Fandom(s): TRCNG, B.A.P, Sonamoo (minor mentions of Secret)
Pairing(s): see tags
Summary: When Kim Kangmin was offered a scholarship to join the most famous academy in the country, he never expected to find out what truly went on behind closed doors.
AO3 link
characters: ot6, jongup-centric, himchan/jongup, inter-ot6 friendships (and bickering)
rating: t (swearing)
genre: modern retelling of the hobbit, texting/group chat au, comedy/crack, hobbit au, modern au, office au, crime (?)
summary:
Jongup: good morning! :)
Yongguk: What do you mean? Do you mean to wish me a good morning, or do you mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or perhaps you mean to say that you feel good on this particular morning; or are you simply stating that this is a morning to be good on?
Jongup: what the fuck
or: In which Jongup has been added to a group chat with some strange people he’s never met, who seem to think he will go on a questionable ‘adventure’ for them.
Admin: Candi
Request/Idea: How can Daehyun resist going back to the woods after encountering the most beautiful thing he has ever seen?
Fandom: B.A.P
Member/reader: Daehyun x Reader
Genre: Angst, Horror, Smut
Warnings: Gore
Words: 2k
Authors note: I finally did it, please go easy on me since I am a bit rusty but I still hope you enjoy it! I decided to write for B.A.P finally.
When Daehyun first stepped foot into the forest he didn’t know what powers it held, he didn’t know that he’ll be drawn to it like a moth to a flame and he would have no clue as to why he wanted to go in deeper into it. The first time he visited the forest was with his friends, Yongguk had the great idea of letting loose and having a few drinks in the forest with a fire. Everyone seemed to be into the idea, so they drove deep into it where no one could find them, there was no phone service, they completely disappeared.
“What if we get attacked?” Jongup played with his fingers and looked down.
“By who?” Daehyun scoffed.
“Or by what?” Youngjae added, trying to scare Jongup.
Yongguk laughed and reassured Jongup that they’ll be fine. As time went on and the drinks were starting to take away every bit of sensibility that the boys have left they decided to call it a night. Camping wasn’t on the agenda, but everyone was quite intoxicated, so they slept in the truck. As they got in, Daehyun couldn’t shake the feeling of someone staring at him, he kept looking around but eventually he blamed it on the alcohol. He got into the truck and got the window seat, he rested his head on the window and admired the shadows that the moon painted on the soil. His eyes shifted and caught a glimpse of something between the trees.
“Guys! Look there, between the trees!” He screamed out and pointed.
“What?” Himchan scrunched his eyebrows. “You’re just drunk, you’re fine.”
Daehyun could have sworn he saw something, it appeared to be a human figure. His mind was racing with questions, but he calmed himself down and ended up convincing himself it was just his imagination. Throughout the night Daehyun kept waking up, he felt like he was being watched but he promised himself he won’t freak out. He got out of the car quietly, looked at his phone, still no service.
“It’s only 4am, I just want to go home.” He whispered to himself. He took a short stroll around the woods, not straying too far from the car. He looked up and could see the sky full of stars and the moon shining through the branches of the old trees. He was breathing in the fresh air, the smell of the fire still lingered in the air.
“Hello?” Daehyun left his trance as he heard a branch break on the floor, as if someone stepped on it. “Probably some animal.” He breathed out and turned back around. He froze, he could clearly see a human standing right between the trees. The person got closer to him until he could make out that it was indeed a woman. She was wearing fur that covered her most intimate areas and had strange marks on her face but she was the most beautiful thing he has ever seen. Daehyun still couldn’t move, it was like someone cast a spell on him, he was in a state of complete paralysis. She got close and caressed his face, his heart was racing, he wanted to scream and run but it was no use. Her mouth opened wide, tearing the sides of it to the point of blood gushing out, her teeth were sharp and stained with blood.
“Daehyun! Daehyun!” Yongguk shouts out. Daehyun wakes up, sweating and panting. “What the fuck happened? What did you dream about?”
“What?” Daehyun wiped his forehead, sweat dripping down his cheek. “I-I swear it was not…” The dream felt so real he didn’t know whether it happened or not but after thinking about what happened he presumed it was only a nightmare.
“Are we ready to go home?” Yongguk asks and everyone hums in agreement.
On the way home, Daehyun was pretty quiet, he couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that it was only a dream yet it all felt so real. The group stopped to grab some food but Daehyun couldn’t stomach anything at that moment, his mind was invaded with thoughts of the witch from the forest.
They arrived back home by afternoon, everyone dropped their bags and found the nearest spot to rest and all sighed out in unison, the lack of sleep was getting to them and they were all hungover on top of that.
“I’m gonna go for a nap, don’t know about you guys.” Zelo announced. Everyone seemed to scatter off but Daehyun, he stayed on the couch and fell asleep there.
He was walking through the forest, searching for the beautiful witch he encountered last night. The air was so fresh, wind so warm and trees so vibrantly green.
“Yo wake up it’s 9am we have practice.” Yongguk wakes up Daehyun.
“I slept here all night?”
“Looks like it. Come on, the management is going to kill us if we’re not there practicing.”
They hurried down and spent most of the day practicing for their upcoming concert.
“Man what’s wrong with you?” Himchan sits down next to Daehyun and asks. Daehyun has been pretty distracted all day, he wasn’t managing to follow the new routine like he always did.
“I just, I can’t stop thinking about my dream. It felt so real, I’m almost sure it was real.” Daehyun answered to Himchan and unfortunately Himchan didn’t know how to help him.
