Sunny

oh my god, she’s insane, she wrote a song (an alternate universe) about me • she/her • ‘98 • Open for request 💌

[hirayaaraw]

Masterlist

Compilation of all my works.

Jaehyun (NCT)

Unbreakable Ties Series

Mark (NCT)

First Love

Wonwoo (Seventeen)

Please Bother Me

You Are My Home

Of Taxes and Marriage - 2, 3

Jeonghan (Seventeen)

Fall From Grace Series

It All Ends Here

I Love You Like This

[hirayaaraw]

Afterglow

Jeonghan x OC; Angst

They say “An idle mind is a dangerous thing.” You watch the scenery change as you travel across the country to the city. You never listen to naysayers, but it is different if the words come from your own mother. You thought going home to celebrate your younger sister’s wedding will give you a break from the suffocating corporate world. But things do not go on your way.

“He didn’t even come with you to join you today.” You just smiled timidly while helping your mom with the clutter of the joyful wedding preparation.

“Mom, he sent gifts for Yerim and you. He is just busy with…”

“Busy with his sparkling life? Can’t even spare time to meet us. One year of dating and…” Your mother murmur more complains about Jeonghan. “I read his articles about him. He dated models and actresses.”

Your hands tighten on the tapestry that you are about to throw in the garbage bag. “You are turning 30s in few months. Find someone who will take you seriously.”

“Mom, we are serious. I will not agree to be with Jeonghan if I don’t see his sincerity.”

“Can’t you see that you are just a phase or maybe he is experimenting? Trying a different taste before going back to his usual choice.”

“Mom, please.”

“I will arrange a meeting with my friend’s son, Doyoung, before you leave tomorrow.”

“Mom!”

“It’s an order. Nothing’s wrong about meeting with him. He is a nice kid.”

Your mom practically drag you to the cafe the morning before you leave. Together with her, they had their breakfast two tables away from you. True to her words, Doyoung is nice, but he is not Jeonghan who makes your heartbeat with his smile. Before you leave, but you made it clear that you are not interested.

Despite of and in-spite of. You notice that you are in Seoul when you saw the billboards of his group. What ifs flooded your mind. Your mom didn’t say those things without basis. Somehow you wonder if you are just being blind and refuse to remove the rose tinted glasses. Are they really just moving without a clear direction? Is he in the same page with you?

Fear crippled you. What if you are in the losing end again? You wonder if you are just full of yourself for believing that someone like him can love you. It’s their comeback season. You haven’t had a real conversation with him. Just good mornings, goodnights, and one liner answer. Dates are elusive. Sometimes just one a month. You don’t complain, because you fully understand what you get into when you decided to be with him.

Upon arriving to your apartment, you open all the lights and you are surprised to see Jeonghan jump on you to hug you. You feel frozen on the spot, but you decided to hug him back.

“Are you tired?” Jeonghan felt the lack of your enthusiasm. He kissed your temple.

“Yeah just tired from the commute.” You said as you bring your bag to your room. When you went out with your clean clothes, you saw Jeonghan preparing food on your dining.”

“What are you doing here?” You don’t want to sound sharp, but Jeonghan felt the bite with your words.

“Can’t I visit my girlfriend?” He said then grabbed your hand so you will sit beside him. Jeonghan served you with your plate and utensils. “How was the wedding?”

Jeonghan tried to break the ice he did not know where it came from. You just gave him generic answers to his question. He tried to trace back to his conversations with you to get a clue if he did something wrong. He let you sit in your silence. Trying to understand that it might be due to the fatigue.

You both ate in silence. One thing about you, whenever your logical side turns off, you will speak whatever is in your mind without any filter.

“Do you think you could do better?” You said quietly while staring at your plate. Jeonghan took a tissue and gently wipe the sauce on the side of your lips.

“Sorry. Your fave restaurant is closed for today. I’ll try to pass by tomorrow, love.” Jeonghan said then took his phone to note it. You shook your head.

“Jeonghan, maybe it’s time for us to part ways.” Your grip on the spoon became tighter. Jeonghan put down his spoon to look at you.

“What are you saying?”

“We already had a year together. It was wonderful, but I think we should—“

“No. I am not breaking up with you.” Jeonghan took your hand. He can feel that your hand is not holding him back. He held it tighter. “Tell me what I did wrong. I’ll fix it.”

“Love, look at me.” Jeonghan pleaded, but all you can do is cry. You feel pathetic for crying even if you brought this to yourself.

“We can’t even meet properly..”

“Okay. I will ask for a less commitment from my manager..”

“Jeonghan..”

“What?” You never saw him cry, but his lips are quivering.

“We can’t call this a relationship anymore.” Jeonghan let out a nervous sigh. This is not what he imagined this night should be. “I don’t see where we are going and I know that you could do better.”

“Do better? Tell me what I should do.”

“Do better by dating someone in your league. Someone who will fit perfectly in your life.” Jeonghan just look at you confused. “So before I can get deeper, I want to leave.”

“We fit perfectly.” Jeonghan raised your intertwined hands together. “Why should I date other people? Where is this coming from?”

You were about to answer, but his phone ring. He just look at you and let his phone ring.

“Answer that. It must be important.” Jeonghan stared at you before turning his phone off.

“Fuck them.”

“You should go. I know you have a monthly dinner with the boys. They must be waiting for you.” You try to pull your hand, but he didn’t let it go.

“Am I not reassuring you enough?” Jeonghan held your hand near to his face. “You are unfair. You are so unfair for deciding for me. Who are you to decide what is better for me?”

He looked to at you then kissed your hand. “Baby, you are the best thing that happened to me.”

For the first time in the whole evening, you touched him on your own. You pat his back carefully as you console him. You hurt him by trying to safe yourself from your own ocean.

“If you can’t see where is this going, I’ll tell what I see.” He didn’t contain his tears anymore. “Three years from, I can see us having a slow morning. I make your favorite coffee, while I wait for you to wake up. We will do all the boring things, but it won’t matter as long as I have you.”

“I already have an outlined timeline in my mind. I just can’t tell you everything, because I am afraid that it might overwhelm you.” Jeonghan wiped his tears then yours. “So if you can’t see our future together, I’ll be the one who will peek on the future and tell you.”

You nod silently and slowly hugged me while patting his back.

“I’ll try to better, baby. I’m sorry for all of my shortcomings.”

“No, you are enough. More than enough.” You said and rest your head on the nook of his neck. “I’m sorry for doubting you.”

You spent the whole evening explaining what made you have all those thoughts to him. Jeonghan noted to clear his schedule to meet your parents. He can fully understand their doubts. You both talked about the cracks in your relationship and how it will be mended. You slyly drop a small comment about your “blind date”.

Jeonghan crossed his arm with an eyebrow raised. “Is he better?”

“Oh stop it.” You rolled your eyes then kissed him tenderly. “I told him I have someone in my apartment who will cry if I leave him.”

Jeonghan laughed then kissed you again. “That’s right, baby.”

—————

Seventeen Group Chat

Seungcheol: You ditch us @Jeonghan

Seungkwan: Pay up!!!

Mingyu: Wow I can’t believe Jeonghan hyung will be the first violator

Jeonghan: give me a discount

Dino: add another 1 billion won

Jeonghan: My girlfriend almost broke up with me

Jeonghan: give me a discount. have mercy.

[hirayaaraw]

Dwindling Faith and Unspoken Confession

Tags: friends to lovers; marriage for convenience / fake marriage; pining

Previous

Your mom already left. She rode the bus scheduled to leave in the afternoon after she gave you an earful sermon about marriage. But you decided to go to the city river and contemplate the things she said.

You hate the disappointing look she had in her eyes. Your life revolved around her approval and making her smile. Ever since her divorce with your Dad, your 8 years old mind made it a goal to make her happy and to not make your sister feel the abscence of a father figure. Despite all of the efforts, you never once felt you are enough. The one time you think she genuinely smile was during your graduation and her hugged validated your whole being.

"Getting married without letting me know. This is not you. Do you even understand the whole deal of being married?" After a long silence, these are her words to you. She is right. It's not a norm for you to jump on risky decision. You are calculative. You want assurance and safety net if all else fail. "It may be fun right now but years later? Where will you be? Divorced like me? Your dad and I dated each other for 3 years before getting married but look what happened. You and Wonwoo..."

She looked at you and you know she is trying to find the right words. And you know how her words always bite.

"Wonwoo is a nice kid but this is so abrupt. It's like you agreed without thinking. Men changes as they age. You'll never know when you are done being the apple of their eyes and next thing you knew he is now meeting a younger and more beautiful woman than you."

"Mom..." Your throat starts to feel constricted.

"Next thing you knew he will be serving you a divorce paper and you will realize your life revolved around him but to him you are just something he can dispose easily."

"That's you and dad, Mom. That's your life, not mine." You said so softly. You can feel the heaviness of your head. She shrugged what you said then gave you the dishes she cooked for you.

You took a deep breathe. You know that your life path is different than hers but your mind is tricking you to dive in this pool of anxiety. Your parents were in love but still this happened. On the other hand, you are just the only one in love in this marriage. You call it a wishfull thinking but you hope the friendship you have with him will be enough.

The raging thoughts ended when a message notification popped out from your phone. It's Wonwoo.

Wonwoo: Done meeting with Mom. :) Are you still with your Mom?

You: No. She already went home.

Wonwoo: Already? That's new.

Wonwoo: Are you already home?

You: I'm here at the cafe in riverbanks. I'll go home in a bit.

Wonwoo: Okay. I'll go there. Let's go home together.

It took 30 minutes for Wonwoo to reach you. When he saw you, he immediately notice your dark aura. He knew something went wrong. He took all the paper bags in his right hand. Wonwoo took your hand with his free hand like it belongs there. You felt safe and secured whenever he is around.

The sun is setting and rays of sunshine falling against his face. You held his hand tighter and enjoyed the moment. Trying to imprint it on your mind. Telling yourself that if all else fail, you will still be grateful you were given a chance to marry the love of your life.

Even in the drive on your way home which is just 10 minutes away from his place, he held your hand in every chance he gets. Upon arriving at home, you both organize the dishes in the ref.

"How did it went?" You asked him after keeping all the dishes. Wonwoo took out a tub of coffee ice cream and two spoons then pulled you to seat at the sofa.

"She's sad." Your shoulders fell down upon hearing it. You felt like everyone is against this. Wonwoo noticed it so he pinched your nose. "She is sad we did not invite her but Mom is so happy that it is you who I married."

Happy is an understatement. Wonwoo's mom is so excited knowing that you are her son's end game. She has been rooting for you and thought that Wonwoo has no chance on you.

"She said I made a good choice." Wonwoo nudged you lightly. He took a spoonful of ice cream and feed you. "When did I make a wrong choice?"

You laughed at his arrogant statement. Good choice. Funny how your mom criticize your decision to marry him but his mom praised this choice. You can't blame her. She has a different background and history than his mom.

"Congratulations for formally ending the endless blinddates." You shove a spoonful of ice cream to his mouth. Wonwoo grimaced at the cold and swallowed it while giving you a death stare. Without wiping his mouth, he gave you a kiss on your cheeks.

"Thank you for marrying me, wife." He grinned upon seeing the ice cream marks on your cheek.

"You are disgusting!" You took a tissue and wipe it away but giggled.

And there it is again, Wonwoo falling all over again. Head over heels. For some people falling in love makes everything goes slowmo but for him, it makes everything fast forward. He can see you laughing with him toothless and grey hair. Wrinkled skin and all but still loving you.

Wonwoo reached for your face to wipe the ice cream that were not removed. "How was it with your mom?"

You just smiled at him. Wonwoo's knows that smile. The smile that did not crinkle your eyes nor showed your dimples. It did not go well.

"She is worried." To put it in simpler terms. You don't know how to explain it to him that your mom went on assuming that he will cheat on you and leave you like an old rug. "Mom is just scared that I will walk on her path too."

Wonwoo knows your family story. Too well that he actually have a personal grudge on your dad. You remember how he went with you when your dad asked to meet you after 2 decades. He sat on a different table but made sure you can see him. You thought he is making ammends, but the truth your Dad wants to ask for a financial help upon hearing you graduated from college and got a great job in the city.

"Her concern is valid." Wonwoo said then took your hand and caress it gently. "Do you want me to talk with her?"

"She is still has clouds on her head right now. Not the best time." No words will come out from her nicely. Wonwoo nodded respecting your request. You just observed him eat with frown on his eyebrows and you know he is thinking how to make you feel okay.

"Can you promise me?" Wonwoo look at you with spoon on his mouth. You know this is ridiculous but you just want to say it to calm your heart. "If one day you find the one who made you fall in love, can you give me like heads up that you will divorce me and not surprised me with a divorce paper on the table?"

You laughed to make it light hearted, but Wonwoo's frown grew deeper. Suddenly, you feel scared. It is like you stepped on a landmine.

"We are not talking about this." Wonwoo said firmly. He dig the spoon on the ice cream tub then look straight at you.

"It's just a possibility, Won."

"And I don't like it. One week into marriage and we are talking about divorce." He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "It's bad luck."

"Are you serious? Since when did you became superstitious?" You laughed at him who is still frowning.

"I'm serious." You reach his cheeks and gently tap it. You can't help but smile upon noticing his pout. "I'm stucked with you until the end of my life. But of course, if you want me to leave..."

"Okay fine. We won't talk about it anymore." You cupped his cheeks. He looks adorable sulking right now. You giggled at how cute he looks right now.

Years since college but he can still make your heart flutter. You studied his face and took your time gazing on him without realizing that Wonwoo is staring at you with love. When you noticed his stares, you can feel him slowly crossing the distance between you.

You can feel the whole world moves in slow motion. You can feel your heart beat accelerating. When his lips found yours, your fears flew out of the window. Your hand encircled on his neck as he deepened the kiss.

This is different from the first kiss you shared with out of curiosity. This not like the kiss you shared with because both of you are drunk. This kiss blurs all the worry and fears you have.

Wonwoo wrap his arm around your waist and pull you on to his lap. You pulled away from him to breathe. You removed his eyeglasses slowly before lowering your face to capture his lips.

If this is greed, you are willing to sin because you want more of him. All the times you thought that you can settle for loving him from afar but now all you want is every inch of him.

And then one thing lead to another. Every corner of his apartment were filled by whispers of his and your name. Surrendering to each other because you both know that tomorrow will come and you still both have each other.

[hirayaaraw]

Still In This Holy Ground

Tags: Friends to lovers to exes to lovers; idol!Seungcheol x reader

Note: Seungcheol is the ex that makes you wonder if you will love and be loved again in the same way when you were with him.

Songs to listen:

Holy Ground - Taylor Swift BBC Live Lounge

Death by Thousand Cuts - Taylor Swift

His Car Isn't Yours - WENDY

They say that healing journey does not have a definite timeline. One day after you and Seungcheol broke up, the mug he used still on your dining table. You didn't know that would be the last coffee you will make for him. 

One week after the break up, you went home happily with your favorite chinese take out only to cry on the floor of your apartment. You realized that you will be spending all weekends alone. Seungcheol will not be joining you anymore to watch the latest episode of transit love. You took the chinese take out and gave it to the guard. You swear to never buying from that chinese restaurant even if they have the best orange chicken. 

One month after the break up, your friends are urging you to go out and have fun. You never showed them that you are suffering but they know you still cry yourself to sleep. You cry even more when you realize his smell on your pillowcase already faded. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit but you think you will never be used to waking up without his good morning message. 

"There are plenty of men out there."

You just nod and smile whenever they say it. Plenty of men but they are not Seungcheol. No one bring warmth just like him. He holds your hand when you look anxious or nervous. He never forgets to buy your favorite tea when you are running low and too busy to buy grocery. Despite being busy, he makes sure to meet you every weekend. If he comes to your apartment late and you are already sleeping, he will sleep besides you and waits for you to wake up before leaving.

 Dating Seungcheol is the best decision you made. Friends and family doubted your relationship due to his profession. Your younger sister's boyfriend is always present at family function. This was not an issue for you but relatives make rumors about his absence. How he might be ashamed of you or he might be dating someone industry and you are just a side piece. You will just smile at them and brush away the rumors. It is not because his schedule can't cater the family events. You just don't want him  to enter the chaos. It is already enough that he listens to your laments.

You met him during college. You sat in the front row while he sat near the door at the back. Seungcheol has a perfect attendance for the whole semester despite having music shows and practice. However, on the next semester their world tour started, he misses some class. When he attends the class, Seungcheol is obviously sleepy. 

You never interacted with him nor made a fuss about having an idol classmate. One day, Seungcheol approached you if he can copy your notes for the two lectures he missed. You didn't hesitate and gave your notebook so he can take picture of it. However, Seungcheol sheepishly asked if he can take it to library to photocopy. He rambled that he does not like his notes on his phone. Seungcheol claimed that he likes it hard copy. You just nodded at him and told him to give it back within the day. Seungcheol gave you his first of his thousands smile to you and returned your notebook later that day with a cup of coffee. 

"Thanks for the notes." He said handing your notebook and a cup of iced americano. "Coffee for you."

"Thanks for giving back my notebook." You said and gave him a small smile. You don't drink the coffee but you take it as courtesy. Something about his eyes and the way he smiles that make saying no to him hard. 

You thought that would be the first and last interaction but he added you on facebook. Since then Seungcheol will ask you about notes, announcements, or anything he missed when he is out and being an idol. Facebook messages turn into Seungcheol tagging along with you when you rot yourself in the library. One time, he answered his phone beside you and told someone that he is in library with a friend.

"Since when did we become a friend?" You raised your eyebrow that made him flustered. 

"Since when you lend your notes, Ma'am." He smiled and leaned on the table. 

"You just want my notes. I figured it out." You rolled your eyes to tease him.

"And the owner of the notes." Seungcheol said that made you hold your breath. You smiled and went back to reading your notes. If you did not look away, you are sure that you will be taken away by this man.

Facebook messaged became phonecalls. It started when you missed 3 school days in a row. You got admitted to a hospital for viral infection and bronchitis. A simple cough and sore throat became worse over the weekend. Your mom travelled to the city when you cried over the phone and took you to the hospital. 

