A Moment In Time | KNJ | DAY TWO

Pair: Namjoon x f!reader

Summary: You’ve had a crush on Namjoon for as long as you could remember. Living with him didn’t help keep those feelings in check, but his girlfriend did. Until the day they broke up. And when your friends suggested that Namjoon finds a one night stand to get over his now-ex, what happens when he looks at you for a favor? 

Chapter Warnings: Things are definitely…. Developing. 

WC: 9k

 “No. Absolutely not.” 

You could hear Jungkook’s whines coming from the living room as you crossed the hallway to meet your friends so you could leave.  

“I swear to god, Jungkook, I will punch you in the dick.” Sohee was standing in front of the boy, arms crossed against her very uncovered chest, which gave you a hint as to what was the issue. 

“What’s going on?” you joined them while holding a laugh and one look at you made Jungkook’s shoulders drop. 

“Not you, too!” he cried, looking over your shoulder. “Hobi hyung, help me out here.”

The only plan the six of you had for this morning was going to the beach, which meant you were dressed accordingly. You were wearing denim shorts low on your hips and the bikini top that matched the bottoms; just a pastel green with white polka dots. You had a white, unbuttoned shirt on, but Sohee was wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around her waist and her very skimpy two piece bathing suit. 

“What am I helping with?” Hoseok was eating half of an apple as he joined your side, wearing bright yellow shorts and a loose tank top. 

“He’s pouty that I’m showing some skin.” Sohee rolled her eyes. “We’re going to the beach, Kook, what do you want me to wear?”

“As a feminist, I want you to wear whatever you want to wear.” was his reply, which definitely earned him some points. “I just didn’t feel like beating anyone up today.”

“Sorry, I really can’t help you, kid.” Hoseok laughed, throwing an arm around your shoulders and looking down. 

After doing a double take, you quipped: “You’re staring at them.”

“Yep,” Hoseok was very proud of himself as he smirked: “But you can’t tell, because I’m wearing sunglasses.”

That logic pulled a laugh out of you as you warned: “Careful, Kook might beat your ass.”

Hoseok squeezed you once before letting go, joining Seokjin in the kitchen as he packed up a few snacks into the tackiest tote bag you’ve ever seen. It was big enough to fit a lot of food, which you assumed is why he bought it in the first place, but it looked very out of place. The bag was square and striped, with the print of a toucan, flowers and the word ‘Summer’ in a swirly font. You’d teased him about it yesterday, when he revealed the damn thing after the grocery run, but he swore he could pull it off. 

“Morning.” Namjoon’s morning voice was all you could hear, ears zoning out the parallel chaos as you looked at him coming in from the backyard. “Why does it feel like I already missed something?”

“Sohee was about to punch Jk in the dick, Hoseok was staring at Yn’s tits and Jungkook was about to defend her honor.” Seokjin even managed to sound bored as he summed it up. “Just a normal day in this house of madness.”

“I don’t think I wanna know.” Namjoon decided and you sent him a tiny thumbs up while mouthing ‘good choice’. 

You knew Namjoon was a morning person, one of the biggest differences between the two of you, so it didn’t surprise you to see him so awake and ready to start the day. He was wearing black swim shorts and a tight, sleeveless top that left absolutely nothing to the imagination. 

“Were you already out?” you asked him with furrowed brows, noticing what he had in his hand.

“Yeah, I was running at the beach.” he told you before offering you the iced Americano cup he’d been holding. “Got this for you. Went all the way to that restaurant Sohee keeps talking about.”

“Is it any good?” the girl asked from the couch as you had a small moment of gratitude as you took the first sip of the caffeinated cold drink. 

“Seems to be quite cool.” Namjoon nodded, stretching his spine. “The flyers said they open at six tonight. Party starts at nine.”

You would’ve paid more attention to what Namjoon was saying about the place, or even whatever Sohee’s reply was. But Kim Namjoon was a menace and after your talk last night, he might be doing it on purpose. 

It was the only explanation as to why he’d lift his arms behind his head and across his chest, making bones crack left and right, groaning at the pulls on his sore muscles. He didn’t need to sound like that. And his shirt didn’t need to reveal a stripe of skin on his lower stomach. 

Because, damn, you forgot he had a freckle there. 

“Everyone ready to go?” Seokjin was calling, beach bag full of snacks hanging from his shoulder. “Joon-ah, want to drive today?” 

“Haha, good one, hyung.” the man rolled his eyes as you giggled. “That joke is just as funny as it was yesterday.” 

“I’ll stop making that joke when you get your license.” Seokjin winked, throwing the rented car keys to Hoseok, who was also holding his laugh. 

“Don’t mind him, Joonie.” you tried to play nice, following after the others. 

“I saw you laugh too!” 

 Even though you had a perfectly fine beach just in the backyard of your rented villa, it was too empty and quiet for everyone’s likings. The closest thing to have drinks for sale would be Sumgim, the restaurant Sohee kept raving about, and that was still a couple miles away. 

Instead, you Naver searched ‘best beaches in Jeju’ and made a list of the ones you all wanted to visit during your stay. Today’s choice was Hamdeok beach; a lively spot filled with tourists and locals alike, cafes and restaurants just across the street, creamy sand and clear, calm waters. The tide was low, so natural pools were formed with rocks and reefs. 

The six of you rented out lounge chairs and parasols for maximum comfort, picking a spot that was right across from the water and a little more distant from all the families with kids. Jungkook was already playing songs from his portable speakers and Seokjin went missing after dropping the hideous snacks bag onto his chosen chair. 

You started to regret not bringing a hat, since the sun was scalding hot above you, but you couldn’t wait to take a dip in the ocean to cool off. 

“I know you were complaining about me and Yn showing skin, but I don’t think we’ll be the ones catching the eyes of people.” Sohee commented, making you turn to where she was looking at. “Do you work out together?” 