After about a week Daehyun was slowly starting to go insane, all he could think of was the being he saw in the forest. He sat down on the couch and searched for his phone in his pocket, he felt something and took it out, it looked like pieces of wood with weird markings on them. Those were the same jeans he wore during the camping trip. He needed to go back and prove to himself that what he saw wasn’t real but how was he going to explain it to the guys? “I’m going to the woods by myself to prove that the witch I saw wasn’t real!” That’s insane. He needed a plan and needed to come up with it fast before he went insane.
“Hey guys so I was thinking, the camping trip was really fun right?” He starts.
“Right.” The group responds.
“Why don’t we go again this weekend? The weather is meant to be really nice and we need to relax before our show.” He stands there for a minute before the group all agree and decide that it’s a good idea.
Finally, the weekend is here after what it felt like forever. Daehyun wakes everyone up and hurries them to get to the car. They took off quite early in the morning, he’d have plenty of time to explore the woods and look for the breathtaking woman he knew he saw. Once they got there he dropped all of his stuff and legged it into the woods while he told the others he’s gone exploring. Hours went by and he found nothing, he finally gave up and started heading back to their site. When he finally came back everyone was relieved to see he was safe, he was gone for hours and they started to get worried about him. Daehyun sat down looking disappointed as ever and accepted the fact that everything was just a dream. For the rest of the night they all sat around the fire, sipping beer and singing songs, eventually everyone fell asleep.
Daehyun woke up and looked around, everyone was still asleep, he checked his phone and it said it was 4am. He went to the car to get some water.
“Guys?” He heard the rustling of leaves behind him. “Is anyone there?”
“You came back.” A soft voice spoke to him, he instantly froze and told himself it was just a dream. He felt a hand on his back, it travelled to his chest and turned him around.
“I’m Y/N. I haven’t stopped thinking about you ever since you came into the forest the first time.”
“Who are you?”
“Do you not remember me?”
Of course, Daehyun remembered you, he couldn’t stop thinking about you.
“You came back because of me, didn’t you?”
“What’s going on?” Daehyun stood there breathless, confused as to whether it was a dream or not.
“Come with me.” You dragged him deep into the woods, not saying a word. He had a lot of questions, but he didn’t know which one to ask first, it’s like the lost his tongue. The deeper he went in the more his anxiety went up, he was being dragged by a stranger deep into the woods but for some reason, he couldn’t stop. It was like he was under a spell and he enjoyed every minute of it, he didn’t want this trance to end. The woods got so thick it was hard to avoid trees but after walking for a while he noticed a little cave which he assumed was where you were all this time. You both went in and he sat down on one of the chairs in the cave.
“Why am I so attracted to you? Why did I feel the need to come back here?” He asked and you made your way over to him, put your hand in his pocket and took out the wooden pieces with marks on them.
“This lured you back to me. I needed you to come back.”
“Why?”
“You’ll see.” You smile at him and make him feel at home while you go off into a room that was separated by hanging leaves and feathers.
“What did I just get myself into? I should leave” Daehyun was scared and wanted to go back to the group but no matter how much he tried to convince himself to leave he just couldn’t. He sat in the chair until you came out, his jaw dropped, and he was instantly drawn to you. You stood naked right in front of him, waiting for him to get closer.
“See, I’m a witch and I lure people in.” You whisper in his ear while his fingers get tangled in your hair.
“Oh yeah?” He says breathlessly, standing over you. You can feel his warmth on your skin. You press his lips against his and push into him, he lifts you up and brings you into the other room where he slowly lies you down on the bed that was covered in different furs. He kisses your neck and nibbles on it while his hand massages your breast and plays with your nipple. You moan out his name and he lowers himself to your folds and runs his tongue through them. He slipped two fingers into you and started pumping bringing you closer to an orgasm, you pulled him up before you got the chance to cum. You got on top of him and slipped his throbbing cock into you making both of you moan. He kissed your chest while you bounced up and down his dick edging both of you closer and closer.
“I lure people in here because I feed off them.” You moan out.
“What?” Daehyun stopped and fear clearly made an appearance in his eyes. You kept moving your hips making it hard for him to concentrate. Before he got the chance to react you grabbed the dagger that was on the table next to the bed and stabbed him straight through the chest. Blood splattered everywhere, it wasn’t long before you were covered in it and he was taking his last breaths.
“I’m sorry sweetheart, you were one of the prettier ones.” You rest your hand on his cheek and kiss him while he was on his last breath.
“We need to go back and report this to the police.” Jongup panics.
“We can’t just leave without him.”
The whole group starts arguing about what to do. Daehyun has been missing since this morning and it was 3pm already, they needed to go back to their dorms and inform the agency of Daehyuns disappearance.
“Idol Jung Dae hyun missing since last weekend, the group went to the woods to camp and he went missing that night. There have been no leads so far and no one knows his whereabouts. His bandmates decided to cancel all of their upcoming shows until he’s found. If anyone has any information, please contact your local police station.”
(A/N) Again, I’m in the mood for something more on the sad side, so I figured why not breakup scenarios? Sounds heartbreaking enough to me, so here, have some, in case you feel up to reading something like this.
Also, I was thinking about making a part two - something like “Getting Back Together with B.A.P”, since I in fact am more for happy, fluffy happy-ever-after’s, and would like this to be one as well. Should I write that, perhaps? Let me know! ❤
-YONGGUK-
“Hey, are you coming, or..”
“No. I’‘ll stay behind today.”
Himchan sighed, leaning against the door frame and watching this sorry existence of a man that was once known as Yongguk grumbling under his breath. He couldn’t really be called that anymore, as close to nothing of him was left, or at least he didn’t show it. He had always drowned himself in work, but never to such extents. He always found excuses to stay behind nowadays, and never wanted to show his face to anyone anymore.
