the night grows pale

20

[insidetheravensmind]

𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐟𝐞

Pairing ~ Caregiver Changbin x AFAB Reader Genre ~ fluff, slight angst !!warnings!! little space/age regression, anxiety/stress described Word Count ~ 869 Author’s Note ~ I love writing cute stuff like this Requested ~ Yes! Check out my Stray Kids Masterlist Support me by buying me a coffee ☕️

Picture from Pinterest

Winter crept just around the corner. The frost and the cold made its presence known in the late night and continued into the early mornings. And as the frost took over, so did stress. It was finals week. The end of the semester when everyone really started to regret going to university, and you were one of those people.

It’s not like you had struggled the whole semester for your classes. You had trouble spots here and there, but that doesn’t mean finals week is smooth. If anything, trying to re-learn lessons from the very beginning was the tricky part. It was awful.

Taking tests was always anxiety inducing. Late nights spent studying with no full sleep before the test. Lack of proper care for yourself. You were hunched over your small desk in your room again, crunching the lessons bit by bit, on the verge of tears when you began to struggle. You had barely slept in days, so your emotions really started to seep out, like over-boiling water on the stove. Ready to bubble over any minute when you stop watching it.

Your hand cramped, and your stomach aches along with your head as a tear fell down your cheek and wetted your study guide. One hand was on your head, holding it before it fell on itself. You were on the verge of collapse.

You were so close to falling down, breaking down, ready to throw everything around and quit, but a soft knock stopped your thoughts when it was followed by a faint, “Baby, I’m here.” 

Changbin was here to save the day. Changbin came to take care of you. He knew how you got when put under pressure, and he was going to help relax you. 

You turned your head to the door when it creaked open, staring at Changbin with a face full of worry. He looked at you apologetically, sadly, upset his partner was down in the dumps. Changbin walked over to your desk, standing in front of you and held out his hand. “Come on, little one, it's time to rest.” 

Little one. The name that made you feel small. The name that turned your brain into a much younger processing mindset. You had been so worked up that you didn’t think it was possible to regress until you felt relaxed. But Changbin knew what got to you, and he knew what would help you. 

You reached your hand out to grab his, and he pulled you. He walked you over to your bed, moving around the blankets to make room for you. You watched him maneuver around the mess of your bed, until he finally made some space, and patted down onto it. You slid into bed, and Changbin followed right behind you. He brought the blankets up to cover the both of you and wrapped his arms around you.

“See, baby, it’s okay.” 

“Thank you, Binnie.”

You snuggled your head into his chest. You breathed in heavily and let out a shaky relaxed breath. The warmth of his body calmed you enough to make you fall asleep.

Hours later you awoke. You moved around and looked at Changbin, who was staring at you gently. He smiled when he saw you, moving his hands to caress your face softly. “Good morning, little one. How’d you sleep?” You let out a soft, small noise. “Hmphf, mhm.” You nodded your head, snuggling back into his chest. He rubbed the back of your head. 

A little while later, you and Changbin got out of bed. You left your room and went out to get some cheap breakfast at a nearby cafe. After eating your fill, enjoying the delicious food, you headed back to your place. You had a class final later that day at 3 PM. You decided you had to study a little bit before going.

But when you sat down at your desk, Changbin stopped you. “Not yet, baby.” You looked at him confused. “I know you know you’re okay to stop studying for this exam. Do not overload yourself with information you already know. It’s okay, little one.”

It seemed like manipulation, attempting to keep you small. But you and he knew it wasn’t. Changbin has always known how to take care of you, and this is one of his ways.

He rummaged around through his bag while you sat there waiting for him. He pulled out a coloring book and crayons. Your favorite.

You smiled brightly. “YEEEEESSS! YOU’RE THE BEST, BIN!” You yelled, wrapping around his torso and pulling him tightly. “I love you.” He smiled. “I love you too.”

Just before you began your coloring adventure, he moved to sit on the chair and place you onto his lap instead. For the next few hours, you colored and studied before your exam. Changbin had taken you to your class, waiting for you to finish up so he could take you back to his place. 

When the exam ended, and you walked out of the class, you walked over to Changbin and collapsed into his arms. “Binnie, I’m so tired. Can we please leave now?” He laughed. “Of course, little one. I’ll make some pasta for us.”

“Yay, pasta!!!”

[insidetheravensmind]

"Are you actually afraid of me?"

Pairing ~ Caregiver Changbin x AFAB Reader Genre ~ Fluff, Angst !!trigger warnings!! emotionally abusive parents (only mentioned), reader is afraid of Changbin for a bit, trauma responses Word Count ~ 2,193 Author’s Note ~ I loved this request <3 Bin totally seems like the kind of guy to take care of you. Requested ~ Yes! Support me by buying me a coffee here ☕️ <3

The past week was awfully hard for you health-wise. As the seasons started to change and summer turned to autumn, you felt your sinuses flare up causing you to feel icky and sick. Throat dried, non-stop coughing, voice becoming hoarse as it was slowly lost from the glob of gunk caught in your throat, nose running more than a harsh rainfall. You were not doing too great, and you were beyond terrified to face Changbin because of it. 

Growing up, any sign of sickness, any sort of complaint of feeling bad was turned into a guilt trip from your parents. They never wanted to take care of you, they blamed you for getting yourself sick and not being careful. They assumed you wanted out of school, and this was your way of doing so. However, that was never the case. Any time you slightly said anything to your parents, they blew up at you, yelling at you for being irresponsible, that they’d have to pay for doctor’s visits and medicine to get you feeling better again. Due to them being so horrible to you when you fell ill, you were afraid Changbin would react the same. 

He was a sweet man. He took care of you, he loved you, he gave you the world - or what he could. In the back of your mind, you knew Changbin would never dare yell at you for something out of your control entirely. But in the front of your mind, the constant thoughts you had were telling you how angry he’d be at you for being weak. How you weren’t able to take care of yourself enough that you allowed yourself to become sick. 

Out of this fear, you stayed at your own place, away from your caregiver. How he’d be your caregiver without you, well you weren’t sure. You didn’t have a plan to kindly tell him to leave you alone until you were better. Sinus infections have the tendency to overstay their welcome (which is never actually welcomed), expanding as far as a month that it would last. 

You called off work for the next few days, informing them that coming in would not benefit you or your coworkers. You slept in, not telling Changbin the update, and waking up in the middle of the day to a phone call from Changbin’s best friend, Felix. Your tired eyes still close, you felt around for the buzzing of your phone on your bedside table. You tapped the accept button and held it to your ear. 

“Hullo?” you asked, voice groggy. 

“Y/N! Where have you been?? Bin is worried sick, you haven’t answered any of his calls!” Felix scolds you. His scolding makes you feel small, you feel awful, taking the phone from your ear and seeing all of the missed notifications. Texts from his phone number, to DMs on other platforms, missed calls from everywhere. 

“I-I’m sorry, I slept in.” You say in a timid voice, about to crack afraid of the disappointment.

Felix sighs softly. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Y/N, Changbin is just really worried.” 

“It’s okay. I’m okay. I’m just really tired and needed a rest day.” You told Felix. Not entirely a lie, but not entirely the truth. 

“You should talk to Changbin, maybe he’ll come over and rest with you.” 

You panicked, all you felt was fear. “No! I-I mean it’s okay, really, I’ll be fine.” 

“Are you sure? You know he loves taking care of you.” Felix says softly, slightly worried that you’re denying the option. 

“Yes, I don’t want to get him sick. He needs to be able to perform with you guys for your fans.” You aren’t wrong, but that isn’t your main concern. You don’t want to get him sick, but mostly you don’t want him to be mad at you. 

“Okay, Y/N. Rest well!” He says before hanging up. You took a deep breath in and exhaled loudly, collapsing back onto the warm, soft comforter as you felt the tiredness stay within you. The room was darkened, little light came through, and that helped you relax. You kept your phone on the bedside table, turning on the small table lamp and pulling out your journal and colorful pens. You opened it and flipped through the crusty pages to find a fresh new one. 

You took the cap off a red pen and wrote the title in the margin, “Fear of Binnie’s Anger”. If Changbin saw it, he might cry, he might feel awful that you were so afraid of him when he’s upset. Which is why it was a rule that he couldn’t read your notebook. That was one of your boundaries, keep out of the journal, whatever is said in there will be said through time. Changbin respected it, he respected your privacy. Under the red pen, you wrote a squiggly line to section it off from the rest. Then you capped the pen, and you pulled out a purple one and started writing down a list of things you want to avoid doing to not make him upset. You started doing this when you were much younger, when your parents screamed at you for little things, and you kept doing it with every new person you meant. Find what makes them upset, write it down, and avoid it causing an issue at all costs. 

The first thing you wrote was, “Don’t tell Bin you’re sick.” and then filled the page with things that put him in a bad mood - not just angry, upset overall. You were terrified he’d leave you if he felt anything but joy around you. 

A little bit later after you filled the page with notes, you kept journaling and drawing random things in your journal. Whatever came to your head. Eventually you turned some music on, hating the loud silence of the room, and the pen on paper started to drive you insane. But you turned your phone on silent, hoping Changbin would listen to what you told Felix. And guess what? He didn’t. Changbin respected boundaries, yes, but his honey wasn’t feeling well, and it’s his job to make sure you’re okay. 

Hours passed, and Changbin was able to leave the studio before making it his mission to get to your house and help comfort you. He didn’t tell you he was coming, he knew you’d try to convince him not to, so he just had to show up. 

On the way to your place, he put in a to-go order at a ramen place, wanting to bring your delicious and soothing food to help relax you. He also grabbed some hot cocoa packets to help you out. He wanted to make sure you were as taken care of as possible.

He pulled up into the parking lot, grabbed his things and food, and went to your door, using his key - you gave him one - to allow himself in. You were lying in your room, under the covers, watching an anime on your laptop with headphones for a better audio experience. You heard nothing. No one coming in, no noise to be heard.  He walked to your room, the door opened, so he crept inside, placing the bags on your desk. He walked over to your bed, shoes off, peering his head to see what you were up to. But as he looked at you, he peered over and saw your notebook. He went to look away, knowing better than to peek, but he saw the title of the page open. You had flipped back to it, filling out more notes as you remembered them. He scanned over it, the only emotion being heartbreak and remorse. 

Are you really scared of me?

Do I make you feel unsafe?

I’m so sorry, sweetie. 

Changbin didn’t want to startle you, so he backed away from your bed and into the next room. You were still focused on your show, nothing else happening. So Changbin decides to shoot you a text letting you know he was on the way. He watched you from your doorway, seeing how you read the message and starting to panic that you didn’t know where to go to get away from seeing him. He feels his chest tighten when he sees how startled you are. 

He backs away from the door and to the entry of your home, quietly exiting before faking his arrival. He makes sure to enter loudly, so you can hear him. And that you do, your head snapping up at the noises from the other room. You panic, getting up from your bed and looking for a hiding spot, thinking under your bed would be the best bet for you. 

“Hey, Y/N! I’m here!” Changbin boasts with his booming voice. You stay your ground, under the bed, hopefully completely unseen. You see his footsteps enter your room, moving around looking for you. 

What the hell? She was just here?

He checks your closet, about to start checking other rooms until he thinks for a moment. 

Under the bed. Where kids like to hide from the people they’re afraid of. 

It pains him to have that realization. But he backs away and starts to lie down, peeking under the bed, finding you panicked in place. All you do is look at him with fear, but you start to feel awful when you see how hurt he looks. 

Softly he says, “Why are you hiding under the bed, baby?” You move, not having anything to say, slowly crawling out from the bed with no persuasion on his end. He backs away, allowing you to fully remove yourself from your hiding spot. You sit, on your knees, and he moves to the same position across from you. After brief eye contact, you crawl over to him and collapse in his arms. He accepts it, and then he holds you tightly. “What’s wrong, little one? Are you afraid of me?” 

You shake your head no in his arms, and he keeps holding you close. 

“Yongbok said you weren’t feeling good, anyway I can help?” You shake your head yes, not daring to speak, feeling too bad that you feel you’ll cry if you try to explain anything. 

“Alright, baby, let me take care of you.” 

He moves you away from him, standing up before he bends down to pick you up. He lies you back in your bed, under your covers, and keeps you sitting up against your pillows and wall. He smiles at you, grabbing your computer and placing it on your legs. “I’ll be right back.” He goes to grab the now cold ramen, deciding it would be better to warm it up in the microwave. 

A few minutes later, Changbin returned to your room with the food and moved your computer to hand you the ramen. He moved to sit on the bed next to you. Both of you sat in silence for a moment, quietly eating the ramen. The warm broth felt wonderful as it went through your body, the liquid coating your throat and cleaning your sinuses for a bit. 

Changbin looked at you with adoration as he watched you eat. You were so intensely focused on the simple task, he couldn’t help but smile. 

“Baby, are you actually afraid of me? Are you afraid to make me mad?” 

You looked at him, and you nodded slowly. “I don’t want you to be afraid of that, baby. I want to take care of you, no matter what it takes.”  

“Bin, I didn’t wanna get you sick.” He looked at you, his eyes and eyebrows turning into a concerned look. “Y/N, I know that’s not the only reason you didn’t want me here. I’m here to take care of you, don’t take that away from me.” You felt yourself begin to tear up. He took notice of your eyes beginning to twinkle. 

“I-I’m sorry, Binnie, I just didn’t want you to be mad at me for being sick.”

“Why on Earth would I ever be mad at you for something you can’t control?” You know it sounded stupid, absoultely ridiculous now that he said it. 

“Parents did.” was all you could muster, and he immediately knew what you meant. He knew your parents were shitheads to you, never treating you well, but that’s exactly why he wanted to. He wanted to prove that you deserved the world. 

“Well, thankfully I’m not your parents. I’m Seo Changbin, and as a man of principles, I will never stop taking care of you.” You giggle at him. “I believe you, Bin.” 

You both continued eating the ramen until both of you were fully finished. Changbin placed the trash in the kitchen, deciding to deal with it later, before he came back into your room. He jumped into your bed, holding onto you tightly as you turned on a detective movie to watch. 

The next few days, he stayed at your house, rarely leaving unless it was urgent for the group. Changbin stayed up long nights ensuring you were okay. He took care of you. 

Just like he promised.

[lisired-deactivated20240106]

venomous

pairing; bodyguard!yuta x (f) reader

genre/warnings; crime!au, thriller, angst, graphic violence, mentions of drugs/drugging, character death, implied smut, implied misogynistic behavior, mentions of dv, one instance of attempted abuse(?), mc’s father is an asshole

summary; Born into the underworld, crime was all you’d known your entire life and was practically in your blood - murder, drugs, money, power, and everything in between. In spite of your father leading one of the two major gangs that dominated Asia, you managed to keep safe. But all that changes once the rival gang has bad blood to settle with your father, and suddenly a vendetta’s being pursued against you.

word count; 18.8k

taglist; @shreeya77777 @abcdefghijkleemark @haefullsunchan @sophie-rebecca17 @baehaechannie @plantws @yutameow @yeins @roroswitherose @karabarrow @hii-yongseul @xuxibelle @queensnowdon @bmgyubear @carat-per-cubic @enha-getic

a/n; she’s free! having this fic in the drafts as early as February 2021, it’s a relief to be able to finally put it together and I’m glad this collab call gave me that opportunity. hope U all enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing <3 Part of Game of Surival collab call by @neo-shitty feedback is appreciated

Maybe you were paranoid. As heir to one of the most prosperous crime rings in the country you had grown familiar with the feeling, but you’d never get used to it.

You tried to chalk it up to the uneasiness of being present at yet another of your father’s parties, feeling like a weed amongst flowers, but you knew at the same time it was relieving to break away from your rather mundane lifestyle - condemned to your bedroom with a guard outside your door, in case the idea to wander around emerged within your mind yet again.

Feasting your eyes on the crowd was one of your favorite weekly, on some occasions biweekly, pastimes. Pretty people adorned in flashy attire that you were sometimes lucky to be able to engage in conversation with whenever your bodyguard pitied you enough to turn a blind eye to your activities. You usually dreaded no part of the evening save for the end, so you couldn’t fathom why you couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right.

Until you noticed a frantic Nakamoto Yuta rushing towards you hardly twenty minutes later.

“Get up,” your bodyguard ordered, yanking you from the seat impatiently. You were forced to set down the drink you had requested to calm your nerves, following Yuta as he ushered you throughout the crowd.

Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. And you were dying to get to the bottom of it.

“What’s the matter?” you asked. “Is something wrong?”

“No time to explain,” he answered curtly. “Just follow me.”

Almost a dozen more questions remained at the tip of your tongue, yet you kept them anchored. Knowing Yuta, he was only trying to keep you safe. That was his priority. Everything else came second.

Yuta led you to an exit situated towards the rear side of the venue, more easily accessible than the front entrance. For a split second he checked his watch, eyes flashing with urgency. He wasted no time to pull at your arm and drag you along in the path of his body.

Though in your high heels and flowy dress, it was impossible to match his pace. You were stumbling and on the verge of twisting an ankle, nearly collapsing if it weren’t for his never-loosening grip on you. “Yuta!” you shrieked. “Slow down.”

Slowing down wasn’t an option. Not only would Yuta’s life be at stake if he neglected his job, but he’d never forgive himself if he let anything bad happen to you. Instead he settled for pausing for a moment to swoop you into his arms, not stopping when you squealed from the sudden change and dashing further into the distance.

Even as he ran, Yuta held you securely in his arms, holding you tightly with dedication smoldering in his irises. You could see it from the position you were in, staring into him adoringly. You knew that the situation likely wouldn’t feel half as intimate if you knew the details, but ignorance was truly bliss. You admired his auburn hair and stoic face up until he helped you into a vehicle, and you couldn’t help but notice your father’s chauffeur was already gone.

Fingertips pressed against the window, you stared outside the glass as he drove, your heart collapsing inside your chest as you saw panicked flocks of people running frantically out of the venue you had miraculously escaped.

You had dodged a bullet, but at what cost?

Waiting for you and Yuta in your room when you arrived back home at the headquarters was your father.

“Dad?” you said, tone laced with confusion. “What’s wrong?”

Your father only put a finger up to his lip and ushered for Yuta to shut the door before he glanced back at you blankly. It perturbed you; sent shivers down your spine as you wondered what in the hell could have been happening for everyone to be so unforthcoming.

“The Serpents put a hit out on me,” he finally said.

You shrieked, “What?”

He held his finger to his lips again. “They believe I’m responsible for the death of their former heiress, and now they have a vendetta against us. That means you’re in just as much danger as I am. I want you to remain here until things clear up - no more parties and no exiting this room without Nakamoto only. You are to trust no other guard. He’ll bring you all your meals and whatever other essentials you may need.”

It felt as though the room was spinning. You couldn’t believe the words coming from his mouth. The Empire and the Serpents had always loathed one another for as long as you could remember, connected by means of rivalry and battling for the throne - perpetual success and power. This was something drastically different. They were intent on seeking your family for immaterial issues: vengeance.

“Did you kill her?”

Your father seemed greatly affronted by your question. “Of course not! I have no connection to that woman. They say her cause of death was ruled to be food poisoning.”

