.

he sat up straighter, gulping as his eyes followed your every move. he could feel hear heart beating louder, as if it was calling for you, desperate to be near you again.

he needed to fix this, asap.

it felt like forever before heeseung heard the bell ring. as soon as he heard the annoying sound, he messily packed up his things and ran after you.

"y/n!" your forearm was then again grabbed by him. although this time, he turned you slowly. heeseung silently admired your face. he missed you so much.

"let me explain, please. it's not what you think. i promise." he whispered, vulnerability in his tone. the simple nod you gave was his signal to interlace his fingers with yours as he looked for an empty room.

you ignored the looks everyone threw your way, either worried and judging. all you could focus on was his warm hand on yours and how you missed it so much, you didn't even realize you both were now inside an empty classroom.

"there was no bet." you furrowed your brows, looking at him with mixed confusion and frustration. "i promise, there was no bet."

"why would they say that then?"

"i don't know, but i promise there's no bet. throughout the months we've been together everything i've said was real." he said, desperate.

heeseung stepped closer.

"what i felt for you was real," he scrambled to get his phone from his pocket, opening his messages app. "you can go through my phone all you want, ask any of my friends-" you raised a brow.

"not those friends! i mean sunghoon, jay, jungwon.. you know." your raised brow made him sputter. "to be completely honest, they've been ignoring me after they heard about what happened.."

you looked at him hesitantly as you scrolled through his messages with shaking hands. you scrolled for so long, you even reached to the messages months before you both got together.

he didn't have any messages to his basketball team group chat unless it was announcements from his coach. the group chat with his actual friends were only filled with his pining over 'the girl on the back of his biology class.'

"heeseung.."

"there's no bet, baby. i'd never do that to anyone." he whispered, stepping closer. "i can't lose you like this.. i love you."

you sniffled as you came crashing on his chest, letting tears fall again. heeseung immediately wrapped his arms around you, sighing in relief as he finally have you back in his arms.

"i was so worried baby." he mumbled, kissing your head.

"i love you forever. i'll kill everyone who tries to get in between us again," heeseung pulled you closer if it was even possible.

"and if they do, i'll make sure to fix everything even if it means the whole world would hate me."

★ PARK JONGSEONG ( 1.0k wc )

jay was confused.

the both of you had a very well planned date tonight, so he was utterly puzzled to see that you weren't responding to his messages. for heaven's sake, you didn't even read his messages, he was just left in delivered.

he had tried calling multiple times but was only met with your automated voice telling him to leave a voice message. it came to the point that he had enough and decided to drive to your house.

throughout the drive, jay wondered what could've happened. he couldn't think of anything that would make you upset like this, he hoped that you just fell asleep and forgot to have your alarm on.

walking up the porch of your house, jay rang the doorbell and was met with your mom who opened the door with furrowed brows when she laid her eyes on him.

"good afternoon mrs. l/n, is y/n home?" your mother's frown deepened, hesitantly looking at the stairs behind her before looking back at him. "i'm sorry jay, she said she doesn't want to see you?"

that caused jay to furrow his brows as well. "wha- may i ask why?"

"i was hoping you'd tell me." if jay was confused a while ago, he was even more confused now and frustrated.

"can i see her, please?" he pleads, the older woman hesitantly opened the door wider to invite him in, and before he could ascend up the stairs, your mom stopped him.

"jay.." he looked back. "i don't know what happened to you both but take it easy on her, alright? she's been crying, i can tell." jay gulped and only nodded, sending your mom a pursed smile.

he knocked on your bedroom door, when no response came, he tried to turn the knob and was thankful that it wasn't locked.

jay slowly opened your door, seeing you curled on one corner of your bed as your body shook from your sobs you tried to keep silent.

he could feel his heart break at the sight. stepping a foot inside the room, he mentally cursed at himself when he accidentally bumped on to your mirror causing your head to shoot up in alarm at the sound.

your already glassy eyes was once again filled with tears as your eyes met his. jay barely dodged the pillow you threw at him, screaming at him to "go away and never show your face to me again."

jay frowned and came closer until he was sat on the edge of your bed, ignoring the words you just shouted at him.

"baby.. what's- what's wrong?" he asked, attempting to hold your hand but you retracted it and tried to throw another pillow at him. he swiftly caught it and brought it back down gently beside you.

"was it worth the one month of free car wash?" you spat through hiccups. jay stayed silent, confused.

"of course it probably was, that's what you do right?" the sight of your swollen and red face kept breaking his heart, he was still confused on what you were talking about but he'll let you talk.

this way he knew how he'd make things better.