“Like what you see?” Hobi was already shirtless and running a hand through his long, chocolate hair, while Jungkook still pulled his top off in slow motion. 

“I can’t say that I hate it.” Sohee dropped her towel on top of her stretcher and you had to giggle at all of the staring. 

Granted, you weren’t used to seeing your friends like this; Sohee’s nipple piercings visible through her bikini top, Hobi’s dancer body, Jungkook’s six pack. But, what were you? Horny teenagers seeing pretty bodies for the first time? 

With a shake of your head, you took your shorts off first, trying to be quick about it so it wouldn’t fall in the sand before you stored it in your –much more fashionable– beach bag. As you picked your bottle of sunscreen from the bottom of said bag, you couldn’t help but feel a pair of eyes watching you. 

You knew it was Namjoon, no doubt about it when Jin still wasn’t around and Sohee was nagging the two other boys about the importance of sun protection before letting them run to the water. 

Throwing a little glance around, you caught Namjoon staring at your legs. More specifically, the way your hands lathered your bare thighs in clear sunscreen. Any other day you would have teased him or called him out, but not today. Not after last night’s conversation. 

It was still very much fresh in your mind how he asked you to fuck him. So this, the way his eyes followed the movements of your hands as you dragged them closer to your barely-covered ass, made sense. Maybe he was checking out what you had to offer, what he might get in case you said yes to his request. 

“Can I do your back?” Namjoon offered as you finished with your legs, not an ounce of shame on the fact that you knew he was watching you. 

“Sure.” 

It was normal to agree, wouldn’t make anyone look at you weird when Jungkook was doing Hoseok’s back and Sohee was doing Jungkook’s in a weird sun-protection-train. But Namjoon didn’t get up from his stretcher, simply spreading his legs to place his feet on the sand on each side of it, making his swim shorts hug his thighs just right, patting the spot in front of him for you to sit down. 

“Come.” 

His voice didn’t have to drop so low and his fingers didn’t have to be so long as he patted the spot… Was his hand always that big? Thighs always that muscular? Shoulders always that broad? It didn’t help that the moment you sat in front of him, his gravely laugh made the always familiar butterflies take flight in your tummy. 

“Sorry, I think you have to take this off?” Namjoon’s hands were on your shoulders, pulling back your shirt so he could have access to your back. “Is this okay?” 

You only nodded, certain you might stutter if you opened your mouth and you weren’t about to make a fool of yourself. 

Well. Hold that thought. 

You let Namjoon pull the sleeves down your arms and you took the shirt off the rest of the way, handing him the bottle of sunscreen that felt slippery and warm in your hands. You folded your legs in front of you and sat up with your back straight as you leaned forward just a little, pulling your hair over your shoulders so it wouldn’t be in the way. 

The man got to work right away, squirting the cream on his palm as he chuckled from the weird noise the bottle made; it made you roll your eyes and remind yourself that this was still Namjoon, your dorky roommate and best friend. It made you relax your tense shoulders as his hands began to spread the cold sunscreen on your warm back. 

Namjoon was nothing but thorough as his hands started to rub the cream on your skin, which felt even larger now. And apparently you could get a massage out of this, as his smooth fingertips pressed a little harder on your sides as they moved up and down, aided by the slippery product. The man traced your spine with his palm, pressing in all the right places and slipping under the hook of your bikini top in the middle of your back. 

You had no idea when your head dropped in front of you and your eyes closed, lips slightly parted as your breathing got heavy. Only when Namjoon scooted forward a little, casting a shadow over you from just how big and wide he was, you remembered where you were. 

“Can you hold your hair up for me?” that deep fucking voice, there was no way he wasn’t using it on purpose. 

“Mhmm.” 

All you could do was hum as you sat a little straighter and gathered your hair to hold it out of his way. Expectation was killing you as you listened to the pop of the bottle cap, knowing he was getting more sunscreen. Your breath hitched as, instead of feeling his touch on your shoulders, his hands were on your ribs, slipping to your front just for a second, right under your breasts, as if testing the waters. 

Or trying to drive you insane; one of the two. 

“Joon–” your complaint shouldn’t have sounded like a whimper, so you pressed your lips shut. 

“Sorry.” 

You doubted that he was, but his hands returned to your back, sliding up to your shoulders and pressing down on your knots. His thumbs drew circles on the top of your spine and base of your neck, which was a little painful at first, but that quickly melted your body into a pool of caramel.  

“Where did you learn that?” your eyes were closed again, voice didn’t sound like your own in your relaxed state. 

“Why would I tell you my secrets?” he teased, hands flat on your shoulders as his thumbs pressed circles on your nape. 

“Didn’t know we kept secrets from each other.” 

That was a lie, and you both knew that when just last night Namjoon found out about the secret of you and Yoongi. But he still laughed, still went along with it:

“Maybe I’ll tell you my other secrets if you play it right.” 

The moment of calmness was broken when Seokjin finally made his way to your group, kicking up sand everywhere with his hushed steps. You only opened your eyes when you heard Hoseok’s loud laugh. 

“Where the hell did you find all that?!” the man was asking, making the rest of you look up at Jin. 

“They have a gift shop right across the street!” Seokjin beamed as he adjusted the straw cowboy hat to keep the sun away from his face. “It was half off, too.” 

“What a deal.” Sohee’s face was hilarious as she judged every single fashion choice your oldest friend ever made. “And what’s in the bag?” 

“Just things for digging and playing in the sand–” 

Before Seokjin was even done pulling the kids toys from the plastic ‘I ❤ JEJU’ bag, Jungkook was already reaching out for them. Jin also produced a couple soda cans, which you and Sohee gladly accepted, and a plastic bucket that made Namjoon get up from behind you and join the others. 

“I can use that to hunt for crabs.” he decided excitedly, making you snort at his duality.  

“Are you going to build a sand castle, Kook?” you asked the youngest as he held a scoop and looked around. 