You knew that. Her death was massive news in the underworld when you were little, rumors getting tossed back and forth between people with some being that the Empire was responsible, but none of them were plausible. Everyone only knew what the Serpents disclosed - the cause of death. However that was, give or take, two decades ago, and for the matter to resurface out of the blue was nothing short of questionable.

Merely attempting at wrapping your head around your newfound situation was making your brain short-circuit. If your father didn’t kill her, then there was no reason for any of this to be happening. In spite of the feud between both gangs, neither were small-minded enough to create bold-faced lies or threaten violence against one another. Neither were sloppy. That meant either of two things: they somehow made a mistake, or your father was lying.

You hated the thought of the latter.

You shook your head. “I don’t understand.”

“Get some rest,” he replied, dismissing your confusion. “The building is on lockdown; no one gets in or out without my say so. It’ll be okay. Goodnight.”

He slipped out of the room, and you were left alone with Yuta and your thoughts.

Yuta walked you to your bed and sat down beside you. “You okay?”

“I’m terrified,” your voice was barely above a whisper. After living your whole life in the underworld you thought that you had reached a point of numbness, desensitized to the harsh reality. Now that it was you and your father’s lives at stake however, you felt like you couldn’t breathe.

Every waking and unwaking moment was a dangerous one, you knew that. Your father was notorious; wanted by gangs, law enforcement, and all things alike. It never bothered you because you knew your people were unreachable to inferior groups, but the Serpents were on the same level as the Empire. They knew the game as thoroughly as your people did. They had just as much potential to win.

“Don’t worry,” Yuta cooed, stroking your back. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

You made a pitiful attempt at hiding your smile. You knew he was right. Yuta had given his all into protecting you for the past two years, never once neglecting his responsibilities. He took his job ever so seriously, and it was a relief to know that there was someone who valued your safety standing right outside your door at all times.

For a moment, you were comforted. Maybe everything would be okay.

But the following morning only maintained your worries that the Serpents were a force to be reckoned with.

Yuta showed you an image of a burnt down building. “This is, was the venue from yesterday. The Serpents burnt it down. That’s the reason I was rushing to get you out and back here. Your father commanded me to move with speed and efficiency.”

Your eyes widened. Last night you were two minutes away from being swallowed alive by flames. It suddenly clicked; why people were swarming outside the building. They were running for their lives.

“Was there a motive?”

“To scare you,” Yuta shrugged, finding the answer obvious. “Probably a warning. Makes the most sense. They’re giving your daddy the chance to turn himself in before they have to strike by force.”

It did make sense; you were no stranger to the method. That was just the dirty way crime worked. Ultimatums were never heavenly decisions. This one in particular was bring yourself into me, or die trying to escape.

Obtaining a member of an organized crime ring was no easy task, however. Your headquarters were hidden and security was intricately layered. There might have only been one guard at your door, but there were plenty scattered everywhere and only you, Yuta, and your father knew the passcode to your corridor. Not even the other inner circle members had access. Getting to you was mission impossible, they could have only imagined getting to your father.

“That means that last night probably won’t be the last time something drastic happens,” you murmured. “I reckon they won’t offer many warnings, but they’re going to make their presence known. And they’re only going to get more and more dangerous each time.”

Yuta chuckled. “You know your shit.”

“That’s nothing. But being the daughter of a gang leader, I oughta know a thing or two about how these people operate.”

“You know about the Empire’s methods of operation, but what do you know about the Serpents?” Yuta asked, adding when you arched your eyebrow, “They’re similar, yeah, but still bound to be different as hell. The more you know about the Serpents, the more predictable they are.”

You mulled it over. “I know a little bit. Basic things.”

He looked ready, eyes telling you to shoot. “Run it to me, princess.”

Biting your lip, you collected your thoughts into sentences before you spoke.

“They’re a complex group, but they only have six inner circle members - the leader, his right-hand, the head of arms and drug dealing, the spy and tracker, the hacker, and the treasurer,” you started. “Their names are undisclosed as far as I know, but each member has an alias by the name of snakes chosen for different reasons and all with different meanings pertaining to their character.”

Yuta nodded along. “Do you know them?”

“I know the names, not sure about all of the meanings behind them,” you confessed. Some of them were self-explanatory, but others you couldn’t fathom why that specific snake was chosen as their identity.

Yuta urged you on and you continued, “The leader is called the King Cobra for obvious reasons. King cobras are the longest venomous snakes, so I assume his meaning has something to do with extensive power and control,” you explained. “The right-hand is called the Python. Allegedly because he has a suffocating presence, and pythons are non-venomous constricting snakes.”

“The spy and tracker is called the Viper. Viper’s are ambushers and rely on their ability to camouflage to attack their prey. It’s not that big of a jump to make that he’s deceitful and able to blend in with his surroundings or appear as a non-threat as their spy. After tracking down his target, he awaits the right moment to strike,” you gazed at Yuta to see if you had his attention, and to your pleasure he seemed nothing short of intrigued by your knowledge. Snooping around the headquarters and eavesdropping during parties was how you picked up on most of the information. Boredom egged you on to doing unimaginable things. You even snook a book about snakes from the library one time, just so that you could research the Serpents.

“The dealer is called the Black Mamba, the hacker is called the Boa, and the treasurer is called the Copperhead. I haven’t been able to reach a solid conclusion on them.”

Yuta nodded once more, impressed. As a guard you figured he’d probably picked up on some information too, the same way you did - from other henchmen - except he likely knew more from actual conversations. You relied on poking your nose where it didn’t belong.

“Good work,” he said, then joked, “and is that what sneaking out has taught you?”

You grinned. “Damn right.”

“It’s pretty good work. I mean that. But you should also know their operations as a whole,” Yuta said, and it made you wonder just how much he knew altogether. “Empire are infamous for their coercion methods and obtaining their desires through force and abuse of power. They’re bullets you see coming but can’t move quick enough to dodge. The Serpents on the other hand are sly motherfuckers. You’d never suspect their next move. Once you realize you’re trapped by them, you’re already staring down the barrel.”

That was unnerving. He was basically trying to teach you how to predict the unpredictable.

Yuta glanced at the clock on your nightstand. “Shit, I gotta go to this meeting. I’ll be back in two hours. You need anything before I go?”

You shook your head. “I’m good.”

“Alright. Behave,” Yuta chastised, making you giggle.

“What you gonna do if I don’t?” You asked, batting your lashes.

A fire flashed behind his eyes. He growled, “What did I tell you about tempting me, woman? I’ll see you later.”

Yuta left before you could attempt to spur him on further and you giggled. Your relationship with him was complicated - you wanted him, he wanted you, but being together was entirely forbidden. There was no label. You just pretended as if you weren’t in love.

You stood up and headed for your closet, preparing to change into something less vibrant than your strawberry pajamas. Love came second. Your life was on the line and you hardly had details about what was a life-threatening situation. You were on a mission to survive.

In spite of the meeting, some henchmen were still obligated to stick around the corridors. Growing up in the headquarters gave you an advantage though. Back when you were little, you learned how to crawl through vents.

The building structure hadn’t changed since you were born. Modernized, but every route still led to the exact same places they were originally planned to. Your childhood recklessness helped you engrave the paths into your memory, and thus you managed to turn up exactly where you wanted twenty-ish years later.

Outside your father’s office.

Last night you overheard Yuta on the phone. He must’ve thought you were asleep, otherwise you doubted he would have taken the call dead in your face, knowing how you were - too curious for your own good, fueled by the information you were sheltered from for decades. He mentioned your father would be discussing several things with the inner circle to decide how to best move forward. That was enough information for you to begin planning how you’d get there and a good starting point for figuring out exactly what the hell was going on.

Secrets being kept away from you was nothing new. You had dealt with that bullshit your entire life. But now you were being underly-informed about something that could potential end your life and that was the last straw. You refused to sit around and know nothing. 

The door was cracked ajar. You couldn’t see in, but you could hear and make out all the voices inside - your father’s, and Ten’s, the multifaceted asset to Empire’s inner circle who had no set position. He was considered an all-rounder.

You want the passports?

That was Ten’s voice. You furrowed your eyebrows. Passports? Was your father making an escape plan?

Yes, but we won’t be going anywhere. Just throwing them off course to buy us a little more time, your dad replied.

Shit, okay. I’ll talk to Renjun and get on it.

Hearing footsteps, you rushed to hide around the corner and hoped that Ten wouldn’t walk in that direction. To your fortune, he didn’t.

You blew out a sigh of relief. You had avoided being caught by Ten, but you were unsatisfied by your findings and the briefness of the conversation you’d managed to pick up on. The only way you could satisfy your hunger for information was if you went to Renjun’s office and resumed your eavesdropping from there. Eager and blinded by greed, you looked both ways and then made a run for it.

The lights were off and the door was shut when you got there, and not a sound came from inside the office. No shuffling noises or hushed mumbles. That only meant one thing - no one was there. Either Ten wasn’t meeting up with Renjun immediately or they were talking someplace else. If the latter was true, chances were you had already missed crucial information.

You sighed again and prepared to retreat to your room. At least you didn’t come up completely short of new details. You knew that your father was apparently attempting to fake a getaway, that much you could tell, but were the Serpents that gullible? And what exactly was he trying to buy time for? Did he have a plan? Nothing made sense anymore and it was stressing you out far beyond belief. It seemed like the more you knew, the less you figured out, and that was effectively defeating the purpose of your thirsty hunt.

You turned around and bumped straight into a chest. Looking up, you had a realization that made you wish the floor would swallow you whole.

It was Yuta’s.

His eyes widened and he stared at you, shooting bullets into your skin with his gaze alone. He whisper-yelled, “The hell are you doing here?”

Dammit, you swore under your breath. Your heart raced and you were starting to regret all of the prying that you’d done today. Yuta must’ve recently left his meeting. The room it was held in wasn’t far from where you were, although you thought that you’d have longer before it ended. It was possible that you simply lost track of time or that it ended early, but it wouldn’t be long before he put you under hyper-surveillance.

“What does it look like?” You grumbled. There was no point in lying to him. There was nothing convincing that you could tell him and even if there was, Yuta could see straight through you like you were glass.

“Curiosity killed the cat,” he warned.

You finished the quote. “But satisfaction brought it back.”

Yuta sighed and poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue. “Let’s go back to your room.”

You could tell there was more that he wanted to say, but arguing with you in the corridors when you were at extreme risk of getting caught was unwise. He settled for walking you back to your room, holding you close to his chest in spite of it being clear he wasn’t happy with you.

Halfway to your destination, you heard a woman shriek.

You pauses dead in your tracks, forcing Yuta to freeze with you. “What the…?”

“Go back to your room,” Yuta commanded.

Your response was physical. Face disbelieving as your brows furrowed and your eyes rounded. The shriek was terror-stricken, you knew the sound of fear when you heard it. It surrounded you ever since you could breathe. You needed to know what was going on, what was happening so close by yet felt almost worlds away.

“Go,” he said again, his cold, sharp eyes piercing into your skin. If you didn’t know him, you would have been scared. But as intimidating as he could seem from the outside, Yuta was mush in the interior. He just wanted to keep you safe. “And don’t even damn think about sneaking around.”

That time you obliged. You headed straight to your room and took no detours. You knew it was too risky and hoped that whatever happened wasn’t too dangerous. That Yuta would return in one piece and tell you what happened.

Thankfully, he did.

“So?” you said when he came back to your room roughly half an hour later.

“Maid found the corpse of a guard,” Yuta sighed as he sat beside you. “Not that sure yet, but the cause of death looked like it was an untreated venomous snakebite.”

“Not that sure?”

Yuta exhaled again. You wondered what he knew that made him seem so stressed. “The words ‘we are your shadow’ were painted onto the wall in his blood.”

Your blood ran cold. “The…”

“The Serpents killed him, yeah,” he grumbled.

The blood writing on the wall might have been laughable if it weren’t for the circumstances you were currently facing. Nothing was funny when you weren’t sure how much longer you would be breathing, or just how safe your surroundings really were. Their plan was to make you feel a false sense of security. Today was another warning. A message. They were close. Closer than you could have ever imagined. They were too deep inside and there was no escape.

You were beginning to think that flying out of the the city or even the country might have been your safest option. Even the place you considered home was dangerous. If a fatal incident happened only moments ago just down the hall, you were scared to wonder exactly how close the wrong people had ever been to you.

“They’re here,” you said in terror. “They’re inside the headquarters, and we don’t know where or who or when they’ll…,”

“Baby,” Yuta tried to interject, but to no avail.

“No! They’re deeper inside than we think they are and there’s only a matter of time until…,”

Yuta kissed you - deep and hard. Your body responded instantly, kissing him back and letting him guide you. You let him cup your face and your fingers thread through his locks, an unconscious part of you wanting to feel him as deeply as the limits would allow you too. Whenever he kissed you, his body easily won over yours. You were too weak for him. It took nothing for you to melt into his touch or the softness of his lips.

He pulled away some moments later and let you catch your breath. “Sorry baby, but I needed you to calm down. I know this shit’s scary, but you gotta be rational and think about what it means.”

“I don’t think I even wanna know what this shit means,” you whispered.

Yuta frowned. It broke his heart to see you this way. He wanted to take all your worries and fears away and lock them away. He hated seeing this slowly defeating even you, the most obstinate and iron-willed woman he knew. There was nothing he anticipated more than the moment that this chase would finally be coming to an end.

Suddenly the door opened and your father poked his head throughout the doorway. “Hurry up and pack, we’re leaving. Nakamoto, escort her out when she’s finished.”

He was gone as quickly as he came. You stared at Yuta lostly. Where were you going? And most importantly, would you be any safer from the Serpent’s there?

“You know it’s not safe to stay here. He’s making a run to more obscure territory,” Yuta stated as if he could read your mind. Sometimes, you felt like he could. “And before you ask - I don’t know if it’ll keep them away, but it’s not easy access. No one will be there but you, him, the inner circle, their personal bodyguards’, and me. So no one can get paid off.”

That was almost comforting. Being around people you deemed trustworthy, instead of countless people who could have been standing in the middle of the road for all anyone knew, seemed like the most liberating and obvious option. Maybe it would keep you alive if even just a little longer. Maybe it would give your father’s unspoken plan the push it needed to finally get in motion before it was too late. You hated not knowing. You hated having to rely on a maybe, but that was all you had. The little sparks of hope inside you were what was giving you the energy to push forward. It was better than a definite no.

Yuta insisted on helping you pack everything you needed - Clothes, books, and a few other items. In under fifteen minutes you were snuck out the backsides of the perimeter, and ushered into one of the cars.

As the vehicle set into motion, the pads of your fingers pressed against the window and you gazed longingly out the glass. From the moment you were born, this was the sole place that you’d known to be home. Every night of your life had been spent under the same room and in between the same walls. Now you weren’t sure if it would ever feel like home to you again.

The ride was long and you knew none of the roads the vehicle turnt on. If anyone were to be following you, you were certain that they’d become lost from all the abrupt changes in direction that were made. You finally pulled up to a secluded house. It was isolated and lowkey, and appeared to be an ideal safe house.

Yuta helped you out of the vehicle and carried your belongings inside. From the front door to the room you’d claim as yours for the meantime, the house seemed well-kept. It was probably one of the various operating grounds for Empire henchmen.

“Alright, head up to your room. I have something to discuss with the boys,” your father said, dismissing you to your room.

You gaped in disbelief. There was no way he was shunning you to your room at a time like this. It was all that he’d ever done, but at least before you’d have a little roaming freedom - drowning yourself in books in the library or helping the maids tend to the gardens. From the business parties he’d throw weekly to even being allowed to eat in the dining hall instead of having your meals brought up to you. After the news about the Serpents broke out all that had changed, but you thought it was to keep you safe. Now that you were surrounded by confirmed non-threats however, you saw clearly that wasn’t the case.

You rebelled, “I want to stay.”

It would be a lie to say that you never had been rebellious. Your father was strict, but you were stubborn and never took no for an answer. The only thing was that you’d never defied him to his face. Fear constricted your chest but you were hell-bent on standing your ground. You were a grown woman, for fucks sake. A grown woman who had her whole life at stake.

Your father glared but kept calm. “Don’t be difficult, darling. Just do as you’re told.”

“Why? This is about me just as much as it is the rest of you!” you countered, glancing around for backup. You met Ten’s eyes, then Renjun’s, both filled to the brim with pity. Yet neither of them said anything and you felt stupid for thinking that they would. Who in their right mind would stand up to anyone as conceited as your father?

Only you. Only you were bold enough to go against his commands, but maybe that was because you didn’t yet know the extent of what he was willing to do to his own blood.

Before you could even blink, he grabbed his switchblade from his holster and hurled it in your direction. The blade narrowly missed you, but knowing that that was intentional made your stomach churn. He was trying to scare you - and it was working.

“Go to your motherfucking room,” he hissed. “And don’t make me tell you again.”

That time, you obliged him. With widened eyes, you hurried up the stairs, tears threatening to fall but you wouldn’t let them. Not until you were alone.

When the door was shut and your back was against it, you finally let out your first sob. You couldn’t believe what had just happened. It was so sudden. Your father had nearly injured you at very least. He was a skilled knife-thrower and always carried them on him, but you never had any reason to fear him up until now. Never in your twenty-something years had he ever attempted to physically harm you, yet now he had with the intention of scaring you into compliance.

You weren’t sure what scared you more; the fact that he could have easily harmed you if he wanted to, or that something so trivial urged him to behave this way. Maybe you were wrong. Maybe this was something bigger and you were the only one who didn’t see that - but if that were true, it only fortified your desire to know exactly what was being kept from you. And why.

Spotting your duffle bag on your bed, you got up and rummaged through it in search of one particular item. You found a small, rectangular box and opened it, clutching a silver necklace as soon as the box clamped open and placing it on.

It was your mother’s. She passed shortly after you were born, maybe some months later. You hardly knew her. You had no photographs of her and your father never mentioned her even when you used to beg for him to tell you about her, to the point where you eventually stopped asking. The necklace was the only memory you had of her.

Sometimes you wished she was still with you. Maybe life would be a little easier. Maybe you’d feel a little less alone. Now more than ever, you wished she was by your side. Maybe you’d have someone to guide you and tell you the answers to everything you didn’t know, to point you in the right direction. But most of all, you wanted her love and comfort. You wanted her to hold you and tell you that everything would be okay.

Maybe then, you’d believe it.

Suddenly a knock sounded from the door and you jolted in surprise. “Who is it?” you asked weakly.

“Your favorite,” Yuta sang from the other side of the door. For a second, you smiled. Yuta’s voice alone was soothing. “May I come in?”

“Go ahead.”

Yuta walked inside, shutting the door behind himself. He frowned at the sight of you, eyes red and cheeks tear-stained. You looked almost as small as you felt. There was nothing Yuta despised more than seeing you so overcome by your emotions - it made him bristle with anger, wishing there was something he could do to permanently remove your pain.

You fiddled with your necklace and once Yuta noticed it, he sighed sadly. “Oh, baby…,”

“I miss her,” you smiled through your tears. “I miss her and I never even knew her.”

That was all it took for Yuta to walk over and pull you into a hug. You sobbed into his shoulder and he rubbed your back, soothing you. Yuta was the only one that you had ever opened up to about your problems, and especially the ones regarding your mother. He knew how incomplete you felt without having a mother figure present in your life.

