the dream machine

𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 (𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻) | 𝗹𝗲𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘅

𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙩𝙮𝙥𝙚: 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘶, 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵, 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧

𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘥

𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘹 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦.

𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩: ~2.2𝘬

𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚: 𝘩𝘪 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴! 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘪'𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭. 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘣𝘰𝘹 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘴! 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘭! <3

When Felix heard you storming into the apartment without so much as a word of acknowledgement or hello from you as you passed the living room, he knew something went wrong. When he heard the door to your room slam with a noise enough to make him wince, he knew something went terribly wrong. And, remembering why you’d gone out in the first place, all smiles and dressed to impress, he didn’t need great deductive skills to figure out what happened. 

“(name)?” He called out as he pushed himself off the couch, walking to the door of your room.

“I’m not in the mood, Felix.” Even through the door, your voice sounded overly muffled and nasally, as if you’d been crying for a while. The idea that you were crying alone in your room, buried under the blankets, only pained him more.

𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗶𝗲𝘀 | 𝗵𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝘆𝘂𝗻𝗷𝗶𝗻

𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙩𝙮𝙥𝙚: 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘯-𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘭 𝘢𝘶, 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘴-𝘵𝘰-𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘶, 𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵, 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘧𝘧

𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘨𝘦𝘵-𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘫𝘪𝘯, 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘺𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘹.

𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩: 2.1𝘬

𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚: 𝘩𝘪 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴! 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘰𝘮𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦! 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘣𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦! >.< 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴! 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦. 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦!

“This place is smaller than I remembered.”

“Maybe it’s cause we’re bigger than we were back then.”

“We’re…? Or just me?”

“You’re definitely more annoying.”

𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯𝘀

𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀

𝗼𝗻𝗲-𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁𝘀

𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀

update! 

so yes, i fell off the radar again 😭 my biggest biggest apologies! uni kicked my ass hard, and i hit a serious writer’s block as well. im doing my best to come back slowly, though, and start posting fics again. first order of business tho:

a masterlist will be posted very, very soon! it’s quite small right now, but lots of people requested it, so i compiled all the fics i have here into one cohesive list! 

hope everyone is having a happy new year! stay safe, and thank you for all the love i’ve been receiving on my fics during my impromptu hiatus. <3 love y’all! 

[𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙮𝙥𝙚: 𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙨] 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘴 + 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘶𝘰𝘴 | 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥

bang chan

i think chan would want to have a friend that is more of an initiator and someone who likes to take the lead! we all know he's a little bit of a workaholic (just a little, ya know), and workaholics tend to lose sight of the people and the world around them. so, people like chan really rely on friends who aren't shy about hitting him up twice when he didn't reply the first time, people who understand his flakiness. especially since he's known as the leader for so many things, i think he'd like to stick with a friend that can naturally assume that role in their relationship so it becomes less of a burden for him to be around them. 

lee minho

minho would absolutely cling onto someone that is snarky but allows him to be soft around them too. minho, like chan, gives off very natural caretaker vibes, but it's much more subtle with minho and more something that he does without much effort or care. it feels like a reflex for him to casually make you a cup of tea because he noticed you were thirsty or offer his arm for you to lean against if you get sleepy in the car. on the other hand, though, minho needs someone that’s got some claws on them. after all, its not fun to tease someone who doesn’t tease back. he’s all for the witty banter and playful jabs. for him, i think it’s all about having a good time, whether that’s throwing snarky comments at each other, or brewing tea for the other person when they’re feeling down.

seo changbin

in my opinion, changbin would gravitate towards more adventurous people, since he himself is more of a stabilizing personality (esp. seen in the group hehe). changbin is drawn towards people who take risks, do things that might end up getting them in trouble, but live through their experiences. he’s the type of person that you’d have to *drag* to get milkshakes at 3am, but the type of person that would be waiting for you to drag them out at 3am ya know?? he’s all for deep talks late at night while parked on a cliff and enjoying the stars. also bcs he’s such a stable and reliable person (something he obviously takes pride in as well) his heart would love someone who leans to him for support. he feels good taking care of others, and so he’d ultimately adore someone who would allow him to do that while also pushing his limits and making him experience things he wouldn’t by himself 

hwang hyunjin 

opposite to changbin, hyunjin loves stability. hyunjin would absolutely be all over a friend that is just always there for him, someone who he can turn to when he’s feeling hurt, scared, or insecure. but at the same time, i think hyunjin would love being with someone that’s similar to him in personality and ambition. this doesn’t mean that he wants them to dance or sing or be an idol, but rather someone who is driven towards their own goals and has the work ethic to achieve them. hyunjin is someone that reacts and grows from his surroundings, so i think him having a friend that indirectly challenges him to always improve and always attempt to be a better version of himself would be something he’d crave. at the end of the day, i think hyunjin would just want a friend that understood him, that understood why he was working so hard and why he was trying so hard, someone he could rely on to be the voice of reason while also inspiring him to keep on going.