"make me fall in love with you in exchange of a month's free of car wash.." you muttered, your eyes still boring on to his. at your words, it finally clicked. "..am i really worth just that much?" another sob.

right, he had forgotten to end the call when his 'friend' came barging into his apartment. you had probably heard all the nonsense the guy sputtered.. but surely you must've heard the way he defended your relationship and swore at that him too?

"i thought.. high school days were done jay. please just leave me alone now. you got what you want." jay shook his head, coming closer and pulling your body to his.

he wrapped his arms around you, his hand rubbing your back as you sobbed hard. he didn't try stopping you when he felt your weak punches that you threw at his chest, his own tears clouding his vision but he didn't dare make them fall.

"you got it all wrong, baby." he whispered, rubbing your nape as your face now rested against the crook of his neck. he ignored the wetness there. "i'm guessing you overheard the conversation with sungjae?"

you nodded, now calmer but not pulling away.

"did you also hear the way i told him to drop the stupid bet he kept insisting to happen? the way i kicked him out of my apartment?" you stayed silent, only sniffling as a response.

jay sighed, wrapping his arm around your waist tighter and pulling you closer.

"the whole campus knows sungjae's an asshole, baby. he was a jerk who thought that being a dick to others were entertaining, and i guess that's why i was like that back in high school.. i wanted to be accepted in their group."

"but we're in college now, i left that group but somehow sungjae's here and is pathetically still stuck in the past." he pulled your face from his neck, cupping your cheek and wiping away your tears.

"i've loved you since high school.. and there's no bet, baby. the moment he had found out i was dating you, he kept bringing up a bet about how long we would last.. but i always shut him out, told him to cut it out and that there will be no bet happening, especially if you're the one getting betted on."

new fresh tears come rolling down your cheek, this time they were tears of relief. glad to know that everything was real, that you weren't just a toy.

"you promise you'll cut him off starting now?" you whispered, looking at him with big glassy eyes.

"i've cut him since high school, y/n. it's him who's keep clinging to me. but i promise he won't be saying anything about the both of us anymore." jay pressed your foreheads together, pressing a soft peck on your lips.

"you will forever be the prettiest and the only one i'll ever love this much in this world, my baby."

★ SIM JAEYUN ( 0.5k wc )

jake watched you run away in confusion, staring at the laughing crowd and turning to look at your locker only to be met with the note he has been telling everyone to throw away.

he angrily took it from your locker, ripping the small paper into pieces. "how many times have i told you to cut this shit out? do you want me to report all of you for harassment and bullying?" he raised his voice at the crowd who had stopped their laughter.

"that's what i thought." he frowned, pushing past them and running after you.

jake knew what everyone was doing the moment it spread that he was dating you. he had received dms telling him he could do better and if he was merely toying with your feelings.

he had told them countless times to drop it, even going far as to almost punch the person who has created the bets if it wasn't for sunoo holding him back. he had hoped that it wouldn't reach you. it was another one of his reasons on why he always went to school earlier, just in case it was placed on your locker. unfortunately, you were earlier than him today.

it's not like he was tolerating it, he had tried countless times to report it but they'd only say it was probably only for fun and he shouldn't take jokes seriously.

but jokes were meant to be funny, right?

jake opened the door that lead to the rooftop slowly, peeking his head to look if you were there. to his luck, you were.

your back faced him while your bag was placed down carelessly beside your feet. jake approached slowly, not wanting to overwhelm you further.

"baby?" he mumbled loud enough for you to hear. you turned your head towards him, showing him your tear stained cheeks. "oh, y/n." he sighed and held your cheeks, wiping away the salty liquid off your precious face.

"jake.. why are you dating me, of all people?" you ask through tears, avoiding his eyes.

jake's eyes softened, he dated you because you were different from everyone who wanted to be like the everyone else, did that make sense? you were your own person, you didn't care about social status, wealth, his circle of friends, and whether someone was good looking or not. you were soft hearted, to the point that you had let others take advantage of that leading them to walking all over you.

and he hated that.

"why not you?" he said softly, tilting your chin up so that you could meet his eyes. "you're everything i've ever needed."

"you can tell the truth." you mutter, looking at jake. his mouth formed a pout, heart broken at the way you had so little love for yourself.

"i am telling the truth, baby." he whispers, taking your hands and placing them on his face before putting his own hands back on yours. "everything is a joke to them when i'm involved." you whisper, ignoring the way your voice broke.

"we don't care about what they think, they're all just jealous. everything we've been through and what i feel for you are real, no jokes." he smiled, pulling you closer to him.

