Hiya Emmy! ❤️ your work, it's all great stuff! I just wanna make a request if you don't mind hehe. Could you maybe make a drabble or oneshot where y/n's on a walk with CY, D.O and Zzar? Just like their recent vlog! Platonic or romantic development, it's totally up to you! I just wanna be on that walk with em too huhu. Tysm! ✨
A Walk to Remember
Genre: Romance, Fluff
Characters: You x Kyungsoo, Wingman Chanyeol, Wingdog Zzar
Warnings: None
Word Count: 2.7k
Summary: You tag along on a walk with Kyungsoo, Chanyeol, and Zzar to film a vlog for Chanyeol’s Youtube channel. Along the way, sparks fly between you and Kyungsoo. With the help of Chanyeol and Zzar, will the two of you walk off together into the sunset?
A/N: Thank you to Anon for the request for a drabble about Kyungsoo and Chanyeol’s most recent vlog! I ended up making this a full-length one shot rather than a drabble because I liked the prompt so much! This came at the perfect time and was so much fun to write. Cheers!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Little big moments.
Small minute decisions that in the moment seem inconsequential, but in actuality, change the course of your life in a grand way.
Looking back, you noted the chain of events that brought you to your current life position: a big move in elementary school away from everything you knew, your mother forcing you to join choir club to socialize, meeting your best friend, Haewon, in the soprano section, learning Korean and gaining an appreciation for Korean culture by spending what seemed like almost all your time at Haewon’s house up through high school, deciding to double-major in photography and Korean in college, Haewon suggesting you take a gap year after graduation to teach English in South Korea, an acquaintance there recommending you for a photography/video gig with a company she worked at.
All of these little big moments lead to you getting hired at SM Entertainment to assist a popular boy group with maintaining their social media presence. You’d jumped at the chance to put your artistic skills to work, using your talents for setting up aesthetic photos and filming engaging vlogs. Looking back, you pinched yourself almost on the daily just to make sure you weren’t dreaming. Because working for EXO was something of a dream come true, if you were honest. Though you were pretty starstruck at first, you kept it professional at work, always cognizant of the fact that the boys were just regular human beings who just happened to be mega-uber-exceptionally talented. You liked to think you played it pretty cool most of the time, not wanting to let on that you were a huge fan, thankful none of the members would ever see your bedroom back home in the States, covered in EXO posters and album photocards.
You’d gotten the opportunity to work with most of the members, besides Lay who was not currently in Korea. Game streams with Sehun and Chanyeol, mukbangs or crafty vlogs with Baekhyun, “Peaches” content with Kai, song covers with Chen, backstage Hadestown snippes with Xiumin, post-military escapades with Suho, and several attempted cooking vlogs with a begrudging Kyungsoo. Today was relatively easy work in comparison to some of your more recent assignments. A simple walk with an on-military-break Chanyeol, his dog Zzar, and Kyungsoo. Or at least it should have been simple.
You weren’t nervous. Nope. Absolutely not. Liar.
You couldn’t lie, you were nervous. Kyungsoo was your secret crush. You loved listening to his music, his runs and ad libs added so much to many beloved EXO hits, and his sweet solo album gave you butterflies. You admired his kind, quiet personality, serious, but with a hidden comedic talent that made you smile.
But this wasn’t a fan event where you could fangirl over your fave. This was work. And you prided yourself on being professional, even in the face of your ult bias.
So, camera in hand, you made your way to the meeting spot, a park with walking trails and plenty of green space for Zzar to roam. It wasn’t long before you saw a familiar sight loping towards you. A large man dressed in a plaid yellow shirt was being led towards you by a small, white ball of fluff.
“Zzar!” You called out to the snowball, who upon closer inspection, was dressed in a white, striped doggy outfit.
You bent down to give pets to the adorable puppy in front of you, whilst she jumped around excitedly trying to give you happy licks. Looking up, you greeted Chanyeol and made small talk about the format of the video before segueing into chit chat about his recent experiences in a military musical. You enjoyed talking to Chanyeol, he was incredibly easy-going and fun to be around, but also serious when the situation called for it. Plus, you had to admit that his new persona as a dog dad was very endearing.
The only thing that made you feel ill at ease around him was the sneaking suspicion that Chanyeol knew about your secret or you guessed, not-so-secret crush on Kyungsoo. You weren’t sure what could have given you away, but the side glances when you and Kyungsoo were anywhere near each other, not to mention the multiple times he’d sent you on nonsensical “errands” to Kyungsoo couldn’t have been coincidences. You hoped, maybe naively, that with Zzar present, he’d spend more time focusing on her and less time on you and Kyungsoo.
Case in point, the tall man in front of you was all but cooing at the small animal from behind his mask while simultaneously digging around in a large, crossbody bag for a treat. Wanting to make sure you captured all of the cuteness on film, you got your camera ready and hit the record button. Several minutes later, movement from the corner of your eye cued you into the arrival of the final participant.
