Please donât let fandom ruin something you love. Walk away and unfollow the fans and enjoy the thing by yourself, or find a limited circle of people who ignore the discourse, or get your irl friends into the thing and collectively ignore the Internet community, or blacklist from here to the moon if you need to and only ever scroll through your rarepair shipâs tag on AO3. But donât let fandom distort a show or a movie or a book or a comic you used to love so badly that you canât enjoy the original anymore. Please. It isnât worth it.
To be perfectly honestÙ« you really hadn't expected to get caught up in another weird dream tonight. For some reasonÙ« you began to associate your odd dreams with that old mirror in you and Grim's shared bedroom back at Ramshackle. WellÙ« now it didn't matter where you were at all. It was far to dark to see a thing.
FinallyÙ« a light began to trickle into the dark underwater cavern as the young mermaid from your previous dream entered. With the lightÙ« dozens among dozens of withered sea polyps wasted away around all around the cave.
"Come in. Come in, my childÙ«" a raspyÙ« feminine voice called out from withinÙ« "You're here because you have a thing for this human. MyÙ« just adorably clueless creaturesÙ« aren't they? So rebelliousÙ« though."
As if on cueÙ« one of the witch's tentacles reached out into a dark shadow next to the cave entranceÙ« wrapping around what appeared to be a shrimp mer attempting a mad dash while her attention was diverted. SheÙ« thenÙ« pulled up him over to her sideÙ« as if to show off to her guest.
"Isn't he just precious? Poor thing still thinks he can out swim me while adjusting to his new tailÙ«" the Sea Witch cooed.
It was nothing but ironic that the poor guy had become the prey of an octopusÙ« squirming in it it's gripÙ« both literally and metaphorically.
The girlÙ« howeverÙ« seemed practically in awe. She quickly jumped on the opportunity to askÙ« "If you can make a human a tailÙ« could you make me human legs?"
The Witch seemed positively delightedÙ« replyingÙ« "WhyÙ« of courseÙ« Dearie. Now, here's the deal. I will make you a potion that will turn you into a human for three days. Got that? Three days."
She began to toss things into a nearby cauldronÙ« the creepy eels from earlier returningÙ« but now by her side. They were obviously tauntingÙ« close to borderline tormentingÙ« the poor shrimp trapped in her tentacles. Anytime you thought the young mermaid looked compelled enough to helpÙ« her attention was redirected elsewhere with promises of her prince.
"Before the sun sets on the third day, you've got to get dear ol' princey to fall in love with you. Ohâand there is one more thing. We haven't discussed the subject of paymentÙ«" the Sea Witch explainedÙ« before conjuring up a golden scroll that you could swear looked familiarÙ« "What I want from you is...your voice. Now go ahead and sign the scroll! I'll help this poor unfortunate soul!"
YouÙ« like the bound eel baitÙ« could only watch as the girl practically signed her soul away before it all went back to black.
â„
That morningÙ« you woke up INSANELY hot and barely able to breath. You felt like you were drowning in some rich person's fur coat closet. As somewhat of a last resortÙ« you desperately tried to sit up for a gasp of fresh air. You only made it about half way up until you felt yourself get dragged back down.
On the bright sideÙ« you now knew the issue: SomehowÙ« Grim ended up with his furry stomach against your face and Leona apparently decided halfway through the night that you'd make a good body pillow. AndÙ« seriouslyÙ« why was he so ridiculously warm?! You felt like you might start sweating your ass off. You never missed your decrepitÙ« drafty dorm so much.
"Zzz...Mrah..."
Pretty soonÙ« you could hear the door creaking openÙ« followed by Ruggie's voiceÙ« "Heya, g'morning! Leona, it's time to get up. Up and at 'em, ___ and Grim. Let's get those mangy faces washed."
"Mrah? Morning already? W-wait, it's barely six!"
Ruggie shruggedÙ« "We do morning Spelldrive training here at Savanaclaw. Since you're part of the dorm for the next few days, you'll be joining us."
"Muh? Morning training?" Grim repeated.
"Yup. We've been at it ever since the last Spelldrive tournamentÙ«" the hyena confirmed.
"You want Grim of all people to join?" You asked with a raised eyebrow. Just the thought of Grim with a Spelldrive disk made your head throb.
"Mrrrgh, lay off...Zzz...Ù«" Leona groaned.
"Leona! Don't roll over and go back to sleep!" Ruggie yelledÙ« now tugging at Leona like a dog in a serious game of tug-of-war.
"Whoa. Ruggie's draggin' his own boss outta bed feet-firstÙ«" Grim mumbledÙ« and Leona just continued to snooze away.
HonestlyÙ« you had to respect his commitment to the bit. That was until you realized Leona was still holding onto you like a human body pillowÙ« which led from Ruggie dragging him to him dragging you with. That's when you started yelling at his lazy assÙ« too.
â„
"Oh, hey. You're joining us for morning practice?" Jack wonderedÙ« his mood visibility lifting at the sight of your exhausted state. It was too early for any of this.
"I coulda used several more winks, but Ruggie wasn't havin' itÙ«" Grim grumbled.
RuggieÙ« in turnÙ« didn't seem to care as he called out to his dormmatesÙ« "Since we've got these freshmen crashing with us, let's make today a light game. Go easy on 'em."
Leona let out a yawn before groaningÙ« as wellÙ« "All this standin' around is gonna make me fall asleep again. Let's get on with it."
You were about to start walking onto the field with everyone else when the lion stopped you with a click of his tongue.
"Practice here might be a bit too rough for a herbivore like yourself. Can't have another incident while you're under my supervisionÙ« nowÙ« can we?" Leona teasedÙ« mockingly tilting your chin up towards himÙ« "How 'bout you just sit here and play cheerleader for a bit? IÙ« alsoÙ« wouldn't mind too terribly if you wanted to play waterboy/watergirl."
"Leona! We don't have all day here!" Ruggie loudly complained.
"YeahÙ« yeahÙ«" the housewarden grumbledÙ« and turned on his heels and heading over to the middle of the field. A couple seconds longer and you would've started round two with a thicker rock than last time.
SoÙ« you were made to sit on the sidelines while the rest of the dorm practiced. You couldn't decide if you were annoyed or grateful. On one handÙ« who were they to tell you what to do. On the otherÙ« you were pretty sure you watched Grim hit like 20 Savanaclaw guys in the first 10 minutes. A phantom throb hit you a bit every time you saw a new victim of Grim's misguided throws.
Besides thatÙ« the whole thing looked pretty intense for just practice. At one pointÙ« you even watched Ruggie hanging upsidedown from a teammate's broom. It was hard not to be impressed. You also could swear every time a few of them did a tricky moveÙ« they'd shift their focus on you to see your reaction. That was usually when they victim to a new hit by Grim's "ingenious" throws. But all togetherÙ« it looked absolutely exhausting! Especially to someone without magic like yourself.
"Who knew a morning workout could feel so good? I'm alive, I tell ya! Aliiiive!" Grim cheered.
Jack immediately latched onto his energyÙ« "Right? 'S why I get up an hour earlier than this to get some jogging in."
"O-okay, that might be a little overboardÙ«" the direbeast concludedÙ« then focused back on youÙ« "So Savanaclaw Dorm's already trainin' hard for next year's interdorms, huh? Looks like we'll have some worthy rivals."
"Oh, I guess you guys haven't heard yetÙ«" Ruggie interruptedÙ« "Every May, we have an even bigger Spelldrive event than the interdorm tournament."
"MRAH! It gets even bigger than that?!"
"Yup. It's the interscholastic gamesÙ«" Leona butted in.
"Oh yeah, this isn't the only magic school, huh?" You remembered. There was honestly too much random shit to remember.
Ruggie explainedÙ« "As the name suggests, it's a Spelldrive event where different schools compete."
"Our school always plays against Royal Sword AcademyÙ«" Leona added.
"OohÙ« I've heard of them!" Grim pointed out.
"Twisted Wonderland's got a number of educational institutions for cultivatin' magiciansÙ«" Ruggie went onÙ« "Night Raven College and Royal Sword Academy are particularly prestigious. we're basically known as the Big Two."
After listening to the hyena's spielÙ« Grim askedÙ« "So what's Royal Sword Academy like?"
"It's a school for pampered lordlings that's fulla snooty, scrawny wimpsÙ«" Leona quipped with a smirk.
Ruggie seemed to especially take great amusement in itÙ« practically cackling outÙ« "Shyeheehee! What he said. Their campus 'n uniforms are all shiny and sparkly. Talk about lame! Can you imagine how much a single scuff would stand out on a white uniform? I know they're supposed to be a big deal, but I wouldn't go there even if they begged me."
He shrugged without a care.
"Hasn't Night Raven College lost the interscholastics for the past hundred years running, though?" Jack questioned.
"Grk! W-well...Ù«" Ruggie squeaked outÙ« "We're only at 99 so far! You can bet your tail we'll win this year. Hundredth time's the charm."
"From what I've seen watching the interscholastics on TV...Royal Sword Academy's roster of players are all individually outstanding, but that's not why they dominate. The real key is their incredible teamworkÙ«" Jack observed.
"Hey, wait a minute. If we're talkin' interscholastics here...Ù«" Grim thought aloudÙ« "Does that mean it'll be more 'n just Savanaclaw? Will the other dorms be goin' up against Royal Sword Academy, too?"
"Yeah. Each dorm contributes a player into one big team that represents the schoolÙ«" Leona answeredÙ« crossing his arms over his chests. Knowing the kind of people at NRC...
"Sounds like personality clashes waiting to happenÙ«" you noted.
"Last year, the team broke out into a brawl before the game even started, just from arguing over who got what positionÙ«" the third year thought back and put a hand to his head at just the memory.
"Hah! I like their moxie. If you want a position, you gotta fight for it!" Grim applaudedÙ« "I'll make sure | get picked as a school rep!"
"If you wanna strut your stuff and make a good case for gettin' picked, the best way to do that is to stick to your daily practiceÙ«" Jack reminded.
"The interscholastics get higher TV ratings than the interdorms, so it's a prime chance to get scouted for the pro leagues!" Ruggie contributed.
"You'd better start thinking now about what you're gonna do to beat out the competition and land a team spotÙ«" Leona mused.
You could tell the last two were just messing with the poor thing. ButÙ« you couldn't help your mind from wandering.
"Royal Sword Academy, huh...?"
â„
"Nothing beats a good breakfast after workin' up a sweat! Grim craves proteinâbring on the MEAT!"
"So, like, what were you thinking, cuttin' a deal with that cephalo-punk? How stupid can you get? Now you're crampin' MY style as a resultÙ«" Leona scoldedÙ« even giving your forehead a small flick.
At the momentÙ« you and Grim were eating lunch with some of the Savanaclaw guys. While eatingÙ« the stupid prince had you give him a run down of your fish troubles so far.
"Hah! You made a deal to free all the chumps who contracted with him to get ahead in their finals?" He began to cackleÙ« "BAH HA HA! That's rich. I shudder to imagine being that dumb."
"Rumor has it that Azul's study guide is the real deal, thoughÙ«" Ruggie butted inÙ« "I kinda get why people would wanna get their hands on that."
Jack joined afterÙ« askingÙ« "So you guys steered clear of Azul's scheme, huh? I figured you'd go for the easiest out of you could get, Leona...Ah, no offense, of course."
"Why would he need it? His was basically just a retry of his last year'sâOw!"
Your snarky comment was cut off by the grump with a smack on the back of the head before you could finish it. ThenÙ« he started talking before you could add any more brutally honest comments
"Are you kidding? Who in their right mind would voluntarily keep making deals with that swindler? I've made a few deals and paid the piper for 'em. There's always a steep catch."
Ruggie agreedÙ« "Yeah, he ain't the kinda guy you wanna turn to as your first resort. He's definitely a capable magician, though.
He can grant some real tall orders just like that."
"The guy who wants something outta a deal is always the one at a disadvantage. That's Negotiating 101Ù«" Leona scoffedÙ« "When dimwitted herbivores sign contracts on a whim, they always end up getting suckered somehow."
Well now you were getting nervous. Could you really win this bet...? Your "benevolent" host must've noticed your unease. He placed a hand on your headÙ« this time as a comfort rather than a punishment.
"Y'know what? Let's hear it. What were your terms, exactly?"
And soÙ« you recalled the contact's terms to them.
"Before the sun sets on the third day after signing...Ù«" Leona repeated.
"You have to sneak into the Atlantica Memorial Museum, steal a photo, and bring it back?" Ruggie's repeat of your words sounded more like a question. ThenÙ« they both went silent for a moment.
"Boy...Stinks to be youÙ«" Ruggie murmured.
"Hey, we ain't even gotten started yet! Don't go jinxin' us!" Grim argued.
"Isn't the Atlantica Memorial Museum underwater? How are you gonna get there, brainiac?" The hyena quipped.
"They gave us water-breathin' potionsÙ«" your furball answered.
"No idea how well they work, thoughÙ«" Jack admittedÙ« putting a hand to the back of his neck with a sigh.
"Huh. If Azul gave 'em to you, they probably work just fineÙ«" Ruggie reassuredÙ« "He's got his pride. I doubt he'd ever give someone a wonky potion."
Leona let out a hum in thought before deciding to tease a bit moreÙ« "I'd get the ball rollin' now, if I were you. Time is money, as they say."
"Myah! Good idea! Hey, ___, let's hit up the Atlantica Memorial Museum right now!"
Jack agreedÙ« "Good call. With only three days, we don't have any leeway here."
"I'm bringin' Ace and Deuce along, too. Let's mosey!" Grim announcedÙ« already dead set on his new goal as he pulled you along.
â„
"Will Azul's potions really let us breathe underwater?" Deuce questionedÙ« examining the potion vile.
"Only one way to find out. We'll have to chug 'em and see for ourselvesÙ«" Jack answered.
"Okay, on threeÙ«" Ace declaredÙ« "One, two...three!"
You all braced yourselves before chugging down the mystery liquid.
Deuce was first to break the shared silenceÙ« "Whew...That was..."
"NASTY! It tastes like someone mixed together dried frog and rotten mushrooms!" Grim yowled.
"How would you know what that tastes like?" Jack began to wonder but was cut off by his own coughing fitÙ«"It's a...powerful flavor, all right..."
"What genius decided that potions have to taste like crud, anyway? Someone oughta fix thatÙ«" Ace lamented.
"Shouldn't we be more worried about efficacy than flavor?" Deuce offeredÙ« but started to wince. "W-wait a minute. It's...getting harder to breathe...
"Are our lungs adapting to breathing underwater?" Jack wondered in disbelief.
"Gah...Ù«" Ace gaspedÙ« "Aw geez, this is gettin' bad. Let's get in the water, quick!"
"Mirror of Darkness! Guide us to the Coral Sea!" Jack yelled.
On commandÙ« the mirror's surface started to ripple before shining. SoonÙ« you found yourself underwater in what you assumed must've been the Coral Sea.
Beside youÙ« Grim had started to wildly flail and gargle the surrounding water. "It just dumped us in the water! I'm gonna drown!"
"Wait. I'm breathing just fineÙ«" Deuce noticed.
"Huh? Oh, hey, you're rightÙ«" Grim realizeÙ« now calming down.
"We really can breathe underwaterÙ«" Jack marveled.
"Dude! Get a load of this coral reef!" Ace pointed outÙ« "If Cater was here, he'd be hashtagging pics of it faster than you could say the word 'Magicam'!"
You peered over at the forest of coral. AndÙ« honestlyÙ« it was one of the most stunning things you've ever scene. Not only that but it had the cutest little inhabitants!
"Look at all the cute fishies!" You cooed.
"We don't have time to gawk at the scenery. We'd better get a move on and head to our targetÙ«" Jack remindedÙ« grabbing your upper arm to lead you away from your newest fixation.
"So hard to move! Mrrragh! I feel like a fish outta water here. Or whatever the opposite of that is!" Grim whinely complained.
â„
After a bit of trial and errorÙ« you all managed to get used to moving around in the water. As best as you couldÙ« at least.
"Hey, check it outÙ«" Deuce called outÙ« seeing an underwater building with an interesting design.
"That's it, yeah? The Atlantica Memorial Museum?" Ace wondered.
Grim noticed the guards before the rest of youÙ« pointing them out once he didÙ« "Myah! Look at all these guys with fish tails instead of legs!"
"Are those...mermen? Wow. There really ARE people out there who live underwaterÙ«" Jack muttered to himself.
SoonÙ« two long shadows swam nearbyÙ« followed by two very familiar voices.
"Eeeyyy! There you are, Little Shrimpy and co.!"
"Good day, everyone. How are you liking it here under the sea?"
"Those voices...It's the lookalike brothers!" Grim shouted.
"Got it in one!" Floyd cheerfully sang.
Right afterÙ« the two emerged from wherever they were hidingÙ« now in what you believed must've been their normal forms. The others didn't seem to be as expecting as youÙ« however.
You recalled the two brothers using terms that made it sound like they lived underwaterÙ« and even referred to each other as eelsÙ« so you weren't very surprised about that. What you were surprised aboutÙ« thoughÙ« was the sheer size of them. Even normally they were pretty largeÙ« but like this they were huge in just tail length alone.
"Why d'you look like that?!" Jack questioned.
"Whaddaya mean? This is how we normally lookÙ«" Floyd replied casually. So you were right. "After all, we're mermen."
"We use potions to change our forms when we're on land. After all, we can hardly walk on solid ground with these tailinsÙ«" Jade elaborated.
DamnÙ« there was a whole process to go through? You honestly didn't even think about it at first. Probably because your brain was too busy trying to plan out how to beat AzulÙ« and possible backup plans for if things went south.
"Dude, they're long! How tallâuh, I mean, how LONG are you?" Ace almost sputtered. That was actually a GREAT question.
"Are you some kind of sea serpent?" Deuce gaped.
"solid guess, but nope. We're moraysÙ«" Floyd correctedÙ« perfectly happy with the attention he was getting on his natural form. He seemed especially pleased with the way you were practically gawking at him.
"Who cares what they are? I wanna know why they're here!" Grim fussed.
"Aha ha. That's easy. We're here to get in your wayÙ«" Floyd gleefully answered.
"I shoulda knownÙ«" Ace muttered.
"It wouldn't do for you to complete your challenge too easilyÙ«" Jade confessed.
The battle was barely even a fight. Anytime your side would use a spellÙ« it'd just either miss or be deflected!
"Come forth, ice! HYAH!" Deuce castedÙ« but had missed again.
"Might wanna try upping the ante there, budÙ«" Floyd teased.
"Hey, Deadeye Deuce, here's an idea: try actually HITTING with one of those shots!" Ace called out before firing a shot of his own "Hyah!" And he completely missedÙ« as well.
"Heh heh heh. Come, now. Put in some effortÙ«" Jade taunted with a mocking chuckle.
"I don't see you doing any better over there!" Deuce called back.
"No way. How could I miss like that...Ù«" Ace whined.
"Little ShrimpyyyÙ« how 'bout ya ditch these guys and come hang usÙ«" Floyd called outÙ« "We're way more fun than some boring land dwellers!"
"YesÙ« there's no need to work so hard for these fools when you could just allow us to care for youÙ«" Jade agreedÙ« "And since you're already down hereÙ« why don't you let us show you around for a bit. You seemed so adorably captivated by the sights just earlier."
"Yeah! We're not that far from homeÙ« actually. I bet Mom and Pops would love to meet yaÙ«" the former eel addedÙ« already mentally planningÙ« "And thenÙ« we can make you some of those treats you like.~"
The whole time the two were trying to persuade youÙ« Ace and Deuce were actively tryingÙ« and horribly failingÙ« to hit them; meanwhileÙ« Jack made sure to keep you protected behind himself like a human shield.
As tempting as an offer that might beÙ« you were definitely declining it. Who knows what would happens if you went alone with them somewhere here...You were about to say so when Ace interrupt before you could even get two words out.
"What the hell's with your crazy obsession with drugging 'em with that stuff!" WaitÙ« what...?
"They just look so cute all dazed out and greedy like thatÙ«" Floyd shamelessly hummed.
"It's simply just too adorable a sight to not see againÙ«" Jade mournedÙ« "They looked just like that land animal with that mint herb. What was it again? OhÙ« yesâa cat with catnip."
Jack had enoughÙ« pushing Ace and Deuce aside with a scoffÙ« "Tch. Step aside. I'll handle this! RAGH!" He firedÙ« but missed just like the other two first years. "What?! My spell swerved before hitting them! I see what's goin' on..."
"At least Sea Urchin knows how to pay attentionÙ«" Floyd applauded.
"I shouldn't be surprised that a land beast has a keen eyeÙ«" Jade admitted with an amused grin.
"Since I'm a nice guy, I'll do you a solid and explain why none of your spells are hitting usÙ«" Floyd decidedÙ« "I've got this signature spell, Bind the Heart, see? It's a handy little number that interferes with your magic to ensure it fails! Ain't that just neato?"
Grim huffedÙ« "That ain't 'neato' at all! It's cheatin', is what it is!"
Jade sighedÙ« "Floyd, do you really have to spell out your entire signature spell gimmick to them?"
"What's the big deal? Knowing isn't gonna help 'em anyÙ«" the eel pouted.
"Fair enough. At least your magic is in good form today. If only you could be more consistent about it. When you're not in the mood, it never works at all. That's rather hard to plan around, you know."
"Better run, kiddos! If I catch you, my tailfin's gonna wring you out like a dirty dishrag!" Floyd tauntedÙ« now peppy as ever. "Now, who should I squeeze first...?"
"This is nothin' more than a game to themÙ«" Jack realizedÙ« "If we don't get outta here, they're gonna hang us out to dry!"
"We'd better work out a new plan!" You squealedÙ« just narrowly avoiding getting nabbed.
Floyd laughedÙ« "Aha ha! Come back as many times as you want. It won't make a lick of difference! With those sorry legs of yours, you'll never outswim mermen."
"We'll be waiting for your next visitÙ«" Jade called out.
"Rgh, this stinks! I'll remember this, okay?!" Grim yelled.
You struggled to swim away. Jade watched as you all did. ButÙ« for some reasonÙ« Floyd was still on your tail like an eager puppy.
ThenÙ« with a new boost of energyÙ« he managed to surge forwards and grab a hold of your ankle. The others instantly took notice and desperately tried to help free you from the eel's vicelike grip. You pried and thrashed until to accidentally hit a point of slashing him with your nails andÙ« to your disbeliefÙ« actually managed to cause him to bleed. You fearfully peered up at his expression to find he was in equal disbeliefÙ« staring at the new shade of red dissipating in the water with a shocked expression.
NextÙ« you were unexpectedly yanked away. Your group noticed the eel's sudden frozen episode and used it to pull you away while distracted. Still a bit too shaken up to move much yourselfÙ« you could only watch as Floyd recovered from his shock. A bone-deep chill made it's way down your spine at the sight of the deep sea predator watching you leave with a borderline psychotic smile as he began to lick away the blood from his newly formed wound. You felt sick...
â„
You all struggled to catch your breath once making it back to the Mirror Chamber. PersonallyÙ« you were debating whether or not to just lie down on the floor for an hour or three.
Deuce huffed as he tried to catch his breathÙ« barely managing to askÙ« "You guys okay?"
"I think so...Ù«" Ace groaned.
"I wasn't expecting them to actually be mermen...Ù«" Jack commented.
"It was almost a feedin' frenzy thereâwith us as the chum! Swimmin' that fast ain't fair!" Grim recalled in exhaustion.
"Well, yeah. Merfolk are literally in their element underwaterÙ«" Ace chided.
"But we gotta get that photo fast, or they're gonna confiscate Ramshackle Dorm...Ù«" Grim reminded.
Deuce sighedÙ« "We need to rework our plan here."
"Yeah. Cater likes to say he's got his finger on the pulse of the community, so why don't we get some input from him?" Ace though aloud.
"It'd also be a good idea to go back to Savanaclaw and see what Ruggie and the others have to shareÙ«" Jack agreed.
"FinallyÙ« a tuna break!" Grim cheeredÙ« gaining a new sudden burst of energy.
"WaitÙ«" the wolf interruptedÙ« "I wanna know more about something you said earlierÙ« Ace."
"Huh? What'd I say?"
"The drugging thing. Concerning ___, I meanÙ«" Jack elaborated. He kept looking at and away from youÙ« as if he were nervous to bring it up with you nearby. Now that he mentioned itÙ« thoughÙ« you wanted to knowÙ« too.
"Oh. WellÙ« uh...You know how people say how addicting the items on the special menu are...?" Ace hesitantly questionedÙ« but was cut off by Deuce before he could finish.
"It's loaded with love-me-knot! And I mean like a RIDICULOUS amount! And they don't let the customers know so they just think that the item itself is addicting!"
"...YeahÙ« what Loosey-Deucey said...Ù«" Ace mutteredÙ« clearly a bit salty about his spotlight getting stolen. "AnywayÙ« while working the rest of us to the boneÙ« those two starting loading ___ with the stuff!"
"Love-me-knot?! Isn't the legality on that stuff like highly questionable? Does the Headmage know about this?" Jack began to practically interrogate them.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he does know but just pretends not tooÙ«" the redhead concluded.
"'Love-me-knot'...Ù«" Grim repeatedÙ« "OhÙ« yeah! That's where I heard of that stuff! Doesn't Trey use it when baking sometimes?"
"YeahÙ« but only a bit just to enhance the flavorÙ«" Deuce replied.
"Uh huhÙ« and not so much that it starts mind numbing certain kinds of peopleÙ«" Ace snarkily added. You felt their eyes shift to you.
"What?! You wanna start something?" You arguedÙ« but inevitably gave way into a pout as you askedÙ« "What is that stuffÙ« anyway? I've never heard of it before."
Deuce started trying to explainÙ« "It's a sorta plant that works as a flavor enhancer. It's SUPER addictingÙ« though. The more someone has of itÙ« the more they crave it. It works on anyoneÙ« but is typically extra effective on darlings. Because of thatÙ« it's really in a legal gray area..."
"SoÙ« I was basically willingly drugging myself without realizing it...Ù«" you paraphrased.
"Pretty muchÙ« yeahÙ«" Ace concluded.
â„
Later that nightÙ« you recalled the day's events to Leona and Ruggie.
"What? You guys actually went to the Coral Sea?" Ruggie questioned.
"Hah! How stupid can you get?" Leona laughed.
"Mrah?! But you're the guy who said to 'get the ball rolling' right now!" Grim argued.
"Hmph. I never said anything about diving headlong into the seaÙ«" Leona correctedÙ« "Your time's limited. What I was suggestin' was that you use your head and find a worthwhile use of your time. Challenging merfolk head-on in the water is a losing proposition no matter how you slice it.
It's like walking into a carnivore's mouth."
"Wait. Did you guys know the twins were actually mermen this whole time?" Jack wondered. You felt it wasn't a good time to say that you also knew the whole time.
"MaybeÙ«" the lion answered.
"I saw Floyd in his natural form at a joint swimming class last summer, and boy, let me tell you...Ù«" Ruggie recalledÙ« "If that guy came after me in the water, I'd be done for. End of story." Once againÙ« you didn't feel like it was the right time to bring up today's trauma story dealing with similar events...
"It woulda been nice to know that beforehand!" Jack complained in exasperation.
"Last I checked, you were the guys who ran off half-cocked without bothering to gather any intelÙ«" Leona remarkedÙ« "I would've been happy to share it all in detail if you'd asked." Bullshit...
Ruggie shruggedÙ« "Yeah! You gotta cover your bases before you start pickin' fights, y'know? Shyeheehee! Back at the Savanna, you gotta tread carefully if you don't wanna end up as someone's dinner."
You were starting to wonder if there was grocery stores in the Savanna or was it like the Bronx but worse? Hold onÙ« was he serious? Did they eat people there? Please let him be joking...
"Grrr...You're the same couple of scheming jerks as always!" Grim complained.
"Does this mean Azul was planning on interfering from the start when he made the offer?" Jack began to wonderÙ« rubbing the back of his head.
"Uh, duh? Obviously?" Leona retorted.
"The Leech brothers are Azul's top men. They're known for collecting all collateral and compensation from his contractors. And rumor has it they run interference to make sure the contract terms can't be metÙ«" Ruggie explained.
Grim started to grumbleÙ« "What a bunch of low-down, dirty cheaters! Urgh...If ___ loses, am I gonna be stuck workin' day and night for Azul forever?"
"WowÙ« your faith in my capabilities means the world to meÙ«" you deadpannedÙ« but soon began to groanÙ« as well.
"Leona?" Ruggie called out.
"Azul's signature spell is a golden contract scroll called It's a DealÙ«" Leona started to summarizeÙ« "It enables the caster to take one power from a target if that target signs the scroll. In addition, in the event of a contract breach, the breacher is compelled to obey Azul's every command to a T."
"They say spells with tricky activation requirements are especially potent, but man...Isn't that messed up?" Ruggie sighed.
"When the power gets taken, it's sealed inside the contract and made available for Azul to use as it suits himÙ«" the lion concluded.
"Wait, so all those times Azul busted out different sortsa high-difficulty spells like it was nothing...Ù«" Jack started to realize with shock.
"I'd bet you anything that those were powers he swiped from contractors as collateralÙ«" Ruggie swore.
"That's nuts! That means he's cheating at everything!" Your fellow first year just about shouted.
"Technically, no. As far as signature spells go, his is crazy high-level. Guy's gotta have some chops to pull something like that offÙ«" the hyena commended.
"I've never put my power up for collateral, so l've got no idea how it works, myselfÙ«" Leona admitted.
"Wait, then what DID you put up for collateral?" Jack inquired.
"Grrr... What's it matter? It's all in the past anywayÙ«" the lion snappedÙ« "ANYWAY. Contracts with him'll last as long as that special scroll is around. Which is why Azul makes very carefully worded offers."
"And then gets clueless souls and suckers to sign on with terms they can't possibly meetÙ«" Ruggie added. You felt like you were being secretly insulted to your faceÙ« both at the same time.
"The only way to win against Azul is to not make a contract at all. HehÙ«" Leona chuckled.
"Mrooow...What are we supposed to do?!"
WellÙ« you didn't want to do thisÙ« but it seemed like you were gonna have to...
"Please, share some insights with us!" You pleadedÙ« clasping you hands together and peering up at Leona through your eyelashesÙ« attempting to look as pitiful as possible.
At firstÙ« the housewarden seemed to be taken aback for a second or two. ButÙ« thenÙ« he seemed thoroughly amused with your pleading and pity party attempts.
"Do you do this every time you're in trouble? Come on. I know you're not that dense," Leona teasedÙ« giving your forehead a playful flick. "How do you win against someone stronger than you? You use your noggin. But, hm...If I were in your shoes...I'd start by brainstorming a way to shred the contract document itself."
"But it's invulnerable!" Grim cried out.
The third year put a hand to his head and sighedÙ« "You guys are seriously peabrained."
"You're like a scammer's dream come trueÙ«" Ruggie agreed with a similar sigh.
"Mrah?!"
You were starting to change your mind about staying here. At least at Heartslabyul you'd get yummy treats and wouldn't be getting ACTIVELY INSULTED!
"Let's start with the basics. Why would you take Azul at his word when he said his contract was 'completely unbreakable'?" Ruggie asked.
"What? I mean, none of our attacks did a thing to it...Ù«" Jack recalledÙ« crossing his arms.
"Have you considered the possibility that was an on-the-spot demonstration put on as a bluff?" The hyena smugly pointed out.
"All magic's got a loopholeÙ«" Leona statedÙ« "Remember that pampered little redhead Riddle's signature spell and how it sealed magic? It seemed unbeatable at first, but it still had a weakness. Even the best magicians can't sling spells willy-nilly. So the idea that Azul's golden contract from It's a Deal is indefinitely unbreakable...is preposterous. Flat-out."
"So there's a way to beat it after allÙ«" Jack notedÙ« "Challenging the Leech brothers underwater is a losin' proposition, no matter how you slice it. We'd be better off trying to find a chip in the contract scroll's proverbial armor on land instead. I see what you're gettin' at. I dunno, though. That sounds an awful lot like playing dirty."
"Come on, Jack...Ù«" Ruggie groanedÙ« "Your principles are great and all, but you guys already took a fair shot against Azul and his boys on land. Remind me again how that went?"
That reminder made Jack groan and caused you to look down at your ankle. You could feel a bruise forming from Floyd's grip strength alone.
"Let's be clear here: these guys are scoundrels that swindle doe-eyed herbivores and take them for everything they've gotÙ«" Leona pointed outÙ« turning you around to face the other with your back behind him as he squished your cheeks together. He was obviously using you as a prime example. "Why should you play fair when they don't? So what if it's underhanded? So what if it's taking the fight off the playing field? As long as the contract is annulled, you win. End of story."
"Oooh, that's our Leona! The duke of dirty plays; the tyrant of technical fouls!" Ruggie praised.
"Wow. You haven't learned a thing from your last incidentÙ« have you?" You sarcastically remarkedÙ« looking up at your elementary-level bully from over your shoulder.
"Hey, it's like I said before. I do whatever it takes to winÙ«" Leona mused.
"Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, huh?" Jack thought over aloudÙ« "Fine. Let's spend the next two days staking Azul out and looking for our chance to shred that contract scroll!"
So you were back to stalking again. Great...
"Well, good luck with that, froshesÙ«" Leona regarded.
"Whaaa?! After all that talk, you're not gonna help us?" Grim questioned.
"Why should I? I practically wrote the answer for you in crayon already. You guys can figure the rest out yourselves. LaterÙ«" Leona retortedÙ« seeming as if he was currently trying to actively avoid looking at you.
"On that note, I'm out too, Good luck, guys!" Ruggie called backÙ« following after his housewarden.
"Th-that's just heartless!" Grim cried out.
â„
The following day at lunchÙ« youÙ« JackÙ« and Grim filled the card duo in on what Leona and Ruggie told you.
"Finding a way to tear up an unbreakable contract?" Ace wonderedÙ« "Sweet! It's def underhanded, but hey."
"That approach does seem like it would have a far better prospect of working. I have to agree with Ace here, thoughÙ«" Deuce noted.
"Aw, shaddup! If we stick to our morals, we'll be stuck with morays!" Grim complained; you shivered at the thought.
"That, and Azul's group cast the first stoneÙ«" Jack pointed outÙ« "They told us to get a photo from under the sea, fully intending to thwart us at every turn. Leona may play dirty, but he's a brilliant playmaker. I think his idea's worth a shot."
"Can we maybe not say the same thing over and over?" Deuce pleaded.
"Brrr. Just remembering those twins chasin' us around in the water gives me the shivers!" Grim thought back.
"Rgh. If only blastcycles worked underwater. Then they would've been eating my dust!" The bluenette lamented.
"Uh huh. Suuure, Loosey-DeuceyÙ«" Ace brushed offÙ« "So... Mermen, huh. The Leech brothers are morays; I get that part.
Is Azul like them when he's under the sea?"
"I remember Leona referring to him as a 'cephalo-punk,' for what that's worthÙ«" Jack recalled.
"As in, cephalopod? So is he, like, an octo-merman?" Deuce asked in disbelief.
"Myah! If he got a bunch of legs in the water, he'd be even more dangerous than the morays!" Grim exclaimed.
Jack agreedÙ« "No kiddin'. Which is why we're trying to brainstorm an approach that doesn't involve fighting them on their own turf."
For some reasonÙ« it set off a bell in your head that Azul was oneÙ« but you couldn't quite remember why. AlsoÙ« if you had to be honestÙ« it sounded pretty cool after you got past the scary part...ActuallyÙ« you just managed to think of a good first step.
"Our first job is locating the contract scrollÙ«" you stated.
"That vault in the VIP room did stand out like a sore thumb...Ù«" Jack thought.
"Great! There's our angle. Let's sneak into Octavinelle right now!" Grim excitedly declared.
"Nobody should be there on lunch break before the lounge opens. Let's goÙ«" Deuce added.
â„
"The coast is clearÙ«" Grim called outÙ« "Okay, boys (and lady), follow me!"
"Looks like you were right. There's not a soul in sightÙ«" Jack observed.
"The vault's double-locked. It needs a passcode and a keyÙ«" Deuce noticed.
"Shoot! Someone's coming!" Jack warned.
"Ah, crud. Quick, hide!" Ace called.
And for some odd reasonÙ« everyone scrambled under the desk to hide. You found the hiding spot firstÙ« and it was a good one until it became overpopulated.
"So...cramped...Jack, why you gotta be so big?!" The redhead cursed.
"Wanna say that again?" The giant wolf threatened.
"Hey, don't move!" Ace fussed.
Before longÙ« you all heard a clicking noiseÙ« followed by Azul's voice.
"Now, then..."
A series noises sounded from the vault before it audibly creaked open.
"Hey...Those are the contracts we signed!" Deuce muttered.
"So he's been keeping 'em in the vault after allÙ«" Ace realized.
"He's counting those contracts like they're a wad of bills! Look at that smirk on his faceÙ«" Grim shouted in a hushed tone.
"What a twisted pastime...Ù«" Jack murmured.
"Ahhh. That's that. I'd better be getting back nowÙ«" Azul spoke aloud before closing the vault door with a loud creak and slam. ThenÙ« it locked as he walked away. You couldn't quite tell whatÙ« but something was definitely suspicious here.
"Phew!"
Everyone finally moved from under the insanely cramped desk.
"We were THIS close to gettin' noticedÙ«" Grim cried.
"Wait, look! He left a contract out on the tableÙ«" Jack pointed out.
"For real?! Lucky us! Let's swipe it and see if we can tear it upÙ«" Ace cheered.
"Who knew Azul was so sloppy with this stuff?" Grim smugly grinned.
You felt it shouldn't have been that easyÙ« though. No way would Azul be careless enough to have a whole vault for his contracts but leave one out of it...
"Let's see what we got here...Ù«" Grim declaredÙ« reaching out to get a hold of the contract.
You were soon proven right when all five of you were hit with a sudden sharp jolt of electricity.
"AGHAGHAGHAGHAGH!!!"
"MRAAAH! My whole body's paralyzed!"
None of you could moveÙ« all frozen from the electric shock your bodies were so suddenly subjected to.
Soon you heard eerie laughterÙ« the kind that made you sick to your stomachÙ« "Bwaaa ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!"
"Dear me. You're all twitching like you got attacked by an electric catfishÙ«" you heard Azul taunt as he reentered with the TweelsÙ« "You look positively silly."
Instead of stopping beside AzulÙ« the twins continued to practically slither towards youÙ« causing a growl to begin resounding from Jack's chest as they got closer.
"You were onto us the whole time?!" The wolf demanded.
"Of course I was: Your fluffy tail was perfectly visible under the deskÙ«" the mer pointed outÙ« "It would appear you were trying to steal the contracts...Unfortunately for you, they're rigged to jolt anyone who touches them aside from myself.
"So the whole thing was a setup?!" Ace demanded.
"I told you that my contracts are completely unbreakableÙ«" Azul reminded.
Floyd had begun to smush your cheeks together with one hand so that he could hold your face in place to show off the new wound you had personally inflicted. He paused for a minuteÙ« thoughÙ« purely to mock the others in your group.
"Aha ha ha! What a bunch of schmucks! Why would you even try when you know how this is gonna go?"
Jade snickeredÙ« "Floyd, don't laugh at the poor things. That's just mean. They're wracking their little peabrains. This is simply the best they could come up with. Heh heh heh." He used to a finger to tilt you face to his directionÙ« delighting in your frustration.
"Trying to steal someone else's valuables merits a proper punishment, wouldn't you say?" Azul hummed.
"Indeed. They need to be taught a firm lesson so that they never think of doing it againÙ«" Jade concurred.
"I'm gonna squeeze you all, ooone byyy oooneÙ«" Floyd sang out.
"And what about their leader?" Azul quirked a brow at the Tweel.
"How could you say such a thingÙ«" Jade feigned shockÙ« putting a hand over his heart.
"Little Shrimpy's a special caseÙ«" Floyd repliedÙ« moving wrap his arms around you protectively.
"Rgh...Watch out, guys! Incoming!" Jack growled.
The boys seemed scared at the possibility of hitting youÙ« so they focused the majority of their energy on Azul instead. But even with all four of them focused on himÙ« he was still a housewarden and much stronger by miles.
Jack huffed out breaths before managing outÙ« "Argh...I never knew housewardens were this powerful!"
"Let that be a lesson to you. NEVER try to steal my contracts againÙ«" Azul proclaimedÙ« basking in his victory.
MeanwhileÙ« the Tweels were perfectly content with letting him do all the work while they enjoyed tormenting you. They seemed to have come up with a sort of game of taking turns opening their mouths at you and growing smug when you didn't give the other the reaction he wanted. You felt like crawling in a hole and dying.
"Shouldn't you guys be hustling over to the Atlantica Memorial Museum?" Floyd wondered in amusement.
"Your deadline is sunset tomorrow. The clock is ticking, you knowÙ«" Jade reminded.
"Then again, after we're done workin' you over, you'll be spending the rest of that time passed out in the nurse's office!" The former addedÙ« not even bothering to look at them while he cooed at you like some sort of toddler.
Gazing past themÙ« you could see the others visibly seething.
"I summon thee, cauldron!" Ace shouted. What the hell?!
"Hey! Don't crib my magic!" Deuce complained.
Floyd grinnedÙ« "Didn't we go over this yesterday? You'll never touch me with that! Bind the Heart!"
He let go to cast the spellÙ« so you used it as your opportunity to scurry away. Did Ace actually think that far ahead? What do you know? A broken clock really is still right twice a day.
"Floyd! Watch where you're directing that spell!" Azul screamedÙ« "You've aimed right for the vault, you fool!"
"Whoopsie-daisy. Sorry about thatÙ«" the eel casually replied.
"No...The door's damaged! The dial and hinges aren't shot, are they?! Phew. Okay, good."
Weird...Why would he be so worried about the vault if the contracts were really so invulnerable? Wouldn't worrying over some vault door be overkill?
The octo mer continued to scoldÙ« "How many times have I told you not to use your signature spell so carelessly?! What will it take to get it through your head?!"
"I said I was sorry, okay? You don't gotta get all bent outta shape over one little dingÙ«" Floyd complained.
"You'd have me save my protestations for when it's completely demolished, then?!
"Okay, you two, settle down. Otherwise...they'll get away."
"Huh?"
"Now's our chance! So long, suckers!" Grim yelled back.
"Hey, wait!" Azul called outÙ« "Jade! Floyd! After them!"
"Gettin' yelled at kinda harshed my vibeÙ«" Floyd pouted.
"Is that really relevant right now? How can you let moods dictate your behavior so much?!"
They're voices got less and less audible as the lot of you made a run for itÙ« not stopping until you all made it to the Hall of Mirrors.
"Phew. I was scared stiff thereÙ«" Deuce admitted.
"We wouldn't be in this mess if you weren't such a huge target, JackÙ«" Ace grumbled.
"Whâhey! I just work out more than you guys! What's wrong with that?! BesidesÙ« wolves are naturally large creaturesÙ«" he defended.
"Well, we can't tear the contracts up. We can't even touch them as things standÙ«" Deuce sighed.
"I think we'd better call it a dayÙ«" Jack thought aloud.
"We wasted a whole day, and for what? Nothin'Ù«" Grim huffed.
"Is there really a way to shred those dumb things?" Ace lamented.
"Something's nagging at meÙ«" you murmured.
â„
Later that nightÙ« you seemed to walk back to Ramshackle out of pure habit. Just one more day until you lost your dump of a dorm. You were honestly starting to warm up to the decrepitÙ« old building. SoonÙ« you were brought out of your thoughts by floating yellow-green lights. A strangeÙ« but prettyÙ« sight. ThenÙ« a familiar face appeared; one you that didn't fill you with anxietyÙ« for once.
"Hm? You're...Ù«" he began.
"You're Hornton!" You exclaimed.
"Hornton? Who is that? Are you...referring to me?"
"You said I could call you a name of my choosingÙ«" you reminded.
He began to laugh; his laugh was so elegantly beautiful that it left you in awe.
"Heh...Hmhm. Ha ha ha! Me, being called 'Hornton'! You really are fearless, it seems. No matter. It was I who told you to use a name of your choosing. I'll indulge this liberty and permit you to refer to me by your...curious nickname. By the by, l've noticed that this dorm has seemed rowdier as of late. Are you taking in more students?"
"Actually...Ù«" you sighedÙ« and somehow ended up finding yourself ranting to Hornton about the whole ordeal.
"What? You made a deal with Ashengrotto? Well...I suppose that does explain it. Then once the sun sets tomorrow, I suppose this place will belong to him and become a hotspot for noisy studentsÙ«" he surmisedÙ« but looked slightly amused once peering at your expressionÙ« "Heh. You look like you take issue with my statement. You don't like me speaking as though your loss is a given?"
Hornton went quiet for a few secondsÙ« looking away from you as if he felt bad for hurting your feelings.
"Incidentally, the walls of this dorm have some rather impressive gargoyle sculptures."
"Gargoyles?" You repeated.
"At first glance, these gargoyles appear to be imposing, dangerous monsters...But in reality, they are a kind of drainage spout built to keep rainwater from sullying the walls. They look frightful, and yet they are beings devoted to the preservation of their home."
"There's a stark contrast between what they do and how they look, huh?" You concluded.
"Sometimes, what you see with your eyes is the complete opposite of the truthÙ«" Hornton explainedÙ« "And...I, too, would prefer to avoid this place becoming rowdy every night. Continue fighting to protect your dorm."
Before you could say anything elseÙ« Hornton disappeared in a flash of light.
"So what I see...isn't always the truth?" You thought out loudÙ« "Hornton sure enjoys acting like he's got all the answers."
â„
Back in Leona's roomÙ« you were sadly made to work before you could rest.
"Your job for today is to clean Leona's roomÙ«" Ruggie informed.
"You'd better earn your room and board, herbivores."
"Between Azul bossin' me around at work and Leona doin' it at home, I'm a mess. UuughÙ«" Grim groaned.
You couldn't believe you were cleaning up after a grown ass man. And he was just watching from the comfort of his bed. Unbelievable...
"Start by putting all his randomly-discarded clothes into the laundry basket, then clean off his deskÙ«" the hyena instructedÙ« "Accessories go in this drawer. Books go on that shelf. Once the desk is clear, wipe it off with a dustcloth.
"You're not a cub. You should know how to clean up after yourselfÙ«" Grim mutteredÙ« and you grumbled in agreement.
"Hm? Care to run that one by me again?"
"Eep! I-I didn't say nothin'Ù«" your companion squeaked. "Okay, I'll start cleanin' the pile of stuff offa this desk...Whoa! He left some expensive-lookin' jewelry just lyin' around. And there's his wallet! W-with this much stuff around, surely he wouldn't notice one little thing goin' missing, right? That's what he gets for not puttin' this stuff under lock and key. Nyeh heh heh..."
Ruggie quickly intervened while chidingÙ« "Don't even try it. That one's mine to nabâuh, i mean, he'd know immediately if something was unaccounted for. I keep telling you to stop leaving your valuables out in the open, Leona. You're gonna get robbed blind one of these days!"
"Ah, shut your trap. What are you, my mom?" The lion irritably waved offÙ« "So what if my stuff gets stolen, anyway?
It's no big deal. I say if someone's got the guts to steal from me, they can go right ahead."
"But it IS a big deal! That's my point! It's all fun and games being rich until the day you suddenly feel the penny drop. They're called 'valuables' for a reasonÙ«" Ruggie scolded before mutteringÙ« "This is what drives me nuts about you silver-spoon types..."
"THAT'S IT!" You suddenly exclaimed.
"Whoa! What's gotten into you, ___?" Grim questionÙ« visibly taken aback.
"Oi. Bring the volume down a notchÙ«" Leona fussed.
"They're in the vault because they're NOT unbreakable!" You excitedly elaboratedÙ« "He doesn't want the contract scrolls to be stolen!"
"Huh?" Ruggie smirked.
"Hah...Ha ha ha! Of course! I get it nowÙ«" Leona laughedÙ« "That's an intriguing line of thinking.