"you promise?"

"baby i'd choose you over anyone in this world over and over again until the heavens above is tired of me."

★ PARK SUNGHOON (0.7k wc)

sunghoon frowned, confused and hurt. he wanted to fix whatever happened, so he took his phone from the couch and his car keys from the wooden bowl in his foyer.

it was when he was in the elevator that he noticed his phone was open. his breath hitched, finally knowing the reason for your departure and choice of words. sunghoon quickly left the group chat and started dialing your number.

it was true that you were a bet. were. he didn't even know why he agreed, maybe because he wanted so badly to fit in. he didn't want a repeat of middle school, so instead of being the bullied and made fun of, he was now the one doing those to others. he wasn't proud of it at the slightest.

that doesn't excuse his actions though. the longer he spent time with you, the deeper he fell. sunghoon never planned for you to find out this way, he already had a plan. first he had to get rid of his 'friends', tell you everything then ask you if you still wanted him to meet your parents.

guilt always ate him alive whenever you would stay over and sleep by his side. he couldn't bring himself to meet your family knowing he hasn't told you everything and the truth.

he felt like his heart would jump out of his chest as he stood infront of the door of your house. if he died tonight on the hands of either your father or older brother, he'd welcome death with open arms.

i deserve it.

he audibly gulped when the door opened, revealing.. you. the way your brows furrowed at the sight of him tightened his chest. he stopped you before you could even close the door on him.

"y/n please, let me explain everything.. o-okay?" the way his voice cracked and the unshed tears in his eyes almost made you give in, but upon remembering what you've read, the anger in you was back.

"explain what?" you spat, turning to look over your shoulder before back at him. "that all those months i've spent loving you," you pointed at him harshly. "was just for entertainment? tell me, what was in it for you, huh?"

sunghoon shook his head, the tears now flowing down his pale cheeks. "no, no! i promise, please i love you." he reached out but you stepped back, biting your lip as you held back the tears.

"just.. leave me alone sunghoon," he felt his heart crack even more. "you've had your fun, you can laugh about i all you want now." you were taken aback when he knelt infront of you, hugging your waist as he sobbed.

"what the-" sunghoon tightened his grip on you, muttering along the words of 'im sorry', 'never meant to be like this', and something along the lines of regretting something.

"sunghoon- oh my god." you groaned as you descended to face him. "please, i didn't mean to. i-" he hiccuped, "i'm sorry, i know it was stupid and there's no reason for me to accept the bet- but i just wanted to fit in. i wanted them to take me as a part of their circle- but, but i soon realized that it was stupid." he looked at you with swollen eyes, desperation swam in his dark irises.

"because i realized that hurting you isn't worth being a part of their asshole group. it started with a bet, i admit, but i truly love you, please believe me." a sob made its way out his throat as he clung into you, his arms circling your neck. "it wasn't a lie whenever i said i'd meet your parents, i was constantly trying to get rid of them first before i met your family, i didn't want to meet them until i've told you the complete truth."

your own tears descended down your cheeks, your heart hurting for yourself and sunghoon. you stayed on the floor wrapped around each other for a moment before you both helped each other up to your feet, he looked at you intensely with red bloodshot eyes. "i'm sorry, i understand if you don't want anything to do with me anymore."

"i understand hoon," you whispered, bringing your hands to cup his face. "but you have to understand too that i can't trust you fully right up again." he nodded, putting his own hands on yours as he kissed your palms.

"i know.. and i'll spent the rest of my life earning it again. i love you."

— ౨ৎ thank u for tuning in ! @j-jinxee @slp23 @unsurereader @heelovesmeknot @sunshine-skz @hoondrop @jooniesbears-blog @jordan1024 @heeswif3y @outroherrr @harufluff @cheeseball0 @yjwluver @woofie-nctzen-fanarts @itjengirl @emiliasstuffs-blog @isa942572 @lufcxx @alienqbrain @woniebae @baekxo07 @titttuaf @chuuswifereal @kyanmeai @isabellah29 @deezbin @skzenhalove @eneiyri @a4ruby @saxytalks @denleave1088 @imdelulu @powerpuffstuts @hoonatic @dollydigital @chososloverfr @dummyf @chanyeolchannie @oddracha @wonwushu @strawberrynull @ceciloveshee @loumin908 @cexg68 @grassbutneo @gardenwons @pag-yerin @bora04 @iluvnikism @jellymiki