Himchan had an idea in mind for why it was like that. His face displayed exactly how much he was hurting on the inside, and nothing could hide that up. And since he hated being vulnerable and exposed, he simply opted in for hiding himself.
“You know you have to do something about this, right?”
Of course he knew. He had two possibilities - one would be to forget you, while the other one would be to come crawling back to you. He imagined the latter, and let his mind wander a little, thinking of how it would be if you’d actually have a positive reaction to his sudden arriving and confessions. Imagining showing up at your door, to face you once again and simply tell you.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can manage. Could we please try again?”
He imagined how it would be if you agreed - if you’d take him into your home, and hold him for the whole night as close as possible. Just let him wrap his mind around the fact that his whole world was back in his arms, and that it wouldn’t fade away anywhere anytime soon.
“Yongguk-ah!”
“Just leave,” he responded, waving Himchan away. He wasn’t hesitant or sorry to show how it irritated him that it was Himchan’s voice cutting through the air instead of yours, but at the same time he didn’t want to show it too much.
Everyone knew he had lost a big piece of him. No need to highlight it even more.
“You know what? You’re a grown man, and I don’t have to look out for you,” Himchan suddenly snapped a little, making Yongguk turn around in his chair, “But at the same time, I can’t stand seeing you like this. All you do is hide away in the studio. You’re not even writing songs anymore - you’re just pretending to do so. You simply don’t want to face the world without her by your side anymore, and are constantly finding excuses.”
“I am writing songs,” he corrected calmly and slowly, “Just that type of songs that should never see the light. They have too much of me in them.”
“Then stop it and get it together,” Himchan started walking off, not bothering to close the door behind himself, “Or get her back. You never even tried. I’ll just get you takeout and will drop by in a few hours - I’m sure you’ll still be here.”
Yongguk leaned back on his chair, closed his eyes and sighed. Maybe Himchan was right, and he indeed had to try. But he was unusually scared of it, because he felt like he only had one shot at this. One chance that he couldn’t possibly screw up, or his life would continue the same way it did for the last two months for so, so unbearably long. In the black-and-white he thought he loved of so much, yet realized he hated, and with all noise being only secondary, easily drowned out by his thoughts.
He had to try, as there was no Yongguk without (Y/N) - not anymore. But he still needed a bit of time. He wasn’t ready to go back yet. He wasn’t ready to face you, so instead he stayed behind at the studio once again for the whole night. Writing and composing - you can already guess about whom.
“Because after all troubles that I made you go through,
You didn’t ask me even once to spare it, because you knew
I needed you to stay by me and needed help
Though by fixing me, you forgot all about yourself”
-HIMCHAN-
Staying in. He never thought he’d hate it so much.
Why was it that everything all of a sudden seemed so unbearable when you were gone? He suddenly hated waking up, because a loud, beeping alarm clock was the first thing he was met with in the morning instead of your soothing voice somewhere close to his ear, and he suddenly lost all of his appetite and started skipping breakfast, simply because he couldn’t get used to the fact he would have to get it alone nowadays. Skipping made it seem like you were just on vacation or something - temporary absent. It made it seem like you’d be back every other day, and would make everything seem alright again.
He didn’t want to recall that it was all a lie, not in the least. So he closed the blinds and popped back down under the covers, ignoring texts form everyone, including Jongup who nowadays, worried about his friend and hyung, even started responding to his messages and typing some himself - doing something that was quite unusual of him to do. But it was of no matter anyways - all the texts were left unread and unanswered.
Himchan could always sleep around like a cat for the whole day, yet he found himself developing insomnia issues recently. When he closed his eyes, he couldn’t keep his mind from wandering places, so he simply lied there instead, facing the ceiling and trying to keep himself from thinking. Yet it didn’t work out.
Could you possibly take him back? After all, he didn’t know how you felt about it. All he knew was that your eyes weren’t watering less than his when you held his hand for the last time, and told him goodbye.
“I can’t anymore, Channie. I’m sorry.”
What were you sorry for? He was convinced you had nothing on your hands when it came to why this relationship that you’d tried to keep for years had fallen apart. Were you sorry for the fact you thought you couldn’t provide him enough support? Were you sorry for being away from him on most occasions?
Because he thought that all of that was his fault and not yours. And he was the one who had to be sorry about it.
“I’m such an idiot,” he let out a breath, running ha hand through his hair the way you used to. Except his hand felt harsh against his scalp, while yours used to leave soft and loving traces, letting strands of his hair in between your fingers as you giggled, complimenting him on his soft hair.
How happy would you be if you found another? He wasn’t one in a million, he knew for sure. He wasn’t picture perfect, and his aspects were far from being lovable - some of them were, at least. But as he laid there, he couldn’t help but consider. Could you really find someone who shared the same type of love towards you as he did?
Fuck, he was all yours, and would still be for uncertain amounts of time. He wouldn’t go anywhere with his feelings and emotions. You could call him up next winter, or message him after half a lifetime would already have passed, and he would still come back to you. Knocking on your door and smiling widely as you opened, handing you a cup of coffee and bugging you to either stay in with him and watch movies or go outside for a walk.
Buying coffee was easy. It was even easier to watch a movie or go for a walk, but he thought if anyone would really appreciate it the way he did it - if anyone even could so it to such extents. You’d touched his heart and soul in the most beautiful ways, and he didn’t feel this type of affection towards anyone else. So the plain thought of you doing this with someone else scared him. Would you feel just as comfortable with them as you used yo with him?
Even if he wasn’t the best for you, he’d promised to take care of you always. Where did it all go, as time passed by? He couldn’t recall - all he knew was that he’d definitely leave you a voicemail later today. And would try to make it sound like he wasn’t choking on tears while saying what had to be said.
