‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ YOU HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER, LET’S SEE WHAT’S INSIDE! ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

day 179

Acouasm

Acouasm (n.) a ringing noise in your head

Synopsis: When your relationship with Kim Taehyung goes public, a walk down the red carpet turns south when you are attacked.

Notes: I had so much to write in this fic but it ended up being sub par and I wanna release it on V’s birthday, so I’ll probably work on another one similar to this situation. I even had another draft but I thought it was too gorey and violent 🥲 Anyways HAPPY BIRTHDAY V! Enjoy reading and thank you so much for liking my past oneshot Saudade.

Word Count: 11.9k

Your relationship with BTS’ Kim Taehyung had a long story.

You came from the same highschool and had been acquainted before, though you hadn’t interacted apart from a few glances in the halls. He was a few years older than you and Korean Arts High School was populated with soon to be popular faces, so you didn’t expect him to remember much about you. However, that didn’t stop you from having a massive crush on him as he seemed to be way different from his fellow BigHit trainee, Jimin.

Taehyung was more reserved and usually kept to a close knit of friends during school hours, though everyone seemed to know him and he knew everyone. He didn’t have any official relationships with anyone during highschool, yet it wasn’t like he was coined a loser. He was oh so much your type, though your crush on him didn’t last long after he graduated.

You knew he debuted in a boy group with his friend Jimin, and that was as far as you knew about his whereabouts. You didn’t have time to worry about him when you were already facing some difficulties in your own life at that time.

You were picked up by a more trustable agency in your third year of highschool. They were adamant on debuting a girl group and you were determined to be a part of that, so you trained harder than you have ever trained, worked harder than you’ve ever worked, and you finally got your pay off when you debuted three years after.

It was 2017 and your debut went smoothly. You weren’t an instant flop, though you weren’t an instant pop either. However, with enough work in producing three albums for your first year, you managed to come through and win the Mama 2017 Best New Artist Award.

Winning an award and enjoying your time performing songs and watching the other idol groups perform in the 2017 Mnet Asian Music Awards also meant that you would make a few new friends during the event. Your group had to switch seats often during the first half, so you had a lot of interactions with other groups. Coincidentally, landing seats right in front of a particularly cheery idol group for the rest of the night.

“Bangtan Sonyeondan! Congratulations!” The woman speaks onto the microphone as the group of boys behind you cheered and gathered into a group hug before they all started making their way out to the stage, and a specific pair of bright eyes catches yours as he passes by. Kim Taehyung.

You didn’t hold back a smile when you realized it was his group who had won a daesang. You clapped your hands even louder to congratulate him as he bows to you and your group and fixes his blonde hair that was held back by a cloth headband.

Later that night when a message from him surprised you. It turns out a director had forwarded your KakaoTalk to him after he asked, and he had made the time to message you despite the fact that they should be celebrating after their win by now.

A few messages at night had turned into friendly calls when no one was around. It was damn obvious that he was interested in you and you couldn’t say that your highschool crush on him had gone away after all these years. He was charming and he understood the struggles of being an idol.

When you and your bandmates would fight then he would drop anything to message or call you to listen to you vent. When he was having a particularly rough time with his schedules, he made sure that you would know and yet still made time to check up on you. Both of you would even be preparing for a comeback at the same time, and yet both of you supported each other through all of it. He was a rock you could lean on and you were an ear for him to rant to.

Soon after, you started hanging out with each other in your free time. It wasn’t a date or anything of the sorts. He just so happens to want to buy something when you would go on errands. He would joke that a popular idol like you shouldn’t be grocery shopping alone despite the fact that he was in fact more popular than you, though you never held jealousy over that fact. You were actually proud of him and his group after you learned of their earlier hardships, and you were even prouder when he would vent to you about their contract problems early 2018.

You two would try new coffee spots together and even watch the new Marvel movies together. Taehyung was certain that Doctor Strange was his favorite Marvel superhero because of his amazing cape, and didn’t hide that fact when he went on an interview in LA that asked him about it. You two even commented on each other’s interviews from time to time since you were both learning English and you two found it helpful to learn from each other.

And don’t start about how you couldn’t take your eyes off of him during Mama 2018, not when you two were on a call the night before he got his hair colored and you sent him a picture of the brightest pink you could see on Google to dare him into changing his hair that same hue. It was a funny joke, yet he called you the night after with the same hue on his hair. You would watch the American movie Trolls together through the call that night and his nickname on KakaoTalk would be changed for the very first time to ‘Poppy Imposter’ alluding to the pink haired Troll in the movie.

After a year of steadily getting closer and calling each other friends, he finally confessed to you. You knew he liked you and he knew that you knew he liked you, yet it still seemed like your heart was palpitating out of your chest. He didn’t kiss you. He simply stated a fact and said that he wanted to court you, and God did you fall for him even harder.

When he asked you out on a first date, he also asked for your parents’ permission. He made sure to make it known that he was serious about you and you were sure that this man couldn’t do anything more to make you fall for him more.

He was such a romantic. He made sure everything was done how it should be. He made sure to pick you up for your date with a bouquet of flowers for you and your mother. He made sure to greet your parents by the front door. He assured your father that he would keep you safe and take you home by your curfew. Despite the fact that you were a full-grown adult and had your own apartment to go home to. He opened the door of his car for you and he pulled the chair of the fancy restaurant for you. He was a true gentleman, and it didn’t take more than five months for you to answer him.

Both your companies knew of your affairs. Taehyung wasn’t exactly quiet about you and you can’t say no to him when he would ask you to go on a late night walk with him whenever you were in the same city. Your companies would help payout any media networks that saw you two in your public dates, though that didn’t stop other idols from gossiping about your relationship. It was getting harder for them to contain you two especially when he went on longer promotion stints outside Korea, and your appearance near his apartment anytime BTS arrived in Korea didn’t go unnoticed. You were two lovers deeply in love, and it got worse during Mama 2019.

“You’re up in ten minutes ladies!” A stage director yells to the hallway over the chaos of staff around us. You and your group were about to enter the dark backstage to prepare for the penultimate performance of the evening, right before BTS.

You had seen your boyfriend and his group leave the artist area earlier, though it seemed like they weren’t going to the waiting rooms directly. You just hoped he could watch your performance on his phone. Despite already seeing each other’s performances during rehearsals.

“Wait! Don’t go up yet! The backstage is still not ready!” Another staff member yelled as an older member tried to make a move to get inside the backstage.

You sigh as the crowded and loud surroundings begin to make you nervous. You could feel sweat gathering on your forehead as a makeup artist tried to dry it down. How long were they going to announce the awards?

The makeup artist by your side leaves to fix up your other members and you take the opportunity to find something in the hallway to keep your attention on. The more you could distract yourself from the chaotic environment the better, so you looked down both sides of the hallway and watched props and staff pass by.

There in the busy and harshly lit hallway was your messy haired boyfriend with a bright red cardigan, that he specifically wore for you to notice him in the crowd of idols, push past the crowd to look for you. His bandmates seemed to get inside their own waiting room to prepare whilst Jimin and Jungkook waited by the door to watch him find his way to you. His overgrown and curled hair was doing nothing to help him find you, though once his eyes met yours at the end of the hallway, you could feel a smile creep onto your cheeks.

“Hey!” Taehyung greets as he walks a few more steps to stand in front of you. He brushes his hair aside and shows you his warm brown eyes, void of any colored contact lenses. His smile was bright as you notice sweat on his forehead.

“Good luck out there. You’re going to kill it, I swear.” Taehyung cheers as you smile at him and nod. He reaches to hold both your hands as you only realize that they were shaking when his gentle and steady ones encapsulates them.

“I should be the one calming you down. You have five songs to do!” You say with a chuckle as he chuckles with you and brings your hands to kiss its knuckles. His lips hover a little longer over your left ring finger, though you don’t notice.

“I perform five songs, but I’m not the popular worldstar that South Korea votes as number one on the most beautiful female artists.” Taehyung says with a shrug as a more boisterous laugh comes out of you.

“Okay, and you talk as if you aren’t internationally known for a handsome face.” You throw back as Taehyung rolls his eye and lets go of one of your hands to throw his hair out his face and show you one nasty pimple that had been growing on his forehead. He had actually been pulling back his dermatologist and facial appointment, so that he could do both of them with you. He wanted to keep your dates ‘unique’ he says.

“Don’t show that around here Tae! You’re going to get exposed!” You scolded as he laughed and shook his head to glance at the even more incriminating position you both were in. Closely standing next to each other with your hands held together and both your eyes shimmering with that profound love. If someone was to take a picture to expose you two then could they send it to him too because he wants to take this moment and make it his phone’s lock screen.

“Taehyung! You have to get ready!”

“Y/N! We can enter the backstage already!”

Both your bandmates say at the same time, though neither of your eyes fall to look away from each other.

“I love you. Be careful in performing and don’t be nervous. You’re amazing and always will be.” Taehyung says as his soft hands grab hold of your jaw to direct your lips to his. The kiss was soft and ended quickly, though the energy and ease it gave you was a pill that made you feel like you could do everything you put your mind to.

“I love you too. Be careful in your performance too. I know you’ll do great already. I might miss the first part of it though, since they won’t let us out immediately after.” You pouted as Taehyung chuckled and pecked a kiss on your forehead whilst rubbing your shoulder to assure you that he didn’t mind.

“I can’t even watch yours live. I have to watch it in the waiting room, but I’ll make sure to cheer for you just as much. We’ll watch the replay later on the TV anyways. My place and some good takeout?” Taehyung proposes as you were always welcome to a night at his place.

“We’ll see if you aren’t blackout drunk from the celebrations.” You chuckled as you were slowly inching away from your lover. You can hear your leader call out to you multiple times already and your manager was coming down the hall, so you really had to close this off.

Thankfully, Taehyung only laughed and let you go. He even waved to you as you disappeared backstage. He wasn’t going to get drunk tonight, perhaps tipsy, but he would much rather remember a night with you than drink. He wasn’t much of an alcohol fan anyways. A glass of wine with you seemed much more his taste.

And that was what ended up happening. The two of you sprawled out on his sofa at six in the morning. Takeout food littered the coffee table along with glasses of wine and a replay of your MMA performances.

After the event, the two of you parted ways to go to separate afterparties for a few hours before you both excused yourselves and got to Taehyung’s apartment. You two had laughed over some funny playbacks that you missed during the event, and you celebrated on your own two ways.

Taehyung had brought you out to his balcony when he saw the sun rising. He felt like a true winner as he watched you bury yourself in his hoodie under a thick blanket on his balcony’s couch. The silence engulfing you two as sleep ate away at your high. Events like the Mnet Asian Music Awards and Melon Music Awards always had your sleeping schedules messed up, though he didn’t mind. How could he mind when the award shows were the reason why he had seen your beauty in the first place.

He thinks that even if you weren’t there in MAMA 2017 then he would have still fallen in love with you some other way. He believes that in different dimensions he still finds a way to find you and love you. He always will, and there was no universe out there that Kim Taehyung existed without you.

“Hey… look at me.” Taehyung breaks the silence as you turn to face him. The sky was only beginning to get lighter, though you were both still enclosed in darkness and the warm lights he had around his balcony.

“I would have never thought that the sophomore I saw in the hallways during break would have me wrapped around their finger in five years time. I would have never thought that the all-rounder of the girl group who won best new artist in MAMA 2017 would have me asking multiple staff members for her number. But what I now know is that I love this sophomore and I love this all-rounder. I love you. I love you so much, and I know for a fact that there is no one else I could love this much. Kim Taehyung in other realities always falls in love with Y/L/N Y/N and I don’t need to be Doctor Strange to know that. So…” Taehyung pauses as he stands up and grabs a box from his sweatpant’s pocket.

You were staring at him in shock and awe as you processed his words whilst trying to process his movements. You two were too young to get married. He knew that and you two had jokingly discussed that, so what the hell was he doing?!

“I’m not proposing. Don’t worry.” Taehyung chuckles as he bends both his knees to crouch on the floor and presents you with a cream box. He opens it to reveal two gorgeous Bvlgari Couple Rings. Both were of the color silver, though one was littered with gems and the other was plain.

Taehyung places the box on the table in front of the couch as he takes the ring littered with gems and softly reaches for your hand just like earlier. He takes your left hand and kisses the knuckle right above your ring finger as he looks up at you with doe eyes. The sun’s rays appeared higher up the horizon now and its soft hues colored his face perfectly.

“I want you to take this promise ring because with this you hold the promise of my heart forever loving yours. All my beauty and imperfections. My tight schedule and long rants. My overly romantic and cringey actions and my eyes that look for you in every crowd.” Taehyung says and a stinging sensation catches up to your eye.

“It will also keep your finger warm until the time I propose to you and marry you, so… will you—“ Taehyung’s slight joking and following question was cut off by your voice cracking. He looked back up to you after eyeing your bare finger and you had tears in your eyes. His eyes immediately fogging as it copies yours.

“Yes. Yes, Tae.” You nod your head to help rid your eyes of tears as Taehyung slips the silver ring through your ring finger and a happy tear slides down his cheek.

“And you, Taehyung. I want you to keep this promise ring until the time I marry you because God knows I’ll save up for a really expensive ring.” You joke as Taehyung laughs boisterously. You reach out for his left hand and take the remaining silver ring.

“I love you so much, baby. I’ve always loved you.” You say as you slid the ring through his fingers and something in your heart locks with security. It was as if life was completed with a simple ring even if it was just a promise ring.

You two had tear stains on your cheeks from happiness and Taehyung immediately stood up, farring you along with him, and brought you in for a deep and passionate kiss on the lips. His lips soft against yours as it held so much love for one another.

When you two parted you simply rested each other’s foreheads against one another as the sun fully rose from slumber. The sun’s light encapsulates the two of you in its beauty and peace. If only someone could take a picture of this moment right now…

Everything changed after these leaks. Both your management team had reached the agreement to put some space between the two of you to avoid any more evidence that could support the strong claim of your relationship. This meant lesser visits to Taehyung’s compromised apartment and lesser events where your group and BTS could have any interactions.

You barely saw Taehyung now and it felt like you had been thrusted back in time to when you were both getting to know each other and only calling and texting each other at night. Back then it felt like the right amount of time to spend with him, but now it felt too little. You missed him and not being able to see each other for months even when you were both in the same city hurts. You felt so close, yet so far.

BTS had also started growing internationally and Taehyung was spending more time abroad. Especially with their Map of The Soul world tour. You had your world tour too, but you two always made the effort to see each other once a month at most. Now, you barely saw each other in three months.

You didn’t understand why they needed you two to be separated after the rumors. There were always rumors in the Kpop world and they had always managed to payout news outlets, so why this ridiculous rule now? It was making you more and more frustrated by each meeting that you asked them to stop.

It all came to a breaking point in late September 2020. It had been ten months and the BTS world tour had ended in September, yet Taehyung and you hadn’t even seen each other since the summer. You were sick and tired of it and your latest comeback failing to reach the charts had stressed you out immensely.

“You know the question I’m about to ask.” You said coldly as your management team didn’t spare you a glance. Your general meeting had ended and though the other members and staff were still in the same room you didn’t stop yourself from speaking your mind.

“And you know what the answer is to it always.” Your lead manager says as you close your eyes to stop any tears from falling down your cheeks.

You were exhausted. You were exhausted from not making it to the charts and feeling as though all your hard work had turned out to be a failure, and you knew that perhaps a small break to be with Taehyung could fix you up nicely. A cuddle and a kiss could boot you right up to start producing and writing songs again. His touch could ease all your sore muscles and his voice humming songs to you could free your ears from the annoying buzz in your ear. A buzz that you think came from the amount of time you spent sampling beats in the studio, and then listening to the same beats during dance practice. Your head was a mess and you could only hear music through a broken filter.

“It’s been ten months…” You say quietly, though the founder of the company abruptly stands up and slaps his hand on the table.

“We can’t risk it!” He sounded angry as his loud voice shushes everyone.

“All of you! We can’t risk it, and you better listen before I put all of you on a dating ban!” He threatens as collective anger boils between all of you girls. You knew that each and every one of you had committed relationships, so there was no way in any universe would you agree to a dating ban.

“What the hell?! You can’t do that so abruptly! What’s really going on? Why is everyone so tense?!” Your leader speaks up as all staff members quiet down and the room is filled with silence. The clock on the wall could be heard ticking and if you really listened in, you would hear your own patience decreasing with each click.

“We’re nearing bankruptcy, okay?! Your album flopped, we’re losing sponsors, and I can’t afford paying out the media for your issue, okay?!” Your boss snaps as he seems to be on the verge of breaking down.

All your group members were at the same amount of shock as you were, though every

“How much time do we have?” Your leader asks as your boss breathes in a heavy sigh.

“6 months at most. We’re reducing staff and we can push for one more studio album. If it doesn’t chart then we’re done. I’m sorry.”

You left the meeting that evening with tears in your eyes and your head feeling agitated. How could they keep this very important news from you and the girls?! This was your job and your future. You had the right to know what was internally happening. Now, all of you had to give your best for the new comeback or else you would be left jobless.

This fury of emotions in you was getting overwhelming and as soon as you arrived in your apartment you called Taehyung for some comfort. Perhaps you could even see each other tonight. A good takeout dinner and a few kisses and cuddles could fix you right up for the new comeback.

“Hey babe, I’m at a shoot right now.” Taehyung answers the phone as you nodded and mentally noted that he would probably be called to hang up on you at any moment.

“Hey…What time do you end?” You asked meekly before you cleared your throat and leaned on your kitchen counter with a glass of water on your other hand.

“Ten or eleven. Why?” Taehyung seemed to be moving on the other side as you sigh. Late dinner would be fine, as long as you were with him, right?

“I was wondering if we could have some dinner at either of our places. I’ve had a bad day and I miss you.” You say truthfully as you closed your eyes and hold the tears that want to push past your eyelids.