— i couldn't tag those who's usernames aren't in bold :(

EYES DON'T LIE

ʬʬ prompt:where you were invited to your best friend's birthday party only to realize how jealous you'd get when seeing him with others girls,little did you know he felt the same way about you ✎wc:458 ✩⡱pairing:non-idol!bestfriend!jake X fem!reader ˳೫˚∗warnings: jealousy,fluff,kissing,confessing, mildly suggestive

╰┈➤song recommendation:Eyes don't lie-Isabel LaRosa ✩⡱

╰┈➤

As you watched Jake,your best friend for more than 5 years who was also coincidentally your crush for the past 6 months,effortlessly indulge in yet another conversation with a girl at the bar, a sigh escaped your lips Despite knowing it was his own party and you didn't have any excuse to limit him from talking to girls,a feeling of jealousy tugged at your heart strings.

hesitantly agreeing to come after Jake quite literally begged you, you found yourself tucked away in a corner, sipping your probably ninth drink of the night,while shooting daggers in his direction. Laughter and music filled the air, and while everyone was having a good time you weren't.

When another girl got a bit too comfy with Jake, you decided to escape to the peace the unoccupied pool outside provided. The summer breeze messed up your hair, and the alcohol in your system blurred your thoughts as you stared into the night sky.

✦⋆𓆩✧𓆪⋆✦

Suddenly, Jake showed up beside you, his presence bringing you both comfort and nervousness. "hey__" he murmured, his voice low while saying your name. "you seem a little distant. everything okay?"

You hesitated, caught off guard by the way he knew you so well "yeah, I'm fine," you replied, trying to sound nonchalant"I just needed to get some air I felt suffocated inside"you replied in an awkward tone

Jake leaned in closer, his eyes searching yours in way that made your heart beats race. "Are you sure?" he whispered, his breath warm against your freezing skin.

You swallowed a lump, feeling exposed under his gaze. "honestly, I'm just... feeling a little sick," your voice carrying uncertainty

A smirk tugged at the corners of Jake's lips as he leaned even closer, his lips touching your earlobe. "so you're not jealous,huh?" he murmured, his voice sending shivers down your spine you gasped and then quickly denied his allegations saying "what are you talking about jake?" . he said one thing "Eyes don't lie,baby"

Your breath hitched as Jake's words sent a jolt of electricity through you. Before you could respond, he closed the distance between you, his lips capturing yours in a heartwarming kiss. It felt like the world around you faded away, leaving only the burn of his touch and the pounding of your heart

✦⋆𓆩✧𓆪⋆✦

After you pulled away, both of you breathless he sighed and said"i was only talking to so many girls because I wanted to forget about you, we always promised ourselves to never date or catch feelings for eachother, because we believed it'll ruin our friendship"

you looked to your right to catch a glimpse of his face only to find out he was already staring at you

you took his hands in yours and layed them on your lap and with a comforting smile you told him "that's what i told my self too jaeyun, but love can't be hidden like any other emotion ,I've had a crush on you for as long ask i can remember and I always shrugged it off but I can't handle seeing you like this anymore" he then tightened his grip around your hands and replied with" do you wanna maybe be my girlfriend? " you quickly said"yes! omg of course jae" you then kissed him again but unlike the first kiss this one was hurried but still as meaningful as the first one

✦⋆𓆩✧𓆪⋆✦

you suddenly heard loud cheering and screams, only to realize your friends have been watching the whole thing from the start

˳೫˚∗

(note: this is my first time writing an actual fic so please go easy on me😭😭, I'll gladly take any constructive criticism of any kind just no hate💗)

this is all fiction and not meant to represent any mentioned idols as they are in real life

©lovelypham works 2024

( 심재윤 ) ★ LATE NIGHT DRIVE

. 𝐫é𝐬umé ❀ you don't like him, you always told yourself. but what makes the walls you build between you and him to crack?

𝓟airing , 𝒥ake x ℱame reader .☘︎ ݁˖ ( 1.7k ) ' ' ' fluff oneshot friends to lovers sligt angst? ‼ kissing unnecessary plot °｡

(𝓚im's 𝓝otez ./. ) thanks for reading my niki fic! I truly appreciated it❤️

[ ( reblogs + feedback is appriciated ) . ୨୧ . 𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔞𝔩𝔬𝔲𝔤𝔢]

A wave of relief washed over you as the final class of the day comes to an end. You couldn't wait to head back home, curl up in your cozy bed and watch "The Princess Diaries" again. Just as you about to call a cab, a loud honk from your side snapped you out of your thoughts. Curious, you turned to see who had been honking at you, and to your surprise, it was none other than your friend, Jake.