It was on the 3rd day when your phone rang. You picked up your phone without looking on it. 

"Where are you? Are you okay?" You need to look at your phone just to make sure it is Seungcheol. His voice is full of worry. 

"Hey. I'm in the hospital. You can ask Christine for her note--"

"Which hospital?" He did not let you finish your sentence. His voice have a sense of urgency. You blurted out the name of the hospital. He said something you did not understand before saying bye.

30 minutes later someone is knocking in your hospital room then you are now introducing Seungcheol to your mom. He brought lecture notes and share to you then peeled oranges for you. Seungcheol visits you everyday until you were discharged. 

Whenever he is near, it feels hard for you to breathe. You thought this was an aftereffect of your hospitalization. But you realized that it only happens whenever Seungcheol is near. Everytime Seungcheol is around, he makes your heart beats faster. You thought this only happens in 90s romcom movies. You hate how Seungcheol is now a focal focus of your everyday life. You wait for his messages and anticipated his arrival at university. 

It is a futile move to hope for something so throughout college you love him silently. Everyday you remind yourself that you are just a college girl Seungcheol made friends with because he needs someone in university. You remind yourself that you are just a fraction of his grand life. This is how you broke your own heart for thw first time while Seungcheol is slowly trying to make you feel how his whole world is revolving around you.

You enjoyed every moment with him because you knew that once graduation came, it will be a goodbye. On the graduation day, you congratulated him. In return, he hugged you tight. You wanted to cry as you melt in his arms. 

"Thank you for letting me annoy you for the past 4 years." You laughed in his ears.

"No worries, Seungcheol. Anytime." You said before pulling away and saying bye. You started walking away but you stopped and turned around. Seungcheol still standing and watching you. It's now or never. Just like at the ending of a 90s romcom, you run back towards him. 

Everything is just a background noise and time slowed down for you and him. You have nothing to lose. Seungcheol is smiling widely at you. This is the first time you did not act guarded. When you are standing in front of him, you exhaled loudly.

"Choi Seungcheol" Seungcheol frowned and pouted. He told you before that he hates how people call him in his full name. You smiled at his reaction. "We might never meet again. I just need to let this out or I will be miserable for keeping this secret for the longest time.  So here goes nothing. I like you."

Seungcheol eyes widened when you said those words. You laughed at his reaction. You did not wait for his response and run away towards the parking lot where your parents are waiting for you.

Your dad started driving to the restaurant he reserved to celebrate your graduation when your phone rang. It was Seungcheol. You bit your lips and shake your head before answering his call. 

"Where are you? I'm at the parking lot. Your dad still drives a red hyundai, right?"

"We already left, Seungcheol." You heard him sigh. 

"You can't just say you like me and leave like that."

"I just did." You pointed out that made him sigh again. You can see him sulking. "I need to hang up. See you when I see you."

Which you know it will be hard.

"Which restaurant are you going?" You humor him by telling the name of the place. There is no way he will go to your graduation dinner. He has an appearance to a local radio show in the evening. He ended the call which made you frown. You keep your phone in your bag as you enter the restaurant. 

You were enjoying the dinner when a familiar face entered. To your horror, it was Seungcheol waving at you. You looked around the restaurant before standing and dragging him in the corner.

"Who says we will never meet again?" Seungcheol said grinning at you. He held your hand that made you look around and you pull your hand away. Afraid someone might see you and him.

"What are you doing?"

"I should have said this instead of keeping this for the longest time." He sighed looking at your hand then to you. "I am running late to my appointment but I need to tell you this. I like you. No. I love you for the longest time. I look forward going to classes because of you. You gave me another reason to push through."

You found yourself clutching to your necklace. You did not expect hearing those words from him. Love is a big word and he said it so naturally for you. You saw someone entered the restaurant and waved at Seungcheol. He needs to go.

Later that night, Seungcheol called you to talk about the two of you. Once his schedule is cleared, he visited you at your hometown. That's how you went from having him as your classmate, your friend, to your boyfriend.

Falling in love is easy. Staying in love is hard. Breaking up is an easy way out. Adulting made the difference between your world and his world clearer. You have bills to pay. The eldest daughter who is slowly taking the breadwinner role as your parents heading to retirement. Pressuring you to do all things so your whole family climb the social ladder. You are in your mid 20s but your fire is already dying.

Seungcheol is nothing short of a great boyfriend. But life made it hard for you to love. You decided to take further studies for greater chances of promotion and taking side job. Seventeen started to pursue the western side of the world. You see him on the tv more than you see him in person.

It didn't take more time for you see him as stranger. It is like when you were back in your college days before he asks for your notes. He is back into being an idol you casually know. You can't see where the relationship is going anymore. You started feeling alone in life. To you, it is obvious where this is heading. 

They said never decide when you are tired, hungry, or sleep deprived because you are prone to make bad deicison. A bad day at work, a screaming session with you mom, and rescheduled date. You can only endure so much. Seungcheol found you crying on your sofa. He went immediately to you after the extended practice.

You are tired of everyone and everything. You are crumbling gradually. No one can fix you. The mess that you have and you made. Not even Seungcheol's hug can mend you. You held his hand tightly as you cry. You don't know how to tell this to him. This is harder than confessing your love for him.

"Cheol, I think...we should stop." You wipe your tears. Seungcheol nodded as if he is expecting this and trying to understand you.

"I've been a bad boyfriend these past few months." You shook your head in protest. You wanted to say something but all you can do is cry. He took you in his arms and let you rest on his chest. "I'm sorry for hurting you...for not being with you."

He calmed you down and tucked you to your bed. Seungcheol hummed a song while watching you fall asleep. You woke up the next day with his mug on your bed side table. No text or whatsoever. He is scared to hurt you further. And that is how 4 years of friendship and 3 years of relationship went down the drain. 

Three months after the break up, you unfriended him on facebook, unfollowed him on instagram, and put Seventeen and his name on muted words on twitter. But you still can't escape him. His face is on billboards and television program. It is like the universe telling you what you lost.

Your life got better. You were promoted. You made your parents happy but your heart? It never got better. You are just functioning and not living.

Fourth month without Seungcheol in your life, you started to put away his things and anything that reminds you of him. You smiled when you see a polaroid of him. You are still aching but you are thankful that a relationship with him happened. One of the best years of your life.

 

Fifth month after the break up, your lease contract ended. You decided to move out and search for an apartment nearer to your work. Just when you thought it did not hurt anymore, you cried while you are packing. It is like finally saying goodbye to the last piece that reminds you of him. This one bed room apartment witnessed all the sleepover, date nights, and lazy mornings. You will never dance in the middle of this tiny apartment with him. It's the end of an era.

Sixth month since you decided to end it with Seungcheol, you agreed to go on a blind date set up by your friend. John is a nice guy. He always reply. He shows up on time. But something felt amiss. You don't want to be unfair to him. On the third date, you decided to tell that you want him as friend and nothing more. That night you went to bed wondering if you will fall in love again the way you fell for Seungcheol. 

It was the end of the month. The rain is pouring hard. You run towards your new apartment drench in the rain. Ten steps away from your door when you saw someone at your front door. You thought you are a hallucinating.

"What the hell?" You said it a bit too loud. Seungcheol turned his head to you. You walked faster and unlocked your door to let him in.

"Your mom gave me your address." He said following you inside. Of course, your mom gave it to him. You went to your bathroom to get some towels for the both of you. 

"Are you here for your things?" You gave the towel to him then went to the kitchen to prepare coffee for him. You observe him from your periphery. He bulked up a bit. His wet black shirt is hugging his body. His hair a bit longer and black. It suits him. He took the break up better you thought. "I already pack it a month ago. I just need to find where I put the box."

Seungcheol is just looking at you. When you serve the coffee, you went to your room without looking at him. Meeting your worst enemy is better than seeing the ex you yearn for. You can't believe Seungcheol is in your new apartment. It is like your past and present colliding. The present that doesn't have him in it. You don't want to look affectes but when you found the box at the bottom of your cabinet. You smiled painfully. The last piece that reminds him of you. 

You went out of your room. Seungcheol is sitting at your kitchen counter. His back facing. You wanted to hug him but you know he is not yours anymore. You watch him drink the coffee you made. You are not sure if you still got the taste he wanted right. Few days ago, you bought coffee beans on your grocery run. When you are sorting the items, you laugh upon seeing the coffee beans because you only buy it because Seungcheol like coffee. 

You approach him and place the box at the kitchen counter. 

"Let me know if there is something missing. I will try to find it." You said. Still not looking at him. Afraid that you might fell apart. Months of healing and trying to forget him all went down the drain. You already know that you will be crying your sleep once he leave.

When you heard Seungcheol open the box, you steal glances of him. You saw how he carefully touch the fabric of his sweater you always wear. There is a small smile forming on his lips. His signature dimple is showing. 

"You got a nice apartment. It's great that you find a walking distance place near your work."  Seungcheol knew your struggle travelling to your work specially when you work over time. 

"The timing aligned. I was planning to renew the contract on my previous place but this apartment popped up on the listing." You looked straight at his eyes briefly. He nodded while listening to you. Seungcheol is still attentive as ever. It has been months since you have someone to listen to you and look at you like you are the only person in the room.

You smiled in an attempt to keep your tears at bay. You don't know how long he will be around. He doesn't have any reason to stay longer. In the end, you hurted both of you. But you needed that break up to breathe from everything. 

"Congratulations for the successful tour and new album." Despite putting every word on mute, unfollowing the boys, and unfriending him, news about them still reach you. Every news about them breaking a record makes your heart swell in pride. You used to pre-order every album release and stream their songs while working. You were Seungcheol's number 1 fan and believer. You were and will always be his fan. 

"Thank you." Seungcheol smiled to you. Your heart ached. The whole room is filled with unspoken words. "I heard from your mom you got promoted. Congratulations! I told you...you will get the promotion."

"Yeah...I guess you are right." You chuckled with your eyes getting visibly shining in tears. You got what you wanted but at what cost.  You bit your lips thinking that will stop the tears from falling. Seungcheol saw the first tear fell. "I'm sorry."

That's all you said and turned around but Seungcheol did what he wanted to do since the first time he saw you again. He pulled you into his arms where you belong.

"Last time I saw you, you were crying." Seungcheol said each words with a shaky voice. "And now you are still crying. Did I hurt you that much? I'm sorry."

You shook your head. Seungcheol caress your hair and you grip on his clothes like it is your lifeline. "Seungcheol, I am sorry. I hurted you. I got lost. I can't understand myself. I feel like drowning and the only way out I know is to break away from you."

"I understand." Seungcheol said that made you pull away and look at him. He wiped your tears.

"How can you be so kind? I hurted you. Be angry at me. I broke up with you in a snap."

"I can't." Seungcheol shook his head. Tears falling on his face. "I am angry at myself because I let you take everything and lose yourself. I  am angry that I made you feel alone in this relationship. I am angry that I made life get in between us."

"I don't want this anymore." You took his hand and rest your head on his chest. The fort you held on these past few months came crumbling down. "Six months. Six months of hell, Cheol. I don't want any of this. I don't want to go on this life without you."

"You have no idea how much I miss you and want you back. I just don't know if you still want me." 

"I still want you."

"Good to hear that because I am not here to get my things back." You raised your eyebrows while he smirk at you. "I'm here to take you back."

"You are such a sly man." 

You both laughed. Eyes still red because of crying but lips are smiling wide. Some say that sometimes people break up or part ways to find themselves and eventually find their way back to each other. An ample amount of time to heal and be better person for each other. Once you found each other again, never let go. Not everyone will be given a second chance.

[slytherinshua]

BURNT PROMISES, SECOND CHANCES : a wonwoo atla au.

genre. avatar the last airbender au. arranged marriage au. slow burn. no communication istg. mutual pining. angst. fluff. fire lord wonwoo. nobleman's daughter/fire lady/briefly assassin reader. ft. advisor!jeonghan & brother!mingyu. warnings. wonwoo is frustratingly bad at anything social. reader is neglected. reader is depressed. wonwoo is overworked ngl. dragons. swords. (reckless) firebending. brief brief mention of child abuse. burns from firebending. blood. assassination lol. wonwoo is shirtless like... 3 times BCUZ AXE WANTED IT OKAY?? kissing. pairing. wonwoo x fem!reader. wc. 14.5k (i am so insane and i almost died 15 times writing this.) a/n. this fic is my longest ever fic and tbh idk if i'm ever gonna write a fic this long for a long time. i used to not be able to write more than 3k and then suddenly BOOM 14.5K OUT OF NOWHERE?? this is definitely a fic i'll remember for a long long time, and i have to say i'm extremely proud of it. fandom cross-overs have always been one of my absolute favorite things to write, and this definitely filled a little spot in my heart that i didn't know needed to be filled w a svt atla au. special thanks to @blue-jisungs who has hands down been the most helpful person in me being able to complete this fic-- i seriously wouldn't have finished it without you </3, and thank you to @wheeboo for proofreading this beast for me <3 i love you both very much :D

Wonwoo stood at the edge of the coffin, blank eyes staring down at the body that lay inside it. The news had been shocking to the whole Fire Nation. As far as anyone knew, the late Fire Lord had been healthy and suspected to rule for several more decades, yet here he lay, lifeless and cold in the wooden box. Wonwoo felt neither sadness nor grief. His father had always been a cold man who had shown little attention to his children.

Mingyu, Wonwoo’s younger brother, had become a ship general the year prior, and was still at sea, unable to return in time for the funeral or his brother’s suddenly announced coronation. Though, hearing the news of his father’s passing had started him back in the direction of home, it would take him several months or more to arrive still. He would stay for a month or two before returning to his diplomatic travels to the Earth Kingdom.

Wonwoo had, of course, been aware from a young age that he would one day become the Fire Lord. It was destined for him as the eldest son, and he had spent his entire life leading up to now preparing for it. His training had been twice as intense as Mingyu’s growing up, and while he had sometimes seen it as unfair during his teen years, he quickly grew to understand the burden he must bear as the next in line to the throne.

He had responsibilities that Mingyu did not. He was not only expected to attend extra fire bending lessons, but he was required to be well-versed and knowledgeable in political matters, royal etiquette, local affairs, military management, and public speaking. On paper, he had all the qualifications necessary to be a responsible and wise leader, though it was Wonwoo’s own doubts and uncertainties that led to the uneasy feeling in his stomach at the thought of the power.

His gaze wandered a little, up to the throne surrounded by crimson flames, once occupied by his father, now empty. Soon, he would be the one seated there. There was a sense of pride that flickered in his eyes as he took in the sight. He had always been determined to become a leader that the nation could trust. He had always assumed he would have a little more time to prepare, though.

There were many things that still felt improper about his coronation in two days. For as long as the position of Fire Lord had been in place, it was customary that the lord be already wed before taking the throne. And, if he happened to already have children to secure the family line, even better. 

Wonwoo had neither.

He had barely ever thought about women or love, having been too focused on his studies. But now, the task of finding a wife as quickly as possible was plaguing his mind among the other sudden changes. 

“Your Highness?” 

Wonwoo turned at the sound of the voice echoing in the empty throne room. It belonged to Jeonghan, Wonwoo’s advisor and long-time friend. Jeonghan was one of the few people that maintained Wonwoo’s absolute unwavering trust, something that not even Mingyu could say he possessed.

“I’ve compiled a list of eligible young ladies that would be suitable to be your bride. Given the pressure from the public, there isn’t much time for you to spend much time with them, but if any of them pique your interest, you could at least meet them before the wedding.” He explained, handing over a scroll to Wonwoo. 

Upon unravelling it, Wonwoo scanned a long list of names, each clearly stating who the woman's father was and what connections she had. Below each name was a brief description of background, and important or notable skill sets and events were specifically stated. 

“You’ve put stars next to some names.” Wonwoo noted, furrowing his eyebrows as he read further down the list.

“The stars are to separate the ladies whose fathers have already expressed their approval of their daughters marrying you. I didn’t star the ones who seemed greedy for the throne or possibly had ulterior motives, I might add. I would suggest picking from them if no one particular interests you.” Jeonghan clarified, pointing to a couple of the starred names, “These young ladies are well beloved by the public for their beauty and skills. Some are excellent firebenders, others have accomplishments in different areas.”

“How long do I have to choose?”

“About 4 days… 6 at most. Though, I’m sure the wedding planners and the lady’s family would both be appreciative of extra time to prepare for the ceremony. If you leave it to the last minute, they’ll have to scramble to get everything ready in less than 48 hours.”

Wonwoo nodded, “I’ll decide by this evening and give you my selection. Please set up a meeting with her family for Thursday. If the wedding is on Sunday, I’d like to have at least met her once before then. Thank you for the list, it makes the process a little easier.” He said sternly.

Jeonghan laughed and threw an arm around his shoulder, “Why so gloomy? You’re about to become the Fire Lord! And you get to choose among the most beautiful young ladies of the Fire Nation to be your wife! Brighten up a bit!”

“Despite the celebrations, I’m not feeling particularly cheerful about any of it. I’m juggling the coronation, picking a wife, the wedding, keeping track of Mingyu’s route back from the Earth Kingdom, electing a new army recruit, firing some of the higher ranking generals that only survived because of bribes with my father, and tending to the public’s complaints about the reconstruction on the East side of the city. My brain feels like it’s about to explode.” Wonwoo sighed.

“For this week until your wedding, focus on the first two of those tasks. The coronation will go smoothly even if you don’t write the speech ahead of time. You’ve prepared for many years for this. The rest can wait a little, but you can’t show up to your wedding without first choosing who you are marrying, so please inform me of who you choose as soon as possible.” Jeonghan patted his shoulder reassuringly. 

Wonwoo nodded, taking one last look at the long list of potential wives before rolling the scroll back up, “You’re right. I’ll make sure to give the time sensitive tasks my full attention.”

“Would you like to join me for some tea?” Jeonghan suggested, “I’d like to take one more chance to address you as Prince Wonwoo before your change in title. Or should I start calling you Fire Lord Wonwoo already?” They both laughed at Jeonghan’s teasing, and Wonwoo agreed to the offer for tea. He was glad that amongst all the change, Jeonghan remained a constant steady fixture of his life.