“Nah, I wanna dig a hole so I can bury Jin hyung.” 

“Yah, you’re not burying me–” 

And just like that, the familiar chaos began. 

As you picked up your things from Namjoon’s chair and put them away inside your bag, you couldn’t help but wish the rest of your friends had managed to get days off from work, too. Jimin would be catching more glances than all of you combined, Yoongi would be wrapped around a towel regretting his every life decision, and Taehyung… He might be avoiding you completely or trying to play it cool, there was no in between with him. 

When you finally settled down on the chair next to Sohee’s, she was already drinking from her can of soda and handing you yours already opened. Jungkook was a few feet away, singing to the Charlie Puth song playing from the speakers and starting to dig his hole in the sand. Seokjin and Hoseok were playing beach tennis with wooden rackets and a bouncy ball, and Namjoon was rushing to the sea with his little orange bucket. 

It was a good thing your friends’ chaos kept you so preoccupied you missed when Namjoon took his top off; with the way things were going, you might as well drool if you saw him half naked up close. The way his back muscles stretched under tight, tanned skin already made you wish you had sunglasses on. 

“Alright, what the hell was that about?” Sohee asked and you looked at her with confusion written all over your face. “You and Joon? Girl, you were almost having an orgasm–

“Oh my god, you saw that?!” you groaned, hoping the stretcher would fold in half and swallow you. “He was just– we were just–” 

“Uh huh, you were just.” she reprimanded your lack of an explanation. “You’ve always been touchy in the past, but not since you-know-who came into his life. If you’re going back to how you were before, that’s great, but then your crush might come back.” 

You loved Sohee, but god she needed to know how to keep it down. “Secret crush!” 

“It’s that what’s happening here?” her voice was a little quieter now, which you were thankful for. 

If only that’s all it was, you thought to yourself as you stared ahead, eyes not really focusing on anything in particular. 

The memories of your friendship with Namjoon before and after Soyoon were still a little bothersome. Everyone knew you and Namjoon were glued to the hip once upon a time, able to communicate with a simple look, read each other’s body language like a book. They used to joke that you were already married and just had to admit to it. 

And then Soyoon showed up in his life, after you accidentally ended up in one of her band’s concerts. 

Namjoon had been infatuated with the cool singer right away, and she saw enough in him to invite your group backstage and your best friend into her bed. By then you had a teeny, innocent crush on the man, so you hoped it would be a one time thing. You were in a complicated friends with occasional benefits situationship with Taehyung at that point, too. 

But the more Namjoon and Soyoon saw each other, the more distant he grew from you and your friends, and the closer you got to Taehyung.

“Namjoon asked me to fuck him.” you admitted to the girl, knowing she’d get it out of you one way or another.

“What–”

“After we were all talking about rebounds and everyone kept pestering him about it.” you explained, looking at your friend to see her wide eyes and slack jaw. “I guess he thought about me asking Yoongi, and felt more comfortable to ask a friend instead of a stranger.” 

“That’s smart.” she agreed. “But why you?”

“Hey?!”

“You know what I mean.” she trailed off, sticking her can into the sand next to her chair so she could give you her undivided attention. “But wait, did you say yes?!”

“No, but I didn’t say no either.”

“Why not?!”

“Why would I?!” you hissed back, sitting up and looking at Jungkook to make sure he was still distracting himself. 

“Why wouldn’t you?! Babe, you were in love with him.” 

“Crush! Secret crush!” you corrected her. “I haven’t had feelings for him since he met Soyoon.”

“Okay, we both know that’s not true, but still,” she trailed off, using the tie on her wrist to put her hair up. “This would be a horrible idea.”

“Not horrible.” you disagreed, feign nonchalance as you sipped from your bubbly drink. “Bad and irresponsible, sure, but not horrible.”

“Shit, you really are thinking about it.”

“It could be a way of getting it out of my system.” if only either of you could believe your excuse. “Fuck him once, discover he has a small dick and get over him.”

“We both know that’s not true, there’s no way that man has a small dick.” Sohee looked out into the ocean where you could both see Namjoon hunching over a reef. “Besides, do you really think that won’t open up a can of worms for you? Bring back old feelings?”

“What if it does? Would it be that bad?” you knew the answer to that yourself, but maybe hearing it from someone else might stick. “We’re both single right now.”

“Babe, listen to yourself.” the girl sighed, turning sideways in her stretcher to face you fully. “If you want to pursue a thing with Namjoon, you know I’ll support you no matter what. But not while he’s still getting over his ex. That’s a mess waiting to happen.”

“So what? Do I say no and make him think I’m rejecting him? He’ll never look at me like this again.” you were holding onto the can with both hands, nail scratching the outside of it over nerves. “And what if I wait for a better time, and he asks someone else for a rebound and then they fall in love?” 

“Babe.” 

“This might be my only chance.”

Sohee had more she wanted to say, but you both caught movement approaching and dropped the subject. You were already feeling a little nervous after this conversation, you weren’t at all prepared to see Namjoon dripping in ocean water, swim shorts low on his hips, glistening chest and wet short hair. 

“Look what I found!” the man dropped to his knees and it might as well be your beating  heart that he carried in that bucket. 

“Did you find your crab?” you wanted to know, moving closer to the edge to see better. 

“A starfish.” he smiled, showing you the yellow and purple sea creature. It wasn’t as big as you’ve seen in pictures, but absolutely adorable. “This species is called asterias amurensis.”

“How do you even know that?” Sohee sounded as impressed as you felt. 

“I just read a lot.” he shrugged and you could picture him with a book on all of the animals and sealife you could find in Jeju. 

“I’ve never seen one for real.” you couldn’t help but be amazed at the little animal on the bottom of the bucket, the water covering it sparkling when the sun caught it right. 

“I know.” a dimple poked Namjoon’s cheek as he placed the bucked on the sand and offered: “Wanna hold it?” 