"Y/N! get in." he exclaimed, gesturing for you to get in the car. With a lighthearted chuckle, you obliged his request and hopped into the car. "Thanks my money-saver hero." you joked, grateful for his offer to give you a ride home. He chuckled at your comment. "Don't wanna let you waste your money when you have me."

A warm smile spread across your face as you realized how much of a life saver he was. Without him, your life must be difficult. Relieved, you brushed away those thoughts and turned your attention to the scenery outside, watching the world pass by through the car window.

"Jake." you called out, catching his attention. He kept his focus on the road but turned his head slightly in your direction.

"Yes, princess?" he replied.

"Don't take me home yet." you asserted. Before he could asked you 'why so sudden?', you quickly replied. "I want to go to the beach."

It took him seconds to process what you had just said, his eyes widening in surprise "You want to go... to the beach?" he repeated, even though the answer was obvious. "Yes." you confirmed.

"Why so sudden?" finally, the sentence came out of his mouth.

"Nothing. Just craving for the sea breeze." you replied.

"At this hour?" he looked at you, still not fully convinced. You nodded, like what you had just said was no sort of jokes. "Okay then, can't argue with you. But don't come crying to me when you feel cold and ask me to take off my jacket for you," he teased, his charming smile engraved on his face. Despite the initial desire to wipe that smile off his face, you couldn't help but be captive by it.

You always adore Jake's smile. You swear no one has the most beautiful smile than his. That's why you developed a crush on him the very first day of college. He seems to have that charming smile on his face, no matter if he's greeting someone, helping out, or even when others speak ill of him. You use to tell yourself that it was just a mere slight crush, but your feelings kept growing stronger. However, nowadays, you consider him just a friend. You love him, but only as a dear friend.

"Sorry for the bad news princess, but we have to make a quick stop at a gas station. My car's run out of oil." Jake said, waking you from your thoughts.

"Your car is sucks. You should buy a new one." you replied.

"Hey! Don't you dare talk bad about Layla. Besides, I don't want to buy a new car. No car is better than my Layla." He protested, clearly defensive about his beloved car.

"You named your car?" You asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah. My lovely Layla." he exclaimed, placing a tender kiss on the steering wheel.

You glad your feelings for him have long faded. You couldn't imagine being stuck with such a weirdo. "Gross." you said as you mockingly pretended to vomit.

Minutes passed by without none of you spoke, until you two finally arrived at the gas station. After refueling the car, Jake started the engine, ready to hit the road once more when suddenly, he halted. Confused, you were about to question him 'what happened' but before you could utter a word, he cut you off. "I suddenly craving for some snacks." he said with a sheepish smile, something you rarely seen on him. You hated to admit it but did you just find him cute?

"Okay..." you replied, still somewhat baffled. With a blink of an eye, Jake darted into the store, his speed leaving you surprised. "I'll be quick, promise!" he called out before disappearing inside.

. . . 🌺

"You promised to be quick." you stated with your arm crossed, as he get into the car. "Sorry princess, the store has many kind of snacks!! They all looked so delicious so i..."

You sighed in frustration and said, "It's okay. Just... you broke your promised." As you spoke, a pout began to form on your lips. You couldn't stand it when people didn’t keep their promises, no matter how small they were.

"Don't...! Pout!" Jake stated. He just broke a promised and now he's yelling at you? Sensing the swift in your mood, he quickly apologized. "S-sorry. I don't mean to yell at you it just some sort of reflexed."

"You're weird." you chuckled, unable to stay mad at his foolishness. He soon joined in your laughter, relieved to see you smile again.

"I got you something," he said, handing you an ice cream.

"OMG! Thanks! I thought you only got some for yourself." you exclaimed, genuinely surprised that he had bought ice cream for you too. "But how did you know my favorite flavor? I don't remember telling you what it was." you asked curiously.

He answered with a slight shrug, "Umm..nothing just thought the flavor taste good."

You resisted the urge to question him further, not wanting to ruin the mood. However it looked kinda suspicious. How on Earth did he know about your favorite flavor?

. . .🌺

"Wake up princess, we've arrived at your choosen destination." Jake voice rings on your ear, reminding you why the hell you want to go to the beach at this hour when you could be enjoying the comfort of your soft, warm bed right now! Regrets are pointless now that you had already reached the beach.

The coolness of the night wakes you up from sleepiness. You slowly opened your eyes and when you fully opened it, you were shocked to see the scenery in front of you. Without hesitation, you quickly removed your shoes and stockings, eager to experience the feeling of the sand against your bare feet.

"Jake!!!" you cried out, excitement lacing your voice. "Come here! It's real sand!! Actual sand!!".