With Yuta, you felt bare and exposed. Stripped naked of your facades and down to your rawest, truest emotions. There was nothing you could hide from him, no mask you could put on because he could effortlessly see dead through you. He could read you like an open book, but never judged any line. That was why you had no issues with being vulnerable in front of him. He had seen you at your lowest moments and yet still Yuta embraced you nonetheless.

That was when you realized something. Yuta was more than just your bodyguard. He guarded your mind, soul, heart and body. He fought off the dragons of your mind with a sword. Without him you’d be nothing but a damsel in distress.

“Please don’t leave me,” you begged softly. Not like she did. “I need you.”

Yuta wiped the tears from your face. “I’ll never ever leave you, princess. You’ll always have me.”

All you could do was pray that that was true. As much as you hated to think about it, Yuta’s life was just as on the line as yours. He was an obstacle to the Serpents, and it went without a doubt that they would tear down anything in their course to get to your family. Knowing Yuta, he wouldn’t let anyone hurt you without getting through him first. He was willing to sacrifice himself if it meant you had a chance.

After a while you cooled down and decided to pull yourself together. You were still shaken up from what had happened, but refused to let it get in the way of what was important—predicting the Serpent’s next move. And Yuta was more than willing to help you.

“What did you say was written on the wall again?”

“‘We are your shadow’,” Yuta recalled gloomily. “The message’s obvious. They’re watching.”

No shit. The snake bite was the unneeded confirmation that the murder was their doing, but the message was what they were trying to convey. Four silly words had never unnerved you this awfully.

“Fucking hell,” you sighed. “Shadows follow you everywhere you go like footprints.”

Yuta made a face. “You think they know that we’re here?”

“I think that if they don’t know yet, then it likely won’t be long before they do.”

“That’s what I thought, but your dad isn’t intent on switching locations. He says we’re staying here until further notice,” he answered, and you furrowed your brows. Sometimes your father could be a little too vain to notice the flaws in his reasoning - and god forbid anyone pointed them out to his face - but you wanted to trust he wouldn’t do anything too out of line.

Now though, your trust in him was wavering.

After a moment of silence and internally debating if you should keep your knowledge to yourself, you began quietly, “I overheard my dad talking with Ten earlier. When I snuck out.”

Yuta shot you a curious look, urging you on with his face. “Mm-hm.”

“They brought up passports. Dad said that we wouldn’t be going anywhere, though. Throwing the Serpents off course and mentioning something about buying more time. I think he’s faking a getaway.”

Yuta reacted like he was completely unaware of that information, and there lied your ulterior motive in mentioning what you overheard. Yuta was updated on everything, almost as if he knew events before they occurred sometimes. He was knowledgeable and smart, and predicted certain circumstances like no other. For him to have absolutely no clue what your father was planning was somewhat alarming.

It was no surprise to hear that information was to be held strictly between the inner circle or high-ranking members as they were the center of power and influenced overall movement, but cohesion was still significant - especially between the most directly affected people. There needed to be a clear plan in case of sudden emergency. Worst of all, you couldn’t even be sure that the entire inner circle was aware. Only Ten, Renjun, and your father could be confirmed.

“Well, if he plans to act on that idea soon that would explain the lack of urgency,” Yuta murmured, “but there’s no telling. And what is he buying time for exactly?”

“That’s where I keep getting lost. I don’t know what the hell he’s trying to do and it’s scary,” you leaned back against your sheets and sighed.

Nothing was making sense. And you didn’t want to be five seconds from the click of a trigger by the time it finally did. You couldn’t even imagine what would happen to you or the people around you if you dug deeper, though.

It was like you were being cornered - by your father’s intimidation, by your reckless curiosity, by death - and given no choice but to succumb. There was no light at the end of the tunnel.

“Get some rest,” Yuta said after a while, noticing how the more the gears in your head ticked, the more it killed you. “We’ll talk again tomorrow. Promise me you’ll try to sleep.”

You nodded your head. “Okay,” you smiled and slid underneath the covers.

Yuta pressed a kiss to your forehead. “Goodnight, baby.”

Your heart fluttered. You wanted nothing more than for him to slip beside you and stay for the night, but you understood it was too risky, and his night didn’t quite end when yours did.

“Goodnight, Yuta,” you whispered.

He smiled. Then the lights flickered off, and you heard the door open and shut.

You didn’t sleep a wink.

It wasn’t like you didn’t want to keep your word to Yuta, but even after you said goodnight you still couldn’t power your brain off - electricity was always flowing, gears were always turning. There was something else troubling you. Yuta had said that you’d talk again tomorrow, but that was exactly what worried you. The Serpent’s warnings had been consecutive. The very first night, today, and tomorrow was a high possibility.

Who was to say that tomorrow would be any different? Who was to say that the Serpent’s had any mercy leftover? It was already well-established that the warnings would only become worse the more they were ignored, but what if the Empire had blown all chances at making things easy?

They had left the ball in the Empire’s court; now it was in theirs.

The tomorrow you had so terribly dreaded had become today. A knock from the bedroom door startled you, and you asked softly, “Who’s there?”

“Ten,” the voice said, then the door opened slightly and Ten peaked through the crack. “Hey. Your dad told me to let you know that we’re leaving for a little while. Nakamoto’s downstairs, he’s going to stay and watch over you.”

That suddenly made you feel cold. You were scared shitless of being alone, but you guessed you weren’t alone with Yuta around. Still, it didn’t help to think about a sudden ambush while everyone else was away. You were two to however fucking many people they’d send. You would be no match for them.

And more than anything, you needed Yuta safe.

Feigning indifference, you said coolly, “Alright.”

You had a feeling Ten could tell you were putting on a front, but he didn’t press the matter. There was nothing he could have done.

“And y/n?”

You murmured, “Yeah?”

“I’m sorry about yesterday. I know you’re probably shaken up about it. I didn’t think he’d act like that to you.”

You chuckled tonelessly. “Me neither.”

Ten flashed you a thin smile. There was more that he wanted to say and you could tell, but you also figured the second half of his message wasn’t supposed to happen. He was in a time crunch.

“Be safe,” you whispered before he could say anything else.

Ten nodded. “You as well.”

Then he disappeared.

Figuring you needed to de-stress, you opted for taking a long, hot shower. You hoped desperately that it would wash away all the apprehensions plaguing your mind in the meantime.

When you got out, you felt better. There was no doubt that you’d still need coffee to help with the fact that you’d pulled an all-nighter, but at least you felt refreshed and that was enough to help you carry on. Some moments after you finally collapsed back on your bed, you heard buzzing from your nightstand.

Your phone. It was provided in case of a crisis and if anyone needed to reach you, but that was why you were worried. If there was nothing wrong, why would they need to tell me something now? They never needed you.

Nonetheless, you picked up the phone, noticing the caller ID was Renjun’s. “Hello?”

“Where’s Nakamoto?”

You blinked in surprise. Maybe it was nothing. But doesn’t Yuta have his own phone? Then, you realized that you hadn’t heard from nor seen Yuta all morning. Usually he’d greet you after you’d woke up, check on you and stay with you. You had figured he was downstairs keeping guard, though now you were worried about him.

“Dunno, I haven’t seen him. I figured he was downstairs playing watchdog,” you answered, eyebrows furrowing. “Why?”

Renjun ignored your question and commanded, “Look in the closet and get the gun.”

“What?”

“Just do it,” he hissed.

Phone pressed to your ear, you stepped towards the closet and rummaged through in search of a firearm. You found it and swiftly checked to see if it was loaded. It was.

“Found it,” you announced.

“You remember how to use one, right?”

The realization that you would possibly have to use one alarmed you, but you confirmed in a little voice, “Y-yeah.” You were probably in your early teens when you learned how to use a gun. You might have been sheltered, but you knew the underworld in and out, and especially how to survive inside it.

That was what people had most often misunderstood about you. They doubted your knowledge and capabilities. They doubted you. You realized that even people you trusted didn’t believe in you. Inside, you knew a good chunk of it was because you were a woman in a man’s world, but you’d be damned if you let that mean you were any less capable.

“Good. Now lock the door,” Renjun said sternly.

“What? But what about Yuta?”

Renjun’s surroundings grew louder and you could suddenly hear all the action in the background, loud yelling and gunshots filling your ears. It sounded like a bloodbath was ongoing and you were scared half to death.

“Listen to me carefully because I don’t have that much time,” he began, voice colder than you’d ever heard it - and his tone was always icy. “Don’t trust Nakamoto. He’s not who he says he is.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” You asked in bitter confusion.

Renjun snarled, “Fucking listen to me. He’s the Vip—”

His sentence was abruptly interrupted and by the sound of his phone dropping to the ground and his screams, you knew it was because he had been attacked. Your blood ran cold.

Then, the door opened and you wasted no time to aim the gun in its direction.

There stood Yuta - and he didn’t even flinch when you pointed the gun at him.

“Yes, I am the Viper,” he announced, smiling as menacingly as he could. “What a shame Renjun ruined the surprise.”

“Step back,” you warned, trying to hold the gun as firmly as you could, but your hands were trembling. Yuta - the one you had trusted with your heart, mind, soul and body - was the same person trying to tear you down.

It took everything within you not to break down right then. You could feel your heart wrench, then shatter into pieces. How could he sit there watching and listening to you fear for your life knowing damn well he was the exact thing you were trying to escape?

“Oh, please. We both know damn well you can’t shoot me, baby,” Yuta scoffed.

You glared. “Shut up. You don’t know me.”

Yuta didn’t listen. He was on a mission to make you explode and knew exactly what buttons to press. “I do know you. I know that you could never ever shoot me. You love me too much. You would only be planting a bullet in your own heart.”

“You’re wrong!” you screamed.

“Do it, then, I fucking dare you!” Yuta yelled back, louder. He stepped closer, intentionally leaving himself open. “I said, shoot me. Pull the motherfucking trigger, baby.”

Your mind was chanting for you to do exactly as he was saying, but your heart was screaming for you to do the opposite. It should have been easy. You should have had the upper hand here. You had a loaded gun and he was unarmed. The only problem was that Yuta was right. You didn’t have it in you to shoot him because you loved him. Frankly, you were in love with him.

And that was your weakness. As deadly and venomous as he was, Yuta was your vice. You unloaded the gun and threw it to the floor, tears beginning to stream down your cheeks.

Yuta softened when he saw you cry, and pulled you into his chest. When you didn’t fight him, he began to stroke your back the way he knew comforted you. “There, there.”

“I don’t understand,” you whimpered sadly. “I trusted you.”

Yuta’s grip on you tightened. “Do you still trust me?”

You didn’t respond immediately. You of all people should have known the game, you had been studying it all your life, you had become it. Trust was nothing but a ruse and that was exactly what his job entailed - he comforted people into telling him their weakest points and used them to his advantage. And yet still, you knew that he was where you felt safe. “With my life.”

“Then, you know I’m not doing this to hurt you. I’m doing it to protect you,” Yuta cooed gently.

That didn’t make the situation any easier to process. Yuta belonged to the Serpents - the exact same organization that was out for your family’s life. Did that mean that everything you knew was a lie? Then, what was their reason in doing any of this?

You pulled away and questioned, “What’s your motive?”

He shrugged. “Same as you were told. Your father killed our former heiress.”

That meant your father lied.

“Then, you should still be trying to kill me. Not protect me.”

Yuta shook his head. “Like I said, I’ve been doing this to protect you. The target has always been your daddy. He just made the wise decision of assuming we would use you to get to him - or he didn’t want to risk you finding out the truth.”

For the first time, you were getting answers to your questions, and yet you still couldn’t fathom them. It was too much to process all at once and you had barely scraped the surface. But you still needed to know more. You still needed to wrap your head around the enigma.

Another question popped up in your head and you furrowed your brows. “But that doesn’t make sense. Why wouldn’t he want me to know? I’m grown. I’ve lived this life for twenty-two years. I know he kills people. That’s what our life revolves around, that’s what I’m supposed to become when it’s my turn – a coldhearted killer. What would make this any different?”

Yuta pursed his lips. The answer lied at the very tip of his tongue, but he knew this particular secret wasn’t his to tell. “Baby look, a lot of this shit isn’t my place to tell you.”

“What do you mean, not your place?” you blinked in confusion. “Who’s place is it, then?”

Just as Yuta’s lips parted to speak, you jolted when you heard the door creak and an unknown being emerged from the hallways. “It’s time.”

Never had you ever been so confused, and nothing had been making sense for the past three days straight. When you finally gazed back at Yuta for answers, he was eyeing you apologetically.

“Forgive me,” he said finally, and before you could attempt to decipher the situation, you felt a prick in your arm from the opposite side and the color swiftly began to fade from your world.

The last thing you saw was Yuta’s face hovering over you as he held your unconscious body in his arms.

When you finally awoke, your senses came rushing back to you and whiplash struck you deep.

Nothing but the nerve-racking ticking of a clock was audible. The skin surrounding your forearm stung and you felt as though a gigantic hole had ripped agape there. Your vision unblurred steadily and your eyes were met with a dull room.

Where am I, you wondered. It was no place you had ever been - and that was very little. Between your bedroom and the few places from outside that you were familiar with, this was a completely and utterly foreign setting.

Smoke. You smelled smoke.

You sat up and saw a man you didn’t recognize, sitting in a chair with a joint between his fingers and smoke rising from between his lips, thick, white clouds of vapor flowing into the air.

And that was the moment your situation dawned on you.

“You’re awake,” the stranger observed offhandedly.

You ignored his comment. “Who are you?”

It was one of them. You knew that. Out of the six however, there no was no clear indication of who he was specifically.

The stranger only chuckled and took another drag. You noticed his almost fascinated gaze as his eyes bore at the spark of the joint, fire the sole gleam in his dark irises.

“Take a good guess, I’m sure you wouldn’t know,” he said dryly.

Your brows furrowed together in deep thought. You doubted that he was any of the members you had reached solid conclusions on. That would have been the King Cobra or the Python but he didn’t strike you as the leader type, or the Viper, but that was Yuta - oh god, Yuta.

You wondered where he was, or how he could have done that to you. His words to you crawled back in your brain, Forgive me. A part of you knew he was truly sorry, you could see it in his eyes, but another part of you was hesitant in believing anyone or anything.

Then your eyes flickered back to the smoking man on the chair and something clicked. “The Black Mamba,” you murmured, more to yourself than anything. You heard rumors about how the Black Mamba was an arsonist and his favorite weapons were explosives. Allegedly, he even constructed a bomb on his own at the age of ten.

“Oh, save the formalities,” he groaned, feigning annoyance. “Call me Jaemin.”

That gave you a pinch of hope. You weren’t sure if it was just in his character, but you doubted that he’d give you as much as his government name if they planned to kill you.

But then, what exactly was their plan?

“I told you not to play your mind games on her, Jaemin,” reprimanded a familiar voice, and you turned towards the door to see the face of the love of your life.

You rose up. “Yuta!”

Yuta’s head snapped in your direction. He trudged over and pulled you into his embrace, but you grimaced when he dealt too roughly with your aching arm.

“Shit. Sorry about that, baby,” he murmured into your ear. “Snake protocol.”

You stayed like that for a while. There was too much going on. Even if everything you’d known was a lie, you wanted to be in the one place you felt safe for just a moment - Yuta’s arms.

Jaemin fake-coughed. “If you two lovebirds are done, Cobra just texted me and said he wants to meet her.” He added blankly, “Just wanna make sure that’s okay with you guys first.”

You realized three things in that moment - one, you had seen Jaemin before, he was the one with Yuta earlier. Two, he fucking thrived off sarcasm.

And three, you were going to meet The King Cobra.

Panickedly, you stared at Yuta, but he rushed to assure you it would be okay. “Relax, princess. He just wants to give you answers to all those little questions you have. Answers you deserve. You trust me, right?”

“I trust you,” you drawled, even though you knew that you shouldn’t have. Then, you pushed him in the chest and managed to barely shove him. “But I’m mad at you.”

Yuta chortled. “You can be mad at me as much as you want, but rules are rules and I don’t make them. You’ll have to take that up with the motherfucker who does. Let’s go meet him, ey?”

When you finally agreed to meet his boss, you slipped out of the bedroom that you could have only assumed was Jaemin’s and walked into the corridors. Everything about being within the foreign walls of the Serpents’ headquarters made you feel like an outsider, although it did make sense. Technically - as heiress to the rival gang - you were.

Yuta held you firm to his chest, allowing you to loosen up and feel secure in his embrace. It also made you feel untouchable. Wandering henchmen seemed nothing short of frightened by Yuta as he strutted down the halls like he owned the place (technically, he kind of did) with you clinging stubbornly to his side.

The room he brought you to was someone’s office, void of all the hundreds of people pacing down the corridors, yet still not quite empty. Inside, you noticed the presence of two men that you didn’t recognize. Yuta sat across the desk and urged you to do the same.

“Boss,” Yuta greeted the man you both sat directly across from.

Boss. That meant he could have only been one person.

“You brought her,” his boss observed, smiling at you gently. You were half-tempted to smile back. He seemed warm and welcoming, which was totally unexpected for a gang leader.

“Yes, I did. Babe, this is my boss. Or as you know him, the King Cobra,” Yuta introduced, and suddenly the pieces clicked into place.

The man waved. “Hey. I’m the leader, but I know you already know that. Yuta here tells me you’re extremely curious,” he teased. “By the way, you can call me Taeyong.”

You nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“And this is the Python, who, technically, is also my boss, since he outranks me,” said Yuta, gesturing towards the man who stood beside Taeyong. He was slightly taller and unlike Taeyong, had a grim aura. 

“Doyoung,” The Python said plainly. “Taeyong’s right hand.”

You nodded once more, feeling almost obligated to this time. The rumors were true; his presence was suffocating.

Taeyong clapped his hands together and suddenly turned remarkably stern. “Alright, now that we’re done with introductions, let’s talk about the real reason for bringing you here. I know you have lots of questions.”

Too many questions. You still wanted to know why you weren’t six feet under yet, or what would be their next move now that they had you under their belt. Were they going to use you to lure your father in? Then what? Would they dispose of you after you had done their bidding? 

There was an insatiable little cat roaming around in your brain, chasing dangerously after strings of information. Maybe curiosity did kill the cat, but as you’d told Yuta before, satisfaction brought it back.

And you weren’t going to stop until you were dead or satisfied.

He began, “First of all, you are by no means our target. Your father murdered my aunt nearly twenty-two years ago and in spite of his opposing claims, we have sufficient evidence. Witnesses on standby, accomplices forced into silence, proof of payment transactions made continuously throughout the decades to silence them. I made it my mission to stop at nothing to kill whoever was responsible, and two years ago on the twentieth anniversary, I finally determined who.”

There was almost nothing that you could say. You were in disbelief - not that he’d kill someone, but that he’d lie to you about something so normalized in your life. This had to be something deeper than you were being told.

“Why wait two years?”

“We had to plan meticulously,” he said plainly. “We had to get inside before we made a move, close enough to predict your father’s moves before he made them. That was why we decided to involve Yuta.”

Yuta nodded and added, “Two years ago, I was assigned to this mission. We were looking for an opportunity to infiltrate and get close to the inner circle, and just our luck, you needed a new bodyguard. It was also important for me to protect you. We couldn’t risk something happening to you.”