Wonwoo kept his word and picked out a bride from the list before his coronation. He trusted Jeonghan and his judgement on who were the best potential wives, and so he picked from among the starred candidates. After comparing descriptions and seeing some portraits, he finally landed on his final choice.

His crowning as Fire Lord took place on Wednesday. The ceremony went by surprisingly quickly, which relieved him of some of the stress he carried. The Fire Lord headpiece felt heavy and unstable on top of his head, and though he had made it through the coronation, he still felt uneasy. Was he really qualified to take on such an important role?

Wonwoo didn’t get much sleep Wednesday night. Shuffling in the corridors and disturbance of the long red curtains in his bedroom kept him awake most of the night. He was sure it was just all the sudden changes getting to his brain and keeping him up, but the anxious feeling that he couldn’t shake off almost tormented him.

He put on one of his best robes to visit his soon-to-be bride the next morning. The walk to the family’s house was short as they were among the nobility of the Fire Nation and lived within 20 minutes of the royal palace, in the heart of Caldera City. Wonwoo had done some additional research on the lady he had picked with the help of Jeonghan. Since he wasn’t able to pick a bride the traditional way, he wanted to try to lessen the chance of unhappiness in the marriage by trying to pick someone with qualities he respected, which is how he landed on you. 

Y/n L/n: the daughter of a high-ranking government official who worked in Ancient Studies and the Preservation of Fire Nation Culture. Wonwoo had heard that your father was quite the fire-bending expert, though it was said that you did not possess the gift. You were renowned for your beauty and intelligence, as well as a kind heart. 

If it was true that you fit the description, Wonwoo had high hopes that even if he didn’t fall in love, he would still be able to proudly say that you were his wife. He just hoped that you wouldn’t despise him. He didn’t have the best track record when it came to romance.

Being busy with his princely duties and preparing for the throne all his life, whenever he received any romantic gestures or subtle flirting from girls, they usually went right over his head. He didn’t have the slightest grasp on the concept of flirting or reciprocating emotions, and since it wasn’t something that came naturally to him as a teen, he always assumed that he would learn later in life. He had always expected there to be plenty of years for him to find a wife when he felt ready. He certainly hadn’t bet on being rushed into it when he was barely 22. 

But this was the way things had panned out, and Wonwoo had no choice but to face it head on. He was the Fire Lord now. There was no room for nervousness.

He left his guards by the gate of the house, strolling through the pleasant front gardens by himself. There was a stone pathway that led to the front of the house. He took his time getting there, stopping to smell the flowers that had been planted on either side. His real intention of getting to the door as slowly as possible was his quickly growing nerves in the pit of his stomach, but he masked it well.

As soon as he knocked on the door (Wonwoo swore even before he opened the door), it was opened by family servants. They immediately bowed at him and welcomed him inside, leading him towards a large sitting room where the family was waiting for him.

His eyes immediately fell on you, and without even knowing, his lips upturned into a small smile. The portrait he had been given of you really didn’t do you any justice. You were infinitely better in person, he thought. He introduced himself and took a seat, preparing for the conversation that would unfold in the next hour or more. 

He could tell that you were nervous as you talked. You fiddled with your fingers in your lap each time you had to answer a question Wonwoo or your father posed, and for some reason, it made Wonwoo feel more at ease. He was glad he wasn’t the only one feeling anxious over this first meeting, though he was sure no one would be able to tell. He had perfected his public speaking at the age of twelve.

The basic introductions and formalities were coming to an end after almost an hour of speaking. Wonwoo had clarified all the expectations that would come of being a Fire Lady and your father seemed overjoyed that Wonwoo was taking interest in his daughter.

“It seems this conversation is dying down a little. Would you mind if I talked with Y/n alone? Perhaps we could take a walk around the garden?” Wonwoo asked gently and was met with enthusiasm from both your parents.

“Of course! Take as long as you want with her.”

You led the way out to the back garden which Wonwoo found to be even more charming than the front garden. There were twice as many flowers, as well as a stone fountain in the centre of the grounds. What Wonwoo found most pleasing was the small turtle duck pond nestled by a tree. He made his way over to it with you.

“I hope you’re not… opposed to this marriage?” Wonwoo started tentatively, first addressing his biggest fear.

Thankfully, you smiled and shook your head, “I would be a fool to be opposed to a marriage to the Fire Lord.”

“But, are you not disappointed?” He asked.

Again, you shook your head, “You must be referring to the fact that we are not marrying for love? Of course I had always hoped that my marriage would contain mutual love and respect… who knows, maybe it still can? I know I will be making my parents happy with this, and I am flattered that I, of all the Fire Nation, seemed to catch your attention. I wouldn’t have accepted this marriage if I hadn’t considered thoroughly all that it would entail. I’m ready to commit to being your wife, though I am not sure why you sought out me.” 

Wonwoo smiled, “You don’t seem to give yourself enough credit. Your list of accomplishments was longer than any of the other ladies.”

“My ‘list’?” You questioned, digging into your pocket to pull out a small piece of wrapped up fabric.

“Yes,” Wonwoo laughed softly, “Given the rush for this marriage, I was given a list of ladies to pick from to make it easier.”

You unfolded the piece of fabric, revealing some small pieces of bread, and crouched down to toss one piece into the water. A baby turtle duck swam up to eat it immediately, the others following along, hoping to get a piece of the bread too. Wonwoo smiled again, watching you feed the turtle ducks with care. He hoped you would like the turtle duck pond at the palace as well. 

“What accomplishments were on that list… If I may ask?” You were curious. You didn’t view your life as particularly grand or accomplished. You had spent most of your childhood sheltered and started school late.

“You graduated top of your class from one of the most prestigious schools in the nation. I heard you took up a variety of extra classes beyond the basics, including painting and even army history despite not being able to firebend. Your list of charity work was particularly long. If I remember correctly… over ten different organizations are in your name?” 

“I’m glad they included that, at least. It might be one of the only things I’m actually good at.” You mumbled, and Wonwoo furrowed his eyebrows.

You stood up again to face him, “Is it true that you own a dragon?” 

Wonwoo was partially taken aback by your question, but he answered it nonetheless, “Yes. Part of my firebending training was studying the behaviours of Huoyan. We learned together. She was just a baby when I got her. I owe my firebending skills more so to her than any of my past masters.”

You watched Wonwoo talk about his dragon, intent on the way his eyes— which had been dull and tired looking all during his visit— seemed to brighten and sparkle as soon as he started telling you about Huoyan. You had always been interested in animals, particularly Fire Nation ones. You took close care of the turtle ducks, but because you couldn’t firebend, you were never allowed to own a dragon.

“She sounds incredible. If you wouldn’t mind…” You started, your cheeks flushing halfway through. You weren’t sure if what you were about to ask was entirely appropriate— you could be majorly overstepping. The way Wonwoo was waiting expectantly pushed you to complete it, though. “Would you be so kind as to introduce me to her once I move into the palace?” 

Wonwoo graced you with a smile back, “Of course. Once you move into the palace I’ll be sure to introduce you to her. Perhaps I could even take you for a ride on her?” Wonwoo suggested, and was met with your ready agreement. You asked again if you really had his word to complete the request. You wouldn’t rest until you were sure of his sincerity. You grinned when he promised— within the first week of being at the palace, in fact, you would be well acquainted with his dragon. 

Wonwoo had other meetings for the day, so he had to leave shortly after your discussion about dragons. The next time you would see him, he would be your husband. You wondered how living with him would be. Would it feel awkward and cold like your conversation in the house or would it feel warm and honest like the brief discussion about dragons?

You hoped it would be the latter, but you soon found that your hope only led to disappointment.

Your wedding to Wonwoo was a very public affair. All the nobles and half of the middle class of the Fire Nation were invited to the ceremony. While you weren’t unused to public events from growing up in the nobility, the massive number of people attending a royal event as prestigious as a wedding was definitely foreign to you. You used to be part of the crowd and only very rarely the subject of attention. Given that you were becoming the Fire Lady, you would have to get used to the attention quickly.

There was no chance to talk to Wonwoo before the ceremony, despite getting ready at the palace. The servants helped you with your wedding garments, which were fancier than anything you had ever put on before. The gold elements of the luxurious silk robe were hand-sewn on and glimmered when the light shone on them. They depicted flames of gold and red, and even the red thread seemed to shine brightly. The dress was mostly made up of a rich dark red material which was lightweight but clearly much higher quality than anything you could buy at a market. 

The maids applied gold shimmer to your eyes as well as a dark red lip, as was traditional of the wife of the Fire Lord. The last piece of your outfit was an elegant headpiece. It, too, was gold and was pinned uncomfortably tight into your hair to keep from slipping. 

You looked in the mirror one last time before the ceremony, turning your face to the side to view every angle with scrutiny. These were your last few minutes as just the daughter of nobility. Within half an hour, you would be the new wife of Fire Lord Wonwoo, ruler of the Fire Nation.

As soon as you stepped into the view of the public, there were deafening cheers. More than half the Fire Nation was in attendance, it seemed. Such a cause for celebration hadn’t happened in years. 

The public had always been nosy about the personal lives of the royal family. There were groups of people who loved to romanticise it and believed that every royal wedding only came about when a son or daughter of the royal family had fallen into the deepest of love. 

There were people with a bit more sense, thankfully. They still wished you and Wonwoo to have the happiest marriage possible, but their judgement wasn’t clouded with the unrealistic idea that royals had the luxury of marrying for love. 

You could only hope that Wonwoo would fall in love with you. You believed yourself capable of loving him if you were sure he loved you back. Until you were sure, though, you took everything with healthy apprehension. You weren’t going to allow your mind to be clouded with the softness and warmth that you had felt from him during your walk in the garden. Your mother had always told you that you couldn’t judge a person by how they acted when they were trying to make a good first impression. You needed to watch and silently observe— and only then would you know the true nature of your husband.

This is why your eyes stayed firmly on Wonwoo throughout the ceremony and afterparty. The public thought you were enamoured with him, oblivious to the fact that you had barely spent more than two hours in his presence. You were eager for the wedding to finally be over, hoping in your mind that Wonwoo would invite you to meet Huoyan after.

He did not, though. Instead, he bowed to you and said he had some things to attend to before retreating back to his chambers, letting the servants show you to your new room. You were disheartened when you realized it was almost on the opposite side of the palace from Wonwoo’s. What kind of married couple slept so far apart? Even the justification of this being an arranged political marriage didn’t constitute that level of separation. 

You sat down on the edge of the bed, contemplating the issue. Your brain was screaming to bring it up with Wonwoo. How were you supposed to get close to him when you were separated during the day and during the night? He was your husband. There was no reason why you couldn’t bring it up with him. 

But what if he wanted to be separate from you? You thought about the possibilities for minutes before finally dismissing it. You felt nervous at the thought of asking him about it first. You didn’t have the courage to speak to him that freely yet— you were sure you would sound entitled if you did. 

You hoped that the situation was just a result of how the royal palace worked, and not because Wonwoo had no wish to get to know you more. Despite growing up a nobel, you had never set foot inside the royal palace and were ignorant to its inner workings. But there was still time to learn.

You spent the next 2 weeks familiarizing yourself with the palace and your responsibilities as Fire Lady. There weren’t many— especially compared to the Fire Lord’s responsibilities— but it was enough to keep you busy for a few hours of the day. They were mostly social matters, enriching yourself with the people of the nation, and listening to their concerns.

You quite liked the work you were given. You had always excelled at finding solutions to tricky problems, and it stimulated your brain much more than at home. The times you were working were the best part of your day. When you were left on your own in the palace, you succumbed to boredom. It was big and empty inside— the only warmth in the place coming from the elaborate flames used as decoration. It didn’t feel like home to you, so you spent most of your day by the turtle duck pond in the gardens. Though you longed for some human interaction, the turtle ducks at least kept you company.

One thing continued to bother you, though.

You barely saw Wonwoo at all.

Since your wedding, you had only had two other conversations with him in 2 weeks, each of which only lasted for a few minutes. Wonwoo woke up earlier than you did and didn’t wait for you to come down to eat breakfast to start on his tasks as Fire Lord for the day. He would often go on overnight trips without informing you, which made you feel almost invisible to him. 

Whenever you crossed paths with him inside the palace, he was very clearly on his way to somewhere important and couldn’t spare any time for you. You had started to try to initiate conversations with him in hopes that a little effort would break the ice between you two— just simple things like asking about his work or how his day had been. He responded gently, but it was very clear in his tone that he had no desire to continue talking to you. It had been unsuccessful so far, as each conversation ended abruptly when one of the servants called for Wonwoo’s attention or he excused himself from your presence. 

You often saw him talking to his advisor: Jeonghan. He seemed to follow your husband around everyday with a huge pile of scrolls. You assumed they were the daily tasks of the Fire Lord.

You were the last person to interrupt someone when they were so clearly busy working, so you kept to yourself as much as you could. Despite your loneliness and constant boredom, time seemed to pass quickly. April fourteenth marked six months post the wedding. By this time, it was quite usual for you to not even see Wonwoo at the palace for weeks at a time. 

You didn’t ask for much. You were never a greedy or dependent person. But the lack of attention given from Wonwoo had started to affect you more than you realized. You used to be social and bright, filled with energy to tend to people’s issues or helping animals. Now, you barely even went out to the market anymore. 

You had become rather dull and cold to Wonwoo whenever you saw him, hoping that he might pick up on your change of demeanour and fix something in his attitude, but he seemed as oblivious as ever. In your head, you had absolutely resigned to the fact that your husband did not care for you at all, and that the rest of your marriage would carry on in this sad lonely state. He still slept in his room that was on the other side of the palace from you. He still kept busy with duties all day long. He still woke up earlier than you and turned in early (you had started to think that he was doing this to purposefully avoid you). You felt hopeless and your loneliness brought with it depression.

You even felt a little betrayed by him. He had made several promises to your father that first meeting, one of which was that you would be sure to be happy and content at the palace. He couldn’t have been more wrong on that. 

Your brain also kept going back to his later promise that he made to you in the garden— that you would get to meet Huoyan as soon as you moved in. All these months, you had clung in vain to that side of Wonwoo in the garden. If he was truly like that to you everyday, you were sure you would’ve fallen deeply in love with him.

But now you knew for certain that it was all just an act. You had been wrong about Wonwoo all this time. He had no intention of getting to know you. The warmth you had once felt from him was truly a one-time thing. You didn’t expect that he would ever showcase that sincerity to you ever again.

Over time, you slowly lost interest in making an effort, and retreated further into your new life of solitude. There was a lot you could do in your room, big open space secluded from the rest of the palace. With a quick trip to the palace armoury one late night, you found yourself a new hobby.

If you had done this right after your wedding, you would’ve made sure to ask Wonwoo about it first; another precaution in hopes of being a “good wife” and “one that he could grow to love”. Having tried everything you possibly could think of and failing at that task, though, you didn’t care if he minded or not. The servants all took your orders as the Fire Lady without any questioning, and you quickly learned to use your position of power to keep yourself entertained enough to not entirely lose your mind stuck doing nothing for months.

And so, with two borrowed long swords from Wonwoo’s collection, one sharp dagger, fifteen ancient martial arts scrolls and five sword-fighting ones, you dedicated yourself to the art of self defense and battle. If you were careful enough, Wonwoo would hear nothing about this.

Wonwoo had been anticipating Mingyu’s arrival back home for weeks. It was unsurprising that he had taken twice the expected amount of time to get back home than any other general would have. Mingyu’s skills at directing a fleet of ships were… questionable. No one could strip him of his position, though. His title as prince overruled any judgement from any of his crew.

“Wonwoo! How have you- Ow!” 

Wonwoo looked up from the map he was studying, quick enough to catch Mingyu hop forward in pain, clutching his foot from where he had bumped it against the edge of a table. Wonwoo smiled. He had a lot of affection for his younger brother, no matter how incompetent he was sometimes. And though he would never admit it, he had missed him while he had been gone for a year.

“I’ve been well. It’s still the same here. Quiet. Especially when you’re away.” Wonwoo commented, rolling up the map and setting it aside.

“It’s still the same? Father died, you became Fire Lord, and you got yourself a wife, yet it’s still the same?!” Mingyu asked incredulously. Wonwoo could only nod, stepping down from the throne to walk with Mingyu.

“How is married life?” Mingyu asked once the two were walking out of the throne room.

Wonwoo shrugged, “I thought it would be different from being single, but it barely is. I still spend most of my time in solitude.” 

“Don’t you talk to her?” 

Wonwoo paused before answering, “I don’t see her much. We both seem to be rather busy.”

“Do you at least make an effort to talk to her when you can? You can’t be that busy. No matter how many tasks you had, I know you still drink tea with Jeonghan every day.” Mingyu pointed out, disappointed in his brother’s excuses. “I know you were always hopeless when it comes to this, but you must have considered how lonely she must feel in solitary in this massive palace, right?” Mingyu studied Wonwoo’s face carefully, sighing when he caught the guilty look in his eyes which he had hoped would not appear.

“So let me get this straight,” He took a breath, “You married one of the prettiest ladies in all of the Fire Nation, only to never talk to her and then wonder why married life is so quiet?” 

Wonwoo admitted to it in a hesitant mutter, causing Mingyu to groan.

“God, you’re stupider than I thought! At this rate, she’ll want to break off the marriage, Wonwoo. Don’t you see that she has the power to ruin your reputation as Fire Lord if she chooses? If you don’t remedy this, she could tell the entire Fire Nation that their beloved Fire Lord is a cold and cruel man with no affection for his wife, despite her efforts to get closer to him.” Mingyu stated clearly.

Wonwoo frowned. He had never thought of that possibility before. “It’s been… almost a year since our wedding already.” Wonwoo realized, shocked at how fast the time had all gone. The days seemed to bleed into one another, and with his lack of sleep keeping up with daily tasks, you were often the last thing on his mind.

“Do you think it’s even possible to make it up to her now?”

“Well, yes, you have worsened your chances of fixing it by studiously ignoring her existence for 12 months, but you shouldn’t feel completely hopeless. If you put in the right amount of effort, she might come around.”

“What should a husband do to try to win the affection of his wife?” Wonwoo asked, feeling completely overwhelmed at the situation. 