“If you ever find someone who’ll love you as much as I do, don’t hesitate to keep them in your life, if you feel the same way. But know I’m sorry, and, no matter how much time will pass, I’ll be waiting for you to take me back, if you ever feel like it. I’m still all yours, you know. And it looks like I’ll be for quite a while.”
-DAEHYUN-
This wasn’t it. This wasn’t the right way to do it, yet he felt the absolute need to make it happen. His fingers lingered above the phone screen, and he started typing. Typing away a message just to delete it all and start over once again, just the same way he’d done it already countess times.
But he wanted you to know. And he was trying to find the right words to say oh so desperately.
The guys were laughing about something in the background, but he didn’t seem to notice. Despite trying to keep his usually happy and upbeat attitude around them, it was rather hard to do nowadays, and he wondered how long it will take him to get over you. Since the few glasses he had downed previously this evening were helping him unwind tons, but at the same time were making him think too much, he was determined to find out.
Yeah, how long?
He remembered the first week after the breakup, and sighed. Daggers of pain were going right through his chest for the whole time, and he wasn’t capable of dragging himself out of the house. He would constantly scream into pillows and avoid leaving the bedroom, just because he’d gotten all of your visible things out of there, but the rest was still proudly on display in other parts of the house. He couldn’t stand seeing them.
He hated coming across his shirts that you used to wear around the house, and couldn’t spare a look to the mugs that seemingly still had your lip marks on them. Okay, they didn’t. It was just his imagination testing him now, since he missed your lips oh so much. The comfort they provided, and how they always mended his pain. He’d miss it forever.
That was the first week. The second went by just about the same way, yet the impact of all the mentioned things lessened with every passing day. And it was quite obvious that at some point i had to stop hurting. But it’s been a month, and it hadn’t yet.
And just by recalling your face, he figured it wouldn’t. The only way to mend the pain was to have you back.
To: (Y/N) ❤
Hey, how are you? [00:40]
He was beyond stupid, or so he thought. Just casually typing a “how are you?” seemed like the worst thing to do after a breakup, and, on top of that, it was beyond simply late. He was sure you were already asleep, but that, to be completely honest, slightly gave him courage. At least he’d have time to think now, and would be able to type everything in one go before you had the chance to respond to only a part of it. That is, if you would respond to him at all.
To: (Y/N) ❤
So, like.. I don’t know how to word it. You know I’ve never been good with explanations or putting my thoughts out like that.. I’ll try though. I really want to say a few things. [00:43]
I want you to know I’ve never been happier, and now just thinking about the fact that I no longer will be able to access that happiness has me feeling low. Maybe it sounds a little selfish.. Yeah. It sure does. I’m only talking about myself again, not considering what made you quit. But, whatever it was.. Please, let me know. I want to know where we went wrong, so I’ll be able to, you know.. Kid of be at peace with it or something. [00:47]
He needed another glass, he was sure of it. And after getting that, he took another one, savoring the bitter taste of alcohol while he still could. Too bad he liked sweet instead. And he’d never tasted anything sweeter than your lips.
To: (Y/N) ❤
And now I’m beyond drunk. I know you’d be mad at me, but you’re not here to keep an eye on me, so I somehow ended up in this state. I’m sorry for acting this way, but I can’t help it. It’s better than drowning in “what if’s” and realizations of how pathetic of a lover I have been all along. [02:34]
I’m sorry I wasted your time. I know you deserved better. [02:35]
-YOUNGJAE-
“Take care, Jae, okay? You’ll feel better soon, I promise.”
“You promised, (Y/N), you promised,” he kept mumbling under his breath while walking around the apartment, constantly fixing his hair as that was a tick of his for whenever he was nervous or frustrated.
“It’s been two months, and I’m patiently waiting. It doesn’t get fucking better. It never will, so why did you have to lie?”
He constantly scolded himself for being angry and frustrated rather than sad all the time, but this was his way of being broken. At least every day started off like that, and only by the evening he’d turn into a puddle of tears. He started off as a warrior though, holding on as good as he could for as long as possible.
Yet it was hard without you, and he constantly kept reminding himself of how it went back then that evening. You had fought, and then, out of nowhere, you asked him if he wanted to end things.
He recalled being beyond surprised, and lowering his voice immediately, softly asking what had brought you to such conclusions. He thought he might be able to somehow still fix it up - it simply couldn’t happen. He knew he could be unbearable at times, but hell. He loved you. And you loved him, or so it seemed by the way you acted.
“It just seems like I can’t provide any type of happiness for you anymore, Jae. And is there a point of being unhappy together if we could see how things would unfold if we went separate ways?”
He’d begged you to stay, and you did, but what had already started crumbling was meant to fall apart completely, and soon he found your things disappearing from his apartment in a slow and subtle fashion, along with you - with your smiles, your attention and loving touches, your help and your encouragement. Your jokes and remarks. Your love for him.
What stopped him from chasing you and bringing you back into his arms? He was clearly miserable without you, and would be for a long time, until he’d learn to move on. Thing is, he didn’t want to move on. He had nothing to move on to.
Was it the fact you seemed rather unhappy as well? Probably. He couldn’t really imagine you being unhappy in a relationship with him - it had always been smiles and cuddles. But then again, you’d always kept quiet about your feelings, and he always had to go through tons of efforts to get your secrets and issues out of your soul with extra care. So had he been blind this whole time, and had you been suffering silently while being together with him?
He hoped you hadn’t because he wanted you back badly.
Should he call you? He could, but then again, what are the possibilities you’ll pick up? He considered, figuring you’d actually definitely pick up. After all, you had parted on good terms, but.. Was he ready for a heart-to-heart talk just yet? He wasn’t sure.