âHuh? What'd I miss?" Grim obliviously wondered.
"Here, I'll explain...Ù«" Leona offered.
"Ohhh, I getcha! NOW it makes sense! Now that we've got a weak point to exploit, let's bust into Octavinelle right now!"
"There's just one problem with thatÙ«" Ruggie cut in.
"Myah?"
"If ___'s read is right, then the Leech brothers are sure to show up and interfere. Honestly, they're a bigger hurdle to you guys than the vault itself."
"For cryin' out loud...We're so close, I can almost taste it!" Grim cried.
"So if the Leech brothers weren't present...Ù«" you started to plot.
"Hey. I've got a good idea of where you're going with this, so I'll get this outta the way now... I'm not helping. No way, no howÙ«" Leona refusedÙ« "The last thing I need is to get dragged into someone else's mess. Especially when that cephalo-punk is involved."
"Same goes for me. Don't even askÙ«" Ruggie chimed in.
"Hmph. You guys're real fairweather friends, y'know that?" Grim huffed.
Despite their wordsÙ« the two of them seemed to be watching youÙ« as if they were waiting for something. What? Did they want you to beg again?!
"Grim...Play along with me on this oneÙ«" you grinned at the furball. You had plans that were gonna be much more entertaining than begging. For youÙ« at least.
This was sooo good (i might be a little biased as a floyd girl)!!! Sometimes I hate how quickly I read through the chapters because I just want to stay in this story! Your writing is so good and I just love how I can tell how much thought and care goes into each piece! I get so excited whenever there's a new update! This has honestly become one of my favorite fics and absolutely my favorite twisted wonderland fic!!!
[ âž ] â you arrive at camp skz ready for cabins, campfires, and the particular kind of crisis only a child with wet socks can create. you are not ready for changbin, who turns out to be built, funny, stubbornly helpful, and much too good at making kids feel brave. by the end of summer, cabin fever has less to do with the woods and everything to do with the boy you keep finding beside you.
[ â° ] â event masterlist - schedule
[ â ] â 9k
[ â ] â camp counselor!changbin x camp counselor!reader coworkers to lovers slow burn? camp shenanigans graphic & detailed smut oral ( f receiving ) squirting
[ âïž ] â aaaaaand we're back! first of allâplease listen to because and endless sun. these capture the vibe of this fic best <3 i'm so excited for you to get to know my big, beefy, softy camp counselor husband. this boy is quietly c o n f i d e n t over lifeguard!chris's loud cockiness, which is a little refreshing...but just wait until you get to the smut scene đ so happy to see everyone's response to the event so far <3 so without further ado, enjoy hunnies, and please like, reblog, and comment to show your supportâit really does mean a lot to us writers. and i LOVE seeing what you guys think! feedback is always appreciated. love you all so much! mwah!
The first thing you saw when Chaewon turned off the main road was a wooden sign nailed between two posts at the edge of the trees.
CAMP SKZ
Strength. Kindness. Zeal.
You stared at it through the windshield, your iced coffee sweating between your knees.
âScreaming. Kid. Zoo,â you said.
Chaewon laughed hard enough that the car swerved slightly on the gravel. âWe havenât even parked yet, bitch.â
âIâm preparing myself.â
âYouâre going to love it.â
The road curved beneath a canopy of pine trees before opening into a clearing. Cabins sat in neat rows along dirt paths, dark green with cream trim and little wooden signs hanging near the steps. The main lodge stood at the center of camp with a wraparound porch and a bell mounted beside the door. Farther down, the lake flashed blue through the trees, bright under the afternoon sun.
Counselors were already everywhere. Some carried bags. Some dragged coolers. Someone near the sports field was fighting with a volleyball net that had wrapped itself around his leg. Music played faintly from somewhere near the mess hall, interrupted by laughter, shouts, and the slam of car doors.
Chaewon parked beside Cabin Three and turned off the engine.
You sat there for a second.
She nudged your arm. âYou okay?â
âYeah,â you said. âJust accepting that I voluntarily gave up six weeks of air conditioning.â
âYou also gained practical experience for your social work degree.â
âI couldâve done that indoors.â
âYou wouldâve hated indoors.â
You opened your door and stepped into warm air that smelled like pine, dust, sunscreen, and lake water. You grabbed your backpack and reached for your duffel just as someone jogged past the parking area carrying two stacked coolers against his chest. He moved quickly over the gravel, shoulders broad beneath a fitted gray shirt, arms locked around the cooler handles like they weighed nothing. His black shorts clung to thick thighs, and his hair was damp at the edges from the heat.
A voice called from the lodge porch. âChangbin! Chan said those go by the mess hall!â
The guy turned his head. âI know. Iâm saving them from Jisung.â
âI didnât do anything!â another voice yelled from inside.
âYet.â
âNo one respects me here!â
The guy, Changbin, laughed and kept walking.
You realized you were still holding your duffel strap without lifting it.
Chaewon followed your gaze. âOh,â she said.
You pulled the bag from the trunk. âWhat?â
âYouâre studying social work, not anatomy, girlfriend.â
You shoved your backpack higher on your shoulder and started toward the lodge. âKeep talking and Iâll request a different roommate cabin.â
âYou canât. I already claimed you.â
âUnfortunately.â
Inside the lodge, the main room was full of folding chairs, clipboards, name tags, and counselors trying to look normal while silently judging where to sit. You followed Chaewon to two chairs near the middle. A woman with a neat ponytail and a staff binder stood at the front, speaking to a guy who nodded with his whole attention.
âThatâs Director Hong,â Chaewon whispered. âShe runs the camp.â
A few minutes later, Director Hong clapped her hands once, and the room quieted.
âWelcome to Camp SKZ,â she said. âFor those of you returning, welcome back. For those of you joining us for the first time, weâre glad youâre here. The next three days are staff training. Campers arrive on day four, which means you have three days to learn the grounds, your roles, the emergency procedures, and each other.â
Introductions came next.
Chan went first. He was the head counselor, assigned to leadership games, campfire circles, evening reflections, and night rounds. He had a calm, friendly way of speaking that made the room settle around him.
Minho handled nature trails and animal care, introducing himself plainly before telling everyone not to touch anything with teeth, venom, suspicious coloring, or an attitude.
Jisung ran games, skits, and cabin competitions, which explained why he had already made three people laugh before orientation started.
Hyunjin handled arts, mural painting, and talent show costumes, speaking with enough passion about glitter supervision that even Director Hong looked amused.
Felix ran the baking club and kindness crew, warm and bright as he explained that campers would make simple treats and write notes for each other throughout the week.
Seungmin handled music, morning announcements, and talent show rehearsals with a polite smile that made it clear he would absolutely make children rehearse until they got the words right.
Jeongin led beginner archery and team games, relaxed and confident with a whistle already hanging around his neck.
Then Changbin stood.
You made a point of looking at his face, but it didnât help much.
âIâm Changbin,â he said, one hand lifting in a small wave. âIâm studying kinesiology. Iâll be running athletics, strength challenges, canoe safety drills, and helping with any activity where someone might decide theyâre stronger than common sense.â
Jisung leaned back in his chair with a frown. âYou can just say my name.â
âI was being polite.â
âNo, you werenât.â
âI was trying.â
The female counselors followed.
Bestie Chaewon handled drama games and cabin bonding, which fit her perfectly because she could make forced group activities feel almost normal.
Yunjin led waterfront activities and swim safety, sunglasses perched on her head, whistle ready, voice strong enough to cut across a lake.
Minji ran crafts and friendship bracelets, sweet until she began discussing bead organization with startling seriousness.
Hanni handled dance and movement games, smiling as she promised to make even reluctant campers move by the end of the summer.
Nari took quiet hour, the reading corner, and puzzles, her voice soft but steady.
Jisoo led gardening and outdoor science, already excited about the herb beds and the little greenhouse behind the mess hall.
Kazuha handled yoga, stretching, and morning warm-ups by the lake.
When it was your turn, you stood with your clipboard against your chest. âIâm studying social work,â you said. âIâll be helping with camper care, cabin check-ins, conflict resolution, and general emotional damage control.â
Chan nodded solemnly. âWeâll need that.â
âEspecially from the counselors,â Seungmin said, glancing at Jisiung.
Jisung pointed at him. âYou all are obsessed with me.â
âI didnât name you.â
âYou looked right at me.â
You sat back down, and Chaewon leaned toward you.
âGood intro,â she whispered.
âThanks. I blacked out.â
After orientation, Director Hong walked everyone through the rules. No campers alone near the lake. No hiking without two counselors. No food in cabins unless you wanted bugs, raccoons, or a lecture from Minho. No swimming without Yunjin present. No campfires without Chan or Director Hong. No using the emergency golf cart unless it was a real emergency.
Jisung raised his hand. âWhat counts as a real emergency?â
Director Hong looked at him.
He lowered his hand. âI know.â
Staff week moved quickly after that.
You unpacked in Cabin Three with Chaewon, fought over the bed by the window, lost because Chaewon had already put her pillow there. You toured the mess hall, infirmary, craft cabin, waterfront, sports field, hiking trails, storage sheds, and the little patch of garden beds behind the kitchen. By the end of the first day, your shoes were dusty, your shirt clung to your back, and you had already learned that camp maps looked cute until you were the person trying to follow them.
You also learned that Changbin was very helpful.
He carried coolers. He moved tables. He fixed a wobbly bench outside the mess hall because he had noticed it during the tour. He helped Minji lift craft bins onto a high shelf. He took a stack of folded camp shirts from Felix before Felix could insist he had them. He moved through camp like his body was always ready to be useful.
On the second day, you rotated through everyoneâs activity areas so you could understand where campers might need support. Baking club with Felix smelled like cinnamon and sugar even before anything went in the oven. Arts with Hyunjin involved brush washing rules, canvas labeling, and a warning that creative freedom did not include painting on cabin walls again. Quiet hour with Nari was peaceful enough that you considered hiding there until August.
Then you reached athletics.
Changbin stood under the shade of a large oak with his clipboard tucked under one arm. He had changed into black shorts and a sleeveless staff shirt, which felt deeply unnecessary and also unavoidable. Sweat had dampened the hair at the nape of his neck. His shoulders looked broad enough to be unfair.
You walked up beside him and forced yourself to look at the equipment.
âSocial work has brought me to sandbags,â you said.
He laughed. âYou sound thrilled.â
âIâm open-minded.â
âYou look suspicious.â
âI can be both.â
He walked you through each station. Relay races for teamwork. Obstacle courses for confidence. Strength challenges adjusted by age. Balance games for campers who hated running but still wanted to feel included. He spoke clearly, not rushing, and every explanation came back to safety and encouragement.
âYou really thought this out,â you said.
He shrugged. âKids remember when adults make them feel weak.â
You looked at him. He kept his eyes on the field. âI donât want to be that guy.â
The answer stayed with you longer than you expected.
Later that afternoon, during canoe safety training, Changbin demonstrated emergency carries with Jisung, who seemed far too excited to be rescued.
âLift me like I matter,â Jisung said, standing with his arms out.
Changbin sighed. âYou matter less every time you speak.â
âCruel.â
Changbin still lifted him easily, shifting Jisung over his shoulder while the group clapped and laughed.
You watched the movement of Changbinâs arms, the stability in his stance, the way he carried Jisung like it cost him almost nothing. Changbin set him down and looked across the group.
âAnyone else want to try being carried?â
His eyes landed on you. You felt heat creep up your neck.
âNo,â you said immediately.
He grinned. âI didnât say your name.â
âYou looked at me.â
âYou can hear smiles and read looks now?â
âWith enough suspicion, yes.â
He crossed his arms, which did not help the arm situation. âScared?â
That was unfair.
You pushed your clipboard into Chaewonâs chest and stepped forward. âFine.â
Changbin crouched in front of you. âPiggyback is easiest.â
âDonât drop me.â
He looked back over his shoulder. âYou think Iâm going to drop you?â
âI just met you yesterday.â
He laughed, and you climbed onto his back before you could overthink it. His hands hooked securely under your thighs, warm through your shorts. Your arms settled around his shoulders. He stood slowly, and your stomach dropped for reasons that had nothing to do with height.
He was solid beneath you. Steady. âYou good?â he asked.
âFine.â
âYou sound tense.â
âYouâre holding my thighs in front of coworkers.â
His laugh came out low. âThat would do it.â
He carried you across the grass with no visible effort, taking even steps while everyone watched. You tried to keep your face neutral. It was difficult when his shoulders moved beneath your arms and his hands stayed firm under your legs.
âStill good?â he asked.
âYou ask a lot of questions.â
âIâm responsible.â
âYouâre showing off.â
âAlso that.â
You laughed, and his grip tightened for half a second before he lowered you carefully back to the grass. When your feet touched down, he didnât immediately move away. Neither did you.
Chaewon coughed behind you. âSo educational.â
You turned and snatched your clipboard from her hands.
By the time campers arrived the next morning, the staff had fallen into a loose rhythm.Â
You also learned that Changbin could not say no when someone asked for help. That became obvious before lunch on the first camper day.
He carried luggage. Then more luggage. Then a stack of bunk mattresses someone wanted moved. Then water jugs. Then a box of sports jerseys. Then he tried to help Jisoo carry soil to the garden beds and almost walked straight into Director Hong.
âChangbin,â she said.
He froze with a bag of soil against his chest. âYes?â
âHave you eaten?â
He opened his mouth, then closed it. She raised her eyebrows.
You walked over and took the clipboard tucked under his arm. âIâll finish check-ins for athletics. Go eat.â
âIâm fine.â
âYouâre sweating through your shirt and you just tried to put gardening soil in the sports shed.â
He looked down at the bag.
Jisoo gently took it from him. âThis oneâs mine.â
Changbin rubbed the back of his neck. âRight.â
You pointed toward the mess hall. âFood.â
He smiled, sheepish. âYouâre kind of scary.â
âIâm practicing for my future career.â
He leaned closer as he passed. âItâs working.â
Your heart kicked hard against your ribs.
The campers turned Camp SKZ into exactly what you had expected and nothing like you had imagined.
They arrived shy, loud, tearful, excited, sticky, sunburned, already missing home, already making friends, already losing water bottles. By the end of the first day, you had learned that a seven-year-old could cry over the wrong bunk with full-body devastation, a nine-year-old could ask forty-three questions about snakes without breathing, and a twelve-year-old could clock adult tension with terrifying accuracy.
Her name was Aria. She was in Cabin Five, wore friendship bracelets up both arms, and had the steady gaze of someone who missed nothing.
She found you on the second day while you were helping pass out orange slices after relay races.
âDo you like Counselor Changbin?â
You dropped an orange slice. âWhat?â
Aria looked over at Changbin, who was crouched by the water cooler helping a younger camper tie his shoe. âBecause he likes you.â
You crouched to pick up the orange. âYou should eat more fruit.â
âThatâs not an answer.â
âYouâre very direct.â
âMy mom says that.â
âSheâs right.â
Aria took an orange slice from the bowl and narrowed her eyes. âHe gets smiley when you walk over.â
âI think heâs just friendly, Aria.â
âNo, Counselor Felix is friendly. Counselor Changbin is smiley.â
She walked away before you could recover. Across the field, Changbin looked up and caught your eye and smiled while waving.
Damn it.
The first two weeks moved in heat, noise, and routine.
You spent most days moving wherever you were needed. You helped Milo, a quiet camper who hated being away from home, find a book in Nariâs reading corner. You sat with Theo after he scraped his knee and insisted he could see bone. You mediated a fight between two girls who both wanted to be âthe moonâ in Hyunjinâs talent show backdrop. And you helped Felix talk a younger camper through the devastation of spilling flour everywhere.
Changbinâs athletics area quickly became one of the busiest parts of camp. Kids liked him because he made everything feel possible. He gave them choices. He let them try again. He celebrated effort without making it sound fake.
He was also extremely competitive.
You learned this during the first staff game night, when Jisung suggested charades and Changbin treated it like an Olympic event.
âNo, no, no,â he said, leaning over the table as Chan pulled a slip from the bowl. âWe need categories. We need a system.â
âItâs charades,â you said.
âIt's a competition.â
âItâs people pretending to be lawn mowers.â
âAnd we should win by being the best lawn mowers.â
âYou almost made Felix cry because he guessed pancake instead of waffle.â
Changbin turned to Felix. âI apologized.â
Felix smiled gently. âYou did.â
You and Changbin kept ending up together after that. Sometimes it was staff scheduling. Sometimes it was Chaewonâs interference. Sometimes it was the campers, who started treating you like a matched set after Color War planning began. Sometimes it was just you finding him across the mess hall without meaning to, or him appearing beside you with an extra water bottle because you had forgotten yours again.
He was kind in ways that didnât ask for attention.
His body was easy to notice. Everyone noticed it. The arms, the shoulders, the thighs, the way his staff shirt pulled across his chest when he lifted something heavy without thinking.
But the rest of him was harder to ignore.
By week three, Color War began.
Director Hong announced it at breakfast, and the mess hall exploded. Campers cheered, counselors groaned, Jisung stood on a bench until Chan told him to get down, and Seungmin immediately demanded rules in writing so he could find loopholes.
The teams were divided after lunch. Chan and Minji led Green. Yunjin and Felix led Blue. Minho and Nari led Purple. Hyunjin and Hanni led Yellow. Seungmin and Jisoo led Red.
You and Changbin got Orange.
Jisung and Jeongin were in charge of scorekeeping, which everyone was okay with.
âWhy donât I get a team?â Jisung demanded.
âBecause last year you taught your team psychological warfare,â Chan said.
âIt worked.â
âA camper cried because you told him Blue had eyes everywhere.â
âThat was unrelated.â
âIt was very related,â Jeongin said, pressing his lips together.
Orange team met under the shade of a pine tree after breakfast. You had twelve campers, including Milo, Theo, Aria, and two sisters who immediately asked if they could be co-captains.
Changbin clapped his hands once. âOkay. Team name ideas.â
âOrange Crushers,â Theo said.
âFire Tigers,â one of the sisters offered.
âCheese,â Milo said.
Everyone looked at him.
He shrugged. âOrange cheese.â
Changbin nodded seriously. âStrong option.â
You covered your mouth to keep from laughing.
Changbin crouched in front of the group. âWhat about Fire Foxes?â
Milo raised his hand slowly. âCan foxes be scared?â
âSure,â you said. âBrave doesnât mean youâre not scared.â
Milo nodded. âThen yes.â
So orange became the Fire Foxes.
Color War lasted three days and nearly ended several friendships.
There were relay races, canoe races, trivia, tug-of-war, obstacle courses, banner painting, skit battles, water balloon tosses, and one very serious marshmallow tower competition. Changbin treated every event like the championship match of his life, but he was never harsh with the kids. He got loud, encouraging, and ridiculous. He let Theo paint orange stripes across his cheeks, and carried Milo on his shoulders during the chant competition when Milo got too nervous to stand in front.
You tried to pretend it didnât affect you.
The tug-of-war was the worst though.
Orange faced Blue in the final round. Yunjin stood on the opposite side with Felix and their team, looking far too confident. Changbin positioned the Fire Foxes along the rope, checking their hands and feet.
âLean back,â he told them. âUse your legs. Listen to each other. Donât yank early.â
Theo bounced in place. âCan we yell?â
âAbsolutely.â
You stood beside Changbin at the back of the line. âYouâre more excited than they are.â
âI love tug-of-war.â
âI can tell.â
âWeâre going to win.â
âYou know theyâre children, right?â
âOur children.â
You looked at him sharply.
He didnât seem to realize what he had said until a second later. His ears turned red.
You smiled slowly. âOur children?â
âTeam children.â
âSure.â
âDonât make it weird.â
âYou made it weird.â
Jeongin blew the whistle, and the rope snapped tight.
The Fire Foxes screamed immediately, some pulling in sync, some just making noise. Changbin planted his feet behind the last camper and shouted encouragement over their heads.
âLean back! Good! Good, Milo, keep going! Theo, feet down! There you go!â
You shouted with him, laughing when Felixâs team began chanting âBlue! Blue! Blue!â across the line.
âOrange!â Changbin yelled.
âOrange!â the kids answered.
The flag in the center wavered. For a moment, Blue pulled ahead. Then Milo, face red with effort, yelled, âFire Foxes unite!â The entire Orange team screamed and pulled.
The flag crossed the line. Orange won.
The kids lost their minds. Theo threw himself at Changbinâs waist. Aria grabbed your hand and jumped up and down. Milo smiled so widely it made your chest hurt.
Changbin looked at you over the chaos, face bright with sweat and orange face paint. âWe won,â he said.
You laughed. âWe did.â
He held up his hand. You high-fived him, but he caught your fingers for half a second before letting go. It was quickâprobably nothing. But your heart treated it like something.
Week four was when everyone started to wear down.
The first burst of summer excitement had softened into exhaustion. Campers were homesick again in smaller, quieter ways. Counselors snapped at each other more easily. The heat pressed over the camp every afternoon until even Jisung ran out of energy.
Changbin began overdoing it again.
You saw it before anyone else did. He stayed late to fix the shed door. He covered Jeonginâs team games when Jeongin got a headache. He carried supplies to the waterfront. He helped Chan with night rounds. He ran athletics all morning, then joined canoe drills because Yunjin needed another adult.
Then the accident happened.
Minho led a nature hike with Cabin Four and Cabin Five, and you joined because Milo had been anxious that morning and asked if you were coming. Changbin came because the trail dipped near the creek and Director Hong wanted another counselor there. Jisung came because he claimed hikes needed a morale boost, which Minho argued against until Chan said it might help keep the campers entertained.
It was warm but not miserable under the trees. The campers moved in uneven clusters, stopping to look at mushrooms, interesting rocks, and one beetle that caused all the girls to scream. Jisoo identified plants along the way while Minho reminded everyone not to touch anything without asking.
Milo walked beside you near the back. âYou think there are bears?â he asked.
âNo.â
âYou said that fast.â
âBecause I feel confident.â
âWhat if thereâs one bear?â
âThen Changbin will ask it to join tug-of-war.â
Milo looked ahead at Changbin, who was helping Theo cross a muddy patch. âHe would win.â
âProbably.â
You heard Changbin laugh ahead of you, like he had caught part of it.
The trail narrowed after the creek. Minho led the group down a slope where roots crossed the dirt in thick lines. He warned everyone to go slowly. And for once, everyone listened.
Almost everyone.
Theo slipped first. His sneaker slid on loose dirt, and he grabbed at the closest thing to him, which happened to be your arm. You caught him before he fell fully, but the sudden pull knocked your weight sideways. Your foot landed wrong against a root, and pain shot through your ankle hard enough to make your vision flash.
You sat down fast, gripping Theoâs shoulder to keep him upright.
Changbin was there in seconds. âIâve got him,â he said, steadying Theo.
Theoâs face crumpled. âIâm sorry! I didnât mean to! I didnât mean to!â
You forced yourself to breathe through the pain. âHey, look at me. Youâre okay. Iâm okay.â
âYouâre hurt!â
âYeah, but Iâm not mad. Accidents happen.â
Minho crouched by your foot, careful as he checked the ankle. His face stayed calm, but his jaw tightened slightly. âCan you stand?â he asked.
You tried.Pain flared immediately.
âNope,â you said, sitting back down. âAbsolutely not.â
Jisung hovered behind him with wide eyes. âDo we need the emergency golf cart?â
Minho looked at the narrow trail. Jisung looked too. âRight,â he said. âNo golf cart.â
Changbin crouched in front of you. âIâll carry you.â
You looked at him. âItâs downhill.â
âI know.â
âThat makes it harder.â
âI know.â
âYouâre tired.â
His expression changed, just a little. âI can do it,â he said.
âBin.â
The campers had gone quiet, all watching.
Changbin lowered his voice. âLet me help you.â
Your throat tightened at the softness of it.
You sighed and then reluctantly nodded.
He turned and crouched. You climbed onto his back carefully, trying not to jostle your ankle. His hands slid under your thighs, secure and warm. He stood slowly, testing your weight before taking the first step.
âYou okay?â he asked.
âIâm conscious.â
âThatâs one thing.â
âMy pride is dead.â
âWeâll hold a service.â
You laughed despite the pain, forehead nearly brushing the back of his shoulder.
Minho led the group slowly. Jisung walked with the campers, distracting them with a story about the time he claimed to have been saved by a herd of deer.
Changbin moved carefully down the trail. Every step was controlled. You could feel the effort in his body, the way his back shifted beneath your chest, the way his breath deepened as the path dipped and turned. He warned you before uneven patches and tightened his grip when the ground got loose.
âYou still okay?â he asked after a few minutes.
âYouâre asking a lot of questions again.â
âYouâre injured on my back. Iâm allowed extra questions.â
âYou love extra questions.â
He laughed, breathless this time. âMaybe.â
You rested your cheek near his shoulder and stopped teasing.
By the time you reached the infirmary, your ankle was swollen, Theo was crying again, Milo had handed you a crushed granola bar from his pocket, and Changbinâs shirt was damp with sweat.
Nurse Park checked your ankle and declared it a mild sprain. Ice, rest, elevation, no hiking, and limited activity for a few days.
Theo stood by the doorway, face miserable. You waved him over and he came slowly.
âI really am sorry,â he said.
âI know,â you said. âAnd I really am okay.â
âYouâre not going to leave camp?â
âNo.â
His shoulders relaxed.
Changbin stood near the foot of the cot, arms crossed, eyes still on your ankle.
You looked at him. âYou okay?â
His gaze flicked up. He blinked. âMe?â
âYou carried me down half a trail.â
âIâm fine.â
You tilted your head.
He sighed. âIâm sweaty and I want water.â
âSee? Honesty. Growth.â
He smiled.
After that, the camp became unbearable because everyone had heard how Changbin carried you out of the woods.
Everyone.
By dinner, Jisung had already told three dramatic versions of the story. In one, Changbin had sprinted through the trees with you in his arms. In another, he had fought off a raccoon. In the third, he had lifted a fallen tree.
âThere was no raccoon,â you said, sitting at the staff table with your ankle propped on an extra chair.
Jisung ignored you. âThe raccoon had a knife.â
Minho set his tray down. âThere was no racoon.â
âYou werenât looking.â
âI was leading the hike.â
âExactly. Your back was turned. Raccoon opportunity.â
Changbin sat across from you, still looking tired, still looking pleased every time someone mentioned the carry even though he tried to hide it.
But underneath the jokes, something had changed.
Changbin stayed close. He walked you to meals. He carried your activity binder even when you told him not to. He sat with you during quieter parts of the day when your ankle had to stay elevated. He was careful not to hover in a way that made you feel helpless, but he noticed every wince, every shift, every time you tried to stand too quickly.
The final week came too fast.
Your ankle healed. The talent show took over the lodge. Hyunjin became intense about costumes, Hanni ran dance rehearsals until the campers begged for water breaks, Seungmin somehow got an entire group of ten-year-olds to sing on pitch, and Jisung hosted with enough chaotic confidence that everyone worried until it actually worked. Theo forgot his line during rehearsal, and Changbin crouched near the edge of the stage, gently telling him to say what he meant instead of worrying about perfect words.
On the final performance night, Theo did exactly that.
âCamp is scary at first,â he said, voice shaking into the microphone. âBut then it gets less scary because people help you.â
Half the staff cried, Jisung and Felix being the loudest.
The next day, families began arriving after breakfast. Campers who had spent six weeks claiming they were ready to go home suddenly clung to counselors like they were being sent across the ocean. Parents collected luggage, crafts, damp towels, missing socks, and stories their children told too loudly.
Milo found you near the cabins with his backpack on and his eyes wet.
âYouâre leaving too?â he asked.
âTomorrow,â you said.
He nodded, looking down. You crouched carefully in front of him. âYou did really well this summer.â
âI cried a lot.â
âBut you also tried a lot.â
He thought about that. Then he pulled something from his backpack and handed it to you. It was a folded piece of paper, soft at the edges from being carried around.
You opened it after he hugged you before running off to find his parents. It was a drawing of you, Changbin, Milo, and a fox standing under a tree. Above it, in uneven letters, he had written:
CAMP WAS THE BEST!
You folded the paper again and pressed it against your chest.
After the families left, the camp felt strange.
The staff gathered in the mess hall for one last dinner, though no one was as loud as usual. People looked tired and emotional, picking at pasta, trading stories, pretending the end of camp wasnât sitting right there beside them.
Later, as the sun started lowering behind the trees, Changbin found you outside Cabin Three.
He sat beside you, knees touching yours. You watched the empty field. The tire stacks were put away. The banners had been taken down. The volleyball net sagged slightly in the middle.
After a while, Changbin said, âDo you want to get out of here for a bit?â
You turned to him.
âThereâs a place,â he said. âPast the ridge. Smaller lake. Quiet. Minho showed me during staff week.â
âYouâre inviting me back into the woods.â
âI promise not to let you fall.â
âYou said that like someone with a hero complex.â
âI have a mild hero complex.â
âItâs not mild and you know it.â
He smiled. âCome with me anyway.â
You should have said no. There was packing to do. Cabins to sweep. Forms to finish. A duffel bag on your bunk, still half-empty because you kept pretending tomorrow was not happening.
But the camp was too quiet, and Changbin was looking at you like the summer was not finished with either of you yet.
âFine,â you said. âBut if I sprain anything else, Iâm billing you.â
âI accept the terms and conditions.â
The trail to the hidden lake was narrower than the others, tucked behind the older cabins and past a low ridge where the trees grew closer together. Changbin walked beside you, slowing when the ground got uneven even though your ankle had healed.
You noticed. He noticed you noticing.
âIâm not hovering,â he said.
âI didnât say anything.â
âYou were about to.â
You smiled. âMaybe.â
The farther you walked, the quieter the camp became behind you. Then the trail dipped, and opened suddenly. The lake sat between the trees, smaller than the main one and completely still near the shore. The water caught the late sunlight in warm strips. A narrow wooden dock stretched out from the bank, weathered and uneven, the planks glowing from the heat of the day.
You walked to the end and looked out. âDamn,â you said quietly.
Changbin stood beside you. âYeah.â
âYou hid this all summer?â
âI didnât hide it.â
âYou didnât mention it.â
âI was waiting.â
âFor what?â
He looked at you. âFor the right time.â
You turned back toward the water because it was safer than looking at him. âThat was smooth.â
âI can be smooth.â
A breeze crossed the lake, moving over your skin. The sun was lower now, gold touching his face and shoulders. He looked tired from the summer, hair a little messy, shirt wrinkled, small scratches on his forearms from camp work. He also looked calm in a way you had not seen often. No campers to watch. No equipment to carry. No schedule to chase.
Just him. Just you.
Changbin stepped closer. âI wanted to kiss you after Color War,â he said suddenly.
Your pulse jumped. You looked at him, stunned. âAfter tug-of-war?â
âYeah.â
âWhen you said our children?â
He closed his eyes briefly. âI was hoping you forgot that.â
âNot a chance.â
âI wanted to kiss you then,â he said, opening his eyes again. âAnd after the campfire. And pretty much every minute since I met you.â
Your throat tightened. âThatâs a lot of almost kissing.â
âI know.â
âWhy didnât you?â
He reached for your hand, his fingers brushing yours first, asking without words. You let him take it. âI didnât want to mess up camp,â he said. âOr make things awkward. Or make you feel like you had to let me down gently and then still eat breakfast across from me all summer.â
You smiled despite yourself. âThat wouldâve been horrible.â
âExactly.â
âYouâre very considerate.â
His thumb moved over your knuckles. You looked down at your joined hands, then back at him. âFor the record, I wanted you to kiss me too.â
His expression changed slowly. âYeah?â
âYeah.â
âWhen?â
You pretended to think. â Since staff week.â
He stared at you. âStaff week?â
âYou carried coolers.â
âThatâs all it took?â
You shrugged. âYou had arms.â
He laughed, surprised and bright.
And then you tugged him closer by the hand. His smile faded as he leaned in.
The first kiss was softer than you expected.
Careful. Warm. Slow enough that you felt the restraint in it. His hand came up to your cheek, thumb settling near your jaw, and your fingers curled into the front of his shirt.Â
You pulled him closer, and the kiss changed. His other hand found your waist. Yours slid up to his shoulder, then the back of his neck, damp curls brushing your fingers. He made a low sound against your mouth, and every almost from the past six weeks pressed into the space between you.
When you broke apart, his forehead rested against yours. âFuck,â he whispered.
You laughed softly, breathless. âThatâs one way to put it.â
âIâm trying to be normal.â
âHowâs that going?â
âBad.â
His hand tightened at your waist, and your stomach dipped.
The lake moved quietly beside the dock. You looked toward it and Changbin followed your gaze.
âNo,â you said.
âI didnât say anything.â
âYou thought something.â
âI was thinking the water looks nice.â
âYou were thinking skinny dipping.â
His mouth twitched. âI can think two things.â
You stared at him for a second. Then you stepped back and pulled your shirt over your head.
Changbin froze.
You dropped the shirt onto the dock. âAre you coming or not?â
He blinked once. âIâm coming alright.â
âDonât sound so shocked. You brought me to a secret lake at sunset after six weeks of almost kissing.â
âI didnât want to assume.â
âThat is, unfortunately, attractive.â
He laughed and pulled his own shirt over his head. You tried not to stare, but letâs be realâthat was impossible.
The summer had shown you enough of him to be dangerous. Sleeveless shirts. Swim days. Athletics demonstrations. His arms around coolers, ropes, paddles, sandbags. But this was different. Bare chest, strong shoulders, hard abdomen, water-bright light touching his skin. He noticed your eyes move over him, and the pleased look on his face made you want to shove him into the lake.
âYeah?â
âYou have been visually aggressive all summer, sir.â
âVisually aggressive?â
âYes.â
âThatâs not a real phrase.â
âIt is now.â
You unbuttoned your shorts before you lost your nerve, pushing them down your legs and stepping out of them. Changbinâs eyes dropped, then lifted quickly back to your face like he was trying to be respectful and failing in real time.
You smiled. âYeah?â
âIâm responding.â
âCute.â
He groaned. âDonât call me cute right now.â
âWhy?â
âBecause Iâm trying very hard not to embarrass myself.â
You stepped to the edge of the dock in your bra and underwear. âTry harder.â
Then you jumped.
The water was colder than you expected, closing over your head in a rush that shocked the heat right out of your skin. You came up gasping, pushing hair out of your face as Changbin laughed from the dock.
âThat was brave,â he called.
âThat was stupid. Get in.â
He jumped in beside you, sending up a splash that hit your face.
âAsshole,â you said, wiping water from your eyes.
He surfaced close, grinning. âSorry.â
âNo, youâre not.â
âNo.â
The water settles around you, cool against your skin. You both swim for a while reliving the summer and moving through the lake as the sun lowered toward the trees. It felt unreal after weeks of noise and heat and responsibility.
By the time you climbed back onto the dock, both of you were soaked and breathless, your skin prickling in the evening air. The wooden planks were still warm from the sun. You sat near the edge, water dripping from your hair, and watched Changbin pull himself up after you.
He looked at you like he had run out of reasons to wait, pushing you down gently.
Your back met the dock a moment later, his body over yours, one hand braced beside your head. He kissed you deep, slow, his weight careful but present. Your legs parted for him without thinking, and he settled between them with a quiet groan.
The world narrowed to warm wood beneath you, cool lake water on your skin, and Changbinâs mouth moving over yours like he had been waiting all summer.
His fingers brushed your wet hair away from your face. âTell me to stop,â he said, voice rough.
You looked up at him, at the damp curls falling over his forehead, at the restraint in his jaw, at the way his chest moved with every breath.
You pulled him down again. âDonât stop.â
Changbinâs fingers hooked into the waistband of your soaked panties, and he didnât askânot with words. His eyes flicked up to yours, dark and searching in the fading golden light, and you lifted your hips in answer.
âThere you go,â he murmured, dragging the wet cotton down your thighs. The fabric fought him a little, clinging to your skin, and he laughed under his breath. âThese are really on there. You trying to keep them, orâŠ?â
You propped yourself up on your elbows. âShut up and take them off, Bin.â
âBossy.â He grinned, that crooked, infuriating grin youâve been watching all summer across campfires and mess hall tables. âI like it.â
Your panties came free with a wet, heavy sound when he tossed them aside. You were bare now, your cunt exposed to the evening air, and the vulnerability of it made your stomach flip. But Changbin didnât dive in. He sat back on his heels, his own boxer briefs dark with lake water and pulled down just enough to free the thick, flushed length of his cock. His hand moved on it absentmindedlyâa slow, lazy stroke from base to tipâwhile he just looked at you.
âWhat?â you asked, and your voice came out a little thin.
âNothing.â His thumb circled the head, smearing the slickness gathering there. âJust thinking about how long Iâve wanted to see you like this. Spread out on this dock. All summer Iâve been fucking losing my mind.â
Your laugh was breathy and a little nervous. âYou hid it well.â
âDid I?â His grip tightened on himself, a quick, rough pump that made his abs tense. âBecause I was jacking off in the staff showers every night thinking about your mouth. So maybe I didnât hide it that well.â
The confession landed in your gut like a hot stone. You felt your cunt clench around nothing, and Changbin noticed. His eyes dropped to the wet gleam between your thighs, and his tongue swept across his bottom lip.
âI need to taste you,â he said. âIâve been needing to taste you since the first week of camp.â He had already lowered himself onto his stomach, the dock creaking under his weight. His shoulders pushed your thighs apart, and the heat of his breath ghosted over your cunt. âIâm done being patient.â
His tongue found you in one long, flat stroke from your entrance to your clit.
Your back arched off the wood. A sound punched out of youâhalf moan, half gaspâand your hand flew down to grip his hair, still damp from the lake, soft and thick between your fingers.
âFuck,â you breathed. âOh, fuck.â
Changbin hummed against your cunt, and the vibration ricocheted through your whole body. His tongue circled your clit in a slow, deliberate figure-eight, and then he suckedâhard enough to make your thighs snap toward his ears.
He just laughed. âSo sensitive,â he said, pulling back just enough to speak. His lips were glossy with you. âIâve barely started.â
âThen fucking start.â
His eyebrow lifted. âWhat did I just say about being bossy?â
But he did start. He buried his face between your legs, his tongue pushing inside you, curling and stroking, and his nose pressing against your clit with every forward movement. He wasnât neat about it. He wasnât delicate. He ate your pussy like he was trying to climb inside you, and the wet, obscene sounds of itâthe lapping, the sucking, the groan he made when you tugged his hairâechoed across the empty lake.
âYou taste so fucking good,â he said, the words muffled against your flesh. âBetter than I imagined. And I imagined a lot.â
You didnât answer. Couldn't. All you could do was feel: the slick heat of his mouth, the persistent pressure on your clit, the way his cheeks brushed your inner thighs with every shift of his jaw. Your hips started to move, rocking against his face, and he let you. He groaned and opened his mouth wider, tongue flattening so you could grind against it.
âYeah,â he panted, pulling back for air. âUse my face. Fuck, thatâs hot. Thatâs so fucking hot.â
His hand moved on his cock again, faster now. You could hear itâthe wet slap of skin on skinâand when you lifted your head to look, the sight nearly undid you. Changbin was kneeling between your legs, one hand wrapped around his thick, leaking cock, the other hand gripping your hip hard enough to bruise. His eyes were fixed on your cunt.
âDo you know what you look like right now?â he asked, and his voice wrecked. âAll spread open and dripping. Your clit all fucking swollen. I can see it begging for me.â
âThen stop talking andââ
He didnât let you finish. His mouth closed over your clit and his fingers pushed inside youâtwo of them, curving up, finding the spot that made your vision go white.
The sound that came out of you was inhuman.
âThatâs it,â Changbin said, fucking you with his fingers now, slow and deep. âThatâs the spot, isnât it? Right there? Your pussy is clenching so hard around my fingers. Youâre so fucking tight.â
âBinââ
âI can feel it. I can feel how close you are. Donât hold back. Donât you fucking dare hold back.â
You weren't holding back. You were falling apart. The pressure built low in your belly, different from anything youâd felt beforeâheavier, more insistent. It wasnât the familiar climb toward orgasm. It was something new, something that almost scared you.
Changbinâs mouth was relentless on your clit. His fingers pumped faster, crooking on every thrust, and his other hand had abandoned his cock nowâboth hands on you, spreading you open, holding you in place.
âI want you to come,â he said against your cunt. âI want you to come so hard you forget your own name. I want to feel it. I want to taste it. Give it to me.â
The pressure crested. Your whole body locked up. Your thighs clamped around his head. A scream tore out of your throatâloud enough to scatter birds from the trees on the far shoreâand then you were gushing. Liquid sprayed from your cunt, soaking Changbinâs face, his chest, the dock beneath you. He didnât pull away. He groaned, low and satisfied, and kept his mouth on you through the whole thing, drinking you down as you squirt all over him.
âHoly fuck,â you gasped, when you could finally breathe again. Your legs were shaking. Your whole body was shaking. âWhat theâwhat wasâ?â
Changbin sat back, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. His face was dripping. His hair plastered to his forehead. He looked absolutely wrecked, and absolutely delighted.
âYou just squirted,â he said, like he was telling you the weather. âAll over my face. All over this dock.â
Heat flooded your cheeks. You clapped a hand over your face. âOh my God.â
âDonât do that.â He pulled your hand away, and pinned it to the dock beside your head. âDonât hide from me. That was the hottest thing Iâve ever fucking seen.â
âI didnâtâIâve neverââ
âI know.â His grin was sharp and filthy. âI could tell. You got so tight around my fingers right before, and then you made this soundâthis little whimper, like you didnât know what was happening to your bodyâand then you fucking soaked me. Look at me. Iâm covered in you.â
You looked. His chest shined with your wetness. His face was still slick with it. And his cockâGod, his cockâwas so hard it looked painful, bobbing against his stomach, the tip an angry, desperate red.
âIâm embarrassed,â you admitted, and your voice cracked on the word.
Changbinâs expression softened for half a second. Then it sharpened again, that predatory edge returning. âBeing embarrassed makes it even hotter. You know that? Knowing Iâm the first person to make you do that. Knowing I made your body do something you didnât know it could do.â
Heâs stroked himself again, faster now, his grip tight. The slick sound of it filled the space between you.
âI could come just from watching you,â he said. âJust looking at your pussy right now. Itâs so wet. So pink and puffy and wet. I want to fuck you so bad I canât think straight.â
âThen fuck me.â
His jaw clenched. âSay it again.â
âFuck me, Changbin. I need your cock. Iâve been needing it all summer.â
Something snapped in him. He moved fastâfaster than you expectedâgripping the backs of your thighs and pushing them up toward your chest. You folded in half beneath him, and the tip of his cock pressed against your entrance, hot and blunt and perfect.
âSlow,â he said, but he said it to himself, not to you. âIâm gonna go slow. Iâm gonna be gentle. Iâm gonnaââ
The head started pushing in.
You both gasped.
âFuck,â he breathed. âFuck, youâreâyouâre soâI canâtââ
âBin.â
âJustâjust give me a second.â He was trembling. His arms were shaking where they bracketed your shoulders, and his forehead dropped to yours. âYouâre so fucking tight around me. If I move, Iâm gonna come.â
You clenched around him deliberately.
His eyes flew open. âDid you justâ?â
âMaybe.â You clenched again. âWhat are you going to do about it?â
The sound he made was somewhere between a laugh and a growl. âOh, youâre in trouble now.â
He pushed deeperâslowly, so slowlyâand you felt every inch of him. The stretch was intense, almost too much, and you grabbed at his shoulders, your nails digging into his skin. He hissed, but didn't stop.
âYou okay?â he asked, his voice strained.
âYeah. Yeah, justâkeep going.â
âIâve got you.â He pressed a kiss to the corner of your mouth. âIâve got you.â
He bottomed out, and for a moment, neither of you moved. You were so full, so impossibly full, and you could feel him throbbing inside you, could feel the heat of him, the pulse of his heartbeat in his cock.
âYou feel that?â he asked. âYou feel how deep I am?â
âYes.â
âIâm all the way inside you. Every inch. Youâre taking every fucking inch of me.â
He pulled back, just a little, and thrust in again. A slow, rolling grind that dragged against every sensitive spot inside you. Your eyes fluttered shut. Your mouth fell open.
âLook at me,â he said. âI want you to look at me while I fuck you.â
You forced your eyes open. His face was inches from yours, sweat-damp and intense, his eyes burning. He was beautiful like thisâall that compact muscle coiled with the effort of holding back, his jaw tight, his lips parted.
âThere you are,â he murmured. âThereâs my girl.â
The words hit somewhere deep in your chest. You reached up and pulled his mouth to yours.
The kiss was messy and uncoordinated, more teeth and tongue than anything else. He fucked into you slowly while he kissed you, and the rhythm of it built something hot and tight in your belly again. His tongue slid against yours. His cock slid against your walls. Everything was wet and hot and perfect.
âYouâre so deep,â you gasped against his mouth. âYouâre so fucking deep, Bin.â
âYeah? You like that?â
âI love it. I love your cock. I love how it fills me up.â
He groaned, his hips jerking harder. âKeep talking. Donât stop talking.â
âIâve wanted this so bad. All summer. Watching you lead, watching you swim, watching you laugh with the kids. I wanted you to bend me over the arts and crafts table and fuck me stupid.â
âThe arts and crafts table?â He laughed, breathless. âThatâs where you wanted it?â
âI wanted it everywhere. The mess hall. The bunk beds. The fucking canoe shed.â
âThe canoe shed? That place smells like mildew.â
âI donât care.â
He kissed you again, harder this time, and his pace picked up. The slow, rolling thrusts became something more urgent. His hips snapped against you, and the dock creaked beneath you both, and the sound of your bodies meetingâwet and rhythmicâfilled the evening air.
âIâm not gonna last,â he said, the words ragged. âNot like this. Not with you talking like that.â
âThen donât last. I donât care. Just donât stop.â
But he did stop. He pulled outâcompletelyâand you made a sound of protest that he silenced with a hand on your stomach.
âTurn over,â he said.
âWhat?â
âTurn over. I want to see you from behind. I want to watch your ass while I fuck you.â
You scrambled to obey, rolling onto your stomach. The dock was hard against your knees, but you didnât care. Changbinâs hands found your hips, gripped them tight, and he pulled you up onto all fours.
âFuck,â he breathed. âLook at you. Look at this perfect ass. Iâm gonna die. Iâm literally going to die.â
âPlease donât die before you finish fucking me.â
âFair point.â
He pushed back in, and the angle was different like thisâdeeper, somehow, hitting a spot that made your arms give out. Your chest dropped to the dock, your ass still in the air, and Changbin groaned.
âYeah. Yeah. Thatâs it. Face down, ass up. Take my fucking cock.â
He wasnât holding back anymore. His hips slammed against you, hard and fast, and the sound of itâthe wet slap of skin on skin, the creak of the dock, his low grunts and your high whimpersâwas obscene. It was the filthiest thing youâd ever heard.
âYou hear that?â he asked, his voice was wrecked. âYou hear how wet your pussy is? How good youâre taking me?â
You couldnât answer. You could only moan.
âThatâs what I thought. You canât even talk, can you? Too full of my cock to say a word.â
He reached around you, his fingers finding your clit, and rubbed tight circles against it. You bucked back against him. Your thighs shaking. Your whole body shaking.
âYou gonna come again? You gonna come on my cock this time?â
âYes,â you managed. âYes, yes, fuck, yes ââ
âDo it. Come on my cock. I want to feel it. I want to feel your pussy squeeze every drop out of me.â
It hit you like a wave. A real one, not the overwrought kindâviolent, sudden, stealing your breath. Your cunt clamped down on his cock, and you screamed, and Changbin shouted somethingâyour name, maybe, or just a string of cursesâand his rhythm broke.
He pulled out fast, hand flying over his cock, and you felt the first hot splash of his cum against your spine. He groaned, stroking himself through it, painting your back and ass. It went on and on, pulse after pulse, until you were dripping with him.
The dock creaked as he collapsed beside you, both of you panting, both of you covered in sweat and lake water and each other.
âHoly shit,â he said finally.