“Send her flowers, do her favourite activities together, take her on dates, devote time to her! And for God’s sake, don’t forget your own wedding anniversary! You can’t expect her to care for you when you don’t give her any of your time.” Mingyu explained frustratedly. Among the two brothers, he was definitely the more experienced when it came to love. Unlike Wonwoo, he actually had time to date amongst his other commitments. 

Wonwoo felt a pit in his stomach, an uncomfortable lurch in his core that was screeching out all the mistakes he had made. He realized in an instant how truly awful he had been treating you without even knowing it. He had foolishly assumed that you, being of nobility already, would do fine on your own in the palace. Given the nature of the marriage, he hadn’t even considered your possible desire to get closer to him, or the stress that would come with being uprooted so abruptly, going from your own familiar living space to the deafening quiet of the royal palace. Now that he was aware of all of these errors on his part, he felt a strange crack in his heart; an ache that couldn’t be soothed without knowing that he could make you happy again.

He had made many mistakes— almost innumerable. As his brain raced, it only pulled more and more instances of your clear discomfort that he had never bothered to pay attention to before this moment. He thought back to every interaction he had with you over the months, and it was never more clear to him that you had only been comfortable around him during your first meeting together. The feelings that the dragon conversation had brought in both of you had never been repeated.

Wonwoo now knew what he needed to do. He was determined to get you back to the way you were smiling and laughing that first conversation. He needed to fulfil his promises— however late he was to that. And he had a hope that the key to setting everything to rights was sleeping on his back doorstep: Huoyan.

Your mental health had significantly improved since you had picked up your new hobby. It gave you a thrilling surge of excitement whenever you were able to pick up the two long swords from the box under your bed. It was more dangerous than anything you had ever been allowed to try as a nobleman’s daughter— yet, it was always something you had been interested in.

You liked delicate things well enough. Sewing and painting and dancing were all enjoyable hobbies, but they never truly excited you as much as dragons or firebending or sword fighting. You had grown up watching your father teach Fire Nation history and demonstrate some of the very first fire bending techniques; learned straight from the dragons. 

Tried as you did when you were a child, you could never seem to produce a single spark or flame. It disheartened you early on in life, and once that fantasy of adventure had been shut down, your father never saw the point in teaching you sword fighting. You had been disclosed to be a gentleman’s lady: one who sat still and looked pretty and smiled a lot. But now that you had the tools and authority, you weren’t one to let this chance to indulge your inner child go.

You quickly got in the habit of sneaking out to test your quickly improving skills in the real world. You used the training grounds in the middle of the night when no one would see you, and after a couple months, you felt confident enough to go even further. You found a list of active criminals in the Fire Nation and took it upon yourself to take them on.

Charity work had always been your favourite— helping people had always been your passion. It fuelled you like nothing else had, and each night that you snuck back into the palace having successfully taken down another threat was another night you slept soundly. 

It wasn’t long until the Fire Nation started to notice. A new hero taking out the nation’s top criminals— ones that not even the royal guard had been able to capture. They named you The Scarlet Shadow for your dark crimson and black robes and your proficiency in the art of stealth. Your smaller frame and stature helped you get around unseen. You used the shadows to your advantage, slipping in and out of them without being caught. 

It was incredible how much you learned without a dedicated master. You wished you could hire one, but you didn’t want to be found out by Wonwoo, so you kept everything as secretive as possible. You spent the entire day reading scrolls and practicing in the privacy of your room. Once the sun set and you had told the servants you were sleeping early yet again, you snuck out.

It was now the first week of October, and you were dreadfully reminded that your first wedding anniversary would come on the fourteenth of the month. The first six months had been some of the worst of your life— mercilessly having been ignored and made to feel insignificant by your own husband. But the latter six brought some of the best months of your life.

The freedom of The Scarlet Shadow completely disconnected you from your duties as the Fire Lady. It brought a freedom that you never had, and if this was how you would be spending the rest of your life in the palace, you would gladly accept it.

Your target for tonight— the fourth of October— was an infamous and nefarious man named Orin. He was known to capture children from homeless Fire Nation families with an excuse of paying taxes. He then sold them to the rich and corrupt as slaves. The abuse didn’t stop there, as many of them were malnourished, overworked, never paid, and even beaten. 

Your heart ached for the victims of the man. You had known about this situation for years, but was never able to do anything about it. Given his reputation, Orin would have probably taken one look at you before being determined to marry you. You could only wonder at what horrors his past wives had to go through. They had all run away from him as soon as possible. Some, less fortunate ones, had died trying.

You got dressed in your garments: a black and red robe that was easy to move and fight in. It was stealthy, and didn’t make any sound when you walked in it unlike the fancy bejewelled silk robes that you wore as Fire Lady. You sheathed the long swords and stuck the dagger safely in your shoe, ready to pull out and throw when you needed to. You pulled up the black cloth over your nose, shielding all but your eyes so that no one could identify you. 

And then, you jumped out the window.

It was a cold night: one of the first proper ones in October. Given the change of the season, more people were sleeping earlier. Most of the city was hushed and in their beds already, which made your task even easier. It was always more risky to navigate in the summertime when night festivals were held until morning.

Orin’s house (or mansion, that is) was on the East side of town. The man slept late, usually partying until the early hours of the morning. You wished you could get the job done while he was sleeping, but it would be too risky. If anyone found out that you weren’t at the palace, you would never hear the end of it from your personal servants and advisors. You grimaced, thinking what Wonwoo would think of this whole situation.

You weren’t sure why he was always on your mind. Everything you did came back to him, even though you still didn’t know him. You had always thought that the relationship between a husband and his wife should be intimate and companionable. You wanted to be able to tell your husband anything and everything— to be able to confide in him and seek comfort when you needed it. You wanted to be taken care of, and in turn, take care of him. You wanted the supporting relationship that you had seen in your parents.

And though you knew that Wonwoo had none of these qualities, you still held out hope that he would one day improve. You had seen many people have changes of heart; even the cruelest man had a chance to change his ways.

When you had first met Wonwoo, you had been overcome with just how beautiful he was. You had been so sure that his heart must be as beautiful as his face, foolishly having fallen for his charming smile and pleasant offers which you now knew were just a facade to win you over. Your chest tightened thinking about how wrong you were. 

Yes, he was still the most beautiful man you had ever seen. His dark silky hair always fell perfectly over his forehead, hitting just below his eye, complementing his face shape. He always dressed in only the finest silk. You admitted to being guilty of admiring his figure from afar. You were sure he was in shape— any firebender who trained as vigorously as he definitely was. You had never seen more than a sliver of his collarbone; but it was enough to confirm that he had enough muscle to run a nation.

And that was something you did admire about him. He was able to run the Fire Nation to perfection. Within the first months of being Fire Lord, he had already come up with several clever solutions to problems that his late father had started. He was healing the Fire Nation’s relationship with the Earth Kingdom through his younger brother, Mingyu. He sent diplomats to the other 2 nations as well, promising aid in any crisis that might arise. He preached peace and harmony between the 4 nations, and you were glad he wasn’t a proud Fire Lord with elitist ideals, but a humble and honest one.

You still held respect for him as a Fire Lord, but any respect that you had for him as a person was dwindling the more days spent as if you didn’t exist. You longed to be noticed, to be treated as an actual person. You didn’t need to experience love, but you had always wanted to. Didn’t you deserve to at least once?

Wonwoo huffed, sweat beading on his forehead and back from the challenging training he had set himself to do. He breathed, and with each breath came new sparks of fire. It was hot in the room, but he barely noticed, too focused on the new skill he was attempting to master. It was a sort of jet propulsion— using the flames he was able to create to propel him forward at a high speed. 

Huoyan watched him from the corner where she napped. Her red scales brandished against the warm light that came from the fire in the room. Since Wonwoo was 13, he had stopped taking lessons from the palace masters and learned on his own with Huoyan instead. She was a strict master, one could say; but the bond he had created with her was stronger than anything else.

Wonwoo attempted the move again, faltering at the last second, causing the blast to hit the ceiling in an uneven flurry. He groaned and fell to the ground, frustrated at how long it was taking. He used to be the quickest learner in the Fire Nation. He was able to focus all his attention on mastering new skills with ease, and that allowed him to pick up on techniques twice as quickly as others.

He just couldn’t focus at all right now.

Huoyan whined from the corner, showing her disapproval of Wonwoo’s inability to pick things up quickly. He frowned, rolling to the side, still on the floor, and looked at her. She was curled up, almost catlike, her wings wrapped around her body like a blanket. But Wonwoo couldn’t miss the grumpy look on her face. He stood up and walked over to her, reaching out his hand to rest on her nose, scratching it gently.

“I’m sorry, Huoyan. I don’t think I’m in the right mindset to train right now…” He muttered, sitting down in front of the dragon. He reached over for his silk robe that he had folded before training, slipping his arms through the arm holes again but not bothering to tie it across his body. Huoyan licked Wonwoo's hand— a sign of affection and trust amongst dragons and their owners, and Wonwoo smiled.

“Do you think she hates me?” Wonwoo asked quietly, not really looking for an answer from the dragon, though she gave him a low rumble. “Right. She probably does. I would hate me too…” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He had been thinking of you ever since Mingyu had come to visit almost a month ago. It was all he could think about. The guilt was eating him up from the inside out. Whenever he heard mention of you, his stomach lurched forward and the guilt practically doubled. 

“I don’t know what I need to prioritize anymore. I prepared my whole life for being the Fire Lord… I’ve learned what to do in situations and what choices to make that keep the wellbeing of the entire nation at its core. But no one prepared me for being a husband. How do I even make it up to her?” He frowned. 

He had always confided in Huoyan. As ridiculous as it sounded to talk to a dragon, Wonwoo had always found it the most natural. She couldn’t give him responses like Mingyu or Jeonghan, but she had insights that they didn’t. She couldn’t talk, but Wonwoo could still understand her. Their bond was strong enough for that.

He was too scared to talk to Jeonghan about his struggles. He was sure that he would laugh at him, unable to see how serious the problem was. He had never had any problem with dating or love.

“How do I show her that I care?” Wonwoo questioned. Huoyan huffed, making Wonwoo scowl and raise an eyebrow. “What do you mean? Of course I care about her! She’s my wife. It’s a husband’s duty to care for his wife.”

Huoyan shifted, tucking her wings closer to her chest and wagging her long tail along the floor.

“You’re right, I haven’t been showing her any attention… But… I have noticed her. I always have. She looked hopeful… and then… it was gone. I-I watched it fade away. Her eyes stopped shining. They’ve been dull for months.” He explained, distraught. “I wanted to talk to her. She always caught me at my busiest— or maybe I’m just… too nervous? You should see her Huoyan. She’s prettier than you. I’ve never seen anyone so… angelic. She used to try to start conversations with me; ask about my day and the sort. I wanted to keep talking to her but my heart would race so fast in my chest. It felt… uncomfortable.” He narrated with a small smile. Huoyan listened intently, her eyes closed. Every once and a while she would give a response— a grunt or a huff whenever Wonwoo was being unreasonable.

The conversation proved incredibly productive thanks to Huoyan’s sharp ears. Wonwoo was able to let out all his thoughts. Explaining them out loud helped him understand where things had gone wrong and how he could fix them. He decided to talk to you tonight. No more avoiding it out of fear, no more suppressing the guilt he felt. He would lay it all out to you; admit to every mistake. 

He needed to earn your trust, and he would do that with being painfully honest. He knew his ego would take a massive blow, but it already had. It was dwindling. The great Fire Lord that he had always aspired to be wasn’t able to even win over his own wife. The thought was laughable.

The walk down the corridor towards your bedroom was filled with nerves. His throat felt dry as he gave a gentle knock to your door. When he didn’t hear a response, his heart sank, but he knocked again. Did you hate him so much that you weren’t even willing to listen to him?

His chest tightened at the thought. He felt entirely helpless. If you wouldn’t even listen to him, there was nothing else he could try. He knocked one more time, calling out that he would open the door if you didn’t say anything.

There was no response, and so he pushed it open slowly.

The room was empty, and Wonwoo’s eyes widened. You had nowhere to go except for the palace and the servants had informed him that you had gone to bed early and should be in your room. 

Panic flooded through every inch of Wonwoo’s body. From the top of his head to his finger tips. His hands started to shake as he thought of all the possibilities.

The most likely of which? Kidnapping.

You were a nobleman’s daughter. You weren’t a firebender— you couldn’t defend yourself. You were the Fire Lady, an extremely desirable victim for enemies of the Fire Nation who wished to get some leverage over Wonwoo. His mind raced to the possibilities of needing to choose between you and whatever the people who took you wanted.

If it were a case of life or death, he would choose you in an instant.

Thanks to his extensive training, Wonwoo was easily able to think of the best move to take. Mingyu had brought with him a pack of shirshu from the Earth Kingdom. They were excellent trackers. They would be able to find you faster than Wonwoo’s search party could.

He found one of your headpieces from on top of your vanity and took it. He was in a frenzied rush, calling over his personal guards to come with him in case he needed backup. He had the shirshu sniff the headpiece, a relieved sigh escaping him when the animal seemed to pick up on your trail. He mounted Huoyan and had the guards go with the Shirshu, and started on the hasty search.

His heart was racing the entire time. Each time it looked like the shirshu had picked up on something, his heart rate felt like it doubled. It didn’t take long to find where you were, but when Wonwoo realized the location, his heart completely sank.

Orin was well known in the upper circle of the Fire Nation, and he was without a doubt, the most sickening man Wonwoo had ever met. His father had held a position in government and Orin had inherited it. Though Wonwoo wanted to arrest the man or even banish him from the Fire Nation, he didn’t have the means to expose him for his wrongdoings yet.

Kidnapping was one thing, but knowing that you were in the hands of Orin had Wonwoo’s stomach twisting inside out. He had never felt so sick to his stomach. And worst of all, it was all mostly directed towards himself. He hated himself.

If he had taken better care of you then this would never have happened. If he had paid attention to you— made sure you were safe and happy and looked after. If he had gotten over his stupid nerves and been a good husband, then you would never have had to have suffered like this.

Until he saw you with his own eyes, he could only pray with his entire being that you were still alive. He didn’t even want to think about the things Orin could do to you. Would he manipulate you? Threaten you? Take advantage of you? Harm you? Kill you?

He didn’t wait another second to storm into the house, startling the servants who quickly got out of the way. He quickly made a search through the entire house, his guards taking the lower floors while he took the upper. He blasted down the door to Orin’s bedchambers with firebending, not wasting a second to rush in.

What he found there was certainly not what he expected. The man was lying on the floor, a pool of blood underneath him, dripping out from a heavy stab wound to his chest. It was obvious that he wouldn’t survive more than 10 minutes at the most.

Before he took his chance to interrogate Orin, he saw a dark figure jumping out of the window from his peripheral vision. Was it the person who killed Orin? Then… Could they have taken you?

Wonwoo quickly changed his course, believing that going after the assassin would be more productive. If they had killed Orin then they must also know where you were, and maybe even, what Orin had done to you. He knew better than to trust anything Orin said to him. It was likely that even if he asked, the man would lie even until his dying breath. Honesty had never been one of Orin’s virtues. Not that he had any of those to begin with.

It was hard to pursue a person dressed in black and dark red during the night time. Wonwoo was thinking with a panicked and terrified brain— and so the easiest way he thought of to see where he was going was to firebend. He tried to be careful as he sprinted, shooting flames in front of him when he needed to. Sweat was building up as the exertion started to take a toll on his body. He needed to catch his breath; calm himself down from the panic he was dealing with. But the assassin was almost within reach, so he pushed his body just a little further.

He blasted one more flame forwards, but due to his exhaustion, it wasn’t perfectly aimed. It hit the assassin square in the back, knocking them to the ground roughly. Wonwoo’s eyes widened and he rushed forward. 

He heard them cough, trying to roll on the ground to put out the flame, but it had clearly already burned through their garments. They screamed as the fire scorched their skin. Wonwoo felt like he couldn’t breathe. He had never used firebending so carelessly before. Even in an Agni Kai, he was focused and precise. He had rarely been in combat that wasn’t for training purposes, and even when he was, he knew how important it was to stay in control of fire. It was known that fire was the easiest element to lose control of; and so, the first thing that new firebenders were taught was the first rule of fire bending to never break: never lose control of your flame. 

But Wonwoo had done just that.

Wonwoo quickly put out the flame on the assassin’s back, grimacing at the bright red scorch marks they had left on their skin. From the design of the robes, he quickly realized that this wasn’t just any assassin. He had come in contact with The Scarlet Shadow. 

He quickly pushed her back so that her face was up, holding her shoulders so that her exposed back couldn’t come into contact with the rubble on the road. His hand trembled as he moved to pull down the black fabric covering the assassin’s face. She needed to be able to breath easily after being burned so badly.

Wonwoo had already been through enough panic tonight, but this was more than anything else. The face he was faced with once he removed the cloth was the last one he ever expected. Soft eyebrows, delicate eyelashes closed over eyes that he knew well, perfect lips parted to let uneven heaves escape, cheeks tainted with dirt and scraped from the fall. 

“No… N-no…” He struggled to breath, holding her up as carefully as he could. His eyes stung with tears that he refused to let fall and his chest constricted for the fifth time that night. It had all gone wrong from the start— his attempts to help had all backfired. And now he was faced with a reality that felt like a stab to the heart.

Wonwoo had burned his own wife.

Wonwoo’s brain made sure to remind him of his very first conversation with you as Huoyan flew him back to the palace, you securely in his arms. You had asked to meet his dragon. You had been excited to, even making sure he promised to. Those promises had burned to the ground like everything else. He would never allow himself to forget the sparkle in your eyes as you asked him. He hadn’t seen the same shimmer of excitement since you had first become his wife.

“Would you be so kind as to introduce me to her once I move into the palace?” 

He had smiled at your question back then. He had been pleasantly surprised that you seemed so interested in dragons. It wasn’t what he would have expected from you, but it gave him hope that he would be able to go closer to you. He had also always loved dragons.

“Of course. Once you move into the palace I’ll be sure to introduce you to her. Perhaps I could even take you for a ride on her?”

