Jimin and I cuddled up together in the back of the grand carriage. Today was the first time in a fortnight that we ventured out of our love bubble. It felt strange not only to be leaving the palace... but also our bedroom.

Since Jennie's sexual assault on the blonde Seed Bearer, he hadn't wanted to set foot in his room. I'd offered to be there with Jimin as he went back inside his bedroom, but he had broken into uncontrollable shaking upon thinking of what could have been. Instead, he decided to move into my suite with me—it was big enough for half of BTS to join us, so I wasn't concerned about the size.

As much as I loved Jimin, I was a little worried we were moving so fast in our relationship. However, the little voice in my head—not the evil one who liked to taunt me with my worst fears—reminded me that I had been with the man 24/7 for over a month and a half. In a 'normal' relationship, this would have been about seven months together. Or more.

The past 14 days had been filled with sex, sex and more sex. As well as some romance and intimacy... with innumerable kisses added in. Sex with Jimin had been unlike anything I'd ever had before. He was so attentive, so giving. Every action, every touch, every kiss had been filled with love and desire. He never made me feel self-conscious about my thick thighs, pudgy belly or my curves. Instead, he worshipped those things that made me different to the women here.

I loved my sex life with Jimin, and not once had I been disappointed... but I wanted more. As a Seed Bearer, he'd been indoctrinated from a young age that sexual intercourse was for procreation only, and that impregnation was successful only when done in the missionary position. He told me he was happy to 'experiment'; although, I could see a small part of him was reluctant at first to abandon the way Seed Bearers had been taught. I'd shown him some different positions, which was fun for both of us. Jimin's favourites were when I was on top. He also liked when he took me from behind or when he spooned me as he moved within me at a slow pace.

As good as I felt when he made love to me, what I needed was to feel Jimin fuck me with wild, feral abandon. I wanted him to take me hard until I walked with a limp. I wanted him to fuck me so hard that the definition of good sex was completely rewritten until the end of time.

'Bloody hell, Nell, you fuck one big dick in this universe and you become a fucking horny nymphomaniac!'

I'd love for him to ruin me for anyone else—although, if things kept going this way, I'd never want anyone else. I needed to put my big girl pants on so I could try and figure out how to tell him this. Even though his previous 20 sexual experiences had been left for dead—both in terms of quality and quantity—Jimin was still inexperienced in things that were kinky or experimental.

I had plenty of time to ruminate how to bring it up seeing as the trip to the Kim residence, where we were going for lunch, would take us a little while. As the man I loved dozed, his head in my lap, I trailed my fingers through his hair as I ruminated. I needed to find a way to convey my needs in a way that didn't shock, offend or turn him off.

"You're thinking too loud, Baby. What's got that pretty head of yours working overtime, hmm?"

I shook my head, not wanting to have this conversation in the back of the carriage. Even though I knew we had privacy, it was not the right time, nor place, for me to ask Jimin to treat me like his little slut.

"Come on, Nell, you can tell me anything."

I sighed, knowing that Jimin wouldn't drop it until I told him, which I wasn't going to do... completely. "There is something on my mind. I'd rather not say, though, when prying ears might be listening," I gestured towards Do-Yun and Him-Chan sitting on the other side of the front wall. "I will tell you tonight when we're back in bed together."

Jimin's pout didn't sway me one iota, which made his bottom lip jut out further. I leaned down and kissed him, both in hopes of taking his mind off the taboo topic and because he looked so freaking cute.

"Fine," he huffed when we pulled apart. He might have sounded upset, but the twinkling in his eyes told me he was intrigued.

"So, who's going today?" I asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Seokjin said he and Soon-Bok want those closest to them to come for lunch. He didn't say why, though he did write that two of his cousins from other cities would be coming. I hope it's Hongjoong and Seungmin. Those two are cool and lots of fun."

I choked on my spit. My coughing sounded so loud in the small, enclosed space. "Kim Hongjoong and Kim Seungmin are Seokjin's cousins?" Jimin's nodding was slow as he confirmed my suspicion. I saw the moment he realised that they too must be famous in my universe for me to know their names.

I was having a mini meltdown, panicking over who I was going to be meeting in a short while. I wasn't ready to see not only the BTS members again, but also two other idols. Jimin was doing a great job at keeping me grounded and out of my head. Even though he didn't say anything, he'd wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed my stomach. Having him there while I tried to calm down meant everything to me, and it was yet another reason why I loved the man.

"You remember that song I played when we had sex last night?" I mused, gazing down at his handsome face, "The one where I was on top of you? Well, that's one of Hongjoong's with his group, Azeez."

'I'm never going to be able to hear Bouncy without remembering how I was bouncing on Jimin's big cock.'