Kyungsoo made his way towards the three of you, decked out in his characteristic all-black ensemble. Chaneyol called a greeting and set Zzar down, who had started excitedly straining for freedom from his arms once she caught sight of Kyungsoo. Typically a stoic penguin most of the time, Kyungsoo around dogs was anything but. Running cutely forward, Kyungsoo greeted Zzar as if he was speaking to a tiny baby, melting your heart just a little bit further.
Pausing your recording, you waited as Chanyeol and Kyungsoo chatted a bit. You took the time to take in your surroundings, feeling comforted by the trees and greenery around you, something you missed living in the big city. The smell of the plants, especially the green moss, reminded you of blissful days just after a rainfall back in the States. You took in a big breath, enjoying the quiet moment of peace–which was then promptly interrupted by the sound of Zzar barking, clearly communicating to her humans, “Let’s go!”. Not one to argue with the Princess, you quickly filled Kyungsoo in on the plan for the vlog and before long, you set off, film rolling.
Given the mobile nature of a walking vlog, you had predicted that it would involve some creativity in terms of filming–namely a lot of walking backwards hoping that you didn’t fall flat on your face. What you hadn’t predicted were the many hills and stairs at the park. Walking backwards up the stairs while simultaneously trying to keep your camera was surprisingly difficult. Ever the extrovert, Chanyeol chatted merrily about taking Zzar to the vet while Kyungsoo nodded along, dutifully playing out his role as Zzar’s dog walker.
“No, Zzar, don’t go that way,” Chanyeol chastised, when Zzar had tried to roll in the mud. Ever the helicopter parent, he’d picked her up and placed her back on the path, saying “You’ll get it dirty”, referring to her adorable white doggie coat.
Continuing up the stairs, the three continued on, long stretches of silence settling in, which honestly didn’t feel out of place between the two men who’d been friends for more than a decade. You reached up to adjust your zoom and—BAM–you felt your foot slip on the edge of the step, sending you falling backwards. On reflex, you kept a tight hold on your camera with your right hand, while using your free left hand to break your fall. Now on the ground, you felt a stinging sensation on your palm, though thankfully your bum had taken the brunt of the fall. Pressing the pause button on the camera, you stopped to inspect your palm, seeing small pieces of gravel embedded in a good-sized scrape that was starting to bleed slightly.
“Y/N!”, you heard Chanyeol’s voice call out in concern.
You saw Kyungsoo bound towards you, then felt his warm hands on your forearms, lifting you up off the ground.
“Are you okay?” Kyungsoo asked. Once you were back on your feet, Kyungsoo lightly gripped your wrist, his eyes zeroing in on the scrape on your hand.
“Chanyeol–”
“Yeah, I’ve got it,” Chanyeol interrupted before Kyungsoo could finish. Putting Zzar’s leash around his wrist, Chanyeol dug through his back, producing a small first-aid kit and handing it off to Kyungsoo.
“Oh no, please don’t worry about it,” you put up your hands, attempting to reassure the two men, “it’s only a little scrape and I don’t want to hold up filming with my clumsiness.”
“Nonsense,” said Kyungsoo, “your hand looks like it hurts, let’s get it taken care of so it doesn’t get infected.”
With that, the ever-pragmatic Kyungsoo led you up the stairs, stopping a short way up at a small landing, guiding you to sit on the bench there. Your breath stuck in your chest as Kyungsoo crouched in front of you, placing the first-aid kit carefully beside you. You’d never been this close to him before and you felt a blush suffice your cheeks. You felt the heartbeat in your palm beating fast like a drum, hoping it wasn’t a dead giveaway.
You watched as Kyungsoo produced a bottle of water and then dumped it over your cut in an attempt to clean it and get some of the gravel out. You winced as the water poured over the frayed skin, closing your eyes to ward against the pain. Desperate to focus on something else, you basked in the subtle scent of his cologne that wafted from his body as he moved. The pain gradually lessened and you observed as Kyungsoo pragmatically applied an antibiotic ointment before wrapping your palm in a bandage. As Kyungsoo put away the first-aid supplies, you attempted to make conversation, despite the feeling that you no longer remembered how to make a coherent sentence.
“Kyungsoo–thank you, I really appreciate you taking care of me today. I’m sorry I held up the filming–I’m sure you have a lot of other things to get to,” you started.
Kyungsoo smiled, bashfully rubbing his hand on the back of his neck.
“I don’t have anything–I mean, I couldn’t let you–you’re welcome–I just-just–,” flustered, Kyungsoo attempted to get his words out, “–infections are serious, Y/N, you should go to the hospital once we get done filming–better yet–why don’t you go right now?”
You chuckled at Kyungsoo’s serious words while your heart fluttered in your chest at the thought of his concern for you. You assured him you were fine, not wanting to delay the filming any longer, knowing your boss wanted this completed sooner rather than later.