han jisung

oh han jisung. this is a bit cheesy and plays more to my poor minsung heart, but i genuinely believe that jisung gravitates towards a friend that is just like minho. jisung’s a sensitive soul, much like hyunjin. he’s the type of person to create a persona that’s bigger than life, but a persona that’s ridiculously easy to pop. he’s the type to flirt endlessly with someone and then freak out when the person flirts back. he’s adorable, and bcs he’s so sensitive, he would gravitate towards someone who’s strong and unabashedly themselves, someone that doesn’t bend towards anyone’s will except their own. 

lee felix 

cuddlebugs gravitate to other cuddlebugs, and lix is no different. felix loves a friend that gives him physical affection and just attention in the spades. he loves being cared for, and he loves reciprocating it. i feel like felix is also the type of person that loves to do various things with their friend! he’d love to play games with them, like play in a party together or maybe co-op on genshin to farm for artifacts (hehe). maybe the activity is baking together or cooking a new dish! whatever it is, felix would love someone who ‘s down to spend time with him and share their new experiences with him too!

kim seungmin

seungmo and jeongin honestly stumped me a bit bcs i don’t think i have as good of a read on them, but i think that seungmin would love a friend that he knows will always be there for him, but also gives him his own space to grow and be his own person, ya know? seungmin feels like a person that values his own quiet time, so he probably gravitate towards someone who also values their own free time, someone more independent. but at the same time, he wants the feeling of knowing that they’d be there if he needed him, just like he’d drop everything for them if they were having a tough time. he’s the type of friend that would enjoy quite study sessions, sharing music while doing their own private work, anything that is more low stress and laid-back!

yang jeongin

similar to seungmin, i think jeongin would like someone that’s independent and has a strong mind of their own. because he’s so use to being doted on, i feel like jeongin would enjoy someone that would allow him to be the one that does a bit of the chasing. jeongin would be the type that’s becomes a bit enamored by the friend he wants to be really close with, sort of a friend crush per-say?? he’d find something that he genuinely and deeply admires about them and it would push him to gravitate towards them. i think he’d enjoy being challenged in an experience type of way, like being dragged to do new things or learn new skills with his friend <3

[𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙛𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙮𝙥𝙚: 𝙗𝙡𝙪𝙧𝙗] 𝘩𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘺𝘶𝘯𝘫𝘪𝘯; 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 | 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵

𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 - 2:36 𝙥𝙢

“Ah, petal! There you are!”

You stopped on your heel, sucking in a breath before turning to face the tall, dark haired man with a polite smile. 

“Good morning, Hyunjin.”

The young prince of Levanter, who happened to be your betrothed and soon-to-be-husband, smiled, looking at you in a way that would send any person’s heart into overdrive, “The love of my life, queen of my heart, how are you this morning?”

“What do you want?” You asked, lips quirking up into a neutral smile even as your face fought the urge to twitch. 

Hyunjin pouted, deflating just a bit when you didn’t seem to play along, “Is everything alright, (name)?” He asked, his expression wrought with concern. “Has something happened?”

Leave it to Hyunjin to be perceptive in the very moments that you did not want him to be. “Nothing’s happened, Hyunjin. I am just a bit busy with planning a couple of foreign trips with my kingdom’s naval allies,” you explained yourself, hoping to ease his worries, “Now, is there something I can help you with?”

The prince still didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t push, “Why do I have to have a reason to see you?”

“Please,” you let out a genuine chuckle this time, brushing a strand of your hair behind your ear, “I’ve known you since we were children. I know your tells probably more than you know them yourself.”

“Oh,” his ears turned slightly pink, “I...I didn’t know you actually paid that much attention to me.”

“You were my betrothed from the moment the two of us started walking,” you replied, looking up at him with those unreadable yet kind eyes, “It’s my duty to know you and your heart for us to have a fulfilling and passionate marriage.”