“Why not?” you pressed. You felt like a pawn to their game. “Is there something important about me?”

Silence fell over the room and you blinked in confusion. Everyone else in the room gazed towards Taeyong and you could only find yourself doing the same thing. He looked sullen, and you couldn’t even begin to fathom why.

You were starting to get annoyed. “Well?”

“There’s no easy way of saying this, but I won’t make it anyone else’s responsibility,” he said, wearing a sad smile. “That lady he killed wasn’t just our former heiress. She was your mother.”

You gaped. “What?”

Doyoung spoke up. “Think about it. Why else would he avoid admitting that he killed someone?”

You shook your head and sank into denial. There was no way. Your father had never been the best man and you knew that, but he wouldn’t kill the woman that birthed you. Would he?

“He threw a fucking knife at you,” Yuta reminded. “You think he wouldn’t snap hard enough to kill your mother?”

The memory flooded back in and you began having flashbacks, immersing yourself so deeply back in the moment that you could feel the fear that occupied you then. You remembered your eyes going wide, your chest heaving as you gaped in shock.

It happened so quickly. One moment, you thought that you were harmlessly persuading your father, the next, you heard a knife cutting through the air before you could even fathom what was happening.

“N-no, he—he wouldn’t,” you denied. You shut your eyes as if it would make everything go away, but there was no escape.

“He took her away from you.”

“Stop.”

Yuta didn’t listen. “All those painful years of longing were because of him. He shut you out from the world because he didn’t want to risk having to face you once you finally discovered the truth. Deny it all you want, but you know it’s fucking true. Everything adds up.”

“Yuta, that’s enough,” asserted Taeyong.

Yuta didn’t dare disobey. He softened up the moment he saw your fragile state - tears brimming your eyes as you were forced to face the truth head-on. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but he was right. Everything added up too well, from your father’s mysterious behavior to the exact time of which their heiress and your mother passed. It could have only meant one thing.

You finally received the answers you had long-craved, but they weren’t the ones you were expecting.

“I’m sorry,” Yuta apologized with a frown. “Come here.”

There was no hesitation when you crawled into him and began to sob into his chest. He cradled you gently, the same way he had when he found you crying in your room yesterday.

Life was cruel. You knew that better than anyone else. But now that you knew your own father was responsible for so much of the pain and rupture you had felt deep in your chest, you weren’t certain if you would ever catch a break.

As much as you had wanted to deny his actions, there quickly became a point where it was impossible. And you were no longer in denial. You were in a state of pure, scorching hot rage. All you could feel was anger. And an aching desire for revenge on behalf of your mother.

Taeyong called your name once you had calmed down. “I brought you here because I wanted to make you a deal,” he began, and your eyebrows quirked with interest. “You help us catch him and I’ll make sure you never have to be under the control of that sick son of a bitch ever again.”

It didn’t take any convincing at all. You were already certain of what you wanted to do when he asked you the question. “Sounds like a pl…,” you trailed off as you realized something. “Wait. You said that my mother was your aunt, right?”

He nodded and you gawked.

“That means you’re—”

“Yes. I’m your cousin. I was waiting for you to realize,” Taeyong chortled.

How fucking ironic. The two rival gangs were family. And you were too blinded by emotion to even realize. No wonder this meant so much to him.

On the other end, you were delighted. You were certain you had no real blood family past your father and life was lonely. Instead of the dread you had been feeling for the past few days, you couldn’t wait to end this once and for all and meet the endless opportunities that awaited you. A happy ending was in arms reach. 

Whatever you could do to clutch it sooner, you wanted to know. You would do almost anything.

You had lost all empathy for your father. No wonder he shunned you to your room all the time. He was hiding how truly ugly he was inside. “I’m game if you all are, but what’s the move? How do you plan on getting him?”

“Straight to business,” Taeyong teased. “Don’t worry. I’m sure he and his team have arrived back at that little hideout of yours and know you’re missing. He’s going to want you back and knows that to obtain you, he’s going to have to reach us. We’re going to arrange a meeting. He’ll be trapped in with nowhere to run.”

You squinted, skeptical. “My father’s somewhat rash when it comes to dealing with other people, but he knows that meeting you would be like handing his life to the palms of his killer. He would either not agree or plan an escape.”

“Yes, but we still have an advantage.”

“What advantage?”

Taeyong grinned wryly. “A special asset.”

His vague response puzzled you, but you slapped your hand over your face and began to rub your temple. “I need a nap.”

Yuta sighed blithely. “It has been a long day.”

“And the next ones are going to be even longer,” Taeyong said stoically. You were already beginning to take a liking to him. He was good-natured, but knew exactly when to be serious and could turn on a dime. “Yuta, you may take her to your room for the evening. We’ll regroup in the morning and establish how to proceed.”

Everyone bid one another goodnight and Yuta led you back to the residency corridor. You passed a couple of men on your way towards his room, although the clear restriction of access within the area and unafraid glances they casted your direction suggested that they weren’t henchmen. They were Serpents.

“Are you okay?” Yuta asked when you flopped down on his bed. He snuggled beside you like a puppy and you smiled softly.

“I’m a lot of things right now,” you whispered somberly. “Not sure if okay is one of them.”

Glancing around his room was oddly comforting. Although it was dull-toned, it felt vibrant and full of life – pictures of him, his family, and friends adorned his nightstand and posters decorated his wall. It felt like Yuta. Not the strong wall he put up whenever he worked, but the Yuta who was utterly unafraid to be vulnerable.

“Mm,” he hummed in response, arms wrapped around your waist and his lips leaning into your ear. “Is there any way I can cheer you up?”

You drawled, “I can think of one.”

“So can I,” Yuta leaned over your face, lips just barely avoiding yours. “Care to enlighten me?”

Every inch of your body was aflame with anticipation. You couldn’t help but stare at his lips, desperately wishing that he would stop teasing you and press them against yours.

“Yuta.”

“Hm?”

“Kiss me.”

Yuta grinned smugly then gave in, finally meeting your lips in a blissful kiss. Your hands reached for his long, auburn locks of hair, and you let his lips guide you to a brand new world, momentarily detaching yourself from reality.

And the night passed like that, with Yuta’s mouth on yours - and your body.

You strutted into the conference room brimming with energy. For the first time in what felt like ages, sleep came to you easy. One night with Yuta had relieved you of a week’s worth of stress.

That meant that you could focus on what was crucial, feeling nothing but passionate anger and determination. You were going to put an end to your decades of suffering - once and for all.

The table was nearly full when you and Yuta arrived. Taeyong took his rightful spot at the head of the table, Doyoung sat to his left, and a file box stole the spot on his right. The rest of the seats were occupied by Jaemin and faces you couldn’t put names to, but you recognized them as the pair you’d spotted in the halls yesterday.

You followed Yuta to the table, sandwiched directly between him and Jaemin.

“Are we late?” Yuta asked with a wry grin.

“No, the rest of us are simply early,” Taeyong deadpanned, then began, “Good morning everyone. I’m sure that you have all taken notice of the fresh face at the table, and I’m aware that some of you are also fresh faces to her. For that reason, I would like to ask you both to each do short introductions. Please try to be as brief as possible, thank you.”

The inner circle members you were unfamiliar with each gave their name and aliases. The pink-haired man across from you was The Boa, and his name was Haechan. Beside him was The Copperhead, a Mark Lee. They deliberately didn’t disclose their roles, you were smart enough to figure that out. The hacker and the treasurer.

When they concluded, Taeyong continued, “With that out of the way, I would like to clarify our next move. Last night, your father accepted our offer to meet. The terms of the agreement were that if he turned himself in we would, in return, give you back unharmed, though obviously he knows we’ll blow his brains the second we get a chance, and your father doesn’t exactly strike me as the type willing to go out without a bang.”

Doyoung added, “In other words, as long as he’s aware that it’s a trap he’s going to devise a plan in order to escape, and we have to be prepared for whatever adversities that may possibly surface.”

Taeyong nodded, then asked, “Any word from The Sphinx, Haechan?”

“You were right-on about this guy not wanting to go out without a bang, Boss. Literally. I got off the phone with The Sphinx this morning and he says her father’s sending his goons in then blowing the whole damn place up,” Haechan chirped back quickly.

Jaemin grinned wickedly. “Sounds like fun.”

“Sounds like a suicide mission,” Mark corrected, scowling.

“Yeah, well, it’s not. Sphinx made it clear the man has one goal in mind, and that’s getting him and his daughter out alive,” Haechan said matter-of-factly. You barely caught his gaze, it lasted a total of half one single second.

Your face scrunched up in confusion. Who the hell is The Sphinx?

Doyoung mused, “How does he plan on escaping? Is he familiar with any alternative routes? It’s our territory we’re meeting on. He has to know we have eyes everywhere out there.”

“But everyone will be distracted attempting to survive. We’re not going to let ourselves die trying to kill him,” Mark said thoughtfully. “It’s his men versus ours — there’s gonna be a bloodbath.”

That sent a shiver down your spine. You weren’t sure if you were visibly agitated, but Yuta immediately began to soothe you and rub your back with his palm. Maybe he could simply feel it. You glanced at him and smiled.

“Then I hope you’re all ready to die,” Taeyong drawled. “Or at least unafraid to get your hands bloody. We leave at six - be prepared.”

By the time that six had rolled around, you were already standing inside the building. It was off the map, clearly abandoned and repurposed into criminal territory.

In the time that it took for everyone else to prepare, you were already armored up and ready to play the role of the frightened abducted daughter, but there was something troubling you - questions. What if everything didn’t go according to plan? Or what if your father somehow managed to escape in the end?

He wasn’t dumb, he knew that the best time to run off with you was when everyone would be too caught up in surviving. It was every man for themself - kill or be killed.

Yuta came up from behind and wrapped his arms around your waist. He nudged his chin on your shoulder. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“Just a little worried,” you admitted quietly. If he were anyone else you would have sucked it up, but Yuta had a way with effortlessly coaxing answers from you. That was what he did. “I don’t wanna go back. I’ve been more free in the past twenty-four hours than I have in the past twenty-two years of my life. I can’t go back.”

“And you won’t,” Yuta assured, cooing in your ear. “I’ll make sure of it, baby. We’ll catch him and you’ll never have to go back there again.”

You whispered, “Promise?”

Yuta whirled you around and pressed a chaste kiss to your lips. “I swear with my life.”

“I should blow both of your brain’s.”

Startled, you jolted and turned to see Doyoung staring - glaring at you both. If looks could kill, you would be six feet under. You clung to Yuta’s side who snook an arm around your waist. Doyoung had an aura that could make you regret doing as much as looking at him wrong.

“Gather around. Taeyong wants to give the plan,” Doyoung commanded icily. Then he turned around and walked towards the team even quicker than he had came and delivered the message.

He was a force to be reckoned with.

Taking notice of the look on your face, Yuta merely chuckled and kissed you one last time to soothe you. “Baby, don’t mind Doyoung. Most people are scared of him because he’s stern and ruthless on the job, but otherwise he’s a pretty decent guy. He likes the reactions, I’m convinced he gets off on that shit - just don’t give him one and he’ll warm up.”

In response, you nodded. Yuta gave you the exact reaffirmation that you needed to do this. Whatever reluctance you had left was drained the second you reminded yourself of all the terrible things your father had done to your family. You wanted him to pay. “Let’s go,” you said, gesturing towards the team. There was only one thing on your mind and that was vengeance.

Taeyong spoke when everyone finally gathered around the table, “Before Empire and their leader get here, I want to address exactly what the fuck is gonna happen. As we confirmed earlier, he’s blowing the place up. Jaemin is going to locate and defuse the bomb with the assistance of The Sphinx. Yuta, you stand with her by the back door and get her the fuck out of here the second anything goes wrong,” he said assertively. “And trust me, shit is gonna go wrong. Any objections?”

Jaemin raised his hand.

“Jaemin, if it’s some bullshit, I’ll kill you.”

He put his hand back down and you muffled a snicker.

Everyone got into place. You, Jaemin, and Yuta waited by the back door for immediate escape once it was time. Doyoung and Taeyong stood bravely behind the table. The rest of the team weren’t present - they waited outdoors ensuring the getaway cars were ready.

And The Sphinx. You had no idea who he was, but you were practically afraid to ask.

When the front doors opened, you sucked in an audibly deep breath. Two brawny men brought your father inside and kneeled him before the table, but his eyes were searching for you. When he found you, you could see anger in them.

Wishing you could hold Yuta’s hand, you sighed. It was too risk under the circumstances. Then, you remembered the necklace around your throat and held it for good luck. This is for you, Mom.

Taeyong greeted, “Hello, uncle.”

Your father scowled. “We are in no relation for you to call me that.”

“Really? Because I think you knew my aunt very well,” Taeyong furrowed his brows mockingly.

Although your father was clearly bristling with anger, he said nothing and decided to change the topic. “Give me back my daughter.”

“Why?” Taeyong tilted his head. He was playing a dangerous game, but he knew that he would be the winner. “So that you can neglect and abuse her like you did my aunt? You know what the rules were; you present yourself to us and we would return your daughter back home safely.”

“I did nothing to your aunt!” your father shouted and you nearly flinched.

“Oh, yeah? Doyoung, bring me the diary.”

Your father’s eyes widened, anger still present on his face, and you could tell the same question was playing in his head. What diary?

Doyoung handed Taeyong a book and he flipped hastily through the pages. “Hm, which one should I read…,” he pretended to muse. “Oh, this one looks interesting. ‘December 20th, 1999. Today, for the first time, I was scared for my life of the man I had never feared and who had vowed to never hurt me. I told him we were having a baby girl today. He threw a knife at me. It missed me just barely, but I was frightened to tears. I couldn’t even move until he began trudging towards me, and then I ran for my life and my baby girl’s. I knew he wanted a boy, but I never expected him to behave so hazardously.’ Remember that?”

As those words left his mouth, you could visualize every sentence. You had partially lived the experience. You clenched your fists - there was no more sadness in your body, only white-hot rage. The same behaviors he had held around your mother, he had begun to unleash onto you and you couldn’t even begin to imagine everything that she’d gone through.

“No,” your father answered through gritted teeth.

Liar. He was a lying piece of shit.

“Then, let me refresh your memory some more. This was the day that you murdered her…”

Your father interjected, “I murdered no one!”

“‘July 6th, 2000. He’s going to kill me. I know he is. There’s nothing I can do now besides pray that he takes care of our sweet baby girl and that someone finds this. I want her to read this and know exactly how much I love her. She’s the best thing that has ever happened to me. I pray she finds someone to love her as much as I do. I’m sorry, my love. I’m so sorry.’”

You burst into angry tears. You were mad and this was being too drawn out - someone needed to put a bullet through his head.

“Stop,” he said, looking at your teary eyes and knowing he had blown all chances of preserving your trust in him.

“No. Your daughter deserves to know what you’ve taken away from her. You’ve deceived her enough. Doyoung, the hard copy, please.”

Doyoung swiftly passed him what you could tell from a distance were printouts. Taeyong continued, “In my hand is a hard copy of payment transactions you’ve made that date back all the way to 2000, just around the time my aunt passed away, until roughly seven years ago when the trail went cold. Nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine dollars was withdrawn from your account twice every month over the course of fifteen years.”

Your dad glared. “Your point?”

“At first I thought maybe you resorted to killing them after they got uncooperative, or maybe you finally decided to get smart and pay them in cash,” Taeyong said, taking short strides as he paced back and forth behind the table. “Though with the help of my technology specialist I was able to determine the identities of the people you were sending money to - Shon Seungwan and Bae Joohyun. Do those names ring a bell?”

Your father said nothing, but you could see it all on his face. He was familiar with those names, and so were you.

“They were some of your maids until 2015 when they were replaced, and the database states that very same year as their date of death,” Taeyong smiled grimly. “Here’s my theory. Those women were witnesses or forced accomplices to the murder of my aunt and thus you bought their silence. But fifteen years later, something changed. You didn’t care that you were leaving a trail. No, you couldn’t give less of a damn. You cared about the money. It would have been more convenient for you to simply kill them than continue paying them, am I right?”

Your dad didn’t answer. Instead, he threatened, “My team will be here any moment now. They’ll kill you and your circle. Every single last one of you!”

Taeyong snickered. “Oh, you really have no idea.”

“What, about Nakamoto? Of course I know he’s a snake. I knew that the second your team ambushed us!”

Something overprotective washed over you when he mentioned Yuta, but you fought the urge to make any movements. If you did, you might have abruptly ended Taeyong’s verbal torture.

“Exactly. Can’t you see? We’re always a step ahead. We always have a plan. And this one,” Taeyong grabbed his gun off of the table, grinning to himself. “This one you’ll never see coming.”

“What does that mean?” Your father asked, angrily confused. He raised his voice, “What does that mean!”

Suddenly, the front doors burst open, and the person shouted, “Surprise!”

It was Ten.

The gears in your head started to turn and everything clicked into place. We are your shadow. It meant that they were following your father wherever he went - because they were always there. Yuta was The Viper.

And Ten was The Sphinx. 

Your father spluttered, “What’s going on?”

“Sometimes the things you try your hardest to find are hiding right in plain sight,” Ten sang with a wicked smile.

The sound of a loud, piercing gunshot from the hallways followed by several more directed the attention off of Ten, then all of a sudden the doors burst open and all hell broke loose.

Yuta gripped your arm quickly and urged you outside the door, “Let’s go.”

Jaemin and Ten left right behind you, but they turned on a different hall, most likely heading in what you could have only assumed was the direction of the bomb. Meanwhile, Yuta was trying to quickly yet carefully lead you out of the building. You didn’t just need to evacuate the building - you needed to be far away from it.

Yuta poked his head around the corner of the halls then quickly moved it back in and groaned, “Fuck, they’re everywhere. We’ll be outnumbered.”

Hearing footsteps, you tugged his arm and pulled him inside the room nearby. “In here.”

Quickly he closed the door behind himself and you pulled him away from it. It would have taken nothing for a bullet to fly through the wood and into his skin, and the last thing you needed was another dead loved one.

There was too much happening all at once and you wished someone would have put a bullet through your father’s head while they had a clear shot. As long as he was out there, he was going to look for you. And so was his team and the henchmen they’d brought along, and they’d stop at nothing at all to bring you back.

That meant if getting Yuta’s blood on their hands was what it took, they would do it. And that was too big a risk for you.

“God dammit,” you sighed, hearing bullets flying endlessly outside in the halls. “This is a fucking shoot-out and I know he’s got them covering all of the floors. How do we get out?”

“We have to use extreme caution. It’s not safe to camp around here for too long. Unless we wanna get blown up by that goddamn bomb or have the roof collapse in on us, inevitably we’ll have to go down floor by floor,” Yuta whispered. But you both were on the third floor.

You tried to think of any other options, but he was right. There were windows, but they were too high above the ground to jump from here. Not even a miracle could help you survive the fall.

You frowned. “You’re right. Let’s at least try to reach the second floor, then we can ease down to the first floor.”

Yuta agreed and drew his gun before he opened the door back up. You followed behind him, your own gun raised and making sure to keep a third eye on your surroundings behind you. A sudden ambush was always possible.

The floor was quieter than it was initially and the silence kept you on your toes. It was more frightening than the constant sounds of guns firing. At least when people were shooting you were aware of their presence - anyone could have been sneaking around and you’d have no clue if they were stealthy enough.