Mind back on your original task, you glanced around the small space, noting for the first time the absence of Chanyeol and Zzar.
“Chanyeol probably took Zzar to the bathroom,” Kyungsoo supplied after noticing your questioning glance.
With that, a companionable silence settled over the two of you. You appreciated being able to spend time with Kyungsoo, watching the birds and enjoying the soft sounds of nature, without the pressure of constant conversation.
A joyful yip coming towards you announced the return of Zzar and her owner. Chanyeol took in the sight of the two of you sitting side-by-side before coming over to ask about your fall. After assuring him you were fine, you motioned for them to continue on with the vlog. Grabbing your camera from your bag, you missed the look Chanyeol gave to Kyungsoo. What you didn’t miss was Kyungsoo whacking Chanyeol’s arm hard enough that the larger man winced. You looked over at them both questioningly, but the two went about their business like nothing happened.
Back on the path, you came up the hill to a tennis court, Chanyeol noting the presence of another dog friend for Zzar, a big, fluffy Samoyed-looking dog. Zzar showed no fear, sniffing at the larger dog, tail wagging. After that brief rendezvous, Chanyeol showed off some tricks he’d been teaching Zzar, who was very enthusiastic to perform for treats. You traded off filming from behind and from the front, hoping to get a good variety of angles. As the walk came to an end, Kyungsoo held Zzar close as Chanyeoll produced a pack of wet wipes and proceeded to gently cleanse each of Zzar’s tiny paws of mud. Giving Zzar many sweet kisses through his mask, Kyungsoo reluctantly handed Zzar back to Chanyeol, giving her some last head pats.
In truth, you loved seeing Kyungsoo around animals, especially dogs. You wondered what he was like with his own dogs. You imagined he was probably pretty much the same or even more adorable. You remembered watching the video of him filming with his dog, Meokmul, for a fashion spread. You had giggled so hard when he’d done a voiceover for his dog, referring to himself as “appa”. Kyungsoo was so soft around animals and you really loved seeing that cute, squishy side of him. You hoped you’d get the privilege of seeing more of that soon.
As you packed up your gear, you noticed Chanyeol dip his head toward Kyungsoo as they whispered together. You couldn’t make out too much, but you thought you heard the words, “no”, “later”, and “coffee” in the mix. Chanyeol gave Kyungsoo an exasperated look before declaring he was “beat” and had to get home to give Zzar a bath. Clapping Kyungsoo on the shoulder, Chanyeol bid farewell and walked speedily off, leaving you and Kyungsoo alone.
You bent down to reach for your camera bag, but a hand stopped you.
“No, please, I got it, I’ll carry it for you–you’re injured anyway,” Kyungsoo said as he slung the bag over his shoulder.
“That’s so kind of you, Kyungsoo, but I can’t make you carry my equipment. I work for you,” you said, exasperated. He was Kyungsoo, EXO’s D.O., how could he carry your things when you essentially worked for him?
“You work for me?” he said, eyebrows raised, “All right then, since you work for me, let’s just say I ordered you to let me carry your stuff for you….that sound good?”
Kyungsoo winked, grinning at you as though he had just told the world’s best joke. He was teasing you, you realized. Good lordy, Do Kyungsoo was teasing you.
“Hmmm, I guess that makes sense,” you said noncommittally, not wanting him to realize he was making you flustered.
“Excellent, I’m glad we’re on the same page. Which way do you live? I’ll walk you home.”
You told him your address and he nodded before motioning you to walk along with him. As you walked alongside him, you felt butterflies in your stomach, your body hypeware of his movements. When his hand accidentally brushed yours, you both blushed hotly, quick to pull your hands away as you felt an electric spark of connection.
As the two of you got further and further into the distance, Chanyeol stepped out from where he’d hid behind a tree. Glancing towards the two of you, he felt disappointed that Kyungsoo hadn’t used the opportunities he’d created to make a move on you. Chanyeol had left you two alone while taking Zzar on a “bathroom break” and deliberately made a point to leave first, hoping Kyungsoo would break the ice. He’d known for a while that Kyungsoo had a little crush on you, noting the blushes and soft smiles in your direction that he didn’t normally see in the shorter man. Heck, he’d even sent you on a bunch of bogus errands to Kyungsoo just so Kyungsoo could see you more often. He didn’t think you’d noticed, realizing that both you and Kyungsoo were pretty dense when it came to romance. But today, seeing you and Kyungsoo shyly walking home together, Chanyeol had hope for Kyungsoo still.
“Zzar, we did good today, don’t you think? Maybe we’ll have to interfere more often.”
Zzar wagged her tail in agreement. Placing a kiss on her head, the wingman and the wingdog made their way home, satisfied with a hard day’s work.