You turned your head to look at him. âYeah.â
âYou squirted.â
âYeah, you mentioned that.â
âIâm going to mention it again. Multiple times. Probably for the rest of my life.â He rolled onto his side, propping his head on his hand. âThis is the best last day of camp ever.â
You laughed, and the sound was hoarse and broken and happy.
Changbin grinned before it began to fade, just a little, replaced by something more serious. âHey.â
âWhat?â
âI meant what I said. About wanting you all summer.â He reached out and tucked a strand of wet hair behind your ear. âThis wasnât just...I mean, it was hot. It was really fucking hot. But it wasnât just that. For me.â
Your heart squeezed in your chest. âIt wasnât just that for me, either.â
âYeah?â
âYeah.â
He leaned in then and kissed you softer than before.
Afterward, the sky darkened to a deep blue over the trees.
You lay on the dock wrapped in Changbinâs open shirt, your own clothes scattered nearby and your hair still damp against your neck. The wood beneath you had lost some of its warmth, but Changbin was close enough that you didnât feel cold. His arm rested under your head, and his fingers moved slowly over your side in quiet, absent patterns.
The walk back to camp was darker and slower. Changbin held your hand the whole way, partly because the trail was uneven, partly because neither of you wanted to stop touching. Crickets hummed in the grass, and the camp lights came into view through the trees one by one.
Tomorrow would be full of packing, sweeping cabins, loading cars, promising to text, and trying not to cry in the parking lot. Tomorrow would pull everyone back toward normal life. University. Jobs. Apartments. Schedules that did not include campfire songs and sunscreen checks.
But tonight, Camp SKZ was still yours.
Changbin stopped outside your cabin, turning to face you.
The porch light washed over his face, softening the tired lines around his eyes. His hair was still damp, and his shirt was wrinkled. He looked like summer had left its fingerprints all over him.
He leaned down, and you met him halfway. The kiss was gentle. Slow. Not careful because he was unsure, but careful because it mattered. His hand settled at your waist, warm through your shirt, and you held onto him for a few seconds longer than necessary.
When he pulled back, his smile was small and private. âIâll see you in the morning,â he said.
âYou better. We have cabins to clean.â
âRomantic.â
âWelcome to real life.â
He kissed you once more, quick and sweet. âI still want it.â
Your chest warmed. âMe too.â
You went inside after that, closing the cabin door quietly behind you. And outside, the camp settled deeper into the night.
Changbins arms appreciation post bc bestie and I were talking about kinks and big boys with big hearts and even bigger arms is my biggest kink of them all
He's What You Want, I'm What You Need - SKZ FRATHOUSE part 1, part 2
pairing: fratboy!jeongin x reader(f) x fratboy!seungmin x fratboy!hyunjin
genre: college au, smut, eventual romance (crazy)
special event w my girl @enchantedlov3r2 <3
sypnosis: having had a single boyfriend throughout the span of your life, and that experience ending absolutely disastrously - you decided to take on the easiest approach - to hide underneath a social mask, and to avoid hot guys. especially the second solution. but what happens when you happen to get paired up with not one, but two members of the skz frathouse for a project? will you make it out? will you be able to survive when the rest starts to slowly register themselves in your everyday one by one, till the option of choosing isn't yours anymore.
word count: 10k
warnings: SMUT. dom!seungmin, dom!jeongin, sub!reader, perverse thoughts, jealousy issues, possessiveness, reader is embarrassing and a loser (in a nice way i suppose), lots of internal monologue, frat boys, teasing, they are MEAN, kind of bullying, nerdy interests, unprotected sex(wrap it up), lots of making out, seungmin is a serious case of he doesn't know what he wants, corruption kink (i think...), teaching kink, toying, oral (m and f), fingering, exhibitionism, voyeurism, lots lots of swearing, alcohol
this chapter is so bad bru, but im just trying to set the ground and stuff. next chapter will be more interesting, i swear.
i hate editing i hate editing i hate editing and proofreading hate proofreading
It's been three days.Â
Three days since that happened, and your skin burns in memory. Lingering memory, the ones that refuse to wear off no matter how much you try and try to scrub it off.
Eyes, lips, hands, dick.
Dick, dick â and dick.
You couldn't stop thinking about it before â but it's worse now! Pretty sure that you've developed the insane habit of staring at people's pelvis. Well, people, really â it consists only of them. The who-you-must-not-speak-of, because it seems that they have some sort of spider senses, knowing exactly when they cross your mind or when their names happen to articulate out of your mouth; since the first thing that pops up in those situations is their text messages.
Which is a constant now.
They're texting you. Like. Everyday?
Not lovely texts though, barely running errands for them under the guise of that dumbass project. Their errand girl. Hence, why you're here with Jeongin.
Seungmin left about an hour ago, duty calls, or his coach might end him right here and there. Unwilling to leave you alone with his friend, the glare he gave you was cold enough. As if all of this was your fault. As if the uncomfortable coil in his chest was your fault. You're unaware of the latter though, not like he'd ever tell you how he feels. It's stupid and recent, too recent to act on any of it. Did he say stupid?
You couldnât expect any less from Jeongin either. At least, he treats you a tad kinder than Seungmin, who decided to use you as a stress ball â hands groping and roaming your body like second nature. Driving you nuts when his palms ride a centimetre too high, almost giving you the wrong idea, only to pull back at the last second. Acting bothered, annoyed that you exist after he instigated physical contact.
Unlike Seungmin, Jeongin wants you to initiate it. Heâll brush his hand against yours on purpose, fingers curling absently. Right, absently. Weird, because you were sure he wasnât fond of skinship. Thatâs what you heard â rumors before you met him. He likes to give you the idea that his touches are innocent, even when it feels the dirtiest. Offering you the tightest, cutest smile, proudly backing his image as the golden boy of their cult. Though it feels too warm, sometimes you get the idea that heâs faking it, especially when Seungmin is around. His ulterior motives speak through the twitches in his frown to the tongue poking at his cheek.
You canât tell if theyâre easier to deal with alone or together. There has been a weird, simmering tension between you three ever since, despite not having gone further than what happened last time. Youâre certain that if thereâs already been an awkward tension, itâs just gotten worse. Jeongin's presence next to you is loud, the heat radiating from his body bothers you. You shouldâve gone home when Seungmin left, but then youâd be walking the path with him. Is it any better than being sequestered inside Jeonginâs room?
You keep trying to find excuses to excuse yourself, which he quickly finds solutions for. Youâve run out of ideas, falling into a slump at the complete edge of his mattress, as far away from him as possible. Somehow, his existence irritates you as much as it gets you wet. Embarrassingly so, you steal glances you have no control over. Your pitiful attempt at seeming busy with your phone fooling none.
âNoona,â he snaps you out in a sigh. A deep one. Throwing his head back the slightest, he drops his phone onto the pillow, eyes landing on your wide ones. âMy eyes, theyâre up here. Not down there.â
Oh god. Youâre doing it again. He knows â he knows. Of course he would, who wouldnât notice those perverse eyes. You squeeze your vision shut, face drowning in your palms and growing embarrassment. âIâm notâ Iââm sorry. I didnât mean to look thereââ
He stays silent for a second, taking in your shy reaction. A faint smile turning his lips upwards, you can hear the smugness of it. âYou didnât mean to? You sure about thatââ
âYes!â
He hums, nodding along, pretending to believe that. âI think⊠that youâre thinking about last time.â The flustered scrunch of your nose is nothing short of sweet, he has to continue toying with it. âHonestly, noona. Youâre kind of a pervert.â His tone is casual, that doesnât stop the arrow of accusation from stabbing you.
The word pervert rings an uncomfortable bell, however it twists a delicious shame in your guts. Pathetic, youâre pathetic for getting turned on by the idea of him knowing your dirty secret. He mustnât⊠never. No one should ever find out.
âIf you keep staring at my pants like that, Iâll assume that you want to do it again.â
It. Itâs evident what heâs talking about. It still takes you a moment. A brief moment that feels like hours in your running brain. The innocence in his tone is paradoxical to the light shade dusting his ears. Everything else remains unaffected. But you, of course.
âWhat?â
You're frozen on his bed, thumbs still hovering the screen of your phone. You hadn't anticipated this. Okay fine, maybe you were hoping that something as such would occur on your first step inside, well, his bedroom. Your excuse is that you were invited for academic reasons! Not to⊠toâ
âI could teach you⊠how to properly suck dick,â it's flagrant, but he's close now. The flashing images of exactly three days ago playing on your mind. The taste of him, the heaviness of cock hitting the roof of your mouth â his scent, how your jaw ached afterwards â your body heats up, sucking in your bottom lip. The action doesn't go unnoticed, his eyes fly to your bitten lips. âNot calling you sloppy, it was your first time?â
You nod, face growing unbearably hot.
âThen, let me teach you?â Not Seungmin, not anyone else. Just him, Jeongin â heâll show you how.
Your eyes fly to the condensing soda can on your left, the icy water discolouring the wood of his drawer. Panicked, you canât get used to it yet. You werenât even sure if they were going to encourage this again â you shouldâve known better. âJeonginâ I donât knowâŠâ
âNoona,â he coaxes, tone taking a manipulative undertone â and youâre aware of that. âDonât act coy on me now, youâve swallowed it no issue.â This is desperate, heâs getting desperate despite his cool exterior. Perhaps not as desperate as your melting resolve. You gulp, vision trailing down his body, where heâs sitting in dangerous proximity. Heâs half hard, as if the thought had just hit him and he decided to run along with it. Your endearing blinking tightening the strain in his pants. âCome onâŠâ
A heavy palm slides to your wrist, grabbing your phone to settle it next to the can. Face inches from you, he cocks his head to the side, the same now-cold palm scooting up your neck. Cradling your jaw. âYou want it?â he asks, observing the subtle-yet-very obvious(unfortunate) signs of arousal shading your expression. Your heart hammers, eyelids dropping shut with a nod. A tiny approval sighing out of your lips, the only confirmation he needed before smiling against your lips. The kiss starts soft, an endeavour at calming your shaking body.
Youâre so easily overwhelmed, what is he going to do with you?
Plump lips pull onto your lower ones, fingers digging onto your cheeks, urging your mouth to open for him. The exhale you release is swallowed along with your small moans, thighs quivering shut. He leans towards you, crowding your senses; utterly refusing to separate from your mouth. Your pretty mouth, which heâs got many ideas of using. He canât let go, pushing you upwards with him, palms finding your waist, his grip strengthens. âGet off the bed,â he murmurs, muffled by the sound of wet whines. His sentence surprisingly registers, following the order mindlessly till your soles make contact with the cold floor. He finally gives you the opportunity to breathe, a string of spit attaching the two of you. âYour knees,â he speaks, using your shoulders to push you downwards. âHm, youâre pretty.â he compliments, eyeing you on the floor before him. Youâre directly positioned to his bulge, the roughness of it now obscene. You gaze up at him through your lashes, he nearly whines at the sight, if it wasnât for his pride.
âHow should I startâ?â Your voice is meek, he must be having a wet dream. You havenât started for shit and heâs throbbing pathetically at your timid eagerness. Timid. He wishes he could tell you that he knows. Fully conscious of the type of person you are â nevertheless, he holds onto the fact. It might prove to be useful in the future, who knows? God knows how youâd react if he told you, probably bolt out and transfer, or drop out. Youâre crazy enough for that. He thinks he might go crazier if you stare at him like this any longer.
âTake my pants off,â he instructs, watching your trembling hands tug at his pants. âSlowâ it should be sensual. Teasing is hotter.â
âAlways?â
He licks his lips, breathing through his nose. âNah, depends on the mood. If the personâs desperate enough thenââ
âAre you? Desperate, I meanâŠâ
âFuck, are you teasing me?â he curses, the naivety of your tone could be mistaken for innocence if it wasnât for the darker tint in your pupils. You donât laugh, but the tiny lift of your cheeks tells him that youâre trying to ease up. Trying.
âOkay, slow then,â you divert the question, hooking your digits onto the waistband of his pants. You roll it down, revealing further skin with each tug. Saliva pools your mouth, reaching his thighs, you let the fabric go. Dropping at his feet, youâre met with his stained underwear. Heâs flustered, more than heâd like to admit, leaking precum all over the cloth. Youâre too entranced to care, adoring it beyond limit, making his situation worsen under your heavy gaze.
âDonât just look, do something.â
ââM sorry, was waiting for your wordsâŠâ you mutter, a silent sound rumbles out of his throat. He wants nothing more than to tear his boxers off and shove it down your throat â have you choke on it till you brim with tears. He chooses to close his eyes instead, swallowing his flowing spit. Slow. He told you to take it slow, how long can he follow his own advice?
He sighs, ragged, âCome closer, yeah like thatââ you scoot towards him, cheek pressed to his built thigh. âJust⊠kiss it, mhmââ his voice dies in his throat, curling into a moan the second you pamper him. Lips resting against his tip, you watch him. This is pornographic, spreading your mouth open, blowing warm air through the fabric. Youâve got no idea what youâre doing, simply hoping to recreate those porno scenes which youâve touched yourself to countless of times. Praying that one day â youâd get the real thing to test on.
Those accumulated twenty-years-something of bad luck mounted to something, in the end, you arenât as unlucky as you had presumed to be. Perhaps, you were a monk in your past life? Those decades of keeping chaste the reason for today's lust.
âYnââ he calls, bringing you back to Earth, far from the mountain you probably meditated on throughout the last life. âYouâre zoning out.â
You wince through your teeth, nails digging into the smooth fabric of his boxers, âSorryâ sorry, this ainât because of you I swearââ
âI know,â he replies, patience wearing thin. He knows itâs a you thing by now, but if you donât move in the next few seconds, he might lose composure entirely.
âImma uhmâŠâ you mumble, eye dropping to his erection once again, chewing on your lips â you finally free him, âcontinueâŠâ
Youâve seen him before. One time isnât enough. Youâd die to see him everyday. Without the haste and daze of last time â youâre given a proper look of him, hard and wet. So fucking wet, heâs glistening. You try to say something, however it fails to come out. Staring in stupid awe, you canât tear your eyes from his cock. No matter how many women have touched or seen him, thereâs something about your dumbfounded glint that makes you addicting. Somewhat, never failing to appear as naive despite being anything but that. He canât find it in himself to scold you for staring for this long, instead, he allows you. Tip flushed, twitching embarrassingly.
You gulp, constantly gulping from the excess of saliva forming. Though, you could do something much better with it. Tentative fingers find the base, gliding your fingertip across the prominent vein. Feeling the slick skin under yours. âGod, whatâre you doingââ
âTesting,â you reply, barely paying mind to him. Your palm is next, completely wrapped around him, fingers not lengthy enough to bind the entire girth. So big, so hot and heavy â different from the silicones youâre used to. This was in your mouth. Your pulse quickens at the mere thought. âCan Iâ?â you gaze up, lashes fluttering as you bring your mouth closer, making a kissy motion.
What the fuckâ youâre trying to kill him. Inexperienced, his ass. Heâs thankful that Seungmin isnât here to experience this, glad to have you for himself and his selfish desires. âYeahââ the worry of Seungmin is wiped from his brain with a kiss on his tip, shuddering under your experimental fondness. âTongue.â You follow his guidance, prodding your tongue out. âThe underside⊠itâs sensitive, ah shit,â sensitive. Has he always been this sensitive? To cry out from a lick alone â? He canât recognise himself. The saltiness of precum takes over your senses, moaning at the familiar taste â it vibrates through him, sending goosebumps across his flesh. His mouth flies open, about to tell you to actually open up before he finds himself grasping your jaw wide himself â the process of learning fading with his patience. He needs it. Needs it badly, he might fucking die.
You read his mind, perhaps you possess those psychic skills too, his own head running as delusional as yours the second your lips wrap tightly around him. Welcoming him inside. Youâre really rubbing off on him. You swallow the tip, brows pinching in concentration. In those videos⊠they usually â your tongue moves underside, laying it flat the best you can. Smiling against him, he makes a sound. Victory. Throwing his head back the deeper you take him, warm and wet tongue sliding underneath at a torturous pace.
You nearly reach halfway, his reactions feeding you on. This is right, youâre confident. Youâre doing good, well, amazing â however, he hits the back of your throat â your jaw locks, a sudden sting spreading at your gums. You ignore it, getting some more in⊠halt.
You gag.
Gagged. You.
Your eyes fly open, gaping at him. He didnât notice. Okay. OK.
You try again, squeezing your eyelids shut in pressured focus. âEghââ
You panic. Lashes battling open for a quick solution, eyes landing on his face, back to his cock, back to his face and vice versa. Nostrils flaring in ragged breathing.
âSomethingâs wrong?â he asks, voice loud and ringing in your ears. Your imagination, this is your imagination. âNoona?â
âNo.â Itâs quick, absolute. Leaving no room for further questions. You pull back â spit attached to his flushed skin, offering him a tight smile â making an excuse of using your hands to jerk the rest.
Halt!
Isnât no hands better? Youâve read that somewhere⊠No, no â no gagging is undeniably better. Sacrifices are to be made for everyoneâs benefit. Sacrifices⊠your hands wrap around the base, jerking him off in sloppy motions as your head bobs off his cock. Keeping just the tip in. For security measures.
You could do it the other day! Why not now?!
He observes. Observes you in a way that has your skin crawling, reading you beyond your safety measures. Eyes narrowing, he inhales. âSomething is wrong. Look at you, what happened?â
Wow, damn okay Yang-LookAtYou-Jeongin.
Your lips purse, lining flat on your face. He doesnât think that you realised that your cheeks were puffed in subtle disappointment, totally bummed. Youâre pouting. It plays at his heart, skipping a ridiculous beat to see you wear this expression with his cock in your hand. Still jerking him off in small motions. âYou want to use your hands? Jaw hurts?â
âI want to use my mouth,â you interject, shaking your head. âBut I haveââ
âA gag reflex?â he cuts you off midway, âI know.â
âHuh,â your head tilts, offended and flustered by your own truth. You knew, it hurts to hear it in such an unbothered tone though. He should really drop the aloof wannabe bullshit.
You donât know what you were expecting, nonetheless, a grin wasnât on your list. Itâs faint, growing bolder the longer he stares at you, tongue peeking out to swipe on his bottom lip. âChoking on it,â he begins; his knuckles graze your cheek, moving the sticking hairstrands, âis part of the fun, noona.â
He sits back, spreading his legs wider for you to nestle in. One hand in your hair, the other supporting his leaned body, he pushes you towards him. Close enough to have your breath fanning over him, heavy and shallow. You swallow, his fingers digging into your roots, biting the inside of his cheeks.âTry again, Iâll guide you. Properly.â
â
âWhatâre you guys up to?â Seungminâs voice rings through the phone speaker, Jeongin leans down against the headboard, almost hearing the frown in Seungminâs question. Sighing, he blinks ahead, wondering if he has to entertain this conversation right now?
âNothing,â though, that nothing sounds like everything.
âNothing?â Seungmin repeats, skeptical in his approach. Jeongin hums, his small grunt to get comfortable vibrating through his microphone.
âYeah, she just left.â
Seungmin pauses. Steps faltering, checking the time on his screen. âThis early? Itâs still five p.mââ
The smirk that edges on Jeonginâs face is involuntary, but he wishes Seungmin was there to see it. Itâs fine, heâll hear it in his voice. âWhat can I say hyung? She probably had things to tend to. Sheâs busy, yâknow?â
âYeah. Right,â Seungmin replies, growing a mild itch in his throat. The annoying kind. âThe girl who has porn as a hobby is busy, sure.â He shields his eyes, the sun is blazing for no fucking reason. For godâs sake, itâs five not noon. He left around three, and in two hours youâre gone. Something mustâve happened. Not like he gives a shit, âI met with Changbin hyung, said thereâs a party this friday. You coming?â
âWho doesnât go to the party they, themself, host? Everybody is there to see us, whatâs the point in not goingââ
âYn,â Seungmin breaks in, and suddenly Jeongin falls into silence. âIâm inviting her.â
Jeonginâs certain that thereâs a bug crawling on his face. Blunt nails graze his cheek, moving to the back of his nape to ease the crawl on his neck instead. âWhy?â
âWhy? Isnât it obvious,â Seungmin replies, tucking the phone an inch away. âShe needs to get used to the circle, or else sheâll be an awkward idiot who runs at every sliver of contactââ
âThen hold a fucking meeting bro,â Jeonginâs tsks, âHow is a party the appropriate place?â
âOh?â Seungmin is the one to laugh now, disbelief washing over him. âYou care about whatâs proper now?â Jeongin is about to retort but Seungmin is quick to cut him off, not sparing him the opportunity to retaliate. âListen, I donât care about your possessive stunts. You agree or not, not my problem. Iâm meeting with Hyunjin tomorrow, Iâll go see yn then. They share a class, did you know that?â
Well, no. It didnât matter either way, Hyunjin never goes to class. Once a blue moon whenever he feels like it.
The call ends. Jeongin scoffs, skull throbbing with an impending headache. Do they have to do this? Everytime?
He falls back, staring at the ceiling â pupils drifting to his phone in hand. Should he call you? But you just left, itâll seem needy. Itâll seem like more than it actually is. If he could count his sighs, heâd be in mathematics instead.
What can he do?
â
You smile. You donât mean to â but you do. Grinning like an idiot at your opened locker for the past minute, hand hovering on your photobook. You stare. Stare and giggle. Have you ever been this lucky? Likeâ
âAre you crazy?â
âEhâ!â your soul escapes for a fragment of a second, slamming your locker shut at the sudden disturbance. Eyes gaping to meet a familiar face. Seungmin. âWhat the fuck, what's your problââ he raises a brow, immediately catching your slip, you smile. Tightly, ââeeem, what brings you here? Kim SeungminâŠâ
Seungmin scoffs, a grimace forming on his face, poorly hiding his amusement. âYou.â
âMe?â Stunned would be an understatement. You had expected a snap back from him, maybe shrugging you off at the mere thought. But you?
âGo whereâ?â you try, but he grabs you before your sentence gets the chance to voice out, the first few steps clumsy and awkward till you find a common pace. Still, his fingers wrap around your wrist, guiding you towards him. His hand is warm, kind of rough on the surface. But undeniably softer than Jeonginâs. You canât help but notice the lotion of his hand cream, eyes fixing the contact then ahead â the back of his head â falling into a brief silence, except for your steps and the heavy commotion of students around.
This got to be another of his errands. How cruel, you arenât allowed to go to class anymore. You think â but then he abruptly stops. Not literally, only slowing his steps so that he matches your pace instead. Slow enough to call it stopping. âHey,â he says, although your attention is already on him. He nips on his lip, youâd claim he looks perplexed right now. âThereâs a party this Friday. Youâre coming.â
âIâm coming?â
No. No. Run that back.
He didnât say, are you coming? He didnât even say, you coming?
Just, you coming. As in⊠âAn assertion?â
âYes. Definitive, no argument.â he replies, nodding.
âMeâ like, at a party? Fraternity party?â
âYes, you at a frat party. Our partyââ
âOkay.â
âHuh?â he retorts, head tilting. He squints, âOkay? Just okay?â
You hum, shrugging. âI mean, what did you want me to say?â
To freak out. To reject. To rejoice, maybe. Thereâs many things he wanted you to say, and many things he imagined you saying on his way here. Okay wasnât anticipated though. Fuck that, he didnât envisage all the possibilities. Amateur move, Kim Seungmin.
âOh, my class is here. Iâll go then,â you point out, your stroll had somehow brought you to your initial destination. Somehow, but also somehow, he happens to step inside with you. âWhat are you doing⊠Are you following me? Thatâs kind of freakishââ
His chest puffs in total disbelief that you could come to such a foolish conclusion, glancing at his surroundings. âYah, full of yourself, arenât you?â he sneers, pushing you aside at the doorway. However, he doesnât walk past, choosing to stay here mushed against you. Blocking the pathway. Squeezing your shoulders in defense at his sudden rudeness. Heâs always rude though. âIâm not here for you.â
âYou said otherwise earlierââ your mouth speaks before your brain thinks, lashes battling at the realisation. Lips tucked into an awkward line, you glance at him. Practically seeing the fumes of his hurt ego flying out of his ears in huge smokes. âSorry. It came out as wrongââ
âYouâre seriously trying to piss me off,â You fuck once and now you act all mighty. He canât believe this shit. He backs up, giving you the impression of personal space for a first. Alas, heâs as quick to close that distance, backing you up against the edge of the entrance. Your vision runs to the nearby students, the crowd who blatantly ignore whatâs happening. You canât tell if youâre thankful or hateful towards their response. His cologne hits you, then the tint in his eyes. As if heâs wondering what to do with you, that he couldnât decide yet and needs time to think about it. Youâre in public, what is he doingâ âYouâŠâ he mutters, voice dropping with his gaze, âYou get on my nerves, sâmuch. Why do youââ
âAhem, whatâs going on here?â someone speaks over your shoulder. Not someone you recognise, but almost like you heard it somewhere. Itâs on the tip of your tongue. âKim Seungmin-ssi, is this the correct behaviour for a lecture room?â
Seungmin rolls his eyes, stepping away for scarcely two inches. âPiss off, have you got nothing to do than play rules and regulations cop on campus?â They hover on either side of you, caging you inside with no prior care of your existence. Youâre invisible, completely-utterly-transparent. âLast thing I knew, Visual Arts wasnât part of your major? Focus on maths, yeah?â
Maths? Mathematics? Who in their right mind⊠oh.
You peek over your shoulder, catching a brief glance at the person standing behind you. Heâs broad, thatâd be an understatement. Youâve only seen him from afar before, dark hair falling right above his eyes. Your vision meets. Lingering for a second, scanning you, a spark of a smile flashes on his face. You tense up. He lifts his attention back to Seungmin, âMust you be so harsh? I walked Hyunjin off to his class, whatâs so wrong in accompanying a friend.â
Their conversation falls to deaf ears, your sole focus is on escaping whatever this is. Their beef or clash, no matter what they call it. âWhatâs gotten you this heated?â The guy questions, tone sarcastic. You couldnât careless, carefully trying to step aside, however, rough fingers find your shoulder. Glueing your steps to the ground. He tuts, keeping you in place. âWhere are you going? Youâre as guilty of misbehaviour in class, I should bring you to the office.â
âWhat? Noâ!â you begin, shoulder squirming out of his grasp. Youâre a victim here!
Quickly facing Seungmin for help, which he fails to aid. Arenât they in the same frathouse â what the fuck is this weird tension, shouldnât it be â are they messing with you?
âChangbinnie,â another one. This is hell, you died in your senior year of high school and youâre in hell. Changbin is pushed from behind, colliding into your back. Feeling every definition of muscle through his shirt. Ouh shit. Ok no. Not the moment. The collision creates a domino effect, throwing you onto Seungminâs chest. Your fingers trail past his chest, the bump of his abs flexing underneath your fingertips, eyes squeezing shut, this couldnât get any more cringe. Wincing at the unfortunate situation. You exhale into Seungmin, lashes fluttering open to focus your eyesight. Finding the culprit of the fall, your mouth dries.
Hwang Hyunjin who never goes to class.
Has gone to class.
â
One hour left, one hour of this torment left.
Not to get you wrong, you love your major and classes. Nails clicking against the keys of your keyboard with utmost satisfaction, the lesson of your professor, something youâd enjoy on a regular day. If it wasnât for the intense stares punching holes at your back. Youâd seriously be enjoying this class.Â
Each time you happen to look to your side, you find leering eyes fixed upon you. You swallow, perhaps youâre imagining it. But then, heâd look at you too. Hyunjin, who never ever interacted with you beforehand, keeps smiling and blinking at you as if you were lifelong friends. Your imagination has been top notch lately, youâve got to admit it. Though, the realness of the situation hit you as early as the class ended, and a girl accidentally bumped into you. Splattering her coffee everywhere on your shirt. She apologised, which you understood. However, she proceeded to give you the nastiest eye before walking over to Hyunjin, letting him throw an arm onto her shoulders.
Leaving you with a wet and sticky shirt for the rest of the day. The bubbling urge to find and curse off the two of them (and Seungmin, Changbin included for scaring you) tipped you for a hot thirty minutes after the incident, sucking in on your teeth in sulking grumbles on the way back to your dorm. To wipe that grin off his dirty handsome face.
Though, a strange sense of fulfillment suits you as you swipe your student ID in, finally releasing a much needed breath. You replay your day, it was bad. Yeah. But definitely not your worst day. If anythingâŠ
âI got invited to a party!!â you exclaim, kicking the door shut. Throwing your bag onto the couch, arms flailing in the air. Youâve been dying to do that, except that Seungmin was there, can not be caught rejoicing like this. Especially by him, that wouldâve for sure fed his jock pride.
This is the widest youâve smiled since yesterday, sensing your social status boosting despite your ultimate goal of keeping it on the low. It completely fades from your mind. Pathetic, but attending a college party has been on the top of your to-do list ever since you started. Right under losing your virginity. In one week, strike, two boxes ticked. Not yet, but soon. Soon enough.
You jolt to your bedroom, yanking the closet open. It must be there, crouching to the bottom, you rummage through the pile of clothing. âWhereâŠâ muttering under your breath, the tip of your fingers finally reaching it. A paper bag, pulling it out, the content falls onto your mattress. âWhich one,â thereâs two dresses that you have never worn before. Having brought them for these types of special occasions, theyâve been catching dust within your closet. Smoothing the fabric with your palms, you gape. WhichâŠ
An abrupt vibration in your pocket knocks you out. You canât allow yourself to be surprised anymore, phone calls have been your routines lately. Reading the contact info, Yang Jeongin, you swipe the screen. âHello.â
Thereâs a momentarily silence, a breath taken and a shuffle. âHiâ?â
âSup,â he thuds his head against his bedroomâs wall, grimacing at the slight sting.
Sup. Yeah, yeah, okay. âIâm good, whyâd you call?â thereâs a subtle groan on the other side, you assume heâs trying to get comfortable â but the sound⊠It's so similar to last time. Your ears warm, slapping your cheek to snap out of it. He chuckles, almost innocently.
âAre you in a battle? Whatâs with the strange noises?â
âNoâŠâ you reply, biting on your nail.
He hums, pausing. âActually, Iââ Whatâs with him? Acting like that is out of character. Jeongin, snap out of it!
âDid Seungmin ask you?â
âAbout?â you ask, âOh, you mean the party. He did, why?â
âYou sound happy about it,â he mentions, arising confusion in your throat. You hadnât even noticed your voice picking up or anything, howâd he tell? âI meanâ youâre easy to read.â
âHey,â you tsk, does audacity come along with being famous? You wonât end like them, trust.
If you become famous.
Maybe. Unlikely.
âWhat are you going to wear?â The question hits both of you at the same time. Impeccable timing, youâd say. A mistake of a question, heâd say. Seeming too curious for his own good.
âWooh, Yang Jeongin, do you actually have a sixth sense?â Youâre in awe, your scenarios were likely right. They can read your mind. Waitâ no! Thatâd be awful. No, no mind reading. Begone!
âI have, uhm. Two choices, I havenât decided yet.â
âSend them to me.â
A beat passes. A fly gets brutally slapped dead by your fan.
âWhyâŠ?â
Why? Ah, he didnât think this far. Seriously, is he looking too deep into this?
âIâll help you choose. Donât you⊠want the help of a party connoisseur?â
You shiver. Whatâs with the tone, is he possessed?
âSure, Iâll hang up and send youââ
âCanât we justâ video call?â Youâre on the verge of replying, but he shuts the idea down, his laughter rising through the phone. âKidding, I donât have time for this. I really donât have time for this, I got practice and stuff to go to.â
âBut itâs past eightââ
âAre you assuming that I should be in bed by eight?â Heâs in fact, in bed, at eight. âIâm grown, the hell.â
âI didnât say anything,â you mumble, forehead creasing at his sheepish rambles. âIâm hanging up.â
âHang up then,â he mumbles back, however the beep screams at your ears before you find the opportunity to end the call.
He hung up. âHow strangeâŠâ facing the ceiling, you suck on your teeth. âAre they doing drugs out there?â Most likely, what else to expect from those people.
â
He ended up calling you again, getting on video call at last, not as busy as he tried to perceive as. âThey texted last minute, practice was cancelled.â
As if youâd believe that, though you choose to give him the benefit of the doubt. Now, youâre stuck playing dress-up-doll with Jeongin, telling you to turn around for the fifth time this evening. âHow long do I have to keep doing this,â you complain, the bottom of your feet aching to sit on your much comforting bed.
âA little more,â he replies, voice low, it unfortunately rumbles in the pit of your stomach. Youâve been growing shy for the past minutes. He stares intently, awakening the nerves in your body. You wish heâd stop already and let you âsleepâ. Today was tiring enough, you have a routine. Youâd like to complete that routine. A warm familiar haziness spreads through your legs, you absolutely need to do it now. Addiction, but it's your addiction and heâs being an obstruction.
âPlease, I wanâ sleep.â You whine unintentionally, impatience bubbling your throat. âJeongin.â
You see him visibly swallow, eyes snapping to his own reflection briefly then back to you, nodding. âThe second dress is better, wear that one.â
The statement breaks your train of thoughts, skeptical, rucking at the skirt of the dress. âIs that so? I thought this one was kinda ugly⊠I preferred the other.â
Itâs modest compared to the other option, awkwardly falling off your body, the sleeves sticking to your arms. However, he tuts, shutting up the thought. âTrust me, yeah? Donât want you to look ugly there, noona.â
Still. âAre you sureâŠ?â
âHundred percent.â
You hum, pondering on the dress laying flat on your mattress. If he says so. âAll right then⊠Iâll go to sleep now.â
He blinks, looking at the time. He makes a face, one that hints that he wants to say something, though chooses not to. Humming back at you. âMâkay, bye.â
You wait a few seconds, giving him the opportunity to say whatever he wants to. He doesnât grasp it, finally getting to hang up.
Putting your phone aside, a notification catches your attention. Spreading a smile on your face.
Jeongin:
night, sleep well
â
Youâre going nuts.
The party starts at nine p.m.
Three p.m. you decided to take a power nap. Sounds corny, but reddit told you to do it. Yes, you searched for how to prepare for your first partyâŠ
How could you trust redditors for anything related to real life!
Six p.m. you woke up. Had one hour for an entire body shower(the hardcore kind), shave, wash your hair, oil up. Not literally.
Seven p.m. you started ironing your clothes while simultaneously doing your makeup, seven forty you had to do your hair. Everything was a mess.
Eight p.m. you ran into your roommate while searching for the purse you aimlessly discarded on the couch somewhere. Two past eight, she asked you, âWhere are you goingâ?â with evident surprise in her eyes that youâre going somewhere. Dressed like that.
âA partyââ
She flinched at the word party leaving your mouth, unable to associate the two entirely unrelated topics together. You and party.
Her pupils raked over you, taking in your distress. âDo you⊠need help?â
Lately, youâve been wanting to kiss her so bad. Nodding furiously, âYes!â
In thirty minutes, she managed to do whatever you were hopelessly trying to do for the past hours. Maybe sheâs not as evil as you thought, perhaps sheâs been turning into an angel through your manifestations and behind-the-doors chakra healing guidance.
âI was about to head out, but like.â she sighs, smoothing your shoulders. Staring at you from the mirror, âYouâre a pretty lost causeâŠâ
No, sheâs demonic. You withdraw your words.
âAre you going to that frat party? The stray kids one,â she asks, and you peek at her, nodding. âIt was weird when they came over last time. Have fun, but be careful okay? Thereâs rumors about them, heard theyâre dickheads underneath the glam.â
Honestly, you knew about this. Itâs pretty obvious, anyone with a working brain would be able to correlate college guys and a fraternity to be assholes. âItâs okay, donât worry about me.â Youâre aware, however, thatâs what you desire. Nobody could clutch your claws off this opportunity except yourself.
âHmm, Iâll get going then.â she says, grabbing her keys. Looking at you again, âOh uhm, alsoâ whatâs with theâŠâ she starts, peering at your attire before shaking her head. âForget it. I suppose a pretty face could fix thatâŠâ
âWhat?â you call back, not hearing the last few words. She doesnât reply, only escaping through the door, leaving you in confusion.
â
âWhat the fuck are you wearing?â Blunt. Sharp. And very rude. Extremely rude, even coming from him.
Youâre pulled to the side, shielding you and the perpetrator of ruining your mood from the outside world. The barringly loud, outside world. âAre you trying to embarrass me?â
Your mouth opens, closes then opens back up. You donât mean to sound childish, but, âThatâs mean.â
Seungmin slowly tilts his head back, fingers rubbing smooth lines on his neck. Opting for a deep inhale, âThis is a party, why are youâ what is this? Are we going to church?â
Heâs not holding you too roughly, but it still hurts. Probably his tone, you donât like it. You kind of do, but you hate it more than you like it. Oh, fuck him actually.
Eleven past nine, you pushed Seungmin away. You pushed Kim Seungmin away. Ignoring his shouts of your name, making it into the crowd because you refuse to go home, and you refuse to let anyone ruin this for you. It escalated so fast, you barely recall how you ended up tipsy at the bar, alone. Trying out different cheap mixtures of alcoholic punches found on the table.
You arenât drunk, just enough to lower your inhibitors and not feel like a total outcast on your own. You can tell some people are shooting you weird looks, gazing at your attire in quiet whispers. Fuck if it mattered, they are back to their initial actions a minute later.
You might hate Seungmin for this. How could heâ when heâs the one whoâŠâ
He fills your mind though, relentlessly hearing him despite his absence. He couldnât bother to at least notice your efforts, one flaw and heâs mad. Thereâs nothing wrong with your dress. Except for its length, the white colour, the long sleeve⊠Maybe not for a party, you admit. No reason to be this rude about it, heâs mean. âMeanâŠâ you cross your arms over the counter, watching the lights bounce off the silky white sleeves. This is not fun at all. You chew on your lips, wearing an absent pout, âJust one more.â
âShould you be drinking that much?â a voice drifts from the left, a guy pulling the stool next to you to hop on.
âI can handle it, mind your own businââ you reply, though, you shut up as you take in his appearance. Itâs the guy you bumped into at Seungminâs dorm the other day.
âHm, then, let me pour you one? If you can handle it,â he smiles, sweet and kind. Wow, are they really roommates? Is this a yin and yang situation, opposites create chemistry type of shit?
âI suppose that we know each other? Just one encounter tho, you were in a hurry that day.â
âOh, thatâŠâ you mumble, rubbing your palm across your forehead. Swearing when you remember youâre wearing makeup, quickly snatching your hand off your skin. âIâm sorry about that dayâ I shouldâve been careful.â
âNo worries, I donât take things to heart.â
You wish others would take notes. âWhatâs your name? Iâm Felix, you know that though. Right?â
âI doââ you tell him your name, your major and a bunch of unnecessary information. Never the necessary ones, fortunately, the state that youâre in doesnât matter â locking your secret is wired in your brain. Heâs unsurprisingly talented at small talk, showing interest in whatever nonsense youâre spurring at him. Youâre certain that youâre making a fool of yourself as you speak, he laughs. Voice deep, but his cackles are lighthearted, itâs making your head lighter. Almost forgetting about your conflict with Seungmin.
âYouâre cute,â he eases out, laying his head onto his knuckles, the other brushing your cheek. Hell, when did he start touching youâ? Youâre unsure. Shit, youâre drunker than you assumed. Flushing underneath the contact, you fight to open your eyes, him shifting towards you does the job. âFunny too. Who comes to a party dressed for a picnic,â he chuckles, staring right at your dazed gaze.
âYongbok?â
Felix looks upright, his smile widening into a huff. âChangbin,â his lips part, you find yourself staring at his teeth.
âYou got cute canines,â you slur, completely out of it. âFunny? Me? Thank you⊠you acquire this skill from being a loser, like⊠Not calling myself a loser thoâ thatâs, thatâs lame. Do you find it lame? But you know whatâs lamerââ you hiccup, pointing your finger up to make a declaration. âKim Seungmin!â
Yn. Stop.
Felix interchanges a glance with Changbin, âRecord this, quick.â Amused sounds rumbling out of them as Changbin presses record.
âKim Seungmin. He brings out anger I didnât know I had⊠I hate him so much, wellââ your head bobs back, the two of them gaping at you, âI donât⊠low-key⊠he makes me so, horny. Heâs so freaking hot, I want to pounce on him whenever he gets angry. Shiiit, yall seeing blurry too?â Your forehead drops, banging with the counter, wincing in pain.
âSend it to the group chat, this is pricelessââ
âNo need,â Changbinâs phone is snatched. âIâve already seen it,â Seungmin speaks over, a grimace written on his face. He deletes the video from Changbinâs gallery, earning a low whistle from the guy. Felix canât hide his curious holler, smirk permanent on his expression. Tossing Changbinâs phone at him, he reaches for you, which Felix halts him.
âBut, I was having fun with her?â
The twitch in Seungminâs jaw shows enough, returning the sarcastic tone. âToo bad, sheâs mine tonight.â
Felix shrugs, surrendering for now. Allowing Seungmin to push you over his shoulder, awake enough to grumble at the suddenness of the action. Heâs surprised to hear nothing from Changbin, staying oblivious to his presence on purpose. Heâs not up to any of this bullshit, his mistake for letting you leave earlier. Shouldâve chained you up to him, no matter how upset you were.
âHmm, those shouldersââ you mumble, jerking your head back into his neck. He shudders, what on earth. âSeungmin?â
âYou recognise me by my shoulders, weirdo.â He replies, softer now. Not carrying the animosity of before, he seemed to have calmed down.
âYouâre a bully, whatâs worse. A weirdo or a bully?â
He rolls his eyes, shaking his head. âYou must really be drunk to talk to me like thisâŠâ
âNo, I talk to you like this all the time. In my headââ
âShut up, youâre heavy. You talking adds to your weight,â he grunts, climbing the stairs. You pucker your lips, frown creasing.
âI am?â
He thinks about it. He canât believe that heâs thinking about it, the words hardly rumbling out of his throat. âNo, Iâm lying.â
âI heard that,â you giggle, clinging to him, missing a stair.
âFocus, weâre both gonna fallââ
âIâm focused,â youâre quick to say, eyes wide now. Fixing him. He gives you a side eye, muttering about how creepy youâre acting. âOn you.â
He snorts now, a sense of triumph washing over you for succeeding at pulling a laugh out of him. âQuit that, timidity suits you better. Like a scaredy cat, or a kicked puppy.â
Your answer dies with the echoing music, landing upstairs. He opens a bedroom door, checking inside before urging you to follow. The sight of the room earns heavy blinking from you. Is this the genre of room people hook up in at those famous parties?
âCome here,â he instructs, guiding you to sit on the bed. âYouâre all drunk, you probably wonât remember this.â he says under his breath, kneeling down, brushing your skirt up your legs. He sighs, palm sliding across your leg to your ankle. âEasy,â he says, noticing the tension in your muscles. His fingers move, unclasping your shoes with uncharacteristic tenderness. Eyes occasionally meeting your face, engraving your expression to memory.
Fuck, fuck, hell, what the hell, shit, what. God no, this is turning you on. Stop, stop.
Both your heels are gone, he soothes your aching legs. You breathe heavy, the kindness doing things to your brain. Sobering up, your eyes close, feeling every glimpse of patience in which heâs touching you. Caressing is the proper word.
âIâm sorry,â he whispers, on his knees before you. You gulp, the sincerity in his voice causing a shakiness in your hands. His attention darts to your fingers curling into the sheets. He grasps your wrist, bringing your palm to his cheek, leaning into the touch. âI can be nice too. Is that what youâd like? Or, do you prefer when Iâm mean. It makes you horny?â
Heâs teasing you. You should be used to it, but it renders you unbearably hot. You shake your head, denying his insights. He grins, sickeningly sweet with a mocking undertone. Standing up, he pockets your phone out of your purse. âIâll be right here, call me if anything happens. Rest upââ he proposes, however, you hold onto his shirt before he gets the opportunity to disappear. The alcohol mightâve evaporated out of your body, his attitude enough to shake you up. Spooky, you want more.
You want, âYou. I want youââ
âYouâre drunkââ when did he care about someone being drunk? Countless of drunk hookups, but your consent is the first thing that flew to his mind.
âIâm fine, I am sober. Please, Seungmin?â
He curses, faltering on his steps. Hesitant between you and the door, your plea looping in his head. âGet a grip, Seungmin.â he breathes out, pausing before you as your fingers tighten around his shirt, subtly pushing him towards you. âYouââ God, self control has never been his strongest virtue.
âPlease?â
Then, his lips are on you faster than youâre able to process. Sweet, he also tastes of alcohol. He mustâve had a drink or two, you want more of it. Drowning in the haziness he induces you with. âYou taste of everything, had fun playing tester?â he says, the motion of lips smacking muffling his question. Not like he was expecting an answer. Heâs hungry, hungry to receive all of you. Swallowing each of the noises you whimper out, allowing the tiniest gap for you to breathe in and out. His mouth glides to the lining of your jaw; trailing searing, open-mouth, kisses to your neck.
âHmm,â you moan out at the feel of his teeth nipping at your skin, arms wrapping around his body for any form of support and restraint, for yourself. He bites down, you yelp, thighs closing from need.
Your phone vibrates, though you pay no mind, thoughts elsewhere entirely. He does, peeking at the screen to find Jeonginâs contact. Seungmin shuts the device up, grabbing his to turn on âdo not disturbâ, he has you all for himself. No way heâd give up on this opportunity. Your whine at the loss of contact gathers his attention, palms digging into the loose fabric of the dress. Suddenly, it makes sense. Brain picking up the clues, his shoulders rigid. âWho picked that dress?â
âEh?â you ponder on his question, searching for your inhibitions to answer. âOh, Jeonginââ
He laughs, dryly. âNo wonder. Of course he did,â he should probably thank Jeongin for this, as much as he wouldâve preferred that you look pretty tonight. This gave him the chance to get you alone. âNext time, ask me instead.â he expresses, however, his vision falters on your face, just now noticing the efforts youâve put in for tonight. Pretty. Pretty? Youâre pretty as hellâ why didnât he realise?
âHey,â you poke at him, catching his attention. âEat me out.â
He lets a beat past, processing. âYouâre bolder, are you still drunk?â
You shake your head, cradling his face. âI just⊠really want you to.â
âYouâre getting me hard, acting like that.â he rasps, your eyes drifting to his pants in conclusion.
âOhâŠâ you slur, almost pathetic in how endearingly you stare at his bulge. Your panties stick to your cunt, slick fluids drenching it. This is the hornier youâve ever been, he grabs the hint, rucking your skirt the entire way up to your stomach.
âStupid dress,â he mutters, the fabric getting in his way. You giggle, he shoots you a look but it does nothing at intimidating you. Not when heâs being so nice. And cute. Nice and cute. Spreading your knees apart, he nestles in, being met head on with your aching pussy. âHave you been this wet since earlier?â he comments, biting his cheek in contemplation. Your stomach jumps at the question, answering him. His lips are tender, planting kisses to the junction of your thigh. You gasp, responsive like no one else, urging him to try and coax more out of you.
âHurry, no teasingâ need it now,â you egg on, hand flying to the edge of your panties, hardly inching underneath the cotton.
He listens, to your shock. Raising your legs to tug the panties off. Your hand rests on your pelvis, which he grabs, pushing your fingers into his mouth. âIââ
He sucks on them, loud and wet slurps. âTouch yourself, needy girl.â he commands, watching you comply with whatever he says. Wet fingers spreading yourself for him, putting on a show at traveling to your sobbing hole. He observes till he canât anymore, jolting awake as his mouth makes contact with your cunt. Punching a keen sound from your agape lips. He moans into you, wrapping his lips onto your clit, sucking onto the bud with much eagerness. âThis is how you wanted it?â he slurs, not hearing shit of what heâs blabbering about, getting overdriven by pleasure the second he laps downwards to your hole. Tongue flat and burning, wet with saliva that he shamelessly spits at your lips â only to drink it back from you in nasty, disgusting, gulps.