Take you for a ride on her. That promise was finally being completed now, in the worst way Wonwoo could ever imagine. He held you a little closer as he thought about it, his heavy breath dispersing into the air with every heavy sweep of Huoyan’s wings.

He would never forgive himself.

The healers at the royal palace were the nation’s best, and Wonwoo made sure that they had strict orders to give you their full attention. He couldn’t leave the room; couldn’t bear to think of leaving you again. No, he would stick by your side from now on. He would never leave you alone. He would devote all his attention— his heart, his mind, his body, his soul to loving you. He would make sure you never questioned his affections again. 

As he watched the healers apply medicinal creams and ointment to your back, he was again reminded of that very first conversation with you. 

“Of course I had always hoped that my marriage would contain mutual love and respect… who knows, maybe it still can?”

Your hope and optimism was something Wonwoo should have cherished. Your faith that a love-filled marriage was still possible for you was a quality that he could only wish he possessed. He had been entirely foolish. He had made every mistake possible to make. He had watched silently as all that hope and excitement and trust had faded from your body.

He would never forgive himself.

He always saw you roaming the corridors alone. You often went out to feed the turtle ducks. They were your only company other than the servants. Wonwoo assumed at first that you would immediately find ways of entertaining yourself. You had all the power you could wish for; anyone would bend knee and foot to your every command. You could host extravagant balls or buy gifts for yourself from across the world. You could wear the most precious gemstones and fabrics in the entire Fire Nation. 

But you never did. Your humbleness had stuck with you all this time. It was something that Wonwoo could not take away from you. He didn’t know whether to be grateful for that or not. The virtue was admirable, but if you had not possessed it, could you have been happier?

Wonwoo shook his head. It was all too late for these trifling what if’s and maybe’s. The past was set in stone, unchangeable. All he could do was look to the future with hope and treat the present with the proper determination to change his ways.

Your burns were severe. Being blasted by such a powerful fireball from such a short distance had certainly left an impression. Wonwoo cried when he first saw it. Red, angry, scorched skin marked right in the middle of your back, sticking out awfully against your otherwise smooth skin. It was all because of him. He had left a second mark on you— one much more visible than the first. He had damaged your mind, and now, he had damaged your body. The guilt he carried was sickening.

Wonwoo asked Jeonghan to cancel every single responsibility for the next 4 months. Jeonghan panicked, of course. It was nearly impossible to expect the Fire Lord to do nothing for that long, but Wonwoo was firm in his request, and somehow, Jeonghan managed it.

He spent most of his time by your bedside, looking after you as carefully as he could. He ordered the healers to show him how to properly wrap your wound and apply new medicine, and once he was sure he could do it properly, he assured them that he would take care of it.

Huoyan slept closeby as well, knowing that Wonwoo wouldn’t leave your side, but wanting to be a listening ear if he needed it. Wonwoo was grateful for that, and used the opportunity well. Daily talks to the dragon helped him clear his thoughts and understand his feelings. Huoyan couldn’t lift the guilt, though.

There was only one person who could.

Wonwoo anticipated when you would wake up for more than a week. He needed constant reassurance from the healers that this was normal. Your body needed to conserve its energy to focus on healing itself. The medicine helped, but it was your own body that was going to heal it.

It took ten days for you to regain consciousness.

The first thing you felt when you woke up was excruciating pain in your back. You felt like you barely had any strength in your body. Everything felt as if you were in a daze, and your memory was extremely foggy. You couldn’t remember anything from the last month.

When you gathered enough strength to open your eyes, the first thing you saw was the symbol of the Fire Nation. A large red tapestry was hung on the wall, at least four times the length of your body. You couldn’t see much else besides it, as you were lying on your stomach, your head resting on the pillow sideways.

Ah. The palace.

You sighed, but immediately regretted it as any movement brought more shocked pain to your back. You grimaced, a pained whine escaping your lips. You felt relief before you could register the reason why, and forced your eyes open.

It was Wonwoo, pressing a cool cloth against your bandaged back gently.

Wait.

It was Wonwoo?!

“Wonwoo?” You questioned, your voice softer than you were used to. It would still take some time to get your energy back— even talking felt like more exertion than comfortable.

“Y/n. Don’t talk, please. It will only tire you out.”

You furrowed your eyebrows. Wonwoo sounded different. His voice was deep and slightly raspy, but soft and full of worry. You were sure of it. It was impossible to miss. He was… worried about you?

“Wonwoo?” You asked again with a little more urgency. You felt the cloth on your back stop moving. He stayed silent, waiting for you to continue your thought. Clearly you wanted to talk, and though he didn’t like the idea of you overexerting yourself, there were many things that you were probably curious about.

“Why are you… doing that?” You were almost scared to ask. Your own sensibility forbade you from blindly trusting Wonwoo in the moment, even though your heart was screaming for it. He was so close to you (literally within 30 cm of your face), and it was all you had wanted in the past. You had just wanted to be close to your husband. You wanted to love him, and for him to love you back. 

You forced yourself to be rational and not fold immediately, though everything about him was entrancing you at this moment. The smell of bergamot hit your nose and almost distracted you completely from the pain in your back. Wonwoo’s touch was soft and hesitant. He handled you as if you were a piece of glass that could shatter at any small impact. He had already hurt you enough for 1 lifetime. He never wanted to do it again.

“I want to take care of you. You’re badly injured, Y/n.” He muttered. You looked at his face, searching for sincerity in it. And it was there; clear as day. His eyes were scared and tired, as if he had barely gotten sleep in the last week. 

“What… happened? Why- how did I get injured?” You demanded. Your throat was strained from the energy it took to speak, but you needed answers.

“I don’t want to distress you. You’re still in pain. Please, just… sleep for now?” He asked hopelessly.

You were torn. Sleep sounded like a dream right now, but you didn’t know if you could trust Wonwoo for answers later. You couldn’t figure him out— you didn’t know him; you couldn’t trust him. He changed like a switch after a year, and now you weren’t sure what to believe. 

“Will you tell me later? Will you tell me everything?”

Wonwoo nodded, “Yes, of course. You are overdue for an… explanation. And I am sorry. I’ve treated you worse than an animal for the past year. I… I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to regain your trust, but I want to. Please believe me— there’s nothing more I want to do than to make things right.” You saw his eyes get hazy, overcome with emotion; grief, remorse, self-loathing, hope. You wanted to believe him, and you barely had the energy to do otherwise, so you found yourself humming in small agreement. It seemed to put him at ease a bit. He relaxed his shoulders and stood up.

“I’ll be here if you need anything. Let me know if you’re uncomfortable.” He smiled at you— an expression you hadn’t seen from him since that very first meeting. This smile was sad, though. It couldn’t reach his eyes and it quickly fell back down. You wondered what it would look like in full. You wanted to see him smile brightly. You wanted to be able to be the cause of his smile; to be able to make him happy.

He drew the curtains to block out the sun that had just risen and walked out of your view. You closed your eyes and welcomed sleep, falling into dreams quickly. Your dream was unpleasant. You tried again and again to get Wonwoo’s attention and affection, only to be met with his old attitude. It was as if he was unaware of your existence. When you woke up, you had a bitter feeling in your chest.

You were in significantly less pain after your sleep. From the light outside, you reckoned it was a couple hours after dinner. You could sit up on your own, and you could feel your strength slowly coming back to you. You sat up quietly, having your first view of the room you were in. It was large and spacious. A large balcony was to the other side of it, decorated with elegant golden statues of two dragons. They were embracing each other; a couple.

You looked over to the dresser, and heat immediately spread up your neck and to your cheeks. You had caught Wonwoo changing his top robes. His back was right in your view. You couldn’t deny that you had pictured it before. Wonwoo had always been the most attractive man you’d ever seen. His skin was milky and smooth. His muscles were defined but he still kept a lean physique. Your eyes were trained on him as he slipped his arms through fresh red robes, tying the garment across his chest. It was only when he started turning around that you forced yourself to look away, pretending as if you hadn’t been staring. 

“You’re awake.” Wonwoo commented, soon joining you on the bed— sitting on the edge of it. “Did you sleep well? How are you feeling now?”

You shied away from his dark pupils that were examining your face. His eyes looked brighter and more refreshed than before— he looked more alive than he had hours ago, and you liked the look on him. He looked… prettier.

“I’m not in as much pain now. I slept okay… just had a bad dream.” You admitted, frowning at the thought. It was hard to trust that Wonwoo would keep being this nice to you. You had never been an attention seeker; usually you hated any kind of focus on you, but something about Wonwoo’s attention was pleasant and warm. 

“A bad dream?” Wonwoo echoed, his eyebrows furrowing in concern. “What was it about?” You shied back slightly, unused to his contented look as he waited for you to respond.

“It was just… you were ignoring me again. In the dream. I hated it.” You whispered. Wonwoo’s eyes softened and saddened, and without thinking, he reached out to cup your cheek. He knew that he had hurt you by ignoring you all those months, but to know that it had hurt you this much? It felt like his already shattered heart was splintering into his insides, tearing apart his entire body and being. 

“I am so sorry, Y/n… For not showing you the love you deserve, for ignoring you all that time. I don’t know if I have an explanation for it… there’s no excuse that justifies treating you like that. Especially you. I-I’ve thought about it every day since my brother’s visit. I’m ashamed to say that it took him to knock some sense into me. I would try to explain myself… but I’m afraid I’ll only sound selfish and stupid.” He sighed heavily, shutting his eyes tightly and dropping his hand from your cheek.

“No. Tell me, Wonwoo. I want to know, no matter how bad it sounds. I want to know everything. You said you’d tell me everything.” You demanded. He nodded.

“You’re right. Are you… quite comfortable? Explaining it all might take some time. I’m still worried about your back.” Although it warmed your heart that he was so worried (the cute frown that he wore while trying to inspect if you were in pain had you melting), you cared the most about hearing what he had to say.

“I’m okay, Wonwoo. Don’t worry about me.” You reassured him. That was all it took to get him to start talking, and he started from the very beginning.

“After my father’s death, I had to find a wife quickly, as you know. I didn’t have time to deliberate much on who to pick— I just had my instincts to trust. I am certain I picked the right woman, though. You have never once disappointed me, Y/n. The fault was always on my part. I was the one who ignored you. I was the one who never tried to get closer. I was the one who failed you. And I’m so, so sorry for it.” Wonwoo’s eyes were getting teary— he couldn’t hide the gut-wrenching guilt that he felt whenever he thought about it. 

You had never seen him this emotional. You were happy that he felt comfortable enough with you to be this vulnerable, but the burden he was carrying made you feel heavy as well. You wanted to comfort him, console him, assure him that it was alright. You didn’t like holding grudges— for as long as you can remember, you were always hopeful that people could change. Wonwoo was finally showing the sincerity you had always longed for. He blinked back the tears before continuing, taking a deep breath and steadying himself by looking at you.

“I always wanted to talk to you. It just… felt uncomfortable. I’ve never been good at talking to people casually. They don’t train you for that in classes, believe it or not. I’m good at public speaking and strategic planning for the nation; but if you had ever put me next to girls in school, I’d end up a flustered and oblivious mess. I was always like that. Mingyu was better with the ladies and I was better with… textbooks or animals. They can’t be hurt as easily.

“I can only assume that by ignoring you, I was trying to avoid hurting you with my words. I never considered that by doing that, I would have caused you much more pain than a few awkward conversations. You always left my heart racing when you would smile at me from across the room those first few weeks. I kept a straight face because I knew the image would stay in my brain for the rest of the day and keep me from completing important tasks. Ignoring you and the effect you had on me was a bad way to cope with my feelings. I didn’t think I had time for love.” 

The explanation took you by surprise. You had always presumed that Wonwoo had never cared for you, and that was why he never put any effort into talking to you. Knowing that you had been in his heart all that time surged the hope that you had for him that had been hidden away in your heart.

“I planned to talk to you sooner, but on the night I tried to find you, you weren’t in your room. I assumed you had gotten kidnapped, so I tracked your scent with a shirshu brought from the Earth Kingdom. You can imagine my distress when I realized that the trial led right to Orin’s homestead. I was so panicked. I could only imagine what a man like him would want to do with the Fire Lord’s wife.” He breathed, the panic he felt from the time rushing back slightly.

You frowned, your heart aching to hear how much he cared for you. You grabbed his left hand gently, slowly giving it a reassuring squeeze. The gesture made a tear slip down his cheek, but he wiped it away as quickly as possible. 

“I… saw someone jump out of the window and decided to follow them given that Orin was already almost dead on the floor. I thought they would know where you were if they had searched the house in order to assassinate him. I-I didn’t know it was you, and I was so panicked from it all that I used my firebending recklessly. I…” His lip trembled and more tears spilled past his waterline. 

You were close to crying as well. Seeing Wonwoo so heartbroken by his own actions twisted your insides together. You pulled on his hand, making him lean forward until you could wrap your arms around him. You had never wanted to hug someone as badly. The way he crumbled into your embrace immediately finally broke you, and you allowed the tears to fall. You didn’t want him to talk until he had calmed down, so you rubbed his back, tracing the line of vertebrae one by one. You pulled away when you felt his breathing stabilise, but still kept him close to you.

“And then? After you hit me?” You questioned softly but curiously.

Wonwoo sucked in a breath, “I never meant to hit you— even before I knew it was you. I never knew you were The Scarlet Shadow. I wish I could have taken the time to be proud of you, instead of harming you.” He frowned again, but you just shook your head.

“It was all a mistake. I will heal soon. I’m pretty strong, you know?” You smiled, brushing away a tear stain from his cheek.

“I brought you here immediately and the palace healers took care of you. I asked them to teach me how to change your bandages and apply the medicine. I’ve been taking care of you for the last week.” He smiled, and you were glad he wasn’t teary anymore. You didn’t like seeing him cry.

“Wait… What’s today then? How long was I out for?” You asked. 

Wonwoo looked up, counting in his head, “It’s the 14th of the month… You were out for 10 days.”

“The 14th? Isn’t that…?” You looked up, meeting Wonwoo’s eyes. Realisation dawned in them as well. It was your wedding anniversary.

“1 whole year and this has been our longest conversation yet.” You giggled. The hurt feelings you felt from that reality were gone now— replaced with only amusement as you knew the cause had been nothing but the shyness of your husband.

“I am never going to ignore you like that again. I promise.” He said seriously, and you smiled.

“I know you won’t.” You kissed his cheek before you were even realising what you were doing. Both your eyes widened simultaneously before blush spread to your cheeks. “Sorry, you just looked– I just-” You didn’t register that as you were stuttering, Wonwoo’s eyes were focused entirely on your lips. He cut you off before you could finish, catching you by surprise.

You had never been kissed before, and neither had Wonwoo. It felt new and unfamiliar, yet somehow comforting. Wonwoo’s lips were warm and soft, and feeling them move against yours instantly brought butterflies to your stomach. It took a second for you to properly kiss him back, and even more time for you both to find a steady rhythm. 

It was like a dance almost; You had to tilt your head the exact right amount in order to not bump your nose against his, all while still moving your lips against his at the perfect pace. You weren’t sure what to do with your hands. They felt awkward just sitting in your lap— especially when Wonwoo’s right hand was gently holding your jaw. They found their place on his shoulders before too long, and that seemed to feel right to you. It grounded you while also allowing you to pull him closer to you, which was something you desperately wanted.

When you tried to deepen the kiss, though, Wonwoo pulled away. You blinked open your eyes, breathing heavily. 

“Why’d you stop?” You asked through short inhales. Wonwoo’s face reddened. 

“I- you were pulling me closer, and I wanted to hold you, but then I’d have to hold your back, a-and I can’t risk hurting you…” He whispered.

“Wonwoo… You’re going to make me fall in love with you.” You whined softly, your eyes staring into his.

“I always wished you would.” He breathed.

“You don’t have to wish for it anymore.” You promised him. “Can I… kiss you again?” You asked in a small whisper. Wonwoo nodded, immediately resuming where it had left off— lips connected; gentle, loving, and long overdue. 

“I told you not to get up!” Wonwoo yelped, surprised by your arms encircling his waist before he could finish tying his robes.

“I said I’m fine. It’s been over 2 weeks. It barely even hurts anymore.” You shushed him, hugging his middle and resting your cheek against his soft silk robes.

“Barely?” He repeated, “I’m not letting you do anything until you can say it never hurts anymore.”

“You’re so stubborn.” You complained. Your hands soon found the tie on Wonwoo’s garment, and you smiled subconsciously as you realized he hadn’t been able to finish getting dressed. You held the sash in one hand, the other briefly running over his abdomen before he caught it.

“You can’t keep your hands to yourself, I see.” He muttered, amused at your actions. You shifted around until you were facing him, and started to cross his robes, tying them together (not without sneaking one last peak at his chest and abs).

“I was just trying to help you get dressed; obviously.” You rolled your eyes before stepping up onto your tippy toes to give him a small kiss.

“Are you really feeling okay, though?” He asked softly. You nodded. You really did feel fine this morning, and especially excited. Wonwoo had promised to take you for a ride on Huoyan; finally fulfilling his promise to you over a year ago.

“You know I always tell you when I’m in pain.” You soothed him.

“I know, but I can’t help but be worried about you. It’s my fault, after all. I want to take responsibility to make sure you heal properly.” He sighed. He always made sure to look at the burn every day to see how it was progressing. It had gotten significantly better, but he always had lingering worries that he had permanently damaged your body.

“It was an accident, Wonwoo.” You brushed your fingers over his cheek, tracing the line of his cheekbone with care. Falling in love with his good looks from afar over the year he ignored you was almost inevitable, but in the past two weeks when he was by your side at all times, talking and laughing and loving you, it was impossible to not fall 100 times harder for him. 

“Accident or not, I hurt you. It was a mistake I am never going to let myself repeat. A husband should never hurt his wife.” He frowned. You felt like you had this conversation with him almost every day. He wouldn’t let go of the thought that everything that had gone wrong was because of him. While it was true that he had made many mistakes, you didn’t want him to carry that guilt forever. 