“Yes, please!” 

Namjoon might be a giant when it came to his build, but he was delicate and careful with the way he picked up the little sea star from the bucket. It looked even smaller resting on his fingers and you hated the wave of fondness that felt more like a tsunami in your chest. 

“Be careful…” he warned, taking your hand in his free one to place the small star in your palm. 

If only he knew. 

You could tell Sohee was watching the two of you intently, coming up to whatever conclusions she’d reach after you told her about your conversation and Namjoon’s request, and every smaller interaction you’d have with the man from now on. Out of the two of you, she’d be the voice of reason. 

So for now, you’d ignore her. 

“Can I go with you to put it back?” you asked Namjoon after gently touching the little arms of the star. 

“Yeah, I’ll show you where I caught it.” Namjoon agreed, getting up and helping you do the same as you still held the star in your palm. 

Both Jungkook and Hoseok wanted to look at the star on your way to the ocean, but Namjoon didn’t let them keep you for too long, afraid of hurting or stressing the little thing. He guided you into the cool, turquoise water, which only reached your chins for an extensive area. 

“Careful where you step, there could be sea urchins around.” he warned, placing a hand on your lower back to give you balance as small waves hit your legs. “You can put the star right there.” 

“By this rock?”

Namjoon showed you exactly where he found the starfish and you carefully placed it back, making sure it was hiding underwater and away from less careful beach goers. You would hate for little kids to get their hands on it and end up damaging or killing it. 

Instead of going back to the chairs, where you knew Sohee would want to continue your conversation, you kept walking ahead and into the ocean. You didn’t go very deep, just far away enough from the rocks so you could swim and have the water level reach your hips. The splashing behind you showed that Namjoon was following you.

Closing your eyes to keep the salt away from them, you took a dip and found the weightless feeling and the quietness from being under water. From the very tip of your toes, to your drenched hair, every inch of you was cooling down after being under the sun for so long. 

You stayed under until your lungs burned and you needed to come up for air. Only your head broke the surface as you tasted the salt on your lips, wiping your eyes before opening them to face the bright blue sky. 

“You look happy.” Namjoon was still standing while he watched you, only letting himself sink down when you chose a spot to settle. 

“I am happy.” you were on your knees in the sand, body rocking softly with the gentle waves, the water level reaching your chest. “I think I could be a mermaid in another universe. Or a siren.” 

Namjoon was sitting down completely, legs underwater and bent at the knee, collarbones just above sea level. With an amused laugh, he asked: 

“What’s the difference?”

“Well, mermaids are friendly. They sit on rocks and brush their hair, singing with their pretty voices.” you explained as you swayed your arms back and forth. “Sirens are… A little darker. They use their voices to lure men to their deaths.” 

“Are you planning on devouring me, little siren?” Namjoon held one of your hands under the water, using the lightweight feeling to pull you closer to him and you allowed him to. 

“Sounds like something you could do.” your breath came out sharp as he let go of your hand when you were close enough for his hands to settle on your hips. 

“Have you thought about it?” you could tell he wasn’t trying to be insistent on the subject, a little shadow of guilt passing through his dark brown eyes. 

“Yes. But I don't have an answer for you yet.” you were honest, he deserved as much. “I have some questions… How would we even do it?”

“You mean positions?” 

“No, Joon, jeez!” you rolled your eyes, spell broken as you pushed away from him, just enough for his hands to be kept for himself. “I mean... We're friends.”

“Best friends.” his smile was lighthearted, despite your small rejection. 

“And roommates.” you pointed out. “I don't want things to get awkward between us.”

You’d be lying if you said your tiny talk with Sohee didn’t bring a few more worries to your mind, but you couldn’t exactly tell Namjoon you were terrified you might fall for him and have your heart broken. 

“Were things awkward with Yoongi hyung?” 

“After the first time, yeah.” you lowered yourself in the water, submerging your shoulders to hide from the sun. 

“Wait, first? How many times were there?” Namjoon frowned, following up: “I thought a rebound was a one time thing–”

“It can be!” you explained, ignoring the drop on your stomach at realizing that Namjoon was likely only looking to sleep with you once. “But there are no rules when it comes to that, it's not based on a book.”

“I can't believe you fucked hyung more than once–”

“Will you focus?” you pushed some water in his direction and all it did was reach his chest in the form of a weak wave. “I'm saying I like living with you and I want to keep it that way.”

“I don't see why things would be awkward between us. We're mature enough to not let that happen.” Namjoon reasoned, so you waited for him to finish his thoughts. “We know each other for so long, we know every embarrassing thing that happened to each other, and each other’s bad habits.”

“How does that help with anything?”

“We know every bad thing about each other and we're still attracted to each other.” his eyebrow lift was challenging, but he had a point. “And if you're worried about making things awkward at home, then we set an expiration date.”

“A date?” you parroted, head cocking to the side. 

“Yeah. This... rebound thing.” Namjoon pointed to the two of you. “Only allowed to happen while we're here on the island. This way we don’t have to rush, or set rules. And as soon as we leave, it's done and we won't talk about it.” 

You hated it. You hated every single word to come out of his mouth, as it drowned every single hope you might have for a future with him. But maybe that’s what you needed. Maybe forgetting about the past and letting go of expectations for the future was the safest way to enjoy this moment in time. 

“You make it sound so simple.” you sighed, wishing that it could be.

“That's how you know this is a good idea.” Namjoon added, making a smile appear from the corner of your lips as he said: “I'm the overthinker of the two of us.”

Again, he had a point. Before Namjoon decided on something, he went over a million possibilities and outcomes in his head. It took him a week to decide what kind of shower curtain he wanted for his bathroom. And if he was so adamant that this was a good idea, then maybe–

“You have until tonight to decide, okay?” he offered, ready to drop the subject if needed. “I won't bother you with this anymore.”

“What if I say no?”