~~~~~~~
The End!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story! If you enjoyed reading, please re-blog so that others can have an easier time finding it. <3
Genre: Action/Adventure, Enemies to Lovers, PirateAU
Description: 20 years ago the seas became angry. Unruly and unkind to any sailor, to any ship that dared venture too far out in her waters. Many a man has heard the tales of Atlantis, the lost city, the key the ocean. But fewer men know the tale of it’s missing child. The key to the ocean, the key to Atlantis but a lost little one. The power one would hold should they find this child would be nearly that of Poseidon himself. Thus, the hunt began.
A/N: WE DID IT! I bet you all thought i wouldn't follow through on my promise hehe. Well guys...this is it. The final chapter. I have no idea what to say because this story has so much of me in it and i'm just...at a loss for words after all the ones ive put in it. I'm considering an epilogue with anything extra you all may want to see (unanswered questions, deleted scenes, life after the story, etc.) So let me stop talking and lets get into it! WARNING: depression mention alongside pretty severe symptoms
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18
Death is easy.
It’s dying that hurts.
Only those from Atlantis can survive under water. You know that. Baekhyun knows that. It’s an ability that, as regular humans, you will never have.
Death by drowning. Death by blood loss. Death by blade or gunshot. These are all things you’d long predicted would inevitably take your last breath from you. Old age, illness, or natural causes never seemed like probable deaths. A peaceful death isn’t one your lifestyle affords. You’d leave this world the way you’d entered it, no holds barred, all or nothing.
You’ve never feared death.
No.
You’ve only ever feared dying.
You’ve found fear in the pain, in the ugliness of it –never of actually being dead. You’ve only ever worried about the thoughts you would have as you came to the realization that you’d never live another day in this life. You imagined feeling scared, of gasping out agonized breaths.
You never imagined that dying could feel like melting in the embrace from someone close to your heart. Like a suffocating darkness that is eased away by warmth and light. A feeling that carries a gentleness that can only be given through a touch imbued with love.
You never imagined that dying at the bottom of the ocean would lead to you washing up on a regular old beach in the afterlife.
When you open your eyes, you see an early morning sky above you. You can hear the wind whistling through the trees and waves crashing against the land. You can feel the wet sand beneath your palms and the salty water droplets rolling off your face. The afterlife feels all too similar to home.
Sitting up, you can see that you’re still in the outfit you died in. You’re in the outfit you died in, the sun is rising on the horizon, and a copy of your ship is bobbing calmly on the water not far ahead.
All your limbs are intact. You muscles ache but that’s nothing new to you. Water droplets bead on your forearms as the morning sun begins to evaporate it. An anxiety settles in your stomach and you follow the urge to look around for any other signs of life.
Of souls?
Of the gate, or passage to wherever the hell you are supposed to go now that your own fleeting life has ended.
Throat tight, you look around the mostly empty beach.
And you find Baekhyun seemingly not breathing not far behind you.
You scramble on to your knees and lean down to see if you can feel his breath.
Not again…
Maybe this is secretly hell. A replica of one of your happier moments, but you’re forced to spend eternity waking up and finding Baekhyun dead or dying in a new way at your side.
When you lean down again to find he is still unmoving, you attempt to breathe life into his lungs. It feels ironic given your situation.
He finally livens up. Water and acid come out of his mouth as soon as he opens his eyes.
Relief overcomes you at the sight of him and as soon as he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, you press your lips to his –desperate for touch to prove to you he’s there.
“You taste like vomit,” you sob happily.
He grimaces and leans up on his elbows. “You’re the one shoving your tongue down my throat after I threw up, you nutcase.” He groans and looks around. “Where the hell are we?”
“Didn’t we die? Aren’t we in some kind of limbo? Davy Jones’s locker.”
He laughs, wet with the water still in his lungs. “I don’t think this is quite what the afterlife looks like. Your ship is right there, there are still signs of life around us, and besides; we’d have ended up in different places. Different lockers, right?” he rationalizes.
It takes you a moment to consider his words –to really feel the sand on your palms, the heat on your skin, the beating of your heart in your chest. You’re still alive somehow, after all of that. You were so far below the surface, there’s no way the two of you should have survived that.
“But…how?” you whisper to your shaking hands.
“I think…” Baekhyun coughs, looks out at the water. “I think Junmyeon guided us to safety somehow.”
You think back on the feeling you felt just after the initial suffocation and you turn to face the water as well. You recall the warmth and safety that came with what you thought was death. “…I…Yeah. I guess he did…”
The water laps lazily against the sand. Calmly.
At peace.
You close your eyes and let the full weight of your reality set in. You’re alive. Junmyeon is gone. He saved you somehow.
Junmyeon is gone.
The tears spill before you can even try and verbalize the realization. You curl into yourself and let the hard sobs shake you to the very core. Baekhyun doesn't say a word.
What couldhe say? Nothing would change what’s been done.