“I already forgave you enough times, my love. There is no need to feel guilty anymore.” You shushed him for now by hugging him, knowing that you would probably have the exact same conversation the next day. Wonwoo hugged you back— it had been 4 days since you had convinced Wonwoo that he could touch your back without fear, and 7 days since you had started trying to convince him. You had both enjoyed hugs where you didn’t need to be careful of any pain, and you enjoyed another one. Wonwoo squeezed you tightly before letting you go.

“I’ll help you get ready, and then we can go.” He smiled.

“I can get ready by myself.” Your argument was bound to fail. Wonwoo followed you like a lost puppy wherever you went, and when you started walking towards the dresser for a fresh set of robes, he quickly followed.

“You ready?” Wonwoo’s bright smile was something that you would never get tired of. The gentle creases in his face to the way his eyes brightly reflected his smile, shining brightly; it was all so perfect. You would truly never get tired of him.

“I’ve waited 382 days for this. I’ve never been more ready!” You were eager and still a little impatient as Wonwoo had made you wait until after breakfast. The much looked-forward-to dragon ride had been one of the only things on your mind for the last week. And the second you saw Huoyan, you knew it would be the most magical experience you’d ever have.

Wonwoo helped you onto her back after you said hello and gave her some nose scratches which Wonwoo told you she loved. Wonwoo got on in front of you and told you to hold on tightly. Lifting up into the air caused some shrieks from you and giggles from Wonwoo. You calmed down quickly as Huoyan flew steadily. The view of the entire Fire Nation capital from up so high was unbelievable. You had never seen anything as gorgeous.

“Everyone looks so tiny from up here.” You breathed, watching the ground below as you flew gently around it. People looked to be the size of ants, and large houses were merely the size of a gold piece coin. Huoyan soared upwards above the clouds once you had had your fill of looking at the ground. 

The sky was even more beautiful than the ground. It was a clear sunny day, and the clouds in the sky were varied. From large fluffy ones to misty thin ones, you tried to spot as many as you could with Wonwoo. You got tired near the end of the flight. You wished you could stay up in the sky with Wonwoo all day, but you still hadn’t recovered all your energy. You rested your head on Wonwoo’s back, closing your eyes and letting a happy smile envelop your face.

“Tired, my love?” Wonwoo asked softly. You hummed. You had been up in the air for hours now and easily lost track of time. 

“Would it be silly if… I wanted to kiss you up here?” You asked quietly. 

Wonwoo smiled at your slightly sleepy request, “No, it’s not silly. Unless I’m silly for wanting it as well.” He giggled softly and turned, making his face visible to you. “Huoyan, sorry.” He said quickly before capturing your lips with his. 

It didn’t last long, as Huoyan started to complain about it all happening on her back. Wonwoo didn’t press for a long kiss and just let Huoyan fly back down to the palace. The rest of the day was spent less excitingly, but still enjoyable. Any moment with Wonwoo was enjoyable. You visited the turtle duck pond again and fed them, and then walked around the grounds of the royal palace together.

Once you were all ready for bed, tucked under the covers with your head on Wonwoo’s chest, he spoke again, “I thought of a question. I probably should have asked you earlier, but it only just came to me now.”

“Hm?”

“Why did you become The Scarlet Shadow?”

You hummed, “I guess it was just… a way to spend my time. I didn’t have anything to do, and I had always wanted to try fighting when I was little, so I just decided to go for it. It was very… fulfilling. I liked being able to help people.” You smiled, “And, hey, I guess I was pretty good at it. I even killed Orin.” 

Wonwoo laughed, “I think I should be worried about what will happen to me if I ever anger you.” He rubbed your arm, sleepily watching you listen to his heartbeat.

“Don’t worry… I love you too much to do anything to you.” You mumbled.

“Me too.” He smiled, thinking back to the events of it all. It had been a long journey for him to end up here; with you in his arms. Among the ups and downs, one thing had stayed steady: your hope that he would change. You still gave him a second chance, even after all the pain and mistakes and broken promises. You still loved him, even when he couldn’t bear to love himself anymore. And as he made sure to heal every wound he had ever given you, you also healed his shattered soul, putting it back together piece by piece.

↳ svt taglist: @kangtaehyunzzz,, @yeonjuns-redhair,, @ddeonudepressions,, @hannahsophie0103,, @skz-minchan-enthusiast,, @shuabby1994,, @icyminghao,, @98-0603,, @weird-bookworm,, @edensgardenn,, @wonwooz1,, @cyberpunksunwoo,, @cienlvrs,, @amara-mars

[hirayaaraw]

SCREAMING CRYING THIS IS PERFECT. CAN I ASK FOR MORE? AYSKGDDJD

[kisekii]

Chapter 2- Unveiled joy

author note: thank you for reading this, the story isn't as simple as it looks ...I hope you will enjoy it <3.

There was something different about Jeon Wonwoo. When he was around me, I’d feel at peace, I rarely did feel at peace, and when we were apart, my mind would think about things I’d show him, about what he would say or do if he was in the same situation as I was. Jeon Wonwoo was quiet most of the times, he would listen to me for hours, make little comments here and there and then just simply smile, that kind of smile that made me feel understood, heard, that kind of smile that reminded me, my heart was still beating, though a little bit faster than needed.

Jeon Wonwoo liked to take photos, he held his little camera everywhere we went and if he happened to forget it at home, he would take photos with his phone. The view didn’t really matter to him.

“You just like to capture everything without any purpose or theme, don’t you?” I had asked once while Wonwoo was taking a photo of our shadows under the rays of the late afternoon sun. He grinned with his attention still on his camera.

“There is a theme. It’s called “unveiled joy”.

Jeon Wonwoo was everyone’s favorite in this small and forgotten harbor town. Always there to help anyone in need; the lady who owned the fish shop and her problem with heavy packages (not business related, she just has an obsession with online shopping) or the grandmas who spend their days collecting medical flowers or the uncles who would argue over domino and chess games or those who had to go to vacation and had no one to take care of their pets, (especially cats, his favorites).

“I think April fits you perfectly.”

Jeon Wonwoo, my favorite.

//

“I’m almost there!” I said breathless as soon as I answered the phone.

Running to the bus station after spending a hour to get ready… The god of luck obviously wasn’t on my side.

“Are you running?” Wonwoo let out a chuckle. I frowned at that, especially after worrying so much about how I’d look in front of him. “Take it easy, I can wait April.”

Too late.

I slowed my steps as soon as I noticed Wonwoo’s back, one hand holding the phone while the other was inside his pocket. Head bowed down, he was lightly kicking a small stone.

Then my eyes drifted to my reflection on the glassy bus shelter. I sighed. My hair had turned into a real mess, my cheeks were red from all the running, and my outfit didn’t look ironed at all. A white skirt in a place full of dust, really April?

Wonwoo must have felt my presence because he slowly turned and beamed at me and suddenly the world seemed to come to a stop because he was wearing glasses and yes, he has always been handsome but it felt different. His sharp features had softened, and his strong aura had turned into something more delicate, something that felt so familiar yet strange, like a lost beautiful memory you are anxious to reciprocate.

“I told you not to hurry.” he said and removed some strands of hair from my face. I barely felt his touch but my mind and heart were still racing. “Red lipstick looks good on you.” his eyes went down for just a second and then he moved back, stretching his arms while checking if there was any bus coming. I sighed again, this time from relief.

No matter how many days we had spent together, it was impossible for me to get used to being that close to him. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling, just simply temptation.

“You are wearing glasses.” I felt dumb as soon as the words left my mouth.

“I couldn’t find my lenses but seeing your reaction, I’m glad I didn’t.” he smirked and I rolled my eyes. It was that easy for him to soothe any situation.

Wonwoo had asked me to go out of town, to drink something, to “have some fun”. I agreed, simply because I was going with him. At first I didn’t think much of it but then I started being conscious of the fact that the two of us were going together somewhere that wasn’t the library he worked, the beach 5 minutes away from my house or the cinema that showed movies from 2010 and older.

So that’s where the tantrum started and that’s how I ended up with painted lips and eyelashes, a long white skirt and a crimson top.

“Finally.” Wonwoo cheered at the sight of the bus stopping in front of us.

We hopped in and slowly walked toward the end to sit next to each other. The bus was mostly empty, just us two and three other people who seemed to have finished their work, the clock marked 6pm.

I could feel the fresh breeze from the opened windows and Wonwoo’s arm touching mine. He offered me one of his airpods and I took it, we used to do that a lot.

“Do you think I have forgotten about you?”

My favorite song.

The scenery outside was nothing out of ordinary, nothing new. It had been 2 months since I came back after years of living in the capital but everything/everyone seemed to stay in the same exact place. With what Wonwoo had said to me, it has always been like this.

“About you…”

I moved my attention from the windows to my lap, where Wonwoo was drawing little circles with his finger on my palm resting there. He seemed to have been enjoying the view outside while playing with our hands, another habit of Jeon Wonwoo. I found myself smiling at the sight and then I felt a weight on my shoulders, his head found the perfect place. I felt happy. Never knew before that happiness would be such an easy thing to perceive.

“When are you leaving for collage?” I asked with a small voice not wanting to spoil the moment but still curious about the answer, a little anxious even.

Wonwoo studied IT in one of the most praised universities in Germany, far away from here and with summer slowly coming to an end it meant that our days together were also expiring.

“In 20 days.” he answered and I felt a needles in my stomach. Well, good things don’t last forever, I should have learned my lesson already. “During my first year all I could think about was how bad I wanted to come back here. I will never get used to the gloomy streets or the cold weather. People my age, everyone young have already left this town and that’s why I was surprised to see you that day, outside the grocery store.”

Oh.

‘Do you listen to rock’

I took a deep breath.

“I decided to take a gap year” I said avoiding his eyes. “that’s why I came here. My therapist suggested it, architecture wasn’t working out that well for me and some other things happened. Since my dad’s rich and I own a house near the beach I thought about giving it a try.” Wonwoo was still drawing the imaginary circles and I got brave enough to look at him again only to get caught with the most serene and gentle stare, full of interest and affection and my heart started its natural dancing under his gaze. “I’m glad I did. ” I admitted.

I wanted to hold his hand so bad.

“Thank you, April.” he whispered and as if reading my mind, he intertwined our fingers together, with so much delicacy. The needless in my stomach turned into thousands of butterflies. “Thank you for coming back.”

I should have been the one thanking him but instead I just held his hand a little bit tighter.

Wonwoo smiled and got a little closer, head rested again on my shoulder.

20 days, i thought. 20 days of heaven with Jeon Wonwoo.

[kisekii]

Chapter 1-Eleni

You don’t listen to rock.

Sounds from my youth sputter out Let’s dance to the dried-up melody I don’t think you listen to rock But I’d really love it if you got a lil’ closer to me -aimyon

//

“Do you listen to rock?” a voice like honey, sweet but also a little raspy. A smell of lemon, sour. Not so sour.

I opened my eyes and raised my head, I guess I looked shocked. The train of my thoughts came to a stop just as I got caught in two sharp dark eyes that looked back at me almost amazed, curious and there was something else... something I couldn’t yet name.

“Do you listen to rock?” He repeated, this time with even more sweetness in his voice. I felt lost, something was wrong. Something had to be wrong. Why would a stranger knowledge me? Had I been transferred to a parallel world?

But I could still feel the wetness that the tears had left on my cheeks, the tiredness on my eyes and the redness of my face.

I sighed. I hated sweets.

“If your job is to promote rock bands, do not waste your time here.” I answered as I got up and stretched my arms. How long had I been sitting there? My body was so stiff, I was afraid it would crack if I moved.

“You didn’t answer my question.” he adverted his eyes, there was a half moon smile without happiness in his face. Was he disappointed? He seemed disappointed.

I hated disappointing others.

“No, I don’t.” I answered with a small voice.

“Ah I knew it.” His smile grew bigger, showing excitement. That bright smile must have been his strongest point.

“Here. Let’s listen to rock.” He offered me one of his airpods and I just stood there, confused about everything, his actions to begin with*. I was a stranger to him, he was a stranger to me*, so why?

Why did I accept it?

There was a little distance between us but none of the passers seemed to notice our existence outside that old convenience store whose owner always nagged about how I spend so little and cry so much. It seemed like we were parted from everyone, just me, the boy and the music flowing from his phone.

It was a Japanese song, that I could tell. From a band i guess, because there were at least two vocalists and I doubted the instrumental part was also done by them. “Sorrows” and “lonely” were the only words I could recognize. The song started really...enthusiastically. It made you want to dance but contradictory to that, you could tell the song held a sad message and then the guitar break... It was screaming in sorrow. My heart started racing faster, there was something in their voices too, they blended so well.

And then it ended, in the same way that it started. It seemed as if they were able to express a part of their sorrow in the most melodic way and then go back to having a silent burdened heart.

It was a good song. A really good one.

“So?” he said and then I realized that I had totally forgotten about him and his weird way of recommending songs.

“Good” was all I could say as I started feeling conscious about this absurd situation. “That’s it?”

“Yeah. You seemed like you needed a distraction.” that smile again, warmer this time. I wasn’t expecting that, not these words, nor that smile.

“Ah, right! Charity work to sad lonely girls.” i whispered and removed the airpod, frowning. Was he trying to take advantage of me?

“My name is Wonwoo. Everyone calls me Wonu.”

“And?”

“And let’s be friends.” What a weirdo. I thought, but still nodded at him and by the end of that day I had made my first friend, ever. And everything that happened afterwards, happened because of him.

////

What if my life was a book?

Who am I lying to, a life this uneventful is not even worth living let alone writing (and publishing). But still, let’s assume that I am not April and that my life is not a straight line.

Actually this brings back some memories. There was this girl in my class during elementary school, called “Eleni”. Everyone used to ask her whether the name started with a “h” or not, like “Helen”, totally igoring the “i” in the end. But Eleni would always answer with a grace rare for a child, saying “No, just Eleni. E-L-E-N-I. I am half greek and Eleni means sunshine.” And then put on her perfect innocent smile, living up to her name. Kids used to love Eleni and she was the center of everyone’s attention. Girls wanted to be best friends with her and boys used to say some lame jokes just to get her attention and I would always watch them from afar and wonder; Why wasn’t I full of life and beautiful like the month i was born in and even named after, like April is supposed to be?

I just wasn’t born to be the main character. Even my life seemed to treat me like a side one.

I told this to Wonwoo but he gave me one of these here-you-go again looks and continued to fix the books based on their heights.

After that weird interaction outside the grocery store, we exchanged our phone numbers and started texting each other song suggestions, which was something unusual but at the same time, entertaining. It was fun talking to him and easy, it still is.

That’s basically how I ended up here, giving him company while he does his job as a part time employee at the only library in our town. We know a little about each other but I guess that’s the best part of it. I am scared of words, they tend to lay me down and I have never been a fan of big knowledge so this: him, me and the quietness of the library is enough.

Or so I thought.

"Is she still like that though? He broke the silence between us but my mind had already drifted away.

"Who?" I asked.

Wonwoo fixed the book he was holding and smiled at me, more like a smirk because I could tell that he was hiding something.

He did not go to get another book.

"Eleni."

"Oh, her." I thought we were already over that topic."I don't know. I haven't seen her since then."

"Uhmm.” He was watching me thoughtfully through the little free spaces left on the bookshelf and I was sure that his brain was processing something that I most probably would not like.

"Cmon, tell me." I insisted and sat up from the old vintage chair I had been resting on. The library wasn’t that big but not that small either. It contained large and tall book shelves that took most of the space, some rounded tables and overused chairs. It was simple, the smell of old books was everywhere.

"Nevermind."

"Wonwoo, tell me." we were standing in front of each other now, our backs touching the wooden furnitures behind. I was trying to look serious and threatening but my expression was failing me.

"I think April fits you perfectly."

[kisekii]

An invisible string

Wonwoo x OC

tags: slice of life, romance, angst, lots of fluff /oc has ptsd/

April has been avoiding her past for quite some time but then she meets Wonwoo and with his patience, sweet words and half moon smiles she learns how to love her past, present and future self.

Chapter 1

[hirayaaraw]

Married Life 101

Tags: friends to lovers; marriage for convenience / fake marriage; pining

Previous

Crazy week for the both of you. Got married on Monday. Played board games, cooked pasta and steak together, and sleep together in one bed. It wasn't the first time it happened but the you are married to him now.

You faked sleeping first and when you feel like Wonwop is already asleep. You opened your eyes and observed how peaceful he is. To be honest, you don't news to marry him but his proposal is enticing. His effect on you will always put you in daze.

You carefully reach out to push away the hair from his face. Wonwoo, the friend you made during freshman orientation who became your bestfriend for life, is now your husband. The feelings you keep at bay during college are slowly resurfacing.

You wonder if he felt the same. You wonder if you give comfort to him, the way he is your comfort person. You wonder if bring peace in him or chaos because he bring both to you. He brings you peace when your world is in shambles. He knows what to say and do to calm you down. Wonwoon unknowingly cause chaos in you whenever he touches you or whenever he say words of assurance that brings tornado of butterflies. He doesn't know the power he has over you.

You were about to turn around and sleep when you feel his hand reach out yours. He pulled you towards his chest. When you raise your head, he is still asleep.

There goes chaos and peace.

Tuesday

You woke up with the smell of coffee. Wonwoo is long gone from the bed. You walk towards the kitchen and saw him in front of the espresso machine.

"Good morning." He said then gave you a cup of coffee. Black coffee with two teaspoon of sugar, no creamer. You smiled behind the mug. "What time is your work?"

"As usual at 9 am." You yawn then left the mug at the table. You check the refrigerator to see what you can cook. "What food do you want to pack for lunch?"

"Spam and egg will do." Wonwoo said while blinking at you. Wonwoo doesn't pack lunch to office and he got excited that he will something prepared by you to office. He was like a kid excited to brag his bento lunch prepared by his mom. "What time are you going home?"

"I think around 7 PM? We took a leave yesterday. I am sure my workload is piling up now." You said as you prepare the ingredients. You tied up your hair before cooking and Wonwoo drinks his coffee while watching.

"Okay. I'll be there around 6:30 PM."

"For?"

"To pick up you and drive us home." Home. You try to hide your smile but you can't. Wonwoo smiling beside you too. You both enjoying the changes as newly weds.