This side of you was making Jake's heart flutter. He wish he could capture this moment and frame it in his head, but he knew that doing so, would simply remind him of the day he realized you had feelings for him. At that time, he was prepared to return those feelings, but things were just not meant to be. He blame himself for not realizing it sooner. He was a stupid to let you go when he had the chances.

"Jake!!"you called him again, noticing that he was passing out.

"Coming!!" he replied, waving at you as a sign that he heard you.

Soon, Jake finally joined you. The two of you thoroughly enjoyed yourselves playing on the beach, but all good things come to an end and soon enough, it was time to bring this playful hour to an end.

As you took a break by the shoreline, gazing out at the vast sea, you started speaking up. "You know," you began, "I've always dreamed of visiting the beach when I was younger. There's something calming about watching the waves softly crash against the shore."

"Umm, so that's why you begging me to take you to the beach when I can just rest at home right now?" he queried, a hint of playfulness in his tone. You didn't reply, allowing the tranquility and stillness of the moment to envelope you, enjoying the simplicity of the silent atmosphere.

After spending hours of running and playing at the beach, the sudden drowsiness start to get into you. Without a second thought, you leaned your head against Jake's shoulder, seeking out a momentary place to rest. The unexpected contact made him flinch in surprise. It feels weird but he didn't push you away. In fact, he secretly relished the sudden intimacy between you two.

"Princess," he called, gently waking you up, "It's time to head home."

You murmured in agreement, still slightly groggy from sleep. However, before you could stand up, he spoke up again.

"But wait," he said, a solemn expression on his face. Your curiosity piqued as you looked at him, wondering what was on his mind.

He took a deep breath and confessed, "I need to confess something. I don't care if you rejected it but I want you to know, that I like you Y/N. I've liked you ever since the first day at college. My heart has been drawn to you from the start, and when I found out that you had feelings for me, I was prepared to return your feelings as well."

"That day was one of the worst days of my life, filled with regret and self-blame. I should have confessed sooner, I should have realized it sooner... I was stupid Y/N. I was stupid." His voice trembled, filled with both regret and remorse.

" Sorry if this is too sudden. Just... pretend like you don't hear anything. I don't want to ruin our friendship because of thi-"

Before he finish his sentences, you suddenly leaned in and kissed him. Jake was startled at first, but he quickly responded to the kiss, his arms instinctively encircling your waist and pulling you closer. This was unexpected, and against everything you had promised yourself as you found yourself giving into the moment, letting your guard down and surrendering to the desires.

You pull away, taking a moment to catch your breath as you confess, "I like you too Jake. I like you since the first day of college. Even though you're such a weirdo, I will always been drawn to you. I like you."

Jake was overcome with happiness, both because he had finally confessed his feelings and also receiving your own confession in return. He couldn't help but smile as he opened his arms, inviting you for an embrace. "Come here."

You happily accepted his invitations as you hugged him back, "So, now.. what are we?" you asked with a curious expression.

"Everything you wanted us to be Princess. It's up to you."

© 2024, amorek1m 💌 perm tl . ღ @icyy-hoon @luvvknowle

a/n . . . this is supposed to be a scenario but it become muuuchh longer than i expected it to be😔 but hey, it come out pretty well (i guess?) thanks to my honey lily for giving me ideas for this fic. love for you🤍. As always, taglist are open for my upcoming fic! :)

SAFETY NET ⸺ SIM JAEYUN

genres! fluff, established relationship

word count! 371

playlist! safety net by Ariana Grande

Jake Sim was truly something, the man felt like a dream. You couldn’t quite put your finger on what had you falling so hard and so fast, though there were a myriad of reasons to fall in love with him.

He was the epitome of beauty and kindness, you were almost certain the heavens were created in his honor, he was everything good and pure in this world, an earth angel many would say.

His cherubic eyes sparkled with every smile and every laugh, the fluff of his chocolate brown hair, voice that dripped like honey from his beauteous lips only speaking the kindest of words, his lean body like an ancient sculpture of a Greek god, the protruding veins in his forearms that traveled through his backhands towards his lengthy slim fingers, but his charm went beyond the physical.

Jake was beautiful in the mind, his gray matter being one of his most admirable qualities, always remaining humble despite his immense success as an artist, his tenderhearted nature and virtuous spirit, his air of benignity and sense of social consciousness, his good-willed attitude, and his ability to be pristine in who he was as a person; perennial in staying true to himself.

He was your guardian angel, he had a way of providing you with exactly the kind of safety and security you needed, assuring you of your significance in his life without you ever needing to ask, his strong arms would wrap around you conciliating any trace of discontent.