It became clear why the floor had grown silent the more you roamed around. There was blatant evidence of a bloodbath lying everywhere - an ungodly amount of bodies sprawled out on the floor and blood painting anything and everything it could reach. You grimaced when your eyes met a pile of corpses. This was the aftermath, and you hoped the team wasn’t involved.

Yuta winced. “This place is gonna reek.”

“They’re going to be cremated,” you mused.

Yuta snorted.

When you finally reached the second floor, you could hear the action a staircase away. There was still no sight of your father or his inner circle, a good thing, although you were still worried. You dreaded a surprise encounter.

One of your father’s henchmen aimed at Yuta before he could even come completely down the stairway. Rather than you having complete control over your body and actions, your next move felt almost instinctive - you had a clear shot and pulled the trigger without a second thought. You’d be damned if you let anyone take him away from you, especially dead in your face.

For a second Yuta seemed shocked, but it was gone in a blink and he sported a proud smile. He praised, “Atta girl.”

It didn’t terrify you that you felt no remorse. That was how deep your love for him went - you’d kill for him, over and over again. And in return, there was no doubt in your bones that he’d do the same for you.

That was your first body.

You knew exactly who you wanted to be your last.

“Yuta!”

You and Yuta both turned when you heard someone call his name. Ten quickly came into vision, gesturing with his hands for you to follow him as swiftly as possible. He led you both to a room and shut the door. There was something wrong. You could see it on his face.

Yuta raised his eyebrow. “What’s wrong? Did Jaemin defuse the bomb?”

“Shh, listen to me. He’s working on it, but that’s not why I called you,” Ten said, then went on to explain, “Taeyong got shot…,”

You interjected with wide eyes, “Taeyong got shot?”

Ten shushed you with a single finger to his lip. “If you’d let me finish, Taeyong got shot in the arm. He’s okay for now but he’s losing blood and Yuta, you’re the only one with medical training. You get what I’m trying to say?”

Yuta nodded, holding back a sigh. “Yeah, I got it. But I can’t leave her alone. I won’t.”

“She won’t be alone,” Ten assured. “She’ll be with me.”

Yuta looked at you hard, searching your eyes for any fear. In the same way, you stared deeply into his eyes and saw nothing but gentle care and passionate adoration. He placed both hands on your shoulders. “Are you okay with this?”

For a split second you considered telling him not to worry about you, but you knew that that wouldn’t have satisfied him. Instead, you nodded and said sweetly, “Ten’s here, I’ll be okay. Go help out your boss, Doc.”

Yuta smiled. You noted to yourself to interrogate him on his medical expertise, but now wasn’t the time nor the place. 

Before he left, you leaned up on the tip of your toes and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. “For good luck.”

“Okay, yuck. I’m all for sappy romance but we’re all literally about to die,” Ten grimaced.

You rolled your eyes and sent Yuta off after a long moment of convincing him that you would be okay. He was painfully reluctant, but finally left after Ten gave him directions and promised he’d come back for you.

When he left, you stared dead at Ten, and he felt as though your eyes were accusingly pointing fingers at him.

For the sake of survival, you whisper-yelled, “Who the hell are you, Ten? Is that even your name?”

Ah, that’s what this is about, he thought.

Ten smirked. “It’s one of them. Why do you think they call me The Sphinx?”

You mulled his question over. The Sphinx, completely unrelated to snakes as far as you were aware. Head of human, body of a lion, wings of a falcon. Then it clicked. It represented his several identities.

“Shit, Ten,” you shook your head. “That’s fucking wild. I’m not even going to ask how the hell you managed to pull this shit off.”

“Good, because frankly we don’t have enough time for storytelling. Let’s get the fuck outta here,” he said, and with both of your guns cocked and raised you followed him into the halls.

Same as before, it was eerily silent. All you could hear from this floor was the sound of your heartbeat thudding against your chest. Faint sounds of gunshots came from lower and upper floors but they were too subdued to be anything less than distant.

Only this time, there were less bodies and you were growing suspicious. There was too many people and too much active gunfire for there to be such little leftover.

“Someone’s here,” you whispered to Ten.

Ten nodded in acknowledgment. It was clear on his face he had come to the same conclusion. He gestured with his finger for you to trail behind him onto a different hallway.

“How much longer until the bomb blows?”

“Forty minutes when Jaemin and I got to it. That was,” Ten checked his watch, “eleven minutes ago.”

You had twenty-nine minutes to get out of that building alive.

All of a sudden, you heard a gun fire and knew it wasn’t yours nor Ten’s - because the bullet landed right next to him. Ten turned around promptly and shot in the direction of the fire-er, gunning down one of two Empire henchmen. In a split second you pulled your trigger and the other crashed down to the floor consecutively.

“Fuck, they know,” Ten groaned. He thought for a moment he could get you out safely if they assumed he was still faithful to the gang, though there was no way in hell that they’d attempt to shoot him if that were the case.

“Words spread quickly, huh?”

“Too goddamn quickly.”

What came next happened even faster. The door behind Ten suddenly opened and a hand reached out to grab him by the collar, yanking him inside the room. He yelled and you heard his gun crash to the ground and go off consequently. Your eyes went wide and gun in hand, you rushed inside to rescue him. What you saw made you nauseous.

Not a body, at least not a dead one. It was your father - and he had Ten on his knees execution-style, a gun pointed to his head.

He smiled and mocked, “Surprise.”

“Put the gun down and step away from him,” you ordered, aiming your gun dead at your father. You stood boldly with no fear and spoke with no tremble in your voice. Cold and clipped. 

He quickly retaliated, “Try and shoot me and I’ll take him with me.”

In spite of your father’s threat, Ten remained composed and held a stoic face. It was what you admired most about him - his ability to cling towards a calm attitude when presented with difficult circumstances. But with his life practically being in your hands, you wondered if it was all a facade and if inside he consisted of all the same storms of emotions as you - and most prominent of them all was the roaring fear and dread of the outcome.

Yet the moment you realized that your father had probably come to terms with the fact that he wasn’t making it out alive and instead became intent on dragging everyone else to the grave with him, you immediately began to understand what your options were – and you weren’t going to back down. You had to get him distracted.

You lowered your gun. “Okay.”

Your father arched an eyebrow, as though he hadn’t expected you to comply - at least not easily. “Okay?”

“Okay,” you nodded meekly. “I’m picking my battles wisely. I’m your daughter, I know how powerful you are, Dad. You probably planned this perfectly and have more men waiting in the halls for backup. I don’t have any other choice.”

He chuckled. “Smart girl.”

“But to beg,” you added, ignoring how bitter your words tasted on your tongue. If you wanted Ten alive, you had no other options but to play the role that you were assigned. “Please don’t kill him, Daddy. It doesn’t have to be like this.”

“Darling, have you forgotten? He’s a snake. He’s dead to us now. That bullshit from earlier was a goddamn scheme to get you to do their dirty work for them - they kidnapped you, held you hostage, they lied straight to your face,” your father said.

You bristled inwardly, You’re no better. If it weren’t for the sake of your act you would have given him a piece of your mind, but you knew he would look for cracks in your facade. And you would offer him no such thing.

He continued, “They’re still not trustworthy. Yuta tricked you. Ten tricked you. They tricked both of us. This is about you just as much as it is me - you said that, right?”

Whatever ounce of sympathy that you could have felt for your father would have dissipated in that moment if you had anymore to spare. You knew that he was ego-driven, but using those words to attempt to manipulate you was an unimaginable kind of low.

Tears began to well from your eyes, but they weren’t the ones of sadness you figured he had perceived them to be - they were angry. They were furious and vengeful.

You sniffled and played along, “Yeah. I did. But you were right. I should have listened to you from the beginning.”

“It’s okay, dear,” he smiled, ever so menacingly. “All you got to do is come back home. I’ve already won. I’m going to teach them a lesson by letting them burn to ashes. They won’t…”

Just as he spoke, Ten interjected with his palms and reached above his head to point your father’s arms in another direction. Then, he skillfully snatched the weapon from his hands and disarmed it, leapt up and made a run for it.

By the time your father made a move to react, he was too late. Ten was agile and had already charged halfway across the large room. Meanwhile you had lined the gun up perfectly with his chest, ready to fire.

“Careful,” you warned tauntingly. “That ego of yours is gonna get you killed.”

For half a second, your father simply stared at you. Then, he burst into laughter as if you had cracked some joke. “Please. You don’t have it in you, and if you did, you would have done it by now. You can’t kill me.”

The doors burst open and your head whirled around instantly, and a figure emerged from the hallways. “But I can.”

Taeyong. The King Cobra.

He aimed his gun directly at your father’s head, face still and bold. “And I will.”

Taeyong’s non-dominant arm was wrapped with the fabric of what you could clearly tell was someone’s shirt, you figured to stop the blood loss. He was strong, you had to give him that. He was wounded by a bullet and still stood there as if he had nothing to lose. 

Jaemin came up from behind him, also armed. He sported a smile even more menacing than your father’s. “This is our game, Emperor. We win, you lose. That’s how this shit goes.”

Your father looked around and you could see it in his eyes as he realized there was not one, but three guns being pointed in his direction, that he began to accept defeat. He began to laugh, almost hysterically.

“Fine, you win. Kill me,” he grinned and raised his hands in a surrender. “But I also have a plan, and you’ll also never see it comi—”

The sound of several gunshots echoed throughout the room and made your ears feel as if they could bleed.

The nauseating sight of your father’s corpse laid only feet before you, and you didn’t need to turn around to know that it could have only been Taeyong that pulled the trigger. He stared coldly for a moment, gaze hard and unfaltering. Then, he turned around and headed out the doors.

“Damn,” Jaemin grinned. “Guess he really did go out with a bang.”

Your eyes were trained to the scene in front of you, but you could practically hear Ten roll his eyes as he said, “Not the time, Jaemin.”

Jaemin merely laughed and tailed behind Taeyong, mentioning something about the bomb being taken care of and that it was time to leave, but you were frozen in place. A foreign feeling had washed over you and you couldn’t identify what it was.

Ten walked to your side and patted your back. “Hey, he’s gone. He’s dead.” 

Dead. As in gone and he wasn’t coming back. That was when you could feel the invisible weight fly from your shoulders, the ease settle in your body, and you finally realized what that feeling was. It wasn’t shock, it wasn’t grief, it wasn’t pain nor sorrow - it was relief.

He couldn’t hurt you anymore.

You nodded. It was over. After twenty-two years, you were finally free. So was your mom. You began to clutch your necklace, but your eyebrows furrowed in confusion when you noticed that it wasn’t around your neck. Then, you looked around and noticed it wasn’t on the floor.

Ten gave you a confused look. “What’s wrong?”

“My necklace,” you fretted, “It’s not…,”

Ten raised his finger to his lip and glanced around the room concentratedly. You blinked in confusion but said nothing else.

“You hear that?” he asked.

Your lips parted to say no, but then you finally heard it - ticking. But there was no clock in the room and Ten’s watch made no noise. You watched as Ten crouched down to your father’s corpse and grabbed the switchblade from his holster. He walked towards the opposite end of the room and before you could ask what he was doing, he began to tear up the floorboard.

When he finally pulled away the plywood, you saw something red flickering in his widened eyes.

There was another bomb.

“Go,” Ten ordered, pulling out his phone and dialing a number. “Turn right, head down the hall and there’s a staircase. Run and don’t fucking stop until you’re in one of the cars.”

You wanted to hesitate, but the look Ten shot you then was commanding. You did as he said and began to run down the hallway, feet smashing against the floor nearly as fast as your heart raced inside your chest.

The last words of your father began to replay in your head like a mantra, But I also have a plan, and you’ll also never see it comi— then he was cut off by a gunshot. Realization dawned upon you quickly. He was talking about the bomb and you had completely missed it. That explained why he gave in the way that he did.

You began to wonder where everyone was. Mark and Haechan were safe in the car, but had Jaemin and Taeyong made it there safely? And where was Doyoung? Then you realized you hadn’t heard from Yuta since he left to help Taeyong.

But Taeyong was bandaged-up and with you only moments ago. That meant Yuta could have been anywhere.

Tears began to well from your eyes and emotion consumed your body. With no indication that he was even still inside you didn’t stop running, but you prayed that he would be waiting for you when you came outside. You prayed that he was somewhere safe. You had no idea what you would do with yourself if something happened to him.

You sprinted down the steps and at the end of the staircase was a door. Quickly you pulled it open and saw the cars come into vision, parked far away from the building to avoid being directly impacted. When you finally reached one, the back door slammed open and Taeyong urged you in the backseat.

“Where’s Yuta?” you asked, panic clear as day on your face. You scanned the entire vehicle, he wasn’t there. There was another car, but you couldn’t tell who all was inside. You raised your voice, “Has anyone seen Yuta!”

Taeyong replied calmly, “No. He’s still inside somewhere. We’re waiting for him, Doyoung and Ten.”

“What? We have to find him!” you cried.

“We don’t have time,” Taeyong told you, shaking his head. “That thing’s gonna blow any moment now and we have to get out of here ourselves:”

Jaemin put down his phone after ending a call you were too panicked to even notice he was on. “Yeah, it’s time. Sphinx just told us to go. We’ve got three minutes.”

“Where is he?” Taeyong asked.

“Escaped out the other end. Said he doesn’t have enough time to make it to the cars.”

Haechan rolled down the window and made a signal to Mark, who was in the driver’s seat of the opposite car. Then you felt the car jerk to life and began to move.

After you made distance on the road, you heard a loud sound roaring through the air. When you looked at the window, the sight made you nauseous. There was smoke rising heavily in the air and the building was engulfed in flames, beginning to collapse in on itself.

You were hysterical. Tears streamed down your cheeks and you wanted to scream, but no sound would come from your mouth. Your lungs began to feel hollow and your body shook with fear. There was no way that this was happening. It couldn’t be. Yuta couldn’t be dead. He promised you that he wouldn’t leave you.

Taeyong wrapped his good arm around you and pulled you into his chest, letting you sob onto him. “It’s gonna be okay.”

You knew he was only telling you that to placate you. It wasn’t okay. Nothing was going to be okay until you knew Yuta was safe and sound - until he was in your arms and you could feel his warmth on your body again. You were regretting separating from him. At least if he was going to die, then you wanted to go with him. And if he really was gone, you would go with him.

Death scared you not. If that was what it took to be with the love of your life, so be it.

The ride back to their headquarters was long and silent save for your sniffling. Taeyong had offered to take you back to Yuta’s room when you got there, but you vehemently refused. Everything in Yuta’s room screamed Yuta - you would have been too overwhelmed, and only God knew what would have happened to you then.

Hours passed. The Serpents managed to get in contact with Doyoung and Ten, but nothing from Yuta. And they hadn’t seen him, either.

Eventually Jaemin walked up to you, but with no humorous look in his eyes. That made your stomach wrench. You prayed to God he wasn’t there to deliver you any bad news.

“You’ve got to come lie down in my room,” he simply said, and before you could object he added, “Cobra’s orders. He wants you to get some rest.”

With a sigh, you followed Jaemin to his bedroom and eventually lied down. You stared awake for a while, doubtful you’d get even a minute of sleep considering the circumstances, but you were goddamn exhausted of everything and today had worn you out past your limit. Your body gave in against your will and you fell asleep shortly.

When you woke up, you quickly realized that you weren’t in Jaemin’s room - his blinds were drawn and curtains were thick and dark. The room you were in was lit with the morning sun.

Then, you tried to turn in the bed to shelter yourself from the sunlight but quickly noticed that someone’s hands were around your waist and preventing you from moving. That was when you realized you weren’t alone and looked towards your side.

Auburn hair, intricate tattoos, and a jewelry-adorned ear.

You shrieked, “Yuta!”

He groaned and rolled over. He grumbled groggily, “It’s not Yuta, it’s a ghost.”

“That’s not funny!” you yelled and shoved him. Relief washed over you then as you recalled the previous day’s events. There were no words to describe how terrified you were.

With a yawn, Yuta finally sat up and outstretched his arms, and you immediately crashed into them. You almost thought that you were dreaming, but his touch was too warm to not be real. Then once you felt his skin and realized he was real and wasn’t going to slip away, you burst into tears.

“I thought I lost you,” you whimpered, holding him dangerously tight, and in return he did the same to you.

Yuta squeezed you hard and pressed a kiss to your forehead. He wiped your tears from your face with his thumb and said in his deepened morning voice, “I told you, I’ll never ever leave you. That’s a promise, baby.”

You let out a relieved breath. This was it. Everything was complete. You had everything that you could have ever wanted and you weren’t asking for much.

“How’d you even get out of there alive?”

“Strong will and determination,” Yuta drawled with a smile. “There was something I knew I had to do even if it killed me. I think this belongs to you.”

Yuta pulled open the drawer to his nightstand and reached to grab something, then he dropped it in your palm. You stared down into your hand and gawked when you realized what it was.

Your mother’s necklace.

He picked up the jewelry and began to place it around your neck. “Saw it when I came back after helping Taeyong and figured you must’ve dropped it by mistake. I knew how much it means to you and grabbed it. Ran into some of your dad’s goons and it slowed me down, but what matters is that I’m still alive to tell the story.”

He risked his life for your happiness. You wanted to be mad at him for doing such a foolish thing, but you just couldn’t. You knew exactly why he did it and you would have done the same thing for him if you were in his place.

Feeling your eyes water, you leaned into him and said like it would be your last time you were able to, “I love you.”

Yuta didn’t hesitate. “I love you, too.”

You bit your lip, sensing what you wanted to say wasn’t entirely conveyed. Then, you added, “That’s not all. I’m in love with you and I’m sick and tired of having to hide it. I wanna hold your hand wherever we go and kiss you whenever I feel like it. I wanna fall asleep in the same bed as you every night and wake up by your side every morning. I don’t wanna hide us anymore. I don’t wanna be a secret anymore, Yuta.”

“Look at me,” Yuta said, meeting your eyes. He stared at you like you hung up every star in the sky. “You’re not a secret, baby. Not here. Why do you think the guys don’t say anything? I made it clear a long time ago that I won’t take any bullshit because I’m in fucking love with you, baby. I wanna scream it from the rooftops. You’re the love of my life and I don’t care who knows.” 

That was everything you needed to hear and more. Starting today your life was going to change - and for the better. There were no more rules. You got to play the game the way your heart had simply desired.

“I want you…,” Yuta began and licked his lips. He paused to pin you down to the mattress and press a teasing kiss to your lips. “To be mine.”

You stared at his lips and replied, “Then I’m all yours.”

Yuta casted a smug look and finally - after what felt like decades of teasing - gave in to his temptation and kissed you. His mouth moved passionately against yours and you could taste the fervor on his tongue. Just like that he had you, like a fish caught in a net. The control Yuta had over you wasn’t by choice - your body simply just couldn’t say no, it was responsive to his every touch and unable to resist it’s own temptation.

One thing led to another, and you quickly realized it would be a long while before you and Yuta finally started your day. 

Hours later, you both were eventually forced to crawl out of bed and brace yourself for the day ahead. You had business to complete - business that didn’t involve each other. Plenty of change had occurred in the past couple of days and you were still in the stage of figuring out what was the next step. That was how you found yourself back in your cousin’s office, this time with Ten by your side and Renjun on speakerphone.