Instead of speaking, he wraps his arms around you to let you weep until you no longer can.
~~~
When your crew realizes that it’s you and Baekhyun who have washed up on the island, they send out a dinghy immediately. By then, your tears have gone, but the lump in your throat won’t go away no matter how many times you swallow around it.
“I miss him,” you mutter as you watch the dinghy get closer to the beach.
“I know,” Baekhyun replies.
“But, he’s happy now.”
He hesitates as he looks out at the water. “…I know.”
Questions are thrown at you as soon as Yixing and Chanyeol make it on land. Baekhyun just shakes his head at your side and they quiet. You’re thankful for the silence.
Your body shakes violently, but your mind is numb.
The joy of your crew as you climb on deck is overwhelming. You look at all the faces emotionlessly. When people begin to sense that something is wrong you lower your gaze to the floor and walk towards your quarters. You can’t speak, not right now. Not when you aren’t even sure what they expect you to say. And you surely can’t plaster on a grin.
The door closes behind you, and the shaking only worsens in your solitude. You let the wet clothing, the only physical reminder of your time in Atlantis left, carelessly fall from your body. More out of habit than by conscious thought, you pull on something dry.
When you bury yourself under your covers, you can’t stop the tremors no matter how hard you try.
~~~
Hours pass. Or maybe it’s a few minutes. It could have been half a day, you can’t be sure. All you know, is that in the time between you closing yourself off in the room and the first person coming in to check on you, is that you haven’t been able to go to sleep.
Every time you close your eyes for more than a few seconds you’re haunted with the sight of Junmyeon’s smile as he thanked you. That and then his still form in the sphere of water. Every time you tried to sleep, you just ended up crying.
Yeri is the first person to knock. She peaks her head in and says words that hold no meaning to you. When you show no sign of responding, she retreats.
Yixing comes in next. He tries to make conversation. Checks you for any obvious injury or illness. Frowns despite seeing nothing physically wrong. You think he tells you that you need to eat.
Jongin and Kyungsoo come in together. Kyungsoo with a tray of food, and Jongin seemingly just there to see you with his own eyes.
When they give up trying to coax words out of you they leave the food too.
You push it to the floor just to hear it clatter. To hear something.
The door opens for a fourth time and you want to exhale in frustration. Why does no one understand that you want to be left alone?
A cup of tea is set on the table where the food once sat. You tiredly raise your eyes to the face of the newest intruder. Baekhyun looks down at the mess on the floor with pursed lips. You decide then to avoid his eyes.
He rounds the bed and sits on the other side. You can feel his weight against your back. A dry sob finds its way out of your mouth. You would feel embarrassed if you had the energy to.
A sigh is all you get from him. You can feel him shifting and the sound of his boots hitting the floor before the covers lift and he crawls under. He doesn’t say anything. You turn to face him. His eyes catch yours before you can even think to look away.
When he opens up his arms, your lip trembles and you hide yourself against his chest without second thought. He holds you tightly, as if his arms are the only thing keeping you from breaking apart.
You let your eyes fall closed. Thanks to the warmth of his body and the thumping of his heart, you’re finally, finally, able to fall into a dreamless sleep.
~~~
You wake up alone. The tea on your bedside table has long gone cold. You don’t need to touch it to know. The lethargy in your bones lets you know that you got at least a few hours rest –plenty of time for a hot cup of tea to go stale. You frown and fight the urge to throw the cold glass across the room.
Sitting up, you dig the palms of your hands into your eyes as hard as you can. Stars and non-shapes flash across your vision when you reopen them.
Frustrated, you notice that nothing has changed when you open your eyes. The room is the same. The tea is still cold.
And you’re still alone.
What now?
You never thought about what you would do after Junmyeon was gone. Hell, you hadn’t thought that Junmyeon would die.
Where do you go from here? Are you just supposed to get up and sail on? Find a new mission? Make someone else your new first mate?
The thought of that alone makes you feel sick. You aren’t ready to think about that.
What do you do now? You don’t want to think, you don’t want to feel, you just want to lie in bed and pretend this never happened. Maybe have a dream where thisis all just a dream.
Should you eat? Should you go talk to someone? Should you throw yourself over the side of the ship? If you’re lucky, maybe you’d hit a rock and die from head trauma. You’ve drowned enough in this lifetime, you think. You couldn’t handle drowning being the last thing you ever felt.
The compass catches your eye, flipped open and on its side on the bedside table. That probably happened when you flipped over the food.
Automatically you reach out for it and cradle it in both of your hands. There’s no way you can make a decision for yourself right now. Maybe the compass will help lead you to what you should focus on doing next.
A breath in. Closed eyes. Cleared mind. A heavy breath out.
You open your eyes and see the needle of the compass slowing moving from the left towards your door.
Baekhyun must be about to walk in, you think bitterly.
And he does.