“No hard feelings.” he promised, raising his pinky out of the water and offering it to you. “I'll just ask Kook for help to find me someone else.”

“Just like that, huh?” your laugh was small and uncomfortable as you thought about that possible scenario. 

“Not if you say yes.” 

 Bad decisions were already being made. 

While you were all very good at applying sunscreen when you got to the beach, some of you didn’t re-apply it as often and you should have. For you, it just meant that you didn’t want to wear a bra or too closely fitting clothes on top of semi-burn shoulders, opting for a floral, blue sundress instead of the tighter option you had inside your suitcase. But for others –like Jungkook–, it meant that he didn’t want to leave his room where the AC was on at the coldest setting. 

“Just call me when you want to come back and I’ll pick you up.” Hoseok was leaving against the rented car, your driver for tonight. “I really don’t mind staying with him.” 

“Don’t worry, if the place is cool, you guys can come with us tomorrow.” Sohee was thankful for being relieved from the designated sober friend position, even though she was upset that Hobi and Jungkook were sitting out of tonight’s outing. “You’re a good friend, Hobi.” 

The man looked a little abashed at the compliment, ready to deny it when the front door of the house finally opened and both Namjoon and Seokjin walked out. You gasped at the same time as Hoseok started to laugh, but Sohee was the one to say what every single one of you was thinking: 

“What bet did you lose?!” the woman obviously referred to Jin’s choice of clothes for tonight: light wash ripped jeans, pink checkered button down, blue and red tie and the straw cowboy hat he bought earlier today. The look was complete with mirrored aviators. 

“That’s for me to know and for you to guess.” Jin sent her finger guns and you knew he’d be winking under the shades. “It’s also called fashion, look it up.” 

It took some confidence to say that when Sohee was dressed so fashionably in a large tee and heavy boots, but then again, this was Jin. Someone who could wear a checkered shirt and tie and still hold himself as if he was dripping in designer brands. 

“Do you know what this is about?” you asked Namjoon as he approached you quietly, hands in the pockets of his denim shorts that thankfully matched his red shirt. 

“It’s best if you don’t ask.” he told you with a funny look, so you let it go for now. “You look pretty.” 

“Oh, thanks!” you smiled as you turned slightly side to side, making your sundress skirt flow with the movements. 

“Cute.” 

“Alright, let’s go!” Hoseok clapped once, ready to get the car on the road. 

Sohee rushed to the front seat while you, Namjoon and Jin shared the back seat. The address of the restaurant was already on the GPS, but it was so close to the villa that all Hoseok had to do was get back to the main road and make a straight line. 

It took you roughly five minutes to get there, and it was already so full of cars at the makeshift parking lot that you were glad Hobi was just dropping you off. You said your goodbyes and fell into step with your other friends, finding the stairs that led you down to the beach so you could make it to the front of the bar-slash-restaurant. You were glad for your sandals, but maybe Sohee should’ve chosen something other than boots. 

Sumgim looked more like a house that had its walls knocked down and turned into a bar than an actual business, giving it a warm and inviting vibe. 

They had tables both inside of the place and outside on the sand, but it seemed like only the outside had spots available. The music was made up of whatever song the patrons picked for the karaoke or what the machine chose on its own when no one was up on the improvised stage at the side of the restaurant. 

“Hi! You guys are new!” a chirpy girl greeted your group with a bright smile and an arm full of menus. “Will it just be the four of you tonight?”

“Just us, but I’ve heard great things of this place, so we might come back with the rest of our friends.” Sohee answered with an amicable smile, even if you knew she’d start to get annoyed soon if the girl developed an aimless chit chat. 

“Perfect! Just pick whatever table you want and feel right at home.” the girl smiled and took two laminated menus from her pile. “I’ll leave these with you and you’re ready to order, just walk right in and talk to the lady by the counter.” 

“Thank you so much.” Jin had already taken off his glasses and stuck them inside the breast pocket of his shirt. 

“You’re super welcome! And I love your tie!” 

“Please don’t encourage him–” Namjoon sighed under his breath, bowing to the girl as you left her behind in your search for a table. 

It wasn’t hard to find a good spot to sit, but you could tell that the restaurant might get full in a couple of hours. The tables and chairs were foldable and made of wood that could become uncomfortable if you stayed there for many hours, but they matched the Hawaiian Luau aesthetics. The lighting outside was made of string lights with thick bulbs and the projector that was clearly connected to the noraebang machine added more brightness as it displayed music videos onto what looked like a spread out white sheet. 

“So, how are your expectations being met?” you asked Sohee as you sat in front of her. 

“I like it so far.” she smiled, looking around at the colorful decorations. “Too bad Kook didn’t come, I bet you he’d want to sing.” 

“Give Joon a couple of beers and he might do it, too.” you teased with a giggle and the man had no arguments against you. 

“You guys pick what you want to eat and I’ll get us the first round.” Jin announced, getting up after barely sitting down. 

“Thank you, oppa!” you smiled at him, ignoring Sohee’s snort. 

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” Seokjin smiled back before getting lost in the crowd that was starting to form a bit too quickly. 

“Why is it that I can’t call him oppa, but when you do it he’s all sweet?” your friend asked you, making Namjoon chuckle from his spot between the two of you. 

“That’s because I don’t have an oppa kink.” you pointed out, watching her face go red. 

“No, you have a daddy kink.” she fired back, making you reach out to pinch her arm, but she was faster and moved out of the way with a laugh. “What?! You do!” 

“Say it louder, I don’t think Jin heard you all the way from the counter!” you complained with no real bite. 

“Oh, I can repeat it when he comes back–” 

“You are so annoying!” 

The two of you ended up bickering and laughing so much that you completely missed the way Namjoon was watching you, only finding his dark eyes once Seokjin returned with four, uncapped beer bottles. 