He wanted to give you a subtle hint, he wanted you to know he wanted to see you, yet he was clueless on how to do it. Until he heard his phone going off, and saw he had a notification from Instagram.
Instagram.
He really wasn’t proud of the picture he’d taken. He liked none of his selfies, this one even less than the others, but did it matter? After all - he was supposed to look miserable, because he really was. So, with only half his face visible, the other half hidden behind blankets and covers, he slowly started typing a caption.
yjaybaby “Today it’s two months since it happened. You promised me it would get better, yet I see no change. It still hurts as much as it did back then, and I’m clueless on what to do. I’m trying, I really am. But I can’t do this on my own. I just thought I’d let you know.”
He didn’t quite care his phone kept exploding with messages and would continue doing so in the nearest time to come. He simply waited, and hoped you’d notice. Because he knew you should be able to - you always checked Instagram. There hadn’t been a post of his that you haven’t liked, not even after the breakup.
-JONGUP-
“You have to focus more! You clearly aren’t even trying, and what point is there even to let you go out on stage if you can’t put on a performance!?”
“Hey, don’t talk to him like that. He’s got his reasons for feeling off-”
“And I don’t really care for his reasons. Being an idol means giving a hundred percent on stage every performance. He clearly can’t keep up anymore!”
Who knew people could be so harsh? Jongup was just standing in this whole mess, watching as Yongguk tried to defend him in front of a TS representative. Most of those people were nice, or at least tried to come off as that, but this guy wasn’t having Jongup’s personal issues and the way they brought him down at all.
All he cared about was the fact that Jongup had fallen during a dance solo on stage today. And it had been recorded and made available for people to watch.
Yongguk was still in heated conversation, but at some point Jongup saw him signaling for him to go away. So he slid out of the room, being careful so no one would really see him sneaking away.
Now, could he be a part of Best Absolute Perfect after failing so dramatically? He really felt not worthy of his title for being “perfect”, and his thoughts kept trailing back to how he’d even gotten into a situation like that.
Oh, yeah. He’d been anxious about the dance solo all along, as he felt like he hadn’t rehearsed it enough, and simply slipped up. Because he was nervous and had no one to cheer on him.
He never thought he needed anyone to do so, yet when you showed up in his life and started coming to B.A.P’s shows, he developed a strong liking for your presence. Even if he didn’t know where exactly you were - he knew you were somewhere, and all your attention would be fixated on him and only him.
He had to admit, if was a little childish, but just the thought of having exceeded the other members by some unique charm he possessed made him a little proud. He was standing on one stage with master-songwriter Yongguk, pretty face Himchan, angel voice Daehyun, charismatic Youngjae and dancing machine Junhong, yet he knew you were only looking at him - your anime-loving, cereal-stealing weirdo of a boyfriend, Jongup-ah. The love of your life.
And, since you’d been gone, he felt the quality of his performance falling back drastically.
But, to be honest, he didn’t really think it mattered - at least he didn’t feel like it did. He knew he was being selfish - he knew he should think about the fans who have come out to see the show first, but he couldn’t do so. He could only think about where you could possibly be right now, and what you could possibly be doing. Without him.
He considered if you were better off without him, since he had no time to spare you whatsoever, or if you missed him as much as he missed you, and if you sometimes cried yourself to sleep because of lack of him, just like he oh so often had been reminding himself about your absence in his life recently?
He was casually siting on some stairs, tapping his feel on the ground as he noticed Junhong jogging over, with a phone in his hand.
Oh no, he was doing either a vlive or an Instagram live. Jongup didn’t know which one was worse, but he continued sitting there calmly and waiting for what would happen, as if always fine.
“Hey, Jongup hyung! Babyz are really worried about you, but they’re saying that you shouldn’t be ashamed or anything - mistakes happen from time to time, and you shouldn’t feel bad about it. But could you tell them if you’re fine? They’re curious to know,” Junhong said, sitting down beside him cautiously.
“Amm.. Hi, babyz,” Jongup scratched the back of his head shyly, and decided to spill, at least to some extent, as he couldn’t hold it any longer, “Don’t worry about me, really. I’m fine, I just slipped up a little. You know.. There’s an important person missing from my life right now. A person who was always there to cheer on me at times like this, and I guess I just miss that a lot and am not used to living without that support… But I promise I’ll work harder and won’t let that discourage me.. I’ll try, at least.”
What a lie, right?
-ZELO-
“Junhong-ah, let’s go home.”
“A little later, I’m not finished here yet.”
By the looks of it, he wouldn’t be for quite a while still. So without additional tries to get him to go home, since all of those were useless anyways, Youngjae sighed and figured he’d just leave. Tomorrow was an important day, and he wanted to get at least a little bit of rest before jumping head-first into another award show yet again.
“Don’t stay back for too long, okay?”
“I won’t hyung. Just a little longer.”
And with that, Youngjae left him to dance alone at the practice room, closing the door and walking down the hallway right after. Junhong really knew less to nothing about heartbreak, and Youngjae figured it would only get worse if he stayed there like this. But he was tired of trying to get Junhong to thing straight. Despite being a well-mannered toll kid of good behavior, he could be extra stubborn when he wanted to be. This situation showing it perfectly.
He only stopped dancing when it was already nine in the evening, and, sliding to sit on the ground, he tied a loose shoelace back together. And figuring he might need to rest a little, he let his mind wander.
The door creaked open all of a sudden, and a tiny familiar shadow crept into the well-lit room from the dim hallway. He sat there and smiled to himself, knowing exactly what would follow, as two gentle arms wrapped around his neck from behind and rested on his shoulders. The workday had officially come to an end at this point, and he was left to get a tiny reward for the extra efforts he put into doing a good job earlier on.