He grumbles into you, the motion blowing at your clit, tongue twisting into slow circles. Feels so good, to him almost. Erection grazing the edge of the bed, he groans. Voice cracking, he grabs both of your thighs, lifting them upwards so that youâre bending for him. Has pussy ever tasted this good. Giving isnât something he usually does, it could grow onto him if every girl were you.
Wait, what.
Scratch that, heâll dwell over these thoughts later. Drooling all over your lips, his tongue pokes at your entrance. Catching the sensation of your tight walls around him, his cock twitches. Your hips jerk upwards as he slides inside, shit he might as well be whimpering. Youâre too fucked out to notice, blissed to the heavens and back. Someone could get shot and you wouldnât realise. Eyelids squeezed shut, your legs shake, joints tightening around anything they can snatch.
The door opens, no knocking or anything. Just Hyunjin, a few girls in hand. As ravenous as he is, he enters the room lost in conversation until his eyes land on the two of you. He makes a surprised noise, the elated kind. You squeal, instantly dragging your skirt over Seungminâs head, much to his temper.
âAre you guys playing prince and princess? What is she wearingââ then, he searches for your face, eyebrows kicking upwards. âOh! Youâre the girl from class.â
You shake your head violently, hoping to deny when a finger breaches you, tuning your voice into a moan. âSeungminâ Ah! Stopââ
âTell him to get out,â he replies bluntly, showing no signs of stopping. If anything, he adds a second, curling them just right. You twist in shame, the humiliation burning at your skin. Hyunjinâs mouth forms an âOâ, nodding with a growing smirk. Youâre a hundred percent sure that he can still see whatâs happening, grabbing onto a pillow, you slap it on your face. Coward puppy it is. Seungmin looks over, brushing the skirt off him with mild annoyance. Though, he makes a pitiful attempt at shielding you, shoulders hiding what you want to keep hidden.
âStop peering, youâre being a creep.â Seungmin tells Hyunjin, not bothering to wipe his soaked mouth. âMove on to another room, this one is occupied.â
âIs she that good?â Hyunjin asks, brazen. He doesnât give a fuck, or two, or even three. âYouâve been sticking for a while, I heard.â
Seungmin cocks his head to the side, squinting at the ceiling in fake ponder. âI think, that you should stop sticking your nose in otherâs business. I heard you had trouble doing that,â His vision points to the girls on Hyunjinâs side, nothing but indifference in his eyes. âYou seem busy, focus on what you have at hand. Since both are filled.â
âAh, I see.â Hyunjinâs tongue pokes at his lips, shrugging. âThatâs new coming from you, but if you insist.â He trails to the door, steps lazy. âIâd say. Iâm the greedy type though.â
Seungmin eyes squint, scoffing into you, irritation overriding him once again. His fingers rub over you, pumping inside. He clicks his tongue, landing a light slap to your clit. âYou got wetter, is getting interrupted that appealing to you?â He shouldâve known better, especially after that little character background of yours. âWhatâs the point of acting embarrassed,â itâs an annoyed mumble, his thrusts turning meaner. Heâd give you a scolding, but whatâs his position to? Itâll only look desperate, he canât afford that. Instead, he sucks onto your clit. Hard. Drawing out muffled, high pitched strangles. Ripping the pillow off you, the music downstairs is loud. You can be louder, showing everyone who has you yelping like this.
âClose?â He notes, the squelches of your cunt getting sharper, thighs begging to clasp around his head. You nod, feverish. He comes down again, adding a third finger as he latches at your clit, cutting the thread. You convulse, crying out in harsh body jolts. Expected, that at least eases him the slightest. Finally, understanding his younger friend a bit. Everybody pisses him off lately. Heâd claim to be close to Hyunjin, but right now he wants to punch the shit out of him. Doesnât matter, itâll rub off after a few days. He hopes. âNow,â he climbs upwards, planting a kiss on your lips. Undoing his belt, âIâm hella worked up right now, fix it.â
â
âWhat ifâ what if he tells people!? Rumors fly, you knowââ
âFor the fifth time,â Seungmin goes on, groggy with sleep and a headache. Itâs seven in the morning on a Monday,â he shouldnât have picked up your call. âWho cares? Let him, so what.â
âWhat do you mean!!â If he could see your current state, maybe then heâd realise the gravity of the situation. âMy reputation, itâll be ruined.â
âWhat reputation..?â he starts but stops himself, remembering the last incident of him being too rude. âOkay, listen. Yn,â he states, you make a pathetic sound that curls at his chest. Nevertheless, his words are quick to slice at this feeling, âDo you know how many girls come and go here? Nobody gives a shit about who you are, they donât care about that. Itâs not that serious.â
Your coffee machine pings, it resonates. âAh,â you inhale, blinking at the seeping liquid. âYouâre right.â Flat, his reasoning stings. Not by a lot, just a little. Disappointment? You canât decipher yet.
âStop stressing over it, kay?â Heâs done, waiting for your approval before going on with his day. Thereâs a silence that threads through. Are you zoning out?
Something else?
âOwââ
âWhat happenedâ?â he asks, involuntary worry settling in.
âNothing crazy,â you reply, âI burned my tongue with hot coffee.âÂ
He exhales, loudly and obviously. Feeling stupid for inquiring over something this small.
âBe careful next time,â he grumbles, it doesnât sound as concerning as it reprimands. Nothing else before hanging up, you scrunch your nose, sniffing in the beginning of a cold.
Cold, heâs been cold the entire weekend. Not like you had expectations, he just didnât talk much after what happened. âItâs good,â you monologue. âThatâs what hooking up culture is, be proud.â Exactly, stand proud. Thatâs what you desired for so long. Youâre confident that you wonât see Hyunjin again either way, a whole semester in and this was the first time you met. So, nothing to worry about.
â
âHello, yn-ah.â
You knew this would happen, having learned to anticipate those by now. Sixth sense top notch, youâre ready to become the next Spiderwoman. Ugh, too far. The thought sends a shiver of cringe throughout your body. Maybe in another story. In this one, the narrative decided that Hwang Hyunjin would sit next to you during this whole four hour lesson. And that this certain Hwang Hyunjin would nudge at and annoy you the whole four hour lesson, yes, emphasis on the four hour duration.
âDid you have fun Friday?â
âSurelyâŠâ you reply regardless, they still scare the shit out of you. Honestly, heâs up all in your face, itâs getting to you. Focusing is out of the frame, nothing that the lecturer said registered in your brain. Itâs just Hwang Hyunjin. Hyunjin stealing your pens. Hyunjin trying to type on your laptop. You found that heâs actually stupid, or he appears to be. Who knows. Youâre terrified the same way youâre annoyed. Likeâ it aligns, he must be trying to scare you⊠Exactly, this is it.
Seungmin was wrong, Hyunjin cares and heâs going to ruin your year. Your career, your degree, everything. You heard the whole campus worships him. Youâre done for, heâll threaten you soon. Saying â âGive me a chance.â
The mission in space was every physics teacher's wet dream. And yet, when you found yourself alone on a spaceship, dread filled your mind. Fortunately, it turned out you werenât quite alone. As a weird creature youâve met by accident seemed to be quite happy in helping you finish a mission and keep a warm company.
đ„ Ę Ëpairing: ê° Alien!Gojo Satoru x Physics teacher!Reader ê±
đ„ Ę Ëcontent/warnings: ê° MDNI 18+ : fluff, fluff, fluff : also a bit of angst : mutual masturbation : use of sex toys : happy ending : women in stem, doomed to never being able to touch each other : prepare some tissues : space : aliens : Satoru is a brat in every universe : alien's D : mates and mentions of mating ê±
đ„ Ę ËWC: ê° 15k ê±
đ„ Ę Ë notes: This story is based on the movie Project Hail Mary. Shoutout to @indiewritesxoxo whose story The One That Got Away inspired me to write a space-based fanfic!
dividers by @diviniyae
art by daichichirou on tt
"Miss, what's the space like?" a little girl with round frames asked you once during the class.
What's the space like? You wondered for a moment, with similar glasses resting on your nose.
Little models of planets swirled under the ceiling, clashing against each other with warm beams of sunshine curling around their painted bodies. The classroom stilled with silence, heavy and curious, marked by a dozen little eyes glancing up your furrowed forehead.
"Unfathomed," slipped almost in a whisper. But the kids were too young to understand this word, so you tried again. "It's endless, deep, mesmerising, silent, likeâ"
"Like a night?" a boy from the first row asked, playing with the wooden spaceship, all the children in the class had just finished painting.
You chuckled, playing with your own little toy, brushing the little silver window with a thumb.
"Much, much quieter," the spaceship landed on your desk, right next to the little, soft ball painted like Earth. Your eyes shimmered as you looked around the class of a dozen munchkins. "What do you hear while sleeping?"
Something began to coil in their little Einstein heads, with soft foreheads furrowed in thought. A flicker of an idea â a spark, their young minds were yet to discover and nourish throughout their lives.
You watched them with a smile, something warm spreading beneath your chest. Not everyone was born to be a teacher, with the day-to-day tiring work of preparing materials for classes, conducting lessons and checking all the foolish assignments that neither you nor the children liked. The education system truly was a shit hole from the very first steps those young minds took.
"Miss, that's a silly question," a little girl without one front tooth giggled. "We can't hear anything while we're sleeping!"
You hummed softly as you picked up the small earth ball. It yielded gently beneath your fingers, and the woollen toy, crocheted by your mother herself, felt pleasantly soft against your skin.
The bell would ring soon, and the afternoon sun was high in the sky, creeping through the tall, clean windows into the small classroom. Summer break was almost here, and the sweltering heat lingered in the stuffy air, filled with children's coughs and soft breathing.
"Exactly," you said, sitting on the desk and tossing the ball into the air. "That's what space is like. You can't hear anything."
"But what if I close my ears?" another boy said, pressing his hands to them. "I can't hear anything now, miss!" he screamed, setting off a wave of sweet giggles from his classmates.
The small green ball flew his way, and the boy caught it in one hand, scowling. "Hey, miss, that's not fair!"
"That was not, I do admit," you slipped off the desk, walking around the classroom. All small pairs of eyes followed you like puppies. "But you see, in space, there would be no need to cover your ears, because there is no air or matter for sound to travel through. Even when you're sleeping, there's always something out there, right?" Your eyes met a few nodding Einsteins before drifting towards the window. "You can hear the crickets singing under your window and the wind swirling between the leaves. But in space, there's nothing. Simply an empty, endless realm stretching beyond our comprehension."
A few droplets of sweat coiled on your temple, and you quickly brushed them with a thumb. Glasses sat crookedly on your nose, hair slipped away from a pin-up, and so you pushed them behind your ear.
"Miss, the space sounds so scary," the girl with round frames sighed. "I don't want to be an astronaut anymore."
You chuckled, coming to the previous boy and stealing a soft lump of earth from his sticky fingers. "The space may feel lonesome if you're there alone. But now, astronauts usually go in groups." The ball landed back on your desk, brushing gently against the wooden spaceship. "But even if you were alone, I think the view would be worth the night spent in loneliness."
And as it would soon turn out, nothing was worth the years spent alone. On the huge spaceship, with endless darkness spreading across the little window and years spent somewhere doing God knows what.
"The sun is dying," the government envoy had said. "Can you help us save the world?"
She caught you right after one of the classes, with a half-empty cup of instant noodles and cheeks peppered with crimson chilli-oil kisses. Arrived with a tall, muscular man and a printout of the PhD dissertation, placing a copy on your messy desk.
Your forehead crinkled, eyes landed on a neat, Times New Roman formatted title, An Analysis of Water-Based Assumptions and Recalibration of Expectations.
"That's not mine," you mumbled, going back to the cup of noodles. You hadn't eaten anything for a whole day, and your stomach was already pressed against your spine, with hunger twisting your weary mind.
"That's your name, isn't it?" she said, pressing a neatly trimmed nail against the smaller letters beneath the title.
You didn't even spare her a glance and simply shook your head. "No, I think you've mistaken me for someone else."
Both she and the man sighed, rolling two small chairs from the children's desk to sit in front of yours. With eyes fixed on your face, grimacing in ignorance, and a few locks of hair slipping into the cup.
"I'm Yuki," she said, crossing her legs before looking at the man with the dullest, most bleary eyes you have ever seen. "And that's Choso. We're from a⊠well. Now you only need to know that we work for NASA."
And that meant one thing â trouble.
Seeing your utmost disinterest, she continued in a warm tone. "Listen, we know your dissertation was a fantastic breakthrough that the supervising committee didn't appreciate. Butâ"
"A small correction," you interrupted, with eyes still glued to an almost empty cup. "They did not not appreciate me, but completely failed me. My research was proven wrong, and I spent almost five years chasing something that was never there. So no, it wasn't a breakthrough or anything."
Her long fingers clenched into a fist, and a tongue nervously filled a creamy cheek. "Listen, in our current world situation, we believe that your research wasn't pointless. The hypothesis that life can exist without waterâ"
"Which was ultimately proven that it cannot," slipped in a whisper, gaze still following anything but those two.
"Right," she sighed, staying shockingly patient. "But the thing is, it actually may."
And for the first time in the past five minutes, you finally looked at her. With eyes hidden behind librarian-like glasses, a white shirt neatly pressed against your body, and chilli oil still coating lower lip. You brushed it quickly with a tissue before clearing throat.
"You have five minutes."
But Yuki needed just a second.
"There are some⊠microbes, the nature of which we aren't yet sure, that are slowly eating the sun. If we don't do something, in thirty years the global temperature will drop enough to kill every life on Earth."
A long, heavy silence stretched between the three of you, though she was the one doing the talking. The man in a suit sat in silence. He was rather handsome, with dark hair falling long down his neck and purplish under-eye bags framing his deep, doe-like eyes.
Feeling your eyes fixed on his face, Choso wriggled in place. "We believe that you are one of the few scientists who can help in research on those microbes."
A deep sigh slipped past your lips as you took off your glasses and closed eyes. A pulsing headache was filling your mind, weighing down an already overstimulated brain. A few short strands of noodles clung to the bottom of the plastic cup, looking up at your weary eyes, pleading to go home.
You finally murmured, throwing the cup into the bin, "I don't see how that's my problem. I'm just a physics teacher, the academic environment pushed me away, and I believe there are many more qualified scientists for this role."
Yuki's forehead furrowed, lips pressed in a line. "Not your problem? The world is dying, and you think it's not your problem?"
You could almost see a grey smoke drifting above her head, eyes shining like two coffee beans. Golden hair brushed against her suit-covered breasts, with a few straight strands sticking to soft cheeks. She appeared magnificently commanding, exuding a dominant aura of someone beyond the law. Even sitting on a small children's chair, you felt goosebumps cover your bare shoulders.
You leaned back in a chair, the hard backrest digging into your spine. "I just don't understand why it should be me. This," you pointed at a three-hundred-page dissertation, "was just a foolish fantasy of my younger self. And trust me, I felt how stupid it was," your eyes fell to your fingers, playing with a soft, earthy ball. "No one treats me like a scientist anymore."
And then, Yuki stood up.
Suddenly, reaching over the desk right to your shirt, before pulling you closer with a single move. Eyes fixed on yours like a deadly viper, and a sweet note of heavy perfumes hit your nostrils.
"Try it," she gritted through her teeth. "Accept my offer till I'm still begging. I don't want things to get messy, but I really need your help on this one."
And so, feeling rather threatened, you nodded swiftly and followed the kind smile that lifted up her lips.
Now, three years later, reflecting on that time, you never felt as happy and alive as you did then. Surrounded by the world's most exceptional scientists, working on alien, new microbes â the freshest discoveries in current scientific research â spending days and nights fuelled by bitter coffee, sitting in the labs.
The time didn't matter, as long as you could work on your research. To once again feel like a valuable input to the academic environment and a student from your PhD days, when the world was most beautiful under the microscope and while collecting the newest data.
Your heart raced during the meetings as your fingers carefully noted each idea, each plan that other scientists put forward. The greatest minds in the world, flooding your own with plans and speculations you could've never thought of. Your brain fired multiple times a day, always running, always getting fed with new questions and solutions.
Why is the sun dying?
How can we stop it?
How to produce enough fuel to go all the way right to the sun?
Is that even possible?
But then it was revealed that an alien microbe was composed entirely of water, and your world collapsed. Because it finally confirmed the very point you've been secretly trying to reject for years, proving to you that cells cannot survive without water.
Your heart broke, and a wave of shame washed over your spine. The shame connected to your younger self, foolishly believing in a greatness of discovery no one has ever made. Something worth the international conferences, massive grants, Nobel Prize, and yet, you needed a single, alien cell, something not belonging to the human world, to finally prove those old geezers from your committee right.
The white, big lamp of the lab flickered; darkness spilt over the endless night. Nothing but a faint buzz of mosquitoes filled the lab, hitting the window again, and again, and again. Hungry and relentless, looking at your body hunched over the failed experiment and slightly trembling lip.
You haven't noticed someone else's presence until something cold and wet touched your cheek. Turning the head around, you noticed a can of soda and Choso's pale fingers wrapped around it.
"Thanks," escaped in a whisper, as you took the drink.
He nodded, sitting on the stool right next to you. Your lab partner, who's been through your highs and lows for the past few weeks. The biggest encouragement and life support, always reminding you to eat well and drink something other than a third coffee in a row. He was another government body, Yuki's closest friend, yet â you liked him.
He felt the most normal here, and thus, your head rested on his shoulder, while hair covered the slightly wet cheeks.
"Are you crying?" he asked quietly.
Your head shook, and a second later, a loud sniff rolled. Choso chuckled, offering a tissue.
"Thank you, Cho," you mumbled, trying to hide the streaming tears behind the wide glasses.
He nodded, waiting for you to calm down a bit. The white lamp buzzed quietly, and the screen of the computer shone bright with your PhD dissertation. The thick letters of the title, with your name written right below.
Three hundred pages of bullshit born from your silly dreams. The Nobel Prize? Dear heavens, you barely deserved to be part of the current team.
"That's not the end of the world, you know?" he said, then pressed his cheek with tongue. "Hm, no. It actually is."
You laughed disgustingly, with a snort slipping out of your nose and another wave of tears streaming down your face. "I'm sorry," slipped almost silently. "I'm sorry, I proved you all wrong."
Choso sighed, looking at your sorry state. He pushed a strand of your hair behind your ear and brushed away a single tear with a soft thumb. "No, you didn't. Now that we know what it's made of, you can think about another solution."
But there isn't another solution, you wanted to say, and instead bit down on your lower lip. The words bubbled in your throat, but a thin thread of hope still pulled at your heart. A faint wish that maybe this discovery wasn't a disaster. That the alien cell, made almost entirely of water, could somehow help with the mission.
That you could still prove yourself as a true scientist.
"Hey," Choso whispered, turning your face towards him. Deep, warm eyes shimmered with kindness as he offered a soft smile and gently pinched your cheek. "You are one of the smartest people I have ever met. I'm sure you can figure this out. Yuki believes in you. I believe in you." Staring into his eyes, you nodded with a pout. He chuckled and opened your soda with a quiet hiss. "Alright, let's call it a day and get back to it tomorrow. We still have time."
But the fact was that â you didn't.
And it was painfully obvious in how Yuki glanced into your lab every few days, asking about progress and results in halting the spread of alien microbes on the sun. Her neatly plucked eyebrows furrowed whenever you shook your head, and a short, stressed sigh escaped her rosy lips.
Try to hurry up, she would usually say, pulling a not-so-comforting smile.
Weeks went by, and everyone's stress increased. Yuki decided to set up a deadly mission, sending a team of astronauts to collect data personally.
The catch? They wouldn't return.
While there was enough fuel to reach the star teeming with alien microbes, there wasn't enough to return. Their goal was to collect the microbes, find a way to stop them from consuming the sun, and send all the data back to Earth.
The first time you heard about it, your knees almost buckled. It sounded outrageous, absolutely crazy, and the chance of finding someone mad and healthy enough to meet the requirements perfectly was already impossible.
And as it turned out, you were wrong.
The four astronauts were more than willing to sacrifice their lives for the greater good â to venture into the vast, endless space and perish there, in the company of strangers and eerie silence. To become saviours on a mission that could save the entire world.
Except, there was a risk the mission would fail.
Except, no one knew if they wouldn't lose their lives for nothing.
Because if that happened, if it turned out that all the money and sacrifices the government has invested in it would go to waste, the world would truly descend into shambles.
You stood against it from the very beginning, but Yuki had already decided. And so there was nothing left to do but help the spaceship travel the twelve light-years towards the only star that was also dying, devoured by an alien microbe.
One hundred and thirteen trillion kilometres.
An unimaginably vast distance a simple mind could not grasp, yet you had to find a way to make it work. To figure out how to gather enough fuel to propel the massive, metal spaceship through every single kilometre.
And after a few weeks of getting yourself filled with coffee and nights spent outside the NASA base, gazing up into the endless darkness, you finally got it.
"The alien microbes possess unimaginable power," you said in one breath, looking like a madwoman. With hair twisted into a messy braid, hands shaking from too much caffeine, eyes glimmering as if possessed by Einstein himself. Your fingers gripped the black marker before drawing another black dot on the whiteboard. "You see, what we can do is allow the engines to feed the alien microbes into a reaction chamber and boil them to the point of natural breeding. This way, the cells will multiply and multiply, allowing us to use them in a much more efficient way," the black marker swooshed all over the board, drawing a crooked picture of the spaceship.
At least thirty pairs of eyes, seated in a conference room at NASA headquarters, stared into it with furrowed yet hopeful gazes. Yuki and Choso, among them, tried to understand the point you were making. The crazy discovery you had made mere hours earlier, before quickly asking for a meeting.
"Our ship doesn't need turbines, generators or heat exchangers, because there's no conventional fuel. It works as a sort of ship driven by light energyâ"
"That's impossible," someone among the other scientists interrupted. "You cannot fuel a ship of such dimensions with light alone."
You nodded, whispering like a psycho under your breath, head buzzing with numbers. "Yes, you cannot do it with the sources we have here, on Earth. But," you turned back towards the whiteboard. "Our ship is not like the others, and the microbes allow us to actually use the light force as a fuel. Look, for every action there's an equal and opposite reaction. Newton's third law, we all know it, right?" A few heads nodded in unison. "Well, our ship will emit light in one direction, while Newton's law will push it in the other. I know it used to work only in theory, but with the amount of power packed into a single microbe, we can use it for our good. In short, the alien power goes into the ship, the light comes out, and we can move forward."
A long, heavy silence filled the room as you finished your little drawing. Black lines coated the board, crossing the black dots and twisting around the childishly drawn ship. You pushed your glasses up your nose and tucked a strand of hair back behind your ear.
That was it. Nothing else could've been done on your side. If none of the scientists and governmental bodies believed your crazy plan could work, there was no other way to put the ship on a direct course towards that star.
Yuki sighed and looked around nervously. While people whispered, shook their heads, or took notes, no one offered you a warm nod or made direct eye contact. But it also seemed that no one else had a better idea.
"Are you sure it can work?" Yuki asked, a heavy gaze lingering as warmth crept up your cheeks. "It's over a hundred and thirteen trillion kilometres. Are you sure the ship can be fuelled only by this alien microbe?"
Something weighed on your heart. Fear, panic, years spent believing you weren't good enough to become a real scientist. Those snickers from the PhD commission stating your research was useless. The rejections from one scientific conference after another, as no one wanted to accept your proposals.
Days spent on crying and staring at your dissertation, as if looking at it long enough would suddenly make it all worth it.
And then, under the cold light of the conference room, with thirty heads staring at you in blank mimicry, you needed to make a decision.
The one that would soon turn into a weight on your life.
"Yes," finally slipped. Strong and confident, as you corrected glasses slipping off your nose. "I can make it work."
But thenâŠ
But then the catastrophe came.
The betrayal.
Yuki apologising with utmost sincerity. Choso sitting quietly in the corner of her office. Three men keeping your body down.
From the moment you saw the space crew, one thought kept lingering in your mind. You dismissed it with a casual "they'll figure it out" wave, ignoring the instinct that indicated something was off â something that should have been clear from the start.
Why didn't the space crew have the scientist?
And a day before the departure, you finally discovered why.
"I'm sorry, I'm really so so sorry," Yuki said, trying to calm your wriggling body. The man's hands dug deep into your spine, keeping the hands and knees in place, with a cheek pressed to a dirty carpet. "We don't have any choice, and you wouldn't agree if I askedâ"
"Of course I wouldn't!" you screamed, trying to bite the soft hand that reached towards you. "It's a fucking suicide! I'm a simple teacher; I can't go to a fucking spaceâah, can you be a bit more gentle?!" But the men's fingers were already wrapping your hands with a thick rope. "Yuki, you can't do it to me!"
The woman didn't say anything. She merely opened her office door and beckoned someone inside. Wearing a white robe and holding a syringe between their fingers.
Your mind raced, breathing became almost impossible, and your throat clenched as you fought the sudden urge to vomit on the carpet. You tried to meet Choso's gaze, but he sat in the corner with his head in his hands, avoiding your gaze since you entered the office.
"Choso," you cried, as the doctor came closer. Long, thin needle shimmered under the office's cold lamp, sending a shiver down your spine. "Choso, l-look at me. You fucking coward, you bastard!" Fat tears rolled down your cheeks as the man sat like a stone figure. "You knew about it from the beginning, right? How could you do this to me?!"
Deep, warm eyes that you spent days gazing into finally looked up. Slightly wet, a bit hazy, while taking in the miserable state you found yourself in. Your glasses slightly crooked, lying a bit away from teary face. A few strands of hair sticking to your cheeks, arms twisted painfully behind back.
His fingers dug into the leather chair, as if trying to force himself to stay back.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't⊠I couldn't bring myself to tell youâŠ"
"That I'm going for a fucking suicidal mission?!" you interrupted, still trying to kick the men off your body. "I thought we were friends! I trusted you! And you simply sold me away?"
Yuki shivered, her gaze shifting between coldness and heartbreaking warmth whenever she looked at your writhing body. She slipped her trembling hand into the pocket of her jeans before giving the doctor a small nod.
"N-No," you cried, when the man in white bent down. A sudden, sharp pain washed over your body, tickling the ends of your fingertips. "Please, I d-don't want to, I can'tâŠ"
And then, a weariness slowly filled your mind, lulling it into a deep sleep. Your body relaxed, eyes half-closed, as if weighted by the countless sleepless nights you had spent in labs.
The men lifted you up, keeping your head steady, but you didn't feel a thing. Your feet felt funny, light, as if blending into feathers. Some hushed voices started to argue, someone's warm hand brushed your cheek, and a heavy, musky smell filled your nostrils.
And before you lost consciousness, a silent save the earth sneaked into your ear.
đ„ Ę Ë đ„ Ę Ë đ„ Ę Ë
"Amazing," a low sigh slipped past your lips as you watched a massive ship slowly follow yours.
Monstrous, at least twenty times larger than the spaceship you called home for the past three years, which couldn't be contained within the small window you looked through. It appeared incredibly bright, almost as if it were made of glass, yet you couldn't see anything beyond the thick walls.
It's been shadowing you since yesterday, and it has been following you since yesterday, regardless of how long you travelled or how fast you went; it remained right there. Always in your line of sight from your window, constantly mirroring every move you make.Â
It was⊠fascinating. To say at least.
A little frightening? Sure, as you were alone on a ship, with the crew long gone and drifting silently through the vast emptiness of space.
But still â fascinating. It marked the first time a human saw an object outside Earth. Majestic and otherworldly, it looked somewhat familiar yet vastly different. A faint cosmic glow shimmered on its diamond-like walls, casting short beams through your solitary window, as if attempting to communicate. As if the creature within tried to contact.
Still drifting slowly, you bit down on your lower lip. "Maybe I should stop?" you thought out loud, as another flicker of light hit your window. "What if they'll attack me?"
But at this point, already being alone on an impossible, suicidal mission, it seemed that an alien attack would be the least of your problems. In fact, maybe it would even sweeten your life a bit, and before meeting death, you would still have a chance to make the first human contact with life outside Earth.
"Okay," You took a deep sigh, pulling down the engine handle. "Let's see what you want from me."
Your ship stopped, and the monstrous glassed vehicle followed right away. With your forehead pressed to the window, you waited.
And waited, waited, till ten minutes passed and the ship stood still. Your tongue pressed against the soft cheek as you walked back and forth, awaiting any sign of activity. Yet, the vast galaxy outside remained tranquil, a gentle glow reflecting off the smooth, wall-like surface of the enormous ship. It lacked doors and windows, being just a glassy, shimmering exterior thatâ
"Oh no," your throat tightened as it drew closer. And closer, closer, swooshing towards you, something long slowly sliding out of the ship's tall wall. "Oh, that's bad, fuck."
A panic squeezed your heart, thoughts rushed through a tired mind, and there weren't enough cuticles on your nails to bite them all. The window was too small to see the thing clearly, but it seemed to be heading straight towards your ship's door. A long, shining tube swooshed closer and closer until your ship suddenly vibrated, as if gently brushing against a foreign object.
Your fingers fidgeted with the plush fabric of the shirt, while droplets of sweat made your glasses slide down your temple. With unsteady legs, you cautiously moved toward the astronaut's suit and started pulling it over your body. The zipper felt heavy under your touch, and the bubble-shaped helmet was more suffocating than usual. The oxygen backpack almost doubled your load as you headed toward the door, with heavy pounding in your chest.
Your heart was always perfectly healthy, and yet for the first time in your life, you tried to remember all the possible symptoms of a woman's heart attack.
Chest pain, severe shortness of breath, nausea, radiating pain in the neck and jaw, you counted in your mind, marking each and every sign in your current state.
"Fuck, okay," trembling, glove-coated hands squeezed the handle of the massive, metal door, before you pushed it. It opened with a low, soft creek, inviting you into the endless tunnel filled with darkness.
To your surprise, gravity worked here, and thus you dropped heavily onto the hard floor. A soft oh filled the helmet as you lifted the flashlight a bit higher. Something shimmered at the end of the darkness, yet you weren't sure what.
Your steps didn't echo from the thick walls as you slowly approached the entrance to the alien ship. Thoughts clashed painfully in your mind, questions rose one by one as you breathed with a squeezed chest under the weighty kilograms of a spacesuit.
How many of them were there?
What did they look like?
Were they friendly?
How quick and painful would your death be?
Your mind tried to ignore the last one, as the chance of a cardiac arrest before meeting an alien seemed much more likely. Fingers clutched the flashlight tighter, feet moved carefully, one step after another, sticking to the tunnel's crooked surface.
"Hello?" Your voice bounced off the walls, lined with terror. "Whoever you are, I come in peace!"
Oh, what a cheesy line, you thought, biting down on your lower lip.
After a few steps, the glimmering thing came fully into view, and only then did you notice it was a thick glass wall. Or at least something similar to glass, with a hard surface that stopped you from going any further.
Glove-clothed hand touched it, helmet bumped against it, as you tried to light the darkness spilling behind it.
"Hello?" slipped a bit louder, with your fist knocking on the glass. "Anyone there?"
A silence, dull and endless, filled an eerie tunnel. Looking back, you took a note that your spaceship was still there â safe and sound â and you let out a deep sigh. It's not as if it would suddenly float away, butâ
A heavy thump suddenly shook the tunnel's floor.
Your head snapped back, breath hitched, fingers squeezed with a tremble around the flashlight.
"H-Hello?"
The light reflected off something towering and shimmering, slowly moving toward you in a relaxed, unhurried manner, nearly as tall as the tunnel itself. A bluish halo beamed off the creature's body, filling the dark space with a soft aura.
You stepped back, trying to direct a flickering beam straight at the thing coming your way, but your hand trembled too much. The heart was on the verge of stopping, and dread haunted the mind as it drew closer, revealing its height. At least two and a half metres, brushing the ceiling of the tunnel's crooked walls, filling the narrow space with its wide body.
And when the light caught on their face⊠oh.
The pale blue skin shimmered softly under a luminous glow. It appeared unnaturally smooth, soft, and a sudden, foolish wish to brush it with your thumb swirled inside your mind. White, snowy hair touched the handsome forehead, while nearly inhumanly pale-blue eyes gazed down at your spacesuit-covered body. You looked tiny and short in comparison, with a gloved hand once more resting on the glass wall.
The creature was dressed in a white suit, clinging tightly to its body and digging deep into the hard muscles bulging under its skin. Alien's head tilted, knees bent down, and within a second, it found itself on eye-level with you.
White lashes decorating endless, luminous blue fluttered, as if trying to take in the terror twisting your face.
"âââ°â°â," a low, manly voice crept past the glass.
Your eyes bulged like two porcelain plates, fingers pressed closer to the wall.
So he was a man.
Well, you could already figure that much based on his looks, but the warm tone slipping under your bubble helmet was evidence enough.
Your mind didn't register the language at first, but when his soft brow travelled up, and lips curled in a smile, you thought that maybe he was awaiting an answer.
"Oh, um," you took a step back, waving your hand clumsily. "Hello."
The creature's head tilted again, and he mimicked your gesture.
You blinked twice, still struggling to believe the situation you're in. "Uh, okay, what now?" you whispered. "I am..." You pointed at your head and said your name clearly and loudly. "What about you?"
"âŹââ âââ ââââââ ââââ," the creature said, and a wave of different sounds and tones once again hit your ears.
You sighed, pressing tongue against your cheek. "Right, it's not going to work."
He looked at you, and you looked at him. You, with a slightly furrowed forehead and your mind rushing through all the possible ways to communicate with the alien. He, with lips curled cheekily and pale eyes fixed on your face.
"I wouldn't mind your cooperation, you know?" you mumbled, but he tipped his head left and right, like a curious puppy.
"âŹââ âââ âââââââ ââââ," the same sounds once again slipped past the glass wall.
His head was tipping and tilting, and a second had passed before you finally understood that he wanted to say something.
"What? I don't understand," you said, mimicking his movements.
And thus both of you were shaking and tilting your heads, going over and over the same âŹââ âââ âââââââ ââââ, and I don't understand.
His brows furrowed as if irritated, and large hand touched his chest. He took a deep breath â first and second â then pointed at his head and finally at yours.
Oh.
"You want me to..." you gestured as if removing the helmet. A quiet chuckle escaped him, and eyes glinted. "But I can't breathe here."
He didn't understand and thus pointed at your head once again. "ââââ ââ âââ."
Your head shook. "Whatever you say, I cannot take it off. Because I willâŠ" Your hands slipped up to your throat before a wave of trembling convulsions bent your body. It wriggled, shook, before, with a theatrical cough, you fell down the crooked floor.
The creature was staring at you with a furrowed forehead and a gentle flicker of amusement coiling in his spectral eyes.
"Not the best first impression, I know," you muttered, swiftly standing up. "My point is, I can't breathe without it."
But it seemed he either didn't understand or was simply relentless in his pleadings. As the long fingers hit the glass wall, pointing right at your head. Another deep breath slipped past his lips, and he nodded, as if trying to say it was fine. Whatever he filled the tunnel with, you could breathe here.
And thus, the thought of what if slipped quietly into your mind.
What if he was right?
What if he really did fill your half of the tunnel with oxygen?
But what if he was wrong, and the moment the helmet would go off, you would die in inhumane suffering?
Light blue eyes shone with anticipation, lips curled into an encouraging smile, and a finger pressed harder into the glass wall.
You took a deep breath, feeling the droplets of sweat coiling at the nape of your neck. He seemed to be a highly intelligent creature, with the ability to communicate as well as you and a rather comprehensive understanding of the differences between your species. For some reason, trusting him felt almost natural, and the assuring look of his spectral gaze made you drop your head with a sigh.
When fingers hooked on the helmet's edges, your heart was nearing its death. Chest squeezed painfully, eyes closed till the eyelids dug deep into your balls. The sweat was now dripping down your spine, wetting the nape of your neck and shirt that clung to your body under the heavy spacesuit.
"Okay," you whispered, both to yourself and him, and it seemed that he was rather amused by the agony twisting your mind. When he chuckled, your brows furrowed. "Don't laugh. There's a rather big chance this air will burn me from the inside."
And so it happened â your fingers slowly unclasped the neck ring, allowing the pressurised seal to loosen with a soft puf. The bubble helmet was lifted unhurriedly, as if your lungs were still trying to grasp the rest of the oxygen swirling inside it.
With still closed eyes, you took the first breath. And the second, and the third, and then, looking back at the alien, a sweet, loud scoff slipped past your lips and flushed cheeks.
"âââ, â âââ°â âŹââ," he chuckled, pressing his forehead to the glass wall.
Still in shock, you stepped closer, also touching the warm, crystal surface with your brows. "Sure, whatever you say."
You looked at each other for a while, with beaming smiles and foreheads almost brushing as you leaned in, a rather intimate gesture. It seemed that the first meeting with another species broke down some specific walls for both of you. The curiosity and fascination with one another blurred the lines of proper manners, breaching all the careful first steps you surely should think of.
His eyes flickered, suggesting a new idea had just come to him. He raised a finger and gestured for you to stay put. After your gentle nod, he vanished into the darkness of the tunnel, leaving you alone with your thoughts swirling in your mind.
Five minutes passed, then ten, and as you sat on the crooked floor and took off the heavy spacesuit, he finally came back, with something gripped by his hand.
You looked closer, noticing the collar-like device and a small earplug. He placed it inside his ear while wrapping the collar around the pale neck. A faint, crispy sound filled his side of the tunnel, and milky brows furrowed as he pressed onto the device in his ear.
And then, with a gesture, he asked you to say something.
"Um," your head tilted, and he sat right in front of you, waiting with a soft smile. "You are rather pretty for an alien."
His fingers still pressed the small device, and after a second, cheekiness flickered in his eyes. "Am I, question? You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen."
To say you froze in shock would be an understatement.
Your lips parted, eyebrows nearly touching hairline, as body leaned forward before your hand pressed against the glass wall. You didn't know whether you were more surprised by either his ability to speak your language or the casual compliment that caused your cheeks to heat up.
"You canâŠ" You shook your head, barely breathing. "But how is itâŠ"
He pointed at his ear. "This device recognises your language," then gestured to his neck. "And connects with this. Whenever I speak in my language, this collar converts it into yours."
A soft ah slipped past your lips, eyes fixed on the thin, crystal band made of a sort of rubber material. Your finger brushed the glass wall, as if trying to feel the device beneath it.
Your brows furrowed when another issue started to bite into your curiosity. "But how do you know my language? How did you build this translator? Our species never made contact."
He sat closer, pressing his forehead to the glass again. At this point, you started to wonder whether it was a sort of typical signal from his species, carrying a special, unknown meaning. And when he beamed with joy, you noticed little white droplets shining faintly, sprinkled around his cheeks. Was this an equivalent of a blush?
"You didn't with us," he pressed a finger to yours, and only then did you see the true, monstrous size of his hand. "But the Reds had been studying you for years."
The redsâŠ
"Oh gosh!" A gasp ripped out of your throat as you covered your mouth with a hand. His head tilted. "The Reds, you mean, Martians?"
"Why are you shocked, question?" he asked, carefully eyeing as you quickly stood up and started walking back and forth between the walls.
Your mind pulsed, trying to comprehend everything that had happened over the past hour. The strange spaceship, the first-ever human contact with life beyond Earth, the final confirmation that aliens did, in fact, kidnap people and conduct experiments on them.
"I'm shocked, because humans never made any contact with life outside our planet," you said, biting down on a fingernail. "How long have you known the Reds?"
A low hum slipped past his lips, and smooth, blue forehead creased. "Five hundred years, I say."
"What?!" Your knees buckled as you once again sat in front of him, with hands and forehead and breasts pressed tightly to a glass wall. "Five hundred years? How is that possible? Are your planets close to each other?"
His head shook, but forehead remained wrinkled. "Humans are very underdeveloped."
You chuckled softly, noticing small, adorable language mistakes the translator made here and there. It's still, robotic voice muffled the creature's deep tone, and something squeezed your heart, as you surprisingly discovered that the honeyed warmth of his tone wrapped your mind in a rather pleasing manner.
"Yes, it seems so." Your head turned, with flushed cheeks pressed to the wall. "But till now I had no idea how far behind we are."
He stayed quiet for a moment before tapping gently on the wall. Your eyes slipped back to his, noticing the droplets sprinkled across his face, radiating adorably like flickering stars.
"My name is Satoru," rolled quietly, as the shimmering dust coated his cheeks ever wider. "Your name, question?"
When you said it slowly, he nodded, still tapping on the surface. Right against your pressed hand. "That's a very beautiful name."
"Yours is not bad either."
He hummed, as if in agreement.
Your head grew heavier and heavier, and the warmth was gently trying to coax you into sleep. As you yawned, Satoru's ghostly eyes carefully followed the exhaustion clouding your forehead.
"Are you tired, question?"
His throat bobbed when you giggled. "You don't have to add a question at the end of each ask, you know?"
You assumed that, because of his grammar rules, he needed to emphasise the difference between normal sentences and inquiries. You've noticed that his language sounded much more melodic than yours, yet it lacked the upward pitch humans use.
"But I am tired, thank you for asking." Looking over your shoulder, you've noticed that your ship was, fortunately, still there. "How about I go to sleep, and we'll get back to our talk in a few hours?"
You slowly stood up and grabbed your heavy spacesuit. Glasses slipped off your nose, and hair stuck to still-warm cheeks, as you lifted up the flashlight and⊠oh.
It seemed that you missed the sudden sorrow deepening between Satoru's brows. Eyes widened in panic, big palms plastered to the wall with lips just slightly opened, as he looked with a fearful expression at your attempt to move away from the wall. From him.
"Satoruâ"
"Can you please sleep here?" His voice trembled, although the translator's robotic tone remained unwavering.
You looked around the tunnel, feeling the crooked ground bending beneath your feet and the dark walls emitting a deep, earthy smell. "I don't think that's a good idea, Satoru." A warm smile lifted your lips as you turned towards your spaceship. "But don't worry, I'll be back. Sleep for a bit, and before you'll notice, I'llâ"
"Please," the anxiety filling his shaken voice stabbed right through your heart. "Please let me watch you sleep."
You glanced over your shoulder, seeing him in the same position. With hands pressed against the wall and eyebrows furrowed deeply.
"Watch me sleep?"
He nodded. "I⊠I didn't watch my crew sleep. The crew died. Satoru has been alone for the past forty years." Your lips fell open, but he quickly added, as if afraid you'd refuse again. "I watch you sleep, you won't die."
Seeing his face â filled with anxiety, pure fear, and misery â you could only smile softly and nod. As the mere thought of this man spending over forty years in space all alone tore your heart apart in the most inhumanely painful way.
"Yes, okay," barely pushed past your lips, before you cleared your throat. "Just let me bring my stuff."
You quickly changed into pyjamas, gathered a few blankets, a pillow and enough water for the night, before going back to the warm tunnel.
And then, as you drew closer to the glassy wall, you noticed a slight change in its shape. As during the five minutes you were gone, Satoru had prepared a special shelf for your body to lie right next to him. With his own feather-like blanket, he lay on his side, waiting for you to slip into the long space and hug him.
You giggled, filling the space with your own things. "That's quite intimate, Satoru."
His body was much taller than the width of the tunnel, and thus, he curled his legs a bit before trying to get even closer to you. "What does intimate mean, question?"
With head hitting the soft pillow and blanket covering your body, you turned his way. Nothing but a thick crystal wall kept you away from brushing noses with each other.
"It means that you're trying to be romantic with someone," but then you thought he might also not understand what romantic means. "Hm, it's when you do nice things for a certain person that you wouldn't do for anyone else. For example, make a special bed to be closer to someone."
A soft crease wrinkled his forehead, and the peacefulness of his eyes told you that he was deeply thinking. "I wouldn't do it for anyone other than you."
The sincerity beaming from his eyes was enough to assure you of the innocent truthfulness of his words. So you sighed, nuzzling deep into the pillow, hoping he didn't notice the warmth on your cheeks.
"That's very romantic, you know? Something you would say to your special someone."
"To your mate, question?"
You hummed, softly closing eyes. His presence somehow made your body tingle with a pleasant warmth, allowing the sleep to haunt your mind in a much softer, calmer way. In a way, you didn't feel for a long, long time, spending days in loneliness and a maddening need to feel someone else's warmth again.
You couldn't feel Satoru's heat, yet your heart fluttered fondly as his gaze truly watched you sleep.
"Yes, although humans don't mate."
"Why, question?"
When you giggled â sweetly, kindly â droplets coating Satoru's cheeks lighted up. Solely for a second, but it was enough to make him slip closer, and closer, and closer, till the glass wall was digging painfully into his body, and his heart still rushed your way.
You bubbled something under your nose. An answer he could not hear. With your lips falling open and a crystal string of saliva dripping down the soft pillow.
His finger pressed against the glass, as if wishing to brush it away.
And when another five minutes passed, a soft snoring filled your side of the tunnel. Breath calmed down, and body drew closer to his. Trying to curl into his â big, burning hot, utterly dangerous for yours.
"I watch you sleep," he whispered, brushing the glass with your pressed cheek. "You never die."
đ„ Ę Ë đ„ Ę Ë đ„ Ę Ë
Satoru was much more intelligent than you expected.
It's not that you treated him as beneath you, but the true power of his mind exceeded your expectations.
And as it turned out, he was in the same situation as you â researching the alien microbes that were also eating his sun. Except that his species discovered the problem forty years before yours, and thus a wave of panic washed over your mind. Because if a creature like Satoru couldn't find the solution to the problem that apparently touched not just Earth but the whole universe, you wouldn't do it either.
One difference between you and Satoru was that, as an engineer, he could actually do things himself. Simply produce them, with all the glassed walls and tiny models of planets made from a strange, gluey substance that rolled off his fingers. He wasn't a scientist like you, so when he heard that you were the "brain" of the crew, his eyes flickered.Â
"We can work together," he proposed, already considering the path to the only planet not consumed by alien microbes. Since it wasn't infected, it suggested there was something in its atmosphere that enabled it to withstand the lethal bacteria. "You will be the mastermind of the entire operation, I will develop the sources. Also, I have spent forty years here, so I know how to navigate."
His eyes were fixed on creating another little planet, rolling the gluey strings between his pads, moulding them into a ball and waiting until the substance dried into a crystal orb. After a few days, your glassy wall had advanced enough to have a small opening for a shelf where you could exchange little presents.
Although you forgot that Satoru's atmosphere was close to boiling lava in temperature, when your hands accidentally brushed, a nasty, red bump was left on the skin of your thumb.
He put the ball on the shelf and moved his hand away so you could grab it.
"Which planet is it?" you wondered, brushing the crystal surface.
He tsked â something he learnt from you mere hour ago â and mumbled. "The earth, of course."
A scoff escaped your lips, and warmth spilt over the heart. "We're not that small."
"I believe you are."
"And we have more greenery."
He wondered, this time building a small spaceship. Your spaceship. "I would like to see it."
Some things have become clearer after spending the past few days in Satoru's presence. His planet was one of the closest to the sun, wrapped in a dense atmosphere that protected its inhabitants from being burned alive. As Satoru said, the days merged with the nights, and it was always rather dark â hence the pale, almost spectral eyes he and other inhabitants had. There was little to no greenery, and the water system had long been sustained by technologies developed by engineers like him.
"A lot of sand", he once said, and you wondered whether it would look like anything close to the climate of Arab countries.
His head tilted then, and eyes flickered with curiosity. "How do Arab countries look, question?"
You tried to describe the endless desert plains, the crimson sun, the curling droplets of sweat on your neck, and the nights filled with beaming joy as best you could. The feel of warm sand under your feet, sea brushing the skin sweetly and fresh dates melting on your tongue in sugary pleasure.
He listened, with eyes following the curve of your lips and fingers fidgeting with the hem of your shirt.
"I would love to see it," he muttered, poking the glass wall with his finger. "It sounds beautiful."
You giggled, following the pale blue of his skin. Soft and shiny, it reminded you more of a region bitten by cold than of the merciless atmospheric temperature of over two hundred degrees Celsius.
"You're rather pale for someone living right next to the sun."