There’s a fresh tray of food in his hands. He falters in the doorway when he sees you sitting up with the compass in your hands. He doesn’t say anything as he walks to the side of the bed –where he’d slept- and places the food there.
He reaches over and closes the compass in your hands. “Don’t look at that thing right now. You’re in the middle of mourning.”
Mourning. That sounds right. You couldn’t place the feeling until you heard it.
“You should eat something,” he says softly. He settles on the bed at your side. “I cleaned up the food on the floor earlier, and we all figured you would feel somewhat better with fresh food.”
You don’t reply.
“Eat something. You can’t starve yourself.”
You clench your fingers around the closed compass.
Baekhyun groans exasperatedly. “You haven’t eaten or had any water in nearly 48 hours. Do you not care? I don’t expect you to say anything, but the least you can do is not sit here on your ass trying to kill yourself by refusing to eat.”
There’s nothing for you to say to that. You hadn’t realized how long it had been, but even then you don’t want any food. The thought of eating makes you feel nauseous.
The compass is snatched from your hands. “Okay fine. You don’t want to eat? Then decide on the next plan of action. Where do you want to go huh? You want revenge? Wanna go kick Poseidon’s ass? Let’s do it. Just get up and do something, you can’t waste away like this. Not after everything you’ve been through.” He opens the compass up and immediately puts it back in your hands.
As always, it turns towards him.
He looks at it in confusion. You exhale and let it fall from your hands. Baekhyun looks from you to the compass with furrowed brows before he picks it up himself. After only a second he holds it in your line of vision.
The needle unwaveringly points towards you.
So, what?
You sluggishly drag your gaze back up. His jaw is set in determination.
“It points towards you too. It won’t stop pointing towards you. From the start of this, it’s only been you. I’m here…I’m trying to be here with you.” He sounds as exhausted as you feel.
You bite your lip to hold back a fresh set of tears.
He rakes a hand roughly through his hair.
“I-I love you.” He pauses and you see the shock in his eyes as he realizes what he’s said. You clench your fists at your side. “I…love you, and I’m sorry it took you losing Junmyeon, us nearly dying 10 times, and your confession for me to finally say it. I don’t think I could tell you when it started even if I wanted to, but that doesn’t matter.” His face burns red with embarrassment but he pushes on. “What matters right now, is that I’m here, you’re here, and you’re killingyourself. Do you hear me?
“Junmyeon wouldn’t want to see you like this. I don’t want to fucking see you like this.” He licks his lips and exhales shakily. “We still have so much to fight over. Don’t you still wanna kick my ass? You can stab me again if you want, I don’t care, just…please,” he begs. He lowers his head into your lap and his hands clench around the sheets. His face is hidden from view but you can see the shake in his shoulders as he tries not to cry.
Silently, you reach over the grab the cup of water in your trembling hands. You drink a few mouthfuls but it doesn’t feel as though it really helps. Baekhyun looks up with red rimmed eyesat your movement.
You grab a piece of soft bread and break off a piece and hand it to him. He opens his mouth to eat it. You break another piece off and feed it to yourself.
Until the food is gone, neither of you say a word to each other. It’s only when he sits up to clear away the tray that you find the energy to speak. “Stay with me, please.” Your fingers curl around his wrist to keep him from leaving. You silently notice that he’s paler than usual, and his wrist is thinner.
As if he’s been in a similar state of distress.
If he wanted to, you still think he could escape your hold without even trying –given the comparatively worse state you’re in. “You help keep the nightmares away. You…you being here helps me sleep.”
He blinks at your admission and then nods. “Of course. I’m here. You couldn’t make me leave even if you wanted to.”
You lower yourself back down to your side, nearly chin deep under the covers as he settles in next to you. This time when he opens his arms, he doesn’t wait for you to close the distance. He pulls you closer on his own.
After a few minutes of quiet, “I don’t know what to do now,” you admit softly. He hums in question. “I never thought this far ahead…I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”
“Just take it day by day. You don’t have a plan in place now. It’s okay to take some time to just feel, to do nothing. That might be what’s best for you until you get back on your feet. It doesn’t matter what you do. Just take it day by day.”
~~~
The days get easier, or maybe you become more accustomed to feeling like shit.
Who knows?
It’s decided that everyone will head back to Arae and take a well deserved break. After all that has occurred, some time on land to recuperate is the least the crew could use.
It takes a week before you’re able to finally call a meeting with all the crew to discuss what happened while you, Junmyeon and Baekhyun were in Atlantis.
You give your retelling and Baekhyun chimes in to fill in blanks where needed. Once you describe the last moments with your former first mate, you actively see people’s eyes glassing over.
Even as you try to convince everyone that he is content with his decision, you hear the uncertainty in your own voice.
“So…that’s just it? Mission accomplished, I guess.” Yixing runs a hand through his hair. “This is a lot to hear.”