"Nell," Jimin whined, burying his face into my belly. "Why did you tell me that? I'm never going to be able to look at Hongjoong in the eye again." He huffed in what was meant to be an annoyed way, instead it sounded so adorable when paired with his pout. I wanted to laugh when I saw his eyes widen so large that I saw the whites. "Baby, please don't tell me that Seungmin is also in a group and that we've listened to their music when we've had sex."

"Umm, I can't tell you that, Bubba. Besides, what's the difference between you being inside me when we listen to your band's songs and theirs?" Jimin's blush as he whined was the complete opposite of the sensual man who had been naked in my bed for the better part of the last fortnight. A gasp slipped from my lips as I recognised something written across his features. "I think you have a bit of an aural or sound kink, Jiminie. I'm not wrong in saying that you like having sex with music on, am I? And you're turned on more when you can move to the beat, yes?"

My boyfriend was completely silent and the only answer he gave was the tiniest of nods. I turned his head gently from my belly and leant down to meet his lips with mine. I tried to show him with my kiss that there was nothing wrong with him for liking the thrill of thinking others were watching us.

"Have you ever heard of kinks, Jiminie?" I asked, my lips brushed his with each word that I spoke. I didn't mind that this wasn't the most comfortable position for this conversation. At this moment, Jimin's mental comfort was more important than my back.

"If I didn't know about those other positions you taught me, do you think I know what the fuck kinks are?" I pulled away, shocked by the venom in his tone. Jimin sat up and brought me into his arms. I felt his plump lips kissing the side of my head in apology. "I'm sorry, Baby. I didn't mean it like that." He pressed several kisses to my skin, and with each one, I felt myself relax again. I could tell he wanted to say more, so I gave him the space to gather his thoughts. "I feel frustrated sometimes when I never have before. I'm a man, I should know these things and it makes me feel ashamed that I don't. Since meeting you, I feel like I've been lied to my whole life."

A shot of guilt ran through me when I heard that word. I hated that I had still been lying to Jimin. Having this secret about my infertility looming over my head, felt like an axe that was waiting to fall. As much as I loved Jimin, I needed to protect myself first and foremost.

A knock rang out on the side of the carriage. At the signal that we were arriving, I felt myself breathe again, albeit a little more stressed than a few minutes ago.

"Can we pick this up when we get home, please?" Jimin whispered. "We're okay, yeah?" Nodding my head to both questions, I soothed his worried heart with a kiss on his puckered-up lips.

୧‿︵‿๑︵‿୨💜୧‿︵‿୨💜୧‿︵๑‿︵‿୨

"Holy shit, this is so good!" Hongjoong exclaimed as he took another sip of the cocktails I had made. Hearing him singing my praises had my heart thumping like a drum kit at a rock concert and I had to rein in my inner fangirl. I had been lucky to see ATEEZ when they came to Sydney for the Expedition Tour. While I was close to the stage, seeing Hongjoong up close and personal hit in a different way. Dressed in semi-casual clothes, the rapper was fucking stunning and could give Jimin a run for his money in the 'beautiful looks' category.

"I agree and it's a pity you girls can't enjoy this." Seungmin raised his glass in a toast, "But, here's to a healthy pregnancy for Seokjin and Soon-Bok." The Stray Kids vocalist was the same chaotic ball of fluff that he was in my universe. His big heart was visible in his interactions with his cousins and with Choi Eun-Jeong, his assigned female.

The rest of us raised our glasses to the parents-to-be. I'd made up alcoholic Soju Royal Hawaiian cocktails for the men. They all loved the pineapple and orange cocktails, which had coconut water and soju in them. The piña colada mocktails I made for us women were delicious. Apart from Soon-Bok who was pregnant, the rest of the women were trying to get pregnant.

I learned during the lunch that the other two females here were part of the same summer Allocation Rotation as us but were from different cities. Stray Kids were the Seed Bearers for Busan, while ATEEZ were the ones in Suwon, a city not far from Seoul. I found it odd that Seungmin and his female had travelled so far to see Seokjin and Soon-Bok seeing as there were no fast modes of transport. Jimin explained that Seungmin was already coming to Seoul for other business. It made sense for Seokjin to schedule our get-together around his cousin who was coming from so far away.

I was nervous about meeting the two idols from my universe, especially Hongjoong since he was my bias in ATEEZ. I needn't have worried though. Both Seungmin and Hongjoong were so nice and welcoming. It blew me away once again how attractive the two men were, although I still thought my Jiminie was hotter.

Like most of the assigned females I'd met, the two from the other cities were friendly; I felt included and welcome from the moment I was introduced to them. Song Dan-Bi, Hongjoong's assigned female, was one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen. At first, I was nervous about her because of her resting bitch face, but I soon found that she was very sweet and kind. She reminded me of my twin sister, albeit a little less chaotic and quieter. Eun-Jeong seemed to be well-matched with Seungmin. The two were jokesters and bantered a lot with Seokjin. She was the more boisterous of the two newcomers. I found myself laughing a lot at her jokes, which rivalled Seokjin's in terms of hilarity.