“Junghon-ah, you’re all sticky. Ew, gross.”
A loud laugh escaped him, as he knew you made it sound harsher than it actually was.
“And you’re so non-sticky. Ew, gross,” he let his head tilt up a little and leaned back, observing your picture perfect face as your expressions shifted, showing nothing but plain amusement.
“No. I’m not “ew”, you are,” you told him, making “ew” sound so cute and seem like such a lovely statement that he found himself not minding it at all, actually.
“Doesn’t seem like you care though,” he said, and as always, pressed his lips lightly on yours. The reaction you always had to his kisses kept cracking him up, as you always shuddered a little under his touch before melting completely into it. So he made sure to make it last longer, since it gave you such pleasure.
“You know what’s actually “ew”? The way you offend me like this, after a very long day,” his voice sounded full of adoration as he spoke, and you could feel it clearly - something had once again triggered a nerve in him, and he appreciated your evening visit more than ever.
“I’ve been dancing for hours.”
“Then let it be enough, Junhong-ah,” you gave him another loving peck, knowing how much he loved evening practice, but at the same time being aware he needed to go home in order to rest, “You’ve done enough for today. Let’s go home.”
“I swear, you’re picking me up as if I was a kid who had to go home from kindergarten,” he chuckled lightly, yet obeyed to follow your slight tugs to his shirt, and got up, “Not that I really mind. I actually appreciate it a lot.”
“I know you well, Junhong-ah. If I wouldn’t come to pick you up, you’d probably fall asleep somewhere on the couch here again. With important schedules showing up, you don’t feel perfect enough to simply walk out on stage without a worry in mind and slay a performance, so you practice tons. And you lose track of time and space while doing so.”
“So you come along to pick me up and bring me home.”
“Exactly. You’re good enough at this already, no need to overwork. You need sleep. And diner. And cuddles. But over all, a shower first.”
A notification on his phone made him snap back into reality. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was already a quarter past nine. He sighed, and cursed to himself for making those memories seem so real. As if it was really happening once again, and wasn’t just a fragment from the past that.. Was gone forever.
You never came around since the breakup. Which was only logical, but it pained him beyond belief.
You had never walked in later than exactly nine in the evening, so he wasn’t even waiting for you anymore. He was in fact just practicing to forget about your absence, yet this seemed like the worst place to do it at - after all, you had to be here, yet you weren’t. And he didn’t know if you’d ever be.
Characters: Yongguk, Himchan, Daehyun, Youngjae, Jongup, Zelo (OT6)+Side Characters
Setting/Genre: Gods!AU, Heaven and Hell!AU, Chapters
Length: 2525 words
Warnings: None
Summary: One Single Law can change how three realms work.
Previous Chapters: 1, 2
CHAPTER 3 - Strength and Fear.
“What if I kissed you right now?” Daehyun whispered in Himchan’s ear from behind, tightening the grip on his waist.
“You do realise we are 100 feet off the ground and I can simply drop you.”
“I was joking!”
“Well we do look like a couple, don’t we?” Himchan spread his arms out wide, his usual pose of glory. “Just, in love, sailing through the clouds.”
The strong winds took Daehyun’s smile away with them. “Uh, please drop me I don’t think I want to do this anymore. Why is it that I have to hold onto you like this when you fly? Your ponytail’s in my face too.”
The Messenger cackled. “Just a couple of minutes more, we’re almost there.”
Daehyun’s grip tightened further, but subconsciously this time. He couldn’t stop his stomach from curling up whenever anything related to him was mentioned. This had been happening since the day of his induction as a God.
Himchan sensed the tension, and he knew why. He’d kept quiet about it for 5 years. Everyone had. With everything that was going on, Daehyun knowing was the last thing the 3 realms needed.
No words were shared till the time they were back on their feet. Daehyun was stepping on solid ground, but it felt like quicksand to him. With every step, his feet seemed to sink further into the mud, mimicking his sinking heart.
Himchan doubted his choice of bringing Daehyun with him. Youngjae could’ve made an equally compelling, if not better, argument. Himchan felt guilty, but he also knew, The Supreme was more likely to listen to Daehyun. Was this an attempt at emotional manipulation? Was he exploiting his knowledge of prior events? All these questions plagued Himchan, as they walked in silence. For now, balance had to be restored, no matter what the cost.
Daehyun, meanwhile, was asking an entirely different set of questions. What was he going to say? Would he be able to say something? Why was he so nervous? He consoled himself by concluding that anyone would be nervous to meet The Supreme, let alone to discuss something as big as the law. He puffed his cheeks up and exhaled.
Himchan smiled at that. “You’ve had that habit since camp,” he said, reminiscing.
“I’ve had it since I was a child. You only got to see it at camp,” retorted Daehyun. “Wah I miss the days you weren’t part of my life.” He was rather glad the silence had been broken, but his entire relationship with Himchan was based on an outward appearance of exasperation. At the same time, there was no one Daehyun trusted more.
Himchan pretended to be hurt. Placing a hand on his chest, he sulked, “did all our time together mean so little to you?”
Daehyun couldn’t stop his toothy grin. “All our time together is the reason you’re here. Honestly, if you didn’t have students like me you wouldn’t have been promoted to your role as Messenger and leader of Mato,” he said, lightly nudging him.
Himchan inordinately stumbled to the side, and eventually onto the ground, while Daehyun realized that his version of ‘lightly nudging’ was not as meagre as the words suggest.
“You’ve had this habit since camp too,” Himchan said warmly, nursing his ribs, “you and your unrestrained strength.”