The four of you quieted down to look over the food options available and you weren’t surprised with the amount of seafood available, given that this was an island after all. You opened your mouth to suggest a dish when the gentle dragging of fingers on your knee made you gasp softly. You didn’t need to look at Namjoon to know the fingers belonged to him, there was no other option when Sohee was in front of you and Seokjin’s hands were holding the menu. 

Despite the butterflies in your stomach and the burning on your skin where his fingers danced, the man wasn’t trying to start anything major. His fingers remained on your knee, not moving any higher, not squeezing your flesh or threatening to tease you further. 

That’s what had you bringing your hand under the table to meet his. 

It was a tiny touch at first, one that made him freeze, as if scared he had pressured you too much and you were trying to push him away. But you did none of that, gently running your fingertips on the back of his hand. You could hear Namjoon’s breath of relief as he let go of it, large hand resting properly on your knee. 

With a little tug, you brought it higher up your thigh, just so it was more comfortable for him, just so you could feel his warmth a little better. His thumb caressed your skin as your smaller one did the same over the back of his hand. 

Decisions were made when you were too preoccupied to give your input, heart hammering so loud in your chest that you could hear it behind your ears. 

"Are you okay?" Sohee asked you while Jin returned to the counter to place your order. "You're a little red, are you sure you didn't sunburn as bad as Kook?" 

"Huh? No, just a little warm here." you denied it, feeling Namjoon squeeze your thigh a little more. 

"You haven't touched your beer," the menace himself offered it, using hia free hand to bring your bottle closer to you. "That might help."

"Yeah, thanks, Joon." 

You brought the bottle to your lips, taking long gulps and swallowing loudly. It did help a little with your sudden dry throat and it was refreshing enough. You just hoped to get enough food soon to–

"Hello, my name is Jin." the voice that you all knew too well was a little further than you could expect it, and a little more projected thanks to the microphone. 

The three of you turned around to find Seokjin, in his silly outfit and hat, standing in the middle of the stage, mic in hand. His looks definitely granted him a couple chuckles, but his stage presence was captivating, even if he was just existing for now. 

“What is he doing?!” you were marveled, hand leaving Namjoon’s so you could bring both to your face. 

“I’m going to sing a little for you guys tonight, I hope you know this song.” he started again, giving a thumbs up to the man helping whoever wanted to try the karaoke machine. “This is Loner.”

“Of course he’d pick this song–” Namjoon’s hand left your skin in order to hide his face to muffle an amused groan. 

The first notes of the song were dramatic to say the least and Jin started swaying from side to side. And then the beat grew and Jin’s insane rapping started. He was very passionate about that song, it was first and main pick whenever a karaoke opportunity presented itself. But one thing was singing it at Jungkook’s home and something else entirely was doing it in front of a full bar. 

The crowd loved him, however, many impressed patrons clapping and singing along to whatever part they knew. Your table was by far the most excited, clapping and cheering him on. Even if Sohee might die of secondhand embarrassment for your friend, she still raised her beer and sent him a squeal or two. 

“I think Jin would be the perfect boyfriend.” you said between laughs, taking a new sip of your drink. 

“Elaborate.” Sohee insisted, turning sideways so she could see both the stage and you. 

“Look at him. Have you ever seen someone so unapologetically himself? He can wear the most ridiculous thing and sing the silliest thing, but he’s just… genuinely happy.” you gushed, suddenly proud to call him your friend. Imagine him as your boyfriend? He would support you in any single thing you’d want to do. He’d love you honestly and wouldn’t be ashamed of it.”

“Damn, do you wanna date him?” the girl’s eyebrow raised, but you waved the air. 

“Nah, he’s too loud for me.” you placed your beer back down, back resting against your chair as you watched Jin grow red in the face and almost run out of air during the chorus. “Just saying whoever bags him will be lucky. What about you, So?”

“He’s handsome for sure, and I see your points. Just don’t know if I’d date a friend.” she pondered, pointing her beer to you as she said: “I know you’ve dated a friend before, but would you do it, Joon?”

“Date a friend?” the man asked and Sohee nodded. If either of them noticed how uncomfortable that question made you, no one mentioned it. “Yeah, I think so. I always thought that marrying your best friend was the biggest goal in life. It’s what happened to my parents.” 

“Why were you with Soyoon, then?” Sohee asked and you wanted to kick her under the table. 

“I guess she became my best friend while we were together.” the man continued, not really stopping to think about his answers. 

“So you believe that anyone you date can become your best friend?” your friend pushed and you felt sick to your stomach. 

Namjoon only shrugged, standing up to clap when Seokjin’s song came to an end. It gave you the perfect opportunity to reprimand your friend with a glare. 

You knew what she was doing, you knew she was trying to make you see something she saw. And, yeah, it got her point across but there were less painful ways of doing it. 

 How long were you away for? 

Sure the line to the bathroom was pretty long and you might have met a nice drunk girl who complimented your dress so you told her exactly where to find it when she went back to Seoul, but–

Was that enough time for another girl to take your spot at the table? Was she really that funny for Namjoon to be laughing so much? Did she really feel that entitled to be touching his bicep like that? 

About an hour ago you lost Seokjin and Sohee, who were drunk enough to believe that they could beat each other in whatever games Sumgim had to offer, so it’s just been you and Namjoon chatting; you talked about your works, whatever plans you had for tomorrow, you even talked about aliens at some point. 

And then you had to pee and promised you’d be right back. Not that he missed you, apparently, with how interested he was in the conversation he was having right now. 

Were you even allowed to feel bothered? He gave you until ‘tonight’ to let him know if you’d be interested in what he proposed to you and despite not telling him ‘no’, you didn’t agree to it either. As far as you knew, it was past midnight already, so maybe your time to think was over and he read your silence as rejection. 

So if this was his way of picking someone else to be his rebound, you had to respect it. Didn’t mean you had to like it. 