Alliance between Empire and The Serpents was still brewing and a work in progress, but Ten had explained the situation to the inner circle and thankfully, they took it well. Now you had to figure out what was to become of the gang.

“So, what happens to the gang?” you asked.

Taeyong leaned back in his chair. “Well, since you’re the sole heir, you would be next in the line of succession.”

You were aware, but you weren’t sure if you were ready for such a major leap. The underworld was your playground but you weren’t prepared to reign - not yet anyways. Freedom had only now been bestowed upon you. You wanted to enjoy it before you were bound down by responsibilities and your blood obligations.

Ten added, “But considering the circumstances, we understand if you’re not ready. Hence why I spoke with Renjun, and he’s agreed to be your second string. At least until you decide that you’re ready.”

“It’s the best option,” Renjun cut in from the other line. “I’ve been in your father’s shadow for years now. I know the score. If there’s anybody suitable to play substitute, it’s me.”

With Renjun being the right-hand man, you couldn’t deny anything he was saying. Not only had he seen most of your father’s dirty work up close, you were certain he had participated in some of it. But even Renjun was clueless as to everything your father had been hiding and that was why you trusted him to fulfill the role.

Taeyong nodded in agreement then glanced up at you and asked, “Are you okay with that?”

“Fine by me,” you shrugged. You couldn’t think of anyone better.

“Then, it’s settled,” Taeyong gave a faint smile. “Huang will temporarily take your place while you wind down for a bit.”

The four of you discussed a couple more things before the conversation ended and Renjun went on to spread the word. Everything was finally sailing smoothly, but a sudden question resurfaced in your head.

“Okay, but I have a question for Ten.”

The man in question feigned annoyance. “Oh, here goes the meddling snoop. Don’t think Yuta didn’t tell me about your eavesdropping, Miss Busybody.”

Your face warmed up when you realized what he was referring to, but you didn’t back down and shot, “How are you a Serpent? I thought you guys only had six members. And your name has nothing to do with snakes.”

“I thought you pieced together why they call me The Sphinx,” Ten said with a grin. “Head of human, body of a lion…,”

“Wings of a falcon, yes I know that, Ten,” you interjected and rolled your eyes.

He continued, “Then, you should know it means I’m multifaceted. In every sense of the word.”

“So, you’re a two-timing snake with commitment issues.”

“He blows hot and cold. This is the longest I’ve been able to get him to stay,” Taeyong drawled with an amused expression on his face.

Ten rolled his eyes. “I’m my own person before I’m tied down to any organization. I operate on my own. I can operate with a gang. Taeyong knows that if he needs me, he can call. Same goes to you.”

You and Taeyong bobbed your heads. You were almost satisfied. And when you left the room a couple minutes later, you knew that there was just one more thing that you needed to do.

You found Yuta in his own office just down the hall from where you were and made a mental note to get him to show you around whenever he got the chance. The headquarters were large and you only barely knew how to get from the residency corridor to the office hallway.

Peaking your head inside, you noticed him look at you when the door creaked open. He smiled when he realized it was you and gestured for you to come in. Instead of taking a seat in the spot across from his desk, you walked up to him and made his lap your personal chair, and he wrapped his arms around your waist.

He brushed your hair aside, leaning in your ear and asked, “May I help you?”

Your heart felt faint but you tried not to show it, though you knew that there was nothing you could keep from him. “Yes, actually,” you replied and added vaguely, “I want you to do something for me.”

“I would die for you,” Yuta breathed out. He was staring at you with a fascinated gleam in his eyes, the one that made you feel like a goddess.

You shook your head and purred, “Live for me.”

Yuta smiled. His grip around your waist tightened ever so slightly and he replied finally, “I can do that. But I know that’s not what you came here for. What do you really want, princess?”

“I want…,” you pretended to muse, looking up in the sky thoughtfully, “you to take me out on a date.”

“Right now?”

“Right now. I don’t care where. It doesn’t have to be fancy. We can go any goddamn where.”

Yuta was surprised and blinked for a moment, but he quickly broke into a broad smile. “I can do that, too,” he said and rummaged through his drawer for his keys. Then, he put you on the ground and rose up. “Let’s blow this joint, baby girl.”

He intertwined his fingers into yours and walked you into the hallway.

“On the way there, you can finally tell me the story of how Nakamoto Yuta of all people got extensive medical training,” you playfully suggested.

Yuta shook his head. “I don’t think so. It’s a long story that involves politicians and Dubai and you’re gonna wanna sit down for it.”

Confused and dangerously intrigued, you raised an eyebrow but didn’t press. Yuta would tell you in due time. Right now, you focused on what was happening. The love of your life was holding your hand and taking you out on a date, something you could have only dreamed of. You were living a life of no rules, no conformity. Just you and the man that you loved most.

Your free hand clutched your necklace in your palm and you thought about your mother. She was watching you and always there with you in spirit. You remembered her last wishes - she wanted you to find someone that loved you just as much as she did.

I did, Mom. I did, you thought, smiling. And you would have loved him, too.

[deakyspuff]

omg i love this so much

[jungcherie]

Surprise!

—𝗉𝖺𝗂𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀: boss!yuta x secretary!reader

—𝗐𝗈𝗋𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗍: 10K

—𝗀𝖾𝗇𝗋𝖾: parenthood!au, angst, fluff(

—𝗐𝖺𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌: language, mentions of sex, child abandonment

—𝗌𝗎𝗆𝗆𝖺𝗋𝗒: Yuta is a true businessman who has no plans to marry or start a family, however all this changes when someone leaves him a curious gift in his office and turns his whole life around.

—𝖣𝖠𝖣𝖣𝖸'𝖲 𝖲𝖳𝖱𝖴𝖦𝖦𝖫𝖤𝖲 𝖬𝖠𝖲𝖳𝖤𝖱𝖫𝖨𝖲𝖳

He definitely had everything he ever wanted. A good job, a good home, a good life. Yuta felt that he had already accomplished everything he proposed in his life, and now he was dedicated to enjoying it through small pleasures, or that was what he called them.

The murmurs fill the floor in which you work, the situation is getting out of your hands and in an attempt to control the chaos that was forming, you bravely entered your boss’s office, without even knocking on the door first.

“Sorry to interrupt” you said with disgust, looking as the guy you were helping with work wiped the saliva off the woman who accompanied him in his office, Yuta had told you not to interrupt but it was something important and that he would surely be interested in . “There is something for you Mr. Nakamoto”

Seguir leyendo

[himbobinnie-deactivated20231229]

Sorry, I love you.

pairing: changbin, reader

genre: fluff

summary: A drunken Y/n confesses to her boyfriend.

count: .8k

warnings: mentions of alcohol, established relationship, mentions of other members, brief mention of weight/appearance (nothing serious), use of she/her pronouns

not proof read. my first writing just for some fun.

“Okay. That’s enough for tonight.” Changbin swiftly took the glass filled with plum soju out of your hands, causing you to pout at his actions.

“Boooooo! I just wanted to have some fun with the boys. Isn’t that right Lix?” The drunk girl turned to an equally as drunk Felix who could only nod as he was consumed with the deck of uno cards in front of him.

Changbin got up to toss your drink into the sink. Coming back he saw how you were snuggle onto Hyunjin’s shoulder, arms wrapped around his one as his head was lying on top of yours. You two smiled and drunkenly talked about who was right and wrong in the argument between this couple on a kdrama. Changbin is typically the jealous type, but he knew that you and Hyunjin were close friends before the two of you got together. He actually appreciates how close you are to the members, as they are just like family to him.

“But the nights just begun.” You exaggerated, bright smile, and arms stretching in a circular motion.

“Y/n, it’s 3am. I need us to get home safely. You’ll thank me in the morning.” Despite verbal retaliation, your body easily followed his guide, blowing kisses to the boys as you made your way to the door.

The ride back was quiet. Your eyes was closed as Changbin held your hand, rubbing circles on the back of your hand with his thumb as his other hand occupied the steering wheel.

By the time you arrived to your shared apartment, you were much more dizzy getting up than before, stumbling to catch your balance against the car.

“I told you we should have stopped at the McDonalds. You need something in your stomach to balance the alcohol.”

“It’s too late to eat. All the food will just go to my face.”

“Your very cute face, whether slim or chubby.” Changbin teased.

“Stop flirting with me Mr.Seo. I’ll have you know my boyfriend has rather massive and sexy arms and he can beat you up!” Changbin couldn’t help but to laugh at your antics, happy to see you were just as blunt and humorous as when you’re sober.

“Well is he okay with me helping you get inside safely?”

“I suppose he will- AH!” Changbin had, quite literally, swept you off your feet, finding that it was easier to carry you than help you struggle up the stairs.

Making it to the second floor and inside your apartment, he helped you change into your pajamas which only consisted of one of his shirts and your underwear. Changbin took of his shirt and pants, leaving him in a tank and boxers. You both crawled into each other’s arms. Changbin laughed on his back, your head on his chest. You wrapped your arms around his torso, his wrapped around your waist and both your legs intertwined.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

“Anyways.” He whispered back curiously.

“I think I love my boyfriend too much.” And of course, Changbin’s curiosity was peaked as a smirked pulled onto his lips. “Is that so?”

“Yea. Sometimes I think I’ll love him too much he won’t know what to do with it and leave. Or maybe he will feel the need to love me back more, even though it isn’t genuine.” The two day in silence for a moment. Changbin felt oddly reassured by your confession. He felt reassured because he knew he loved you more than you love him, more than you’d ever expect. Even the members could tell, often teasing him about when you’d find someone better.

He knew you were long gone in a deep slumber. Your breaths were now steady, your finger was no long drawing patterns on his hip. And since you were sleep, he felt confident enough to confess a secret of his own.“Something tells me he loves you so much, he dedicates everything he does to you. Sometimes he’s in the studio, and he writes lyrics that reminds him of the times he’s spent with you. When he’s on stage, he performs as if every face in the audience is you. When you aren’t looking, he puts extra meat onto your plate to make and if you’re too full to finish, he playfully whines before eating the meat that was previously his. Sometimes he even finds a new path home, that may even be 30 seconds shorter but the more time he can spend with you, the happier he is.”

At this point, Changbin didn’t realize the tear that rolled down his eyes until he felt a small squeeze on his hands, indicating that you weren’t completely sleep, but much too tired to respond. Changbin smiled at the action, leaning forward to place a kiss on your forehead without moving you too much. “Y/n. Baby. Sorry, but I love you so much more.”

[deakyspuff]

i’m looking for a series of bodyguard!draken, can u please help me find it? i can’t remember the author

[multistan-kpopwritings]

Mr. Tough Guy (part 7) *18+*

➟ pairing(s): Mafia! Changbin x Reader; Featuring Surprise Guests

➟ genre(s): Angst, Smut (ish)

➟ word count: 2.5k

➟ warnings: Language; Some sex stuff; Sorry Ahgase! I love the boys too!

Tags:@bap93 @skkzkyy @rindomo @freckledquokka @freyaniobe

IF YOU ARE UNDERAGE: DO NOT READ-NSFW UNDER THE CUT

With finals over and the letter stating you were finally getting the degree, you've worked so hard for, you needed to relax. Luckily, your boyfriend knew just how to do that.

With your roommate out for the night, ChangBin took that chance to surprise you at home with a bottle of wine and flowers. The two of you made quick work of the wine, but it wasn't needed for what he had in mind.

"So beautiful," he panted into your ear as you bounced on his lap. His hands held your hips tightly as you rode him. "Such a good girl. Does that feel good?" He sucked your neck as you leaned your head back.

"Binnie," you moaned, "So good. So big." Rocking your hips into his, you moaned louder. "So close. I'm so close." Feeling the knot tighten in your stomach you kissed him deeply, sucking his bottom lip between your teeth.

ChangBin started to thrust up to meet your hips. Gripping your hips tighter, he guided you down to meet his thrusts. He looked up at you like you were his reason for living. The intensity of his gaze gave you chills. Suddenly, you felt a sharp and rough tug on your scalp. With a yelp, you were pulled off of ChangBin's lap.

"What the fuck," he yelled, meeting the eyes of 4 men. Men that weren't his. He lunged for the man holding you by the hair. "Let her go," he demanded with more contempt than you've ever heard, "Now."

The man holding you up by the hair was tall and had an anti-brow piercing. Another man in the room stepped forward and threw something at ChangBin.

"Get dressed," he ordered ChangBin. The man turned to look at you, his eyes roaming your body. "Let her cover up," he said to his men. Another wrapped the sheet around your body to provide a little dignity.

ChangBin studied your face. There was no fear, only what seemed to be annoyance. Slowly putting his boxers on, he never took his eyes off of you. "Don't hurt her," he said to the one who looked like the leader. "I'll cooperate. Just let her go. You don't need her." Pointing to you ChangBin tried to bargain with the man.

"She isn't going anywhere," he spat back. "And you will speak when spoken too." ChangBin opened his mouth to object and was quickly hit in the face, causing blood to drip from his mouth.

"Stop it," you yelled at the men. They all looked at you and then back to the man in charge.

"Take him out of here," he commanded. After another quick punch, for good measure, ChangBin was pulled from the room by two men.

"Have you lost your fucking mind, Jay B," you finally spat to the man holding your hair? He let go and allowed you to fall to the floor. You scrambled to stand and stand toe to toe to the leader. "What the fuck, Jackson! What are you doing here?" The man tilted his head and looked over your naked body again.

"What are you doing Y/N?" he asked with pleasure. "So that's your new boyfriend? Seems nice." You pushed him away aggressively and sneered at him. Suddenly, it dawned on you.

"Where is he," you growled? Jackson nodded to the front of your apartment. "Get out while I get dressed you asshole." Jay B blocked the door and Jackson turned his back to you. "Sorry, princess."

In the living room, ChangBin has tossed on the floor in front of a man he had never seen. He was tall, had a long thin neck, and had a sharp jawline.

"Don't move," one of the two men said to him, "Stay on the floor. Hands where we can see them." He assumed a docile position on his knees, hands on his thighs. He looked to the man sitting before him, clearly the one in charge, not the one in the room. Oh no, in the room with you still. He could hear shouting, but couldn't make it out.

"Let her go, please," ChangBin asked the man before him. "I don't know who you are, but she doesn't know anything." The man laughed.

"She's in no danger from us," he said lowly. "But she may know more than she's letting on." The sound of your heels on the floor drew everyone's attention. Your cropped mustard pants and blazer paired well with your cream silk camisole. It was an odd choice of outfit considering the situation ChangBin thought.

"There she is," the tall man stood and opened his arms, "Y/N, baby. I've missed you." ChangBin's heart sank at the words. He was too friendly and familiar for this to be about him. A crack sounded through the room as you slapped the man.

"Seriously, Mark," you seethed, "What are you doing here?"

"Wait," ChangBin spoke up," You know them?" You hung your head, not able to meet his eyes. Mark chuckled and lowered himself to ChangBin.

"Oh, she never told you?" he taunted, "So much for not knowing anything." You were about to lunge for Mark again when your door opened. An older man in a three-piece suit and a woman in an elegant dress walked in and it felt like all the air was sucked out of the room.

"That isn't any way to treat your guests is it, Monkey," the man said. Your cheeks flushed red as you squeezed your eyes shut to stop the tears.

"No, sorry daddy," you whispered. ChangBin's eyes examined your face. The embarrassment painting your face tugged at his heart. He tried the best he could to piece this puzzle together.

"Jackson, Jay B, JinYoung, and YoungJae leave us. Sweetheart, Y/N, Mark, have a seat," he motioned to the sofa. "You stay there," he said dryly to ChangBin.

"Daddy, I," you cleared your throat, "I didn't know to expect you." Lifting your eyes to your father, you saw him staring at your boyfriend that was left on his knees.

"Oh? If you had known, then what? You would have had the virtue to not get caught in bed with him?" he asked with scorn. Your mother leaned toward your father and whispered something. "Know your place woman," he snapped back.

"Are you ok?" you asked ChangBin softly. He looked at you with questions filling his eyes and nodded. You mouthed a quick sorry to him. Mark laughed next to you and you had to fight the need to wrap your hands around that long neck.

"What were you thinking?" your mother asked. "I told you to stop seeing him." Her voice was soft and caring, but the words hurt. ChangBin's eyes snapped to her and then to you.

"The problem is that she's always had her way," Mark stated matter of factly. Your father glared at him now, causing him to shrink away.

"This is what I was telling you," your father lectured you, "This could have gotten you hurt, or killed." He clenched his fists at his side. You laughed dryly. "I don't see what is so funny. What do you have to say, boy?" he asked ChangBin.

"Daddy, stop," you interrupted. "He has nothing to do with this."

"He has everything to do with this, Y/N," your father corrected you.

"Honey, hear her out first," your mother said. "You can at least let the boy have some dignity." She motioned to the compliant man still in his underwear.

"Please daddy," you begged. "He won't be any trouble. Let him dress and sit with us." Mark rolled his eyes at you and scoffed.

"He's an animal, leave him like one," he said. His statement earned another slap across the face.

"How dare you call him an animal? You and the goon squad show up and barge into my home. Watch your mouth, or I will cut your tongue out," you threatened him. ChangBin grinned a little when he heard how feisty and protective you were.

"Fine. He can dress. But no weapons," your father agreed. "Mark, you go with him. Don't mess around." Mark stood and dragged ChangBin towards your room again.

"Hurry up," he told ChangBin, "The old man doesn't like to wait."

They returned shortly, ChangBin fully dressed in his suit. He adjusted his tie as he stood in front of your father.

"Hello, sir. I am Seo ChangBin. I'm Y/N's boyfriend," he said politely, then bowed deeply. He met your dad's gaze and accepted the outstretched hand.

"I'm sorry you seem to be at a loss, son. My name is Clyde Dillinger, Y/N's father," your father introduced himself.

"Dillinger," ChangBin repeated, "As in-"

"Yes that one," Mark snapped.

"Your last name is Y/L/N," ChangBin looked at you. "You said your dad was in finance."

"I have my mother's maiden name," you said softly, "So no one knows to look for me. And technically, he is in finance."

"You never told him?" questioned your dad, narrowing his eyes at you. Again you dropped your head.

"No sir," you whispered. "He didn't know." Your mother reached for your hand, but you pulled it away. "I didn't want this," you gestured around the room, "to happen."

"Sir, I want you to know that I've done everything I can to make sure she was safe," ChangBin smiled at you, "I wouldn't let anyone hurt her."

"Then how did this happen? We literally caught you with your pants down," Mark laughed.

"Excuse me," Jackson said, walking into the room. "Sir? May I speak?" Your father held his hand up to Mark to silence him, allowing Jackson to speak. "We had BamBam watch them for weeks. He is very careful. He has one specific man he leaves with her at all times he isn't around." Your father eyed ChangBin closely. "If we didn't know she had this apartment, we wouldn't have found them."

"Thank you, Jackson," said your father. "Is this true Mark?" The younger man set his jaw and nodded his head, glaring at his friend. "Anything else?"

"Yes, sir," Jackson said looking at ChangBin. "I believe the only reason he was cooperating is for her. He begged several times for her to be let go. If she was in true danger, I feel this would have ended differently."