Daehyun hurriedly gave him a helping hand as he stood up. “Sorry, I’m just nervous, and you know what happens to me.”
I do, thought Himchan, a chill running down his spine.
He quickly brushed off the images that came to mind and replied, “True, I wouldn’t have been promoted if not for you. If someone can make you pass camp, they deserve all the promotions that exist.”
Daehyun pulled his how-dare-you-say-that face, which made Himchan laugh out loud. The former eventually succumbed to the humour and laughter reverberated through the open sky.
“So that’s why we all were appointed earlier than we were supposed to be?” questioned Daehyun, between his high pitched giggles.
No, thought Himchan, his smile becoming pretense.
“Of course, I had to get rid of you, 2 more years as Camp Director with you and I would’ve gone mad.”
“Sure, that’s why you come to visit me every week now.”
“I can’t help it if my current job entails that, thankfully I have to come to Hell only once.”
“You go to Heaven more? Ah, Jongup was your favourite anyway.”
Himchan’s face softened, as he teasingly said, “Doesn’t mean I don’t love you.” He took a step towards him. Daehyun knew what was coming, and made a run for it. Himchan snorted, this was yet another habit Daehyun had since camp. He quickly caught up with him, and they both were laughing again.
The calming air of the island, coupled with Daehyun’s company eased Himchan’s mind a little. The island was simple and barren apart from the occasional fruit-bearing trees. There was something melancholic about it, but nevertheless, it was tranquil and serene; isolated from the 3 realms, but close, mysterious, but welcoming. Only the Supreme could strike that sort of a balance.
As they walked ahead, the gates became clearer, and so did the person standing in front of them.
“Do you think he can see us coming?” asked Daehyun, going up on his toes even though there was nothing obstructing his view.
“You’re a walking cherry lollipop with that red hair. Anyone would see you coming from miles away,” said Himchan.
“Excuse me, you walk around in a beard and ponytail and bright coloured leather jackets, and I’m the one who’s conspicuous?”
Daehyun waited for a response, but it never came. He shrugged and continued, “I haven’t seen Eunjae in 5 years, wow. He didn’t even show up for graduation, just called me a few times after that. I wonder how he’s doing, especially after the accident…“
No response came again.
Eunjae.
Himchan’s face lost all colour. How did this slip his mind? How could he forget Eunjae would be here? Would he be able to take seeing Daehyun again?
He felt Daehyun’s eyes boring into him, and managed to croak out, “If you think I’m conspicuous, you clearly don’t remember Eunjae.”
Daehyun laughed and called out, “Eunjae!”
The man at the gate looked up from his book, but his expression wasn’t discernable. His torso was clothed in a sharply tailored beige coat, and in place of his legs was a small machine, hovering about 2 feet off the ground. His most distinct feature, however, was his hair: luscious, straight and long, on one side, clean shaven on the other. The neon green surprisingly blended well with the sparse trees. Eunjae waved to them with one hand, revealing the underside of his sleeve to be brightly patterned. He created a gust of wind, which propelled his machine forward, meeting his visitors halfway.
“Daehyun! It’s been so long!” said Eunjae, extending one hand out to him. Seeing his happy face, Himchan let out the breath he’d been holding.
“5 years, my man, I think this requires more than a handshake,” said Daehyun, smiling. Before Eunjae could ring out his protests about how the coat might crease, he was squished tight in a hug.
Himchan grumbled ‘to himself’ so that Daehyun could hear, “I never get these…”
“If you don’t talk to me for 5 years I’ll give you one too,” came Daehyun’s muffled voice, as he let go of Eunjae. Himchan sheepishly stuck his tongue out at Daehyun.
“I’m assuming you’re here about the law. You can always count on troubles to bring people together,” said Eunjae.
“Yeah, but at least we are together! So how’s life been treating you?” asked Daehyun, suppressing the purpose of their visit into the corners of his mind.
Eunjae sighed, “Not too bad, it’s lonely sometimes but this job has its perks.”
“Why didn’t you call more often, come visit us?”
“You know what it’s like working for The Supreme, let alone as Primary Associate,” he gestured to the gates, “It’s really busy around here.”
“I would’ve come to see you but we Gods can’t really leave the realm unless it’s an emergency,” said Daehyun, apologetically. Eunjae had attended camp with him, Youngjae, Hara, Jongup and Junhong. Like Junhong, Wind was his specialty. They were probably the finest batch of trainees Mato had ever seen. 5 years ago, they graduated and got posted, some as associates and some, as Gods.
Eunjae smirked, using the wind to send the book flying to the ground, freeing his hands. “Aah, Gods, you say. People always use the fanciest terms for things they don’t understand. Yeah we can play with fire, water, wind and you’re suddenly ‘Gods’. If only they realized how fragile we all are.”
The atmosphere became a little tense; Himchan’s gaze was strongly piercing through every inch of Eunjae. Stop.
Daehyun was a little taken aback, but then, Eunjae had always been forthright and blunt about everything. “I’m sorry about your accident,” he said, slowly. “If only people would drive better.”
Himchan froze. Eunjae cocked an eyebrow and turned to the Messenger, “Car accident? That’s what you told him?”
Daehyun’s big eyes somehow became wider, “Is that not what happened?”
Before Himchan could say a word, Eunjae quickly said, “You and Junhong dropped a building on my legs.”
Daehyun stared at him in utter confusion. Himchan was clenching his fists.
“I’m kidding, obviously,” said Eunjae, his face laced with a sardonic smile.