“I’m sorry to hear that baby, but I don’t think it would be good for us to see each other right now. Management—“

“Please Tae. I need you.” You interrupted him as a sob coursed through your throat. You felt pathetic for asking for your boyfriend’s attention when you knew how busy the industry is during this time of the year, but you just heard your dreams are in danger and you needed someone you could vent to.

“Baby… I think it would be better if we follow our mana—“

“God! Do you not want to see me?!” This unexpected rage filled you as you began to see red behind the tears that dripped down your cheeks. Your apartment felt too hot. The heat made you agitated. You wanted one thing and the world couldn’t even give you that.

“You know it’s not like that.” Taehyung’s small voice sounded hurt from behind the phone’s speaker, but it enraged you more knowing your hurt was hurting him. You couldn’t do one thing right, couldn’t you? No. How dare he act hurt when you doubt he even fights for you in their meetings. It was always you asking to see him and he would remind you of both your management team’s warnings.

“Really?! Because I’m starting to think that you don’t even want to see me anymore. We haven’t even seen each other since summer! God knows where you’ve been during your tours.” Your last statement was uncalled for. You knew that. Your anger shouldn’t start accusations especially when you know that the man on the other side of the phone was deeply in love with you, but rage makes you do unexplainable things.

You were angry at everything and everyone, and the words that spilled out of your mouth had no further value but the vile that it carries. Taehyung knew that, but he was in the middle of his fifth shoot of the week. He was trying to be as patient as he could be with you, but a nerve had been touched when you questioned his loyalty. How could you question his loyalty when he has done everything in his power to show you how much he was in love with you? He had asked countless times when he could see you, but rejection was always the answer of his managers.

He hated this year just as much as he hated himself for bringing you out to the balcony that night. Not because he regretted giving you his promise ring, but because he wasn’t thinking properly. He should’ve known that neighboring people could see him with you. He should’ve thought about it clearer. He shouldn’t have placed you in that vulnerable situation, and that idea manifested itself to why he was so willing to follow the rules of his managers. He didn’t want to put you in that place again. He didn’t want both your names to go under fire on Twitter again.

“I don’t want to fight with you right now.” Taehyung says dejectedly as the glass on your hand slips to land on the floor. The sound of the glass shattering on the floor and the water spilling on tiles reached Taehyung’s ears as a shock filled him.

“Baby?! What was that sound? Are you okay?” Taehyung sits up straighter from where he was seated in the waiting room with the rest of his band members. All their eyes went to him as he looked panicked whilst on his phone call.

“Yeah, just a glass of water. I’ll talk to you later, V.” Your voice was monotone and the usage of his stage name had caused a frown to rest on Taehyung’s face. It felt strange. It felt as though you were placing a barrier between you and him when you used his stage name. The same barrier an idol had with their fans, but your relationship wasn’t like that. You were the love of his life and the keeper of his promise. Getting called his stage name by you felt cold.

Taehyung turns his phone off after you hang up on him and he leans back on the sofa he sat on. Yoongi sat asleep on his right whilst Jungkook was nearing sleep on his left, though Jimin sat across the room on another sofa with his eyebrow furrowed as if asking the younger for what that was about. However, Jimin was beaten to ask Taehyung about his call as Namjoon pipes in from sitting beside Jimin.

“What was that about?” Namjoon asks as Taehyung sighs. He didn’t want to answer, but now five pairs of eyes were on him and the ears of their makeup artists were pressuring him to answer with something.

“You already know.” Taehyung says in a low voice, though his hyungs nod in understanding.

“I don’t get why you don’t just go see her. You know, I break Sejin’s rules all the time.” Jimin says as he earns a warning shove from Namjoon and a laugh from Hoseok. They all eventually break Sejin’s rules and Taehyung himself even broke his rules earlier into courting you, but he shouldn’t risk it now. Not when your names were out there and any signs that you were dating would be taken as the truth.

“We’ll help you sneak out later, Taehyung ah.” Jin offers as he flashes the younger a playful grin and a wink from his seat in front of the mirror surrounded by makeup artists.

“Sejin will pay you out of everything.”

“You have to be careful though. Our company could buy you out, but hers might not have the funds for it.” Hoseok pipes in as his sudden negative input has everyone turning to him with questioning looks.

“Don’t you guys look at their stocks? It’s been getting lower since last year. It might be the reason why you weren’t protected from the balcony incident.” Hoseok says as he flashes the boys his screen that is filled with stocks.

“No, the balcony incident was because the people who caught us immediately posted it without the help of media outlets. Our management can only protect us to an extent.” Taehyung now speaks as he shakes his head and massages his forehead. They all knew that. If fans capture them then it would pose a larger threat because they were willing to release any media without sending an email and deal to companies.

But what Taehyung did take note from what his hyung said was how your company’s stocks were lowering. You never told him that problem so he thinks it isn’t a major problem, though if his hyung knew about it then the changes must be drastic.

And they were drastic. After you hang up on Taehyung, you have turned your tears into a driving power to get working on some lyrics in your notebook. You didn’t even realize the amount of time that had passed as you spent it hunched over the coffee table writing away. The glass shards still littered the tiles of the kitchen and your mascara still darkened your eyes.

It was already one in the morning and Taehyung carefully got into your apartment building as both his hands held your favorite takeout paper bags with drinks. The boys had in fact helped him sneak out of the dorm that night, and it took him a few minutes and taxi rides to finally get everything he wanted to buy for the night.

He was going to apologize tonight. He was going to tell you the truth of everything on his mind and he would listen to everything you had to say. He wanted to make things right and it starts with giving you a kiss as soon as he enters the door.

The knock from your apartment’s door was the first sound you’d heard in the past few hours. It brought you to consciousness from your endless writing, and when you looked down to see your work everything was only an incomprehensible mess. Dried tear stains littered the pages and the callus on your finger grew thicker from friction.

You pushed yourself up from your spot on the carpet and walked carefully towards your front door. Another soft knock followed after some silence and you wanted to tell the person on the other side that you were coming, though your throat was raw from lack of usage.

“Hey baby.” Taehyung’s figure greets you as you open the door. His freshly trimmed dark hair covered his forehead as his mask was discarded under his chin. His figure was engulfed in a black jacket with its hood unused. A soft smile played on his lips, though it fell as soon as he saw your figure. The smile instead was replaced with a look of worry as you can only imagine what state you looked like.

“I— I’m so sorry I didn’t come any sooner…” Taehyung immediately sets down the paper bags of food by the doorway before approaching you to engulf in a big warm hug. The hug that you had wished for earlier, and finally your emotions were put to ease.

The little droplets of rain left on his jacket and his steady heartbeat got rid of every pain and anger you had in your body and you finally let your eyes close as you hugged him back. His breath on top of your head slowly brings you back to the love and warmth you always knew would come to you.

“Tae, my— my company…”

You both had let everything out through dinner. In the early hours of the day, you both cried and laughed. You catched up with the happenings of each other's lives and you forgave each other.

“You know what would be great right now?” You spoke as Taehyung looked up to you from his place on your lap. His head rested on the valley of your thighs as his Hwarang drama played on the TV in your living room. His eyes bright and a soft smile permanently plastered to his lips.

“What?”

“A cone of ice cream.” You say as you watch his eyes brighten at the idea. So what if he just got his teeth cleaned and they were sensitive to cold food? If you wanted ice cream then he wants it too.

“What are we waiting for? Let’s get some ice cream!” He says as he sits up and turns off the TV.

“Tae, we can’t go out.” You remind him though the brow he raises and smug look on his face just makes a smile break your lips.

“I don’t care. No payouts, no worries. If they know then they’ll know. I’ll get my girl her ice cream!”

You giggle as Taehyung goes into your bedroom and comes out with a large black puffer jacket, a pair of warm socks, and a scarf. He ordered you to stand up as he wrapped the warm jacket over your figure and wrapped your neck up with a scarf. He pulls out a wet wipe to gently wipe your face with any dried tears or mascara before he pulls you towards the front door.

He doesn’t even let you crouch down to tie your own shoes or put your own socks on because he does it for you before he does his own. And soon you were already walking out your apartment building with his hand playing with yours.

You ended up grabbing a cone of your favorite ice cream from an ice cream place that was open 24/7. It was roughly a fifteen minute walk from your place and when he sensed your pace slowing, he took a detour and took you to a riverside road that had benches looking out onto the river.

Light bulbs tied into strings hung from trees and the gentle flow of the river made the place serene. You two sat on a bench and ate your ice cream by the river as silence engulfed you two. A comforting peace hugging you tightly as time seemed nonexistent when you were with him. You leaned your head on his shoulder and basked in the moment. A buzz of restlessness ringing in your ear, though it didn’t matter whenever he was near.

If someone took a picture of you now then you wouldn’t care anymore. As long as you were with him then you would be fine.

Everyone was convinced that the two of you were dating and ever since then you were a bit more shameless to post pictures on your instagram with a few too many similarities to deny that you two weren’t in the same place at the same time.

With the news of your unconfirmed relationship reaching new lengths with more leaked content, you two became somewhat old news. Everyone knew there was something undeniable between you two, though nothing had been confirmed. Your two companies stayed out of it after their first statement that only clarified that both of you weren’t engaged, though it also said that your companies had no rights in your personal engagements.

A month after, your latest comeback had been released and it was a massive pop. It had landed the charts and stayed on the Top 5 even with rising competition and BTS’s unstoppable Dynamite single. And Maybe, just maybe, it could save your company’s decline.

The end of November was the season of awardings and your latest comeback just manages to squeeze into the eligibility period of the criteria. Which meant your hit comeback had actually landed you multiple nominations, and perhaps your first ever Daesang? If that was possible against BTS’s unstoppable year.

It felt as though your struggles through the year were getting set to rest, and whatever happens now was up to the world’s hands.

Arriving in the 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards felt like a reward. You could finally relax and enjoy the event of your year’s work. In these events you would always remember how it changed your life by letting you and Taehyung meet gazes. How it made you meet your closest friends and interact with fans from different fandoms. It was a celebration whether you left as a winner or not.

Taehyung took his first step out to walk the red carpet as cameras flash all around him. The crowd of fans behind the media outlets raised their phone cameras as cheers roared. His bandmates smiled and waved as they took a spot right in front of the banner backdrop.

They were missing Yoongi that night. The rapper was absent to recover from his long due shoulder surgery that he got in an accident years ago. This small change in their usual order had all the staff and management team on edge. They already had to relearn their choreography and positions for the performance tonight, and the staff were busy all week to find ways on how they would spend Yoongi’s rap parts of the song without him, so it was an understatement to say that everyone was a little tired and on edge for tonight.

The six remaining members all arranged themselves into their familiar order, with Taehyung leading the line and leaving a space for Yoongi before Jin, Jungkook, Namjoon, Jimin, and Hoseok followed in order.

They all stopped at the first spot where semi-popular outlets took pictures of them and their different colored suits. They all had a mix of muted navy, white, and some accents of maroon, a color scheme that stood out from the classic black suit. Taehyung wore navy trousers and a matching suit jacket whilst his undershirt was a satin white. His suit jacket was buttoned up to his chest and had a maroon colored handkerchief in its pocket.

After a few seconds, a director had signed for Taehyung to continue walking along the carpet as the boy group Seventeen, that was ahead of them in the queue, moved towards the part of the carpet where the event hosts would interview them.

Taehyung glanced behind him to make sure his bandmates were following him as he moved further up the queue. They stopped once again with their line still intact and they posed for the more known media outlets.

At the same time, their junior’s Tomorrow X Together arrived and followed them in the queue by taking their previous spot. Their hoobaes dressed in fitting black suits as they arranged themselves in a line and posed for the cameras. The crowd also cheered for them, before they reverted their attention to the short interview held on the members of Seventeen.

Another cue of a director made Taehyung turn to watch the Seventeen walk inside the building. He waited patiently for all members to enter before he followed to occupy the spot they had left. The host, Song Joong Ki, greeted the members as Taehyung was handed two microphones that he passed to his bandmates. He would let his hyung’s take care of the interview answers, though he still smiled to the cameras that flashed and broadcasted the carpet.

“Welcome! Bangtan Sonyeondan!” Song Joong Ki announces as classic questions fall from his lips, though he has lost all of Taehyung’s attention when he saw you enter to lead your group on the queue of the carpet.

Your body clad in a white angelic like satin material dress. It had thick bows as spaghetti straps on your shoulders, though it kept the skin of your collarbone and shoulders exposed. It hugged your torso tightly almost like a corset before it loosened below your waists and made you seem like a doll. Hemline details on your skirt had separated the silky fabric of the bodice and majority of the skirt to the more flowy and scrunched material that gave your dress an airy aura. Your white heels polished to shine as bright as the cameras, and your angel-like makeup made Taehyung feel like he was actually seeing an angel.

He didn’t care if people saw how his mouth stood agape and how his gaze stayed on you for a moment too long. It was the only appropriate reaction to your outfit. Your bandmates also had varying white dresses on, yet you seemed like the star of the show. A true beauty that he was blessed to witness in his lifetime.

“Taehyung ah, stop staring at your girlfriend and move.” Jin had whispered to Taehyung. The space for Yoongi in between them had disappeared as Taehyung snapped his gaze back to his hyung. He could see you posing for pictures on his peripheral vision, though the slight nudge of Jin pushing him along to enter the venue was enough for him to stop watching you.

He could even see Jimin flashing him a smirk as it was quite obvious who had stolen all his attention. Taehyung was shameless as he only smiled and calmly walked towards the small steps leading to the venue.

He wondered how he would celebrate tonight. The Mnet Asian Music Awards always have been an indicator to him that it had been another year since he met the most beautiful angel on Earth. He would always replay the moment he caught your eyes when he received an award, and sometimes, if he was lucky, your eyes would meet and he falls for you deeper than he had the first time you met. Gosh, he hoped one of the cameras had gotten a good picture of you because he can’t wait to make it his homesc—

Bang.

And screaming was all he heard as his head snapped to find out what the commotion was about. Everyone’s handheld cameras had turned to the start of the queue, and the cameras that were on fixed stands to face the carpet in front were left unattended by the camera directors. All their eyes widening at a sight that Taehyung couldn’t see.

Security guards that stood near the venue entrance had run past Taehyung to get to the commotion, though Taehyung couldn’t see through a combination of his hyung’s heads and the bodies of managers and staff that filled the red carpet.

Taehyung was more curious than worried about the commotion. All he knew was that the commotion had taken place at the start of the queue where he stood just a few moments ago. Taehyung watched as all his members tried to raise their necks to see past the crowd.

Namjoon had tapped a staff member to ask what happened, and Taehyung would have intently eavesdropped the conversation if not for the face Jimin had flashed Taehyung as he turned with a worried look. It was a look that knew something.

How did Jimin see through the crowd? They didn’t know.

“What is it?” Taehyung asked as Jimin stopped stretching his neck and stared at him with wide eyes whilst licking his lips as if he was finding the right words to describe the situation he saw.

But Taehyung didn’t need to hear it from him as Jin soon found a gap to see what happened, and the loud ‘woah’ that involuntarily left his throat was enough for all members present to look at him.

However, just like Jimin did after seeing the commotion, their eldest member flashed Taehyung worried eyes before grabbing Taehyung’s wrist as if he could bolt at any moment. These glances and actions were starting to worry Taehyung now. He would understand if the members who saw something happened wouldn’t want the other members to know, but why did it look as if they didn’t want him specifically to know or react.

“What?” Taehyung’s Daegu accent came out as he was getting worried at what was happening.

Then a few gasps came from the crowd that watched and Taehyung finally found a gap to see someone on top of another person at the start of the queue. Right where your group was standing mere seconds ago.

Taehyung tugged at Jin’s grip as he finally saw someone pull the erratically moving person off the floor and the person she had pinned to the floor.

Who was getting attacked? Taehyung didn’t know yet, but something in his stomach told him that his hyungs knew.

The crazy woman was pulled off the floor by a security guard. Taehyung's gaze went from the woman fighting the guard to one of the barriers that separated the general crowd of fans from the photographers, carpet, and artists. The barrier was on the floor as other fans didn’t dare cross it, though he had figured that the loud bang was from the barrier falling to the floor.

Taehyung then let his gaze wander to whoever the woman had pinned to the floor and lo and behold… it was you.

Seeing your messy hair and disoriented figure had blood surging through Taehyung’s body. A different type of adrenaline flowed through him unlike the ones he experiences at concerts. No, this one made him want to fight and flight at the same time.

Taehyung easily pulled away from Jin’s grip as he walked past Jimin before he could block his way. The call of his name from Hoseok and Jungkook fell on deaf ears as he continued his fast strides towards you. His eyes fixed on your figure before it was lost behind a crowd of people.

Taehyung pushed past TXT with little to no problems. He simply murmured an apology and an ‘excuse me’ as he passed through.

A ring of people had circled where you were supposed to be as Taehyung pushed past people in his goal to reach you. It felt as though his body was walking through quicksand at how he had to forcibly get his body past the crowd.

He can feel his suit get wrinkled and his shoes get stepped on. His hair must be ruffled by now and perhaps one of his prop rings had already slipped past a finger, but it didn’t matter. As long as the silver band he had as your promise was fine and he gets to you in the least amount of time then anything else could be replaceable.

With one more push he finally got to the middle of the crowd. The air felt less dense, though Taehyung couldn’t get a proper breath in until he could see that you were okay.

It didn’t take long for your eyes to meet each other though. Your wide blown out eyes reach peace as your eyes meet his, and he would be lying if your eyes didn’t give him just a small bit of ease running through his body.

He immediately took a step towards you as a few gasps were heard followed by a louder bang rang and silenced his surroundings. A disorienting buzz ran through his ears as he turned towards the woman to see her get tackled to the floor by multiple security guards and a gun slipping past her grip.

The bang wasn’t another barrier falling…

She shot a bullet

And he didn’t know where it landed.

Taehyung reached for you to engulf with his body and shield you from the direction the woman was. You immediately collapsed into his grip as you brought your hands to cover your face and bury yourself in Taehyung’s suit.