After a quick breakfast, Wonwoo told you to shower and he will clean the kitchen. Once you're done, he took a shower while you put your make up on.

On the way to your work, he played your playlist and sang along with you. When you got at the drop off area, you gave him the paper bag of his lunch box.

"See you at dinner." You said and kissed his cheek then went out of the car. It took Wonwoo 30 second to realize you are already out of the car and you kissed him.

Wednesday

It's like being a routine for the both of you what you did yesterday. You enjoy sharing chores with him and the feeling of domesticated. You never dreamed of getting married but you are so grateful you marry Wonwoo.

Now he is dropping you off of at your work. You gave his lunch for today that made him smile.

"Can we drop by at my apartment later? I need to get some of my stuff left there." You said while unlocking the seatbelt. Wonwoo helped you packed your things last Sunday after you decided to marry on a whim. "The Landlady wants me to evacuate it as soon as possible."

"Sure. Should I buy some food before I come here?"

"Some pizza and chicken?" You said gleefully and Wonwoo nodded at you. "Okay. See you later."

You were about to go out when he pulled your hand. You looked at him waiting for him to speak.

"Did I forget something?"

"Ah nothing." Wonwoo said timidly then let go of your hand. "See you later."

You walked out of the car. When you reach your desk, you felt you forgot to do something and it bothers you so much. After lunch, you decided to text Wonwoo.

You: Did we turn off the light?

Wonwoo: Yes. Why?

You: Did we pull off the plugs?

Wonwoo: Yep. I double checked it before we went out.

You: I feel like I forgot something.

You: Ah nvm.

Wonwoo bitting his lips trying to hide his smile. He is in the middle of the meeting but can't stop himself from replying to you. Hoshi, his friend, elbowed him to bring him back to earth.

Later that day when went to pick you up from your office, once you buckled up your seatbelt, he held your cheek.

"This is what you forgot." He said and kissed the corner of your lips.

Your face is scarlet red the whole ride. From that day, you never forget kissing Wonwoo before leaving.

Thursday

Thursday and Friday are work from home set up for you. As for Wonwoo, Thursday is work home from home while Friday to Sunday is his off days. Perks of building a start up with your best buddies during college.

You took a half day to pay your tax. The clerk in tax office said the lowering your tax bracket will be effective next year. Fortunately, you got your rent deposit already and use it as a payment.

When you got home by lunch, you saw Wonwoo standing in the living room with his hand on his waist and furrowed eyebrows. You hurried over to his side. He didn't notice your arrival.

"What are you look--wow" You stand beside with pure amusement.

"What do you think?" He said, looking at you.

"This is beautiful. Where did you get that photo?" He got the wedding photo hanging above the work desk for the both of you. You never knew you had a photo like this. It was picture of you and Wonwoo looking at each other with big smiles and his hand on your waist.

"The court clerk adored us and sent us this morning."

"You really look handsome that day." You said absent mindedly making Wonwoo's ear go red. When you look at him, it is so obvious he got fluttered. "You're blushing."

"I'm not." Wonwoo denied so hard but you held his face to prove a point. There goes his whole face getting red. "It's because the whole place is humid."

"Okay, Handsome." You smirked before kissing his cheek and leaving for the kitchen. "What do you want to eat? I'll cook before I start working."

"Anything." Wonwoo is flabbergasted the way you just freeze his whole world and you decided to leave him hanging.

"Wonwoo"

"Hmmm?"

"Thanks for building my work desk." You said and made Wonwoo's heart feel proud.

Friday

You woke up because of consecutive knocks and doorbell but felt lightheaded. You burried your head to Wonwoo's chest and felt his arm around your waist.

"5 minutes please." He hummed.

It didn't take another minute when a phone goes off. Wonwoo reached for his phone and saw Hoshi is calling. He kept one of his hands around you while answering the call. His soothing hand make you fall asleep a little bit more until Wonwoo's voice got louder.

"You're here?!"

"Who's here?" You said with eyes close.

"Okay. I'll be up. Stop knocking, dimwit!" Wonwoo said before sitting up. Your sleepiness is gone.

"Who's that?"

"Hoshi and Mingyu. They are the ones knocking at the door." He said while walking towards the bathroom. You followed him and you both do the morning rituals.

"They're here." You said in quiet voice. Hoshi and Mingyu are your college batchmates. You are also close to them. "Do you want us to tell them or?"

"Do you want to keep it secret?"

"Like we can keep it. We have a big wedding picture in the living room and pair of rings. If I were going to be honest, Hoshi got a sniff because that ring of yours and tattled it to you Mingyu." You both giggled at the thought. You hand him a towel to dry his face. "They're here to investigate."

"Should we give them a show?"

"Something that will make Hoshi faint."

"I'll open the door." You snicker with the thought. "Help me tousle my hair so it will look like we did something crazy last night."

Wonwoo shaked his head at your silly idea. He tousled your hair before you both went out. As per your instruction, he needs to video every second of it. Just like you predicted, Mingyu and Hoshi lose their wits.

"What are you doing here this early?" Hoshi asked when you opened the door.

"Where's Wonwoo?" Mingyu firing his question immediately then seeing your hair. "Are you two fucking?"

"Excuse me?" You said in high tone that sound you are so offended with the thought that you and Wonwoo are banging each other. Even though that's the idea you want them to get.

"We're not fucking. We got married, okay?"

"Oh you're not fucking but married."

"But that's married people do in their past time."

"Wait you both got married without us?"

At this point you'll get eviction notice because of how loud they are. You pulled them inside and they shrieked when they saw the wedding picture. Wonwoo laughed loud while taking a video of their histerics. When they both calmed down, you sat them down.

Wonwoo held your hand while explaining the two rascals the impulsive and best decision you made in your life.

Saturday

It's like yesterday is a premonition of what would happen today. Wonwoo's mom calling in the morning trying to set him up with another girl. Your mom on the hand, called you to ask where you move because she went to your old apartment and they told her you move out.

"Are you ready?" Wonwoo asked you.

"It's not like they can do anything about it." You chuckled. Feeling silly at the moment. "If your mom asked me to divorce you in exchange for a million dollars, should I get it?"

"You should and give me the half million." You frowned a bit then look at him. "Then let's get married again."

"Idiot." You punch his arm lightly.

"Your idiot." He said then bumped his head on yours. Laughing together as if a storm is not about to hit you both.

Next

[hirayaaraw]

Of Taxes and Marriage

Tags: friends to lovers; marriage for convenience / fake marriage; pining

Next

It's Saturday and you were supposed to have to watch a movie downtown with your bestfriens Wonwoo but plans were changed. Here you are in his dining table with your laptop and cramming your tax file that is due on Monday.

"Why no one has taught this in college?" You complain while you were dizzy with the amount of payslips you got from your main job and side hustle. "I'm really sorry for cancelling our plans, Won."

"It's fine." Wonwoo said before sitting next to you and peek on your laptop. You can see his grimace on your peripheral view.

"Should I call my mom's secretary to fix your tax file so we can eat our dinner now?" You roll your eyes. Wonwoo, of course, the rich kid he is, knows and have anyone to fix your tax.

"I doubt you call them to fix yours."

"Well, right." And Wonwoo, the rich kid he is, doesn't like using his connection. He likes doing his stuff on his own. "I don't even want to call my mom right now because that means another blind date to arrange with another daughter of someone."

"Poor you." You said nonchalantly. You couldn't care less about his rich boy problem because when you saw the amount of tax you will be paying. "I'm doomed."

Wonwoo pulled your laptop as you try to process the fact that you owe the freaking government a huge amount of tax. "Woah. You made that much in your side hustle?"

"Made that much, gave away so much to my family, and now I need pay so much to this government." You stressed out as you comb your hair in frustration. You are thinking to delay the payment and paying the penalties. "Not to mention my monthly rent."

"You need some help?"

"No, I'm fine. I can handle this." You said and close your laptop. "What should we eat tonight?"

"Orange chicken?"

"That sounds nice. Do you the ingredients?" You stood up and went to his refrigerator.

"Yeah, I did some grocery when you said we gonna cancel the plan tonight." He said then start preparing the utensils that will be used.

This is how your weekends usually happen. Dinner with either of your apartments. Cooking together or if you both feeling lazy, you order pizza and do some movie marathon. This started during your college days as broke students and now you two are inseparable.

Once you are done cooking, you felt a bit better as you see Wonwoo become excited about the food. He prepared the table and pull you a chair.

"Thank you for the food." He said before closing his eyes to mutter a short prayer. "Finally a real food."

"If only you can stop being lazy about cooking."

"I told you I can't cook."

"Then what did we do earlier, Mister?"

"Well, I chop and you do your magic." Wonwoo said then ate a spoonful of rice. He continued explaining how shitty he is as a cook. You just agreed he is a bad cook and settled on cooking on weekends for him so he can stay alive or else he will live through instant noodles and canned goods.

Once you finish eating, you clear the table and he wash the dishes. He notice how your aura is still gloomy despite trying to make you laugh.

"You know I can help you if you tell me." He said while rinsing the plate.

"If the government can give tax break to corporations for doing charity, why can't they do it for single women who are breadwinners?" You whined at him. "If you happen to know who to contact to lower my tax bracket, then I will gladly ask for your help."

Wonwoo wipe the plates dry and put it on the cabinet. He bit his lower lip and turn to you.

"What? Do you know how?"

"Yeah" Wonwoo said in low voice. Unsure if he should say it.

"Really? You know how?" You said excitedly and you hugged him. Wonwoo gulped as he smelled your perfume. You pulled away from him and waited for this information.

"You need to marry someone to get a tax break." He said in a matter of fact tone. You groaned and slap his chest in annoyance.

"Where can I find a husband? I've been single since we graduated." You frowned at him while he smiled at you. He ruffled your hair to annoy you more.

"You can marry me."

You blink twice at him. It seems like your brain is playing at you. You scanned his face to see any sign if he is joking or what but Wonwoo is just smiling at you.

"What did you say?"

"I sad you can marry me." Wonwoo said in a very serious tone then gave you a small smile. You can feel your heart beat jumps.

"You shouldn't joke about marriage, asshole." You pushed him towards the sink and walk to his sofa. He followed you like a lost cat.

"Hey I'm serious." Wonwoo said when he caught your hand.

"Marriage for tax? Are you kidding me?" You looked at him with disbelief on how he came up with that idea. "Marriage should happen between two people who love each other."

"We love each other!" He said as if it is the easiest thing on the world.

"Platonically."You said and Wonwoo still holding your hand slowly kneeling on one knee.

"You get a lower tax bracket, my mom will stop pestering me about blind dates."

"Insane."

"You can pay me half of your monthly rent or even nothing if we get married."

"I can believe you are talking me through this and I am seriously considering it."

"Y/N, will you marry me? For the sake of taxes and everything that bothers us." He asked you with that endearing smile. How could you say no?

"You'll help me file my tax?"

"Gladly."

"I will shoo away your blind dates."

"I am literally on my knees so please."

"Half of my rent and I cook for you everyday."

"I will be forever grateful."

"When's our wedding?"

That's how you ended up Monday morning at the city hall in your white skirt, coat, and strapped on heels. Wonwoo arrived at your appartment with a bouquet yellow tulips and to add the wedding vibe according to him. He looks handsome in his black tuxedo and slick back hairstyle.

Now you both stand in front of a judge as he precided your wedding. You drag a janitor and a court clerk to be a witness to your wedding. Wonwoo held both of your hands. You listen to the judge intenly while he looks at you endearingly.

"With the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

You and Wonwoo's eyes widen in surprise. You forgot the part where you need to kiss each other. Wonwoo slowly remove the veil from your face.

He held your cheeks gently and you look at him before closing your eyes. This is not the first kiss you shared with him. However, this is is special as you are now his wife. He lowered his head and gave you a kiss. You can feel his smile against yours and you couldn't help but reach his face with your free hand.

"Congratulations, Mr. And Mrs. Jeon!" You pulled away and hugged him. Wonwoo laughed as he hugged you tighter.

Just two idiots who will never admit they love each other romantically.

2017 December

A day before you both leave the campus dorm to celebrate the holiday. You are sitting side by side in his tiny couch with a bowl of popcorn on your lap. Love, Rosie playing on the screen.

"Do you think we will be in love at each other like them?" You asked him out of the blue. Just pure curiousity.

"I don't know. Maybe? We don't what fate holds for us."

"But is that fine with you?"

"Fine with?"

"Falling in love with me in the future."

"Yeah there's not to love about you." Wonwoo said calmly as if it is a non brainer question. You put the popcorn on the coffee table.

You don't know what went on your mind. It is suddenly hazy. You turn to him while Wonwoo is watching Rosie confess.

"I want to know something."

"Shoot."

"Can I kiss you?"

"Okay." Wonwoo looked at you. Without anytime waster, you pulled him towards you and kiss him. It took few seconds for Wonwoo to respond. His hand grab your neck to deepen the kiss. You were never kissed like this before.

You pulled away to breathe. He rested his forehead to yours before giving you a peck.

"Was it that you want to know?" He asked you with breathy voice. You stood up before you were completely trap by the spell he puts you in.

"Oh look. It's late. I have a bus to catch on tomorrow morning." You pick up your phone and ran towards the door. "Merry Christmas, Wonwoo!"

Your curiousity is satisfied. You just learned that Wonwoo has the ability to make your heart go crazy and your heart is ridiculously beating for him.

But no, you don't need love as senior college student clinging on scholarship. You set aside the feelings and burried it the whole holiday season.

It was the first but certainly not the last kiss you shared with Wonwoo as friends.

2019 July

Drinks flowing as the campus celebrated the night before the graduation ceremony. Everyone is inebriated as well as you and Wonwoo.

Wonwoo never left your side and his free arm is stucked in either your waist or shoulder. Both of you were laughing like idiots at the corner of your batchmate's house, you legs resting on his lap and your head on his shoulder. The party music blaring in the whole house.

When the laughter between the two of you ensued, you both notice how there is almost no distance between the two of you. You can smell the beer and his musky perfume.

Wonwoo raised your chin and you can see the hesitation in his eyes. You held his hand and took this as a sign. He kissed you tenderly. A little bit sloppy but you can feel his yearning as if he is scared that he will be losing you.

Once you are both out of breath, you rested your head on his chest. Hands still intertwined.

"Y/N" Wonwoo called you. You hummed against his chest. He felt that he has the whole world. He is nervous but it feels like a now or never situation. "Have I told you that I love you?"

He waited for a response but nothing came out from you. Wonwoo looked down just to see you sleeping on him.

Present

If he told the 2019 Jeon Wonwoo that he will end up marrying you, his old self will never believe it. If he told his past self that you both spent the night of your wedding playing board games, his old self will laugh at him for being loser.

He is happy and content for what he has right now. His confession can wait.

Right now, you enjoy defeating Wonwoo in every scrabble round. Your heart beats like first time you both kissed. Just like the first time you kissed, you wanted to put aside your feelings and focus on the pressing matters at hand.

Next

[froghwon]

8 years with SVT ♡

[hirayaaraw]

Fall From Grace • Masterlist

Non!Idol Jeonghan x Reader

Summary: Coming from the two different sides of politics, no one expected Jeonghan falling in love with the eldest of their archenemies.

Genre: Polical Angst, Slow burn

Prologue

1 - Where The End Begins

[hirayaaraw]

Got back from a long vacation. I will try to update the Jeonghan and Jaehyun series plus the Wonwoo one shot. 👀

[hirayaaraw]

Unbreakable Ties 7: The Waiting Game

idol!Jaehyun x OC

Genre: Childhood Friends to Lovers; slow burn; angst

Tags: @yincotton @26zcl @ahtisa02 @joepomonerof @painted-hills @ukiyoneo @ourbeautifulaffair @wintersoulwarrior @cryingforjae

Note: This is a filler chapter. Let me know if you want to join the taglist. 🫶

2020

Promises are meant to be broken. As much as they want to keep each other in arms length, it is impossible not to drift away. Jaehyun fly in and out of the country. When he stays in South Korea, it will be recording, practicing, attending a variety show, or attending a drama school. Eunhye sometimes only see him on TV or in twitter through the updates of his fansites. She also started working in a bank as a Financial Analyst. Breaking her back just to prove her worth to the higher ups.

It was a Saturday evening. Eunhye is getting dolled up to celebrate her birthday. It has been a while since the last time she celebrated it with him. The tradition faded into thin air. Jaehyun celebrates his birthday with his group and goes online to have a live with his fans. She was about to put her lipstick when someone knocked to her door.

When she opened it, Jaehyun showed with a wine and paper bags on both of his hands.

"Took you long enough to let me it." Jaehyun said then hugged her tightly before going inside. "You changed your sofa?"

"Yeah 3 months ago." Eunhye said while looking at him like she couldn't believe that Jaehyun is here. Jaehyun just smiled to cover his regrets for losing that much time.

"Do you have plans tonight?"

"Don't you have a schedule for tonight?"

They laughed together. Jaehyun shaked his head.

"Cleared my schedule tonight until tomorrow afternoon." He said while shaking the wine in front of Eunhye. Jaehyun went to the kitchen to prepare the cake. He puts the candle and lit the wick.

"Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday, Dear Eun Hye Happy birthday to you." While Jaehyun is singing, Eunhye just looked at him with tears threatening to fall. She missed him so much. She missed being with him all the time.

Now, she can't just call him ask Jaehyun to come over or go to the new trending cafe. They tried to go outside once but a sasaeng and paparazzi spotted them. The next day a blind item was published. Since then, his company asked Jaehyun not to go outside with her much to his dismay.

"Blow your candle and make a wish." Jaehyun told her when he noticed that Eunhye is staring at her. She closed her eyes and blew the candle. "What did you wish?"

Eunhye's wish is now in front of her so she just shrugged.

"World peace?" Which he laughed, but the truth is she wished to have more time with Jaehyun. Eunhye is scared that he will slip away and forget her.

"Let's cut the cake." Jaehyun is about to cut it when Eunhye screamed 'No'. "Why? Cake should be eaten."

"We don't have a cake later for you." Eunhye said that made him laugh. He nodded and proceed to putting the cake inside the refridgerator.