Daehyun didn’t know whether he should laugh. He definitely felt his shoulders relax, but his stomach tightened. Himchan stepped in between the two. “Gosh, your sense of humour hasn’t changed in all these years, Eunjae. Daehyun, why don’t you call Youngjae and Hara, see how they’re doing?”
Though Himchan was smiling, this sounded more like a command than a request. Daehyun feebly looked back and forth between his companions, took his phone out and stepped to the side to call his best friends.
When Himchan decided he was out of earshot, he turned to Eunjae and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?” screamed Himchan, shaking him.
Eunjae grimaced from the grip. “Hey, I was just having a little bit of fun!” When he didn’t notice Himchan’s expression soften, he looked down. He paused for bit before looking up and faintly said, “He really doesn’t remember a thing, does he?”
Himchan’s hand remained where it was. “No, and it’s best for everyone that it stays this way.” This wasn’t fun for Himchan. His protective instincts were not something to be toyed around with. “Can’t believe I was worried about you meeting Daehyun,” he said after a few seconds, huffing and turning away from him.
Eunjae glided around so that he was face to face with Himchan. “It’s been 5 years; I’ve learnt to accept my condition. I don’t blame him for it, Himchan; I don’t blame any of them. Besides, I’m not impaired in the least! Do you see this cool thing?” he said, pointing to the machine at the end of his pelvis, “It’s amazing and lets me function like everybody else. Sure, I get ‘looks’ from people, but with the kind of hair I’ve always maintained, I’m no stranger to it.”
Himchan’s face finally softened, and he placed a gentle hand on Eunjae’s head. “You’ve always been the flamboyant troublemaker, but you sure did surprise us all. I don’t think I say this enough but I’m very proud of the strength you showed, not just for your own self, but him too. Your boss wouldn’t have made it without you.”
“Did he tell you I know about it? About why Daehyun….”
“Yes,” said Himchan instantly, “he owed it to you.”
Eunjae nodded his head, only for Himchan to lightly smack it. “This still doesn’t excuse what you said, Daehyun cannot know. Do you understand?”
“OW,” yelled Eunjae, promptly moving away. Nursing his head, he said, “Yes, I do, but explain to me, in what realm is bringing him to meet the Supreme a good idea?”
“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” exhaled Himchan.
“He’s pretty stern about the law, Himchan; I tried to talk him out of it.”
“Oh he’s always been stubborn with his ideals. Doesn’t mean they’re all appropriate for everyone. The law must be repealed.”
Eunjae ran his fingers through his hair, taking in Himchan’s tone of finality. Daehyun was coming back, and his eyebrows were comically furrowed.
“What happened?”
Daehyun maintained his quizzical look. “Umm, either Youngjae’s car broke down, or he and Hara are having the weirdest argument I’ve ever heard.”
Himchan chuckled as if he expected this to happen.
“Also, Eunjae, Hara says she hopes you’re pleasing yourself.”
Eunjae’s eyes lit up, only to be hit with reality a second later. “Is that really what she said?”
Daehyun pursed his lips, “Uh, she used…..different….slightly……explicit words, but….the sentiment is the same!”
Eunjae laughed out loud, “Wow the trouble some poorly worded love letters can get you in.”
Himchan smacked his arm, “You’re still sending her those?”
“In my defense, I still send them to Jongup too.” When the apparent judgement on Himchan’s behalf didn’t lessen, Eunjae nonchalantly quipped, “Hey, whoever gets my wind blowing deserves to know.”
While Himchan started one of his lectures, Daehyun’s mind suddenly began thinking again. He couldn’t get Eunjae said earlier out of his mind. “You and Junhong dropped a building on my legs.” He said he was joking, he had to be. But every time Daehyun recalled that statement, something flashed before his eyes.
Fire.
His eyes began to turn red, as he instinctively resorted to biting his sleeve. Within the next few moments, he picked up Eunjae’s book and simply threw it into the distance with all his might.
“HEY,” shouted its owner. Himchan shushed him, pointing to Daehyun’s eyes. They both stood silent, simply waiting, watching. The object of their observation suddenly turned around and laughed, “Well Hara burns every single letter she receives from you, more fire for our lamps, so please keep sending them in. Plus, she’s so cute when she’s annoyed.”
And just like that Daehyun’s eyes were brown again, and it seemed like he didn’t remember what he did 2 minutes ago. Eunjae’s eyes reflected fear.
“Yah don’t take this so personally you know how she is,” said Daehyun, resting his laughing head on Eunjae’s shoulder.
“So, Eunjae, are you going to let us in or not?” said the Messenger, relieved that the symptoms didn’t progress.
Eunjae smiled, “Do you want to give me a hand?”
Daehyun stepped back, as the other two conjured up a strong gust of wind which elegantly opened the gates. He then walked up to them and reservedly said, “Shall we?”
As the three of them proceeded into the land beyond the gates, Himchan took note of the small mailbox and giggled to himself, both amusedly and regretfully.
Even with the advent of technology, the Supreme didn’t keep a phone. Letters and his Primary Associate were how the realm communicated with him. Thus there was a small red mailbox, with a tiny inscription that said:
Bang Yongguk.
A/N: finally after 75 years I have updated my one and only baby. There were a bunch of new elements introduced here, and plus more reference to the ominous past. And all the main characters have finally been named! If you notice, Dae’s mood swing from ch1 has been pretty much exactly replicated here, and Eunjae dropped…well…a bomb, I’ll just leave it at that for now eh? Also, Dae’s little phone call with Jae and Hara somewhat sets precedent for what’s about to come next. Please like, reblog and give me feedback, it’s really appreciated and keeps me motivated! No apologies for ponytail Himchan.
A thank you to @foxjae and @onlystraightforjongup for helping me resolve my little conflicts. More will come soon!