Truth be told when you first met Jake you initially hadn’t been looking for love, content with your current path in life but one flash of his winsome smile now had you off track and you don’t know if you should fight or flight although after some time you found you didn’t mind, not when it was him at least.

You were falling hard and you were falling fast for Jake Sim with nothing to soften the descent, your love for him inexhaustible and it scared you, how out of control you were spiraling because of this man but unbeknownst to you Jake’s arms would always be your safety net, ready to catch you no matter when, where or how.

© 2023 hoonven, all rights reserved. i do not give permission to alter, repost, translate, or plagiarize my works on any platform.

TIRED OF LOVE SONGS ⸺ SIM JAEYUN

genres! fluff, 90s au, high school au, strangers to lovers

word count! 1173

warning! minor profanity

synopsis! in which jaeyun is tired of the universal notion of romance but one look in your eyes changes everything he once thought he was so sure of

august, 1995

Sim Jaeyun was tired of love songs, love letters, love poems, love confessions in the school hallways, love-themed novels and movies, that dreadful day reserved for celebrating love otherwise known as Valentine’s Day.

He was tired of always hearing his friends fawn over their significant others or crushes, his extended family members asking if he had a girlfriend yet at every family gathering, his parents constantly introducing him to “nice girls” his age at church, just about anything to do with love, in general, had the moody teenager rolling his eyes at the overrated notion.

That is until he met you, replaying that fateful moment in his head incessantly, that sweet smile you gave him as you asked if the seat next to him on the Ferris wheel was empty and the way he made a complete fool of himself by not uttering a single word instead his puppy-like eyes staring at you in incredulity, he had never seen anyone prettier.

Jaeyun swore he was dreaming, the bright yellow glow of the sun in the afternoon of a cool summer day adorning you in a soft lambency, and the way you laughed as you sat beside him sounded like a melody he could play on repeat all day, the floral scent of your perfume filling his lungs and he could feel flowers blooming inside his chest in a garden of your face.

The tingle in his hand as he shook yours for the first time while you introduced yourself, explaining that you were new to the city and looking to make some friends to which he instantly volunteered himself, and as if he couldn’t get any luckier it turned out you would be attending his high school come Monday morning.

Needless to say the weekend was over fairly quickly but for the first time in years Jaeyun didn’t mind, in fact he was looking forward to it. It seemed as though upon meeting you the boy had abandoned all ideology of romance being insufferable.

“My bad, man.” Sunghoon pats Jaeyun’s shoulder. “Didn’t mean to dip out at the fair but if it makes you feel any better I got her number.” His best friend offers a light apology in regards to ditching him for a random girl he immediately crushed on when spotting her in line for the Ferris wheel.

He wasn't sure how Sunghoon getting a girl’s number would apply to him, but he simply brushed it off. Besides, he had other things on his mind, specifically you.

Normally Jaeyun would be sulking and going off on a tangent about the triviality of crush culture but something else appeared to be preoccupying the chocolate-haired boy’s mind as he simply brushed off his friend with a brief nod and hum in agreement, his eyes never once halting from scanning the faces in the sea of students in search of yours.

This caused Sunghoon to raise an eyebrow in wonder at what could’ve possibly been eating away at his friend to the point he didn’t take an opportunity to shit on romance; something he was notoriously known for.

“Yo, you good?” Sunghoon questions.

Jaeyun is silent for a moment, not sure if he wants to confess, but Sunghoon is his best friend in the whole world, so he caves.

“I met this girl… and, uhh, I think I like her.”

Sunghoon blinks, “What?”

Jaeyun rolls his eyes with an exasperated sigh, “Dude, I have a crush on someone.”

The raven-haired boy’s eyes widen, mouth falling open in disbelief at the words that just came out of his friend’s mouth, unable to comprehend it, the Sim Jaeyun finally had a romantic interest in someone since his crush moved away in fifth grade. It had been so long that he almost forgot Jaeyun was capable of liking anyone in a non-platonic manner.

However, Sunghoon quickly recovered from the shock, not wanting to make a big deal about the situation knowing how sensitive his friend could be, “When you gonna ask her out?”

“Umm, never,” Jaeyun quips with an approving nod of his own self-sabotaging decision, resulting in Sunghoon to facepalm.

“Dude, no,” he says, “you’re trippin’ just chill out and stop overthinking.”