“Baby, are you okay? Are you hurt? D—did you…” Taehyung couldn’t finish what he wanted to ask you as he opted to skim your body for any obvious injuries.

He wasn't going to admit it but he was looking for a bullet wound under the fabric of your dress, though all he saw was the ruffled satin material as you cried onto his chest. His grip on you tightened as he turned his head back to see proper police men restrain the woman in handcuffs.

“You’re okay now. You’re fine. You’re safe, baby. She’s gone.” Taehyung repeats his words over your hair. A kiss landing on your messy hair. His whispers of comfort placed ease into both your bodies, though you could still hear his heart pumping heavily.

“Tae…” You were breathless as tears uncontrollably dripped down your cheeks. You were just thankful that Taehyung was blocking you from the media. Now that the woman was gone, the media was bound to get an aftermath photo of you so you were just glad they couldn’t see you in the middle of a breakdown.

“Yes baby? Are you hurt? Do you need an ambulance?” Taehyung asked as he rubbed a hand on the top of your hair to soothe down some loose strands, though the action was more to comfort you than fix up your appearance. He was well aware of the cameras and whispers around you.

“Are— are you hurt? The g-gun…” Your voice shakes as you wipe your tears and look up at him.

The sounds of cameras flashing, managers and staff speaking loudly, and police, was the loud buzzing of your ear. It started right as you were tackled to the ground with a twist of your ankle and your head hitting the not so soft red carpet. It still heavily buzzes in your ear over any other noise, excluding Taehyung’s calming voice which you can hear just as clear as the vibrations of your heart pumping.

“No. No, I’m not hurt, baby. Please answer me now. Are you okay?” Taehyung repeats himself whilst placing emphasis on the word ‘you’. He brings a gentle hand to wipe tears sliding down your cheek as you take in the condition of your body.

“My— my ankle… I think I twisted it when I fell, but I think I’m fine.” You say as the adrenaline wears off and an uncomfortable sting comes to your left ankle. You still stood on your heels effortlessly, though a growing tingle had started to spread from where the heel’s strap held onto your ankle.

“Okay. Thank you for answering.” Taehyung kisses your lips swiftly before he raises a hand to call for attention, and looks towards the direction of the venue. Paramedics and staff that were on standby were already walking down the carpet as your eyes even catch Jimin’s worried eyes skimming over both you and Taehyung. The medics were by your side in no time as the crowd around you disperse.

“She said that she might’ve twisted her ankle.” Taehyung says to the paramedics who nodded, though they didn’t signal him to let go just yet.

“Let’s go to the back to check for further injuries. The media is out of control.” A manager suggested to the paramedics who agreed.

“Can you walk?” Taehyung asks as you merely nodded before you were led to a private space behind the wall of the red carpet. Taehyung continued to support you as you took heavy steps in your heels.

The small space behind the backdrop wasn’t too spacious though it was enough to shield you as the paramedics opened a kit and let you sit down on a small plastic stool. Taehyung stood right beside you. Your fingers intertwine as your fingers meet the cold material of his promise ring, and that’s when it hits you.

“Sh-shit.” Your once dried cheeks had now turned wet again as you looked down to your hand and found all your fingers were bare from any jewelry.

“Shh… You’re fine, baby. You’re getting treated.” Taehyung rubs your head to help soothe you though your sobs start to grow as the paramedics ask you what’s wrong, though you only shook your head to dismiss them.

“Tae… I lost the— the ring. It— It must have fell when I—“

“It’s fine, baby. I can buy you a new one.” Taehyung reassures you, though you were inconsolable.

“Please, say something if this hurts Miss.” The medic speaks as she caresses the skin of your ankle. A yelp leaving your lips as the medics nodded and continued to assess your shin.

From the way your chest heaved with each sob and the way tears fell from your eyes, the medics couldn’t assess you properly though they made the best of the situation and made the decision to take you to the hospital.

“Taehyung, you need to get into the venue. The event is going to be delayed, but groups need to be inside the venue for security checks and safety.” His manager speaks as his head pops from the other side of the backdrop. A wheelchair strolling behind him as the medics explain to you that they were taking you to the hospital.

“What? I can’t leave her right now. Did you see what happened?!” Taehyung didn’t mean to raise his voice, though he couldn’t leave you right now. Perhaps you were physically okay, but that must have been mentally shocking and he wants to be there just to comfort you even if it doesn’t make a big difference.

“Yes, I did see. Everyone saw. And we don't know if there’s another sasaeng out there, so we need you to get in the venue now.” The manager said sternly, though Taehyung continued to ignore the orders.

He instead opted to help guide you to sit comfortably on the wheelchair. His finger grazing over red scratch marks on the skin of your forearm. He hadn’t seen those earlier, though he doubts the paramedics had missed it.

When they exited from behind the backdrop they were met with security guards escorting them to the road where the ambulance was parked. Taehyung walked alongside the wheelchair as the paramedic wheeled you to the ambulance. His manager followed a few paces behind.

You writhed with shame as you thought about all the news that could be written on this night alone and you hadn’t even entered the venue yet. You weren’t sure you could.

Taehyung was held back by his manager before he could enter the ambulance with you. His gaze in question and slight irritation as he was met by the face of their manager once more, though this time his members were walking out the venue in search of him.

“Kim Taehyung don’t go. For her sake. You can see her after, but right now we need you inside for the media's sake.” Their manager says more desperate now as he turns to meet your eyes that were inside the ambulance.

He was all too aware of the eyes watching both of you and he could tell that you were too. You gave him a slight nod as a sign that you’d be fine as he nodded more to himself and took a step back to be with his manager. For your sake, he wasn’t going to be with you right now. Not when the media would be having a frenzy already. For you, your company, and your reputation.

“Come on, get inside.” The manager nudged Taehyung to follow behind him as he kept his gaze down on the floor when a few cameras took pictures of him walking to the entrance.

A shiny piece of jewelry caught his attention as he bent down and found the promise ring he had given you last year. A promise ring that had caused you more tears than he wanted you to have.

“Come on, V.” Jimin says as he reaches out for Taehyung to accompany him in walking to the venue behind the rest of the members that flashed him pitiful looks.

“You did the right thing. She needed you, and you’ll see each other after this.” Jimin reassured, as Taehyung’s eyes began to sting from behind, though he tried to stop the emotions from showing in his eyes.

“They said it was a sasaeng?” Taehyung asked as the security guards opened the door for them and they entered the dark and cold doors of the big venue that the 21st Mnet Asian Music Awards would take place in.

“Apparently. I tried my best to eavesdrop and they said that the motive might’ve been because of your relationship. She was ARMY.” Jimin summarized everything he had heard as they both stopped in a dim hallway to wait for staff to open a door that led to the artist area.

“I still don’t get how she managed to walk past security, staff, and camera directors. How did she even have a gun?!” Taehyung was exasperated as the two ‘95 liners leaned against the padded walls. Taehyung leaned his head on Jimin’s shoulder as Jungkook came up to squeeze his shoulder.

“Is she okay? We heard guns were involved.” Jungkook asked as it was obvious that the rest of his bandmates were listening from behind the maknae.

“Yeah. She’s shaken up. Maybe even have a twisted ankle and a few scratches.” Taehyung says as his eyes zone out on the pattern of the carpet and his fingers play on the ring he held on his finger.

“Are you okay?” Namjoon shows himself from behind Jungkook as Taehyung simply nods.

The night had gone by like a blur. It was obvious to everyone watching that he was not as present as he should have been, though nobody blames him. The views of the event had skyrocketed after news broke out that an artist was attacked and yet the event continued on. Hashtags about the event and incident even went viral prior to the awards finishing because clips of Taehyung running towards you and escorting you to the ambulance had gone viral. It practically happened in front of everybody so it was bound to get posted, and technically no blood or gore had been shown so the content wasn’t blocked as quickly as both your companies and the event organizers wanted them to be.

Taehyung walks through the hospital hallways with paper bags of your favorite takeout food, your favorite drink, some spare clothes of his that you could change to in case your personal assistant didn’t bring good comfy clothes, and a small cake of your favorite flavor. He had made do with how late it was and how your favorite bakery was already closed.

It felt like deja vu once again. However, this time he wasn’t riding the elevator to your apartment but rather riding it to your hospital room.

Your absence from the event was so painstakingly obvious for him and everyone. He was jittery all night, and your group seemed so small when they occupied the stage for their performance. It was obvious that they had done last minute blocking, and the bactrack had been used for your solo parts. They seemed so small when they walked down the artist area and got to the stage to receive the Best Female Group award and the Best Female Group Dance Performance award. Your group wasn’t small in the sense that they had little members, though it felt like something was missing. Your big bubbly smile and your funny yet carefully worded speech was missing, and Taehyung could speak for everyone that your presence was greatly missed.

He had received a text from you as soon as the event ended and when he got his phone back. Your text contained your congratulations for him and his wins and performances. Jimin even showed Taehyung a message you sent that congratulated Jimin and the rest of BTS. It was certainly a good year for them, and you had grown closer towards your boyfriend’s close friend despite only interacting a few times.

You told him that he should probably visit later into the evening since your group would be visiting you after the event, though Taehyung didn’t listen and still went as fast as he could when ordering food.

He arrived at your hospital room at almost two in the morning and from what he could hear, your bandmates were still in your hospital room talking to you.

He knocked on the door and heard the girls quiet down as one of the members opened the door to see Taehyung standing in the middle of the hallway with his PA behind him holding the bag of clothes and box of cake.

“Hey, sorry to intrude on your celebrations but can I come see my girlfriend?” Taehyung says as a smile couldn’t help but creep up his face as his heart swells with pride with how he openly says that you were his girlfriend.

“Yah Y/Nah, your boyfriend is here.” The member smiled brightly as she opened the door wider to show you laying in the hospital bed with wide eyes from Taehyung’s early arrival. Your other bandmates had visibly smiled brighter when Taehyung entered the room.

“Good evening.” Taehyung greets as he places all of the paper bags on a nearby table and bows deeply to your bandmates.

“Congratulations on your wins and performance!”

All of your bandmates greet the same words as they bow just as deep to their sunbaenim.

“You should have told us Kim Taehyung sunbaenim was coming. We should’ve ordered more food for him—“ You leader speaks as you stay silent yet a small smiles lingers on your lips when Taehyung doesn’t let his eyes leave you.

“It’s okay. I brought some takeout to eat, and a cake to celebrate your wins.” Taehyung opens the small cake he had brought as his PA takes his leave and walks out the door.

“Oh V sunbaenim, thank you! We already had some cake, but I’m sure Y/N would love that. She barely ate anything tonight.” One of your members discloses as you send her a warning gaze as her face contorts into a look of apology.

Taehyung’s brown doe eyes met yours once more and this time it held the same worry it had earlier in the evening. You hated that. You hated seeing him worried over you, though at the same time it made you feel so cared for.

“We should probably get going. We need some rest and we can celebrate properly when you’re feeling better Y/N.” Your group’s leader says as they all excused themselves after they bid you well and congratulated Taehyung once more.

You were left in the silence of your hospital room with Taehyung at last. It felt like a decade just to get some time alone ever since the incident, and it felt like a reward to finally be alone together after the stressful night.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Taehyung asks as he comes towards the side of the bed to give you a kiss on your cheek.

“Not in the mood for it.” You say honestly because you really didn’t feel hungry, though Taehyung’s brow raised to doubt your answer.

“Come on, don’t let me eat all of this alone.” He says as your favorite food reaches your nose. The aroma turns the wheel of your appetite as Taehyung moves the table closer to the side of your bed.

“Seriously, Tae…”

“Please baby? Let me food you a few spoonfuls at least? It would help me feel better.” Taehyung asks as you nod willingly.

He opens up a container and grabs a wooden spoon to fill with the right amount of everything before guiding the spoon to your open mouth. The warmth of the food immediately landing in your stomach as a satisfied hum left you. Taehyung smiled at that and took his own bite with a smile.

“How’s your ankle?” He asks.

“It’s twisted, but it should heal well. I’ll be walking around with a brace, but it's not like we have a comeback coming.” You say as you move your leg from under the white blanket and show him the brace that keeps your ankle straight.

“I don’t know how long I’ll be here though. They said that I’m showing symptoms of an acute concussion, so it would be better to keep me under observation. That’s why I’m not really eating food right now. I don’t want to throw it up in case this does happen to be a concussion. ” You shrug as you eye the movie that showed on the TV.

Taehyung took your left hand in his and raised it to meet his lips. His breath grazing over your ring finger as you feel him slide a familiar metal back to its place.

“What— Woah! You found it!” You smile as you check the ring to truly see if it was the same ring he had given you a year ago. The same small dent that you had accidentally struck against the wall had grazed the design and you knew for a fact that it was the same ring you had worn as a promise.

“It’s kinda hard to miss. No wonder everyone saw it when we wore it.” Taehyung chuckles as he kisses your hand again before you pull him closer to you to kiss on the lips.

His usually soft lips still had some remnants of lipstick from the makeup of their performance. However, the surface wasn’t the soft flesh you’ve come to be familiar with. It was bitten and cracked in some places. Some skin was freshly peeled and others were dry and waiting for the time to be peeled. It was a sign that he had bitten them off prematurely as a coping mechanism from anxiety.

“I’m sorry, baby. I— I heard the fan was a sasaeng and I didn’t even try that hard to join you in the ambulance, but I— I didn’t want the media following and— and our companies… It’s not an excuse—“

“Tae, it’s not your fault.” You state sternly with your expression straight. You didn’t know where this reaction was coming from, but you had to shut down all those thoughts.

“She was a sasaeng— an ARMY…” Taehyung was teary eyed as he sat on the side of the bed with his hands wrapped around your waist as your arms rested on his shoulders.

“You can’t control them and you can’t control what our agencies tell us to do. Just like how they told us to keep some distance when we told them about our relationship. We can break what they say sometimes, but eventually we know we have to follow them. Like how we still kept on seeing each other and how you still had to join the event.” You explained as he nodded.

He was tongue tied or perhaps he didn’t have anything more to say. He just wanted to hold you and tell himself he did everything he could to prevent what happened and that at the end of the day you are fine with injuries that could be fixed. He wanted to kiss you and feel your skin against his. He wanted to breathe in your scent and feel your chest move with every inhale and exhale.

So he did just that. He laid beside you and brought your body down with him to embrace. Your skin against his as you both settle in a comfortable position.

“What if we weren’t idols?”

“Don’t say that Tae. We met because we were idols. We met because we wanted to study being idols and you saw me because you are a damn good idol.” You say as Taehyung laughs and kisses your cheeks.

“I know, but like what if we went away for a while. Just the two of us and some place we don’t know.” Taehyung proposes as you tilt your head to think over the idea as you signal him to continue his brewing thought.

“Just for a few days or a week. We deserve it after a long year. Besides, it’s my birthday soon.” Taehyung smiles brighter when he mentions his birthday as if you hadn’t been saving up for his birthday gift already.

“That does sound nice…”

“So it’s settled! New Year’s and my birthday in some place we don’t know! I’ll start planning it tomorrow.” Taehyung smiles as you laugh with him, but really he was planning on replacing your dented ring with a new one.

“Also I brought some clothes. I was wondering if I could sleep here tonight.” Taehyung asks as you smile and land a kiss on his lips.

“I was waiting for you to say that. My parents are visiting early in the morning though, so you better be up by then.” You both chuckle as he kisses you once more.

“Are you comfy in your clothes? I have your favorite sweater in the bag, and a coat in case you ever feel like having ice cream again.”

You chuckle as you slightly nudge his shoulder. This man truly was something else.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY V!

And

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Ok hear me out

SAGAU | Imposter AU

You’ve been playing around with the idea in your head for a few days now.

“False one.” Sara’s voice is like steel. Her bow remains by her side; an attempt at diplomacy, or confidence? “Surrender now, in the name of the Almighty Shogun, and face your crimes.”

It wouldn’t have worked on Thoma and Ayaka, since you never managed to pull them from the gacha. Escaping them had been another close call.

You managed to get Kujou Sara, though, and so you came to your plan.

So you already knew that you could access the character menus, and had taken to spitefully confiscating the weapons and artifacts from your characters. You also knew that you could access the map of the world and steal things from the Traveler’s inventory, although you didn’t have an inventory of your own and had to carry everything yourself.

However, you had figured out that accessing the teleport waypoints from the map doesn’t work on you. You have to be physically touching the waypoints in order to fast travel. But using the map definitely does something; you just weren’t entirely sure what. You had your suspicions, though.

Step 1: Make a party consisting of Sara and only Sara.

Step 2: Pull up the map.

Step 3: Teleport to the most remote location in Mondstadt.

And, judging by the empty space where Sara used to be, you are indeed at step 4: profit.

Unfortunately, the soldiers that Sara brought with her did not do the polite thing and disappear also. In all your genius, you did not account for this in your plan.

You turn and run, gleefully brainstorming all of the ways you could cause problems with your newfound power.

Also known as: in which reader gains the power to teleport parties of four to any location they wish, and this power will surely not be used for evil

Part two of this hehehehe yknow i actually planned and had written something for xiao as part two bust decided to make that one part three instead hehe fair warning this is shit but it's all that i could do at this point

Each step you take is light; you remain careful as you walk over green grass and even greener leaves, the occasional twig snapping quietly. Birds chirp among the trees and finches fly around, a truly serene sight— 

If only you didn't hate it all. 

You can feel them watching you, gazes unwavering and unrelenting, digging deep into your skin. You almost feel like a prey, despite knowing exactly why they're so focused on you.

They're guilty.