He scoffed, with fingers still creating the small spaceship. In the meantime, you leaned against the crooked tunnel's wall, with a laptop on your thighs, trying to plan the route towards the only "safe" planet.
"I'm not pale. I'm blue."
"That was a joke," you shoot him a glance, seeing the irritated squint of his eyes. "It means that the thing I say is supposed to be funny. You should laugh."
A low, awkward chuckle rolled off his lips, and you couldn't help but burst out laughing. Satoru knew how to express his joy, but it seemed he didn't quite possess the humour you did.
The moment has passed, and a comfortable silence stretched between the two of you. He was mapping the galaxy, while you tried to work out whether your ship still had enough fuel to travel that far. It would take you months to reach that planet, but there seemed to be no other choice. After that mission, the fuel will run out, and you, just as planned, will die here â somewhere in the embrace of endless space.
A low sigh slipped past your lips, catching Satoru's attention. "Are you tired, question?"
Your head shook, and a few strands of hair fell loosely from a pinup. "I would love to invite you to my ship. There's a room where we can watch movies and stuff. I'm sure I can find something about Egypt."
And soâŠ
You've also learned over the past few days that Satoru took everything seriously.
In the most genuine and firm understanding of this word.
Two weeks have passed since your meeting. One morning, as you stood in front of the bathroom mirror, dressed in nothing but panties and a loose shirt while brushing your teeth, a deep, gravelly rumble shook the entire spaceship.
Your heart leapt into your throat, eyes bulged, and you dashed out of the room with wet hair and bare feet. With all the prayers you've learnt as a child repeating in your mind over and over again, as you run towards the entrance of the ship.
Did you somehow get unsealed from the tunnel?
Did something hit the ship and cause the irreparable damage that would cost you your life?
Fuck, didâ
But when you finally got into the room connected with an entrance, with toothpaste smeared all over your cheek and glasses falling crookedly off your nose, a low gasp slipped past your lips.
"Satoru?!"
Because the pale-bluish creature himself stood in the middle of your spaceship, locked in aâŠ
"And you're in a ball?" Like a hamster, wanted to join, but he probably wouldn't know what a hamster is.
Standing right in front of you, fully upright, with long legs wrapped in a white suit and a muscular back bulging under the stretched material â he appeared even more monstrous than usual. A creature over two metres tall, looking all over your place with amusement shining in his eyes, his gaze following all your dirty panties spread across the floor.
"Yep, so I won't die in your atmosphere," long fingers knocked the crystal ball, before lips curved in a cheeky smile. "Can I smell it, question? I want to know how your body smells. Put it to the shelâ"
A sudden warmth had hit your cheeks, and throat tightened around the remnants of the toothpaste. "Absolutely not! It's very not polite of you to ask such things."
He started walking around in a large ball that barely fit the corridors of your spaceship, its hard walls brushing against each and every machine, piece of furniture, and console on its way. He strolled freely, dropping different comments here and there, while you followed him and picked up all your clothes.
"So dirty," he snapped, pushing a loud scoff from your throat.
"I didn't expect the guests!"
But he ignored you, as your bedroom appeared somewhere within the line of his sight. Blue cheeks shone with crystal droplets, and white, fluffy hair almost stood on end with excitement. Before you could stop him, long legs swiftly moved towards your bedroom, taking in every little, dirty, detail â more panties, a small mattress, a few books lying scattered all over the floor.
"Is that our nest, question?" He looked around before parking his ball next to your mattress. He sat down, leaning against the floor, and finally shot you a look. "I like it."
With a deep, weariness-filled sigh, you returned to the bathroom, cleaned yourself, and re-entered the bedroom. Soft light reflected off the glistening droplets on his cheeks as he probed the fabric of your panties with his finger. Only then did you realise that the ball, despite being firm, was quite flexible, enabling him to slide his fingers through its surface, which was covered in a sticky, shimmering coating that shielded his skin from the oxygen.
You took the material away from his curious gaze and pushed it back into your bag.
"Satoru, what are you doing here?" slipped rather harshly as you sat down on your bed.
He seemed to be confused by your tone, tilting the fluffy head with a furrow. "Are you mad, question?"
You knew that getting angry with him, while he was still learning to recognise human emotions, was silly. Stupid, even, and you felt as if you were shouting at the poor puppy. Except that this puppy was much taller than you and probably weighed twice your weight.
With a sigh, you fell back on the mattress and covered your face with an arm. "Sorry, I'm not mad. Just⊠surprised. I didn't expect you would come up my ship."
He tried to roll closer, but the space was too small to allow him any other movements than going back and forth from the entrance to your mattress. So he stayed in place, trying to observe the expression on your face.
"I can't see you like that," he noted.
Another thing you've learnt about his species was how important contact and intimacy are. Not even sexual ones, but rather a simple need to always be with someone. To communicate while looking right into their eyes, to feel their skin on theirs, and to follow the movements of their lips. To feel the presence of another creature next to them, even if the only thing you did was sleep next to each other.
So another sorry slipped past your lips, and you sat again, showing Satoru your face. He slightly lightened up before pressing a hand to the crystal ball.
"You said, and I quote, I would love to invite you to my ship," he noted with utmost seriousness, and you rolled your eyes. "So I came."
Well, he was right. You did say that, and you did wish there were a way to bring him into your ship. Travelling together would be much easier if both of you were on one ship, so amidst the pure chaos and shock he caused, you quite enjoyed the fact that he could live here.
With you.
"Okay," your hand pressed to the ball, filling half of his palm. "But we need to set up some rules first. First, we don't sleep in the same bedroomâ"
"But I must watchâ"
"Satoru," you interrupted him, seeing the pale eyes slip into the sorrowfulness. "You have excellent hearing and even more excellent sight. I'm sure you can watch me sleep while staying next door." A grim twisted his face, and a low mumble filled his little bubble. Too quiet for the translator to catch, so you chuckled sweetly, seeing his brattiness surface. "Okay. The second rule â you can't sniff my panties. It's something⊠reserved only for mates."
And, well, if that didn't fire him up â with eyes suddenly beaming in excitement and droplets twinkling one by one, like a tiny mingling stars. You felt as if you had challenged him, and thus quickly added. "And because we are not mates, you cannot do it. It's too intimate."
"I want to be intimate."
A sudden flush hit your cheeks, and warmth spread beneath your chest. "No, Satoru, you don't understand. It's about sexual intimacy. Something you share whileâŠ" saying it out loud felt like giving a biology lesson to elementary school kids. "Mating⊠with your special someone. When you, well, have sex and stuff. Do you knowâ"
He chuckled low, a sly smile lifting his lips. "I know what mating is."
Something in your lower belly bubbled, seeing him like that. Tall and strong, spreading a slightly possessive and dominating aura. With eyes full of bratty cheekiness and something, something, slightly sensual dripping from his voice.
"Well, so you know that we can't do it," You moved back, taking your palm away from the crystal ball. "Let's work on our plan and try to find a way to save the world."
And with a slight dissatisfaction, Satoru finally agreed.
But the next months spent in his presence were⊠interesting. To say at least.
Every day brought new surprises, which sometimes ended with your body blushing from head to toes, sometimes him getting shy and flustered, while still trying to keep up the cocky demeanour.
He was nothing less than excellent when it came to engineering and helping with the travel itself, also being an amazing companion for the long, daring journey.
Soon he resigned from constant stay in a ball and filled the interior of your spaceship with long corridors of crystal, making himself at home. Whenever you were â he was right next. Be it a bedroom, control room, kitchen orâŠ
"Satoru!" You quickly covered your breasts with your hands, seeing him walking into the bathroom with the most casual demeanour.
A plate of some weird substance, he was always eating for supper, and a white suit half unzipped, showing off his muscular, blue chest. He leaned against the door, spectral eyes slowly following your naked body. From legs up to hips, staying longer on the gentle swell of your ass and the mould of your pussy, before going up, and up, to the breasts covered by your trembling fingers. "Sweetheart is the most beautiful creature I have ever seen."
"Sweetheart" because he really wished to call you something human pairs use for each other. Even though at least three times a week, you needed to remind him that you, in fact, were not a pair.
A muffled, surprised scoff escaped your lips. You pointed to the exit with one hand, forgetting it was clutching one of your breasts. When the silky swell smoothly slipped from your grasp, bouncing gently before his eyes, he moved closer, already pushing a finger through the stretching wall.
"Can Iâ"
You smacked it, once again showing the exit. "Satoru! You can't walk on me while I'm naked."
"Why, question?" he asked, relentlessly trying to get closer to your body. With a finger poking the wall, that unfortunately couldn't stretch enough to even brush your skin. "Come a bit closer."
Something in your belly bubbled, warmth spread across your chest, and a single, dirty thought of letting him touch you bloomed in your mind. After all, sexual needs and anatomy were among the things all researchers wished to know about foreign species. And because Satoru was of the same, curious kind as youâŠ
"It's too early, out!"
His head tilted, and lips curved into a foxy smile. "It's eight in the evening."
"No, I mean, we're not close enough to do such stuff."
He knocked on the crystal wall. "Sweetheart, but I can't get closer."
Oh god.
You sighed, finally letting the other tit bounce softly too. Leaning against the small shelf, you glanced at him with a frown. He, however, looked anywhere but into your eyes. Rude.
"Our relationship is not on that levelâŠ" yet. "What you want to do is too intimate. Sexual." And then, a sudden curiosity spiked your mind. "Satoru, how does the⊠mate thing look like among your species?"
His eyes finally slipped up to yours. "We choose one mate for a whole life."
Well, that was rather clear.
"What about the, you knowâŠ" You gestured awkwardly, partially at your still naked body.
"The mating," he finished. But as if feeling the spike in your curiosity, with round eyes ogling his naked chest and slipping shyly towards his hips, he bubbled a low chuckle. "Come closer, and I will show you."
What a brat!
With the last tsk and a dirty look shot his way, you turned back towards the mirror and finished your quick, morning "shower". Even while using rinseless soap and water pouches to clean your body, you still felt Satoru's presence behind you.
Deep blue eyes following the curve of your body, back muscles working beneath the soft skin, and when you bent over to rinse your face, a sudden, sharp breath escaped his throat.
You didn't have to look back to know that he was looking straight at your pussy.
"It's wet," he mumbled, coming closer. And closer, until his finger once again tried to evade the stretching wall, too short to even brush the swell of your ass.
You hummed, trying to hide an embarrassed warmth kissing your neck. "It's a natural lubrication. It usually happens when a woman isâŠ" oh fuck it. "Excited."
He seemed charmed, completely bewitched, and some part of you wished the difference in temperature between your bodies wasn't over two hundred degrees Celsius. As the moment Satoru's hands touched your skin, you weren't sure whether calling it the third-degree burn would be enough.
"Why is sweetheart excited, question?"
With your body leaning forward and hands resting on the shelf, you looked back, eyes slightly hazy, wetness dripping down your thigh. A silken droplet swirled down your leg, and Satoru's always oh-so-attentive eyes, of course didn't miss it.
"I want the taste," he mumbled, and only then did you notice a bulge, trying to rip free from beneath the white spacesuit covering his hips.
You took a deep breath, bending yourself lower and lower, till he could clearly see your cunt shining with silky wetness.
"I'm excited," you started, voice dripping with sensuality. "Because of you."
As if awaiting this exact answer, his eyes, for just a second, ripped themselves away from your soft pussy and looked up. To cross with yours â slightly teary, a bit too warm.
"I want toâ"
You turned around, once again leaning against the shelf. A low groan escaped his throat, as he no longer could see your pussy in its fullness. The little pout twisting his lips made you giggle, but a tricky, dirty thought has slipped into your mind.
"How about this?" You took a step, then another, until you stood right in front of him. Much closer than before, but not close enough to let him brush your skin. "I will let you touch me. Watch meâŠ" You coughed, feeling this wind of bravery leave your body as quickly as it had come. "Masturbate. And you'll let me do it too."
Satoru's lips fell open, eyes sparkled in excitement. "I thought the intimacy was only for mates. Are we mates then, question?"
"Let's call it friend with benefits."
His eyes narrowed. "We don't do such things with friends."
You scoffed, pushing your hip to the side and biting the inside of your cheek. "Well, we do, so you can either accept it or not."
And seeing that this time his bratty stubbornness wouldn't work, Satoru nodded.
A few minutes later, you found yourself in the most embarrassed, going-straight-to-the-grave position you could imagine. With elbows supporting your body on the bedroom's mattress, legs spread open, and pussy pressed against the crystal wall. The slippery juices coated the surface, making Satoru breathe much, much harder than before. With fingers wrapped around the biggest, most monstrous cock you've ever seen.
You needed a moment to take in the sight that sprang up in front of your eyes after he took off the rest of the suit. Massive, veiny shaft, with a swelled protrusion at his base, probably used while mating. The blue skin was peppered with similar droplets sprinkled on his cheeks, and shimmered faintly whenever he looked down at your cunt.
Small and fluttering, with your hole squeezing around nothing and clit swelled from excitement.
The penetrative gaze of his made you warm up even more. "Satoru, touch me," slipped like an order.
His long finger brushed the crystal wall and pushed â gently, carefully, till he felt a soft button under his pad and heard a low moan escape your lips.
He dreamed of feeling the gummy structure of your pussy. To roll the clit between his fingers, without any surface protecting his body. To lower himself down and smell, lick, taste the dripping cum that in his mind was sweeter than anything he had ever tried.
And it should be noted that he had quite refined taste buds.
His other hand pumped his massive cock in slow strokes, enjoying the sight spreading in front of him much more than the feeling of his fingers wrapped around the dripping shaft.
"Does it feel good, question?" He asked, hearing another moan fill the small bedroom.
"Y-yeah, ahh, try to make gentle circles," slipped faintly, as you started to roll nipples between your fingers.
His thumb pressed against your clit harder, making your feet curl and legs spread even wider. As if trying to invite his massive cock, that would surely rip you in half.
Maybe the fact that you couldn't touch each other wasn't that bad. Because if he somehow found a way to fuck you with this size, you sure would feel it up in your throat.
And thus you enjoyed the sight spreading in front of your eyes â his beefy thighs bulging whenever you jolted under his thumb, pearly cum dripping down the blue skin, long fingers squeezing the veiny meat as he still oh-so-carefully rubbed your clit.
"It's getting wetter," he noticed, biting the inside of his cheek. "I want to taste you."
His low voice made your body melt under his fingers, forcing your thighs to spread wider and wider, while chasing the pleasure bubbling in your belly. Your hole fluttered around nothing, and a sheer sight of his cock spun your mind in crazy wish to get yourself stretched around it. To feel every vein scratch your tight walls, till the drenched head would kiss your swelling womb.
"Fuck, wait, I have an idea," you backed out, crawling towards your bag.
Crazy, stupid, nasty plan slipped into your head, as you took out a mid-size, creamy dildo. With a sucking pad at the end, and a slightly curved head. It wasn't yours, as you somehow found it among the things⊠oh well, does it really matter? It was clean and had been bathed in antiseptic spray multiple times; thus, using it was not disgusting at all.
But when Satoru saw it, his breath hitched. Eyes slipped down to his cock, and forehead furrowed. "Why is it so small, question?"
You chuckled, sticking it to the crystal wall. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but that's the average size of a human's dick."
He followed your body as you once again spread your legs open and brushed the silicone cock through your folds a few times. Drenching it all in your juices, and Satoru, since learning the meaning of jealousy, felt something unpleasant bubble in his heart. Because he wished to be the one making your pussy flutter around his head and push it inside, till your sugary walls would clamp around his fat cock.
Your forehead furrowed, eyes glistened from prickling tears as his thumb once again landed on your clit. But this time, the pleasure was twice as intense. With a silicone dick stretching your tight pussy and his finger rubbing you in slow, maddening circles.
"I could make you feel better," he groaned, hearing another pitched moan slip past your lips. "This pathetic thing is not worthy to be inside my sweetheart."
With rising irritation, he pressed your clit harsher. Till a tremble washed over your body and back hit the mattress, as you rolled your cunt to feel the dildo go deeper. But Satoru was right â his cock would indeed make you feel better.
Your hands slipped up to your breasts, pinching the hard buds and chasing the maddening pleasure bubbling in your lower belly.
A deep frown creased Satoru's forehead, and he gently squeezed your clit. "I can't see your face."
"R-right, sorryâahhh," A cry rolled off your tongue as you once again leaned on your elbows. "Satoru, it feels so good, mhmm."
His cock was more flushed than before, with a cherry tip spilling the heavy, thick droplets all over his hand. He pumped it madly, never once taking his eyes off your lovely face. With pleasure twisting your brows and teary eyes fixed upon his.
"S-Satoru, I, fuck, I'm going to cum," the silicone cock kissed your cervix, smooching it wetly with hefty, gluey cum sipping from your hole.
You tried to imagine getting split open on his cock. Being filled by his cum, with creamy saps stuffing your swelling womb and pumping your belly full. Getting manhandled by his muscular arms and wide back, as he would fold you into a mating press and push into the mattress. Till each and every spring would painfully dig into your spine.
So with a final cry, you came.
With a loud cry, spine arching into the sweetest curve, and a sprinkling of sweetness gushing all over his thumb, although it was a true pity that he couldn't feel it. Your body trembled and lips fell open, seeing a furrow cloud his forehead and fingers tightening around his cock.
And then, an idea slipped quietly into your mind.
"Wait a minute, don't cum yet," you muttered, taking a pair of panties lying on your bed. With a single, dirty move, you rubbed them against your drenched folds, gathering all the creamy cum and honeyed sweetness.
Satoru⊠dear heavens.
When a flimsy material landed inside the shelf, quite similar to the one he installed in a tunnel, Satoru's fingers snapped forward and snatched it. He brought it closer to his nose, lips, feeling your precious wetness and the rich flavour burst right onto his tongue, as a low, primal groan escaped his throat.
"Mhmm, s-so, ahh, tastes so sweet," a muffled cry was almost incomprehensible with your panties filling his mouth.
The head of his cock pulsed, massive balls constricted whenever his tongue took another lick of your fresh cum and eyes⊠oh, eyes stayed on you.
On your breasts coated in sheer sweat, thighs still spread open and a little, minx smile twisting your lips. Satoru was sure he could cum only at the sheer sight of your angelic face, and thus, after a few more harsh pumps and muffled cries, he came. Loud and heavy, with creamy ropes shooting all over his glimmering skin and fully emptying everything he has been keeping far too long.
What a waste, you both thought, wishing it landed somewhere far, far sweeter and warmer. Deep inside your womb, preferably.
A moment has passed, with a small bedroom filled with your heavy breaths and shy glances, looking everywhere but at your cum-coated bodies. With a faint cough, you finally closed your thighs and covered yourself with a blanket.
Blooming loveliness crept up your cheeks, and suddenly looking at Satoru required far more courage and calm than it had merely thirty minutes ago.
Before you could ask whether he needed a towel, his low voice spoke first. "Are we mates now, question?"
He said sheepishly, lifting your panties with a finger.
You groaned and fell on a mattress with his chuckle tickling your burning ears.
You didn't want to destroy this moment, even though you knew your mission would end with you dying in space. That he would go back to his planet safely, while you would float and float and float, while eventually dying of hunger.
And so, sharing this sweet moment of intimacy, with warmth spreading beneath your chest, you nodded. "Yes, Satoru. Let's become mates."
đ„ Ę Ë đ„ Ę Ë đ„ Ę Ë
The next few months were filled with nothing but joy.
With movies playing on repeat in the small, cinematic room, Satoru watches each of them with his lips agape. Enjoying the landscapes of Earth, you could project them into a closed space, with a blue sky spreading across the ceiling and tall Scottish plains stretching beneath your feet.
With the golden sand of Thai beaches shimmering in the sun and coconuts falling from the palms, the chirping of birds perched high in the lush trees of the Amazon Forest, and the endless plains of the Sahara Desert.
When you joked that the three pyramids in Giza you were just looking at were believed to have been built by aliens, he only hummed and nodded as if in agreement. A scoff rolled off your tongue, and his head snapped towards you.
"Why are you nodding? Of course they weren't!"
Plush, bluish lips curved in a sly smile. "Is sweetheart sure, question? It looks like something we have on our planet."
An unbelievable shock crossed your face as you stared at him, speechless. "No, you don't!"
"Yes, we do."
"You're fucking with me."
His head tilted. "I thought we can't fuck."
You rolled your eyes, resting your head against his shoulder. Or at least against the crystal surface he was pressed against. "Forget it."
"I can't, my memory is excellent."
And that was indeed true, as Satoru seemed to remember every single thing you said or did over the past few months. The plan you devised to obtain a sample of the planet's atmospheric gas to discover why it was immune to deadly microbes was etched into his mind with meticulous precision.
Truly mesmerising creature he was, especially as he also remembered which buttons to push, to make you cum faster.
What you had also discovered was that Satoru loved to talk about your future.
Particularly during the late nights, when you were curled up under the warm blanket, lying on a mattress in a dimly lit room, with him cuddled up against your side.
He couldn't brush your soft cheek pressed against the wall, but it was fine.
For the look of your lovely face, he watched with warmth blooming in his chest, was enough.
On such nights, when both of you longed for each other's warmth, he enjoyed dreaming. Of you returning with him to his planet, building you a small, private island with oxygen, and fulfilling all your wishes. You teaching the children of his species physics â as you did on Earth â and him continuing to serve as the most valued engineer on his planet.
Of you and him living together in a small seaside cottage, spending days loving each other and lying on the soft beach till darkness would spill over the ocean's horizon â the only his planet had, the one he was ready to fully give into your hands. Having sex all day and night, to which you responded with a sweet, faint giggle, as sleep slowly slipped onto your eyes.
"And how would we do it, hm?" you mumbled, pressing against the crystal wall.
A soft furrow haunted your forehead, and he imagined calming it with a gentle roll of his thumb. "The atmosphere of my planet allows us to use a special technique," through the glass wall, he traced the curve of your lips. "It wraps my body in a thin barrier, but I would be able to touch you," soft lips touched to the point where your nose pressed. "And kiss you. And hug you, make love with you, although we wouldn't have children."
You understood why and giggled softly, slowly opening your sleepy eyes to meet the endless, pale blue. "You really want to get even closer, huh?"
It was a joke, and yet a warmth bloomed behind his spectral eyes, forcing your heart to skip a beat. His hand pressed to the part where your chest met the wall, before he leaned his forehead against "yours". "If I could, I would make you live inside me. So nothing in this universe would ever rip us apart."
A faint oh rolled past your lips as you bit on the soft inside of your cheek. "Satoru, I don't know how long your species live, but⊠I don't have as much time as you think."
A sudden panic swelled behind his eyes, and thumb slipped out of the crystal wall to brush your lower lip. "My best friends have been mates for the past hundred and sixty years. How many can you give me, question?"
Something ripped through your heart. Cut it with painful slashes, till a crease on your forehead deepened. "Not a lot, Satoru. Maybe seventy years?"
His thumb paused, an ache spreading across the vast, pale blue plains. "I've lived three hundred years without you," he said, warm lips pressing into the wrinkle between your "brows". "I won't survive another seventy."
But the endless honeymoon couldn't last long.
For there was a reason why both of you found yourselves in space. Why the mission was tagged as suicidal, and why there wasn't enough fuel to get you back to Earth. And while Satoru's dreams indeed sounded tempting, you knew that it simply wouldn't work out.
For you breathed oxygen, and he needed ammonia gas.
Your body stayed cool at thirty-six degrees Celsius, while his was burning up to over two hundred.
He was three hundred years old â you twenty-seven.
But he didn't have to know all of that. Over the past twenty-seven years, no one had made you laugh, enjoy, and love life as much as he did. Even if those brief moments of happiness were only meant to last a few months, they were enough.
After the mission, he could go back safely to his home, and you⊠well.
And you would need to watch him die.
It was truly unpredictable, and none of you could foresee how the situation would turn out. You finally arrived on the planet, prepared to collect the necessary samples of the antidote. You didn't know, however, how dense its atmosphere would be.
How the wind would violently hit your ship, tossing it sharply left and right as you stepped outside in your spacesuit and carried Satoru's sampling device back onto the ship.
He told you to leave it. When you almost fell off the ship, he begged you to come inside. Hit the wall with hands, screamed right into the speaker inside your helmet, pleaded to leave the sample and just come back.
But you simply couldn't do it. Because leaving it here, after Satoru spent decades in space trying to seek the solution, would be simply foolish. Egoistic, and thus, after a few harsh currents, you grabbed the box filled with antidote cells and went back to the ship.
But then, it started spinning. And spinning and spinning, wish wind smacking it in violent currents, and you found it almost impossible to get back onto the normal route. Every single light inside the control room shimmered red. Satoru tried to calm you down, but there was nothing he could truly do from behind the glass wall.
You pushed and flickered every button, every controller, but after one sudden, brutal tug of the ship, your face hit the console.
Eyes filled with red, a nasty crack came from the nose, and the gaze became a bit hazy. You tried to push one last button that would help the ship get away from the planet's strong current, but you were simply too weak. With blood slowly covering your whole face and belts still pinning you to the chair.
Satoru shouted something, but you couldn't hear him clearly. Was it because of the red lamps and an alarm filling the control room? Or maybe because of the sudden sleepiness that blanketed your eyelids?
His fists hit the glass wall, spreading the dull echo around the control room. A soft sweetheart sweetheart sweetheart rolled past his lips, but you simply had no energy to look up. As if you did, the sigh of his trembling, panicked face would rip your heart apart.
His large fists wanted to break through the wall, eyes looked at the blood dripping down your face, body filled with helplessness and desperation, trying everything in his power to get close to you.
With a single finger, you still strained to push that last red button. To get the ship back on track, at least allow Satoru to be safe, and finish the mission that would help save his planet. But your body couldn't handle the gravitational force caused by the spin, which pressed you into the console. The slow crushing of your lungs, mind filling with fogginess, throat crushed beneath the flickering buttons.
So with a soft, almost inaudible I'm sorry, your eyes closed.
A second has passed, a minute, with mind registering the crying alarm and⊠and a shatter of glass.
A sudden pain washed over your body â burning and stinging every nerve. Someone lifted you up, carefully, slowly, trying to wrap you in blankets and clothes, anything to keep you from the lethal touch.
Quiet, you'll live, sweetheart will live, sweetheart, sweetheart, keep your eyes open, amid violent waves of coughing and painful moans, filled the corridors of your spaceship. When your eyes opened a little, you saw nothing but thick steam evaporating from something.Â
Someone.
"Satoru?" slipped out in a whisper as, from beneath the curling steam, a blue, familiar face looked down at you, wet-cheeked. "Satoru, no, y-you'll dieâ"
"Shhh, sweetheart, it's okay, it's okay, sweetheart will live," he repeated like a mantra, hugging your wrapped body closer to his.
Fiery skin burned through the thick layers of blankets, leaving burns all over your bloodstained skin. Your body hit something, and before you noticed, an automated medical care robot soon filled your vision. The mechanical arms pressed the oxygen mask to your face before an IV needle slipped beneath the skin of your arm.
"Satoru," you mumbled weakly, trying to find those familiar, pale eyes.
And he was right there, offering you the most painful, heart-tearing sight. Tears ran down his cheeks, white steam curled tortuously from his body, and gaze slowly grew weaker. He could barely breathe, yet still stood right there.
Over your barely warm body, making sure that you would live.
"I watch youâ"
"No, S-Satoru," barely pushed through your squeezed throat. With crystal tears swirling in your eyes and fingers trying to push him away from the table. "Go back, p-please, orâ"
"No, I watch you sleep." his fingers grabbed the hem of your shirt. "You won't die".
You were too weak to fight him. In too much pain, with your head pounding, skin burning from his touch and anaesthesia slowly kicking in.
And so, with a last look into the eyes your heart laughed for, you fell asleep.
There was no way to tell how much time had passed. How long you stayed under the mechanical clutches of the medical robot.
How long Satoru needed to suffer, to make sure you would be alive.
But when you finally woke up and ripped yourself away from the needles, he wasn't there.
He wasn't in your sight, but something else, something burned, marked the floor. Dark traces of blue dust led further inside the spaceship. Still weak, with the last traces of blood dried on your cheek, you followed them, your heart pounding. And a little grain of foolish hope bloomed inside your heart, fresh tears already swirling in the corners of eyes.
The ship was back on a normal route, carrying you through the galaxy at a slow, peaceful pace. Thanks to Satoru.
The blue dust led you through the control room, down into the basement, kitchen, bathroom, and finally to the bedroom, as if he tried to, for the last time, see every part of the ship. Just to make sure everything was working. That after waking up, you wouldn't have to bother yourself with anything.
And so another wave of crushing sob bubbled in your throat. A pain ripping you open as you entered your shared bedroom and saw him there â curled on the mattress, the upper part of his body already slipped inside his crystal corridor. As if he didn't have the strength to crawl in fully. Too busy watching you sleep.
"Oh, Satoru," a cry finally escaped your throat, as your knees bent beside his body. "You fool, so stupid, you'reâoh!" A hysterical lament filled the small bedroom as you touched his cold body. "Satoru, how c-could you leave me alone?"
Face, always beaming with so much warmth and joy, lay in dead silence. With your loving, blue eyes closed behind the curtain of white lashes and lips more pale than usual.
Gathering every last ounce of strength still boiling in your body, you brought his ball back. In such a tight, ammonia-filled space, the chance of his recovery was much higher.
Opening it was almost impossible, so you cut a hole big enough to, with pain ripping through your muscles and sweat dripping down your spine, somehow push him inside. And then you glued the walls tight, with a prayer dripping off your lips, and your body cuddled into his crystal ball.
"I'll watch you sleep," you whispered, brushing the surface with his pressed cheek. "You won't die."
đ„ Ę Ë đ„ Ę Ë đ„ Ę Ë
The sun spilling through the curtain tickled your cheeks. The chirping of birds made you sigh deeply, and the gentle sea breeze coated your skin with soft kisses. The shoulder, the soft line of the spine, the slightly sweating neck, with a salty fragrance slipping sweetly into your nostrils.
You tried to stretch, waking up your stiff body from a deep slumber, but something locked you in place.
Something heavy and long, curling around your waist and pulling you closer to another stony wall.
Or, maybe you should say, stony chest.
Looking over your shoulder, you've met with a cheeky smile curling your husband's lips and still-sleepy, pale eyes. He pulled you closer, until your head found itself under his chin and your legs entangled with his.
"Good morning," you giggled, turning in his arms. "Did you sleep well?"
Satoru hummed, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. The thin barrier wrapping his body glimmered under the spilling sunlight. After years on his planet, you no longer needed a translator to understand his language. And so you kissed his blue neck, tracing the kisses up, and up, along his jaw and chin, until finally locking your lips with his.
"Apologies, I didn't watch you sleep."
You chuckled, biting gently on his lower lip. "Were you that tired after last night?"
"Mmm," a soft, satisfied hum escaped his throat when you felt something hard poking your belly. "Forgive your husband, he didn't realise he had a tigress and no wife at home."
You chuckled sweetly, forcing his lips to curl in a sly smile.
"Does my wife need anything? Do you want Suguru to lower the temperature?"
Tracing the sharpness of his jaw, up to the curve of his lips, your head shook. "No, it's warm enough. Maybe you can ask him to lower the birds' chirping a bit. I think they're a bit louder than yesterday."
He nodded, pulling you even closer. Till your bodies tangled in one, and a slow, peaceful pounding of his heart beat against your breasts. "Mhm, sure. But let's sleep a bit longer, and then you can jump on me as much as you want, hm?"
So with the last, soft kiss between your brows and heart swelling from feeling the heaviness of your body on his, Satoru allowed you to cuddle into his muscular chest and watch him slowly slip into a deep slumber.
it genuinely pisses me off that people arenât respecting boundaries and itâs the fact 4/5 of the members are minors! yes juhoon and martin are still minors! and we should know this by now because itâs been said since day one but people choose to ignore it cause they donât even care đđđ and the excuses like bye just because your a minor doesnât give you the right to sexualize the members like please. letâs focus more on our education and studies instead of gooning on your device thank you
Seriously! People need to understand this! Those are literal children in no way should anyone be making anything sexual related to them! Especially if you are an adult but even if you're also a minor! It is not okay!
âanything you say can and will be held against you-â
SEO CHANGBIN OF STRAY KIDS WITH GLASSES SEO CHANGBIN OF STRAY KIDS WITH GLASSES SEO CHANGBIN OF STRAY KIDS WITH GLASSES SEO CHANGBIN OF STRAY KIDS WITH GLASSES SEO CHANGBIN OF STRAY KIDS WITH GLASSES
â â royal guard!shota (ììž) x choi princess!reader  ➠ â 22k â
synopsis âž the nuisance boy from your childhood, your younger brother jongseobâs best friend, returns after years away from the castle as your newly appointed guard. but heâs not just the same mischievous kid who tortured you for fun anymoreâheâs a man now. preparations for the royal wedding leave you busier than youâve ever been and with your new guard, much to your dismay, following you like a shadow, youâre forced to overcome your differences and make peace with the fact that he may not be as awful to have around as you initially believed. unforeseen and violent circumstances leave you to face your evolving feelings even despite the myriad of reasons you have to not fall for him. but when has politics and status ever stopped true love from blossoming?
ᯠan â another one for the hoes (piwon) shota is such a yearner in this and he's also hot as fuck i want him real bad but the romance is romancing anyways pls grab a snack, sit back and enjoy! it's a rollercoaster :) let's ignore the fact that i finished writing this two days ago despite having months to finish it...
âI do not need a babysitter, brother.â
Jiung narrows his sharp eyes at you and you can tell heâs nearing his wits end. But regardless, he pulls on a smile that you suppose is to assure you. It only grates your nerves further.
âItâs not a babysitter,â he states calmly. âHeâs just like any guard.â
âBut youâre assigning him to keep an eye on me all day long. Thatâs simply too much!â
âSister,â he starts, pausing for a breath. He leans forward in his chair, smoothing the space between his brows with a knuckle. âWe are having a lot of visitors for the wedding. It is in everyoneâs best interest that we have someone watching you at all times. Youâre young, you never know whatââ
âHere we go again,â you snap, throwing your arms up in frustration as you start to circle the room to expel some of your irate energy. âWhat about Jongseob then? Heâs younger than I, is he also getting a babysitter?â
Jiungâs eye twitches. âItâs not a babysitter,â he repeats. âAnd thatâs different.â
âWhy?â You stop, placing your hands on your hips and glaring at him. âBecause Iâm a woman?â
Jiung hesitates for a moment before his expression sets back into a stern one. He stands from his seat. âYes,â he says and before you can argue, he barrels on. âWhich means you are more at risk of danger.â
You falter at that, feeling your metaphoric claws retract at the undeniable truth.
Jiung rounds his desk and makes his way over to you but you stand your ground, petulantly turning your head away from him.
âThis is for your safety,â he tells you firmly, though it's gentler from his earlier tone. âIt will put my worries at ease, and Taeyangâs, to know youâre being taken care of while we become busy with everything for the next few months.â
You cast your eyes down. Jiung never intends to demean you, you know that. But the thought of being watched and hovered around for the next two months puts a sour, uncomfortable taste in your mouth.
But you suppose you could put up with it for Jiung and Taeyangâs ease of mindâwell, Jiungâs at the least. Youâre not very close to Taeyang to care much what goes on with him.
âAlright,â you finally concede and the visible relief that washes over Jiungâs whole being is enough to make your defeat worth it. âI suppose it wonât be horrible.â
âThatâs right,â your brother beams. âHey, you might even make a new friend. Heâs not much older than you. You remember Shota, right?â You tense at the mention of his name, dread threading through every nerve of your body as Jiung carries on like he hadnât just thrown your mental stability off-kilter. âAkiroâs son, Jongseobâs friend.â
Shota? The demonic little gremlin that your younger brother kept around for some reason? The one who terrorized you throughout childhood?
Your eyes snap up to Jiung with an ice so cold that he visibly flinches back.Â
âWhat?â He asks. âWhy do you look like that?â
âShota?â You ask slowly, voice drenched in a seething rage. You take a step forward. Jiung scrambles back. âDonât tell me that demon is going to be my guard.â
Jiung visibly swallows, taking another step back when you step closer. âOkay,â he says. âI wonât tell you.â
You bring your fist down on his arm sharply and he yelps, cradling his bicep.Â
He stares at you with wide eyes that quickly turn angry. âWhat is wrong with you?!â
You point a finger at his face. âI am not putting up with that cretin again. Reassign me. Now.â
He grits his teeth, placing his palm atop your head that he uses to push you easily out of his space. âThatâs not in my power. Unless you want to speak with Taeyang.â
Your face falls. Youâd rather chew nails than suffer an emotionally stunted conversation with Taeyang.Â
Jiung scoffs. âThatâs what I thought.â When his eyes fall over your shoulder and his expression shifts quickly to his sunny smile, your stomach pools with trepidation. âShota! We were just talking about you.â
You refuse to turn around. Maybe then heâll go away and none of this will be real.
His voice sounds deeper than you last remember when he speaks.
âItâs an honour to be of help to your family, Your Highness.âÂ
Youâd been avoiding him all that you could after suffering through one too many of his âjokesâ. Even though he hasnât been around much for the past few years, only a handful of times that your brother would invite him to the castle, you made sure to stay far away.
And now all of that effort has turned pointless in mere unfortunate moments.
Jiungâs eyes shift back to you, his brow raised expectantly.
You simply glare at him, never mind that you come off as a pettish child. You are.
âYou will have to forgive my sister,â Jiung says, still looking at you with a forced smile. âShe seems to be in a mood.â
You raise your fist to punch him again but Jiung grabs your wrist and forces you around.Â
You nearly stumble right off your feet.
Shota stands there at the doors with his arms folded behind his back, a pleasant smile on his lips. You know your memory of him is a little foggy but you donât recall him like this. Tall and broad in the shoulders, more of a man than the gangly kid that you had to deal with.
But his smileâthat disarming, sweetly deceptive smile of hisâis exactly the same, and you feel your defenses rise from just one look at it.
âIt is a pleasure to be in your presence once more, Your Highness,â he says easily, lowering in a bow with a hand over his heart.
When he rises again, you turn to Jiung with pleading eyes.
Jiung only returns it with a scolding one. âHeâs perfectly pleasant. Donât be a brat, and play nice.â He shoulders you forward and you stumble a few steps towards your new guard, huffing under your breath.
You suppose you donât have much of a choice. So you look at Shota and give him a polite but stiff nod.Â
When it becomes clear you wonât say anything to him, Jiung sighs behind you.
âOne more thing before you go,â Jiung says while you eye Shota with sharp, revolted eyes. Shota seems unphased by it. âYou are to help with preparations for the wedding. Iâve told the Head Housekeeper to call upon you should they need any help or any input since you have motherâs eye for art.â
You turn to him again, narrowing your eyes. âYou didnât bother to consult me first?â
He raises both his brows. âWhat, do you have more pressing matters to tend to?â
You scowl at him because you can't dispute it. Itâs not that you donât care to have responsibility, you prefer to sway to your own breeze. But you suppose this wouldnât be awful. The idea of arranging the first wedding in your family is an enticing one.
âAlright,â you concede. âI suppose that wonât be horrible. I approve.â
Jiung stares at you for a moment. âThank you for your permission,â he says instead of âlike you had a choiceâ like his eyes do. âYouâre dismissed,â he adds hastily, eager to get you away out of his space and dismiss his headache with you.Â
You turn around with a satisfied smile which melts away when youâre reminded of Shota, who stands there patiently.
âUgh,â you mutter under your breath, marching right past him. Against your wishful hoping, his footsteps trail after you a few steps behind.
You ignore him as you make your way to your bedchambers. That is your sure fire way to escape him.
âIt has been a while since weâve spoken, hasnât it?â He chimes in after an awkward moment.Â
You remain silent as you turn into the hallway leading to your room. You celebrate at the quiet that follows after, hoping he would get the hint. But he starts up again just as you reach your doors.
âI apologize if Iâve done anything to wrong you, Your Hiââ
âWrong me?â You stop, whipping around to face him, and he skids to a halt, round eyes wide in shock at your sudden outburst. âYou and my brother practically tortured me!â
He opens his mouth to speak but you shove your finger in his face to shut him right up.
âI know you wouldnât risk your job now by reverting to your childish ways,â you start as you step into his space, your expression twisted with ire. âBut that doesnât mean we are acquaintances in any means. Do not take your friendship with my brother to mean that we can also be friends. Weâre not. Understood?â
He visibly swallows, eyes shifting from your finger to your face. And you think your intimidation worked for a split second, but then his eyes twinkle like they always did just before he did something to piss you off when you were kids.
He straightens his body, his hand shooting up to an emphatic salute as he grins at you.Â
âUnderstood, Your Highness,â he chirps, looking all too happy to be scolded by you.
Your face sours further and his only grows brighter.
You scoff, turning to your room. âWhatever,â you grumble as you shove your way through your doors, letting them shut on Shotaâs still saluting figure.
You hope by some miracle that he will station himself far enough away so that you can slip out without him noticing.
But then you hear his boots clack before stilling right outside your door, and you sigh to yourself, dropping onto your bed. You pray the months will pass quickly.
You know it's a ridiculous attempt, but youâre already climbing across the walls from your window to Jongseobâs and you canât worry about anything except not falling to your death.
You cling on to the protruding overhangs as you walk along the limestone ridges of the outer walls, inching closer and closer to Jongseobâs room which thankfully isnât too far from your own. You just pray that heâs in his room to allow you in.
You peer below, immediately regretting it when your stomach lurches at the long drop. There are bushes below you which you pray to the gods will cushion the fall. If you fall.Â
Which you wonât, you keep telling yourself. You just hope none of the gardeners will look up.
When you reach the window, finally, you jump onto the outer windowsill and start pounding on the glass. The curtains are drawn, so you canât see in to see if Jongseob is in there.
You batter at the glass for what seems to be minutes before the curtains finally rip open and Jongseob stands there on the other side, wide-eyed and completely disheveled.
âSister?â You hear his shocked yell through the thick glass.
You glare at him and pound on the window again. âHurry up and open it!â
He bristles, scrambling to swing the windows open and you quickly stumble in, breathing in relief while your heart still pounds away in your chest.
âWhat in the heavens are you doing?!â Jongseob asks as you rise to your feet, dusting your dress off.
âEscaping,â you answer simply. You take one look at him, at his messy hair, messy clothes, and flushed skin, and ask, âWhat in the heavens were you doing?â
He blinks dumbly before the red on his cheeks fire up in realization and he starts to hastily smooth himself down. âI was napping.â
You raise your brow, unconvinced, but this isnât your concern at the moment.
âWhat exactly are you escaping from?â Jongseob asks to divert, avoiding your eye. Then realization dawns on him and his eyes snap back to yours in exasperation. âDonât tell me this is because of Shota.â
You cross your arms, looking away with a âhmphâ.
For the entirety of your past week, Shota has been stuck to your side like a pestering bug. It doesnât matter if you try to shake him or slip away, he always finds his way back to you like a bloodhound.
And it is absolutely maddening. He doesnât speak, not since youâd scolded him on the first day, but his presence is enough to still get under your skin.Â
And with it being around you all the time, you desperately need a break. Could you be blamed for wanting an escape?
âYou are so immature,â Jongseob sighs, rubbing his head.
You scowl at him. âIâm immature? You remember all those jokes you pulled on me with him?â
âThat was years ago,â he deadpans. âWe were kids.â
You huff indignantly. âYou know I hold a grudge.â
âThat you do,â he mutters, rolling his eyes. âNow can you please leave?â
Your nose scrunches in distaste. âI was going to but now that youâre being so annoying, maybe Iâll hang around here for a while,â you state before you start to march your way over to his bed.
âNO!âÂ
You jump when Jongseob practically throws himself in front of you, intercepting your path and pushing you back.Â
Thereâs a quiet thump that you hear somewhere behind him.
You stare at him, wide-eyed, and he stares back at you just as shocked and more than a little panicked.
Your eyes narrow in suspicion as you cross your arms. âWhat was that sound? Youâre being weird.â
âAnd youâre invading my personal space,â he fires right back before he starts pushing you towards the door. âGo find somewhere else to hide. Find Keeho!â
You groan, batting his hands away as you finally surrender. âFine! But if Shota comes asking, you didnât see me. Got it?â
He stares at you like heâs gathering an argument but you cut in before he can muster it.
âAnd Iâll forget why youâre acting so suspicious.â
Frustrated, Jongseob throws his head back. âOkay, fine. Now leave!â
To get the upper hand, you thwack him on the forehead before turning to the door and leaving him clutching his head in pain.
You shouldâve known better than to think you were in the clear. Because when you push open Jongseobâs doors, there stands Shota on the other side with his arms behind his back and expectant like he was waiting for you.
âSeriously?!â You cry and he just blinks at you. âWhat are you?!â
He tilts his head. âYour guard.â
You hear a stifled laugh behind you but youâre too caught up reeling in your defeat to reprimand your gremlin brother.
Huffing, you shove past Shota. âUnbelievable,â you grumble, marching down the halls.Â
Maybe itâs time that you give up and accept your fate. If even climbing the walls to escape wonât work, youâre not sure anything will.
You were hoping you could complete your duties, which commence today with the help of the West Princess betrothed to your brother, without Shota getting in the way but it seems that was just wishful hoping too.
âIf I mayââ
âYou may not,â you cut him off, and he obediently complies.
At least thereâs that. He hasnât gone out of his way to provoke you like before. But the anxieties still remain that he might drop bugs in your hair or put dye in your soap.
It keeps you on edge as you prepare with the staff for the Princessâs arrival the next day.
The ball has turned out just the way you had wanted, if Shota had to guess by the bright grin on your face. He watches as you flurry around the vast area, greeting guests and being the social butterfly he never could be, from where he stands at the sidelines with the other guards.
He couldnât do much to enjoy the festivities besides stand there and watch over, but at least he got to watch over you.
You might despise him. But itâs something that Shota has had years to get used to. And he doesnât much care as long as he gets to be in your vicinity. Heâll enjoy your company from the sidelines and repent for his childish displays of affections by doing that from a distance.
A voice on Shotaâs left breaks his focus from you.
âYou too, huh?â
He peels his gaze from you, a difficult task, to see Sir Intak stationed with him.
Confusion etches his mind, until he catches the way Intak is watching the sister of the betrothed Princessâthe one assigned to him for her stayâwith a gaze so honeyed that it would be nearly impossible to miss.
Shota giggles at the realization, turning back to the crowd to seek you out again. Itâs easy to find you; itâs like heâs tuned just for you.Â
âIt seems that way,â he admits sheepishly. Thereâs an understanding that passes between the pause before he continues. âAt least mine has been in the works for years.â
Sir Intak scoffs, though itâs lighthearted. âMine was love at first sight.â
âAs was mine.â
Shotaâs heart nearly gives out when your eyes catch his for a moment, as if youâd heard the confession from all the way over there, as you scoured the crowds.
In that moment, he thinks he understands what it means for it to feel like time has slowed.
Even from this distance, he could map out the delicate features of your faceâthe very one heâs been dreaming of since he was a kid.
But it doesnât last for long. Youâre quickly whisked away by another princess from a distant land but Shotaâs mind stays locked still on the lingering weight of your gaze on his.
It keeps him company as the engagement ball nears its end. Even as his restless body protests the idea of it, he wishes it wouldnât end so soonâif only so he could keep watching you for a moment more.
Assisting the Princess is quite the task, you find out, because she would rather spend it trying to poke at your brother rather than be productive.Â
Which leaves you to hold the ground while she marches up to his office to pester him. You consider following her up just to watch for the sake of entertainment but you end up finding the tasks enjoyable. The Princess clearly doesnât, not that you blame her considering the situation sheâs in (you donât imagine anyone would be delighted to be marrying your brother).Â
So to make things a little less overbearing for her, you take it upon yourself to be in charge of general aesthetics and condensing the amount of choices to the palette you have in mind, keeping the garnet of your kingdom and the emerald of hers, so she doesnât have too much to parse through.Â
Shota, thankfully, stays out of your way. So much so that you nearly forget about him. He becomes nothing more than your shadow.