"Mark? Anything to add?" questioned your dad. Being met with silence and this new information, he dismissed Mark and Jackson. "Seems that I owe you an apology, son," he said to ChangBin. "It's important to know when you've been wrong, and I may have jumped to conclusions."

"Thank you, sir," ChangBin replied politely. "I understand how important she is to you. And I give you my word, she is important to me too." Your father nodded and looked to your mother.

"Leave us you two," he instructed, " I need to speak with this young man." Standing you guided your mother to the kitchen for a drink. A strong one if you had it. Over your shoulder, you caught the smile ChangBin gave you.

"He's sweet," your mother said once away from the men. "How did you meet him?" She sat at the table and crossed her hands.

"We were out," you explained, not wanting to give too much detail. "A creep wouldn't leave me alone, and Binnie... Uh, ChangBin stepped in. Saved the day." Pouring two glasses of whisky, you slid one to your mother. "I wish you would have called," you said quietly.

"You hung up on me last time we spoke, Y/N," she scolded you. "What would I say?" You nodded and reached for her hand.

"I was just so mad that you wouldn't give him a chance," you confessed. "He may be what you hear about on the news, but he isn't with me." You sighed and bit your lip. "Momma, he really cares about me."

"I know, baby," she smiled, "I can see that." She leaned in closer to you, "I don't know any man willing to do that for just anyone. Has he said he lo-"

"No," you said quickly. "But I think I do." Tears sprung to your eyes.

Your father's voice called you and your mother back. The two men stood, shaking hands.

"I'll be on my way," ChangBin said. "I'll check in with you tonight. Ok, princess?" he said to you softly, kissing your cheek. "It was very nice meeting you," he bowed to your mother. "Sir, I look forward to hearing from you."

"Y/N, sit down. I have to admit I'm very disappointed that this happened. We always planned to-"

"Daddy, I'm sorry but I don't want to leave," you cut him off. "I like it here. I have friends. I have ChangBin," you rambled on.

"She's right," your mom interjected. "She can make her own choices now. She's old enough. He seems like a nice man."

"I am not going to let my daughter be with a man like that," he roared, pointing to the door.

"Like what? A man like what," you challenged. "A man like you? You were ok with the idea of me marrying Mark. For christ's sake, Mark Tuan!" you yelled. "What is so wrong with ChangBin that you won't get over it?" Your mother placed a hand on your arm.

"Clyde, honey," she said, "You know this is very familiar. My father hated you. And what did that accomplish?" Your dad folded his arms and glared at your mother. "Huh? Nothing. We still got married and we're happy, despite him." She walked to him and gently touched his arm. "Is that what you want for her?"

"Why not Mark?" your dad questioned you. "He comes from a good family and he likes you. He'll take over from me one day."

"Why not Mark?" you repeated. "Because it is Mark, daddy. He loves himself and anything he can get off with. He's a petulant child when he doesn't get his way. I don't love him." You didn't know ChangBin entered the apartment again. In his rush, he forgot his wallet and cell phone.

"Don't love him?" your dad laughed dryly. "You love this other man, Seo? What do you know about love?"

"What did you know when you married momma at 19? I may not know a lot, but I know how he makes me feel, and I like it," you said firmly. "Daddy, I've never felt safer with anyone else. He knows everything that makes me, me. I know it's too soon to think about forever, but I can't see my life without him," you said softly. "I love him, daddy. I'm not leaving."

"Y/N," you heard from behind you. You turned to see ChangBin, his eyes full of tears. "Do you? Really?" You smiled and nodded. Wrapping you in his arms he kissed your forehead. "I love you too," he whispered.

"I'm sorry I never told you," you said sheepishly. Tucking your head to his neck you placed small kisses under his ear. He hugged you tiger and giggled.

"It's ok, princess. Just no more secrets ok? I can't keep you safe if I don't know everything," ChangBin said softly.

"Leave them alone," your mom instructed, stopping your dad from interrupting. "You weren't going to win this battle anyway." He smiled sadly and nodded. "He is a lot like you. That's a good thing. She'll be ok."

"Well, she is your daughter," your dad laughed. "I have no doubt she'll be fine."

[multistan-kpopwritings]

Only The Best

➟ pairing(s): Bang Chan x Female!Reader

➟ genre(s): Fluff

➟ word count: 1.1K

➟ warnings: None

"Of course I'll make sure he's taken care of mom," Chan said into the phone. "I can't believe you let him fly out here alone. You still don't let me do it!" He teased his mother on the phone.

"He isn't alone, Chris," the woman scolded him. "Y/N is with him."

"Y/N? Hannah's Y/N," he questioned? "I haven't seen her in years. What is she doing coming here?" He smiled fondly when he thought about his little sister's friend.

Talent is something the Bang children had an abundance of. Clearly, Chan was very talented, and his sister was no exception. When she began dancing, their parents made sure she was enrolled in classes at one of the best schools. That's where Hannah met you. You were a few years her senior and head of the advanced classes. From day one, you took Hannah under your wing and treated her like the little sister you never had.

"You're right," she agreed, "She just finished sometime at university and wanted to travel before going back." Chan could hear paper being shuffled on the other end of the line. "Ah, yes. Once she leaves you at the airport she is visiting Korea, Japan, and then I think China. Or was it China then Japan?"

Chan listened to the announcement on the speakers, checking to see if the flight his brother was on landed. He told his mother goodbye and made his way to the proper gate. He was dressed in grey sweatpants and a hoodie, hoping to not draw attention to himself. The last thing he wanted to do was cause a scene.

Watching people file out of the gate, he searched the faces for familiar ones. Or one. He wondered if he would recognize you, or if you would him. You were his little sister's best friend, and it felt like you were part of his family with how often you stayed over. He hated that he didn't see you when he visited home, but he knew he was mostly to blame.

You had stopped by the Bang house to say goodbye to Chan before he left again to continue training as an idol. You kissed him clumsily before he pulled away and told you that he didn't feel that way about you. You were more like a little sister, and he couldn't see you another way.

He spotted his brother and waved his hands over his head, trying to get his attention. Lucas looked his way and waved back. He turned and hooked his arm into the arm of a young woman and pulled her through the crowd. As they got closer, Chan smiled as he recognized you.

The years had been very good to you. You had developed into a confident and beautiful woman. He always regretted not reaching out to you through the years. Deep down he always wondered what would have happened if he stayed home instead of choosing the path he did. His heart skipped a beat when your eyes locked with his.

Chan pulled Lucas into a hug and patted his back, "I've missed you, brother." Ruffling his hair, he pulled away and smiled at you. He held his arms out to you, offering a hug. Carefully, you eyed him.

"You look great," Chan said to you, "I was surprised when my mum said you were coming with Lucas."

"I wouldn't let him travel alone," you smiled politely, "Plus he makes a great travel buddy." You stepped past Chan's open arms and pointed to a sign. "Is it this was to luggage claim?"

"Nice try, man," Lucas laughed and patted Chan's chest. He turned to catch up with you, leaving Chan with a blank expression on his face. "You have to give him a break," Lucas said to you as he reached your side. "That was years ago."

"Oh my gosh," you groaned, "Is this something the Bang family will ever forget? I don't care anymore." Chan had caught up with you by now, but he kept his distance. "I was a stupid kid, with a stupid crush on a stupid boy. Nothing else." Chan scoffed behind you, causing you to turn on his quickly. "Something to say," you snapped.

"Nah," he held his hands up. You continued towards luggage claim when Chan spoke again. "I just think it's funny," he said, "For something so stupid, you seem to still be upset about it." You rolled your eyes and sucked your teeth.

"What if I am," you asked, eyeing his sideways? He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head. "What if I am upset still? I thought I was in love with you. You could have been more gentle." You huffed and faced his again. "I can't ever forget about it. Hannah thinks it's funny that I have a crush on her famous idol brother. Your parents always make mention of you to me, like we're friends. Shit, this kid calls me his sister-in-law, as if you've ever spoken to me since you left," you scowled, pointing to Lucas.

"Look, I'm sorry," Chan apologized, touching your arm. "I was a stupid boy, youq said so yourself. And besides, I didn't know how to handle it. I should have been nicer to you, but you were my sister's friend, and I-." He stopped and grinned at you. "Did you say you have a crush on me... Not had? Present tense?" Your mouth fell open and your cheeks burned red. "You did!" He said triumphantly.

"No, no I didn't," you tripped over your words. Lucas bumped his shoulder into you.

"You did," he whispered, "I heard you." You hated them at this point. Lucas for being right and Chan for being so good-looking. Chan stepped closer and smiled down at you.

"Come on," he urged, "Let me take you out. Just once before you leave." You chewed your lip and thought about the offer. "Let older me take older you out to make up for younger me being stupid and mean to younger you."

"What about me," Lucas piped in? Chan looked at him and made a serious face, mouthing a simple 'no'. "Wow," he said under his breath, "Older you is still a jerk."

"You know, older me has higher standards. You can't just smile at me with those dimples and expect me to give in Christopher Bang," you informed Chan. He smiled wider.

"As you should," he said, "You're a beautiful girl. You deserve the best."

"The best," you repeated. "Hm, guess I should be on my way then. Can't let the best see me with you. Might frighten them off." You smiled over your shoulder and winked.

"No, no," he called chasing after you, "I meant me. I'm the best. Where are you going? "

"Wow! How can you be so bad at this," Lucas called after Chan?

[simpforchuchu]

Toman x reader who has beaten to death Part7

a/n:IM A HAITANI SIMP SO I COULDN'T STOP MYSELF FJKDJD

Sorry for the grammer or spelling mistakes.English is not my main language so...

Thank you and love you 🥰

Warnings: injury, mentions of sexual haressment and rape, blood, fight, swearing, gang fight

List of parts

future

When Takemichi returned to the future, he found himself in an unexpected position. He had become one of the leading members of Toman, and opposite the other members were Kisaki and Hanma. He watched the two of them for a while in amazement. Kisaki stood up and angrily hung a photo on the clipboard, and Takemichi looked at it in shock. He immediately recognized who she was.You...

You looked like you hadn't changed at all over the years.

"I can't believe you still haven't caught that little bitch. Do you expect her to hunt you all down one by one? The Haitani brothers are on our side now too, there's no one to protect her now. Hurry."

Hanma looked at the photograph exasperated and smiled.

"Come on boss, she's all alone. She can't even get close to us with a couple of guys, you're worrying for nothing."

Kisaki adjusted his glasses and banged his fist on the table.

"She's still blaming us for your Baji's death, you're sure to be the first person she'll kill  Hanma."

Baji's death? you ? Takemichi watched everything in amazement. This... this was definitely not the future he wanted.

...

Now

You didn't know what to do when you left that place. Your heart is tight, your chest hurt. How could the man you love do this to you?

When you slowly got to the temple, Draken saw you and ran to you. He looked quite worried and scared. He cupped your face and checked left and right.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did someone do something to you? I'm going to kill that bastard-"

"I'm fine" you replied silently, lowering his big hands on your face. You tried to smile when you saw him still looking at your face with concern.

"I'm... I'm really fine bro, calm down"

You were not well, you were scared, you felt betrayed and you wanted to cry. But you didn't want to worry him.

"Takemichi called me. He said Kazutora took him somewhere and you entered that hall alone. Baji... He said he beat Chifuyu to death..."

You nodded, your eyes started to fill up again. You hugged the huge body in front of you tightly and started to cry. Draken slowly hugged you and started stroking your hair.

"Don't hold back, cry all you want. You must have been scared, no one can expect you to smile after all this."

You just cried for a while and then you sat on the grass together. You wiped your eyes and looked at him.

“When I got there, Kei… Kei had beaten Chifuyu. The boy was lying on the floor bleeding. I sent Takemichi to the hospital with him and asked Kei what the fuck he was doing. But he was like… as if we hadn't known each other for years, as if he hadn't loved me at all… "

Draken patted your back as your sobs grew louder.

"Hanma... he's at the helm of Valhalla. And he'll be with him from now on. Can you believe it, Ken? A few weeks ago he was promising to protect me from him, now he's turned against Toman with him. I... I feel like shit. Just..I do not know what to do."

Draken took a deep breath.

"He... he was always like that, you know. We never understood him. But one thing I'm sure of is y/n, how much he loves you. He cares a lot about you. He's just so mad at us... at Mikey, me... Takemichi will try to get him back, and so will Mikey... but you... please stay away from him in the process y/n. You may get hurt trying to get close to Baji. And I don't want any harm to come to you."

His words were calm and tender. You wiped your eyes and looked at Draken

"I… want to sleep. Can I sleep?” Draken nodded when he realized you was staring at his knees, and you slowly laid your head on his knees. You smiled and closed your eyes.

"Like we used to... you used to protect us like our mother whenever me or Mikey slept."

Draken smiled and stroked your hair.

“Everything was better, huh? You, me, Kei…” you paused and smiled. You missed those days.

...

After a while, Draken took off his jacket and draped it over you. He knew you hadn't slept much in days, he didn't want to wake you. He knew very well that you were tired.

After a while, Mitsuya quietly sat next to you and took off his jacket and covered it with you. He didn't want you to be cold. He saw you as his sister, just like Draken, and always wanted to protect you.

You were the sweetest person in their lives. You were always nice, kind, smiling and exuberant.

When he heard the news, he wanted to come and check on you.

"Is she okay?" He whispered silently and Draken shook his head. "She scared me a bit, but it's fine. I don't think anyone could hurt him while Baji was there."

"You believe baji will still protect her."

"Even if Baji wants to kill us all, he still can't beat her, she's the only one among us he can't punch"

Mitsuya laughed and chuckled as the memory came to mind. Draken immediately knew what he was thinking from his smile.

"It was a solid fist, huh? Baji's eyes were purple for two weeks"

"he deserved it, y/n was absolutely right."

They both laughed and sat there for a while. As it started to get dark, Draken picked you up from the ground and took you to your place.

...

"Are you sure that girl won't be a trouble, Hanma?"

Hanma laughed and took a puff from his cigarette. he blew smoke slowly into the air and looked at the boy with the glasses.

"Don't worry, as long as Baji is with us, the little one will do no harm. I'll take care of her, don't you worry."

Kisaki nodded and left the meeting place.

...

Time skip

You were waiting in the dark and secluded street. Finally, you heard footsteps, you turned around and looked at the face of the person. He smirked at you and took a puff of his cigarette, and you pulled your hood down and looked at him.

"I think you finally changed your mind honey, I'm so glad"

You chuckled and shook your head.

"You'll only see it in your dreams, Hanma. I just have something to ask you-"

"I'm excited now... I'm listening"

"Baji... What are you threatening baji with?"

This time it was Hanma's turn to laugh. After laughing for a while, he took a few steps closer to you. The moment he started to take a step, you took a few steps back and gripped the pocketknife tightly. Hanma must have noticed your move as he frowned and smiled.

"Really? I didn't think you were a cheater, princess."

"I'm sure I don't mind using it Hanma, now answer my question and don't take another step."

He smiled at you and took a step back.

"All right, so be it. Unlike you, I didn't even reach him, let alone threatening him. He was the one who got to me. He joined us of his own accord."

"I do not believe you"

"Believe it or not, beautiful, but that's the truth. Keisuke Baji joined Valhalla of his own free will."

Clenching your fist tightly at what you heard, Hanma smiled and dropped his finished cigarette to the ground and crushed it with his foot.

"As I said before, I would like to see you among us more than him, princess. If you change your mind, you know how to reach me."

You were left with tears in your eyes as Hanma left with a smile. You wanted to cry, but you couldn't even find the strength to cry.

...

You were walking in the dark streets with your eyes full of tears and kicking the things in front of you. False move.. After all these things that you did with anger, you suddenly sprained your foot and started to hop.

You knew very well who he was when the boy with yellow-blue mixed hair and glasses smiled at you when you bump into him

"You shouldn't be walking so carelessly in the dark, honey"

When you wanted to take a step or two back in fear and bumped into someone else behind you, you closed your eyes and opened your eyes in fear with the cold metal you felt on your neck.

Really ? Now ?

The one standing in front of you was Rin, the younger of the Haitani brothers, and most likely the one behind you was Ran.

You had heard that they were stronger than you could even imagine. You knew once when they beat someone to death and ended up in death row, they went to juvenile detention center. You knew that most of the people in Toman couldn't handle them, and now you were on your own.

It would be complete nonsense to say you wasn't afraid, he was definitely compromised. You startled when an arm was thrown over your shoulder and a face approached you, and the boy in front of you grinned.

The boy who wrapped his arm around you smiled at you and spoke.

"I think we scared you kitty, sorry. We just wanted to talk"

You were sure it was Big Brother Ran as you turned your head towards him in fear and you swallowed. It was impossible to hide your fear, they were even scarier than Hanma. You answered Ran with fear.

"I... what do you want to talk to me about?"

Ran smiled. You couldn't keep your voice from shaking and it seemed like they were quite amused.

"Do you know who we are, honey?"

You nodded your head slowly.

"Good, we can say we've heard a lot of your name too." you laughed nervously "Me? Believe me, I'm not a very important person"

Rin laughed, and Ran gave you a closed-eyed smile.

"Most people in the city have heard of your battle with Hanma. Even though everyone thinks you can't beat Hanma, you're not bad for a girl."

You put your fear aside and frowned

"Where will this conversation go?"

They must have liked the seriousness in your voice as Ran tightened his arm and smiled.

"We can help you take down Hanma"

You frowned even more. You didn't trust them. They wanted to use you, you were sure of it even though you didn't know why. They could even be with Hanma.

You slowly lowered Ran's arm off your shoulder and lifted your head.

"What if I don't accept? What will you do? Will you kill me too?"

Rin let out a small laugh, Ran silently smiled and shook his head.

"I suggest you think for a while, we'll find you when you've made up your mind."

As you looked at them in surprise, they started walking and as he left, Ran turned around and smiled at you and waved.

What the fuck had just happened?

Taglist

@deakyspuff

@daiserenade

[gamerwoo]

[SKZ Imprinted] Changbin: Laconic

anonymous asked: hi lovey ! could a i request a changbin imprinted where he meets his mate and he scares her and it’s angsty with fluff at the end? that’s literally so weird, anyways, congratulations on your milestones im so happy for you. you’re so talented and you really deserve everything good that comes your way<3

Characters: Changbin x female reader

Genre/warnings: werewolf au, slowburn, angst, fluff at the end, some humor thrown in just to keep my sanity while writing this, changbin straight up murders someone in the beginning and there’s lots of mentions of blood, changbin has a ~dark and mysterious past~ but it’s heavily implied he’s killed people before, implied drugging in the beginning, lots of implied mental/physical/emotional abuse, lots of talk about knives and minor stabbing, one small mention of drug addicts and needles, poorly-written fighting at the end, also more murder!!!, reader literally never speaks this entire fic except one(1) time, uhhhh if i missed anything just take me out w a bat i’m tired

Word count: 10,748 (the longest imprinted part in history omfg i’m tired)

Summary: la·con·ic. adjective. (of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words. In this case: you, for reasons nobody knows. But Changbin wants to know – he wants to know everything about you. However, his way of rescuing you from a life-or-death situation definitely didn’t help his chances in getting you to speak to him, let alone accept him. And with you already being terrified of werewolves, Changbin’s pretty sure his days are numbered.

a/n: no offence but writing this trope is the bane of my existence so if y’all don’t like this i’m gonna throw my computer out the window <3 (also i used a lot of seventeen mates in this so if ur confused uhhh it’s not that important lmao)

Previous | Next | Imprinted Masterlist

Seguir leyendo

[skzfelixity]

Stray Kids In Alice In Borderland

Bang Chan:

speciality: spade, club, heart and diamond games (yes an all rounder)

rank: 008 | executive | a militant | hatter’s FAVOURITE y’all

friends/allies with: kuina, usagi, arisu, ann and aguni 

enemies: none but secretly hates niragi

Seguir leyendo

[mostlycompetentwriter]

Hi hello! So pleased to hear your requests are open! Can I please request for a marriage au mafia style where the reader gets hurt or assaulted by the rival gang in front of him and due to being restraint he can't get to her and he cries and begs for her stop. Then thankfully Chan and the others come to the rescue and you want nothing more than to be in chnagbins arms. Maybe a lot of angst and fluff afterwards too. Can't wait to see what you come up with 💕

Pairing: Fem!Reader x Changbin

Warnings: Mention of violence and blood; cursing and language; lots of angst and some fluff at the end; mature content

Genre: Mafia AU; Established Relationship

Where are you?