You scoff to yourself, a glare on your face. They still have the audacity to feel guilty, to kneel and beg for forgiveness as if a little sorry can just make you forget months of beings hunted, of beings hated and attacked and hurt and nearly killed—

The deep wound on your stomach, covered by thick bandages, pulses as if it can still feel the way Xiao's spear had— it had—

No. No. You didn't, you don't want to remember how—

Desperately, you press your hand against your mouth and close your eyes. Like this, you can pretend it never happened. Like this, your world can get quiet and still and silent and you can pretend you're elsewhere, maybe the park near your home, maybe your mother's gardens, anywhere but here surrounded by your murderers and killers.

At least you haven't seen hair or hide of that monster. You had not dared ask about them and the monsters here did not mention them at all.

"Your grace?"

Klee is tugging on your hand, worried eyes peering up at you. She has a frown on her face, an unusual and unnatural expression to see on her and despite everything you feel your heart lurch in concern for her. "Why," she begins, voice hushed and lips trembling. "Why are you crying, your grace?"

Oh, you're crying.

You blink at her, roughly wiping your tears away. They still continue to fall, and your hands still shake when you cup her face and why can't you find it in yourself to smile to soothe her—

"Please don't— don't cry," you stumble on your words, voice hoarse and quiet because your nightmares of that day have you screaming and tearing at your own body every night and you haven't been exactly quiet when dealing with the horrid people that have placed you in this suffocating teapot, even if it is to help you heal better. "Don't cry, Klee, please,"

"But you're sad. Klee hates seeing you so sad," Klee sniffs, wide eyes welling with tears. You know that had it not been for almost all of the adults telling the kids not to hug you because of your injury, she would've by now thrown herself in your arms.

"I'm not sad, Klee," you say but it's a lie and you both know it. "I—"

"Klee!" Jean calls for the girl as she jogs over. She kneels immediately, not looking in your eyes. "I am so sorry, your grace, I told her not to bother you but she must've—"

You don't listen to her. You can't listen to her because you can still remember how she'd once pointed her sword at you, hatred swimming in her eyes.

You turn your back to her and leave.

There are more people in the teapot's mansion than you remember, than you feel comfortable with, and they all try to reach out to you but you brush past them shoulders tense and hands shaking.

You want to be alone.

"Your grace, wait! Your injury—" someone's hand, gloved and yet coldcoldcold clasps around your wrist before you could bump against the door handle to your room.

You glare at Zhongli even as you tremble, barely able to hold back a horrified sob, a scared scream because you can still remember all too well how your windpipe gave way under his cruel hold.

"Don't touch me." You say, voice as hallow as your monstrous twin's eyes had been. They must be happy, you think. They must be beyond happy at my state.

"Don't touch me, Zhongli. Don't ever touch me."

And not even his tears soothe the aches in your heart nor the bleeding of your wounds.

aaa scara + red tulips + hurt to bittersweet fluff?

crimson flowers bloom (just know i love you too)

tw/cw - mentions of blood, light angst.

a/n - lol i kinda died but uh here ya go hopefully he isn’t too ooc it’s kinda hard to do fluff with a man with homocidal urges

the first time you told the balladeer about your infatuation for his being, he had laughed in your face, and asked if it were a cruel joke.

the flowers quickly followed, having been stuck tight inside your throat while his laughter rung in your ears, and only released when you were alone in the dark confines of your room. they blanketed the comforter of your bed, red tulips blending with the blood from the body wrecking coughs. how cruel, you thought, for something so beautiful to be the reasoning behind so many lives taken.

the fleeting thought arose when you cradled them gently in your hands, staring quietly as you studied the result of the disease well known throughout the nation. you sputtered an equally soft laugh, vaguely recalling the warnings given to you throughout childhood, and the caution over fluttering hearts and a tender touch. all over this single flower. a life created through one’s own suffering, formed through those a servant to the emotion unfortunately befalling upon them.

and molded from the love you felt for a man who would never feel the same.

you made it your sole duty to act as if the flowers and love made from your body never surfaced in the first place. tight stretched smiles that would fool any. countless hours dedicated to the work you found to be the only escape. an excuse to stay trapped in your room as the garden grew, and to blame on when one asked about the decaying corpse you found yourself stuck in.

no questions were supposed to be asked. it was why you felt both fear, irritation, and pure heartache when the man behind the poison came to your door and called you out on the lies and illusions you had so comfortably hidden yourself within.

you could hear the way the wood protested when scaramouche slammed the door shut behind him, despite your protests for his presence in the first place. you would’ve continued such banter if it weren’t for the anger so visibly trembling his hands and the gray clouds storming his eyes, “you haven’t been at your best, i can tell.”

your throat felt dry at his words, and you forced yourself to clear such obstacles in order to reply, “im trying.”

“well your effort right now isn’t enough,” his tone was still harsh, not once lightening even as he took notice of your fallen expression. instead, he hesitated before taking a small step forward, “seriously, come on! what’s up with you?”

the echo of cruel laughter rung in your brain, causing you to pick yourself up from the desk you had been working at and maneuvering your body to leave the room, “it’s nothing, scaramouche. mind your own business-”

the man scowled, face twisted into irritation. it wouldn’t have bothered you so much if he hadn’t caged your upper arm within the harsh grip of his cold fingers, “it’s my business when it affects MY work too.”

you had never been fond of scaramouche. from the moment you first met him as new recruits competing with one another for the top spots, the man had earned himself the title of least likable in anyones lives, especially yours. it was why it frustrated you that those feelings had changed so abruptly, all because of the single moment you shared showcasing vulnerability. ironically enough it reminded you of that exact moment, but instead with cold skin numbing the pain of a deep cut from an expedition, and an expression so soft he was almost unrecognizable.

it frustrated you, how it had stuck with you for so long, and eventually nurtured the petals you had been so desperately trying to kill for the past couple weeks.

scaramouche froze as you dropped yourself to the ground, and even more so when your hacking fit revealed the product of his carelessness. he tried, desperately, to clear his throat and mutter out the first words of his reaction, “you were…serious about that?”

you let your eyes remain glued to the ground, burning holes due to frustration. that was all he had to say? there you were, dying, and the man had the audacity to waste his first words on the confession you had given weeks ago, “well, doesn’t really matter now so-“

“why me?” he dropped down beside you, purple hues also fixated on the abnormal amount of blood and flowers in your hands. if you hadn’t known better, you would say he appeared broken by the realization of the outcome, “what’s so lovable about me?”

you frowned, both perplexed and upset at his strange behavior, “scaramouche-“

“why are you dying for me!” his fingers once more gripped the sides of your arms, almost shaking you with the way they trembled. scaramouche, the balladeer, appeared almost desperate, searching for something amongst the blurs of red and frustration.

“i would do anything for you.” you mumbled quietly, slowly placing your own hands over where his lay. a reassuring touch for who, you didn’t know, but it remained there as his grip tightened and he pushed his body to rest over yours.

“you cant.”

“hm?” you hummed, afraid that your voice would betray and reveal just how much the feel of his forehead resting on your collarbone, affected the disease still plaguing your body.

for a brief moment he remained quiet, before suddenly pulling back, and this time his hands gripped the sides of your face as the tone of his voice grew several octaves, “you cant!”

the lines around your lips deepened, forcing yourself to drift your gaze to rest anywhere but his expression, “my fates already sealed, there’s nothing-“

“and what if i said i cared for you?” he quickly spoke, prompting you to meet his gaze for the final time that night. it…surprised you to say the least. but the most surprising thing of all was not the glare of purple, although halfhearted, nor the frown of his lips, but rather the deep hue of red burning his cheeks, “that you’re not just some underling. you aren’t annoying and you aren’t a burden.”

you opened and closed your mouth several times before his words clicked, and several more attempts before you could speak, “are you saying…?”

instead of replying straight away scaramouche once more leaned forward, the heat of his skin burning your own, “do i need to repeat myself?”

“say it. just once,” you croaked out, caging him within your arms and desperately clinging on as if he’d disappear, “and i won’t die.”

you felt it, the gentle way his lips moved against your skin, whispering something so quiet you could barely register it. but you heard it, and it was enough to fully clear the pressure in your throat, and wilt the flowers you had grown.

menu. pomegranate mousse cake.

hiiii!!! may i request fragrant mashed potatoes + sweet madame + mint jelly and pop’s teas + dango milk + ketchup <3 maybe like back when he was still kunikuzushi, he had a lover, and before joining the fatui he promised to return to them? tyy!!

‿୨♡୧‿︵ BON APETIT MY FELLOW CUSTOMER ! ︵‿୨♡୧‿

name of order: we’ll meet again

date: scaramouche (w/ gn!reader)

receipt: fragrant mashed potatoes (scaramouche) + sweet madame (reunion) + mint jelly and pop’s teas (fluff with comfort) + dango milk (normal/normal au) + ketchup (hc scenario/bulleted form)

spices: spoilers to inazuma archon quest, spoilers to scaramouche’s real name, fluff/comfort, mentions of fighting, reader can shapeshift into a fox like yae, and this fic takes place during the 2.2 event (except scaramouche doesnt show up in the actual event)

ingredients: he promised that he’ll come back to you as soon when he grows powerful enough. he just didn’t think he’ll meet you this way.

chef’s note: wahh this is such a cute idea !! tysm anon for requesting, i hope this is to your liking <<3

there was once a time when scaramouche went by another name.

kunikuzushi was a name that’s nothing but a reminder of a harbinger’s past. a reminder of a mere prototype puppet who was kicked out by the raiden shogun herself, a “wandering eccentric“ who goes by no name until an act of revenge against a certain blacksmith,

and a lover of a certain inazuman who resides in tatarasuna, working under the guuji of the grand narukami shrine.

scaramouche could only wonder aimlessly if you were still waiting for him after so many years. are you still working for the grand narukami shrine? are you still as kind as he used to know you before when he first met you? do you even remember him if you ever see him?

the harbinger could only cover his face with his hat in shame. shamed that he never got the chance to come back again after so many years even when he vowed to return just for you.

the vow still stands in his empty chest that holds no heart, but would you say the same?

“fear not, dear kunikuzushi.” you said reassuringly, patting the man’s head with a smile. “no matter how time has long passed, i will always be here in inazuma waiting for you.”

you then gave him a large hat, something that he swears to himself to cherish. “take this as my farewell gift. if you ever miss me as much as i will be to you in the near future, you could always wear this hat and remember me.”

will you ever know how he rarely removes the very hat that you gave him?

you hoped he did.

you hoped, just like how a loved one does when a soldier goes to a war, that your dearest kunikuzushi is alright. you hoped, just like how a lover does when they think about their spouse, that he is happy as he could ever be even if you’re not the reason. you hoped, just like how a lover does when they’re away from their spouse, that he still thinks about you just as much as you do with him.

you just keep hoping and hoping as years go by, often visiting the place where you bid him farewell whenever you have the chance, only to sigh in dismay when you couldn’t see kunikuzushi anywhere.

“i suspect that i might find you here,” yae miko spoke up, walking towards you with a small smile on her face. “i was looking for you around the shrine for a task. is something on your mind?”

you slowly look away from the view of your old home that’s now ruined by the harsh thunderstorms in the past, looking at the guuji with a reassuring smile. “i’m just checking up on my old home as the usual, i apologize for not coming back sooner and worry you.” you replied.

“no need for the apologies. it’s not like this is your first time getting away and get distracted.” the woman reassures you with a chuckle.

there was no single soul who’s aware of your relationship with the lone puppet that the raiden shogun discarded except yae miko. although the woman isn’t quite fond of how you’re often distracted unlike before, she couldn’t blame you.

it’s just a shame that the fatui found him, the woman knows fully well that he won’t be able to come back to inazuma anytime soon but didn’t see the point in telling you, not wanting to destroy that hopeful look plastered on your face that she had grown used to see everyday.

“may i ask what task would you like me to fulfill, lady yae?” you ask.

“i’m afraid it’s not like any other tasks i’ve given you,” she warns, crossing her arms with an apologetic smile. “i need you to keep an eye on a certain harbinger that’s been lurking around the land. he’s a tall ginger-haired man with a hydro vision.”

you felt yourself stiffen at the mention of harbinger. “…does this harbinger have something to do with… kuni?” you ask hesitantly.

the woman shrugs in response. “unfortunatley i’m not exactly sure of the purpose of the harbinger’s visit to inazuma, but i suspect it has something to do with kunikuzushi and the electro gnosis – which is why i need you to keep an eye on him for now and see if he’s going to cause trouble.”

your heart leaped at the guuji mentioning your lover’s name. does this mean he hasn’t left the nation?

”i.. i’ll see what i can do, lady yae.“ you spoke, bowing your head to the woman before rushing down from the mountain, leaving yae miko alone with herself.

“..i could only hope to ei that you’ll manage to encounter kunikuzushi, y/n.” the woman mumbled, sighing before walking away towards her shrine.

—

it took you an hour to finally find the harbinger that yae described.

sure, it was a hassle, but after exploring and asking certain adventurers exploring, you manage to find the harbinger that’s been lurking around narukami island.

you stood behind one of the sakura trees disguised as a fox, watching the eleventh harbinger walking out from the place where the traveler and his friends ran in, causing your eyebrows to furrow. why did he come out from it alone? did he lay harm on the traveler?

“where could he be?” childe mumbles with a sigh, scratching the back of his neck as he walks around the area. “he better owe me a thrilling battle by the time i catch that man.”

could he be talking about kunikuzushi, you wonder?

you slowly sneak around the harbinger, curious with the harbinger’s words. surely if the ginger is looking for your lover, then that means he could still be here and hasn’t left the island with the gnosis, right?

you stopped pacing when you realized something.

if… kuni is actually here, then why didn’t he come visit you?

you could feel your blood running cold from that thought alone, mouth slightly open in shocked. surely kuni would actually come to you when he had the chance..? but then again, he didn’t even show himself when he came here for the raiden shogun’s gnosis.

“oh? i haven’t seen a fox like you in the wilderness before..” childe spoke up, looking down at you with a curious look on his face. “you must be a rare breed. you don’t look like those foxes from that village nearby.”

you paid no mind to how the harbinger now stands in front of you, frozen from the thoughts that suddenly made your heart dropped in dread. if kunikuzushi is in inazuma right now, where could he be? why didn’t he come visit you like he promised? did he.. forget about you?

“unless…” childe then smiles menacingly. “you could be one of those beings that can shapeshift.”

the harbinger’s words were enough for you to finally cut yourself off from your thoughts, immediately stepping away from the man as he summons his blades. you should’ve paid more attention to your mission! yae would’ve been disappointed if she finds out that you got carried away by your dumb thoughts!

before things could escalate even more, the harbinger suddenly drops his weapons.

you watched in confusion at the sight of childe letting out a gasp, clenching his teeth at the sudden overwhelming pain inside his body.

“don’t you dare lay a hand on them.”

your breath hitched at the sound of his voice.

…kunikuzushi?

you immediately felt alarmed from the purple smoke surrounding both you and childe — who’s now on his knees to the cold ground trying to breathe. “is this… is this one of your stupid— stupid traps, balladeer?” he asks, clutching his chest.

without hesitation, you turn around and see your lover in all his glory, standing a few steps away from you as he glares at the fallen harbinger.

“and here i thought i was better off with leaving you alone and fool you about my whereabouts,” he spoke to childe, clenching his fists. “but you just had to try and fight my lover.”

“and here i thought… i thought the ferocious balladeer wouldn’t have someone to call a lover.” the eleventh harbinger retorts with a smirk, only to gasp out for air when scaramouche suddenly makes the air around him more venomous.

“come, y/n,” he calls out to you in a soft tone- something that took you by surprise because of his sudden change of tone. “let’s get out of here before that rascal gets his hands on us.”

he didn’t have to ask twice.

—

“are you out of your mind? why the hell did you go to that harbinger of all people?! he could’ve killed you if it weren’t for me intervening!” he scolds you as the both of you stay in a camp that’s far away from where childe was, both of you were panting in exhaustion from running away.

“i apologize.. but please believe me when i say i didn’t mean to have my cover get revealed.” you said, not bothering to change your fox form. “i just.. got distracted by my thoughts.”

he furrows his eyebrows. “and what could possibly got you distracted?!”

“..i.. i was wondering why you didn’t visit me when you came here for.. the gnosis.” you hesitantly explained, looking away from your lover’s strong gaze in shame. “i just.. i just felt confused a-and maybe hurt that you probably didn’t want to see me after so many years.”

the both of you fell silent.

scaramouche stares deeply at your fox form, feeling conflicted.

“…change back to your normal form.” he commands, causing you to frown in confusion. what is he planning to do, exactly?

nevertheless, you followed your lover’s command and instantly changed back into your human form once more, still looking down at the ground with a frown plastered on your face.

your eyes widens when you felt arms wrapped around your body into a hug.

“you idiot,” he whispered. “you have no idea how much i’ve wanted to do this ever since i saw you in the place where i left.”

your breath hitches from his words. he… he saw you? he’s been visiting the place as well?

you quickly hug your lover back as well, lips quivering. “why didn’t you come to me if you saw me then? did you.. did you not want to see me ye—”

“god no,” scaramouche interrupts, clinging onto you tighter than before. “don’t you dare think that i’d hate to see you or forgot about you! i just didn’t know if you wanted to see me…”

you let out a laugh, realizing that the both of you were thinking the same thing. “of course i wanted to see you for so long dummy..”

the both of you stayed in the position for a while, enjoying each other’s warmth for as long as you’ve desired after so many years of being separated.

“i miss you.” you both said to each other at the same time out loud.

Happy(early) Birthday, Malleus!

heavily based on chainsaw man 

Not Enough Anymore

warnings: slightly angst, jealousy, cursing, kissing (may contain spelling errors, I’m not a native)

summary: you found yourself desperate for Cheongsan’s love. You wanted to kiss him, touch him, hold him, declare your feelings for him. However, you decided to keep everything inside of you, thinking that it would be better than being rejected… until that day when the worst happened and Cheongsan’s best friend, Gyeongsu, found out about it.

____________

Being Lee Cheongsan’s friend was just not enough anymore.

That feeling was growing inside you more and more each day and you knew you shouldn’t feel this way. You shouldn’t love someone who definitely was incapable of seeing you romantically.