“God, I feel so stupid. I don’t know how you do this. It’s the first day of senior year, I should be worrying about graduation, not some girl-“

“Jaeyun!” The boy is suddenly interrupted by your call of his name causing both boys to turn their heads in your direction and he can’t help the way his heartbeat speeds up at the sight of you, especially when your calling his name and smiling like that.

“Is that her?”

“Yeah but could you do me a favor?”

“What’s up?”

“Go away.”

Sunghoon blinked, turning his attention to his two-timing friend, he couldn’t believe he was ditching him for a girl he’d just met after years of loyal brotherhood.

“Whatever bro,” Sunghoon gives in, wandering off to go find their third counterpart, Jay.

Weeks passed and meeting up in the hallway first thing in the morning became a routine for you and Jaeyun, soon after your friendship blossomed outside of school hours, hanging out every day after school and even on the weekends, calling each other as soon as you got home only to be up almost all night laughing and talking about anything and everything.

It was a late Saturday night when things finally started to take a turn for the better between you and Jaeyun, you two had practically spent the whole day together, waking up early to go get breakfast together at your local diner despite the fact it was the weekend meaning you could sleep in but you found you’d rather be in each others company, playing at the arcade for a few hours and then resting at the park where he bought you both ice cream and you sat on the bench people watching and now as he walked you home from your visit to the movie theater.

“I had fun today.” You smiled as you and Jaeyun stood on the porch of your house. “I always have fun with you.”

He chuckles nervously, scratching at the back of his neck and you find it endearing, “Yeah, me too. I really like spending time with you.”

Your heart flutters at his saccharine words, your cheeks spreading in a wide grin in spite of the aching from smiling all day, you nod, looking down at your shoes as if to end the conversation but it’s clear neither of you are quite ready to say your goodbyes.

Jaeyun’s eyes never leave your face, he never looked away when you smiled, wanting the sight forever etched into his mind.

Some powerful force in the cosmos must’ve possessed him that night because he finds himself unable to hold back anymore.

He gently places his index finger under your chin, tilting it up so your eyes meet, thumb softly caressing your jawline, his gaze warm and intense, “Can I kiss you?”

The moment you nod Jaeyun doesn’t waste a second, hands still gentle as he cups your cheeks, holding your face as if it were delicate porcelain before his soft lips press against yours, kissing you with tender passion.

Sim Jaeyun may have been tired of love songs but he could never be tired of you.

© 2023 hoonven, all rights reserved. i do not give permission to alter, repost, translate, or plagiarize my works on any platform.

CHERRY THEORY ⸺ SIM JAEYUN

genres! fluff, established relationship, based off the ‘olive theory’ on tiktok

word count! 388

warning! reader loves cherries

playlist! lovers rock by tv girl

synopsis! in which opposites attract

“Sorry,” you cut off Jake halfway through his story, “but are you gonna eat that?” You ask, pointing to the single cherry that was left uneaten in his ice cream bowl, the red fruit sinking into the leftover melting cream.

“Nah, I don’t really like Cherry,” he scrunches his nose in distaste with a shake of his head.

You pluck the crimson orb from his bowl by its green stem and plop it into your mouth, “I love Cherry.”

Jake leans back in his chair, chuckling as he watches you with a tender smile, your elbows propped on the table, chin resting in the palms of your hands, waiting for him to continue telling you one of his childhood anecdotes.

The moment would look like a scene from a rom-com to any passerby in the rectangular picture-framed window of the ice cream parlor, you and him sitting across from each other, gazing lovingly into one another’s eyes with soft smiles, “Lovers Rock” by TV Girl playing lowly through the speakers, it was a simple ice cream date and yet there was nothing more endearing in the world.

You love cherries, while Jake hates them, which makes the relationship a “perfect balance” thus validating your’s and Jake’s compatibility, an opposites attract kind of love.

The ancient Greeks believed humans were originally created with four arms, four legs, and two faces but Zeus feared their power and ordered his son Apollo to split them into two, condemning them to search for their other half for the rest of their lives, Jake was your other half and you were his, you completed each other like the tellings of the mythology.

“I love you,” Jake finds himself confessing, and although it's the first time he's saying it, he's not nervous like he thought he'd be when replaying this scenario in his head over and over again, constantly obsessing about the outcome, he doesn't anticipate your response like he imagined he would, worrying that you may not feel the same way, because in this moment he realizes what it truly means to love someone, he couldn't care less about his feelings right now, the only thing that mattered to him was for you to know he loved you truly and wholeheartedly.

Your lips curl into a wider grin, “I love you too, Jake.”

© 2023 hoonven, all rights reserved. i do not give permission to alter, repost, translate, or plagiarize my works on any platform.