I could see traits in my friends here that reminded me so much of my friends and family back home. Soon-Bok, Ari, Dan-Bi and Eun-Jeong were quickly becoming my new family in this universe, even though two of them I'd met today. Ari was so like my mother in how she was able to bring her partner out of his shell in crowds. Watching her interact with Yoongi was like seeing a younger version of my parents with how they gravitated towards each other. Dan-Bi cared like my sister did for those she loved—she put them before herself. I could see it in how she looked after Hongjoong; she did it because she wanted to care for the man, not because it was expected of her. Soon-Bok was so much like Nana Betty in the way that she was both the sweetest person on the planet but wouldn't put up with anyone's shit. She was also the person that I found it easiest to talk to. And Eun-Jeong, she was like a perfect mixture of my friends—supportive, playful and a great listener.

Being around these four amazing women had me missing my loved ones back home. When talk turned to everyone's parents, I couldn't suppress the tears that welled in my eyes. I was thankful for Jimin; with a single look, he always knew what I needed. He pulled me into his arms as if they could shield me from all the heartache of being away from my family. As I buried myself into his chest, he explained to the others that I hadn't seen my family in a while. I was relieved that he had not deviated from the original miscommunicated story about me being abducted by pirates.

"We need to steal Nell please, Jimin," Soon-Bok said when I had calmed down. I could feel my boyfriend's arms tighten around me in a silent plea for me not to leave. "We need to have some girl time. We'll be in the courtyard. You'll be able to see her through the windows, okay?"

Not needing any words, I conveyed to Jimin that I'd be okay through my loving kiss. It warmed my heart that he was feeling protective over me, but I did want to spend some time with the other girls. I smiled brightly as I heard him whisper, 'I love you, Baby' as I pulled away. I quickly kissed him again, murmuring my love for him against his lips.

"You two have gotten cosy," Ari teased as I joined the rest of the girls out in the courtyard. "Last I heard, there was another woman who tried to breed with your Seed Bearer."

Shocked gasps came from the two new women. It seemed that neither had heard of the scandal that had happened two weeks ago. I filled them all in on Jennie and her attempts to breed with Jimin. I saw happy smiles on each of their faces when I told them about how her actions had only brought us closer together.

"You're so in love," Eun-Jeong cooed, the attention made my cheeks flush with what I was sure were 50 shades of red. "Aww, look at you all cute blushing like that! I'll let you in on a little secret, Nell. I think we're all in love with our Seed Bearers."

I looked around at the ladies. Each of them was nodding with the same goofy smile I had whenever I thought of the man who held my heart. "I love Jimin so much, but I'm also absolutely terrified," I whispered out an admission. Soon-Bok gestured for me to continue, so with a deep inhale, I spoke the words that I had been scared to say to my boyfriend. "I'm scared of what will happen if I can't get pregnant. I've never been scared of death, but I find I am now. I don't want to not be with him because of an archaic reason like not being able to give him a baby."

"You're not the only one who feels this way, you know," Dan-Bi voiced as she gave me a side hug. "Unless a female is pregnant and they haven't announced it yet, Soon-Bok is the only one I know of who is pregnant and thus deemed safe. No one from Suwon has come out and said they've been successful, so I doubt any of the seven other women there are pregnant."

"Yeah, same as in Busan," Eun-Jeong said in agreement. "No one has announced anything yet and as soon as they know, everyone else in my Seed Bearer's group knows, too."

I mulled over the women's words. It was so different in this universe to mine. Back home, the majority of expectant mothers held the news of their pregnancies like closely guarded secrets until they passed that dreaded 12-week mark. In comparison, a pregnancy was announced here as fast as possible. Soon-Bok and Seokjin had said they were originally going to share their good news with Jimin and me on that disaster of a day. Instead, they decided to hold off until Seokjin's cousins could be here too.

"So, they really will kill any of us who can't conceive?" I silently prayed that this was all a practical joke that Jimin had told me, but my heart plummeted when all four women solemnly nodded in affirmation.

"The rules are very clear. Death is the penalty for any woman who fails to bear her Seed Bearer's child. It's also the case for a woman who attempts to breed with a Seed Bearer she's not been assigned to. They will be hung, and their bodies strung up for all to see." I looked over at Ari, hoping to see a teasing look in her eye but there was only honesty.

"Kim Jennie was sent to her death last week for her actions." I could hear through Soon-Bok's voice how she was happy the woman would no longer cause problems. Yet, she was also appalled at the practice of public executions.

"If it's the same as Busan, I'm sure her body is still on display as a warning for other women."

A visible shudder ran through each of our bodies. I didn't like Jennie or what she did to Jimin and me, but that didn't mean she had to be killed.

'One thing's for sure though... I need to either find a way back home or find a way to have a miracle pregnancy.'