“What is a girl like you doing alone?” the presence that perched next to you smelled strongly of alcohol and weed, making you twist your nose as the guy leaned out to talk a little closer. “Ohh, are you with that guy over there?” 

“Does it look like I’m with him?” you snapped, taking a step back as the guy lost his footing, obviously too drunk to stand up properly. 

“Maybe you w-would be if you weren’t such a bitch–” the guy slurred, and you were pretty sure he just threw up in his mouth. 

Absolutely disgusted, you were about to– 

“Heeey, here you are, buddy, time to go drink some water, yeah?” a second guy held the drunk-face by his shoulders, turning him away from you. “Look, there’s Woozi hyung, why don’t you go annoy him, huh? There you go–” 

The new guy pushed his drunk friend in the direction of a smaller group of boys who got to the bar late enough to get propper tables, but standing up in a corner didn’t stop some of them from drinking. 

“I’m terribly sorry for my friend. He can’t hold his liquor as well as he thinks he does–” the man turned to you, frown apologetic enough that you could tell he was genuine.  

“Or his tongue.” you huffed, crossing your arms. 

"Sadly, I agree." the man looked over his shoulders, only appearing to relax once he saw the drunk guy sitting on the sand, with another guy holding a water bottle for him to drink from. "Again, I'm really sorry. I'm Mingyu." 

"It wasn’t your fault." you assured him with a tight lipped smile, guard coming down just a little at how apologetic the man was. 

Mingyu scratched the side of his neck, looking bashful as he asked: "Will it be too suspicious if I offer to buy you a drink for your troubles?" 

"Yes, yes it will…" you laughed at this surprising turn of events, eyes meeting Namjoon’s in the distance as you looked towards your table again. "But I'd like that." 

"Really? Oh, damn, okay, yeah!" 

Mingyu was cute, you had to give him that. In a fuckboy kind of way, who was only after one thing tonight, but you could respect the way he went about it. You could even see him being friends with Jungkook, under different circumstances. 

As he stared to guide you towards the counter to order your drink, he asked: 

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." 

"Yn." but it wasn’t you answering and it wasn’t an answer at all. Namjoon’s hand was on your arm, stopping you from taking another step. “Come on, we’re leaving.”

“Excuse me?” you hoped your look in his direction was as stern as you needed it to be. 

“Do you know this guy?” Mingyu asked you while raising a hand towards Namjoon’s chest. He didn’t get close enough to touch your friend, lest he felt like he needed to. 

“This guy is taking her home.” your friend all but growled at the new man, but his voice was a little softer as he spoke to you: “Hobi hyung is here. Sohee and Jin hyung went to meet him already.”

“Yeah, okay–”

“I can bring you home later, if you need a ride.” Mingyu offered, giving you a bit of whiplash as to what was going on. 

“She has a ride, and it’s waiting for her right now.” Namjoon was starting to get worked up, you could tell from the slight squeeze in your arm. 

“Does this dude do all the talking for you?” Mingyu’s question was for you, but his mocking laugh was aimed at Namjoon. 

“Just, stop–” you pleaded with both of them, feeling a little dizzy to be used as a tug toy. “I’m coming, Joon, but give me a minute.”

Namjoon was hesitant as he let go of your arm and took a few steps back, locked jaw as he watched you from what he decided was far away enough. You apologized to Mingyu, much like he had done to you on behalf of his friend. You thanked him for what he did earlier and suggested a raincheck on that drink, even if you doubted you’d ever see him again. 

After a short goodbye, you walked away without sparing Namjoon a second glance. You knew where you were supposed to meet up with Hobi, so that’s where you were going. The man was right behind you, also not trying to start a conversation. 

Sohee and Seokjin were already sitting in the back seat of the car, both properly strapped by the seatbelts, giggling away and recalling scores of whatever games they played tonight. 

“Hey, princess, your carriage awaits–” Hoseok had the backseat door open for you, but you wordlessly took the front seat. “Or you can ride with me, that’s cool too.” 

“Thanks for picking us up, hyung.” Namjoon sounded serious, but you shut the door on your side without looking back. 

Hoseok wasn’t stupid, you knew he could tell something was going on. You just hoped that he read your silence as maybe having had too much to drink or feeling too tired from the long day on the island. Seokjin was chatty enough for all of you, however, as he retold everything that happened tonight that he could remember. 

The drive home felt long and bumpy and you were glad that Jungkook was still awake by the time that you made it back to the villa, helping Sohee into her bedroom as Hoseok took care of Seokjin. Neither of the four stuck around after saying goodnight, and you stayed behind with the excuse of drinking water to avoid a hangover tomorrow. 

Namjoon must’ve felt the disturbance in the force as he knew he was supposed to stay back, too. You waited until the last door closed and the automatic lights of the hallway turned off. 

“What the hell was that, Joon?” you turned to him, voice not quite a whisper, but you weren’t yelling either. 

“What?” he hissed, hands on his hips as if he was Park Jimin. 

“The way you talked to me back then? Practically dragged me away from that guy?” you reminded him with a glower. 

“I thought he was bothering you.” was his outrageous excuse. 

“Really? What gave you that idea?” your voice turned a little higher as you could feel the annoyance boiling in your veins. “When I was laughing or when I started to walk with him at my own free will?”

Namjoon puffed out a breath, raising his shoulders with upturned palms. “I didn’t know if it was at your own free will from where I was standing, so forgive me for standing up for my friend!”

“Where were you standing exactly?” you took a step towards him, accusing: “Because as far as I could tell you were pretty distracted with that girl.”

“That girl didn’t mean anything, she thought she knew from somewhere and we laughed at the misunderstanding–” he justified, but knew exactly what you were talking about as soon as you mentioned it. 

“Yeah, because you have a very common face.” you scoffed, eyes almost getting stuck to the back of your head with your exasperation. “That was an excuse to get into your pants!” 

“So what if it was? It’s not like you were going to!” 

“Oh, you really wanna go there?” 