Cheongsan loves Onjo. Cheongsan loves Onjo. Cheongsan loves Onjo. You have been trying to repeat this sentence in your own mind as a mantra for eight months already.

It all started when you moved into the same building as Lee Cheongsan and Nam Onjo. And you soon found out that you three attended the same school as well. You just wanted distance from him, this platonic feeling would get you nowhere, but Onjo and him ending up becoming close to you and eventually your best friends.

The first contact you had with Cheongsan was when you were coming back from the convenience store and accidentally dropped everything because of your father messages on your phone about you being late. Cheong San was kind, he saw the mess on the floor in the hallway and offered his help, picking up the things for you.

Since you were in a hurry, you both didn’t exchange many words.

“Thank you!” you shouted without looking at him and ran off quickly, almost tripping over your own feet pathetically. What a shame!

Days later, Cheong San met you again since you were classmates. At first, he didn’t seem to recognize your face, but he soon figure it out when he heard Onjo introducing you as her new neighbor.

Yeah, you were supposed to be friends, but it all felt like living a love triangle. It was sad you couldn’t control yourself from staring at Cheongsan everytime he was distracted with something else.

You found yourself desperate for Cheongsan’s love. You wanted to kiss him, touch him, hold him, declare your feelings for him. However, you decided to keep everything inside of you, thinking that it would be better than being rejected.

Until that day when the worst happened and Cheongsan’s best friend, Gyeongsu, found out about it.

You two were doing an assignment together in the library and you fell asleep because of you lack of resting from the previous night.

“You haven’t getting so much sleep lately, have you?” Gyeongsu looked at you with great interest, curiosity vibrating from every particle of him. “Anyway, you said Cheongsan’s name during your sleep.”

Your eyes widened the instant you heard this.

“No, I didn’t!”

“Yes, you did! I’m not deaf.” Gyeongsu smirked. “You were like Oh Cheongsan, you’re so handsome and perfect, I love you so muuuch.” you stared at the boy angrily, he obviously was enjoying teasing you and his wicked smile started to make you feel nervous.

“Shut the fuck up!” you slapped him hard on his head.

Gyeongsu let out a low laugh, but you ignored him and finished some last details of the assignment just in time for the break to end.

When you two got back to the classroom, you noticed it was empty. You and him were the first ones to return.

“So… ” Gyeongsu started talking again. “You’re in love with Cheongsan, but aren’t gonna tell him?”

“He doesn’t need to know.”

“Really? I don’t think so.” you felt your throat go dry at the thought of the boy saying something to Cheongsan.

“Please, don’t say anything to him!” Gyeongsu looked at you surprised. He had never seen you ask him for anything like that.

“I don’t know… he’s my best friend, I can’t keep secrets from him.” the boy argued firmly.

“Yeah, but this has nothing to do with you.” you replied lowering your voice now that the classroom was already getting full of students.

“Let me tell him. Who knows, hm? Maybe you two… ?” the boy said suggestively, causing a sigh to come out of your mouth.

“Never. Cheongsan would never give me a chance… ”

“I would never what?” you heard a familiar voice and then saw Cheongsan coming closer, he looked from one face to the other, trying to understand the situation. “Hey, all right here?”

Before Gyeongsu could think of answering, you acted faster than him.

“Gyeongsu, please… ” you ignored Cheongsan’s question as you beg his friend, making the best to sounded sweet and cute to convince him. “Please… ”

“Ah… okay.” the boy moved closer to your ear to whisper the following words: “You don’t have to beg. I won’t tell him.” and then he walked away from you along with Cheongsan, who had a very confused expression on his face.

If Cheongsan insisted at least a little, would he still keep his mouth shut?

No, you're sure you couldn't trust Gyeongsu.

___________

Your fear was confirmed when you heard Cheongsan shouting your name at the end of class in the middle of the hallway, but you didn't stop to wait for him and walked faster. At some point, you were practically running from him.

He knows. Fuck, he knows...

You went down the stairs to the first floor and the main entrance as fast as you could, but you didn't go that far, because soon the boy reached your figure and stop right in front of you, preventing you from scaping.

"Why are you running away from me?"

"What? No, I'm not."

"I may not be the smartest in our class, but I'm not dumb, y/n." he smiled, finding your odd behavior very amusing.

"Okay, hm... then let's pretend...let's pretend you don't know."

Cheongsan raised an eyebrow, not understanding what you meant.

"Don't know what?"

"Stop it! I know that Gyeongsu told you!" you didn't realize that your voice sounded quite a bit loud, causing the other students to stare at the two of you.

"He said.... ?"

"That I-I like you, Cheongsan."

"You forgot this in class." Cheongsan was holding up your math book and you didn't hesitate to grab it from his hand. "Wait... what you just said? You like me... ?" Cheongsan obviously didn't know what he should answer, but what you hated most was what was described in his eyes. Surprise. Disbelief. Compassion. "I'm sorry, I... "

"You have feelings for Onjo." Cheongsan's attention fixed even more on you. "I understand that, let's just forget about today, okay?" you walked quickly past him and he didn't stop you this time, but you could hear him sighing and saying again "I'm sorry."

__________

It would be a huge lie if you said that things didn't get awkward between you and Cheongsan. Not that it was completely bad, but even the way you looked at each other was different.

"There's something else here." Anyone would say that.

All the time, you had the feeling that the boy wanted to tell you something, and it left you in a state of anguish, wanting to know what he was thinking. But a week after you proposed to him, you couldn't even imagine that Cheongsan would react and cross the line.

"What are you doing right now?" you had just showered and were getting dressed when your cell phone started vibrating. It was already late. Why was he texting you?

"None of your concern."

"Are you upsed?"

"Fuck off, Cheongsan."

"I just want to know if you're okay."

"I am fine."

It was your last message before ignoring him, however, Cheongsan did not give up easily. The boy insisted and soon you could see a picture of the two of you together with Onjo in the background glowing on your cell phone screen. Annoyed, you aggressively answered his call.

"What do you want?"

"Come outside."

"What?"

"I said come out here. I'm at your door."

"Cheongsan, it's already very late."

"Please. Come here."

You debated with yourself for a few seconds, but ending up not resisting.

How could you resist him?

You put a sweatshirt over the thin shirt you used to wear to sleep and after making sure you weren't inappropriately dressed, you left your apartment quietly. Cheongsan was standing right in front of your door and he stared at your face for a long time without saying anything. Several seconds passed...

"Cheongsan... ?"

"You are really very beautiful." your heart melted and sped up at his words.

"S-stop it!" You stammered pathetically.

"Sorry for not noticing it before." Cheongsan took steps toward you, breaking the distance between you both.

"Please... don't do this. " and before you knew it, he was close, too close. That wasn't right.

You put your hand on his chest to push him away, but it didn't work.

"I can't stop thinking about you. Ever since that day...I can't stop thinking about it, y/n." Cheongsan lowered his eyes to your mouth and you swallowed hard. "Keep quiet, I need to try something."

You didn't have time to protest or think about anything before his lips met yours, initially it was supposed to be an innocent kiss. You felt like you were going to fall, but Cheongsan held your waist with one of his hands. He was really kissing you. It was real. Not a dream.

He deepened the kiss, his hold getting tighter on you, his body dangerously close to yours, and soon you both were making out as if this was the only way to stay alive. So wrong. You were in your front door and anyone could see that scene.

"Cheongsan... " you pulled your face away from his, looking into his dark eyes.

"Good night, y/n. Have sweet dreams." Cheongsan seemed like he wanted to kiss you again so badly, but he didn't. So you pushed him away and quickly came back inside your apartment.

You sighed deeply. Your legs were wobbly.

________

The next day, Lee Cheongsan said that it was a mistake what he had done. That he had acted on impulse. Cheongsan made you cry by saying that he loved Onjo and could not like you back. It hurt too much to hear. It hurt you even more that Cheongsan acted as if nothing had happened. He had said that he couldn't stop thinking about you and kissed you like that, and now... this? What a asshole.

Onjo had noticed how awkward you two had been lately, avoiding each other as much as possible. She tried to bring it up whenever the two of you were in the same place, but it was the same response from both sides. Nothing. There was nothing going on...

You felt so tired, you didn't want that heavy atmosphere with Cheongsan anymore. You wanted to have him around you. Even if only as a friend.

So you decided to move on when a student in your class asked you out, maybe if you started to date someone else everything would be okay...

"Are you insane?" you were so focused on your book on the table that you got a big fright when you heard Cheongsan's angry voice coming into the library.

"Cheongsan, I'm trying to study."

"Are you really going out with that guy?" he closed your book on the table to have your full attention on him.

You bit your lower lip nervously.

How did he know that? You hadn't told anyone except for Onjo...

"Who told you that?"

"Answer my question first." Cheongsan demanded.

"Yeah, I'm going out with him."

"No, you're not."

"I'll go out with whoever I want!" you stood up from your chair and pointed your finger in his face. Slowly, Cheongsan's expression became lighter and he smiled a little.

"What are you smiling at, you idiot?"

"You look so small and so cute trying to fight me." his smile got larger, but Cheongsan cursed as he was kicked hard in his leg. This time, you were smiling in victory.

"Lee Cheongsan, you are a... " you couldn't finish the sentence because the boy took you by surprise by hugging you suddenly. A very tight hug. It was as if he was afraid that you were going to run and disappear away from him.

"Please, don't go out with anyone else." the boy whispered, keeping you tied in his strong arms, and although you didn't respond with words, you hugged him back and that was just enough.

____________

It turned out to be you and Cheongsan's secret that you met with him secretly almost every day at school. Deep down, you were aware about the reason he might wanted it that way, but you pretended not to.

Maybe you were just being used, but you enjoyed being with him too much to stop and think about it properly.

His lips and his touch were addictive. You felt safe in his arms.

Maybe Cheongsan could fall in love with you eventually. Maybe he will forget his love for Onjo. Could he fall for you? Be yours?

However, the most important thing at that moment, while the boy pressed you against the wall of a empty room and once again got lost himself in your sweet kisses, you knew that Cheongsan was only yours.

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ YOU HAVE RECEIVED A LETTER, LET’S SEE WHAT’S INSIDE! ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

salutations: GENSHIN MEN IN THE WAY OF THE HOUSEHUSBAND AU

addressed to: diluc, kaeya, zhongli, childe, and thoma (with gn!reader)

content: spoilers in mondstadt-inazuma archon quest, modern!au, yakuza!au, domestic fluff, not proof-read, mentions of blood and violence, fluff/comfort (?)

postscript: hc on what genshin men are like as househusbands after retiring from their duties.

penpals: @melkxsh , @akaaaashit , @occassionalfanficwriter , @itssaltybees , @luv3rxcha , @catsaki , @ilylifebutwhy , @akyrinde , @kimura-uzuri , @komicoral , @lunavixia

note: this was supposed to be like, a one-hc post but then i decided to make this a series of mine where i’ll post more about this au because i’m clinging into domestic fluff. enjoy!

diluc

one of the best househusbands to have is def diluc ragnvindr himself.

ever since your beloved husband took care of your shared home, you felt like a small weight on your shoulders were lifted, feeling grateful to have a loving spouse like the retired yakuza.

it certainly wasn’t a surprise to you that diluc would be so great at domestic things, given that he’s amazing at everything–

except baking that is.

“wh-what on earth happened here?” you ask, looking for the source that caused the fire alarm to turn on.

“i uh,” he looks down at his super burnt cupcakes in embarrassment. “i was supposed to give these to you as a… a gift for your achievement in your company.”

of course, you forgave diluc for making a huge mess for his failed attempt at baking– feeling flattered that your husband would try and bake just for you.

despite his lack of experience in baking though, it doesn’t change the fact that diluc is still great at everything else.

when it comes to cleaning, he’ll make sure that everything is neat and well-arranged. you’ll be surprised to see him move things you didn’t know weren’t in their original positions (since you were too busy focusing on other things to notice).

he won’t hesitate to help you clean your office. whether it’d be arranging documents that were all over your desk, vacuum the floors, anything you want him to do, he’ll do it efficiently.

cooking is also no exception to diluc’s great skills. everyday, there’s always a new meal he’d cook and all of them never failed to be delicious, making you wonder if your husband used to be a chef before.

and your colleagues didn’t fail to see your delicious meals during breaks, leaving comments of how envious they feel for you to have such amazing lunches much to your embarrassment.

shopping is definitely something he doesn’t look forward to often, given that he’d attract policemen or people who notice his.. terrifying aura and often stare at him, irritating him in the process.

but nevertheless, the only insufferable thing about shopping is the chance to buy gifts for you <<3

it’s no surprise that diluc would have a lot of money in his bank account, something he had earned after years as a powerful yakuza. he would be lying if he said he knew what to do with such an amount of money though.

the only times he’d spend so much is if he buys a lot of food more than usual or if it’s an expensive gift should there be a special occasion taking place with you— not that he’d complain about the price— after all, gifts is another way of showing your love no?

with giving you gifts aside, shopping is all the more insufferable if you come along with him.

he’ll help you pick out which item is better than the other and is willing to help you find the item you want to see in the mall, paying no mind to police officers nearby who often check up on the both of you with suspicion.

you’d be surprised if you hear the things the man has done while waiting for you.

whenever you’d notified him that you’ll come home late, diluc would do anything to kill some time. whether it’d be attending a certain bar that he’d visit back in his yakuza days and help out the bartender, think of a new recipe for him to cook, read a book that you like — anything to keep him distracted.

during those days, he noticed something that doesn’t quite belong in the neighborhood.

whilst shopping for a certain ingredient that he needs to try a new recipe, diluc couldn’t help but feel like being watched.

it surely wasn’t the police — given that most of the policemen who worked there are friends with him, and it’s surely not one of his enemies, who were all ruined and gone for good.

when he looks around his surroundings, there was nothing suspicious.

out of caution, diluc went to different routes around the mall to lose track of the unknown stalker, hoping that whoever is stalking him doesn’t have any bad intentions towards you.

by the time he walked out from the mall, the feeling of being watched disappeared immediately.

perhaps he was just imagining things.

the only people he actually got along without them being scared of his presence besides you was a certain elderly couple who grew fond of the young gentleman that reminded them of their sons who are abroad.

he honestly appreciated their help whenever he needed it, deciding to help them as well when they need it.

he’ll even visit their home just to give him foods he made, telling them “i made too much so i decided to give out some to other people.” when in reality; he cooked just for them as gratitude.

he’s pretty sure they’re aware, but he never plans to ask either way.

if need be, he’ll even ask them for baking lessons after finding out that they teach other people how to bake, causing the couple to enthusiastically recommend him to try their baking class with other people.

and who is diluc to refuse?

“what are you doing?” you ask, hugging your husband from behind as he continues to stir the ingredients in the bowl, not noticing his cheeks flushed from your sudden affection.

“i‘m baking,” he replied. “i took baking classes and decided to give another try.”

“no wonder why i haven’t heard the fire alarm yet.” you said jokingly, separating yourself from diluc as you head towards one of the cabinets, hoping to find what you‘re looking for.

out of curiosity, diluc looks to see what you’re doing, only to find you putting on your apron.

“mind if i bake with you?” you ask with a smile.

he felt taken back by surprise. “what about your work? you don’t have to worry about me burning our ki–”

“is it bad that i want to spend more time with you?” you interrupted with a pout. “besides, it’s been a while since we‘ve cooked together, no?”

diluc tried to protest about it for a moment, only to give in and indulge himself with your presence.

surely it‘s okay for him to be a little selfish and let you spend time with him.

“alright.”

kaeya

kaeya as a househusband is certainly wild.

when your husband first moved in to your neighborhood, you were honestly worried that your nosy neighbors would suspect him as an ex-yakuza and might report to the cops, only for kaeya to reassure you that there’s nothing to worry about it.

and indeed there’s nothing to worry about.

you’re surprised to see some of your neighbors coming up to you while you’re on your way to your car, telling you how your new husband had been super helpful to them the other day.

old women would often tell you how you’re lucky to have a wonderful husband like kaeya, wishing that their children would have the same spouses as well.

whenever there’s an event, your neighbors would also ask you and kaeya if the both of you would come and participate, only for him to let out a laugh,

“why would i want to participate when i could spend more time with my lovely spouse?” he said, wrapping an arm around your shoulder while the other is holding a basket filled with your clothes.

some neighbors would even offer kaeya a new recipe for the both of you to try, or invite him to hang out with them while shopping for foods.

hell, even the cops were completely wrapped around his finger after an incident where your husband managed to catch a theif, who accidentally bumped into him and fell on his butt whilst kaeya was standing there in confusion.

who knew kaeya was able to be in your nosy neighbors’ good side in just one week?

when it comes to domestic activities, he’s just as experienced as others, but unlike most househusbands, he’s faster.

you need to iron your clothes for an upcoming meeting? no worries, kaeya will finish it before you knew it. you’re getting late but left your food? no worries, kaeya will be at your office with your lunch the moment you arrived.

from how fast he was at everything, you honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he turns out to have super powers.

his foods are unsurprisingly delicious, but always made a mess in the kitchen (not that he minds it), making the area look like there was a war between foods and ended in bloodshed.

but your thoughts about your poor kitchen would fade away from the sight of a post-it note on your bento box with words written by yours truly.

you’d think he’ll write wholesome phrases that’ll make your day, but let’s not forget that he’s kaeya.

“aside from being beautiful, what do you do for a living? ;))”

“do you know what’s on the menu? me “n” u :))”

“even in zero gravity, i’d still fall for you ♥︎”

you’d cringe at every single pick up lines that your husband gave you, but at the same time felt the urge to let out a laugh from his efforts.

your husband always made you so happy that you failed to notice… a certain thing going on around your lover.

you never noticed how kaeya swiftly changes the subject when you ask about what he did to retire from the life as a yakuza, how he’d immediately drive to another route w/o a warning whenever the both of you are heading somewhere,

and you never noticed the picture of a red-haired man behind a picture of you and kaeya in his wallet.

besides that, shopping is something kaeya takes seriously for, surprising you in the process from how weirdly focused he was towards choosing which food to buy.