Except when things start to get tedious, and you start hitting walls and getting overwhelmedâthat's when he starts to step in.
Too many things in your hand? Heâll swipe them right out from you and carry them instead.
You couldnât see past the tower of curtain fabrics in your arms, the ones youâd offered to help transfer from the parlour to the ballroom.
Youâd waved off Shotaâs offer for help earlier, biting that you could handle it on your own. But you didnât realize velvet could be so heavy. Or that the walk would be so long.
You also didnât realize you had started swaying, or that you started straying from your path, because a hand, gentle and warm, pressed against your waist to gently move you back on track.
You flinched at the touch, stopping in your tracks and whipping around to face Shota.Â
Shota stopped as well, bowing before you. âMy apologies, Your Highness. You were about to hit a wall.â
Your cheeks flushed at that and you quickly turned to hurry back on your path. âItâs fine,â you muttered quickly, trying to ignore the tingling heat that remained at your side.Â
But before you could get far, he caught up to you and swiftly took the fabrics into his arms.Â
âHey!â You exclaimed, but your arms breathed in relief when the weight was lifted off of you.Â
He only gave you one of his sweet smiles before nodding at you to move along. âI am at your disposal, Princess.â
You start misplacing things and thinking youâve lost your head? No worries, he has a sharp eye and is apparently watching your every move.
You could swear youâd left out the napkin you wanted to present to the Princess right there in the centre of the table but it seemed that in your rush, you buried it under the others.Â
You kept flitting through the piles, searching desperately for the one that caught your eye.
âOh, you idiot, why didnât you put it to the side?â You scolded yourself in pure exasperation as you sifted through what must be hundreds of samples.
Shotaâs voice chiming from behind you didnât even vex you past the annoyance you held with yourself at the moment.Â
âAre you looking for this one?â
You almost ignored him, but when the words finally processed, you turned in a hurry.
There, in his large hand, was the delicate red linen with gold and green embossing around the perimeter that youâd been eyeing since the start.
âYes!â You cried in relief, taking the napkin from him with both of yours like you were accepting treasure.
âYou left it under your teacup,â he told you, and your face immediately fell with embarrassment.Â
You really are as scatter-brained as Keeho likes to call you.Â
Shota giggled, a soft, pleasant sound that took you by surprise, as he looked at the napkin then back up at you. âItâs pretty.â
It became very apparent over the past few weeks that Shota had in fact matured and isnât the same boy looking for any opportunity to approach you with a snake or to hurl rocks at your balcony.
He not only charmed everyone he came across with his musical laugh and soft voice and sweet smile, but he was starting to become something of an asset. Someone you were relieved to have beside you throughout your tasks.
The feeling grows more apparent during the flower arranging session. Something must have shifted between your brother and the Princess, because heâd entered the room and declared he would be joining the session to the surprise of, well, everyone.
âDid he have a stroke?â You mutter under your breath quietly enough so Taeyang wouldnât hear from where heâs only a few feet away. Shota giggles at your side.
The Princess actually voices her shock aloud, âDid you have a stroke in the few days that I havenât seen you?â It nearly sends you into a fit of laughter at your parallel thoughts.
It dies away when Taeyang shoves the bush daisies that were in Princessâs arms into yours instead, nearly catching you in the face, and you wind up to yell at him but Shota quickly relieves you of the bouquet and hands it to a nearby maid.
You huff instead and fall to the sidelines, watching as the ever stoic Prince Taeyang starts to fuss over flowers.
Itâs ridiculous enough to have you pursing your lips to hold back your comments and laughs. Glancing to your right, Shota is doing the same, eyes twinkling with amusement as he watches the scene unfold.Â
âI donât think thatâs my brother,â you find yourself saying, wincing when Taeyang places a peony crown atop his head that the Princess immediately snatches away, chiding him for being ridiculous.
Shota snickers. âWhoever it is, I think the Princess likes him better.â
You scrunch your nose. âI wouldnât know why. Thereâs petals stuck to his hair.â
âThatâs part of the charm,â Shota adds and you scoff, bringing your hand up to hide your smile.
The cleanup is a headache, especially considering Keeho and Intak had joined in creating the mess. Thereâs petals lodged in every corner of the room.
Youâre collecting the flowers and petals that had gotten mangled and left on the floor, tossing them in the basket in your hand, when Shota chimes in.
âWhy are you cleaning?â He asks, despite the fact that heâd also picked up a basket to gather the mess.
You pause, looking over with raised brows. âWhy are you?â
âBecause you are.â
A simple answer. Honest enough to leave you feeling a little endeared.
You turn back to your basket, sifting through some of the trampled roses you collected and picking out a pretty pink one that looks like it somewhat survived the massacre.
You consider whether to answer him for a few moments before shrugging. âI donât mind busy work. It helps ease my mind. Plus⊠itâs not entirely for non-selfish reasons,â you admit. âI need the petals for a painting.â
Confusion etches his face as he stands straight, turning to you. âPainting?â
A little off put by the casual conversation, you nod stiffly. âYes. I paint in my free time.â
âOh,â he says, eyes lighting up. âI didnât know you did art.â
You raise your brow at him, perching the basket at your hip. âBecause you were too busy pulling on my hair and teasing me.â
His cheeks turn a rosy pink, a pretty colour against his pale skin. You glance down at the pink rose in your hand, noticing the similarity in shade.
âI apologize for the way I behaved, Your Highness,â he tells you sheepishly, bowing his head. âI simply didnât know what to do with myself around you.â
While the apology doesnât fully absolve him, you suppose itâs a good start. But the admission confuses you.Â
You place the rose back in the basket, tilting your head. âWhat do you mean?â
The blush only seems to deepen. You glance down at your basket to see if thereâs one in that shade, mourning subconsciously when there isnât.Â
âCan I see?â He asks, and youâre too caught up in your petal search to realize the diversion.
âSee what?â
âYour art.â
You canât really find a reason to say no. And the way he looks at you so earnestly, you canât say that you want to deny him.Â
So you turn, basket against your hip, as you start towards the upper floor. He follows along with a kick to his step.
But when you step into your bedchambers, you hear his footsteps skid to a stop.
You look over your shoulder to see him standing at your doorway with his basket still in hand, staring down at the divide between the hall and your room.
âWhat is it?â You ask, stopping in your tracks.
He lifts his head and blinks at you. âIt would be improper of me to go inside.â
You roll your eyes, just a little fondly, as you continue to the corner of your room where you have your supplies stationed.
âYouâre assigned to oversee me around the clock,â you state as you place your basket on your table cluttered with sheets and pastels. âWhat difference does it make? Just come inside.â
When he still hesitates, you turn to him with your arms crossed.
âThatâs an order,â you state, and he immediately complies, hopping through the barrier with an impish smile on his face.
You purse your lips to smother the smile that threatens to rise at his unusual antics. He may have matured, but heâs still just the same at his core.
You glance down at the basket he holds. âYou brought it with you?â
He walks over, offering the basket to you, though his eyes are fixed over your shoulder and on the walls behind you.
âI figured youâd need more materialâŠâ He trails off.
âOh,â you say, a little taken aback but you accept the basket. And youâre all the more grateful for it when in it, you see a pale red tulip that would go perfectly for the vision you started cultivating in your head.
Youâre brought out of your head when Shota breathes a quiet, âThese are beautiful.â
You lift your gaze to see him utterly starstruck, his glimmering eyes taking in the myriad of reds and pinks on the canvases perched on your shelves.
You flush, unused to the attention to your craft. It was always just a quick nice work or thatâs adorable or how sweet that you try so hard.
You swallow away the emotion that threatens to rise in your chest, chiding yourself for being too emotional as you place his basket beside yours.
âThank you,â you say stiffly, unused to having to respond to such an earnest display.
His attention turns to the canvas you have perched on the easel facing into your craft corner, a landscape you started weeks ago but havenât been able to continue for some reason.
But even that unfinished greenery seems to enchant him.
âItâs not finished,â you say quickly, feeling the need to defend yourself. âI had an idea for it but, I donât know, I suppose I lost the inspiration.â
He blinks and looks at you over his shoulder. âYou could have fooled me.â
You scrunched your nose. âHow? I havenât added any flowers yet.â
He laughs softly, bowing his head in apology before turning back to the finished paintings along your wall. âI see you favour flowers.â
The defensive urge in you rises again but youâre quick to smother it down. Itâs not judgment, simply an observation. âIâm not much good at anything else,â you admit sheepishly, wringing your hands at your front. âMy mother really liked flowers⊠I suppose I wanted my creations to be like hers.â
He turns to you again, his gaze soft, and you quickly look away. You donât think you can handle pity. âWhat did she think about yours?â
âI never showed her,â you admit solemnly. âI was too afraid she wouldnât like them.â
The quiet that follows is deafening. You wish you hadnât said anything at all.Â
Sensing your discomfort, Shota pivots.
âCould you paint me something?â
You blink at the sudden question, lifting your gaze to his. âHuh?â
He bristles, cheeks flushing as he quickly drops to a deep bow. âMy apologies, Your Highness. I shouldnât ask such a thing from you, that was improper of me.â
You scramble to diffuse, having to reach over and nudge his shoulder to get him to rise again.
âThatâs alright!â You say quickly, laughing awkwardly when his wide eyes lift up to you. âI can paint something for you.â
He straightens in a flash, beaming at you. âReally?!â
You canât help it. You laugh, quick to hide it behind your hand. âYes, itâs fine,â you tell him, and the tension leaves his body. âIt might just be the inspiration I need to pick up a brush again.â
You miss the weight of them beneath your hand. The lull in your recent days has wiped you clean of any motivation.Â
But the familiar prickles of artistic urge tingle under your skin when your eyes shift to the baskets on your desk, to the rose and the tulip sat at the tops.
You make an unlikely friend in Shota in the weeks to come. Heâs the one you consult whenever you notice a shift between your brother and the Princessâs relationship, the one who agrees with you that thereâs too many secret looks and disguised remarks for this to be a less than amicable union.Â
Heâs also the one you find yourself complaining to rather than Keeho, whoâs become more mopey than usual.
Needless to say, you donât dread having him follow you around anymore. You almost mourn when he bids you goodnight before he switches with the nightguard, but at least you spend those hours asleep so youâre not really missing out on him much.
You welcome his presence now. You even invite it during your afternoon tea, making an extra cup for him to enjoy with you out on the terrace. And during your evening strolls, you invite him to walk beside you instead of behind you.
He seamlessly becomes part of your routine.Â
Until one morning when you open your doors to be met with Jiho, your nightguard, instead of Shota.
Your face falls. âWhy are you still here?â
Jihoâs greeting smile falters. âI was informed that I would be accompanying you this morning and afternoon, Your Highness.â
âBy who?â
âBy Prince Jiung, Your Highness.â
You push past him and immediately make for Jiungâs office, Jihoâs scrambled footsteps falling in step behind you.
âJiung!â You cry as you barge in through his doors.
Jiung, huddled over his mountain of paperwork, sighs before lifting his head to you and plastering on a smile.Â
âYes, love?â
You cross your arms. âWhere is my guard?â
He blinks, glancing past you. âRight behind you.â
You click your tongue, feeling far too offended than you should at the notion of anyone other than Shota being referred to as your guard. âNot that one.â
âOh,â he says, tilting his head. âYou mean your favourite one?â
âYesââ You bite your tongue immediately, realizing your grave mistake when Jiungâs lips stretch into a wolfish grin.
âI see youâve warmed up to Shota,â he starts, all too satisfied at your mortified face as he leans back in his chair. âWho was it throwing a tantrum over him again?â
You simply glare at him before turning your head with an indignant huff. âJust tell me what happened.â
âHeâs taken the day to train,â he chuckles. âHe said he felt antsy. Too stagnant.â
âOh.â You suppose that makes sense. A person of his station should keep on top of his physical being, and workouts in his quarters can only take him so far. âI see.â
He raises a knowing brow at you. âHm. Anything else?â
Youâre about to dismiss yourself but falter when your eyes catch onto Jiungâs state; pale and with shadows darker than usual under his eyes.
A frown settles on your lips, that familiar ache in your chest rekindling whenever you see him fall worse for wear like clockwork. âAre you okay?â
His smile softens, but it looks forced. âDonât worry,â he insists. âIâve been with our healer regularly. Sheâs been helping me.â
You nearly miss the flush on his cheeks past your worries. âMake sure your sessions with her are actually productive,â you chide, then quickly add, âHealth wise.â
The glare he sets you with leaves you unphased. Anyone with two eyes and a brain would notice his crush on your family healer, but you just hope that thatâs incentive enough for him to actually check up for his health and not just for his eyes.
Jiung dismisses you with a wave of his hand.
âThe crown would be a mess without you,â you remind him before you leave, a subtle plea for him to actually look after himself.Â
You turn back towards Jiho, who flinches under the sudden weight of your gaze.
You shouldnât have come here. Every alarm in your head tells you to turn around and runâbut your body has other plans.Â
There Shota isâsparring with another guard on tucked away grounds of the courtyard, moving with the wind like his bones donât existâshirtless.
Heâs muscled in a way that you thought only existed in books. Not overbearing, but corded in a way thatâs elegant on his lean body. The slopes of his defined abdomen keep drawing your gaze, but your focus remains on his veiny forearm as it shifts with every swing of his wooden sword. The sight of his hand, large and strong around the hilt, leaves you feeling suddenly parched.
The warm air feels hotter than it should, the breeze doing nothing to help it. And your body burns with an unfamiliar heat that leaves you feeling skittish and aching for something, you donât know what.
Youâre not sure how long you stand there for, or how long the spar even lasts. But next thing you know, the other guard is on his back and Shota stands above him with his sword pointed at the guard, chiseled chest heaving.Â
You feel dizzy when you catch notice of the trickles of sweat gliding down his glistening body.
âPrincess?â
Youâre snapped out of your daze, eyes blinking up at Shotaâs face thatâs now turned to you. His sword is clutched limply at his side.
Your face burns in the fear of getting caught staring but he seems lost on it, round eyes wide in confusion.
âWhat are you doing here?â
It takes a magnitude of effort to keep your eyes on his face and not his enticing⊠everything. You didnât know that under all his layers, he was carrying this, when his face is the complete oppositeâsweet and doe-eyed and innocent looking. How are you supposed to look at him the same way ever again?
Youâre spurred into motion when he approaches youârather, the canteen of water placed on the bench beside you. You watch as he picks it up with long fingers, watch the bob of his Adamâs apple as he swigs the water back greedily.
Realizing youâre taking a little too long to speak, you force the words out of your dry mouth. âI was just wondering why you abandoned me without warning.â
He blinks over the lip of his bottle, lowering it before wiping his lips with the back of his hand. âAbandon you?â He asks. âThat was not my intention, I apologize ifââ
Noticing the actual distress that overtakes his expression, you quickly cut in with a shake of your head. âNo, no, Iâm not actually upset. But you could have warned me.â
He drops into a deep bow. âI apologize, Your Grace.â When he lifts, he gives you a nervous smile, shuffling on his feet. âI hope I havenât offended you.â
You sigh, your eyes dropping momentarily before shifting quickly up when even just that slight glance sends your head spinning.
âYou could have just brought me here instead of dropping me on someone else like Iâm cargo,â you point out, crossing your arms. Youâre not sure why this is so important to you, but you feel as though the point should be made.
He answers you honestly like he always does. âI didnât think this would be something youâre interested in.â
He wouldnât be wrong. ButâŠ
You glance down, your eyes lingering for a short moment before finding his wondering eyes again. âI might be.â
The smile that blooms on his lips is as warm as ever, but you think you see that familiar glint of mischief somewhere in his eye. âIâll keep that in mind.â
You realize that even just a half day with another guard leaves you feeling more off kilter than it should. You miss Shota, you realize as you trudge through another noon full of tasks. Itâs not the same without having your supportive hand and listening ear by your side. Jiho just doesnât know how to keep up with you.Â
You make that known when Shota returns by your side for your evening walk.
Heâs ecstatic when he hears your woes, smiling to his eyes with the tips of his ears tinged pink.
âIâm happy to know youâre happier with me around,â he says and youâre quick to shut that down, your own cheeks turning pink.
âOkay, I didnât say that,â you state defensively. You brush your hand along the flower bushes at your side as you stroll the familiar path. âI just said I prefer you to the other one.â
He turns to you, his smile tilted teasingly. âIs that not the same thing?â
Something about the mischief in his smile and the confidence in his eye sends your heart fluttering. You quickly look away, keeping your eye fixed along the cobblestone as you try to wave away the image that comes rushing to your brain of his body, glistening under the sun like a tantalizing dream.
âBelieve what you want,â you grumble in defeat and he laughs.
Silence comes then, comfortable and familiar as it always is with him.
âWhy now?â You find yourself asking after a warm moment. When he tilts his head in question, you continue. âJoining the Guard, I mean.â
âAh.â He looks up in thought, folding his arms behind him as his eyes move this way and that to gather his words. âIâve been training with my father since I was young. I knew I wanted to follow in his footsteps. I would have joined earlier but after his injury I had to stay with him and help him get back on his feet.â
You nod in understanding. Shota is former Knight Akiroâs only family. Akiroâs wife had died during childhood, which meant Shota was left to his care, which meant Shota was always around in the castle as a helping hand while Akiro worked.
Akiroâs injury protecting your Father in an ambush during a journey from the South rendered him unable to continue his duties. Which meant moving back into the common town, albeit the nicer side, after healing under the royal watch.
Shota must have had to bear the responsibility of helping his father for the past four years.
âWhat does he do now?â You ask. Youâre not sure why you care, but seeing the fond look on Shotaâs face as he talks about his father is one youâre not in a hurry to get rid of.
âWeaponsmith,â he answers, giving you a smile. âWe opened up a repair shop. Itâs doing pretty well now. So when the announcement for recruitment came, my father asked me to join.â He looks forward again, his smile dimming. âI didnât want to leave him. But this has been my calling since I was young, soâŠâ
âYou must miss him,â you say, and the shy smile that lifts on his lips warms you inside. âBut Iâm happy you joined.â
He lifts his gaze to you, soft and searching against your own with an honesty that feels a little intimidating. When he stops walking, you do too, but you donât once stray from his gaze.
âMe too,â he whispers.
The space between you is short but somehow it feels like nothing. The dying sun sets his hair alight like a halo, the pale white lit a gentle golden by the rays.Â
You get lost in how soft the tresses look as they sway with the wind into his eyes.
The colour reminds you of something; itâs right on the tip of your tongue.
It comes to you just as Shota speaks, gentle like the wind.
âPrincessââ
âMoonbeam!â
Just like that, the moment breaks. He blinks out of his daze, confusion filtering in. âWhat?â
âMoonbeam,â you repeat, then take off behind him.
You hear his footsteps follow after you as you rush to the bush of moonbeams planted alongside a section of the pathway youâd just passed.
You crouch down to hastily pluck one of the buds before rising and turning back to Shota, nearly crashing into him in your excitement.
Before he can question you, you lift the flower beside his hair and smile, satisfied when the pale yellow of the flower matches the shade of his pale hair almost perfectly.
The familiar prickle under the skin of your palm reawakens as you grin up at his starstruck eyes. âMoonbeam.â
You realize your growing affections for Shota when youâre in the middle of painting.Â
The epiphany hits you so hard and so strong that you drop the brush, smearing the pale yellow paint against what was supposed to be clear waters.
You stare at the blemish as the wooden brush clatters to the ground, the terrifying thought that you may have feelings for your guard hanging heavily over your head.
No, you scold yourself as you start frantically tidying away your supplies.Â
He is your guard. Your worker. Stations beneath you. You cannot grow feelings for him. It simply isnât allowed and if either Taeyang or, heavens forbid, your father found out about this, they would have his head.
Whatever it is, it cannot be more than a simple crushâjust some fleeting feelings for a boy your age thatâs not terrible to look at and has the basic manners to tend to you.
That is no base for feelings. Certainly for nothing more than a meager crush.
But once the realization sinks in, it doesnât leave you.
It carries with you into the next day, and you cannot explain to yourself, or to Shota, why youâre being distant.
But he seems to get the hint to leave you to yourself when his fourth question of the day goes unanswered. Though when he falls silent, devoid of his tinkling giggle or his soft voice or his subtly snide remarks about pompous nobles, you feel an ache grow alongside your weakening heart.
You hate every second that you leave him wondering what went wrong. You hate every second that leaves you feeling guilty for causing the pout on his lips and the melancholy in his eyes.
Youâre hurting him. And youâre hurting yourself.
But itâs a necessary pain if it means itâll drive away your misplaced feelings. Youâre just not sure if itâs effective.
And the next week that you spend like this is simply torturous.
The assignment comes from Taeyangâthrough Jiungâto retrieve something from a trusted jeweller in town. A necklace he had commissioned for the West Princess, apparently, and it was not to be trusted in the hands of anyone else.
âMake sure it doesnât leave your sight,â Jiung tells you as he fastens your cloak around your neck. You were dressed in simple garments so as to not draw attention to yourself. âAnd do not leave Shotaâs eyesight, understand?â
You grow quiet at that, brows furrowing as you fix your eyes at the crest on your brotherâs jacket. âCanât Jiho come with me?â
He pauses, then places his hands on his hips and bends down to meet your eye. âWhat is with this hot and cold routine with you?â
You bristle, glaring at him. âIt is notââ
âDid something happen?â He cuts in, gaze growing concerned. âDid he do something to you?â
Your eyes snap open wide and you quickly shake your head, waving your hands frantically. âNo! No, brother, nothing like that.â
He raises his brow but when you give him an insistent look, he sighs. âAlright.â He straightens to his full height again. âThen what is it?â
You open your mouth to answer but nothing comes out. What are you supposed to say?
Defeated, you groan. âNothing,â you mumble. âNothing at all. Iâm just in one of my moods.â
His curiosity quickly turned into a frown. âI told you not to call it that,â he states. âYouâre a growing woman, itâs alright if youââ
Immediately, your face burns at the implications as your hands lift in instinct to press over your ears. âPlease stop talking!â You cry, and Jiung bursts into laughter at your fluster.Â
âAlright, enough with the melodramatics,â he chuckles, nudging you towards the carriage, which was mundane just like your dress for the very same reasons. You give under his push, trudging closer to where Shota waits for you by the opening. âKeep an eye on her,â Jiung tells him. âSheâs slippery.â
Shota glances at you then gives Jiung an awkward smile. âI know.â Then he bows and draws open the curtain for you.
Jiung gives you one last squeeze on your elbow before stepping back and leaving you at the hands of the very person youâve been trying to distance yourself from. âBe safe.â
The carriage ride to town stretched longer than it really was in the silence. Besides Shota sitting across from you, there were two other guards pressed to your sides.
Shota would keep glancing at your sides, clearly unhappy about something, before asking you if you were alright. You would answer him with a simple nod which would be enough until his next question of if youâre thirsty, or hungry, or uncomfortable. He really did feel more like a babysitter now than a guard.
And as much as you wanted to find it annoying, it only did more to weaken your heart.
Receiving the necklace was the easy part. You were more than shocked to find that the sketch sent to the jeweller was made by none other than Taeyang himself, that the vision for such an intricate piece was his own. You had to bite your tongue from mentioning the revelation to Shota, who was waiting by your side as you inspected the jewels before you could accept it.
It was only after stepping outside of the jeweller and walking towards the carriage that was stationed away from the crowds did you come across trouble.
Like a hound calibrated for danger, Shota unsheathes his sword. âStay alert,â he commands, pushing you gently behind his arm. The other two guards immediately follow suit, forming a protective triangle around you.Â
The hairs at your neck stand at the rising sense of prickling dread and you clutch the small jewel case close to your stomach, hidden under your cloak.Â
The area youâre in is dead quiet. Isolated. You donât hear a sound; thereâs no signs of life but the trees and the birds. But still you feel the eyes on you.
Shotaâs hand presses against your waist, firm and possessive.
âShota,â you whisper shakily under your breath.Â
His grip tightens. âIâve got you,â he whispers back.
It happens all at once. Figures, cloaked in black clothing, emerge from trees and swords go swinging around you.
Itâs all a blur to you. Thereâs a handful of those cloaked figures that come from all sides. Your guards take one each, Shota takes on two. And the otherâ
Your yell gets muffled by the burly arm that wraps around your mouth and neck, hauling you back. But you fight with the arm not clutching the case, swinging your elbow back and up into the attackers jugular.
It was sharp and quick enough to disarm the attacker for a weak moment, long enough that one of your guards could get the jump on him, his previous victim left bloody on the ground.
But your relief is short-lived.
âPrincess, behind you!â
You turn to see a knife swinging, too late to do anything about it.
But there's a flash of silver and white, and the terrifying moment of clarity that follows right after makes you realize that Shota has taken your place.
His body drops into you and youâre barely prepared to catch him, the weight of him bringing you down to the ground. Before you can process anything more, a sword swipes the head of the attacker clean off and its dismembered body drops to reveal your other guard, pale as a ghost as he stares down at your and Shotaâs crumpled bodies.
You watch as the guardâs gaze travels down Shotaâs frame, stopping somewhere at his torso before he turns even paler.
âHeâs bleeding,â he breathes, sheathing his sword and dropping down.
Shotaâs head rolls onto your shoulder, his body feeling heavier on you by the second. Once the moments that had just transpired sinks into you, your own body lurches with panic.
You look down at Shotaâs head against your shoulder to see his eyes blinking heavily up at the skies. âShota?â You grasp his cheek with a shaky hand as the guard undoes Shotaâs layers to reach the wound at his stomach.
âPrincess,â he strains, forcing his watery eyes open to turn and peer up at you. Thereâs a single cut on his brow, but beyond that and his ghostly skin, he looks untouched. If only. âAre you okay?â
âAm IâŠâ A surge of fury surges through you but it quashes down when the other guard rushes over with the medkit, handing it to the guard that scrambles to close the weeping wound.
âThe carriage is damaged and the driver is nowhere to be found,â says the guard, looking less panicked than you feel but you can see it carefully concealed behind his stoic eyes. âWe canât risk taking Shota back on horseback. Princess, thereâs an inn a few streets down. Take disguise and stay there, we will come back for you and for him in the morning.â
âLeave them here?â The guard tending to Shota asks in disbelief but he keeps his focus on closing the wound. âYou canât be serious!â
âWe donât have any other choice,â the other spits. âWe need to stay in a pair in case thereâs another ambush, otherwise weâll never make it back to the castle.â
âWeâll be okay,â you intercept, despite the way your voice shakes. Their gazes lift to you, one relieved and one hesitant. âWe can stay low. Iâll make sure heâs stable through the night.â
Though heâs still reluctant, the guard nods his assent. âOkay,â he says, then ties off the bandage around Shotaâs waist. âMake sure he stays awake until youâre safe. Get him as much water as you can.â
You nod, and the guard rids Shota of his leather armour and his bloodied shirt, swapping it for the clean shirt off his own back. Itâs dark so even if blood seeps through the bandages, it wonât be enough to draw attention. They take his sword and leave him with a dagger sheathed under the waistband of his trousers, and once he looks like a commoner just as you do, they bring him up to his feet.
With shaky limbs, you slip the jewel case into the waistband of your corset and rise to your feet.
Shota winces when you take the weight of him to your side, his arm winding around your shoulders as a pained whimper leaves his lips.
âIâm sorry,â you whisper, holding him close to your side. âYou can stay up for a little, canât you?â
He takes a breath before nodding, though his movements are sluggish.
âI can,â he affirms. He looks up at the other guards and gives them a weak nod. âHurry on. Stay safe.â
One of the guards goes to the carriage to retrieve the stash of food and supply left to bring back to you. When he sees your hesitance, he assures you theyâll stock up before they leave before strapping the satchel to you.
With a final bow, the guards take off and you and Shota are left to your own.
âCome on,â you breathe, pulling him firmly to your side as you trudge onwards.
Acting normal is easier than you thinkâat least, you hope your efforts are fruitful. The sun had started to fade so you feel a little safer cloaked under the darkening skies.
You pray to the heavens that neither of you look suspicious enough to set the innkeeper off. Youâve been told of this townâs displeasure for the royals so anything amiss could mean your demise. Luckily Shota is a master at schooling his face and hiding his pain.Â
Shota has become heavier against you to the point where youâre pulling him along more than heâs walking, but you trudge through your sore muscles on sheer adrenaline. For a lean man, heâs hefty.
The innkeeper brightens when you and Shota push through the doors of the humble inn your guard had advised you towards.Â
âHi there!â She chirps from her desk.
âHi,â you chime back with a pleasant smile that goes panicked for a split second when Shota sways in your hold. His arm tightens over your shoulder to straighten himself, his free hand clutching onto your arm around him as you make your way to her desk. âWeâd like a room please.â
The woman, perhaps a decade older than you, gives you both a teasing smile. âHe looks like a clingy one. Ah, young love,â she sighs dreamily, and before you can correct her, she turns to the line of keys behind her. âOne bed, coming right up!â
Shotaâs arm tenses around you and he seems to blink his bleary mind awake at that, standing to his full height.
You burn in mortification of what the womanâs words imply, but you suppose itâs good that she thinks youâre just a couple passing by.
The innkeeper turns back around to you and pauses, her smile fading just a bit. âSay, you look quite familiar, young lady. Have you stayed with us before?â
Familiar panic surges through you again but you force your smile. âUh⊠no. No, I havenât.â
âI know!â She gasps, eyes going round with realization. âYou look so much like the young princess! The one from all those paintings they have around town.â
Your own eyes widen and flit quickly towards Shota to meet his side-glance with your own. âOh,â you say, then let out a laugh that you know sounds far too awkward to be genuine. âI get that a lot, actually.â
The woman narrows her eyes at you for a horrifying moment before she bursts into another of her sunny smiles, waving her hand. âIgnore me, you kids probably just want to get to bed. Come along, dears,â she beckons as she takes down the hall. You hobble to keep up with her. âAre you just passing through?â
âYes,â you pipe up, cutting Shota off before he could speak. He blinks down at you. âWe thought we would take a trip⊠to⊠get away from the kids, you know?â
Shota stumbles over his next step but youâre quick to catch him before he can take you both tumbling down. You shoot him a sharp look that he just looks at with wide eyes.
âOh!â The woman laughs. âDonât I know? I keep telling the husband, letâs get away for a few days, reset our minds and come back! I love the kids, I really do, but gods do we need a break.â The woman stops at door twenty-five and fiddles with the key to unlock it. You wish she would go faster. âGood on you two. Youâre a handsome couple, stay here for as long as you need and Iâll even swipe off a few bucks for ya.â She pushes open the door and turns to you to throw you a wink, pushing the keys to your hand. âNow Iâm sure you two want your privacy so Iâll get out of your hair.â Then sheâs sauntering back down the hall, waving over her shoulder. âHoller if you need me!â
You stand there for a moment, reeling from the barrage that was that woman.Â
But Shotaâs pained grunt snaps you back to the present and youâre quick to bring him in, locking the door behind you.
When you set Shota down on the bed, he practically melts against the sheets, the tension and exhaustion seeping out of him at once.
You drop the satchel, immediately reaching for his shirt to ruck it up and see his bandages drenched in blood.
Heâs already watching you when you look up at him. âMay I?â You ask him and he nods without delay.
You spring into action, prying open the stained bandages to reveal the wound, about three inches wide below his belly button. Your vision swims at the sight of spewing blood but you push past your nausea to press fresh gauze against the wound to soak up the blood.
âI can stitch it,â he offers, voice strained, but you quickly shoot him down.Â
âItâs alright,â you say, picking out the needle and thread from the satchel. You prepare it with shaky hands before dousing it with the alcohol stashed among the supplies.
You can still feel his gaze on you as you get to work, but you draw all your focus on the task at hand. Itâs not the cleanest, given that this is maybe your second time (the first was merely practice on a dummy), but itâs enough to hold him over until morning.
Itâs hard not to give it all up at his little whines of pain as you work but you know without at least this, he wonât make it far.
Your mind still reels from the attack, but your barrage of thoughts stays at bay as you work. Though as soon as the fresh bandage is wrapped and he seems more at ease, they come at you full force.
Itâs your fault, comes to you as you help him out of the sodden shirt.
He got hurt because of you, comes to you as tidy up, wrapping the bloody gauze with the shirt before shoving it in the satchel.
He took the hit for you, comes to you as you climb beside him onto the bed with the canteen of water and the food left in the satchel, some bread and some fruit.
You push those thoughts back as you help him lay against the pillow, lifted slightly to allow him to drink.
âHere.â You slide your hand under his head, the soft tresses of his hair damp against your palm, as you bring the canteen to his lips. His hand comes around yours to tilt the canteen further up as he drinks. You let him empty it out before placing it at the bedside table.Â
Itâs quiet as he nibbles away on the bread while you peel open an orange absentmindedly, preoccupied by those thoughts that keep prodding at your weakened mind.
âI didnât realize we had kids.â
You blink out of your daze, looking up to meet his eyes peering up at you, a tired slant lifting his lips.Â
You let out a soft breath, holding a slice of orange to him. âTwo of them,â you say weakly.
Instead of taking it in his hand like youâd expected, he takes the slice right in his mouth, warm lips brushing against the tips of your fingers. His cheek puffs as he chews around his words. âWhat are their names?â
You watch him, the slow movements and the heavy eyelids that he fights to keep open as he watches you with those big brown eyes.
âTulip and Rose,â you murmur without thought.
The corner of his lips twitch up. âNot Moonbeam?â
You feed him another slice, biting back a smile. âSaving that for our third.â
He laughs, soft and airy, and it's enough to ease away all your worries. The joy on his face takes you by surprise, considering the circumstances.
âYouâre talking to me again,â he says, and amidst all of this, youâd forgotten that you were avoiding him.
You canât anymore. Not after what happened.
The last dregs of your mirth slip away as you look down at the mangled orange in your hands.Â
âYou saved my life, Shota,â you whisper. Your vision blurs as the declaration lingers in the air.
His hand enters your view, wrapping over both of yours in your lap. âPlease donât be sad,â he begs. âI have to protect my Princess.â
You feel yourself crumble, the tears slipping down your cheeks unrestrained. His own expression falls, drowning in sadness at seeing you in a state like this.
âAt the risk of your own?â You whisper. âThatâs not fair to you.â
His breaths are starting to even out and you can tell consciousness is starting to feel evade him. But he fights until his very last nerve to breathe the words, âI would have done it even if I wasnât your guard.â
Your sob falls on deaf ears as he finally slips under. You place your hand on his chest, just to feel the evidence that heâs okay beating against your palm.
And you fall asleep like that, by his side with his heart under your hand and the realization that yours is truly, and utterly, gone.
When Shota doesnât wake up the next morning, your stomach twists itself in knots with panic. You had woken up right where youâd dozed off with your hand over his heart. There was a beat, slow and faint, but still there.
Your prayers were answered when the guards had returned with a small army to take you and Shota back, nevermind the commotion that it started amongst the townsfolk. The only focus was to get you and your guard back in one piece.Â
The carriage ride was grueling. Shota laid unconscious with his head in your lap as the other guard kept his body from jostling through the ride. The medic that came with did his best to keep Shota stable until he could be seen by the royal healer.
All you could do for those painful few hours was watch his sleeping face, peaceful as though there was nothing amiss and your heart wasnât in the throes of anxiety.
When you arrive at the castle, they immediately take Shota from you. Having him practically ripped away from you felt like having your own heart ripped away and you wanted to go after, but Jiung is there, grasping you by the shoulders and keeping you planted where you are.
âSister!â His eyes are wide in panic, the shadows under them more prominent than ever. His chest rises and falls too quickly. âYouâre⊠Are youââ
You donât let him finish. You crumble in his arms, burying yourself into him as you sob. Your guilt, your grief, the weight on your chestâyou let it all out on him.Â
âShota,â is the only word that leaves through your lips in a wrangled sob.
Jiungâs body slumps against you as he holds you tight, tucking you under his chin. âItâs alright,â he consoles gently, carding a hand through your hair. âHeâs in good hands now. Heâll be okay.â
You desperately want to believe it. Because if he doesnât wake up, you donât know what youâd do with yourself.Â
Jiung pulls you in closer, and youâre reminded of the small case tucked into your waistband as it digs into you under the pressure.
You pull away from Jiung, prying the case out of its place and holding it out to him. âThe jewels.â
Jiung stares at the case in confusion before seeming to remember what it is heâd sent you out for in the first place. He takes it from you and hands it to a maid nearby without turning his focus from you.Â
âCome,â he says, taking you by the arm. âLetâs get you cleaned.â
You dig your feet into the ground when he tries to pull you inside, turning to you with a puzzled look when you donât comply.Â
âI want to see Shota,â you state firmly.
Jiung looks like heâs about to deny you but when he sees that determined flare in your eye, he knows it's a lost cause.
They donât let you inside as they operate on him, and the last thing you want to do is disrupt, so you wait outside the doors, practically quivering with anticipation.
Jongseob is here too, looking almost as nervous as you are as he paces along the hall.
Jiungâs arm around you as he waits beside you is not the usual comfort that it normally is for you.
âThis kind of thing happens,â he tries to tell you, but youâre having none of it. âItâs not your fault, love, he just did what he had to do.â
You donât respond to him. You canât because if you try, youâll let things slip that you shouldnât. So you keep to yourself, and you wait for the one person you can say those things to.
It feels like hours later until something finally happens.
The healer steps out, wiping her bloody hands with a rag. âHeâll be okay,â she announces, and it relieves that crushing weight in your chest almost immediately. âHeâs asleep for now but weâll keep him here while he recovers.â
Jongseob steps forward to speak but you make it before he does.Â
âCan we see him?â You ask, and the healer gives you a gentle smile.Â
âOf course.â
Jiung lets you and Jongseob take the room, opting to wait outside with the healer.
Youâre not sure if you regret not waiting until heâs awake, because the sight of Shota laying on the cot, pale and unmoving, unnerves you more than you expect it to despite knowing that heâs okay.
You and your brother simply stand there for a few moments, watching the shallow breaths that Shota takes.Â
âHow did it happen?â Jongseob asks quietly, like heâs too afraid to invoke the story.
You answer anyway. âHe took a blade for me.â
Nothing more needs to be said. A quiet understanding passes.
Jongseob lifts his eyes to you, watching your solemn expression, and you internally thank him for not bringing it up. It would make it too real. And you're not sure you can face the truth just yet.
âIâll give you some space,â he tells you and you couldnât be more grateful for your brotherâs emotional capacity. âSend someone for me when heâs awake.â
Youâre left alone then, and even though youâd cried for him already, it doesnât feel like enough.
It must be hours that you spend at his bedside, watching the healer come by every so often to tend to him (but mainly watching him) before you allow yourself to clean up when you realize he wonât be rising soon.Â
Besides that, you donât leave his side. You stay with him through the night, Jiho stationed outside the door to keep watch.
Sleep evades you. All you can do is sit there with his limp hand in yours and stare at the way his hair catches the moonrays from the window.
It must be after five past midnight, when you finally start to drift off with your lids too heavy to keep open, that you feel Shotaâs hand twitch in yours.
Your foggy mind immediately clears as you straighten in your chair, staring at his hand laying loosely in yours.Â
You start to think that youâd imagined it, until you see his finger tremble with slight movement.Â
Then you hear it; his breaths picking up, quicker and uneven, before a groan, soft and quiet, leaves his lips.
You lift from the chair, leaning over him to watch as his face shifts. You bring your hand to his cheek, pressing gently against the smooth skin, and his eyes finally flutter open.
âShota?â
You watch as he slowly blinks into focus. Once his vision seems to clear, a weak smile blooms on his lips.
âPrincess?â
His voice sounds rough. Jagged and dry and like it might hurt to speak. But at this moment, it sounds beautiful.
âWhat are you doing here?â He has the nerve to ask.
Your emotions all come rushing back to you at once.Â
âYou didnât wake up this morning,â you accuse, trying to stay stern though your voice wavers as tears start to brim your eyes.
His brows furrow, frown pulling his lips down. âIâm sorryâŠ?âÂ
You canât help the laugh that passes you, endeared and relieved, as your head drops gently against his.
A teardrop falls from your eye onto his cheek and his gaze only grows more worried.
He doesnât understand how even melancholy looks so beautiful on you.
His trembling hand reaches up and brushes away the water that gathers at your lashline. âWhy are you crying?â
âI thought I lost you,â you whisper, turning your face to seek out the warmth in his palm.
His hand presses into your cheek, turning you to face him again. âYour Highness,â he says, waiting for your eyes to meet his before he goes on. âIâve told you. Itâs my duty to protectââ
âI donât want to lose you!â
He stops, watching you with wide eyes as you pull away from him and drop your gaze to his chest, face twisted with fear and a desperation heâs not sure heâs ever seen from you. A desperation for him.
âI donât want to lose you, Shota,â you repeat, and he feels his heartbeat rise, like itâs coming alive again from your words alone.
He wants desperately for you to mean what he wants you to mean. But he knows it's a far cry, a foolish dream of a foolish man in love with someone that can never be his.
âPrincess,â he tries again, unable to hold back the fear that trembles his own voice. Even if he canât have you, he needs you to know you have him. âI wonât go anywhere,â he vows. âI wonât leave your side for as long as youâll have me.â
âWhat if thatâs not enough?â You ask him, and his heart stutters with hope again.
It needs to be killed before it can make a permanent home in his chest. âWhat do you mean?â He asks with bated breath.
He watches your eyes turn glassy again. He wants to reach over and catch the tears before they can fall, but he doesnât. He simply waits, like heâs been waiting for you for all these years.
âI want you, Shota,â you whisper and Shota knows then that the wait was worth it. âI know I shouldnât⊠But I want you.â
Maybe his hope isnât misplaced like heâs led himself to believe.Â
He reaches up to brush his knuckles against your rosy cheek, catching the tears as they fall. âI have been yours since the day I first saw you, Princess.â
The kiss is soft, dulcet like this night and reverent in a way that leaves him wanting to pray for more. But like thisâwith you in his arms, the warmth of your body over his, and the softness of your hair threaded between his fingersâShota thinks he could die in that moment a happier man than any.
Shota pauses with his mouth hung open, fork lifted halfway as his eyes flit up to Jongseob who stands above his bed with his arms crossed and eyes narrowed.
When he doesnât say anything, Jongseob raises a brow. In response, Shota shoves the spoonful of food in his mouth and quickly averts his eyes.
Jongseob scoffs, dropping down to sit at the foot of the bed.Â
âYou know you donât have to hide it from me,â Jongseob says. âIâve been watching you pine after her since we were kids.â
Shota flushes, swallowing down his food. âDonât tell anyone.â
Jongseob gives him an offended look that Shota just smiles sheepishly at.
âSorry. The Princess is adamant that no one finds out.â
Jongseob makes a face. âYou still call her that? You donât call her by her name?â
âShe hasnât given me permission yet.â
âDear gods,â Jongseob sighs, rolling his eyes to the heavens. âIâm pretty sure sheâs waiting for you to use it first.â
âBut that would be improper.â
âWhat about any of this is proper to you?â
Shota goes quiet before he scarfs down another spoon of rice. âPoint taken,â he muffles around his mouthful to which Jongseob scrunches his nose.Â
âShe hasnât taught you manners yet?â He asks then bats away the foot that Shota sends his way.Â
âIâm not a dog.â
âDog is basically in your job description. Youâre at her beck and call and you follow her around like an emotionally attached puppy.â
âOh? Like you and your little baker?â
Itâs Jongseobâs turn to freeze up. He even turns a little pale and Shota smiles, self satisfied as he places his emptied tray on his bedside table.Â
âI donât know what youâre talking about,â Jongseob says quickly, trying to recover as he clears his throat and straightens his back.
âSorry to say but youâre not exactly subtle with your lovey eyes,â he giggles.
âTheyâre not lovey eyes,â Jongseob snaps, a little too harshly than heâs used to from him, and Shota realizes he may have stepped on something he shouldnât have.
But he canât help his curiosity. âWhat is it then?â
The pause before his response gives him enough of an answer. âItâs nothing at all.â
Shota can almost feel the ache in Jongseob's eyes, the familiar weight heâs used to seeing in his friendâs gaze ever since they were kids.
âSeobieââ
âYouâre still here?â
Both their gazes shift over to you as you barge in through the door unannounced. Shota immediately lights up at the sight of you, adorned in your blue dress and colour-stained apron with your sketchpad and pastels gathered in your arms.
Jongseob scoffs, rising to his feet. âAs if you donât hog him for practically every hour of the day.â
âDonât you have a maid to play with?â
Jongseob rears back like heâs about to start yelling, but he cuts himself off with a deep sigh. âWhatever,â he grumbles, marching past you for the door. âHave fun.â
âJongseob,â Shota calls before he can leave.
Jongseob pauses in his tracks to look back, and Shota doesnât have to say much at all for Jongseob to understand.
He gives a nod and a tiny smile that doesnât reach his eyes. âI know,â he says, before he turns and shuts the door behind him, leaving Shota in the silence with you.
â...Did I say something I shouldnât have?â You ask, eyes on the door where Jongseob just was.
âMaybe,â he hums, but everything else that isnât you fades from his mind as soon as your gaze meets his.
You give him that shy, awkward smile of yoursâa new and wonderful discoveryâas you move to take your designated space at the foot of his bed.
Itâs been a recurring sight for the past five days; you across from him with your book and pastels and graphites, sometimes tea, drenched in the dying sunlight from the window by his med-room bed.
It was a routine that eased his antsy limbs. He was bursting at the seams with unused energy, advised to keep movement minimal for two weeks, but whenever you were in the picture, you instilled him with a calm he wasnât used to feeling.
âI have the rest of the day clear,â you tell him as you flip your book open to your unfinished sketch from yesterday.
âYou have it clear or you cleared it?â He teases, leaning back against the headboard.
You scoff, though your smile gives him an answer, as you lift your pencil. âDonât even get me started. Thereâs three weeks left until the wedding and it looks like Taeyang is finally attempting to court her. After all this time and drama!â
Shota laughs. âThat sounds about as expected.â
Thereâs a quiet lull as he simply watches you work, just the rhythmic sounds of graphite on parchment filling the air. He smiles fondly when he catches a peek of your tongue caught between your lips, a habit of concentration of yours that heâs written into his heart.
âHowâs the painting going?â He asks after a stretch of silence.
You pause, looking up at him. âOh, Iâd been meaning to ask you. Whatâs your favourite colour?â
Shota doesnât have a favourite colour.
But his eyes catch onto the royal blue of your dress, the way it makes you glow, and he smiles, leaning forward. âBlue,â he answers. He lifts his hand, brushing his fingers against the low collar of your dress. He lets his touch linger, the pad of his finger ghosting over a sliver of your exposed skin as he catches your gaze, hazy as it falls to his lips. âThis one,â he whispers.
The silence that follows is charged and heavy. But it doesnât last long before your lips meet his with a needy grunt, your hands fisting into the collars of his shirt.
This is his favourite part of the routine. When you push aside everything on your lap to move over and make home in his, though careful so as not to hurt him.
But itâs different today. Your movements are hastier as you clamber on to straddle him but Shota welcomes you just as enthusiastically, the dull throb of his wound shoved to the back of his mind in favour of the feeling of your body pressed against his.
The kiss is hungry, a clash of teeth and tongue, a tangle of heavy breaths and needy moans. Your hands feel like theyâre all over him, his own planted firmly on your hips to keep himself from traipsing into dangerous territories.Â
âShota,â you breathe into his lips and Shota nearly moans at just the sound of his name like that on your tongue.
He hums in response, and you bury your hand in his hair, slowing the kiss.Â
He makes a questioning noise but he gets his answer when you take his hand in yours, sliding it up your body to place it on your chest.
Shota nearly loses his mind, when at the same time, you roll your hips down against the growing hardness straining under his cotton trousers.Â
He groans, tossing his head back at the pleasure that sears through his body, hot and wanting. His hand kneads your breast, pulling a sweet moan of your own from your lips.