It feels like a dream. The very strange sensation of that in-between state because you were incapable of distinguishing consciousness from something less than. 

Am I alive?

You must be, aware of the sensation of cold, shivers running down your spine, raising little bumps across your arms...

“Princess!”

What? Did you hear that?

“Y/N!” the voice came again. More urgently this time.

You realized then, with the grounding agency of that sound, that your eyes were closed, but it was a struggle to open them, slowly coming back from whatever had sucked you down, wincing at the dull pain in your head.

“Y/N,” the voice sighed this time. Like it was relieved to see you cognizant. “Tell me you’re okay, love.”

Love?

It hit you at that moment, the sound of the voice. One you could recognize no matter the degree of darkness holding you under, and you managed to open your eyes enough to meet Changbin’s gaze from across the room. 

“Changbin?” you questioned. Or, at least, you thought you said his name. You couldn’t be sure since the sounds around you made it seem like your head was underneath water, distorting everything, and the roof of your mouth was dry and tasteless.

“That’s right, love,” Changbin said, and you struggled to keep him in your line of vision, watching his form swim and dance in strange directions.

“I don’t feel good,” you admitted, hearing what might’ve been a sharp intake of breath.

“Where does it hurt?” Changbin asked, and you frowned at how difficult the question was since you weren’t sure how to answer it.

There was too much numbness, and you were far more concerned with restoring your senses, slowly feeling your ears open back up and the things surrounding you come into focus.

Meanwhile, Changbin was still talking. “I’ll kill them all,” he growled. “This was never supposed to happen.”

Them? you thought to yourself vacantly, gingerly turning around as much as your bindings would allow, realizing only after a brief relapse of confusion that your hands and legs were tied to the metal chair you sat on. 

“Where are we?” you asked, finding your voice amidst everything else.

“I’m not sure,” Changbin whispered, and he suddenly sat upright in his chair, eyes narrowing and features taking on that practiced hardening that you associated with your husband at his most dangerous.

But a Changbin bound and tied by seemingly impossible to escape restraints didn’t exactly scream power to you. In fact, it seemed more like a power imbalance, and you were left reeling for answers when the sound of a distant door opening and then closing filled the space between you both.

“I see you’re awake now,” an unfamiliar figure announced, voice slightly accented. He walked with an arrogant swagger, matching the exaggerated steps he took and the smirk he wore on his grizzled features. “We’ve been waiting.”

“Don’t touch her!” Changbin snapped, jerking against his restraints as the veins in his neck visibly popped in response to his obvious anger and frustration. 

“Who? The girl?” the man asked with a lazy gesturing towards you. “Then you’ll give us answers, no?”

“What do you want?” Changbin asked, and you noted how his fingers were clenched tightly against the arm rests attached to his chair.

“The new shipment of weapons,” the man said. “Your men took them from us the other night. Came in and shot my best sniper.”

Changbin sighed, clearly frustrated. “They were originally assigned to us.”

“But then we made a better deal!” the man growled. “It was my name on that contract, and you had no right to interfere.”

“Says who?” Changbin asked, fishing for more information.

“I can’t tell you that,” the man replied. “I’m only the messenger.”

“You act like it’s more than that.”

“Oh?” the man smirked. “Well, I am a big deal.”

Changbin glowered at the arrogance. “I don’t lead the organization.”

“I know, but you’re an important player,” the man continued. “And your name was everywhere when I started investigating.”

“The weapons were a necessary exchange,” Changbin argued.

“But they were ours!” the man declared passionately, and Changbin knew better than to try to argue with someone so overzealous.

“Fine,” Changbin huffed. “I’ll have my men restore the weapons.”

“Wonderful,” the man sighed, tucking his hands into his pocket. “There is one more thing, though.”

“One more?” Changbin snorted.

“I know of your importance, Mr. Seo,” the man said. “I assume that you’re someone in possession of good information.”

“Like what?”

“Like that little bar you opened downtown,” the man continued, taking another step closer. 

You froze when he pulled a knife from his pocket, studying the way the light reflected off the harsh metal. “What about it?” Changbin grumbled, eyes focused on the obvious danger in the room.

“I’m curious about its sudden success,” he said, and you shivered when he started circling your chair. “Seems like something is missing.”

“Just good business,” Changbin said, but you could tell he was trying to get one step ahead of the guy - discerning the meaning of this unexpected conversation.

“Or, you figured out how to delegitimize the competition,” the man harshly exhaled, and you whimpered when you felt the cold blade of the knife tease the sensitive skin of your neck. 

Changbin sat up just a little higher, biceps flexing against his restraints. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Obviously,” the man hissed, digging the blade just enough to draw a tiny pinprick of blood. “You’ve sent your men undercover to spy on my business! To spread rumors and lies and turn my clientele away!”

Changbin chuckled at the outrageous claim, but it was devoid of any humor. “You probably fucked your business over yourself.”

“Do you think I’m a fool?” the man growled, searing metal against flesh. “I know men like you, Mr. Seo, and I’m willing to bet that you’ve played a bigger part than what you’ve let on.”

“I have better things to do than fuck with some second rate booze club,” Changbin growled. “We’ve got clubs all over downtown. They’ve all been successful, and it has nothing to do with sending off the competition.”

Changbin smirked then, something harsh and mocking. “Maybe you’re just a really bad businessman.”

But it was the wrong thing to say, and you withheld a scream of terror when the man suddenly wrapped biting fingers into your hair. “You want to save your cocksleeve?” he growled, gripping even tighter to your aching scalp and wrenching your head back to expose your throat and the small laceration he had left there on the smooth skin. A puddle of red amidst the rest. “Tell me why you did it!”

“I can’t!” Changbin snarled in return. “My guys never stepped foot in your territory.”

“LIES!” the man roared, and you were teetering precariously in your chair, back legs lifted from the safety of the floor.

“If you hurt her,” Changbin said, and his tone was staggered and weak. “I will make sure you suffer a thousand times worse.”

The man laughed, incredulous as he looked around the room. “And what do you plan to do about it?”

Silent tears fell down your glistening cheeks as you felt the man’s warm breath against the side of your face. “Maybe violence isn’t enough for you. Maybe I need to get what I need by other means.”

Your stomach dropped at the guttural tone, trying to meet Changbin’s eyes from across the room. “You’ve been warned,” Changbin said. “The grave you’ve dug for yourself is deep enough.”

“Oh?” the man laughed. “Well, since you think you’re in such control here, let me remind of you of the reality of the situation...”

“Changbin!” you cried when you were abruptly lifted from your chair, knife cutting through the ropes binding you, sending you colliding back against the solid mass of an unfamiliar form, loose hands roaming across your torso. 

“Stop!”

Changbin’s voice was just veering on the edge of desperate, recognizing that you were in no position for him to sound anything less than serious. 

“Stop?” your captor repeated in a mocking tone, and you felt the blade of the knife return to your throat, slicing down harder and finally triggering the hair-raising scream that you had been suppressing. Trying to be brave for Changbin.

“You can’t do this!” Changbin cried, and you were amazed to see the faint rivulet of a tear stain - the mark of weakness that your husband tried so hard to suppress in this violent line of work.

If you thought about it, there were only a handful of times that you had ever seen Changbin cry.

“I’ll do anything,” Changbin whispered. “I’ll even take her place! Just don’t hurt her anymore.”

“Hmmm?” Your captor relinquished his threatening attack, and you could breath a little easier when he turned his attention back to Changbin.“What if I offer you a compromise? Tell me how you’ve managed your business affairs, and I won’t kill your little plaything.”

Changbin inhaled sharply, gaze full of a sinister rage you knew was reserved for his greatest enemies. “You’ll be screaming for a death of your own by the time I’m done with you.”

“You still don’t understand,” the man sighed, and you gasped when chapped lips brushed against your cheek. “Maybe I’ll fuck her first...”

“You won’t have the time.”

“Says who...”

He trailed off then. The last words you ever heard from your captor before an enormous explosion interrupted the tension, walls and floors shaking as dust and debris fell from the ceiling overhead.

You could feel the body behind you trembling as well, but you knew that it wasn’t from the explosion. It was from fear, and in a split second of panic, the man shoved you to the ground, and you yelped when your head collided hard against the concrete. 

You attempted to pull yourself back up, but there was something numbing and weighty keeping you on the floor, darkness swimming threateningly in front of your eyes once again.

There were familiar sounds: the sharp click of a gun, the whizzing of bullets flying overhead, and the cacophony of screams and yells.

The pain was keeping you from focusing, aware of vague figures passing in and out of your periphery, running and moving in all sorts of directions. It was chaos at its finest, and you were incapable of comprehending any of it. Instead, you could only focus on two things: the pounding of your pulse against your eardrums and the intermingled buzzing of familiar tones.

There was a hand on your shoulder, but you were incapable of responding to their call, succumbing to an irrefutable and dreamless sleep.

The first thing you noticed when you were capable of understanding your surroundings, was the silky fabric of the bed sheets.

They were smooth to the touch and you flexed your fingers around them, humming in contentment when you silted open your eyes just enough to confirm that they belonged to you and Changbin. The ones you used on the King-sized bed in your shared room.

But therein lay the problem: you were alone in the bed, and the only voices you could hear certainly didn’t match the same tone of your husband.

You swallowed hard, flinching when the motion brought attention to the thick bandage around your neck, and upon touching the material, you were bombarded with a barrage of images reminding you of everything that had happened the previous night. 

It was enough to leave you shaking, seeking some form of comfort as you roused your body just enough to turn around to the sound of those voices, recognizing Chan, your husband’s boss, and Seungmin, the residential healer.

“Chan?” you groaned, grimacing at the dryness in your mouth.

“Y/N,” he acknowledged you, rushing over to your bedside in an instant. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay,” you said, watching as he lifted a bottle of water to hand to you.

“Drink this.”

You nodded, taking it from him. “Where’s Changbin?”

The question was met with silence, and you frowned when Chan and Seungmin exchanged quick glances. “Well, if nothing hurts, then I have other appointments,” Seungmin said, hurriedly dismissing himself from the room.

“Coward,” Chan muttered, but he was nothing but smiles for you, coming to sit down at your bedside. “Changbin...he’s busy.”

The answer wasn’t satisfactory, and your heart started beating a little faster. “Where?”

“Downstairs,” he said, and you knew exactly what that meant. 

“He brought him here?” you muttered, hating the idea of having someone like that under the same roof you called home. 

“Changbin insisted,” Chan replied, and you realized that he disapproved as well, but it still didn’t help your tender sensibilities, and you were ready to implode from the inside because you needed Changbin’s comfort.

“I need him,” you said, fixing Chan with a stern look. “Can you ask him to come up here?”

“He won’t be convinced until he’s done,” Chan said, but his gaze was soft as he leaned in closer. “I can help, if you’d like.”

It was a nice gesture, and normally you might take him up on an offer of comfort, but Chan wasn’t going to heal the turmoil bubbling inside of you.

The emotions burst forth, and your eyes had already glossed over from tears shedding themselves like dead leaves falling from a tree in the middle of a windstorm. “I just want Changbin,” you sobbed, and Chan was barely perceivable through the mess of your tears. 

You could tell Chan was upset by your dismissal, even as his fingers tried to brush away the wetness dotting your cheeks. “I’m sorry, Y/N,” he said, and it spoke to a history between the two of you that often when unsaid.

You had been given to Chan, your organization’s leader, as a peace offering from a rival mafia group. It was a cruel trade, and you resisted as much as you could, especially since, at first, you were meant to be his betrothed.

And you came into the Miroh Group with a determination to resist them to the very end.

Until Changbin stole your heart.

From there, you couldn’t believe that you had gotten so lucky, falling in love whole-heartedly, capable of forgiving Changbin’s worst sins.

Including his more sadistic tendencies.

“You can try to see him,” Chan said, seemingly satisfied after wiping away most of the evidence of your internal breakdown.

You nodded immediately, even though you understood that what you might find downstairs wouldn’t be anything comforting.

You felt a little unsteady on your feet, even with Chan helping you down the concrete steps descending into a place you tended to avoid.

The smell of alcohol and blood were both overwhelming, and you stumbled on the final step, rearing back at the sound of a truly gruesome gurgle that reminded you too much of drowning. 

In the middle of the room you managed to make out Changbin, wearing dark pants and a white t-shirt, allowing you to see all the blood painting the texture in ugly patterns.

But then your attention wandered over to the poor soul strapped to the chair, barely recognizable because of the damage caused by your husband, the one who was gaping at you while holding a knife in one hand and scissors in the other.

"Y/N,” Changbin whispered. “Why aren’t you resting?”

You shook your head, looking past the gruesome, mangled damage to see the pained expression of your former captor. 

Changbin had made good on his threat to tear the asshole apart, and your stomach rolled at the awful display of violence.

Done at the hands of the man who made the sweetest love to you in the dark recesses of your bedroom.

Still, you craved his presence, falling into his open arms as he held you close after tossing aside his tools. “Shhh,” he whispered to calm your tears.

“You weren’t there when I woke up,” you sniffled.

“I’m sorry, love,” Changbin said, soothing your cries with soft cooing. 

You savored his closeness, tucking your chin over his shoulder and opening your eyes to look upon the decrepit appearance of your former captor. “What are you doing to him?” you asked, and you felt Changbin sigh as he pulled back from you.

“I know you don’t approve, love,” Changbin said, and he glanced down at his ruined t-shirt and jeans, drenched in blood. 

Under most circumstances, you would agree, but you felt your hand jumping to your throat, wrapping around the bandage covering your wound. 

Changbin frowned at the movement, likely remembering the events that led to your injuries. “Kill him,” you said, and both Changbin and Chan seemed taken aback by your response. It was completely out of character, coming from someone who often disapproved of the murderous part of their work. 

“Y/N,” Chan whispered, and you could see that he wore wariness on top of his horrified expression.

“Come upstairs soon,” you said, squeezing Changbin’s hand with your own. “I need you.”

Your husband nodded, looking at you with something akin to awe as you left the downstairs basement with Chan hot on your heels and torturous screams assaulting your ears. 

Chan only left your bedroom once Changbin arrived, showered and clean, wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. 

“Careful,” Chan whispered to him on the way out, and you shivered.

But there was nothing that could warm you up more than Changbin, and you even managed a smile when he climbed into the bed behind you, wrapping a strong arm around your waist to pull you closer. “Hi, princess,” he whispered, and you felt like bathing in the sensual tone of his voice.

“Changbin,” you sighed in return, turning around so that you could face him.

“It doesn’t hurt too much, does it love?” he asked, reaching out to tenderly stroke his fingers across your bandages. 

“Not anymore,” you said. “Seungmin did a good job.”

“He better,” Changbin rumbled, and you tried not to roll your eyes at your husband. 

“I was really upset earlier,” you said. “When I couldn’t find you.”

“That’s my fault, princess,” Changbin said. “I didn’t know you would wake-up so soon....and there were things I needed to take care of.”

You sighed, closing your eyes hard against a distant image of your mind conjuring the bloodied and ruined form of your captor. “Did you find out who he belonged to?”

“Yeah, a small organization under Park,” Changbin said. “He was more than willing to talk after I took one of his fingers.”

Your heart twisted at his nonchalant tone. “I guess you silenced him.”

Changbin hesitated, pausing to look at you with concern. “Are you mad at me?”

“Just...disappointed,” you said. “I couldn’t hold myself together.”

“It would’ve torn me apart,” Changbin replied. “If I let him go without making him suffer for touching my princess.”

You closed your eyes, feeling Changbin trail his fingers across your arm. “But you’re here now?”

“Of course,” Changbin agreed, leaning in to kiss you gently. “I’m yours, love. For as long as you need me to hold you.”

“Might be all night,” you said, moving up to kiss under his jaw. “I need you in a lot of ways.”

Changbin chuckled at your implications, leaving nothing to be imagined as you grazed one finger over the front of his sweatpants where his cock lay flaccid. He titled your chin at a better angle, a glaze of lust darkening his eyes. “When you feel better,” he purred. “I’ll take care of your little pussy.”

You shook at his seductive promise, curling even closer to him as Changbin’s thudding heart lulled you into a comfortable peace.

[deakyspuff]

i abandoned this blog and then i dream that i fuck roger taylor and here i am

[xoxotomexox]

The Gift - Jumin Han/Reader

Please check out my Ao3 account! - https://archiveofourown.org/users/NyvaariYuki

The Gift

NyvaariYuki

Summary:

You want to buy a gift for Jumin - You find the perfect thing. On the way home you get mugged. Jumin is not happy.

Notes:

This is the first time i’ve written something for Mystic Messenger. I’m rubbish with tags. This is just a causual bit of domestic fluff mixed with ‘how would Jumin react if reader gets hurt by someone’ Kind of. Hope you enjoy

Seguir leyendo

[greek-mythographer]

Guys someone on tumblr attack teenagers and LGBT members and tells them to kill themselves. I need help to report him. He's also a huge pedophile.

Please he's going to end up killing so many more if we dont stop him.

@ugliesareworthless tumblr user

PLEASE REBLOG THIS TO SPREAD AWARENESS

Im tagging some popular blogs i know. If you dont want this on your blog i understand

@godsofhumanity

@loloisafangirl

@incorrectgreekgods

@thatsthat24

@solar--serenity

@pippip-cheerio

@my-name-is-apollo

[greek-mythographer]

His other blog is @slaughteruglies

[greek-mythographer]

THIS IS WHAT HIS ACCOUNT LOOKS LIKE

[spacelightcat-deactivated202102]

@excitedlysuffering @softiekage @softkodzuken @shoutosteakettle

[cezforcez]

TORU YAMASHITA IS BACK

I COULDN'T DESCRIBE HOW HAPPY I AM NOW

NOW IT'S TIME TO POST THE COMPLETION OF "Toru nii please come back soon" Trilogy + closing here in Tumblr because HE'S BACK ALREADY AND WE ARE ALL DEFINITELY RELIEVED

few minutes after I posted the last pic on twiter, Toru updated his recovery news in IG

I AM SO VERY HAPPY AASSSFAGAHAKSKALDHH

[toruyamashit-a]

Please stay strong ❤︎