“is it bad to want the best of the best for our food?” he says with an amused smile. “i simply just want to give you the best foods with the best ingredients.”

he’ll also make sure to go after big sales— especially if it has something he needs for a certain meal he’ll make.

while some would be willing to fight, give up, or ignore, kaeya would just use his tricks against everyone against, snatching all the items he can get his hands on while the poor victim stands still in surprise.

of course, as a househusband of a busy spouse, he’d feel a bit lonely on days when you’d come home late— who can he throw his pick up lines at and watch them laugh now :((

so expect him to immediately come up to you and be a lot more affectionate, hugging you with all his might as he asks you about your day along with you asking his day.

“and miss jean is just— ah she’s so sweet in comparison to mister varka, i’m pretty sure everyone’s completely happy to have her be our substitute boss for a while.” you said with a dreamy sigh as you lay down next to your lover, who immediately wraps his arms around you.

he lets out a huff. “don’t tell me you’re leaving me for your temporary boss, are you?” he asks in a joking tone.

you laugh, kissing kaeya’s cheek before settling under the blankets. “of course not, why would i leave my super loving husband?”

“i could say the same to you, my super super loving spouse.”

“not as loving as you, my super super super loving spouse.” you said with a chuckle.

he raises an eyebrow, still smiling. “i think we all know you’re the most loving one, my super super super super loving spouse.”

“no you.” you point out.

“no you.” he retorts.

“no you!”

“no you!”

zhongli

rex lapis as a househusband is certainly something everyone doesn’t expect in a lifetime.

if you were to tell anyone that rex lapis, one of the most fearsome and undefeatable yakuza among the nation, has retired from crime life just to spend the rest of his life with his spouse as a househusband, you can guarantee that everyone will laugh at your face thinking you’re just joking around.

spoiler alert: you weren’t joking around.

you couldn’t exactly blame them for not believing you, given that you too thought your lover was joking when he confessed that he’s going to be a househusband.

it’s safe to say that you weren’t exactly worried about zhongli’s experience with domestic activities, given that you’ve seen him doing so whenever he stayed in your house.

when it comes to cleaning, zhongli makes sure that everything in the house is clean and spotless to the point where you’d refuse to come inside in fear of ruining your lover’s hard work.

he definitely loves the roomba whenever he cleans the place. if you’re lucky enough, you’d see him getting distracted from watching the little vacuum cleaning the area with him.

do you know those moms who could find the item by the same spot you checked even tho you were super sure it wasn’t there? zhongli’s that mom.

“zhongli, do you know where my watch is? it’s not in the drawer.” you said, watching as your husband continues to cook your meals.

he stops cooking for a moment, glancing at your way. “have you checked the other drawers?” he asks.

you nodded in response. “yeah, i still couldn’t find it.”

zhongli then turns off the stove, placing the newly cooked meal by the counter before rushing towards your shared bedroom. “i’ll find it then.”

you watched as your husband starts opening the drawers you’ve already checked, causing you to furrow your eyebrows in confusion. didn’t you already tell him that you’ve che—

“i found it.” he said as he brings out your watch from the drawer you could’ve sworn was checked, paying no mind to your jaw dropping reaction.

“what sorcery is thi—”

aside from that, zhongli is an amazing cook, there’s no doubt about that. if he wasn’t a househusband, you’re certain that your lover would’ve been a chef instead.

of course, he’ll cook different meals every single day to keep you surprise, but you knew that he favors cooking recipes from his homeland more than any other meals known to mankind.

if zhongli sees fit, he’ll even make heart-shaped or even animal-shaped foods just for shits and giggles. you cannot convince me that he isn’t the type to not do this.

your colleagues would also express how envious they are that you have such an amazing husband who’s great at cooking, curious as to how you met such a man much to your amusement. if only they knew that the said husband used to be a yakuza for a living..

you once wondered what is the one thing that your husband has a hard time with, given that everything he has done is precise and very well done.

but then you remembered his money problems.

“that would be 10,000 mora, sir.” the cashier said with a smile as they placed the last food in the paper bag.

zhongli hums in response, pulling out his wallet and opens it—

only to see 5k mora in it.

oops. “it appears i don’t have enough.” he mumbled with a nervous chuckle, looking up at the cashier apologetically.

the cashier’s smile slowly disappears, slowly putting the paper bag beneath the counter.

“come back here when you have enough.”

retiring from being a leader to a yakuza organization is one thing, but having to bring cash instead of his legendary black card for the only nearest marketplace that doesn’t ask for card?

it’s basically leg day for zhongli — who always had to run back and forth between the nearest atm and the marketplace.

out of irritation and a way to get out from being embarrassed again, he decided to confront the owner of the marketplace for.. a contract regarding the cashiers.

since then, zhongli can now go to the marketplace without ever going back to the atm.

one of the most endearing things with househusband zhongli is definitely the cute pink apron that you bought for him as a joke, not expecting him to actually wear it and not mind it so much.

despite already giving him the actual apron that had his two signature colors, he continued using the pink apron much to your surprise.

“…i suppose i’ve grown used to this apron.” he said with a smile. “it’d be a shame if i don’t use this now for your entertainment now, isn’t it?”

now that you think about it, if it weren’t for the apron that zhongli wears even when going outside for errands, your neighbors would’ve been deeply intimidated of him.

although he isn’t as popular in the neighborhood as kaeya, he still managed to get along quite well with some people — particularly a strange guy who often invites zhongli to a restaurant and always offered to pay.

you honestly have no idea about the guy at all other than the countless rumors and conspiracy about his livelihood, so you can’t exactly tell your lover to stop hanging out with him (and besides, zhongli won’t be fooled right?)

unknownst by you though, zhongli actually knows the man during his yakuza life — a longtime acquaintance of his who was assigned to keep an eye on your door whenever he used to be away. no worries! these two only hung out just for zhongli to kill some time while waiting for you <<3

besides hanging out with the ginger-haired man, zhongli would visit certain places where he’d go to a cafe and take a sip of his favorite tea, or go to the park and read a book until it was time for him to leave and prepare dinner.

as you enter your beloved home with an exhausted look on your face, you immediately smelled the scent of your husband’s infamous bamboo shoot soup.

your mouth could simply water from the thought of eating zhongli’s dish.

“dearest?” you heard his voice from the kitchen. “are you home?” he asks.

you felt your shoulders relax from the sound of zhongli’s soothing voice, your feet slowly taking you towards the kitchen and spotted your husband by the stove.

“ah, you’ve arrived just in time.” zhongli says with a smile, turning around your direction as he turns off the stove. “i’ve just finished cooking the so— oof.”

his words soon died off when he felt your arms wrapped around him, your face nuzzling onto his neck with a satisfied hum.

“i missed you,” you confessed, your voice was muffled from being covered. “i missed you very much.”

he stands still for a while, his eyes now softening from your sudden affection before hugging you back. “i miss you too, dearest,” he replied.

“welcome home.”

childe

out of all the things you thought childe would do when he retired, you did not think it would be him becoming a househusband.

you’ve known your lover for a long time, so you’re very aware of his skills and experience as a housebusband— but him actually going for it? you’d think he’d go for something that could help his battlelust.

surprisingly enough, just like all the other househusbands, childe doesn’t really miss his job much. he still misses fighting though.

“why would i miss my job when i miss you more when you’re away?” he says with a fake pout as he wraps his arms around you. “don’t ever think that i wouldn’t choose you over my job, because i will choose you if it means i get to be with you.”

people don’t like him as much as they do with thoma or zhongli, but he did get along quite well with a lot of kids in the neighborhood, who reminded him of his siblings that are currently living in his homeland.

because of that, he’s often asked by parents to take care of their child whenever their nannies are unavailable, which he’s glad of since he really likes the kids a lot.

when need be, childe would even help other kids who are having a hard time with a certain topic in school, making parents thank him profusely if the kids ended up getting good grades from it.

when it comes to cooking, he usually cooks infamous meals originated from his beloved homeland: snezhnaya. he rarely cooks other foods that aren’t from snezhnaya unless he deems it necessary.

just like zhongli and kaeya, he too leaves a small note on your lunch, sometimes the note contains “good luck on your meeting, i made you a very special meal <3 -your love of your life, stars to your moon, beloved,–” or a pick up line that either has an innuendo (that never fails to make you blush in embarrassment) or a corny one.

cleaning is of course, another expertise of his. you honestly find it humurous to see the retired yakuza who was known as an unstoppable legacy wearing a cute pink apron with a towel wrapped around his head while humming a snezhnayan song.

shopping is perhaps something he enjoys. he’s super loaded and won’t hesitate to go crazy with the gifts you’ll receive.

after one particular incident where your workplace was flooded with flowers sent by yours truly, childe mentally took note in mind to not go overboard again after listening to a painful lecture from you.

when it comes to a certain day when the marketplace pulls up a big sale, it’s a battlefield for childe.

he won’t hesitate to throw hands at every single person during big sales in the mall he frequently visits in — the moment he sees something, he will get it. just one glare from him is enough for one person to back off and go get another item instead so he doesn’t actually have to put up a fight.

not to mention the things he’ll do on days when you tag along with him to his mall trips. when he sees you eyeing something, he will get it in a snap.

“there’s no need to protest about it, y/n! if my beloved spouse wants something, they’ll get it!” childe says reassuringly, giving you a grin as he hands to you the item. “just say the word and your wish is my command.”

besides all of that, whenever you have to come home late, that’s when childe sees an opportunity to spend more time with his activities, such as visiting a particular place that has a boxing ring and takes down many people (especially those who were making fun of him for being a househusband), or tend to his herb garden that many cops mistaken as a weed garden, or even invite some of his friends that he made in the neighborhood in his home.

of course, he dearly misses you. just like whenever he was away for days because of his boss’s missions, you never leave his thoughts until he sees you again.

“i miss you so much.” childe said, kissing your forehead with a smile on his face as you tuck yourself under the blanket.

“childe, i was only getting some water.” you replied with a laugh, wrapping your arms around your husband. “i don’t even have work today.”

your husband hums in response, hugging you back as well as he finds comfort in your warmth. “i know, but i still missed you from those painful minutes of waiting.”

as the both of you slowly drift to sleep, you couldn’t help but feel excited to show him a particular set of tickets that will take you both to a country he’s been longing to visit.

thoma

an amazing househusband, no explanation needed.

with thoma’s personality and the way he acts, people have no clue about his old life before marrying you and his retirement. you were honestly relieved that you didn’t have to worry about people finding out about his secret at all.

and besides, how could they suspect anything, when they’re distracted by your most adorable shiba inu dog that the both of you take care of so much?

thoma’s a dog-lover, that’s one thing for sure. on days whenever he walks around the neighborhood with taromaru, he’d often visit to the dog shelter to check up on the dogs.

he’ll tell you everything about what he did in the shelter, his smile often wide whenever he tells you the sweetest things the dogs did that he witnessed with his own eyes as taromaru sleeps soundly on your lap.

just seeing thoma being so friendly to dogs would make you forget that he used to be a part of a yakuza organization in the first place.

not to mention the fact that he often participates in many community events to the point where everyone knows and likes him, gushing to you about how your husband is definitely a keeper.

other than zhongli, who only does it seldom, thoma will always make foods that are shaped with his cookie cutters that he got from one of the community events. there’s not a single lunch you had that does not have a heart or animal shaped food.

his meals are all inazuma dishes and would only cook other foods if he doesn’t have enough ingredients for certain inazuma dishes.

as for cleaning.. he’s very dedicated per say.

the rest of the househusbands work hard, but thoma works harder. every single thing that thoma sees in the house will be cleaned properly to the point where you can see your reflection everywhere.

on most days, he’d pull out his earphones and airpod to listen to music while cleaning.

although you don’t mind it at all, he sometimes carries away with his music.

“MY LONELINESS IS KILLING ME!” you stopped typing on your laptop when you suddenly heard thoma‘s loud voice.

“I MUST CONFESS, I STILL BELIEVE!” what the hell? is thoma singing britney spears?

you stayed still as your husband continues to sing while cleaning on the room next to yours, your mouth twitching upwards.

“GONNA LOSE MY MIND, GIVE ME A SIII– taromaru wait don’t poop there!”

while other househusbands doesn’t prefer to talk about their experiences as a yakuza, thoma would be willing to share – only if they’re funny or light-hearted experiences with his colleagues though. he doesn’t exactly want you to know about his.. darker self.

on rare occasions when he’s not walking with taromaru, thoma sometimes finds himself standing in front of a kindergarten, his eyes lingers around the windows to see if a white-blue haired girl is somewhere playing with other kids, only to walk away when he hears the bell.

while he was a big help to all of his members in his organization back then, he’s still as helpful to the people who are a part of the neighborhood. sometimes, he could be found somewhere by the park walking with everyone’s dogs with taromaru leading, or in the infamous cafe helping out people who can’t think of items to buy for their spouses, or even in the community gathering place whereas he helps the staff decorate the area fro an upcoming event.

from how popular he was for being a great help, it made the police, who was investigating him back then during the first weeks of his stay in your neighborhood after noticing how he looks oddly like a yakuza that they used to go after, like and respect your husband.

shopping is something thoma actually enjoys. after all, where else can he get the best gifts to give you than the mall?

every item he sees that reminds him of you, he’ll buy it and will give it to you when time allows him to. he’s very aware of how you feel about receiving many of his gifts (after one incident where he flooded your office with a huge amount of gifts), so he reminds himself to only give it to you on times when you achieved something big.

big sales are just as important as missions in thoma’s eyes. he’ll be the very first person to arrive in the mall and grab everything until the rest of the people arrive to snatch everything as well.

besides that, as someone who works in a pretty important company, it does sometimes take a toll on you, so whenever you feel drained, your husband will gladly give you the best massages that he used to give to his old boss.

it’s safe to say that it never fails to make you pass out on your bed with a satisfied look on your face.

did i mention that there’s a club that involves all the housespouses in the neighborhood and made thoma as their president?

you honestly got shocked when you found out from thoma that he’s recently handling a club where he and others would go in cafes or someone’s place to chat and give each other advices – with thoma being the one to provide all the answers others need.

“so, how’s your first meeting with them so far?” you ask, lying beside your husband on the bed as the both of you get ready to sleep.

thoma lets out a sigh, still smiling. “it was pretty great surprisingly, though i kinda got exhausted from so many questions that weren’t even about related to housespouses.”

you chuckled. “let me guess, were they just asking you about you and i?”

he nodded, wrapping his arms around you with a pout. “yeah, they were brutal with the questions too.”

you sigh happily as you bask in thoma’s warmth, hugging him back as well. “don’t worry about it, i’m sure things will go more smoothly from then on.”

“and you? how’s work?” he asks.

“exhausting as always,” you mumbled, closing your eyes shut. “i just wanna hug my husband and not let go.”

he gives a kiss on your head, his cheeks reddens from your bold words.

“i was thinking the same thing.”

Table Four

pairing: taehyung x reader

genre: college au, strangers to lovers, angsty fluff

summary: when he sees you at a campus café on a random tuesday, he knows he has to know you. but you’ve sworn off love after a brutal breakup and want nothing more than to focus on yourself. what starts with a croissant and a crooked smile slowly turns into study sessions, spontaneous adventures, and a love story neither of you saw coming.

warnings: college setting, soft fluff ☺️💕, mutual pining, slow burn, a tiny sprinkle of angst, mentions of academic stress, an emotionally devastating finals week, and EXCESSIVE flirting by one very persistent taehyung.

a message from our sponsors 💁🏽‍♀️: yes, the cover picture is huge af & in your face because…i mean he’s MY MAN, why wouldn’t i want to look at him all big and up close? 🤨💟

word count: 7,478

Taehyung wasn’t even supposed to be there.

He had an econ lecture in ten minutes on the other side of campus, a half finished paper on his laptop, and a group chat that was slowly imploding over whose turn it was to make the slideshow.

But all of that faded into static the moment he got a craving for a croissant. Not just any croissant—one from Bean There, the cozy little café tucked between the music hall and the campus bookstore. The one with honey butter, flaky layers, and, according to his friend Jimin, the best ratio of pastry-to-price-to-aesthetic.

He slipped through the front door, brushing damp curls from his forehead as the warm air hit him. It smelled like cinnamon and espresso, and he let the scent wrap around him as he approached the counter.

That’s when he saw you.

Table Four.

You were hunched over a psych textbook the size of a baby elephant, one earbud in, matcha latte sweating quietly beside your planner. A purple pen danced between your fingers. The other hand tugged at the sleeve of your hoodie every few seconds like your body needed something to do while your brain focused on neurotransmitters or Freud or whatever madness you were dealing with.

You didn’t notice him. Not at first. But Taehyung noticed you.

He felt it in his chest—the kind of jolt that said wait. You had a look about you—sharp but tired, soft in a way that people probably didn’t give you enough credit for. Like someone who carried their own weight and still offered to help others with theirs.

He stared a second too long, then caught himself and turned toward the counter.

“Can I get two croissants?” he asked, and then, almost without thinking, “And… those mini wildflower bouquets. That one with the yellow ribbon.”

The barista looked amused but didn’t question it.

Maybe they were used to college boys doing dumb things for pretty girls. Taehyung took his haul—two pastries and the little bouquet that looked slightly wilted but still sweet—and made his way over to your table like a man with a mission.

He cleared his throat gently.

You looked up slowly, pulling out your earbud, blinking like you were trying to place him in a memory you didn’t have.

“I’m Taehyung. Taehyung Kim,” he said, flashing his best smile.

You blinked again. “Okay?”

“These are for you.”

You looked down. At the croissant. The flowers. Back up. “Why?”

“I don’t know yet,” he said honestly, shifting his weight. “But I think if I give them to you, you might tell me your name.”