âPrincess,â he breathes when your lips meet his neck, a clumsy but insistent declaration. Things have never gone this far before.Â
You lift your head, lips latching onto the lobe of his ear. âI want you,â you whisper, grinding down against him once more, and Shota nearly forgets that theyâre still in the med-room, a semi-public space.
And he would give in, damn it all, if it werenât for the sharp footsteps approaching the room.
You must hear them too, because you immediately lift your head and stare at him wide eyed before your senses kick in and you both pry yourselves away from each other.
Shota winces at the sudden movement but he settles back as you reclaim your sketchpad at the other end of the bed just in time as Prince Jiung pokes in through the door.
âHi,â Jiung chirps and Shota hastily pulls his pillow over his lap, waving back with a strained smile.
You donât lift your head from your book as you grumble out, âWhat do you want?â
Jiungâs eyes scour the room, lingering towards the back end before he asks, âIs the healer here?â
You lift your head then and stare at your brother with a look so intensely judgmental that Jiung bristles and straightens with a cough.Â
âSeems not. I just had a question aboutâŠâ He trails off weakly before he just turns and walks right out.
As soon as the door shuts, Shota lets out the breath heâs been holding. But the steady thrum of heat in his veins lingers, roaring back to life when he looks at you again.
But you donât meet his eye, fiddling with the pencil in your hand, gaze afar in thought.
âPrincess?â He asks and your eyes snap up to his, blinking rapidly. âAre you alright?â
You let out a slow breath before smiling at him, though it isnât one of those musical ones that he loves. âIâm okay.â He doesnât believe you.
He feels the lie weigh on his chest. But he reminds himself that it's not his place to pry.Â
âActually, I should be going,â you say, gathering your things, and he feels the weight sink further.
He just watches as you rise up and make way for the door.
âPrincess,â he calls out. You pause at the door, turning to him. âIâll be returning to my duties in a few days.â
Relief comes to him instantly when the smile that lifts on your lips is one of genuine joy. âGood. I look forward to having you by my side again.â
Those words are enough to lull him to a peaceful sleep that night, and forgone are his worries. For now.
You couldnât feel more relieved to have Shota by your side again. Though it brings a set of new challenges. No longer do you have the med-room to shield your stolen kisses and unbound words. Youâre only left with lingering gazes and subtle touches to get you through your day.Â
Even if you find a hidden corner to tuck yourself away in for a few heated moments, passersby leave you scrambling to right yourself before youâre caught. The castle is much too crowded now for you to remain hidden without four walls.
But it still feels exhilarating; living in a secret. As scared as the thought of getting caught makes you, you love the way it makes the blood rush to your head. It makes everything feel like⊠more.
âShota,â you moan, burying your face into his neck.Â
His fingers dig harder into your hips as he pushes you further into the marble pillar, his own breathy grunts echoing through the empty hallway.
The bundles of twine that you were supposed to bring down to the ballroom lay abandoned at your feet on the floor of the nook that youâd dragged Shota into. Itâs not your fault he decided to wear half of his hair tied up with stray pieces framing his face tantalizingly. He looked too good for you to not do anything about it.
You gasp sharply when he presses his leg harder between your own, his thigh pressing insistently against your clothed core.Â
âQuiet,â he hisses into your ear, though the guiding hands he has on your hips urge you to rock faster against him. âYouâre going to get us caught.â
You dig your hand into his hair, fingers gripping the soft locks tight as you sink your teeth into the fabric of his shirt to muffle your moans. All while he chases his own pleasure by rolling his hardness against your hip.
âUnless,â he breathes, pausing to chuckle as one hand climbs up your body to knead harshly at your chest. He traces the tip of his tongue against the shell of your ear, whispering the words right into you, âYou want to get caught.â
The words, along with the sharp push of his leg against you, leave a spike of hot pleasure crashing through your body. You cut your needy whine right off before it can alert the entire wing of your scandalous escapade.
He simply laughs, digging his thumb right into your nipple, the pressure overbearing even through the layers of your clothes.
âThatâs it isnât it? This is what gets you off,â he coos.Â
His voice is so sweet, so soft and melodious that it might sound like he was reciting poetry if not for his filthy words. The silver tongue on him was a revelation you werenât expecting, but one that makes you lose your mind.
âYou want everyone to see what a whore their darling Princess turns for me?â
Before the moan can leave your lips, he takes a fistfull of your hair and pulls you back to devour it with his mouth.
Youâre right there on the precipice, just about to take the leap as he rocks you to the edgeâ
âWhere is she? She said she would be bringing them down.â
âUntil it all comes crashing down.Â
The heat of Shotaâs body tears away from you all at once and you would crumble to the ground if not for the wall behind you.
You quickly right yourself, gasping for air to soothe your body as you pick up the bundles of twine. You glance over to Shota, who looks completely unmarred if not for the blush high on his cheeks, the bitten look on his lips, and the simmering lust behind his gazeâthe only evidence that youâve made him undone just as he has you.
He smiles at you as the footsteps of the maids draw closer. Itâs not over yet.
Thatâs how it always goes and now itâs been over a week of being left dangling off the precipice.Â
It was the same song and danceâsneaking off in the middle of your tasks for a quick second of pleasure that goes incomplete.
And Shotaâs had just about enough. He knows youâre as pent up as he is. And even if this whole arrangement between you was just a mere chase for thrill and excitement for you, heâd happily comply, even if it isnât sustainable for his heart.
Heâll have you any way he can get you before you realize you donât truly feel for him, that you were just caught up in the adrenaline of him saving your life, and move on without him.
Heâs well prepared for that. Heâs okay with just being your temporary fixation, even though the weight lies heavier with each day that passes that he doesnât tell you that he loves you and wants more.
He canât go messing up what he already has.
These thoughts carry with him as Shota turns into the hallway leading to your room to take over for the night guard.
Until Jiung intercepts him.Â
âShota,â Jiung says, catching sight of him across the hall where his office leads from. âCan I see you for a moment?"
Shota thinks heâs done for.Â
Did he get caught? Did you finally have enough of him and want to have him reassigned? Or did he mess up all on his own somehow?
It turns out to be none of that.
âI got to thinking after your heroic display for my sister,â Jiung says as he settles in his chair, Shota watching him from where he stands across his desk. âWe could use more men like you in the War Guard.â
Shota blinks. The War Guard?
Thatâs an elite status reserved for the best and strongest soldiers in the country.
âAreââ Shota clears his throat when his voice cracks. He stands straighter, confusion etching his face. âWhat are you implying, Your Highness?â
Jiung smiles at his fluster, leaning back. âI want to offer you a starting position there. Youâre incredibly capable. And having known the kind of man your father is, I see him in you. Honestly, I was going to offer it to you eventually anyway but I thought Iâd give you an advance.â
Shota finds himself grinning, overjoyed at the opportunity.
âYouâd start training after the wedding when youâre relieved of dealing with my sister. How does that sound?â
But it all falls away when heâs reminded of you.
Of course it sounded too good to be true. Joining the War Guard means training for a few years out in the outskirts of the country for a specialized program. That means leaving you.
But he reminds himself that he would have been reassigned from you after the wedding regardless. That this would be an opportunity for him to actually do something with himself rather than mope around from heartbreak because you were done with him.
This is the logical choice, right?
âShota?â Jiung urges, brows furrowed.
Shota realizes his emotions must show on his face, so he shoulders the weight on his chest and puts on his best smile.Â
When you open your doors to Jiho that morning, you know somethingâs wrong.
It canât be training, because now Shota takes you along with him where you can sit in the courtyard and enjoy the scenery (the gardens and the cut marble of a man you have as your lover).
So you pull Jiho in tow with you to visit the guard quarters, but Shota isnât there. Neither is he at any of your planned schedules that day. No one seems to know where he is and you canât find Jiung either to ask him. And Jongseob is useless as always.
So you spend your day positively miffed, putting Jiho to work while you spend your time huffing over the smallest things and worrying about where Shota could possibly be.Â
It makes you more upset than you realized. It doesnât help that you woke up with a craving for him you cannot subdue on your own.
But beyond that, you miss him. You feel wrong without him at your side. Itâs everything you felt that first day heâd abandoned you, powered up to a hundred. You feel angry.
The aggression shows through the strokes of your paint, a faint pink over lush greens.Â
Your painting for him is slowly coming together. Itâs nearly done, actually, but right now you donât feel like putting love into it.
So you drop your brush and your palette, not even bothering to clean them off as you pry your apron off.
A sharp knocking on your window makes you pause. You look over at your drawn curtains, frowning.
When the knocking persists, you take the candelabrum from your table and wield it over your head as you cautiously step closer.
You hold it up, ready to strike as you rip open your curtains only to be met with the sight of Shota perched on the windowsill, out of his usual armour and in a simple shirt and trousers.
Relief washes over you first, then the same giddiness you feel whenever you see him, and then comes the simmering anger from being abandoned yet again.
You open the lock to your window and let him slide it open to climb his way through. The arm holding the candelabrum drops to your side as you watch him straighten himself up after shutting the window behind him.
âWhere the hell were you?â You snap, and Shota lifts his eyes, wide and a little guilty.
âI took the day off,â he tells you meekly. âDid Prince Jiung not tell you?â
Your hand tightens around the candelabrum, gaze dropping to it to avoid holding his. Was he already getting sick of you?
âNo, he didnât,â you mumble, a bitter taste rising on your tongue.
He steps forward, tilting your chin up with his finger. Thereâs a soft smile on his lips. âWere you missing me, Princess?â
âYes,â you admit quietly, and the mirth in his eye dwindles. âDid you⊠need a break from me?â
His eyes widen, looking utterly scandalized at the insinuation. âNo! No, it's not like that,â he insists, taking your elbows in his hands. But thereâs a hesitance in his voice as he continues. âI just had some things to do.â
âI get that,â you say quietly, your gaze lowering again. âBut I wish youâd told me before I spent the whole day worrying about you.â
The soft brush of his hand slides up to your cheek, tilting your gaze up to his again. He has that reverent look in his eyes whenever he has you in his vicinity, the one that makes you weak to him.
âYou really must have missed me,â he tries to tease, but it falls too gently.
âI donât like it without you. Promise me you wonât leave me like that again.â
His eyes flash with something you canât discern and his expression falls for just a moment. But it goes too quickly for you to dissect before he smiles at you again, bright like the moon behind him. He takes the candelabrum from your hand to place it back on the table.
âYou have me now,â he tells you and the zip of electricity that his low voice sends through you makes you forget whatever it is you were asking for.
The craving youâd buried away in your body reawakens and you remember all at once just how pent up youâve been for the past week of sneaking around.
But you finally have him alone. In the walls of your own room.
âI thought it was improper for you to be in here,â you murmur, taking a step back when he steps forward.
The smile on his lips is deceptively sweet. âI can think of a lot more improper things Iâd like to do right now, Princess.â
You gasp softly when the back of your knees hit the edge of your bed. The heat of his body pushes into your space, not quite touching, but it hovers over you like an enticing wall of heat.
Your voice doesnât allow for more than a whisper. âLike what?â
His eyes trace down the length of your body, taking in your curves like he was committing them to memory.Â
âIt might be easier if I just showed you.â
Before you can even take a breath, he grabs you by the waist and turns you around, pushing down your shoulder to bend you over the edge of your bed. His hand is firm against your back as he glides his heavy palm down the length of your spine and rests it on the dip of your lower back.
âForgive me, Princess,â he says, pulling a moan out of your throat when you feel his hardening arousal pressing flush over your clothed cunt. âBut Iâve grown impatient.â
Each delicious grind of his hips against yours makes your eyes rolling back at the pleasure that sears through you, your fingers clawing into the sheets.Â
His hand brushes aside your hair to hastily tug down the zipper of your dress. Youâre grateful you hadnât bothered with a corset today when he traces his fingers down the bare skin of your spine, sending tendrils of electricity through your body that only add to your growing heat.Â
âShota,â you whine as his other hand finds its way up the skirt of your dress, trailing up the back of your thigh. You gasp when he grabs at the flesh of your ass, kneading it harshly, the pressure going right to your cunt.Â
He lets out a breath, his thumb inching dangerously close to your heat. âYes, Princess?â You can tell by the shake of his voice and his hand that heâs exercising the last of his restraint, the skirt still covering you.Â
But you need it all. You push back, rocking your ass against his hardened erection and chasing that pressure once more. It gets a guttural groan out of him as he presses forward to chase the feeling.Â
âNeed you,â you whimper, and it seems to break his resolve.Â
You hear a thud behind you but youâre too distracted to turn around because he pushes your skirt over your hips, exposing you fully. You gasp at the cold air that brushes against your bare cunt, then cry out when you suddenly feel his mouth against you, devouring your essence with his tongue.Â
Thereâs no lead in, no easing you into it. No, he laps at you like a starved man, tracing every curve of you with his tongue as his fingers dig into and hold down your trembling thighs.Â
You cry out his name when his lips latch around your throbbing clit and sucks, the pressure driving you towards an orgasm quicker than youâre prepared for.Â
But he teases you on that edge, dragging his tongue back up to your drooling lips to circle and tongue at your entrance and draw you away from that high.Â
The soft whimpers and harsh breaths that pull out of you soak into your sheets. He sounds just as affected as you, his own grunts and soft moans adding zips of pleasure against your sensitive skin, like heâs getting off on this just as much as you are.Â
It makes you feel manic with need.Â
âSh-Shota,â you gasp as you feel that heat in your lower belly tighten. He only hums in response before latching onto your clit once again and flicking the tip of his tongue against it, pushing you right over the precipice like youâd been desperately wanting for the past few weeks.Â
You come with another cry of his name, fluttering around nothing, and he laps up your release as it comes, licking you through your high until youâre left trembling and whimpering.Â
He only pulls back when your sounds teeter towards pain. But you donât get much time to recover before youâre flipped onto your back and the dress gets ripped off of your body.Â
He towers over you, hungry eyes wide as they rove over your bare body.Â
You flush under the intensity of his gaze, turning to curl in on yourself but he grabs your hips and holds you down.Â
âDonât,â he snaps, breaths coming out heavy. âI want to see you.â The next words come out breathy and with such worship that you burn. âYouâre beautiful down to every crevice, arenât you?âÂ
âShota,â you whisper, feeling just a little more than dizzy. His wide eyes snap up to yours. âI-Iâve neverâŠâ
Understanding dawns on his face and the smile that grows on his lips is softer than heâd just sounded. âI know, Princess. Iâll beââ
âMy name.â
He blinks, tilting his head in a manner thatâs far too cute for the context. âHm?â
âMy name,â you repeat with a frown. âUse my name.â
His smile widens, a delighted giggle falling through it. And then he says your name, so softly and so reverently that you think you fall for him all over again.Â
Then his eyes darken all at once as he stands to his full height.Â
Youâre reminded of your situation when youâre met with the intimidating ridge of his arousal prodding against his slacks.Â
You watch, entranced, as his long fingers start to undo his shirt button by button. âDo you know how long Iâve been wanting to do this to you?â He asks you, like it's a simple question.Â
You swallow, your eyes stuck to each sliver of hardened muscle that gets exposed with each button that comes undone.Â
âNo,â you answer quietly, the breath getting stuck at your throat when he rids himself of the shirt, his pale skin glowing against the moonlight.Â
He lifts onto the bed on his knees. You scramble back but he only closes in until you hit the headboard, trapped between it and the daunting shadow of him.Â
âYears,â he answers, pressing a palm over himself to relieve some of the pressure. He lets out a soft, breathy groan as he presses down on it but his eyes remain steadfast on you.
Your mouth practically waters at the sight of him. âThatâs not very proper of you,â you try to bite, but it comes out weak.
He laughs, dry and amused. âYouâll have to forgive me then.â
Then he takes your knees and pushes them open, lowering himself on his stomach between your parted legs and you feel yourself burn at the thought of his mouth on you again.Â
His eyes land on your glistening cunt where you feel yourself already dripping once more under all his attention. âIâll repent later,â he murmurs, then reaches forward and lets his fingers brush against you.Â
You gasp, skin still sensitive and recovering from your previous orgasm, legs moving to close but he grabs your thigh with his other hand and spreads you apart again.Â
His eyes snap up to you, dark and heated as he tells you, âStay still. I need to open you up.â
He doesnât let you linger on what that might mean before you feel his fingertips tease at your entrance, gathering the slick that's started to pool there.Â
Your mouth falls open, a deep moan lifting from the depths of your lungs when one of his fingers starts to press in, sheathing itself slowly to the hilt.Â
It makes you feel impossibly full, even though itâs just one finger, against your unbreached walls. You clench down around him as the stings of pain start to quickly dwindle away into a sharp pressure thatâs almost pleasurable.Â
âThatâs it, darling,â he coos softly, eyes locked onto the way you flutter around his finger. âYouâve gotta take more, donât you?â
Your fingers clench into the sheets as he slowly pulls that finger out then pushes it all the way back in in a slow drag that has your thigh twitching under his hold.Â
You whimper as he soothes his thumb against your skin in slow, consoling circles. If just one of his fingers feels this overwhelming, you think thereâs no way youâll be able to take him.Â
He starts to fuck it in and out of you at a slow and steady paces, watching as your slick gathers at the base of his knuckle every time he pushes all the way in.Â
When your discomforted whines give way to soft moans, he quickens the pace. And just like that, with soft praises and careful touches, he works all the way up to three fingers.Â
He has you trembling by then, moaning and creaming around his knuckles as he pistons three fingers into your needy, sopping cunt.Â
âGonna come for me again, my love?â He asks you, sounding almost as ruined as you, as he crooks his fingers inside of you and drives them in even harder.Â
You cry out, body arching off the bed as you tense all over, pulsating rapidly around his digits.Â
âThatâs right,â he says with a manic laugh, all too pleased with how quickly heâs tearing you apart. âCome for me. Do it again.â
And you do, with a sweet wail of his name, as his still moving fingers fuck you through it.Â
He watches, entranced, just how much you gush around him. He only slows down when you shake like a leaf, bucking away from his touch. Hesitantly, he pulls his fingers out, staring at the coat of you glistening over his skin.Â
His neglected cock pulses at the sight of you all liquid and already fucked out under him, breathing for relief from the raging heat.Â
Itâs too bad he has other plans. But he lets you recover for a moment.Â
He swipes his fingers through your twitching cunt, gathering your slick before he slides that hand into his slacks and grabs ahold of himself, groaning softly at the pressure.Â
He glides the moisture along his cock before he uses it to stroke himself to relieve some of the unbearable pressure.Â
When he looks up at you, youâre already watching him with inquisitive eyes.Â
He chuckles at the cute pout on your lips. âSee what you do to me?â He asks, pressing a kiss to the inside of your thigh. âYou drive me mad.â
âShota,â your thin voice calls, and his dick twitches in his hand.Â
âYes, love?â
When you part your legs further for him and tell him in that soft, quiet voice that you, âNeed him,â he nearly cums on the spot.Â
But he quickly grabs himself at the base and takes a deep breath to ease himself down. No, he canât lose so easily. He needs to take you, to give you what you wantâno, need.
So he rises to his knees and rids himself of his final layers, exposing himself in full to you. He preens at your wide, prying eyes and the gasp that you give at the sight of him.Â
He wraps his hand around himself once more, giving himself a few slow tugs as he shuffles to settle between your parted legs.Â
âReady for me?â He asks you and your eyes snap up to his, almost fearful. âDonât worry, you can take me.â
He swallows your little whimper with a deep kiss, lowering his body to press against yours. The closeness seems to settle you, your arms wrapping around his shoulders to pull him in.Â
He practically melts against your warmth, humming in content as your tongue licks its way into his mouth. He kneads gently at the flesh of your waist, kissing you languidly, thoroughly for a moment of blissful connection.Â
He could live like this forever. In your arms, in your warmth, kissing you like thereâs nowhere to be.Â
But the reminder that this is borrowed time rears its ugly head and he pulls back, looking down at you. He wishes he could paint itâyour flushed cheeks, the ruined look in your eye, the glisten of your lips. And he hasnât even fucked you yet.Â
He brings a hand to your cheek, his thumb gliding against the plush of your lower lip.Â
âReady?â He asks quietly.Â
You donât think youâll be ready until itâs done. So with a steadying breath, you nod, bracing yourself for the pressure.Â
But it doesnât come just yet. He presses another soft, lingering kiss to your lips before he reaches down and guides himself through your slick folds.Â
You let out a shaky breath at the feeling, your hands clutching onto his hard shoulders when his tip catches against your entrance.Â
When he presses his forehead to yours with a silent question in his eye, you respond by wrapping your legs against his waist.Â
The first push, the first inch feels like it blows your whole world apart.Â
Your eyes squeeze shut at the searing pain, nails digging into his skin as a ragged groan slips from your parted mouth. His fingers werenât nearly enough to prepare you for his girth.
âShh.â He presses a soothing kiss to your heated cheek. âYou can take it, love. Just breathe for me.â
You do. Slow and deep, and as he settles his full length into you, it feels like heâs carving out a permanent space for himself inside your body.Â
And despite the pain, despite the overwhelming pressure, you welcome it.Â
He settles with a groan and keeps still, dropping his head into the crook of your neck. âYouâre so tight,â he mutters through a strained grunt.Â
âShota,â you sniffle, feeling your eyes prickle with tears.Â
âI know, love, Iâm sorry,â he breathes into your ear, kissing the shell of it. He cards one hand through your hair before cradling it against him. âItâll feel better soon. Promise.â
Slowly, it does. Your body eases around him, welcoming him instead of rejecting, and the pain eases into an overwhelming pressure, a deep ache that itches to be settled.Â
When you feel that ache deep in your gut start to pulse with want, when the walls of your cunt start to flutter with need, you slowly rock your hips up.Â
Shota lets out a stuttered grunt, his hand finding your hip, the other staying pressed to your hair.Â
He presses a kiss to your temple, then moves.Â
The pain flares back at the first thrust, but it slowly eases away as he starts to gently fuck you. In and out, a lax rhythm that has your bodies rocking together in sweltering heat and breathless moans.Â
You wrap your arms around his shoulder, body trembling under him as you take what he gives.Â
âThere you go,â he whispers, slow as he starts to pick up the pace. âTold you, didnât I? Youâfuckâyouâre taking me so well.â
You whimper at his words, unable to speak. But your body talks for you, your cunt fluttering around him with each mind numbingly deep thrust, your hand digging into his hair and gripping down hard.Â
He gets the hint. And he starts to fuck you in earnest now, a steady pace that has his hips snapping against yours and thrashing your body up with each firm thrust.Â
âKnew youâd be so good,â he breathes, words slurred like heâs not really sure what heâs saying, lost in the throes of his own pleasure in the heat of your warm walls. âKnew you take me soâso well. So good for meâŠâ
Your tears start to fall, whether from his words, whether from the pleasure, you donât care.Â
Because you feel that band in your gut pull tighter for the third time tonight and you need nothing more than for him to fuck it broken.Â
âShota,â you sob, clenching tightly around him. His hips stutter as he groans, hands flying down to your hips. âMore.â
Thatâs all it takes for him to lose his composure.Â
He pushes your hips down to the bed, lifting his upper body to look down at your wanting body, then starts to fuck you into your mattress, hard and uncaring for the loud moans that it pulls from your lips, for the way the bed knocks dangerously against the walls.Â
All he can focus on is fucking you to tatters with single minded focus, chasing his own pleasure in the wet heat. But he focuses on you first. He can tell youâre close from the way you thrash under him and sob his name, watery gaze distant and needy.Â
So he reaches between your bodies to thumb at your clit. It takes only a few quick circles to make you pulse and come over his cock with his name on your lips, again.Â
It brings him down and he spills deep inside you, frantically fucking both of you through your highs.Â
Even when heâs milked himself dry and worn himself to the bone, laying limp against your body, he keeps himself buried inside of you, because gods know he needs to savour every bit of you while he still can.
The days that come pass by like a rapidly ticking clock. Every moment with you feels like another one heâs stolen, that doesnât belong to him. It starts feeling like heâs taken more than the universe would allow for.
But Shota hides his anxieties well enough to keep you happy for however long he can. Making you laugh, easing your daily burdens, giving you pleasureâitâs enough to make him feel like heâs stealing for a just cause. And that's fine, heâd steal the damn skies to keep you content if he had to.
He just hates that he canât keep his own happiness. But he knew since he was a young boy that his love for you would go unfulfilled. He should be grateful he even gets this much.
The wedding is in a few days. And with how busy things are, he doesnât get much time to sneak away with you.
He can feel that familiar craving for you prickling at his fingertips, the need to hold you despite having been in your bed just last night.
Maybe it's the knowledge that thereâs not much time left that has his need for you grow tenfold. Or maybe it's just you.
He switches station with Jiho, who scurries off with a quick nod, and takes his place in front of your door. Like clockwork, at the dawn of the same hour, you open your doors with a sunny smile. Todayâs one seems brighter than usual.Â
âShota!â You exclaim, grabbing him by the arm and yanking him in.
He stumbles in, caught completely off guard by your sudden pull but he straightens himself before he can tumble down. He turns around just as you shut the doors behind him, eyes wide.
âPrincess?â He glances at the door as you make your way across your room. He never enters through the door, save for that first time, and heâs never here in the morning. âSomeone could have seen.â
âNonsense,â you dismiss, making your way to the corner of your room where your art is stationed. âNow will you come over here?â
He watches you for a momentâyour fidgety demeanour, the manic glint in your eye, and the shadows under them.
A teasing smile crawls onto his lips as he slowly approaches. âDid you not get sleep last night? I didnât keep you up that late.â He pauses. âThis time.â
The flush on your cheeks is immediate. He preens internally at getting the prickly princess to lose her composure so quickly.
âNo, itâs not that,â you say hastily, swatting him with the paint stained rag in your hand when he closes in. âI was working on your painting.â
His eyes widen, an eager anticipation waking under his skin. âReally? Itâs done?â
âYes,â you say sheepishly, turning to the tarp covered canvas. âI havenât been able to find much time and I definitely wouldnât have had the time for it for the next few days, so I stayed up last night. I was considering just waiting until after the wedding butâŠâ You trail off with a shy smile. âI got too excited thinking about it last night.â
Your hand fidgets with the end of the tarp and he realizes with a wave of fondness that youâre nervous.
Shota grins, unable to stop the joy at being on the receiving end of so much effort. âIâm sure whatever it is, itâs beautiful. Everything you do is.â
You scrunch your nose, trying and failing to smother your smile. âDonât speak so quickly.â You turn to the painting, taking a breath like youâre bracing yourself, before you pull the tarp off.
Itâs a blue night over a lake, the moon full and bright at the centre made of actual moonbeam petals. The lake looks nearly alive, shimmering under the moon like itâs made of twinkling waves in real time. The land surrounding the lake is littered with flowers made of petals. Tulip and rose, he thinks. He recalls the first day heâd come into your room, the day youâd both hauled up baskets of mangled flowers and loose petals.
âItâs called Moonbeam,â you tell him with a smile in your voice. âThis might sound silly but you remind me of the moon.â
Itâs the greatest thing heâs ever heard.
His hand raises instinctively to touch, but he stops himself and looks at you. âMay I?â
You grin, giving him a short shrug. âItâs yours. Do as you please.â
The words should make him ecstatic. Instead, they fill him with dread. Because now, when he looks back at the painting, it feels more like a parting gift. A present wrapped neatly to conclude your time together, a thank you for the past few months of excitement and pleasure. But how can that be if you donât know heâs leaving?
You said it yourself, you were planning on finishing it after the wedding and giving it to him then. Like you assumed he would just⊠be there. Was he supposed to? Did you want him to?
âShota?â Your voice calls gently. Your hand reaches up to brush away the wetness at his cheek. He hadnât realized that he started crying. âAre you okay? I mean, I know I did well, but I didnât think it was thatââ
âIâm leaving,â he says, because he canât keep it in anymore. He keeps his eyes on deep blue waters, unable to meet yours. âAfter the wedding. Iâm leaving.â
Youâre not sure youâre hearing him right. Or maybe you donât want to have heard him right.Â
âLeaving,â you repeat, breathing around the heavy thudding that grows in your chest. âWhat do you mean youâre leaving? Like on a trip?â
He lowers his head, teary eyes guilt-ridden as he swipes away the water at his cheek. âYour brother offered me a position in the War Guard. I accepted. It will take me across the country for a few years.â
You take a step back, the weight in your chest feeling more suffocating by the second. âWhy didnât you tell me?â
His eyes snap up to you, riddled with confusion. âWhaââ
âYou can still visit, right?â You ask, clenching your fists tight when they start to tremble at your sides. The way heâs speaking of this sounds too permanent for your liking. But surely he canât mean that heâs leaving for good. Why would he? Has he actually become sick of you?
âVisit?â He asks quietly. âYou want me to visit?â
âYes,â you snap and he flinches. âWhy the hell wouldnât I?â
Youâre not angry, but your panic is manifesting as anger, and you donât know how to stop it. You hate that youâre causing that twisted expression on his face, but you also hate where this conversation seems to be going, and you donât know how to stop it. You feel helpless.
âI thoughtâŠâ He starts, then stops. You canât make out the emotions in his face; theyâre too conflicting. âIâm only your guard for the wedding. Did you think I would stay?â
Your stomach feels like a pit. Your body feels like it wants to collide in on itself, trembling all over. âWas I wrong to think that you would?â
He looks down. âI donât see why youâd want me to.â
The answer comes easier than you think. And only after you say it do you realize the truth youâve been harbouring.Â
âBecause I love you.â
But it only seems to hurt him. âNo. You donât.â
Anger rushes louder in your veins. âWhat the hell?â You seethe and he flinches again, taking a step back. âWho are you to tell me what I feel?â
His gaze snaps up to you, fueled with a fire youâre not used to from him. âYou donât love me,â he insists, taking a step forward. You hold your ground. âYou love what I did for you. You might think that you love me, Princess.â As quick as it came, his fight leaves him. His shoulders slump, eyes growing solemn once more as he whispers, âBut you donât.â
The silence feels tangible, too bright with the sun spilling through your windows, and it makes you feel misplaced. It makes this whole conversation feel misplaced.Â
But you know that your feelings arenât.
âI donât love you, is it?â You ask, and he lowers his head again. âDo you love me?â
He lets out a wry laugh. âI have since we were kids.â It sounds strained. Painful, almost, to admit it.
âThatâs all I need, then.â
Determined, you turn away and start to your door. It takes a moment, but then you hear him scrambling after you as you march your way out of your room and towards the offices.
âPrincess?â Shota asks behind you, panicked more than confused. âWhat do you mean?â
You ignore him as you speed up, leaving his âWhere are you going?â unanswered as you make your way to Taeyangâs office.
âBrother!â You call as soon as you barge into his office, Shota scrambling in after you.Â
Taeyang lifts his head from where he had it cradled in his hands. He looks worse for wear. With how busy you and the West Princess had become, you hadnât had the time to dissect his relationship with her so you really donât know what stage of denial heâs in now. Nor do you really care at the moment, but it doesnât seem good.
Taeyang furrows his brows, letting out an irritated breath. âDo you women not understand the etiquette of closed doors?â
âYouâre in love, arenât you?â You barrel on, and that takes Taeyang aback, his eyes snapping wide.
He scowls at you and you wither just a little, realizing you might not be going in the right direction.Â
âI donât see how thatâs any of your businessââ
âBut you do understand what it is to be in love, yes?â
âPrincess,â you hear Shotaâs voice whisper behind you, small and scared, but you ignore it.
âWhatâs your point?â Taeyang asks sharply, and you start to lose a bit of your bite. But you stumble on regardless.
âI am in love.â
The admission feels foreign on your tongue but also like it belongs right there. You hear Shotaâs sharp exhale behind you, but the room stays otherwise silent for a stretched moment.
â...Congratulations,â Taeyang says after a moment, his brows furrowing. âUm.â He clears his throat. âWould you like a gift?â
You blink. âAre you not concerned who it is?â
âShould I be?â
You take a step aside to reveal Shota to him, not that he was hidden behind your smaller stature, but the point still stands.
Taeyangâs brows shoot up behind his hair, alarmed at the revelation. âYour guard?â
âI know father wonât approveââ
âYouâre damn right he wouldnât!â
ââbut that wonât change anything!â Your breaths feel stuck in your throat as you scramble to make your plea. âLook, brother, I know you donât like me very much andââ
âWoah, hold on a secondââ Heâs rising from his chair but you canât see much past the blur of your tears and the fog of your panic.
ââI know we donât see eye to eye, and I know you donât approve of this, but I just need you to hear me out just onceââ
Youâre cut off when two arms engulf you and hold you to a warm chest.Â
You freeze. You canât remember the last time Taeyang held you, if he ever has.
Your emotion bears too much for you to contain. So you let it out into his chest in quiet, defeated sobs and he holds you tighter.
His voice is soft as he speaks into your hair. âNow what gave you that silly idea?â
You crumble, arms finally winding around his waist and clinging on.Â
âI donât know,â you sniffle, feeling completely off centre. âI know I can be difficult.â
He laughs wryly, breaths bristling your hair. âThat runs in the family,â he states lightly before pulling back to take your face in his hands.Â
You donât meet his eye, too ashamed at your outburst.
âIâm sorry I gave you that idea,â he says, thumbing away the tear-tracks on your cheeks. âI know I havenât been very present in your life, or the othersâ at that, but I plan on changing that.â
ââŠThe Princess really got to you,â you mutter without thought, then brace for his reprimand when you realize what youâve said.
But it doesnât come. He smiles instead. âI suppose she has.â
âSo you are in love.â
âThat I am,â he says sheepishly. Youâve never seen your brother this shy. But it doesnât last long. He clears his throat, glancing past your shoulder. âI have no qualms with a union of you and a respected Knight, though itâll take some time for him to achieve that.â Your brows furrow when he looks back at you. âUntil then, not a word of this romance gets out. And when father passes, Iâll see to it that you marry him.â
The weight in your chest feels like it lifts off all at once, your eyes widening once Taeyangâs words settle in your mind. âReally?!â
âGiven that he would also like to marry you,â Taeyang adds, glancing past your shoulder again. âHe looks scared.â
You whip around to face Shota who immediately lowers his head, hiding.
âShota?â You call and he barely lifts his head to address you.
Before you can get another word in, the doors open to a rather uneasy looking Intak. âTaeâŠâ He trails off when he notices the audience and quickly falls into a bow. âPrincess,â he greets before glancing over at Taeyang. âI need to speak with Taeyang.â
âThatâs fine,â Taeyang says, then pushes you towards Shota with a hand on your back. âTake this elsewhere.â
You donât waste time. You take Shotaâs wrist and pull him along with you, only letting go when others pass by. You take him to one of the crevices of the halls that you would often find yourself tucked away with him under vastly different circumstances.
âShota.â You press him against the wall that you usually find yourself pushed against. âPlease tell me that youââ
He kisses you. And youâre too weak to talk first, so you kiss him back, your arms winding around his neck as his find home around your waist.
âIâll stay,â he mumbles into the kiss, desperate and breathless. âI wonât leave your side. Iâm sorry.â
You pull from the kiss, cradling his face between your hands. âNo.â Your breaths mingle with his as you push your forehead against his nose. âI know you want to join the War Guard. And you should, itâs your calling. Besides, you heard my brother,â you add, lips lifting into a smile when you see the twinkle in his eyes livening again. âYou can marry me once youâre a Knight.â
He grins at you, the bright and twinkling one thatâs made its home in your heart. âI can go?â
You nod against him, tilting your head up to tuck your nose against his. âAs long as you come back to me.â
âSo, you and your guard,â Jiung says from where heâs standing beside you. âWhat was it that you called him? Demon? Cretin? Well what do you call him now?â He elbows your arm. âDarling? Love? My dâOw!â
He rubs his forehead, pain etched on his face, as you cross your arms and turn back to watch Shota and Jongseob bid their goodbyeâs. The carriage waits for him at a more secluded area of the castle, private enough so you can bid your goodbyes without any prying eyes.
âYouâre all better now which means I get to hurt you more,â you warn him. âYou know nothing.â
Jiung huffs, pushing his hands back in his pocket. âI know that Taeyang wouldnât make something up like this just for his amusement.â
âYou donât know that, heâs a changed man now. Didnât you see him smiling?â
He snorts. âOur Queen-to-be is a witch.â
âOr a saint.â
The conversation lulls as you watch Shota bring Jongseob into a tight embrace.
âYouâll be okay not having him attached to your hip around the clock? For two years?â
You take a breath to soothe away the pang in your heart at the reminder. Youâre not happy about sending him away for so long. But if it means he can come back as the man you can marry, itâs a sacrifice youâre willing to make.Â
Besides, the way Shotaâs eyes sparkle whenever the word Knight comes up was enough reason for you to agree anyway. Heâs wanted nothing more than to follow in his fatherâs footsteps. Besides you, of course.
âIâll be okay,â you concur. âJiho will do until then.â
You watch Jongseob finally step away, wiping his eyes quickly. You refrain from making a comment about him being emotional as you quickly move past him to get to Shota.
Shotaâs eyes are stuck to Jongseobâs retreating figure when you reach him, gaze more melancholy than you expect.
âDonât tell me youâll miss him more than me,â you say, taking his hands in yours, and he blinks his gaze to you.
He smiles, pulling you in to wrap his arms around your waist instead. âIf I said I would?â
âThen Iâll leave you for Jiho.â
Immediately, Shotaâs face blanks and he moves to pull away from you. âDonât joke about that.â
Laughing, you pull him right back into your arms. âDonât be so jealous. My heart is set on you, moonbeam.â
He blushes down to his neck and grins, dropping his head onto your shoulder. You hold him like that for a moment, memorizing the weight and the heat of him against you like this, even though youâd spent all last night doing just thatâit didnât feel like enough though.
âYouâll visit when you can, wonât you?â You ask him quietly, swallowing down the emotion that threatens to rise.
His fingers dig into your waist, pulling you flush against him as he brushes his lips against your collarbone. âAny chance I get.â He lifts his head to smile down at you. âUntil then I have Moonbeam to remind me of you.â
You scrunch your nose, a light heat rising to your cheeks. âYou talk about it like it's a pet. Itâs a painting.â
He giggles and the sound alone melts away all your woes. âI love it like it's my own.â
âYouâre ridiculous,â you chide, but it falls weak with the fond grin on your lips.
When Shota presses his forehead to yours, you take the chance to commit the image of him so close to you to your memoryâthe slope of his nose, the scar on his brow, the slant of his lips as he smiles at you, and the warmth in his gaze as he looks at you, wide and twinkling like they always are.
You want to capture the stars and hang them in his eyes. You want to keep them for yourself and watch them whenever you want.
âYouâll come back for me, right?â You ask him in fear that you wonât get to.
âI came back for you once already, right?âÂ
He smiles, and you think you can see the stars already.Â
âIâll come back for you again.â
please leave your thoughts below!! it would make my day <3
SERIES MASTERLIST
a collaborative event by @jiuchip & @liliesonthego
Okay this is going to be super specific but I just read the first chapter of a stray kids omegaverse fanfic. Half the group were alphas and half the group were omegas. And basically the premise was that their friend who is an omega is about to enter heat and asks if she can stay with them because her doctor recommended she stay with a pack for it or something along those lines.
I went to go look for the next chapter and my tumblr refreshed and I lost the fic. So if this sounds familiar to literally anyone at all would you let me know?
Im honestly starting to think I hallucinated the whole fic bevause I seriously cant find it anywhere! So if anyone has any ideas it would be much appreciated!
Honestly dont even know how to feel rn because I had plans to go see BTS this Summer with a friend who's new to kpop and they just messaged me saying they dont want to go anymore because they feel like bts new album and the group as a whole are racist and capitalize off of black culture. And like im not black myself so like obviously Im not going to view things the same way they view it and Im not going to understand what they feel to the same extent.
And like I dont want to invalidate my friend, their experience, or their opinion but like genuinely I dont see their album or them as a group as racist. But again Im asian not black so maybe thats affecting my viewpoint.
And they're one of my favorite groups too and now I just feel bad because I dont want to support a group that makes me friend uncomfortable because then I feel like im being a bad friend. But at the same time I dont see what they're seeing in regards to their new album and the group being racist. And also bts was one of the first kpop groups I got into and the first one I genuinely loved. Like they got me through so much so I dont want to just stop supporting them and listening to them.
synopsis: The big bang signified the universes creation, but also it's destruction. Regardless of the side of history you lie on, you are the catalyst either way.
ot7 bts x f.reader (poly)
ăš : wc: 10.7k
ăš : genre: yandere au, a/b/o au, zombie apocalypse au, survival thriller, dark âromanceâ, dark content
ăš : content: alpha bts!, omega!reader, post apocalyptic themes, hiding of second gender, light panic attacks, unreliable narrators, one flashback (1st scene), light torture in a flashback, references to dead bodies, namjoon kills someone, yoongi is a lil angsty, delusional jk (weâre never escaping him), major character injury (!!), bombs, explosions, light angst, light fluff, mostly action, omega stereotypes (omegaphobia? lol), hoseok is insane i fear, omg reader is back too i missed her, light religious symbolism, hoseok is a sadist and a masochist lowk, blood, guns, general violence, referenced masturbation, lowk i thought there were more? Lmk if i missed anything!! -> series warnings here
ăš : notes: HAPPY ARIRANG I AM OBSESSED WITH THE ALBUM AND ALSO SORRY FOR HOSEOK HE'S A BIT OF A MESS <3 Our little reader gets to meet the pack soon! Yippee!
ăš : chapter 4 <- index -> chapter 6
18+ -> minors / blank blogs dni
THEN.
BANG!
Seokjinâs form crouches low to the ground, his thighs spread while his arms hang precariously over his knees, wrists limp as they settle angling towards the ground. He simply just stares.
Well, the business deal Seokjinâs alpha was trying to procure had certainly gone south, that much is clear enough.Â
In front of him, lying on the floor, is one of the Jeon clanâs higher upsâ clanâs beta, if Seokjinâs sources were correct
They were.
Though now, he looks like nothing more than a neutered puppy. The man's whimpering certainly doesnât help with the picture either. It almost makes Seokjin want to laugh.
Namjoon is crouched on the other side of the bodyâ body because that is simply what this man is, if he doesnât start to give them answers. He doesnât have much of a face left now anyway, so he might as well be.
The pack alphaâs hand is fisted into the betas hair, the tendon in his arms twitching from the effort of forcing the man's head into the ground over, and over, and over again. Slamming his head into the cold hardwood floor of the office, other bodies scattered around their forms.Â
The pool of red is still growing.
The pack alpha is huffing, there is a glorious fire in his eyes. Seokjin thinks he looks beautiful.Â
âShould I ask you again?â Seokjin questions, head tilting to the side. A small, placid smile dotting the corner of his lips, condescension radiating from his entire being as Namjoon pulls the man's head up just high enough once more.
What an ugly thing he has become. Maybe heâs the unlucky one, the lucky ones are probably the corpses scattered across the floor. At least they didnât have to undergo their combined fury.Â
He should have just given Seokjin the answers he wanted already.Â
Seokjin sighs once more, looking up at Namjoon, âIt doesnât seem like he wants to, does it?â
Seokjin registers the opening of the office door. Huh, he really did not think anyone else was in the house today. Not that it matters much, Seokjin will deal with them the exact same way.Â
He sighs, closing his eyes as he stands. His arms feel tight in his suit, but he raises one anyway. Cresting it on the same side of his neck where Namjoon had left his bite, using its force to aid him in cracking his neck.Â
Seokjin doesnât have time to dilly dally. Heâll be sure to make this quick.Â
The intruder relieves a sharp gasp from his lungs, the lazy drawl of Seokjinâs lids to draw upwards, taking him in for the very first time.
Soft, perfectly cut straight brown hair. Large doe eyes. Perfectly sculpted nose with little moles dotting around his face in constallations.
Seokjinâs recognition of him is instantaneous.Â
Jeon Jeongguk. 23. Important.Â
The Jeon pack alphaâs only child. The last progeny remaining in their all-alpha familial line.Â
Well damn, Seokjin was sure he wasnât here. From the information Seokjin gathered before setting out to the groups's territory, the kid was practically treated as royalty. Spoiled rotten, coddled. There were even rumours he had never gone outside before.Â
Seokjin didnât believe them, of course not, that would be a rather auspicious thing to do. But with how much he had heard about Jeonggukâs treatment, he didn't think they would just let the kid wander around on his own in a clan meeting house like this. He doubted Jeongguk would be involved in territorial conflicts at all. He was a member of the familial pack, not the territorial one like Seokjin⊠interogates⊠now. The distinction is clear as clear as day.Â
Looks like his intel may have been wrong.Â
Not only is he here and involved with them, he looks like a deer in headlights. His cheeks are turning a bright shade of red. It looks as though there are sparkles in his eyes. To be honest, Seokjin is taken aback. He isnât sure what reaction he was expecting, but not something so⊠passionate. Something so devoted.Â
IsâŠ. is this kid staring at Namjoon with⊠admirationâŠ? While Namjoon has Jeonggukâs momâs right hand is in a bloodied heap on the floor?
Huh. Well, this is certainly a surprising change of tune.
âS-Sir! Please leave! Donât get yourself involved with this!â Huh, so the body still did have a voice. He was sure Namjoon had squeezed it out of him by now. Regardless, the words have Seokjin turning his head back towards the mess on the floor, back towards his alpha.Â
Oh. Seokjinâs eyes go wide.Â
Namjoon is staring right back at Jeongguk, that same star-crossed lovers expression on his face. Looking at him like the universe just changed for the better.Â
Turning back towards the younger, Seokjin confirms itâ they are simply enamoured with one another.
When he makes the motion, when all the attention in the room is directly only at Jeongguk, it is clear the kid notices. His posture straightens, his chest puffing out just slightly. The most determined look that Seokjin has ever seen is as obvious as ever written across his features.Â
One of his arms raises upâ certainly not the arms of someone who has had experience fightingâ a single finger pointing towards both Seokjin and Namjoon. A cocksure smile on the pure alphas lips.Â
The world spins. This is nothing like Seokjin had been expecting out of the day.Â
âI want you.â He pauses, the determined smile blooming brighter. Seokjin doesnât know how the kid could be so positive in such a thingâ Seokjin needs time to fall, he guesses Jeongguk doesnât. âBoth of you.â
A sickening crack sounds throughout the room, the betas death as clear as day, though no one really pays attention. Instead, everything revolves around Namjoon rising to a stand right next to Seokjin, a similar smile on his own face.
âI feel like there are a few questions you should be asking instead of just saying something so bold.â All the rage Namjoon spoke with before the entry of Jeongguk is gone, a similar confident air in his tone. âLike who are we, why are we in your office. Why we just killed your clans beta.âÂ
âI donât care.â Jeongguk, though Seokjin just met him, looks like heâs never been more sure of anything in his life. âI didnât like him anyway. He was shitty at taking care of me.âÂ
Spoiled.Â
Namjoon hums, âShouldnât you be worried weâre going to kill you, too?â
Jeongguk thinks for a second, eyes looking up at the ceiling as he considers. âNo. You want me.âÂ
Maybe not spoiled. Maybe just sheltered if he thinks that simply about such things. Â
âYouâll have to deal with a few more than just us.â Namjoon leans forward a bit, the air around him bending to his will. Haughty. Attractive. âWe have 4 other mates.âÂ
Oh. Jeongguk now looks as though he is simply vibrating with delight. His teethâ ones Seokjin notices look like a bunniesâ make an appearance, biting his lower lip.Â
âI want them, too.âÂ
Well, Seokjinâs dealings are certain to become a lot more smooth from this point onwards.Â
NOW.
Jeongguk hasnât slept.Â
Well, okay, to be honest, heâs not sure he remembers the last time he actually had a full nights rest.Â
Waitâ no, that isnât true either. The last night he did it was the night after he saw you for the first time, he remembers it clearly, actually. He would rather die than forget it. He would never in a million years forget dreaming of you.Â
He was in the woods, you were there too, obviously. Scampering between trees, looking so cute and playful. God, you were so fucking adorableâ calling out to him, asking him to chase you.Â
Fuck, who was he to say no? He simply he complied. He would be an idiot to deny you of anything ever.Â
When he caught you? It felt like the last of his dreams had finally come true.Â
You were giggling underneath him, his body pinning you down by your shoulders. Your eyes in the prettiest little crests that he kissed over and over again.Â
He remembers the end, where you made him promise to find you when he woke up, too.Â
âŠYeah.