Despite having plans that night, Eunhye cancelled the night out with her friends. She chose to stay with Jaehyun. They cooked together whatever is in her cupboard. Jaehyun gave her a paper bag full of random items he bought from different countries he visited for work.

When the clock hits 12 AM, they used the candle and cake. Eunhye sang happily and Jaehyun was so happy to hear her voice again. He missed celebrating his birthday with her. Jaehyun blew the candle and smiled to her.

"What's your wish?"

"More of this." Jaehyun whispered while looking at the cake.

"Ha? I didn't catch that." Eunhye frowned.

"I said you are not allowed to know because the wish will not come true." He said but Eunhye squinted at him.

"I'll believe that bullshit so we can now eat the cake. Cut it now, Mr. Prada." She demanded and he followed. It will be a sight for his fans to see Jaehyun being whipped.

They drank the wine empty and tell endless stories to update each other until they fell asleep in the living room. When Eunhye woke up, Jaehyun is gone and she wonders if last night was just a dream.

She walked to her kitchen and saw an envelope. It was the same envelope Jaehyun will give to him every birthday since middle school. Eunhye opened it carefully and read the content.

Dear Eunhye,

Look how we made it! Early 20s and we are doing it well. I've been to a lot of places these past few months. I thought of bringing you there. I am sure that you will enjoy it. Someday let's travel together.

Your one and only,

Jaehyun

The next time she heard a call from Jaehyun was he informed her that he is casted as a lead actor for a romcom. Jaehyun told her that he might not be able to visit her a lot during filming. Eunhye gave her support and told him not to worry.

Just like what she always do, Eunhye waits for him to come back and take of whatever Jaehyun can give. After all, he is her bestfriend.

Present

Eunhye went home without any NCT album much to disappointment of Yeri. Kim Yerim ranted for hours about how easy it is to drop by any music store and get a copy. Eunhye told her to buy online and she will cover all the fees.

Eunhye went to her room to get her sleeping pattern back but she keep on tossing and turning even with the help of melatonin. There's sadness inside that she does not like to acknowledge. Although she went back home, it felt like there was a big void in her life.

She keep a blissfull front to his son but once he goes to school, Eunhye will succomb to this pit of emptiness. Her son, Jeno reminds her everything about him. From the smile, eyes, and their humor. Eunhye returned all the memorabilia Jaehyun gave except for their son. Contrary to Jaehyun's belief that she erased him to her life, Eunhye will be reminded of him for the rest of her life.

Seoul, South Korea

"Holy sh-- wait are you serious? like serious serious?" Mark asked him after Jaehyun asked if it is possible to visit every city of Canada in a year. "Well, I think it's possible but wow I haven't even visited half of it."

Her words linger in his mind. Jaehyun couldn't under why she said 'One of the Best Decisions of her life'. He thinks it is absurd.

"Crazy how she thinks that staying with you will destroy you." Johnny said after sipping his Americano. "Or maybe she said that after your chaotic confession."

"Very helpful, Johnny." He groaned. Jaehyun told them everything to seek advise after they comforted him they proceeded on laughing at his failed confession.

"So the plan would be you will take hiatus for a year to find Eunhye?" Mark asked him.

"Yes, that's the plan."

"It's like finding a needle in the middle of haystack." Johnny said. He is supportive in the idea of finding Eunhye but he is pessimistic at Jaehyun's plan. "Don't you have any better ways?"

"Do you have any idea, Johnny?" Jaehyun bites back.

"Get her IP address."

"You think I haven't tried? She's using VPN and I confirmed it when Eunhye said she lives in Canada. First time I checked she was in Paris so I went there---"

"Wait so that's why you were in Paris when the year she was gone?" Jaehyun nodded. "When you went to Mexico is she the reason too? And all your yearly vacation is to find her?"

Jaehyun sadly nodded. Foolish attempts to find her.

"That's the definition of world tour." Johnny said clapped slowly then Mark did too. "I don't know what to say, man. You love so deep."

"Anyway, we will have a concert in Toronto and Vancouver in 3 weeks. We can start finding Eunhye from there." Mark said in positive tone.

"Yeah. At least we now have a definite country." Jaehyun is so positive of finding her.

Almost 2 decades in the career made him brave and reckless. When Eunhye runaway, his hands were tied. No one is willing to help him or he has no way. His teammates are willing but they were all scolded and restricted by the company.

Everything is different now. Jaehyun can do whatever he wants. He has more freedom than before. All he needs is to see Eunhye and ask for her explanation. Closure. That's what he wants. If Eunhye wants him gone after he got the closure he wants, Jaehyun will move on with his life and carry his love for the rest of his life.

Tables have turned. Eunhye isn't the one who waits anymore. It is Jaehyun's turn to wait.

[hirayaaraw]

You Are My Home

Wonwoo x Reader

tags: comfort, angst, slife of life and fluff

Everything became lukewarm after Wonwoo proposed to you. You were truly happy to take this next step but you can't stop worrying about a lot of things.

Wonwoo felt the changes in your relationship. He doesn't know how put this in the table and discuss with you. He is afraid the consequences if he will confront you.

Usually brides are the ones who were stressed and burdened from the planning. Your friends are amazed that Wonwoo is stirring the wheel for the wedding. From the venue, flowers, motif, and invitation, he organized it. Of course, you give input but the hardwork is all his.

You burried yourself to work so the fears will be forgotten. Sometimes at night when you see his photo on your bedside, you can't help but cry. Here's the thing about you. Weddings and marriage are not a thing in your family. You saw how many filed divorce due to infidelity, abuse, and sometimes because they just fall out of love.

You ask yourself if Wonwoo can still look at you with a smile and say 'I love you' after 10 years or will you still look at him the first time you met him. There's something about marriage that scares you. For some it's the end of a fairytale story, but for you it's the end of the magic.

It's a lovely Saturday in his apartment. Wedding magazine and lifestyle magazines were scattered on the coffee table. You and Wonwoo were sitting at floor. Again, Wonwoo excitedly pointed out things that are fit to the wedding and you just hummed. You saw how his eyebrows furrow in a second but Wonwoo smiled at you.

"I don't want this to be gone." You said absentmindedly while staring at him

"Huh?" Wonwoo paused at skimming the magazine to look at you. He blinked at you and you were caught off guard. "What will be gone?"

"Nothing. Don't mind me." You said then peek at the magazine he is reading. "This looks good for the photobooth."

You try to change the topic but you know too well that he will not let it pass. Wonwoo closed the magazine and held your hand. He looked at you then let out a tired sigh.

"Do you still want to marry me?" He asked you with a soft voice.

"Of course, I want to marry you." You immediately said not to hurt him.

"But?" He knows you well too. Wonwoo draw circles on your forearm to calm you.

"Are you not afraid what will happen after the wedding? What if years from now I will be a stranger to your eyes or we will hate each other?" You asked him but you don't wait for his answer as Wonwoo is listening to you carefully. "I am afraid that after the wedding everything will be gone. I saw it multiple times how love can be anger or hate. Even if we have this wonderful story or wedding something might go wrong."

Wonwoo reach for your face and wipe your tears that you didn't notice. He pulled you into embrace and tap your back slowly.

"It must be hard keeping it to yourself." You can't help but cry a little louder that made Wonwoo chuckle. "There can be hundred of scenarios after the wedding but I know us. We are different. We choose each other even in the bad times. If you are afraid of those changes, just hold my hand and we will face it. Let me know if I am hurting you and I will let you know if I feel that you are being distant."

You nodded and pulled apart from him. Wonwoo wiped your tears with his shirt.

"All these time you were afraid of losing me but I thought you want to call off the wedding and break up with me." Wonwoo admitted and you laugh at him. You leaned your head on his shoulder while he grabbed a lifestyle magazine.

"We just need minor details for the wedding so now we search for a home." Wonwoo pushed his eyeglass and you kiss him on his cheek that made him smile. "What house do you like, my wife?"

"A home with you."

[hirayaaraw]

Fall From Grace 1: Where The End Begins

NonIdol!Jeonghan x Y/N

Tags: Polical angst, slow burn, contains cursing, fluff if you squint

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Songs to listen: Dancing with our Hands Tied, and State of Grace by Taylor Swift (even future songs to listen are all by our queen Taylor Swift 🫣)

Your hand and his intertwined while his thumb slowly draw circles on your skin. Your head on his shoulder. A famous sitcom in the 90s playing in the background. Jeonghan laughed at one of the character's punchline and you smiled. You moved your head to see his face then kissed his cheek.

Jeonghan turned his head to you and cupped your face. The sitcom is now long forgotten. He gave you a chaste yet passionate kiss. Jeonghan rest his forehead to yours.

"We have 45 minutes to go before Seulgi comes." You reminded him but his hands never left your face.

"That's 1 episode and 15 minutes of kissing." Jeonghan said in low voice. You rolled your eyes. He always have a rebuttal to whatever you say.

'Annoying idiot but my idiot' You murmured that made him laugh. You wrapped your arms around his neck and initiated the kiss. It's been a week of not being able to be with him.

You hate to admit it but you always crave for his presence and hope he does too. You both pulled away to breathe.

"You took my breath away." He said. You playfully slap his chest.

"We need to start to clean up. Seulgi might arrive earlier." Jeonghan nods. You both pick up the soda cans and junk foods plastic at the coffee table. When everything has been clean up, you took his cap hanging at back of your door.

Jeonghan gave that look. The look that you are too familiar. He hates the set up. He hates how you both need to sneak just to see each other. He hates how both of you need to avoid each other in campus.

All you can hope for is in an alternate universe you both can love without barriers. You both never asked each other about future plans. You and Jeonghan just live in the moment.

You tip toe in front of him to joustled his hair before putting the cap. Jeonghan gave you a small smile. He leaned on you and gave you a peck.

"I love you." He said.

"I know. " You smiled. Jeonghan smiled too. He knows it all too well about your thing on saying 'I love you'. If you can't say it, he will say it for the both of you. "Try the other route today. Seungcheol might get a sniff if you keep using the shortcut from my apartment to your frat house."

"Yes, I know. I get it." He said while trying to get on his shoes.

"Text me once you arrive at the frat house." He nodded. Once he were all set, Jeonghan looked at you.

"Do you want to elope? I am tired of hiding like we did something wrong. It's the elders who hate each other not us." There he goes ranting again. And there you go, just smiling with heart eyes. "San Franciso or somewhere with beach then we will live in peace."

"Yoon Jeonghan." You said with so much affection.

"Yeah?" You hugged him.

"Great plan but first you need to go back before Seulgi's back." Jeonghan sigh then kiss your cheek. Just like he always do.

"See you around campus." You nodded before he left.

You let out a deep sigh. How did the two of you whose roots are deeply entangled found each other falling? You were sure that you hated his guts but here you are sneaking him in every weekend. Things were much better when you hated him. You can see each other in the campus and you can both scoff each other. You spent the freshman year with endless tirades. Sophomore years tip toeing around and being confused. And now, as junior, you both just let things go.

Freshman year

The youth, vigor, and excitement of the students in the new turn in their life can be felt in the air. Excitement were gone when you stepped in to your International Politics class and saw a familiar face. It's an elective you need to take. Studying in an Ivy League university you understand that you might brushing shoulders with the sons and daughters of different nation. But you didn't expect to see this person.

Yoon Jeonghan, grandson of the dictator. His grandfather spent jail time but the ill gotten wealth were never collected. His grandfather died last year because of cancer. Although, her heart always go with people who suffers with cancer, his grandfather is an exception. You believed that he deserves more pain.

Jeonghan felt someone boring a stare on him that he moved his head around the room and found the culprit. He raised his brow but you roll your eyes then walked towards an empty seat. Jeonghan laughed at your antics. Completely unaware of why you gave him an eye roll.

The 1st few weeks went on like that. Bantering with your eyes until your professor called you for an opinion regarding the political dynasty that is rampant among developing countries.

"If the same set of family keeps on holding power, everything will be the same. These set of people will never give their citizens what they deserve. All they do is to fatten their wallet." You breathe then look at Jeonghan who is looking back at you. "What infuriates me more are their next to kin who are benefitting from their corruption."

You heard a snicker and saw Jeonghan smiling while his friend is pointing him while laughing.

"Also, I have never heard anyone who held a position too long take respinsibility of what they did. Best example is the Yoon family." You heard a gasp in the crowd. You said what you said. Your Professor silenced the class and asked you to sit down.

Just a few second later, you saw Jeonghan raised his hand. The professor let him have the floor.

"Park Y/N, right?" He said with a smile before looking at your professor. "I don't think it is necessary to bring the Yoon family in the conversation as the family didn't come from a developing country which is our topic right now."

You raised your hand and your professor let you stood up. The class were being entertained with the impending debate.

"I mentioned the Yoon family as an example of a group of people who didn't take responsibility for their atrocities." His friend gave a low whistle upon your rebuttal.

"As far as I remember, "Dictator Yoon" served jail time for all his crimes against the country. Isn't that enough?" Jeonghan said which even infuriates you.

"The justice system impose the penalty but it does not mean your grandfather took responsibility." He scoffed when you finally connect him with his family. The professor and other students immediately open their phones to see if you are saying the truth.

"Going back to out topic about political dynasty, isn't your family part of a dynasty? Your father was a lawmaker, now your mom is a minister." Another shocker for the whole class.

"Just like what you say 'was' and you can't say it is dynasty if only 2 people from my family held a position and take note not succeeding terms. Maybe my family just have a thing on over throwing corrupt families like yours." You smirked at him. Feeling like you won against him.

The professor ended the class early before the two of you make a brawl inside his classroom. You try to get out quickly but his two friends reached you.

"Hi! I'm Joshua Hong." You squinted your eyes trying to remember his face. He extended his hand to you. "Yeah one of the privillege asshole. Son of the Hong industry."

You nodded and shook his hand then another friend of Jeonghan introduced himself. You know this guy well. Choi Seungcheol.

"Seungcheol. Illegitimate child of the previous president. The guy who made him resign? Ring a bell?" You laughed at his introduction. Once his paternity were found out, the media hounded the former president and his consituents asked him to resign. Well, that's not the only reason why his father resigned. It was found out that he mismanaged a fund. Choi Seungcheol's identity is the final nail on the coffin.

Jeonghan just looked at them while waiting for Seungcheol and Joshua to end their conversation with you.

"You should join the international students club and meet people from our country." Joshua gave you a flyer with a colorful design with all the flags available on it. "Or join our parties at the frat house every weekend."

He winked at you. Seungcheol groaned then pulled Joshua away. You bid your goodbyes to them and saw Jeonghan still looking at you before switching his gaze to his two friends.

You spent the rest of the 1st semester making arguments and Jeonghan countering your statements even if it does not concerns his family. When 2nd semester came, you don't have any courses that requires meeting him but that doesn't mean you don't see him in the hallway. You still give him a side eye while he gives you a scoff. Joshua and Seungcheol kept on inviting you on the weekend parties. You finally gave in at the year end party.

It was a big house party in one of the Hong property in the city. Drinks are flowing, all the club food you can think of are available, and everyone is playing every drinking game you know.

Your eyes wander around and you can't help but wonder where is your not so official mortal enemy. You greeted the familiar faces in the house. The booming sound and flickering lights are not your thing. You took a glass of Merlot and find a place with little noise.

A spiral staircase welcomed you at the 2nd floor. You were about to settle in the 2nd floor but your curiosity where the spiral staicase will lead you piqued you. There you found a balcony facing a manmade lake and the face you were finding in the middle of the crowd.

"I'm sorry. I'll just go down." You said immediately and you were about to go down when spoke.

"No, you can stay." Jeonghan swig down his beer and start walking towards the exit.

"You know what we can both stay." You said that he did not expect it. He nodded and went back to his position. You both sit side by side.

Compare to thunderous noise at the first floor, you both enjoy the silence and peace. What an irony to enjoy peace with someone whose surname is a household name within the walls of your home. Not for a good reason but for how the government can seize their properties they gain during his grandfather's regime.

"Just to clear out any impression, I got in this university with scholarship." Jeonghan giving you a sad smile. You don't know what to say so you just nod. "Monthly stipends, dorm, and book allowance are also covered."

"That's nice." You said before sipping your wine. You don't know what to say.

"For the record, I didn't hate your parents." Jeonghan continued his monologue that made embarassment seeps in. It felt like a one sided hatred. "And I didn't hate you.'

"I'm sorry." That's all your soft voice can say. Jeonghan just nod. You can feel your face is already flushed with red.

"You don't need to apologize. I'm used with the stereotype." You look at him who is gazing at the stars above. You saw his handsome side profile and sad eyes.

"Yoon Jeonghan." You called his name without any anger. He hummed and you put the wine glass at the floor.

It must be the wine or the beautiful stars above. You grab his cheek and gave it a quick peck on his lips. You don't know why you thought it was befitting for the moment.

Jeonghan's eyes became wide at your surprise kiss but it didn't take a second when he pulled you for another kiss. You can taste the flavored beer he was drinking. You held onto his shoulder as he deepens the kiss.

That night he wasn't Yoon Jeonghan, grandson of a dictator, and you are not Park Y/N, whose parents actively fighting or investigating the Yoon family. You are just Park Y/N and he is just Yoon Jeonghan.

Sophomore year came like that kiss did not happen. Gone are the banters, side eyes, and scoffs. You just see each other in the eyes and somehow you both understand each other.

[hirayaaraw]

Fall From Grace

NonIdol!Jeonghan x Y/N

Tags: Polical angst, slow burn, contains cursing, fluff if you squint

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any names or characters, businesses or places, events or incidents, are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Prologue:

When Jeonghan said 'I am willing to ruin my life for you', you didn't know he meant this. Everyone is in uproar once he steps back in the country. Journalists around the world covers his arrival and you were fidgeting in your cubicle. You haven't heard or seen him in 3 years. This is not how you imagine you will see him again

"Yoon Jeonghan, is it true that you gave evidences to the ministry of justice about your family's ill gotten wealth?"

"Is this the way of your family admitting their crimes against the country?"

Jeonghan looked at the camera but decided to walkaway with the guards around him. You wanted to slap him and hate him, but now all you want is to pull him into your arms.