You stared at him like he was an essay prompt you weren’t prepared for.

Across the room, two girls at a corner table were watching and whispering, clearly invested. One of them mouthed, shoot your shot, and made a tiny fist pump.

He stayed where he was, not pressing. Just offering. The croissant was still warm. The flowers bent a little in the draft from the door, petals fluttering.

“You’re serious,” you said.

“Deadly.”

You huffed a laugh. “You’re bold.”

“I’m Taehyung,” he repeated with a wink.

You looked him up and down like you were trying to decide if this was real life or a fever dream brought on by lack of sleep and too much caffeine. “No,” you said finally, returning your focus to your textbook. “But… thanks for the snack.”

It wasn’t a yes. It wasn’t a full no either. It was a door left open just a crack.

Taehyung picked up the untouched croissant, unwrapped it, and placed it gently on top of your notes.

“For your brain,” he said with a grin.

And then he walked away.

Out the door. Back into the cold.

And for the rest of the day, you occupied way more space in his mind than his paper, his class, or his very irritated group chat.

^^^^^^^^

Taehyung burst into their shared suite like a man possessed.

Jimin was upside down on the couch, legs draped over the back cushions and phone resting on his chest. Hoseok was perched cross legged at the breakfast bar, scrolling through notes while stress eating fruit loops. Seokjin was in the tiny kitchenette, slicing fruit like he was auditioning for a cooking show.

All three looked up as Taehyung slammed the door, breathless.

“I met someone,” he announced dramatically.

Jimin rolled his eyes. “You met someone last week. And the week before that. And the week before—”

“No, no. This is different.” Taehyung threw his bag on the floor and spun like a theater major mid monologue. “I didn’t even know her name and I bought her flowers.”

Hoseok dropped his chopsticks. “You bought someone flowers?”

Seokjin squinted. “Is this an emergency?”

“Yes,” Taehyung said, dead serious. “I’m in love.”

Jimin groaned. “You say that every time someone breathes near you with good eyebrows.”

Taehyung pointed at him. “She had a psych book the size of a small country and a matcha latte. She said no to me. With full eye contact. No. Like I was a door to door salesman trying to pitch essential oils.”

Hoseok choked on a fruit loop. “Damn.”

“And she took the croissant,” Taehyung continued. “But not the flowers. She just left them on the table like a message. Like—‘thanks, peasant, but I am not to be wooed today.’”

Seokjin looked mildly concerned. “Did she hurt you?”

“No, but she could. And I would thank her for it.”

Jimin sat up, rubbing his face. “You don’t even know her name?”

“Not yet. But I will. Table Four, Bean There café. Every day if I have to.”

“God, he’s spiraling,” Hoseok muttered, passing Seokjin his bowl.

“I’m fine,” Taehyung said. “I’m just… invested. Emotionally. Spiritually. Academically.”

“She’s a psych major, huh?” Seokjin asked, sipping from his water bottle. “Explains why she’s not falling for your chaos.”

“I think she’s been through something,” Taehyung murmured, more serious now. “She had that look. You know… like she’s trying really hard not to believe in good things anymore.”

The room went quiet for a second.

Then Jimin said, “You’re so whipped already. I haven’t even seen her and I want her to give you a chance.”

Taehyung grinned. “Same.”

^^^^^^^^

Taehyung had a reputation for forgetting important things—his dorm key, due dates, what time class started—but he remembered you.

The curve of your lips when you told him “no” like it was a complete sentence. The slight twitch of amusement in your brow when he insisted he was serious. The way you stared back like you were used to brushing people off, like you were tired of being looked at like a puzzle someone could solve with a smile.

You didn’t know it, but you haunted him.

So, he went back to Bean There. Every single day.

Not in a weird way. Okay, maybe in a slightly weird way. But he sat at a different table each time, ordered something new, and kept one eye on Table Four like a man casually waiting on fate to show up with her purple pen and unbothered energy.

Day two: no sign of you.

Day three: a glimpse. You walked in, spotted him already sitting at your usual spot with a croissant and a hopeful smile—and turned right around and left.

He blinked. Sighed. Took a bite of the croissant and muttered, “Bold of you to resist destiny.”

But day four?

You sat down across from him.

“I’ve decided I’m not going to let you win,” you said plainly.

Taehyung blinked, startled. “I’m sorry—what?”

“You’re obviously playing the long game. Showing up here every day, waiting around like you’re in a romcom montage. It’s textbook persistence. I won’t be manipulated.”

Taehyung pressed his lips together, shoulders shaking. “Is… is this your way of saying you missed me?”

“Not even a little.”

“Then why are you here?”

You looked at him then. Really looked. “Because I’m tired. And you’re… persistent. And I have a lot of reading to do and this place has the best quality drinks my money can buy.”

He leaned back in his chair, beaming. “I’ll take it.”

You rolled your eyes but stayed put.

You didn’t tell him your name. Not yet. But you accepted the croissant and took his pen when yours ran out of ink. You let him sit beside you instead of across from you, and when he asked if he could see your textbook—“just to check if it’s cursed”—you didn’t say no.

Progress.

^^^^^^^^

Later that week, he found you outside the library in a study circle with three other students. He nearly walked by—he didn’t want to be annoying—but then he heard you laugh.

Taehyung stopped mid step.

You were glowing in the late afternoon sun, head tilted back, cheeks flushed from something someone had said. The group looked tight knit. Comfortable. Like you’d known each other for a while.

He stepped forward anyway.

“You guys studying for Abnormal Psych?” he asked, backpack slung over one shoulder.

The girl with the buzzcut nodded. “Yeah, why?”

“I’m in the class,” he lied smoothly. “Mind if I join?”

You looked up. Eyes narrowed.

“You’re not in this class.”

“I learn fast,” he said, already sitting down on the edge of the blanket someone had thrown across the grass. “Name’s Taehyung.”

Buzzcut girl perked up. “I’ve heard of you. You did karaoke dressed as an anime character at the bio major mixer.”

“Guilty,” he grinned.

“Didn’t know you were in psych, though.”

“Oh, I’m more of a… community learner.”

You snorted softly despite yourself. “This is a closed study group.”

“Not anymore,” Buzzcut girl said, pulling out her flashcards. “He brought gummy bears.”

Taehyung passed the bag to you first, catching your eye. “For your brain.”

You shook your head—but didn’t refuse them.

^^^^^^^^

Over the next two weeks, he became a fixture in your orbit.

He never asked for more than you gave, but he was always around—texting you helpful mnemonics, scribbling dumb doodles in the margins of your notes, bringing lattes and whispering jokes during tense study sessions.

You didn’t realize you’d started waiting for him until one day he was late and your stomach felt weird.

He showed up five minutes later with windblown hair and a sheepish grin. “Sorry, spilled yogurt on my pants and had to change. Very heroic story, I’ll tell it in full later.”

You didn’t say anything. Just nudged your shoulder against his as he sat down beside you.

He noticed.

Of course he noticed.

But he didn’t say a word. He just smiled.

Because you still hadn’t said yes to dinner. You hadn’t said yes to “just one date.”

But you’d stopped saying no.

^^^^^^^^

It was the kind of party that smelled like sweat, cheap beer, and bad decisions—one of those “someone’s cousin knows the guy who owns this place” situations where no one really belonged but no one got kicked out either.

The porch was packed. The lawn was wrecked. Someone had already duct taped a traffic cone to the roof.

It was a Thursday.

Your roommate had dragged you out. She was currently glittered from head to toe and sipping a vodka cranberry like it was a rite of passage.

“This is exactly what you need,” Nia said over the music. “One night. No textbooks. No overthinking. Just vibes.”

You weren’t sure if just vibes was medically advisable, but you’d worn your favorite jeans, a cute little corset Nia let you borrow, and actually styled your hair. So you were halfway committed.

And then he appeared.

Taehyung, standing in the hallway like he knew he was the main character—dress shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows, rings glinting in the dim light, curls wild and his grin wilder. Jimin was beside him, all smirks and shoulder shrugs, clearly playing wingman for the night.

You caught Taehyung’s eye.

And he lit up.

“Look who finally decided to be fun,” he said, weaving through the crowd like he had a spotlight following him.

“You’re everywhere,” you muttered, sipping your drink.

“I contain multitudes,” he replied, offering his hand with zero irony. “Dance with me.”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Just one song?”

“You’re impossible.”

“And yet…”

You let him pull you in.

Just one song. One dumb, thumping remix with bass that shook the walls and made your teeth buzz. Taehyung danced like no one was watching—and if they were, he didn’t care. Loose, confident, chaotic in a way that made you laugh more than you should’ve. He pulled you into it without thinking—hands on your waist, forehead nearly brushing yours, smiling like you were already his.

Then it turned into two songs. Then three.

You pretended not to notice how close he got. How your body moved in sync with his. How his hands never strayed too far, but also never let you drift.

When the music shifted into something slower, more nostalgic, you ducked out with a mumbled, “Need some air.”

Taehyung followed. Of course he did.

The backyard was quieter. Cooler. The string lights hanging between trees buzzed softly, casting a golden halo around everything. You leaned against the porch railing, drink in hand, and tried to act unaffected.

“You’re good at that,” he said after a minute.

“At what?”

“Pretending you’re not having a good time.”

You glanced at him. “Maybe I’m not.”

“You are.” He bumped his shoulder against yours. “You laughed three times. Snorted once. That’s a strong indicator of fun.”

You rolled your eyes. “Maybe I’m just easy to amuse.”

“I don’t think you’re easy at all.”

That pulled your gaze back to him.

Taehyung didn’t look away.

He wasn’t smiling now. Not exactly. Just… watching you, like he was waiting for something.

“Why me?” you asked softly. “You flirt with everyone.”

“Not like this.”

You blinked. “Like what?”

“Like I mean it.”

The words sat heavy in the air between you. Not overwhelming. Not demanding. Just there—a quiet truth.

You didn’t know what to do with it.

So you leaned in, just a little. Just close enough to tempt fate.

And then Nia called your name from across the yard, voice bright and urgent.

You stepped back.

Just enough to make Taehyung smile—small, understanding, but with a flicker of disappointment he didn’t quite hide.

“Almost,” he whispered, more to himself than to you.

You didn’t respond.

Because almost was already more than you meant to give him.

^^^^^^^^

Inside, as the night wore on, Taehyung sat on the arm of the couch nursing a beer while Jimin hovered beside him.

“You okay?” Jimin asked, nodding toward the door you’d walked through.

“Yeah,” Taehyung said, eyes still on the space where you’d stood. “She makes me nervous in a good way.”

“Oof, that’s the scariest kind.”

Taehyung nodded. “I know.”

^^^^^^^^

The first day of summer was supposed to taste like freedom.

You’d graduated with honors, your cap decorated in glitter and photos, your cheeks sore from smiling. The night before, you and Damian had promised to meet at your favorite coffee spot to plan everything—dorm lists, road trip playlists, countdowns until move-in day. You were so ready for the next chapter.

He was fifteen minutes late.

That should’ve been your first clue.

You were halfway through your iced vanilla latte when he finally walked in, hands in his pockets, hair still wet from his morning shower. He didn’t kiss your cheek like he usually did. Didn’t smile like he had the night before when you slow danced to no music in your driveway.

He just slid into the booth across from you and looked down at his hands.

You remember the cold bloom of instinct in your gut. The kind that whispered, something’s wrong before anything had even been said.

“Babe?”

He didn’t look at you.

“I got into UCLA,” he said.

You blinked. “What?”

“I applied in secret. Early decision.”

“But…” You laughed, confused. “We were going to State. We both committed—”

“I didn’t sign anything,” he cut in. “I waited.”

The room spun.

“Why?”

Damian looked up then. Not cruel. Not angry. Just… removed. Like he’d already made peace with the explosion and was just waiting for the dust to settle.

“Because high school sweethearts is cute,” he said softly. “But it’s also… high school. I want to see what college has to offer.”

You stared at him, chest rising and falling like your lungs had forgotten how to breathe right.

“I don’t want to be tied down,” he added.

That part hit the hardest.

Like all your plans—every phone call about future dorm setups, every hand squeezing moment when college felt scary—had been your fantasy, and he’d just been playing along. Like your love had an expiration date, and he’d already circled it in red.

You swallowed the lump in your throat and asked the only question you could manage:

“When were you going to tell me?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I guess… today.”

You nodded slowly, as if your heart hadn’t just been cracked down the middle.

“You could’ve just said you didn’t love me anymore.”

He winced. “It’s not that. I do. Just… not enough to stay.”

That was worse.

You didn’t cry. Not in the booth. Not in front of him.

You just stood, left your untouched drink on the table, and walked out into the summer sun that suddenly felt all wrong.

That night, you packed away every picture. Deleted every message. Blocked his name from your college folder. And when Nia came over with a pint of ice cream and a bottle of tequila, you didn’t say a word.

You just shook your head and promised yourself:

Next time, it’ll be different.

If there even was a next time.

^^^^^^^^

The rain started around sunset—soft at first, like a whisper against the windows. But by nightfall, it was pouring, steady and rhythmic, turning the sidewalks into mirrors and the air into something heavier.

You were at the library, third floor, tucked into a booth that always smelled faintly of printer ink and pencil shavings. A hoodie swallowed your frame, sleeves pushed past your knuckles as you clicked between tabs on your laptop. Notes, study guide, quizlet, back to notes.

You were trying to be productive.

Trying not to think.

But the words blurred together, and your chest felt tight, and your coffee had gone cold an hour ago.

You thought about texting Nia.

You thought about crying.

Instead, you just sat there, headphones in but no music playing, watching the cursor blink like it knew how close you were to breaking.

I want to see what college has to offer.

You could still hear Damian’s voice. Calm. Certain. As if you hadn’t spent two years memorizing each other’s schedules and picking out twin bedspreads. As if you hadn’t built an entire future together only for him to drop it in your lap like a stone and walk away.

You blinked fast. Swallowed hard.

And then—

Tap. Tap. Tap.

You looked up.

Taehyung.

Dripping wet from the rain, curls flattened against his forehead, hoodie dark with water around the shoulders. He grinned through it all, holding a brown paper bag in one hand and a lumpy, too bright bouquet in the other.

“Emergency snack delivery,” he said, voice muffled by the air pods still in your ears.

You tugged one out. “What are you—how did you know I was here?”

“You’re a creature of habit,” he said. “And you said you study here during exam week.”

“I could’ve gone anywhere.”

He shrugged. “But you didn’t.”

He sat across from you, no hesitation, already pulling things from the bag: chocolate covered pretzels, sour gummy worms, two croissants, and a lavender canned tea. Then—like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat—he produced a single, rainbow gel pen.

You blinked. “Is that mine?”

“I found it in your psych notes.”

“You stole my pen?”

“Borrowed. For morale.”

You stared at the offerings on the table.

“You okay?” he asked, quieter now. The smile hadn’t disappeared, but it had softened, curved at the edges with concern.

You hesitated. “Just tired.”

He nodded. “Tired sucks.”

And somehow, that made it easier.

You let him stay. Let him quiz you in a silly voice. Let him dramatically act out memory devices like you were cramming for a Broadway audition instead of a midterm. You laughed. More than once. He caught you smiling down at your notebook and said nothing—but he noticed.

Like he always did

At one point, you let your head fall against the window. He reached across the table and tucked your pen behind your ear like it was something precious. His fingers brushed your cheek, just for a second, and your whole body sparked like a struck match.

You didn’t pull away.

But you didn’t lean in either.

He didn’t push.

When the library announced its closing, you packed your things slowly. He waited. Held your laptop sleeve without asking. Walked beside you in the rain without offering an umbrella—just held it high enough for both of you to huddle under.

When you got to your door, you turned to face him.

The porch light flickered above your head. He looked at you like you were made of stardust.

“This the part where you kiss me?” you asked softly.

Taehyung smiled. “Nope.”

You tilted your head. “Why not?”

“Because I want you to kiss me,” he said. “When you’re ready. When it’s real. When it’s yours.”

You looked at him.

The kindness. The care. The way he never pushed, never pried, never reached for more than you offered.

Your chest ached.

“I’m scared,” you whispered.

“I know.”

“I don’t want to get hurt again.”

“I won’t hurt you.”

“You can’t promise that.”

“I know,” he repeated. “But I can promise I’ll stay.”

You blinked.

He smiled. Tipped his head. “Goodnight, beautiful.”

And he walked away.

You stood in the doorway for a long time after he was gone.

Not thinking.

Just feeling.

^^^^^^^^

The text came on a Tuesday, sandwiched between a group project meltdown and a mediocre dining hall salad.

Taehyung [1:04 PM] important question: do you believe in spontaneous joy, glitter, and road trips with questionable wifi? 🙃

You frowned.

You [1:06 PM] …what are you planning?

Taehyung [1:06 PM] music festival. this weekend. us, jimin, nia, a few others. tents. loud music. bad decisions. snacks. it’s practically self care!

You didn’t answer right away. He waited a whole ten minutes before sending another.

Taehyung [1:16 PM] i’ll bring gummy bears and the collapsible desk. and i’ll make you a playlist. please come🙏🏻 i want to dance with you under ugly lights and yell lyrics off key.

You stared at the message longer than you should have.

Nia leaned over your tray. “Is that the chaotic guy with the eyebrows and the emotional support snacks?”

“Yes.”

“Are we going?”

“I don’t know.”

“You want to.”

“…Yeah. I think I do.”

^^^^^^^^

On Friday, when the sun was just barely making its daily debut, you stood on the curb in front of the dorm with your duffel bag, hoodie pulled tight, trying not to look excited.

The van was chaos in motion—Jimin behind the wheel in yellow sunglasses and a mesh tank top, Hoseok in the passenger seat playing DJ, and Taehyung in the backseat waving at you like he hadn’t seen you in years instead of twelve hours ago.

“You came!” he shouted, throwing the side door open like a golden retriever greeting its favorite person. “You came.”

“You said there’d be snacks.”