“I understand that there may still be confusion and that emotions are high after all of our recent events. I’m still trying to come to terms with it all myself. Let’s just get to port and then everyone can rest and take the time they need,” you say to the crowd. “We can figure everything else out later. Junmyeon was treasured, and was proud of each and every one of you. Never forget that…”
You end your address with a nod to your men. The weight of a hand on your shoulder gives you just enough strength to summon the authority of a captain in your voice. “Anchors aweigh! Man your stations! We’ll be heading northwest until we’ve set our course for Arae!”
Your words snap everyone to attention, and the deck bursts with movement.
“I want a record of how our food rations are looking! I need a headcount of our men! Sehun, you’re on the helm until I get back!”
For the first time in a while, you feel the rush of being in charge. Of being in control of the things occurring around you. You would puff up with pride if the thought hadn’t reminded you of all that you’ve recently had no control over. Of the things…the people…you’ve lost.
The hand on your shoulder squeezes. “You’re doing a great job. You don’t have to push yourself any further than you can handle.”
You turn to look at Baekhyun head on. “I’m fine. Let’s go chart our course to port before I get the urge to vomit in the middle of the deck.” You grimace.
His hand drifts to your nape. The smile on his face is affectionate, warm, loving. “C’mon then.”
~~~
You wake up in the middle of the night feeling like all of the air has been stolen from your lungs. Sitting up with a start, you clutch your throat to check if anything was physically choking you. The candle you’d put out before going to bed burns brightly on your bedside table, but your throat is no longer constricted.
Baekhyun, who has unofficially moved into your quarters (not completely unwanted), is dead asleep at your side. You look around the room slowly, hand itching to grab a weapon in case you’re being ambushed. Being woken with such abruptness has your guard raised.
A glint of gold catches your eye as the candle flickers in the darkness.
A golden seal. Wax with an unfamiliar emblem pressed into it holding closed a note by the flame.
Confusion causes your eyebrows to furrow, but curiosity has you reaching out to grab it. The paper feels strange in your hands. Smooth and glossy, but wet. The water droplets don’t soak into the note; you’re able to wipe them off easily without disturbing the integrity of the odd parchment.
As you open it, you recognize the handwriting immediately.
Dear Captain,
I’m writing this hurriedly in my bedroom, so I apologize if it doesn't read as easily as it should.
I decided that you deserve a proper explanation. After the experience with the guardians earlier, I knew that I needed to tell you what things will happen next. What my purpose of being here is for. I fear there’s not much more time before I will lose my chance to talk to you.
The guardians of the ocean were never meant to last for all of time. They lose power just as all things do, and certain events can trigger a power outage faster than others.
Events like my leaving home.
You might have been able to put together the pieces from what Jongdae was saying, but my reason for leaving was quite simple.
I knew that I would have to die to restore power to our guardians.
I knew that I would have to die, so I wanted to live before I had to give up my life for the kingdom. I didn’t think much of it when I left. I didn’t have any plans or any idea of where I would go. I just needed to leave. I needed time to enjoy my life while I could.
But every action has a consequence. By leaving, I unintentionally caused not one, not two, but three of our sacred guardians to lose power. If I don’t step in, then we may very well lose a fourth and I can’t let that happen. I refuse to let that happen.
All this is to say, that this note is my goodbye to you. It is my goodbye to the crew. If things go as I expect, then the fourth guardian will lose power soon and I’ll have to give up all that I am in order to restore at least the guardians that we lost in my absence.
This is a goodbye, and I know you must be thinking, ‘there must be another way’, but there isn’t. This is the only way, and I’ve long accepted that.
However, I’ve gotten to live a full life thanks to you taking me in that one rainy night. Thanks to the crew for being a family for me and dedicating so much time and spilling s much blood just to get me home. Being able to sail with you all, experiencing the good and the bad of being human, has steeled my resolve. I will do this to protect humanity. To protect the seas. To protect my family, both in Atlantis and aboard my real home on the Storm Chaser.
I never planned on leaving any trace of my existence on land. I thought I could exist and vanish without a trace, but in a way I’m grateful that I will be able to complete the prophecy with people who will remember me as me.
Not as a prince.
Not as a cursed child of Posiedon.
Not as Suho the Guardian of the Ocean.
But as a man. As Junmyeon. As first mate of the Storm Chaser.
Thank you for everything, Captain. Continue to sail the seas happily and healthily. I know that you’ll continue to be a protector and a home to many more lost souls like mine. Live a long life. For me.
Yours truly,
Kim Junmyeon
P.S. you should give Byun a chance to get his thoughts together. From what I’ve gathered, you stunned him and he is just as much in love with you as you are him. We’ve all be telling you this for so long
P.P.S please clean up your quarters. I won’t be around to help you keep things in order, so for me, clear away all those damn posters.