Namjoon raised a hand in defeat, but all it did was get under your skin. “Nah, you made your answer very clear.” 

“You’re such an idiot.” you huffed in frustration, pressing your temples as maybe your hangover decided to show up a day early. 

“Yeah, clearly I am, since I thought you might–”

“I was going to say yes.” you interrupted him with a squeak. 

That made him pause, but he didn’t look so convinced. “You were?”

“I made up my mind and I was coming back to tell you, but you were already preoccupied with someone else.” you told him as your shoulders dropped with a mix of disappointment and your own rejection. 

The kitchen was quiet for a while, Namjoon’s brain a little slower after drinking and everything else, making sense of your words. And so were you, after admitting for the first time that you were willing to agree to being Namjoon’s rebound, consequences be damned. 

“Fuck, I’m sorry…” he was the first to break the silence.  

“For replacing me so fast or being a jerk?”

“For treating you like that.” you might still have some fight in you, but his was running low. “But I wasn’t replacing you.” 

“It sure looked like you were.” you argued and you should have seen it coming when he pushed back: 

“Yeah, because it sure looked like you were going to do puzzles with that guy.”

“I don’t think I can do this–” you decided, letting out a pained laugh as you held your head in your hands. 

“Then don’t.” Namjoon resolved and oh, when did he get so close? “Let me kiss you instead.”

“What–”

You took a step back when his chest was all you saw, but you didn’t pull away when his hands held your face as if you were made of glass. Your breath was hitching and your heart was trying to escape from your throat. 

“Tell me no.” he begged, and you’ve never heard him sound so serious. “If you don’t want this, I need you to tell me right now.”

“Joon–”

That wasn’t a no. 

You wouldn’t tell him no. You didn’t intend to when he first approached the subject, you didn’t plan on telling him no tonight and you weren’t going to tell him no right now. Because consequences be damned if you could feel as alive as you did when his lips pressed against yours for the first time. 

He was pulling back from you a second too soon, likely overthinking his actions, so you held him by the neck and pressed yourself against him fully. Namjoon’s arm circled your waist as he pulled you flush against his chest, so hard he might as well be trying to mold you together. 

Your eyes were closed as the hand cradling your face slipped to the back of your neck, tearing groans from you as his fingers got caught in your hair. He wasted no time in parting his lips at the same time you did, slipping his tongue into your defenseless mouth, licking around it with assertive flicks that had you melting. 

Without a moment to spare, he caught you when your knees threatened to give out and Namjoon’s arm slipped from your waist to under your ass to lift you up and make you wrap your legs around his middle. 

You let out tiny sounds as you refused to stop the kiss, arms circling his shoulders as you attacked his mouth until your lips started to hurt. You only pulled away from his face when you felt the two of you moving and you needed to breathe. 

This was, without a doubt, the best kiss you ever had in your life. 

And Namjoon knew it too, with the way his plush and surprisingly soft lips stretched into a smirk. You wanted to tell him to shut up, but all you managed to do was smile back. 

His body dropped against a soft surface and his big hands helped you settle against his lap, one leg on either side of his. You looked around, realizing you were very much still in the living room, sitting on the couch. 

“Shouldn’t we go to your bedroom? Or mine?” you asked him in a small voice, lips feeling swollen and mouth a little dry. 

“Nah, or I’m going to want to fuck you.” one of his hands was on your waist and the other was pushing your hair away from your face. 

“I thought that was the point?” you pouted and only realized it when luscious lips wrapped around your bottom lip.  

Namjoon sucked on your bottom lip, lighting your insides on fire and making you sink your nails into his shoulders. “Not tonight.” 

“Why not?” you whined, squirming on top of him. The movement made you realize just how close you were to the bulge in his pants and you didn’t even think he was fully getting hard yet, but you could already feel it. 

“Because we both had a bit too much to drink.” the hand on your waist dropped to your hip, where he pressed firmly to stop you from moving again. “And I want you sober when I fuck you for the first time.” 

“Why do you have to be such a great guy?” you groaned in fake disgust, making Namjoon laugh. 

“Sorry, baby.” 

Your eyes closed at the term of endearment, knowing it probably didn’t mean anything, but holding onto it nonetheless. Namjoon’s mouth was under your jaw, pressing kisses to your skin as he covered your throat in lips and tiny bites. 

That’s when a little voice started screaming inside your head. 

“No marks–” 

“You don’t like that?” it was his turn to complain, but his mouth started to work a little slower against your skin. 

“I do, I really do.” your hand slipped to his nape, coming up to the back of his head as you realized just how soft and tickly his short hair was. “But I came home with you guys. If I wake up tomorrow with bruises all over my neck, they will get suspicious.” 

“Why do you have to be such a smart girl?” the man’s forehead rested on your shoulder and his arms wrapped around your middle, squeezing you once. “We should probably not get carried away, then.” 

“Maybe not.” it pained you as much as him, but if you kept going, there’s no way you’d wait until the next time. “Walk me to my room?” 

“Mhmm, wouldn’t want you to get lost.” 

In one swift movement, Namjoon stood up and lifted you with him, gently placing you back on your feet. It was pretty dark in the living room, but you could see his lowered gaze and the dimple in his cheek as he caressed yours. 

“Come on, Joon.” you complained with no real intentions of walking away.

“Mhmm, after you.” his nose bumped against yours as your lips met again. 

You exchanged another kiss; a slow one this time, full of tongue, lips and little moans. His hands were moving up and down your back as his face tipped lower and your back bowed. You were almost on your tiptoes to reach him, never really paying attention to how much taller he was. 

“Maybe I should walk myself.” you suggested, pulling your wet lips from his. “Or I might drag you into my room.” 

“What if you get lost?” the man grumbled as he tried fishing for another kiss. 

“I’ll take my chances.” you should get a prize for pulling away from his arms. “Goodnight, Joonie.”