“I said there’d be magic. Snacks are a bonus.”

Nia climbed in behind you, flopping over a pile of blankets. Someone tossed you a warm muffin. Hoseok handed you a tiny bottle of hotel shampoo, no explanation. It was perfect.

^^^^^^^^

The drive was loud, messy, and full of laughter.

They passed around instant cameras and took blurry photos at gas stations. Played Taehyung’s Mixtape Mayhem game, your movie montage song: Cigarette Daydreams; his: SexyBack, with no shame whatsoever. Someone kept losing signal. Someone else lost a shoe.

You hadn’t laughed that much in a long time.

And Taehyung? He watched you with this soft awe, like every time you smiled it made something in him settle deeper. He didn’t cling, didn’t crowd, just found you with his gaze every so often like he couldn’t not.

When you sang along to a song you loved, he watched your mouth like it was art.

When your head drooped against the window, he tucked your hoodie hood up without a word.

And when you caught him looking?

He just smiled.

^^^^^^^^

The air buzzed with bass and heat, the kind of energy that stuck to your skin. You pitched tents between strangers and strung fairy lights between trees. Someone spilled a soda on your blanket. Jimin got into a debate with a guy selling handmade jewelry about astrology. You danced under colored lights and neon fog and laughed until your cheeks hurt.

At some point, Taehyung disappeared and returned with glow stick crowns. He placed yours gently on your head like it was something precious.

“There,” he said. “Royalty.”

“Are you flirting with me?”

He blinked. “Am I not always?”

You couldn’t argue with that.

^^^^^^^^

Later that night the fire pit had burned down to a sleepy glow. Everyone else had drifted off to their tents, leaving you and Taehyung in the silence of stars and smoke.

You lay on your back in the grass, his arm close enough that you could feel the warmth of him. Your glow stick crown still flickered faintly. His curls were tucked under a beanie now, damp from sweat and fog.

“Tell me something real,” he said suddenly.

You turned your head. “What?”

“Anything. Doesn’t have to be deep. Just real.”

You hesitated for a few minutes before deciding to push past the fear.

“I think…I’m afraid of how much I like you.”

His breath hitched.

You didn’t look at him.

You just stared at the sky and added, “Because last time I liked someone this much… it didn’t end well.”

He was quiet.

Then his fingers found yours in the grass, slow and careful.

“I’m not him,” he said.

You finally turned.

“I know,” you said. “That’s what scares me.”

He didn’t kiss you.

He didn’t rush.

He just held your hand like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Like maybe you’d been holding his this whole time without realizing it.

^^^^^^^^

Finals week feels like the inside of a pressure cooker.

Sleep becomes optional. Meals turn into vending machine runs and half eaten granola bars that disappear somewhere in your bag. The library is open 24/7, and somehow still always full. Even Taehyung looks frayed at the edges—hoodie pulled low, dark circles under his eyes, curls tucked under a beanie he refuses to take off.

But he still checks in.

He texts you every day. Drops off snacks when you forget to eat. Leaves sticky notes in your textbooks with doodles and cheesy pep talks in his messy handwriting. On the morning of your hardest exam, you find a neon green post it tucked into your notebook:

you’re gonna crush this. and when you do, i’m taking you to celebrate. wear something that makes me weak.

You laugh out loud. Then immediately choke on your coffee and have to explain to your roommate why you’re smiling like the post it just confessed its love to you.

^^^^^^^^

It was past one in the morning, and the world outside your window had gone still.

Finals were less than two days away, your laptop fan was groaning like it was on its last breath, and your study guide looked like a crime scene—scribbled notes, scratched out equations, desperate reminders written in red pen.

You sat on your bedroom floor, a monstrously oversized t-shirt, bare legs tangled in a blanket, surrounded by empty coffee cups and open tabs you couldn’t bring yourself to close.

Your brain was fogged.

Your chest was tight.

The quiet wasn’t peaceful—it was loud.

You stared down at the mess of your planner, blinking back the hot sting in your eyes, and then reached for your phone without even thinking.

You [1:23 AM] can you come over..if you’re awake

You didn’t expect an answer right away. But thirty seconds later his reply came.

Taehyung [1:23AM] already halfway there

^^^^^^^^

You barely had time to drag your fingers through your hair and put on some shorts before there was a knock on the door.

You opened it to find him standing there in gray slacks and a too big sweater, and his backpack hanging off one shoulder like he’d come from war.

“Hi,” he said, voice soft.

You just nodded and stepped aside.

He looked around your room—saw the chaos, the barely contained panic—and didn’t say anything about it.

Instead, he set his bag down, pulled out a warm croissant wrapped in foil and a little folded paper crane he’d clearly scribbled something onto.

You opened it.

you’ve survived 100% of your worst days so far. let’s keep the streak going.

The tears came so fast you didn’t even feel them build.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” you whispered.

Taehyung was already crossing the room.

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” he said, pulling you into his arms like he’d done it a thousand times. “You’re just tired. You’ve been carrying the world on your back for weeks. Let someone hold it with you for a minute.”

You buried your face in his chest, breathing in that warm, cozy scent that had become your favorite thing.

He didn’t rush you. Didn’t ask for anything in return. Just rubbed your back slowly and let you fall apart.

When the tears slowed and the silence stretched, he spoke again—low and gentle.

“Can I say something, or will it make you spiral more?”

You sniffed. “Depends. Are you about to tell me you failed an exam?”

He smiled against your hair. “No. I was gonna tell you I think I’m falling in love with you.”

You froze.

Not in a bad way. Just in that whole body still way that happens when something hits too deep to move.

You leaned back just enough to look at him.

“Why would you say that now?”

“Because I’ve wanted to say it for a while,” he said, searching your face. “And because I think you need to hear something true right now. Even if it’s scary.”

You stared at him, heart pounding.

And then slowly, carefully.

You kissed him.

It wasn’t cinematic, No swelling orchestra, no perfectly timed wind. Just his sweater against your skin, your hands in his hair at the nape of his neck, your breath hitching when he cupped your cheek like he couldn’t believe you were real.

When you pulled away, he was smiling like he’d just solved a riddle no one else could.

“You… kissed me,” he whispered.

“You said you were waiting,” you murmured back.

“I would’ve waited forever.”

You leaned your forehead against his, voice barely there. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t leave. Don’t change your mind. Don’t do what he did, please.”

Taehyung kissed your nose.

Then your cheek.

Then your mouth again.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

^^^^^^^^

Finals week hit like a freight train.

The library turned into a second home. Cafeteria food lost what little appeal it had. Everyone walked around with under eye circles and iced coffee IVs. You were running on four hours of sleep, two protein bars, and blind academic panic.

But somehow, Taehyung made it feel almost survivable.

He didn’t hover—he just showed up exactly when you needed him. A text when your brain fogged. A forehead kiss on his way to class. A note slipped into your textbook that read:

you don’t have to do this alone. but I know you can.

Every time you felt yourself unravel, he helped you stitch yourself back together.

And he never asked for anything in return.

^^^^^^^^

The night before your last exam, you sat side by side in his dorm’s common room, surrounded by half open notebooks and the distant sound of someone crying over a chemistry final. Your head rested against his shoulder, your body warm beneath a shared blanket.

You hadn’t kissed again since that night.

Not because you didn’t want to—but because something about the pause felt sacred. Like the next time it happened, it would mean everything.

“I had a dream last night,” you whispered. “That we were back at the café. You walked in and didn’t recognize me.”

Taehyung’s brow furrowed. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“I don’t know,” you said. “Maybe because I wasn’t… this version of me. I was still the girl from the first day of summer. Still waiting to be chosen.”

He turned toward you, eyes soft. “I’ve been choosing you since the second I saw you.”

You didn’t speak.

You didn’t need to.

Because the silence between you wasn’t empty—it was full of everything.

He reached for your hand, weaving your fingers together slowly.

“I know you were hurt,” he said quietly. “And I know I can’t erase that. But I swear, every part of me wants to give you something better. Softer. Real.”

You looked at him.

At the guy who bought you croissants just to learn your name.

At the guy who stayed.

Who always stayed.

“Ask me again,” you said.

Taehyung blinked. “What?”

“Ask me again to go out with you.”

His mouth curved into a slow, sure smile.

“Will you go out with me?”

You leaned in.

Kissed him like you were sealing something that had already been written in stone and yet brand new at the same time.

“Yes.”

^^^^^^^^

Two days later on the campus lawn, post exams, the sun was shining too bright. Students were lounging like survivors after battle. Nia had collapsed onto a blanket with iced tea and a victory playlist.

You were half asleep, head in Taehyung’s lap, as he read a graphic novel with one hand and played with your curls with the other.

“So what now?” you mumbled.

“Now?” he said. “Now we do summer. We do late night drives and brunch and museums and maybe even a weekend at that lake house my cousin keeps bragging about.”

“Sounds like a lot.”

“It is,” he said. “And it’s all with you.”

You closed your eyes, smiling.

Because for the first time in a long time, the future didn’t feel like a question mark.

It felt like a promise.

^^^^^^^^

You didn’t even need a destination.

Just Taehyung behind the wheel of his silver coupe, music low, the windows cracked open to let in the breeze. The sky stretched wide overhead, pale blue with streaks of clouds that looked like brushstrokes.

“You packed four pairs of jeans,” he said, glancing at your duffel bag in the backseat. “We’re gone for two days.”

“I like options,” you replied, flicking his sunglasses down over his eyes. “And you brought five different notebooks.”

“Those are creative tools.”

“Sure.”

He grinned, reaching for your hand across the console. His fingers laced with yours so naturally it felt like you’d always done it.

The road was empty. Just the two of you, the hum of the tires, and a playlist you built together that morning—equal parts indie slow burn, R&B, and old songs you both secretly knew every word to.

You leaned your head out the window and yelled into the wind just to feel it bite at your cheeks.

Taehyung watched you with a smile that made your stomach dip.

“Wanna stop?” he asked after a while, eyes flicking toward a peeling road sign that read:

EXIT 41 – Scenic Overlook | Fruit Stand | Antique Store

“Fruit stand?”

He wiggled his brows. “Adventure.”

You rolled your eyes. “Fine. But if this turns into a weird horror movie setup, I’m leaving you behind.”

“Noted,” he said, already flipping on the turn signal.

^^^^^^^^

Twenty minutes later you stood at the edge of a hill, hair whipping in the breeze, holding a strawberry soda in one hand and a bag of peaches in the other.

The overlook was quiet, just a small gravel lot with a single picnic table and a stunning view of rolling hills and wide open sky. The woman at the fruit stand had called you two honeymooners and given you an extra apple “just in case.”

Taehyung climbed onto the table and stretched his arms behind his head, shirt riding up just enough to make you look away and then look back a second later.

“This feels fake,” you said, settling beside him.

“What does?”

“This.” You gestured at the view. “Us. The quiet. Everything.”

“It’s real,” he said simply. “Just rare.”

You sat in silence for a while, sharing sips of soda and stealing bites of fruit, letting your bodies lean into each other without needing to say anything.

Then, out of nowhere—

“Marry me.”

You choked.

Taehyung was grinning, not serious, but not exactly joking either.

“Excuse me?”

He shrugged. “Someday. If you’re bored. If you need someone to keep bringing you snacks and calling you pretty forever.”

You looked at him.

At his messy curls and his sun kissed skin and the way he was watching you like he knew how to wait a lifetime for the right moment.

And for the first time, the idea didn’t terrify you.

It made your heart ache in a way that felt good.

“Maybe,” you said.

“Maybe?”

“Ask me again at another fruit stand.”

He leaned in, kissed your temple, and whispered, “Deal.”

| 3 years later |

The first chill of autumn always brought you back to the beginning.

It made the air sharper. The coffee stronger. The campus quieter, like it was exhaling after the noise of summer. And tucked between the music hall and the campus bookstore, Bean There Café still looked the same—wobbly table legs, moody lighting, a playlist that always seemed to know how you were feeling.

Table Four hadn’t changed.

Still near the window. Still a little crooked. Still yours.

Taehyung sat sideways in his chair, sketchbook resting on his knee, his left foot nudging yours under the table every few minutes like he couldn’t help it. His curls were longer now, his rings flashier. But his smile? Still exactly the same.

Across from him, you were highlighting a research article, one AirPod in, your cardigan slipping off your shoulder in that way that always made him pause.

He watched you for a long time before speaking.

“You’re really gonna make me sit here and suffer without saying hi to me properly, baby?”

You didn’t look up. “We’ve been sitting here for twenty minutes.”

“Exactly. That’s twenty minutes of missed affection. I’m traumatized.”

You set your pen down and raised an eyebrow. “Would you like a sticker or a kiss?”

“Yes.”

You leaned across the table and kissed his cheek.

“Greedy,” you said.

“Hopeless,” he corrected. “Hopelessly greedy for you.”

You rolled your eyes but smiled, and Taehyung felt something settle in his chest like a song finishing its final note.

He reached into his bag and pulled out a folded piece of thick paper—worn at the edges, carefully smoothed out. He slid it across the table without ceremony.

You opened it slowly.

Inside was a new sketch. A recreation of Table Four—but not the one from the past. This time, there were two mugs. A laptop. Your favorite pen. A shared pastry. You were looking down, focused. Taehyung had drawn himself mid smile, eyes only on you.

In the corner, in soft graphite:

Still my favorite seat in the world.

You blinked hard.

“This is unfair,” you whispered.

“It’s accurate,” he said, already reaching for your hand. “You saved my heart when I didn’t even realize I’d given it away.”

“You’re being dramatic.”

“I’m being honest.”

You looked up at him. Your Taehyung. The man who once brought you croissants for no reason. Who waited. Who never asked for more than you could give, but always gave you more than you knew to want.

You squeezed his hand.

“I’m glad I sat down that day.”

“I’m glad I saw you.”

Outside, the wind rustled golden leaves against the glass. Someone near the register was humming along to a soft acoustic cover of a love song you both knew. The coffee still wasn’t great. The wi-fi still glitched near the counter. But none of it mattered.

Because this table—this moment—this love?

It was yours.

And it always would be.

| 6 years later |

It was a Thursday night in late spring, and the city had finally started to bloom again.

You and Taehyung had gone to dinner at your favorite spot—quiet, candlelit, familiar. He’d been soft all evening, affectionate in that barely contained way he got when something was brewing behind his eyes. The kind of soft where his hand found your lower back for no reason. The kind of soft where his eyes never stopped smiling, even when his mouth did.

“I still say I could’ve made better risotto,” you teased, tugging on his sleeve as the two of you walked back toward the car.

“Untrue,” he said. “You would’ve burned the pan and added too much salt.”

You gasped. “You love my over salted cooking.”

“I love you, baby,” he corrected. “The cooking is a side quest.”

He kissed your temple and opened the passenger door for you, sliding into the driver’s side a second later like he hadn’t been checking the time on his phone every five minutes during dinner.

You didn’t notice.

Too busy pulling off your earrings and mumbling about whether or not you left the porch light on back at the townhouse.

^^^^^^^^

Ten minutes into the drive, you pass it.

A fruit stand.

Small, rustic. Just off the edge of a quiet road near your neighborhood. The wood was painted with soft lavender accents and little twinkle lights strung above it. There was a handwritten chalkboard that read:

Fresh Strawberries • Homemade Peach Jam • Love Optional

You blinked. “That… wasn’t here last week.”

Taehyung’s grip on the wheel tightened. “Wanna stop?”

You hesitated.

He looked over, a small, unreadable smile pulling at his lips. “Adventure?”

Your heart kicked up—familiar, fond, warm.

You smiled. “Sure. But if this is another horror movie setup, I’m leaving you behind again.”

“My beautiful creature of habit.”

^^^^^^^^

The stand looked even more whimsical up close. There were bunches of baby’s breath in tiny mason jars, a crate of freshly baked mini pies, and baskets of strawberries that still smelled like sun.

You wandered toward a basket.

Taehyung stayed a few steps behind.

You reached for a peach. “This is so weird, who puts a random fruit—?”

When you turned, he wasn’t beside you.

He was kneeling.

One knee to the earth. Holding a ring box that looked like it had been in his pocket for weeks, like it had been waiting for the right moment. For the right stand.

Your breath caught in your throat.

You barely registered the wind.

Or the smell of strawberries.

Or the sound of the breeze rattling the twinkle lights.

“I asked you once at a fruit stand if you’d marry me,” Taehyung said, voice quiet but steady. “You said to ask again someday. At another stand.”

You blinked fast. “Tae—”

“I knew then. I knew before then. Before croissants. Before gummy bears. Before that first party and the first road trip and the first kiss you gave me when you didn’t even believe in love anymore.”

His voice cracked.

You hadn’t even realized you were crying until a tear landed on your thumb.

Taehyung smiled—shaky, bright. “I’ve spent every day since just being lucky enough to love you.”

The ring was delicate. Gold band with a peach colored diamond. Your style, down to the last glimmer.

“So now,” he continued, “I’m asking again. One more time, with no expiration date, no more waiting.”

He looked up at you, eyes shining.

“Will you marry me?”

Your knees gave a little.

You nodded, too fast. “Yes. Y-Yes, I will.”

The ring slid onto your finger like it had always belonged there.

You barely had time to breathe before Nia screamed from behind a car, “SHE SAID YES, Y’ALL—COME ON!”

Laughter and cheers exploded around you.

From behind every parked car friends and family poured out, cheering and shouting, phones up, cameras flashing. Jimin was in tears. Hoseok threw confetti that stuck in Taehyung’s hair. Seokjin was already handing out mini champagne bottles.

You covered your mouth in disbelief as your world rushed forward in color and light.

Taehyung pulled you into his chest, arms around your waist, spinning you slightly.

“I can’t believe you did all this,” you whispered into his shoulder.

“I would’ve shut down the whole city if you asked,” he said. “But this felt more like us.”

And it did.

A quiet road.

A handmade sign.

The kind of love that started with a croissant and a ‘maybe’ at table four.

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