Hyunjin stared at you for a moment before bursting into uproarious laughter, “Oh, gosh. I remember when our mothers sat us down to tell us that. Good one, (name)!” 

You smiled along, despite the fact that your heart was slowly withering inside. How quickly he was to dismiss your words, how unbelievably clueless he was. “Alright, I won’t jest anymore. What is it I can do for you?”

“Oh!” Hyunjin’s smile widened,  his eyes began to sparkle with a passionate glee that wasn’t present before, and with a sinking pit in your stomach, you knew what he was about to ask of you before the words even left his lips, “Naeun told me that she has a free afternoon today, and I wanted to escort her to the lake for a late lunch! You know, the lake we found as kids?”

This time, it took every ounce of willpower to hide the physical pain his words inflicted upon you. To know that Hyunjin was set to marry you when you were not in his heart even in the slightest was something you could shoulder. To know that Hyunjin was in love with another, a servant girl in your own palace, was something you could shoulder. To willingly give him your blessing to court her and be complicit in hiding their relationship to make him happy was something you could shoulder.

But the lake was sacred to you. The little nook with the most beautiful view that you and Hyunjin found when the two of you were children, playing around because your families wanted you to know each other better. The two of you adored that spot so much, you’d fashion your own secret hideout there every time you reunited, bringing blankets, pillows, and food straight from the kitchens to eat while enjoying the view. 

That little lake was the only thing you shared with Hyunjin, something that was special to only the both of you. At least, that was the case until this very moment. 

“You know, this isn’t a secret that we share with just anyone,” your tone was jesting and playful, but your words held a bitter tang to them. You just couldn’t help yourself. You weren’t a saint, after all. 

Hyunjin pouted, placing a passionate hand to his heart, “I haven’t shown our spot to anyone before, I promise! I know it means a lot to you and us, so I wanted to get your permission first!” 

Oh, how desperately you wanted to say no. How desperately you wanted to scream, cry, throw a fuss about how cruel this was to you, how unfairly you were being treated. But you knew, in the deepest crevices of your heart, that this was your own undoing. You lied to Hyunjin when you said that you felt nothing for him just like he felt nothing for you. You lied to yourself when you assured him that you would happily give your blessing to his clandestine relationship. In the end, you told so many lies that you yourself didn’t even know how to unravel them anymore, gradually strangling yourself until you were a lifeless corpse in your own web. 

“Fine, I guess an exception can be made.”

As masochistic as it was, the smile Hyunjin gave you made the pain he inflicted upon you tolerable. “Really?! You truly mean it?”

Words failed you at the very moment, so all you could do was nod your head and silently plead for a quick escape.

In an unusual moment of affection, Hyunjin suddenly leaned towards you, clasping both of your hands in his and holding them tightly. You clamped your mouth shut to prevent your heart from leaping out, and your eyes were wide with a mixture of surprise and fear.

“Look, (name),” he said with an unusually serious expression, “I just wanted to thank you...for everything you’ve done these last few months. I know that, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to attain such happiness with our situation.”

No, stop. Please. Please don’t thank me.

But as always, Hyunjin remained oblivious to your true feelings, “Neither of us asked for it, least of all you, and please know that if you ever find love, I’ll support your relationship wholeheartedly as you supported mine.”

Fuck, you were truly at your breaking point. How could he say such things with such an earnest expression? Did he truly not know your feelings for him? Were you so far away from his mind that he never read into your longing glances, your kind demeanor towards him and only him? 

Mustering the strength you didn’t know you possessed, you managed a smile, squeezing his hand, “I doubt I’d ever find a prince worthy of my love,” your words were haughty, teasing, a perfect deflection.

Hyunjin smiled brightly, “Somehow, I believe that to be true,” he said with a conspiratorial smile before he let go of your hands and backed away from you, “I must find Naeun now. Thank you, my darling!” 

It wasn’t until you were in the safety of your private study that you finally shed your mask,  and the tears of frustration, anger, and hurt flowed down your cheeks. You grasped the corner of your desk so tightly that the edge dug into your palm, but you welcomed the pain wholeheartedly, preferring it over the emotional wounds that continued to bleed out.

Your mother once told you that a loveless marriage was the most painful thing of all for a royal, but she was wrong. There was nothing more painful than a marriage that possessed love, but only enough to fill the heart of one.