He hasnât had a full night's rest since then. But especially last night, last night he didnât get a wink. Not even the half-hearted nap he usually gets by on.Â
How was he supposed to sleep after Joon broke the news that they would be going to your house the very next day? The house that he knows belongs to you now, all thanks to Yoongi. The house whereâ whereâ
Jeongguk clenches his fist, lets his nails dig into the skin of his palms as a way to manage the putrid smell that was already beginning to leak from his pores. In the tight confines of the armoured truck, he knows everyone else will be able to smell it.Â
Should he really care? Probably not. But he doesnât want the secondâ first?-- time you smell him to be so⊠so unpleasant. He wants you to smell the real him. The alpha who your heart and soul belong to, the one youâll build a future with. The one that can provide for you, that can take you out of whatever hell youâve been keeping yourself inâ
How long would it take before you let him give you a bite? How long will it take for you to give one to him?
Soon, hopefully. God, he canât even count how many times heâs stroked his cock to the thought of your cute little fangs piercing the skin of his neck. How blown out your eyes would be with pretty red dotting your mouth. Do you even know that he saved the left side of his neck for you? Waited so many years just for his perfect omega to leave tangible evidence on his skin of your simple belonging to one another.Â
⊠Well, he hasnât thought about it in awhile, but the point still stands. He hasnât been able to, not since your face began to retain the essence of a shadowless blob whenever you appear in his mind, when you appear in front of him. JustâŠjust out of reach.Â
Fucking had been in reach for over two weeks.Â
His top lip curls at the thought. He reminds himself to stop thinking such shitty things.Â
It doesnât work.
He just needs to see you, and then everything will be right again. Heâll be able to protect you. His pack will be complete. The last piece of his soul, the part that felt like it has been missing will finally click into place.Â
Everything will be perfect.Â
Youâll be perfect.
Jeongguk forces his head back into reality as the wheels of the vehicle roll to a stop. His neck cocking to the side, deep eyes locking on Seokjin in the driver's seat. The clicking of metal registers in his ears, his hand clenching around the barrel of his semi-automatic a little tighter, the gun propped up against the floor, muzzle facing the sky.
âWe're here.â Seokjin hums, completely carefree. Jeongguk isnât sure how, to be honest. âWe have a bit of a hike, if Jiminâs map is right.âÂ
Today determines the rest of his future⊠do they not get that? Of course they donât. They donât understand what you and him have, no matter how much they might try to. They donât understand the levels at which his entirety calls out to you.Â
Heâs already reaching for the handle of the door, his entire body itching to leave, when another voice stops himâ Joonsâ, âGguk-ah, do a scan for us.â
His nose scrunches up while a little wrinkle finds itself between his brows, âHuh? Why me?âÂ
That isnât his job. Heâs not good at that sort of thing.Â
At that, Joon only shrugs, handing the binoculars back behind him, âI trust you more to do it.âÂ
Heat washes over Jeongguk instantly. The simple words have an even simpler effect on his bodyâ his ears and eyes perk up a bit more, right alone with his chest swelling. No matter how much he just wants to get moving, that line has Jeongguk already hauling his upper half through the sunroof of the armoured vehicle, eyes scanning the distance.Â
From the top of the hill the pack has managed to find themself on, looking off into the distance is an easy task. Any subtle clearing is discovered, especially the very one they think contains your cabin.Â
Jeongguk sees it easily, mentally comparing it to the map he had been studying the entire ride overâ the piece of paper that Jimin and Taehyung marked your approximate location on. Seems like they were paying enough attention to get that right, at least. Even if they might have messed up your potential first meeting.Â
No. As much as Jeongguk is angry at them, heâs even more upset with Yoongi. At least Jimin and Tae could plead ignorance. What they did was only a reaction to Yoongi.
What Yoongi did to him was straight malice.Â
Hiding you. Keeping you after he found out you were an omega. Only confirming it after Jeongguk was on the verge of a breakdown because he couldnât fucking rememberâ
He takes another deep breath, centering himself. Heâs lucky heâs been practicing the breathing exercises Seokjin-hyung has been prescribing and that the thought of meeting you soon is somewhat settling.
âYeah. House is where Jimin said.â Jeongguk states, plain as day. Giving one final sweep before getting ready to hop down. Nothing much falling along the dense forest tree line.Â
Lucky that autumn was on their sideâ if it was any warmer out, the tree leafs may have kept you covered.Â
âIt looksââ Wait, what was that?Â
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees a flash of light in the distance. Too solid to be a solar flare, too obvious to be a trick of the mind. Twisting the lens to make it focus, something different comes into view.
A truck, hardly hidden at all against the trees. Standing out so loudly it might as well be a homing beacon to anyone who wanted to discover its presence.Â
âWait, hyung, I thinkââ Jeongguk scrunches his eyes, the hard plastic of the binoculars digging into his skin as he pushes his face into them deeper, like that will help him see better. âI think there's a truck over there?âÂ
âMm.â He hears the shifting of guns, probably Joon following the direction of his pointed finger from where the first car had already unloaded onto the ground. âAbout the same distance away as the house?âÂ
Fuck if he knows, Jeongguk has always been shit with distances. Itâs normally Yoongiâs job to take note of the perimeters like thisâ he still doesnât know why heâs been put on the case instead. Why has he been given a job when all he wants to do is think about you. It's annoying.Â
He doesnât need to be managed. He doesnât need to be distracted.Â
âYeah, looks like it.â Jeongguk pulls the binoculars from his face before taking a second to inhale, tasting the scent of the wind on his tongue. He wonât make the same mistake again.Â
He pulls himself the rest of the way out of the sunroof, heavy gun clattering against his shoulder as he jumps to the ground with a practiced ease only gained from experience. His form landing with a thud, both feet on the ground as he squats, one balled hand taking the brunt of the force not received by his knees.Â
He stands, eyes glued into the distance.Â
âWe didnât see any cars out here before.â Jiminâs voice is in his ears, but he half ignores it. Heâs not focused on the conversation of his mates right now, all he can think about is the alpha in his head. The one telling him that these are your woods.Â
âTracks.â Taehyung is supplying his mate, just like he always does.Â
âYeah, there were tire tracks, but they didnât lead to a car or anything.âÂ
âHm.â Joon is too analytical. Seokjin, too.Â
âDoes it really matter?â Hoseok groans out the wordsâ Jeongguk hears him cracking his knuckles, âWe donât have all fucking day, and if these two donât stop laying it on thick there wonât be hiding from the little doe.âÂ
Jeongguk knows Hoseok is referring to the pheromones heâs releasing, but he really doesnât give a shit. At least the alpha is speeding the whole thing upâ Jeongguk can feel his muscles burning. Itâs only a matter of time before he leaves and just goes to get you himself.Â
His patience is a tether that is not withstanding gale force winds.Â
âWe're triangled right between them.â Jeonggukâs eyes roll, unable to stop himself at the sound of Yoongiâs gruff voice chiming in. He guesses at some point he set up shop looking out of the top of the other car with his sniper. âAbout 750 meters that way is the car, 875 to the house. 1000 between âem, too.âÂ
Soon, Jeongguk hears the footfalls of Yoongi jumping, followed by the scribbling of a pen on a map. Heâs starting to get frustrated with all these semantics. These alleged important parts of the job.Â
He still doesnât understand why they have to be so careful about this.Â
Youâre his soulmate, youâll understand even if you are a little scared at first.Â
âIt would be worth it to check it out, at least.â Seokjinâs voice is thereâ one of Jeonggukâs only hyungs along with Joon that seems to care about how hungry Jeongguk is to have you already. âIf Jimin and Taehyung wrecked her house, she could be staying there for cover.âÂ
What? Jeonggukâs alpha is howling in pain. How could he let his omega live inside of a car?! Even if itâs just for the night, thatâs too much for you to go through. Itâs just too much.Â
You deserve to be in a nice big house, bundled up in his clothesâ not anyone elses right nowâ relaxing in his big bed, the softest blankets surrounding you while he feeds you the meat heâs hunted.
Joon nods his head, arms crossed over his broad chest. âJimin, Taehyung, Jeongguk, you go to the truck. Radio us with what you see.â
. . . Jeongguk blinks.Â
He blinks again.Â
Heâs not half listening to the conversation anymore.Â
âWhat?!â His head snaps before his brain can process the words, eyes finally leaving the distant trees you resided in for so long. So long, all alone. So long without him.Â
âŠYou missed him, right? Donât worry, you wonât have to for much longer.Â
They want him to go with them to the fucking car?! To the fucking car instead of your house?! Theyâre insane. Fucking insane. The growl is already in his tone before he can manage to stop it. âNo.â
Hoseokâs expression is bored, Namjoonâs is blank, Seokjinâs is sympathetic. Jeongguk couldnât give any less of a shit.Â
âGguk-ahâŠâ Seokjin is using that tone of voice he always does when Jeongguk gets riled up like this, the one that means heâs treating him like a pup. Sometimes he likes it. Today is not one of those days. âWe need Yoongi with us at the main houseâŠâ
Wrong thing to say.Â
Jeongguk scoffs, âSo he gets to see her before me? Are you joking?âÂ
His bonds pangâ the internal urge of half of him wanting to soothe the others displeasure combating with his temperament still burning from the night before. The rest are lucky Hoseok managed to calm him down before he took off on his own last night.Â
âNo.â There could be something more to it, something theyâre not telling him. They never tell him things. Or maybe they doâ either way, it doesnât matter. Heâs pissed right now. All he can feel is that. âWe justâŠâÂ
âThey donât want you to see what the others did and freak out.â Jeongguk has never been more thankful for Hoseokâs blunt toneâ at least someone will tell it to him like it is, even when he is worked up like this.Â
âThatsâŠâ He would like to argue against their stanceâ that he totally would not blow up and pounce seeing what Jimin and Tae had doneâ but the words die on his tongue. He knows it's more than likely, so⊠he chooses a different route to argue his case.Â
He stands a little taller, âI just want to see. I should get to know how my mates been living.âÂ
âYou can see that after, canât you?â Jimin grumbles, finally merging himself back into the main conversation from where Taehyung had him dragged away before.Â
Oh, of course, it would be Jimin saying that very thing. The one who wants to avoid Jeongguk seeing whatever state they left his soulmate's den in.Â
âJimin, be quiet.â Seokjin sighs, trying once again to be the mediator. Jeongguk normally thinks itâs an incredible skill to have. He respects Seokjin a lot for him stepping up as second in command of the pack, but heâs having trouble retaining any of that sense now as he feels the biting breeze against his cheeks. As he feels the woods trying to speak to him.Â
âWe need you to take the lead here, okay? Manage these 2 and direct them if sheâs at the truck instead of the house.âÂ
He feels like heâs going to scream.Â
See, the issue here is that Gguk doesnât give a shit about pack dynamics.Â
He feels like a broken record due to how often he repeats it, but all he cares about is you.Â
He doesnât give a shit that more people are needed to case a house than a truck. He doesnât care that Jimin and Yoongi canât be in a group together out of fear of them fighting. Doesnât care that he canât be with Yoongi either due to the fact he will definitely be fighting him.Â
Hell, it doesnât bother him that Hoseok doesnât see the point in getting you, or that Seokjin is only following along because of Joonâs lead. Sure, heâs frustrated by the way Yoongiâs eyes light up whenever you are discussed, and by the way that Tae shrinks away at the same mention. He didnât even argue last night when he was excluded from Namjoon, Hoseok, and Seokjinâs meeting last night while they were plotting today out.
He doesnât care that the groups split makes the most logical senseâ that the packs 3 highest in command should all be at the larger site. He doesnât even care that the rest of them probably donât even realise that he understands all of itâ that he accounts for every minor detail, too.
He doesnât give a shit about fucking anything other than getting to you and it feels like the others just arenât listening to how his wolf howls for you.Â
He feels like heâs going in circles.Â
His head certainly is.Â
He should just go. He should just start listening to his instincts just like everyone else does. He shouldâÂ
Namjoonâs solid hand comes down on his shoulder, his frame leaning down just slightly to look in Jeonggukâs eyes. âGguk-ah. Iâm counting on you. If you find her, youâll catch her.âÂ
Fuck. Jeongguk does care about that.Â
Cares about Joon. About the other pure-alphas approval.Â
As his heart begins to beat a little faster, he takes a step back while tossing the strap of his gun over his shoulder. His boots crunch against the solid soil as he turns his back to the rest of the pack, making sure his face is hidden before any sort of blush tries to rise to his cheeks.Â
Joon always makes fun of him for that.
âWhatever.â He grunts out, trying to keep it a secret how affected by his pack alpha he is. Heâs not the packâs pup anymore. He shouldnât get so worked up over little things. âLetâs go.â
âIf you see anything, radio.â Hoseok reminds, a slight strain in his voice from what Jeongguk can only imagine is another stretch. Another part of the generals routine. âKill anything you see, infected people or alive ones. Doesnât matter to me.âÂ
As if Jeongguk doesnât know that already.Â
He grunts, marching off down the unbeaten path with his two elder packmates in tow. His brain tuning out the words of the other four as his brain already moves onto the next thing. As the woods start to feel more and more familiar the deeper he finds himself going inside.
âŠHeâs going to make sure the promise he made to the you in his dreams stays alive and well.
Yoongi's pace meanders a few behind the rest of the group, the heavy metal of his favourite gun thunking against his back with every step he takes. The smell of the damp forest floor invades his nostrils with every small pant he takes, the morning dew making the floor wet as mud decides to cling to his boots.Â
He never thought he would be out in the woods again.Â
His head tilts towards the sky as he thinks, lets his mind wander away from the sounds of birds while he has a moment to do so. His body instinctively following the guidance of the rest of his mates without having to put any conscious effort into doing so, something in him knowing they would keep him safe even if he got a little distracted.Â
The last time Yoongi stepped foot into the forest⊠into any woods like these⊠it had to be at least 10 years ago.
He doesnât know how you live in them. How you survive it.
He knows the crushing weight of the trees. Â
Heâs been trying to figure out how since last night, to be honest. Ever since Jimin mapped out roughly where you had been staying, heâs been wondering why you forced yourself out here. How long youâve been managing.
The woods are so tall, how do you fight against them all on your own?Â
Yoongi couldnât. Still canât, probably.Â
Logically, he has to remind himself, something dense like this is probably safer from intrudersâ not safe enough, if Jimin and Taehyung were able to find youâ  and zombies. There were far less out here than there were constantly battering against the walls of their compound. Hoseok had only managed to spot 2 on their hike so far, both are double-dead now. So comes safety from others in isolation, he guesses. Maybe thatâs how you view it. He almost wishes he could, too.Â
Still not safe enough.Â
Yeah, for once Yoongi has to agree with his inner alpha. Youâre not safe enough. Not if two of his pack mates were able to track you down. Not if what they say is true about you having been out here alone for who knows how long.Â
As much as he hates the idea of taking that decision away from you, he hates the idea of you dying even more. He hates the idea of not being able to keep you safe from pain, from letting you rot out here.
Thatâs all forests do. They infest your brain with rot.Â
Yoongi canât stand the idea of stumbling upon you, fungus covering your skin.Â
He can give you back other freedoms later. Itâs what heâs promised himself. Youâllâ okay, you probably wonât like his pack at first. He would be the first person to admit that, regardless of how much he cares for them. But⊠but eventually you might come around. You might like hiâ
Yoongi shakes his head, forcing himself away from the train of thought his alpha keeps forcing him down.Â
Heâs coming to get you, to protect you as a friend. Someone he considers a friend, even if it was only one night spent together under fictional stars. Even if he did just plan to let it all blur away.
Heâs not coming to you as an alpha with a prerogative. He just⊠he wants you to be okay. Especially after what Jimin and Taehyung did. He just wants to make sure that you're safe. That youâre not spiralling like he would be under the same circumstances.Â
Yoongi hates the woods.Â
âŠYoongi wants Jeongguk to forgive him.Â
He probably wonât.Â
He should probably stop worrying himself over it. He has more pressing matters to deal withâ ones that are only a few meters away, not in an entirely different group, heading to another location.Â
The guilty part of him hopes Jeongguk will find you first, but the selfish part of him, the ever present one that seems intertwined with his wolf, hopes that he will get the honour.
It isnât good for you to be alone. You shouldnât have to suffer through it.
Yoongi is projecting, he knows it. He also canât stop it, and honestly, doesnât want to. He wants to feel connected to you. Maybe heâs being selfish again by allowing himself to do so.
âŠWell, he is the only one whoâs actually met you. Heâs the one you feltâ feel safe with.
 His fingers twitch, he wants to just hurry up with it all, already. He wants to get you out of here, bring you to the house. Comfort you, if youâd let him.
âŠWould you let him?Â
His heart starts beating a little bit faster. That canât be good.Â
âYouâre thinking too much.â Hoseoksâs hushed voice makes its way into his muddled mind, a broad shoulder bumping into his unsteady frame.Â
Yoongiâs eyes slowly draw back from the sky, instead finding their place upon Hoseoksâs handsome face instead. Too handsome. It looks like it was carved by one of the greats. It isnât fair.Â
âThatâs rich coming from you.â Yoongi deadpans like he definitely wasnât just admiring the pack's chief of combat.Â
He totally wasnât. âYou never think when Namjoonsâ âround.â
God, theyâve been together how many years and Yoongi still pretends to be coy. He knows Hoseok sees through it, though, so thereâs really no harm. Not like when the Jeongguk first joined the pack and became acquainted with Yoongiâs sharp, unrelenting tongue. Yoongi will never forget the complete embarrassment of having to explain what Jimin dubbed his âcuteness aggression.âÂ
Bleh.
It was the most embarrassing day of his life.Â
Thankfully, Hoseok likes it when Yoongi gets mean. Says it âgets him goingâ.Â
Hmph.Â
âYeah, well itâs their job. Iâm not on the clock right now.â Hoseok smiles, both of his arms raising up to hold the back of his head up. âLet Seokjin deal with it. Looks like he has a stick up his ass, anyway.â
Yeah, Yoongi guesses thatâs true. Hoseok isnât leading the packâs recruits on any kind of clearing mission, nor is he leading anyone into war. Still, he doesnât know how he is just so relaxed about everything when Yoongi feels like heâs dying inside.Â
Still, he doesnât think he agrees with the idea of it being anyone else's job, especially not Seokjinsâ.
Yoongi hazards at the body next to the pack alphas. He still doesnât understand why Seokjin acts like a saint. Their rooms are next to each other, heâs heard the elderâs rants. Yoongiâs one of the few other than the pack alpha that knows his position.Â
Huh, maybe Seokjin never realised how thin the walls are.Â
âBullshit. Youâre a control freak.â Yoongi grunts, âIf Namjoon didnât force you out of taking the lead, youâd be up there instead.âÂ
Hoseok simply hums, acknowledging Yoongi. Probably agreeing that it's true in his head.
âJin!â Hoseok calls up ahead, pulling Seokjin back towards the tail end rather than the front. Yoongi watches as he turns, as he lets his footsteps slow to allow for Yoongi and Hoseok to catch up.Â
Yoongi feels Hoseokâs hands on his shoulders, forcing him up in front, a big heart-shaped smile on his lips, âThis oneâs thinking too much. Calm him down.â Â
âYah. Stop it.â Yoongi tries to shrug off the younger, but fails miserably. Hoseokâs grip is tight, his fists massaging the flesh, âThatâs not his job.â
The conversation feels easy. Too easy, for the current conditions. Zfor the way Yoongi is feeling. He doesnât fully feel like he deserves their care.
âAish! What are you talking about! Itâs what I was recruited for!â Seokjin huffs, a fake glare directed at Namjoonâs back steady across his features. Â
âReceuited?â Yoongi almost wants to laugh, âNot the story I heard.âÂ
As much as Yoongi likes to feign disinterest, he certainly does not miss the colouring of red rising to Seokjinâs ears. The corners of his hips curl, already completely aware the elder is going to go on one of his tirades.Â
Cute. Seokjin is cute.Â
âYah!â The elders whisper raises a hair, his lips pouting out a bit more as his words increase in pace. âThat brat wouldnât leave me aloneâ what did you expect me to do?! He wasnât even in my departmentââ
Yoongi shakes his head, eyes staring at the ground. Yoongi doesnât even try to deny the expression is out of fondness. âYou trying to let the whole forest know weâre here?â
âIââ Seokjin pauses, eyes going wide as he realises just how loud he was getting. His ears get just a bit darker, but he doesnât acknowledge it. Instead, the eldest in the pack just clears his throat, standing a bit straighter. âWhat were we discussing?âÂ
The corner of Yoongiâs mouth quirks, âHow Namjoon pursued you for years before you gave into him.â
âOther than that.âÂ
He shrugs, not really remembering. He wasnât paying much attention, more so looking for a distraction.Â
âAh,â The weight of Seokjinâs arm is dropped over Yoongiâs shoulder, his head shaking along with the addition. âThatâs right. You were thinking too hard. Is it being out here?â There's a slight pause before Seokjin continues, âYou donât need to think about back then anymore.âÂ
He wishes it was that easy.Â
Hoseokâs echo of the past blinks fresh in his mindâ âLive in the moment with me.â Thatâs what Hoseok had said back then.Â
Seokjinâs smile feels warm when itâs directed just at Yoongi, âJust let hyung take care of it, okay? Weâll be home soon.âÂ
Now he is sure his heart is moving at a faster pace than before.Â
Hyung.
Yoongi never used those sort of honorifics with Seokjinâ it just wasnât in the nature of their relationship. The elder never outwardly seemed to care, anyway, other than in half-assed jokes. Itâs only in times like these that it felt like it mattered.Â
Suddenly, Seokjinâs face loses all sense of peace, a cold mask of stone falling over it at the exact same time his body freezes in place, the hike coming to a close. Namjoonâs hand in the air being the direct cause.Â
Well, it was nice while it lasted. It is time for action now.Â
Namjoon's fingertips curl towards his palm in a silent instruction to lower their frames closer to the ground. The slow, controlled approach to the house already having been planned out since the night before.
Namjoon sends a glance towards the packâs general, signalling the change of power between them, Hoseok taking over direction.
Yoongi follows it silently without question, waiting for Hoseokâs motion to continue the pursuit forward. Heâs always been in awe of the way Hoseok is able to direct everything, to make the motions of a unit seem fluid and conjoined rather than just heaping bodies following orders.
It only takes a glance from Hoseok before Namjoon is movingâ the pack alpha gliding through the underbrush as he makes his way around the back of the cabin where he is meant to be stationed in case you try to make a quick exit from the rear.Â
Yoongiâs job is a lot more simple than the rest of theirs, he is only meant to be a lookout. Honestly, heâs thankful for it. Heâs not sure he could manage much more upon seeing you again. Upon seeing the new conditions of your home.
A few seconds pass, a soft cooing whistle from Hoseok along with the tilt of his head telling Yoongi itâs his turn to move. He does as ordered, moving up from his squat, though certainly not returning to full height as he takes a light jog through the underbrush. Only settling himself down when he finds the angle he was looking for.Â
Checking left, checking rightâ yeah, here will do just fine. He can see your front door, as well as both sides of your house. Heâll be able to spot you if you try to make it through a window. With fewer guys, it might be a little more difficult to catch you, but Yoongi knows Hoseok enjoys the chase.
⊠He hopes it doesnât come down to that, but if he does, heâll try his best to comfort you even if he isnât the best at it.Â
Carefully, Yoongi lowers himself down to the forest floor, pulling the gun off his shoulder right along with the action. He clicks the legs of it down, lowering himself to his stomach to check the view.Â
Just as he suspected, itâs perfect. He can see everything. Will definitely be able to spot you if you try to move.Â
Fucking hell. Those goddamn assholes broke most of your windowsâ he can only assume they werenât like that before.Â
It isnât long before Hoseok and Seokjin come into view, their bodies doing similar low jogs to the ones Yoongi just performed himself. Though their angle was towards the doorâ if you were here, they were going to get to you first.
Yoongi shakes his head, forcing the jealousy out of his gut. Itâs fucking stupid. There isnât any guarantee youâre still here, anyway. Yoongi knows he would have cleared out first thing if it was hiâ
His breath stops in his throat, his head raising from his site. Pupils darting around the scene in front of him.Â
Fuck. Fuck. No, no no. Why is this happening now? Why?
Everything should be fine. Everything is going smoothly. Namjoon should be positioned around the rear of the building by now, Hoseok and Seokjin are counting down in front of your door, ready to make their move. Yoongi is keeping an eye out as he lays against the forest as Hoseokâs hand raises, starting from 5. There are no zombies around, nor other people that Yoongi can smell.
So why why why why why is this happening right now?
Why is something wrong?
That same sensation that settled over him yesterday has returned at a ten-fold.Â
Yoongi feels an overwhelming sense of dread in his gut. Worse than heâs felt in a decade.Â
Panic starts to take over before heâs able to calm it down, his body rising to a stand. Something shakes against his thigh, but he canât comprehend it. Not when he knows something is about to go wrong, but he doesnât know what yet.
The universe had to curse him with the ability to know, but not with the ability to do anything about it before itâs too late.
His legs are moving before his mind can catch up, his body rushing towards the door to stop them. He canât breathe, he canât think. Words are willing themselves to leave him. They have to regroup, they would understand. They trust him. They trust his judgment.Â
Just a little bit further. A little bit further.
He should have said something.Â
The last of Hoseokâs fingers fall, Seokjinâs shoulder slams into the door, breaking it from its hinges. He thinks another figure swoops in, but he isn't really sure.Â
The entire world has just become red.Â
Yoongi, he canât move. He canât do anything. The world stops rotating on its axis, everything moves to a standstill right along with Yoongiâs form. Heâs positive things are happening around him, but he canât process a single one. He canât.
One second, everything is red. The next, itâs white.
He canât hear anything, he can only feel red hot pain blossoming in his gut as something hits him. As he is tossed backwards several feet.Â
The trees quake due to the force.
Boom.
It doesnât take Jeongguk long to get to the truckâ or maybe it does. He doesnât remember half of the journey.Â
He remembers splitting off from the pack, Jimin and Taehyung trailing behind him. He remembers hearing something reminiscent to a giggle beyond that was similar to the ones in his dreams. Remembers deciding that they meant he was on the right track to find you, that his alpha would never steer him wrong.
He didnât talk at all the entire journey there, staying focused on the prize. There isnât time for any distractions. He needs to see if youâre at the truck, then rush over to the cabin in case youâre there instead. He needs to hold you, tell you that youâre safe now, and bring you home.
Simple enough. There isnât really much to do but actually do it. He can stop fantasizing about you once youâre actually in his arms. Maybe then the wolf inside of him will finally settle.
He just wants to breathe you in. For you to build a nest in his room.
He promises he wonât go in it! Not until you give him permission to. But just knowing you feel safe enough around him, safe enough around his scent, shit he wants it more than anything else.Â
He even has the perfect corner picked out for you already, heâs cleared out space in his closet, too, if youâd rather go there. Sure, he did that forever ago when he still remembered your face, but heâs been keeping it open ever since. Heâll keep it open forever waiting forâ
A large hand tugs at the back of his shirt, halting him in his advance forward. The heat of it is almost blinding, but Jeongguk doesnât let himself get distracted. Of course not, heâs an alpha on a mission.
A haphazard glance over his shoulder is the only thing he offers, finding Taehyung standing there, Jimin still quite a ways away, keeping himself separated. Hm. Heâs been like that since yesterday, keeping himself a bit more closed off.Â
Good. He should feel bad, even if it was a mistake. Even if Jimin didnât know you were his. Â
Another tug and Jeongguk is brought back to the moment again, a grunt signalling from his throat as a question meant to ask Taehyung what he wants.Â
Taehyungâs tongue comes out to lick at his bottom lip lazily, his eyes moving from their stare on Jeongguk to farther ahead on the path. It doesnât take a genius to figure out that Taehyung wants him to look, too.
His head turns back to the main trail, vision narrowing.Â
Fuck. He didnât notice that.
Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.
Jeonggukâs heart swells, hope filling him to the very brim. Butterflies already dancing in his gut as his eyes go wide, as he feels a gentle heat curve into his cheeks.Â
Footprints. There are footprints on the same path theyâre following now.Â
If Taehyungâs insistence is anything to go by, shit, it means your scent still dots the trees, too. Means that recently you followed the same path Jeongguk trails now. That you might just be living in the very truck Jeongguk is called towards now.Â
Youâ are you really waiting at the truck for him?Â
God, his entire being in inflating. His alpha is howling at him to go get youâ that something as perfect as you shouldnât be living out here. You shouldnât be subjected to living in your truck because of what his idiot mates did.Â
Jeonggukâs legs are moving faster than beforeâ he doesnât really know when his pace picked up, but he knows the others are close to follow. 3 pairs of heavy thuds are marking up the forest floor, along with the sound of clanging guns against shoulders.Â
Within a few minutes heâs there. Heâs standing in front of something you call your own.Â
It takes his breath away. Of course his omega would drive something cute like thisâ it makes perfect sense for you. Even if he doesnât know you well yet, heâs sure of it. Oh, or wait⊠maybe you only use this one cause itâs convenient? Maybe another vehicle style suits you better?
Heâll get you a hundred cars, if you want. That way you can know what all of them feel like. Itâll feel so good to provide for you.Â
He moves in without really thinking, stalking towards the car, his noise unable to stop itself from the constant sniffing, attempting to weed out your scent from the rest of the woods. Itâs difficult for him to, if heâs being honest. He always gets overwhelmed when so many different odours surround him, but he tries for you anyways.Â
He thinks he gets some of it, something that smells like betaâ he knows better, he knows that even if you smell wrong, youâre still an omegaâ with hints of eucalyptus. Like some kind of herb used for healing, if he were to guess.Â
He frowns.Â
Now, standing only a few feet away from your truck, away from the source, he can tell itâs at least a day old. There isnât anything that smells more fresh, thereâs no sign of life within the cabin even with how forgetful he was at the volume of his approach.
It isnât his fault though! He knows he was supposed to be quiet just in case but you distracted him. It doesnât look like it matters anyway, youâre clearly nowhere to be found.Â
Jeonggukâs shoulders dropâ all that hope that had been welling up drifts out. A laboured sigh from Jimin behind him, along with a kick to somethingâ when Jeongguk turns his head, he identifies it as a fishing net with brush interlaced with the ropeâ signals that the others are sure of the same thing.Â
âSheâs not here.â Even though Jeongguk is on better terms with Jimin than Yoongi, he still would rather not hear him talk right now. Itâs not really any fault of his own, but stating the obvious when itâs clear Jeongguk is already irritated? When he can clearly see that youâre not here? It just makes Jeonggukâs teeth clench together a little tighter.
âI can see that.â Jeongguk rolls his eyes, one hand closing around the passenger cabin handle. The muscle in his arm straining in preparation for it to resist the movement, for the door to jerk back.Â
It doesnât. Itâs unlocked.Â
Jeongguk grunts as he stumbles just slightly, not enough to cause worry or for him to actually fall, but enough for his eyes to go wide. One hand reaching to steady himself on the top of the interior doorframe. His shoulders hunching just slightly while a small, growled âfuckâ slips from the back of his throat.Â
Thank god you arenât here. That wouldâve looked totally uncool.
He grunts, forcing himself to stand straight and only give half checks to his right and left to re-confirm your absence. Even if he wants to see you, he doesnât want to look so lame. âWeâre still checking. Maybe she left something to say where sheâs going.â
âOr maybe sheâs at her house.â Jeonggukâs eyebrows furrow, the back of his throat itching with a warning growl that wants to be let through. Didnât Jimin hear Joon? Jeongguk is in charge, he shouldnât beâ
Jeongguk hears a sniffing sound right next to his ear, distracting him. Itâs Taehyung taking the chance to scent the inside of the cabin, he guesses. Doesnât really know what the other is looking for though. All he can smell is a slightly distressed undercurrent to your betaâ itâs okay, he knows what you actually are, even if your scent is trying to lie to himâ scent, most significantly clinging to the bag lying right across the passenger seat in a heap.
His frown deepens. Probably those two that made you smell like that. Made you scared with no one around to comfort you. There is a 0% chance Jeongguk is going to feel less bitter about it any time soon.
In the back of his head, Jeongguk realises the sniffing has stoppedÂ
He doesnât offer Jimin any kind of response, instead focusing on the bag. Maybe you had left a map in there? Some supplies? Maybe just anything that would make him feel closer to you?
He should take it, right? That way, when you come home, you wonât be missing whatever's inside.Â
His lips purse just slightly, head nodding in agreement as his hand reaches out to grab it.Â
Well, he was grabbing it. Now, heâs on the forest floor, his head banging against the surface. Taehyung on top of him, his head pressed into Jeonggukâs throat, not even thinking about letting him up.Â
The growls begin to leave Jeongguk instantly, a second nature swelling up to the top.Â
âWhat the fuck are you doing? Get off of me!â He still wonât let up. Heâs keeping Jeongguk pinned with everything he has. Jeongguk canât see Jimin either. Can only feel the pounding in his head and shoulders from being throttled to the ground.Â
Is this a fucking coup or something? Were they just waiting to get Jeongguk alone so he wouldnât be there to protect you anymore?Â
Jeonggukâs growls increase in volume, his limbs thrashing to try and get out from underneath Taehyung. He canât believe this. He canât believe they would fucking try something like this.
âBomb.â Taehyungâs panicked baritone sends a lightning bolt through Jeonggukâs spine. Heâs not fighting anymore. âBomb inside. Bomb in bag. Donât touch. Donât touch! Can smell it! Intentional! Bomb! Donât touch! Donât!â
ThereâsâŠ? You left aâŠ?Â
Jeongguk looks back towards the car, his entire face morphing into that of complete disbelief. Â
You were trying to protect yourself⊠did youâŠ? They said they didnât see your car yesterday.. The covering was pulled off to the side, making the truck noticeable. Your footprints were in a clear line in the mud when you could just have easily veered off the beaten path, covered up your trail.
This was on purpose. You were trying to protect yourself if Jimin and Taehyung cameâÂ
What would have happened if Taehyung wasnât there?
Jeonggukâs blood runs cold.Â
Joon doesnât have a Taehyung at the house.Â
His mates canât smell if the same trap has been laid just beyond the door.
Jeongguk shoves Taehyung off of him, adrenaline pumping through his veins. A newfound strength adorning his features as he manages to rattle the big puppy off. His frame rolling onto its stomach, reaching for the radio in his belt loop as he looks towards the direction of your cottage, his pupils shaky.Â
âJoonâ Joon! There was a bomb in the truck! Abort the pursuit! Abort it!â His voice is yelling, crackling as it bounces through the radio.Â
Time feels like itâs extending itself, 30 seconds morphing into half an hour as he waits for a response.Â
There is none.
Shit. Shit. Shit! Shit! SHIT!Â
Jeongguk bolts upright, forgetting about the car, leaving it in the past while his mates are in danger in the present. âFuck! Go! We have to go now!âÂ
His pheromones, the same ones Joon used last night are unintentionally leaking from his pores, his body already beginning to rush through the tense trees. His head is spinningâ he doesnât know if the others followed. Only that he has to get to the rest of his mates before, beforeâ
The sound rattles the trees, a deep ball of red rising above them.Â
Jeongguk freezes, his mind blank as he stares towards the distance in awe.Â
If it wasnât his mates you were targeting, he would think youâre incredible. But right now, youâre not a thought in his mind. Heâll be upset with himself later over that fact. The fact of the matter, he knows where his bonds lie. He knows how much theyâre in pain. Â
You didnât know it was them. You donât know itâs your soulmates. Youâre just so scared, just soâŠÂ everything hurts. His body is on fire. 4 spots across his form are radiating a pain heâs never felt before.Â
It hurts so bad.Â
So bad.Â
He wants to crumple to the floor. He wants to sob. He doesnât know what to do.Â
âGet a fucking hold of yourself!!â Oh, Jiminâs screaming at him. He wonders when that started. When the shorter of the two grabbed his shoulders and began shaking him, when the look in his eyes became so deadly that they lost all of their spark.
The slap to his face stings, but heâs thankful for it. It finally brings him back to the moment, finally forces him to do what he needs to do.Â
âStupid purebred! Fucking move! Youâre useless to them if you canât even do that!â Jiminâs shouting should sting, but it doesnât in the slightest. He knows the words are true.Â
Jeongguk is running again, faster than he thinks heâs run in his entire life. He doesnât really remember the rest of the interaction with Jimin, his memories feel jumbled. He knows at one point Jimin began dragging him towards the house, then he remembers overtaking Taehyung on his own while running.Â
The sight he sees when he finally reaches the cabin is one heâll never forget.Â
Heâs so lucky heâs never had the experience of his mates being in abject danger before. He doesnât know if he could ever take feeling like this again.
The house, what's left of it, is up in flames. Wood panels have been blown off the side, half of the covered porch has caved in upon itself.Â
His chest heaves as he finally spots his pack. His soulmates. The ones he loves the most in the world. Namjoonâs form is on top of Seokjin and Hoseokâs bodies, looking like he pushed them out of the way just in time. Wood scattered debris lays around them still burning bright, though none directly on top.
A whizz of air passes by Jeongguk, Jiminâs shorter form running past him in the direction of Yoongi.
Yoongi.Â
Jimin is hauling a piece of burning wood off Yoongiâs stomach, his hands shaking his shoulders. His voice is yelling, but Jeongguk canât really hear it. At some point he began to move, too. His body acting for him while his mind remains scattered.Â
His arms haul Namjoon off of the others, itâs clear all of them are injuredâ theyâll need to get medical attention when they get home. Seokjin, as much as he wants to, likely wonât be in the state to provide it. Jeongguk will yell at him if he tries.
Taehyung frame finally joins Joengguk too, following his lead in grabbing Seokjin instead, propping his body up rather than continuing to let him lay against the forest floor. From Jeonggukâs extremely limited medical knowledge, he knows his knee looks bad. But so does Hoseokâs shoulder. And god, Jeongguk has never been more thankful for the fire-resistant lining of the gear they wore today. He canât imagine what the state of Namjoonâs back would be without it.Â
âHyung! Hyung!â Jeongguk hears his voice, but he doesnât remember willing it to sound. He finds himself in the same place as Jimin, his hands shaking the pack alpha's shoulders, trying to wake him from his passed out state.
Fuck. If only he was faster getting to the truck, if only Taehyung was able to tell him sooner none of this would have happened! He would have been able to tell them and, and, andâÂ
ââM fine.â Jeongguk feels air enter him for the first time at the sound of Joonâs voice, even if it does sound a little weak. When Joon wheezes, his heart still pangs, ââM fine. No one died. Take care of the others, they need it more.âÂ
Jeongguk has never wanted to sob more in his life from relief.Â
The relief is short-lived when his eyes shift towards Seokjin being coddled by Taehyung.
Hoseok has propped himself up, too. Heâs looking off in the distance.Â
Heâs smiling.Â
You know, when Hoseok said he wasnât interested in having an omega, you didnât have to go and be such a fucking brat about it.Â
Yeah, yeah. Sure. Whatever. He was going to let his packmates have their new little toy until they got bored of itâ he didnât mind. Pretty pussy is pretty pussy, and alphas have their urges. Hoseok has never minded sharing a beta between a few of them for a night in the past, though that stopped when Jimin joined and started killing them.Â
Hoseok still didnât really care.Â
He didnât have any loyalties to them. Didnât wanna bite them. They were just for fun.
If the youngest wanted a new pet, he wouldnât deny him. He bets he would look cute staring at you like you were the world. Teetering after you while Hoseok had his.. Fun.Â
He wouldnât deny himself the pleasure of playing with you, too. Again, pretty pussy.Â
And sure, Hoseok never really cared much for the second gender that seems soâ his upper lip wants to curlâ mystifying, almost like mythical creatures with their decline. He remembers even back in school when he was learning about them, being bored out of his mind.Â
Everything about them just seemed so boring.
Helpless.Â
Culling.Â
Too much work for what? Something that just likes to sit around the house all day pretty? God, sounds like his fucking nightmare.
Hoseok has always thrived on the exciting. On whatever could get his blood pumping the fastest.Â
Itâs what Namjoon promised him. The alpha never did disappoint.Â
Months ago, when Namjoon first came to him about the idea of getting an omega, Hoseok thought that it might be the first time he would. He never expected a desire so⊠simple, baseline⊠traditional, from the pack alpha. He agreed, sure, but he didnât expect anything from it. Thought that the alpha might finally be becoming boring.Â
He should be admonishing his past self for ever doubting him, but his present self feels high as a kite.Â
This is certainly a motherfucking treat.
Even with the pain radiating from his shoulder socketâ itâs definitely popped outâ he doesnât deny it. His tongue, despite its pain from biting through the meaty flesh during the blast, runs over his teeth. Copper tang in every breath he breathes.Â
Awwwww, and you planned it all yourself, huh? Laid out a little bomb to catch the wolves in a trap? What an adorable little doe, thinking you could be big.Â
He raises himself up on his forearms, flinching a little at the weight put onto his shoulder. He should be screaming from it now, right? Thatâs what anyone else would do. His cock is hard.
âHyung! Hyung!â Shit. He really canât hear now. Most of it just rings. Call it love the way he was still able to hear Jeongguk through it. Whatever. Itâll come back soon. Heâs got other things to focus on.Â
His eyes continue to scan the tree line, looking for something. Heâs not sure what.Â
Heâll find out soon.Â
Ha, you really did a number on all of them, huh? Did alllllllll of this just for them? Wow, you must really care. You must really want Hoseok to think youâre worth it, huh? That youâre better than all those other little omegas out there?
You want him? That's the message you were trying to send, huh? That you want a chase?Â
Youâre fucking lucky Hoseok loves them. You want him to love you, too? Are you ready for something like that? You really think so?
His lips crack open, a splash of red coating the inside edge. Another trail of blood running down his cheek from where he nosedived into the dirt.Â
You wanted his attention? Thatâs why you pulled this bratty little stunt? Well now you have it.Â
He sees a glint of light in the distance, way beyond the trees. Light reflecting off of glass. Binoculars, huh? Cute.Â
His smile grows, blood on his teeth. The taste of copper still coming through on his punctured tongue. His canines have never been more excited to bite.Â
Found you, baby.Â
Letâs play red riding hood.Â
âBoom.âÂ
Your voice is soft, cusping just on the edge of the wind. Certainly nowhere near as loud as the sound that just permeated the forest, but felt as though it was even greater than it. A beautiful, radiating fire lighting the trees in the distance, a new glow.
On your face rests a satisfied, self serving smile.Â
You, and your predictions, had been right. They came back.Â
Now, there was no way you could be certain it was the same alphas that came to destroy you yesterday, of course not. It would be silly to completely presume but⊠it was nice to think it was, anyway. Had your legs feeling lighter as they rest against the wooden edge of the fire escape, your body slumped against the high-back stool that you just so happened to find in the fire tower.Â
Ha. Fire tower. Ironic.Â
Either way, you knew they would be back, and now they knew the consequences of doing such a thing, even if it is a pity the second bomb hadnât gone off alongside the first.
The corner of your lips quirk a little higher, hand finally reaching to grab the binoculars from their place hanging against the chair. The cool metal raising to your eyes, allowing you to see even more of the beauty you had just created.Â
Mmm, the view isnât too much betterâ you suppose you did walk pretty farâ but still. The act of seeing everything is divine. Your house, the place you had crafted for years, may now be in shambles, but so are the alphas. Poor things.Â
Well, youâll build your life back better, anyway. Every new start has become more and more easy. Lessons have taught you the proper steps, especially the steps to properly disappear. That everyone should have the tools and the knowledge to make an out if need be.Â
Your bottom lip perks out in a bit of a mocking pout, head tilting to the side as the fire begins to grow. It wonât make it far, you know that. The conditions arenât great for it to actually spiral, but it feels prophetic almost. It feels perfect.
Leave no witnesses.
Mhm, and after they saw your nest, you knew you had to. Fixed up the house to make it look like you were planning on trying to stay, left your car uncovered as a second honeypot. Disabled your trip wires to make it seem like you didnât know what you were doing. Packed all the suppressants you could. Made sure to leave a little trail to each.Â
Agitated clucking sounds from your left, drawing you out of your thoughts. The binoculars leaving your eyes as your head twists down towards her, instead.Â
Ah. Of course, there was Cheryl, too.Â
To be honest, you tried to leave her. To let her go back to the woods and live with the wild flock but⊠she wouldnât stop following you.
Pack has to stick together, you suppose.
âShhhh, shhh shhâŠâ Your fingers slowly stroke down Cheryl's back, her plumage puffed up from the noise that rang throughout the forest. âYou gotta be quiet. They could be watching us back.âÂ
You stand from your spot, moving back towards the interior of the little fire tower. One hand scooping up Cheryl from her tummy, the other slinging your pack over your shoulder. A continued soft hushing leaving as you walk.Â
You have no plans of unpacking, youâd be leaving this location soon enough.Â
A small buzzing sensation runs through your entire being, the aftereffects of your successful plan still migrating through every one of your nerves, lighting each up like little stars in little galaxies.Â
Your lips curl once again, little sharpened canines hanging from below your upper lip, the corner of your smile tweaking upwards. âWell, if theyâre still alive, that is.â
chapter 4 <- index -> chapter 6
⏠: notes:
"oh, these weren't homemade. they were made in a factory. a bomb factory."
đ§ââïž
ha..haha.. right guys?
*a tomato is thrown at me*
DAMN! Fine! Lemme just pack my shit and--- lmaooooo I'm joking!! Seriously though, I am desperate to hear what you guys think about this chapter. What I have been teasing for awhile has finally kicked off!! Like i said, reader still had a few things up her sleeve. She's crafty, huh? Either way, it isn't too much longer before she meets the guys!! it should be happening next chapter, isn't that exciting? It is to me!!
I am desperate to hear all of your thoughts on this chapter-- it really is my favourite one that I've written so far. Especially now that we have 6/8 povs unlocked for the main cast... mwahahah, hoseok is certainly a treat, isn't he? I have full confidence you will either hate him, or think he is entirely too hot (i am of the later group lmao, I know what I am) (a freak, if that wasn't clear LMAO)
Jeongguk too, with how desperate he is to have you :'< poor guy. Plus a look into the way he joined thep pack ?! Either way!! As always, please let me know any and all of your thoughts, I absolutely love hearing them!! Everything coming together, and the objects set in motion are rolling super fast now, even if it doesn't totally seem like it yet.
Ahhh, anyway, this is entirely too long! As always, thank you for reading and falling into the story of summer rain just like I have!!! We have officially hit 100 pages in my google doc! See you guys when the next chapter finishes out!! MWAH!!!
I was off tumblr for a few days so I just barely got to read this and OH MY GOD DID IT NOT DISSAPOINT!!!! This chapter was sooo good and I fear I am apart of the latter as well I loved hobi (freaky hobi is very hot)! Im really excited for the next chapter where reader gets to actually meet the guys and I think it will be really interesting to see how they interact with eachother and how reader reacts/feels about them. I think the dynamic of all of them together will definitely be interesting to read so I cant wait!
I just made a post about how im trying to be better at engaging with authors and their stories that I read on here. So in an effort to show my appreciation for the blogs I read I would just like to say thank you to some of my favorite blogs for the time they take to create, write, and post amazing stories, smaus, etc.
(Idk if this is annoying I might delete later because like I said before doing stuff like this really stresses me out cause i overthink it)
But anyway yeah some of my current fav authors and their amazing stories are
@astrayapple
@spookyserenades
@kithtaehyung
@justauthoring
@yoongleboonglepie
@ctrlhope
@pineapple-burgah
@berryterry-png
This definitely isn't all of them and if/when I think of more I will definitely make another post if I dont chicken out of it
Kirari đ @pages-and-peonies - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