Your eyes flit over to the messy pile of wanted posters that have spilled onto the floor and you feel a smile stretching across your lips. You run your thumbs across the paper a few times to keep your mind distracted as you scan over the note again.
Having this final piece of him here in your hands fills your chest with emotion. An ache, a fullness, a kind of pain and a kind of happiness. It’s a lot to process so soon after waking.
“Euurggh,” you hear him rising before you feel him shifting beside you. “What are you doing awake so soon?”
“A letter.”
“I’ve got a letter for you, it’s ‘Z’ and it means lay back down and get some.”
You can’t help how your eyes roll. He’s as annoying as ever, but he’s right. You only get a few hours of rest before you have to take over from Yixing for the night. The letter, figuring out where it came from and what to do with it, can wait a few hours more.
You fold it back neatly and set it next to the candle before blowing out the flame. It’s presence in the room is heavy, but you are determined not to deal with it until you wake again.
Burying yourself under the blanket, Baekhyun attaches himself to you immediately to sap you of your body heat. “Baekhyun…”
“Mm.” You contemplate briefly bringing up the note, but think better of it. Instead you focus on the heat he radiates against you. You feel warm all over.
“You know…you’re the only one who’s said it so far.”
“Mm?”
You shuffle up and cup one of his cheeks in your hand. He opens his sleepy eyes to gaze at you in confusion. You take the moment to really accept this moment. You can’t lie to yourself and say that you’re happy, but you can see yourself being happy in the future. In this moment, it’s clearer now than before. You may no longer have Junmyeon at your side, but Baekhyun is here. He’s here, he genuinely seems to care about you, and he said he loves you.
You hadn’t even had the courage to say those words when you’d been sharing your own feelings in that hallway. The words felt too real. Too permanent. But now, in the darkness of your room, everything feels…right.
“I love you.” You press a poorly aimed kiss to the corner of his lips. “I love you…a lot.” A giddy feeling bubbles up in your stomach. “It kinda makes me disgusted.”
“You just had to ruin the moment at the end there didn't you?”
“I can’t have you thinking I no longer think that you’re a bastard.”
“But I’m your bastard.”
You snort. “Yeah, unfortunately.”
He presses a messy kiss to your mouth. You laugh at first, taken off guard by the suddenness of the action. He pulls you closer to his body, and the kiss develops into something more purposeful.
Your hands on each other hold so much more meaning now. There’s no hidden feelings here. No rush of any kind. No need to hide tenderness for fear of being to vulnerable. Just two lovers who want to cherish the person in their arms. You brush your lips against his temple. “Baekhyunie…I really do love you,” you whisper before placing a peck against his earlobe.
He groans deep in his throat, hides his face in your neck. “You’ve gotta stop using that nickname when we’re fucking. I’m never gonna be able to hear it again without my dick getting hard,” he breathes hotly against your skin. A laugh escapes you without warning.
He breathes out a laugh of his own before pulling away and kissing up your neck to your forehead. His lips linger there. “God, I love you.”
You hum happily. “I could get use to hearing that.”
“Oh, shut up.” He says softly. “Go back to sleep. I’m too tired to do anything else. We can continue after a few more hours of rest.” You wrap your arms around him and place your head on his chest. “We can deal with whatever is in that letter tomorrow too, get some rest for now,” he yawns out.
You’d almost forgotten about the letter, but you don’t feel any desperation to address it. You’ll sleep for now. Punctuated by a light kiss to his skin, you murmur quietly, sincerely, “I love you.”
His arms tighten around you in acknowledgement and you fall asleep at peace.
~~~*Three months later*~~~
“Are we ready to leave port?”
“Yes Captain. All members are present and accounted for.”
“Good. Our heading is southeast, let’s make haste. I want to get this bounty quickly. We’re rusty, we need to start with something easy.”
“Ay, Captain.”
Leaving port is always as gratifying as it is stress inducing. There’s nothing that can quite match the rush you feel when you see your fellow crewman rushing around your ship, bringing her to life again, after months at rest. Raising the sails and cleaning down her surfaces before taking her back out home on the open sea, that rush is what excites you most in this world. The entire vessel buzzes with energy as your men call out to each other across the ship ensuring that she’s prepped and safe to take out on the water.
“Uh…Captain? We’ve got an extra in our headcount.”
You whip around at Yixing’s voice.
“Long time no see,” the new face says, smile as bright as you remember.
“Jongdae?” you can’t believe your eyes. It’s been months since you saw the younger prince last. The last place you expected to see him again was on land, in Arae no less.
“I figured you might be needing an extra hand here and there. Although I don’t know much about working on a ship, I know plenty about how the currents and how the ocean works.”
Yixing looks from you to Jongdae in confusion. “So…you know this guy?”
“Yeah...yeah. He’s Junmyeon’s younger brother.” Your words stun your quartermaster so much so that his mouth drops open.
“Speaking of my brother, did you get the letter I delivered?”
Letter?
The note!
“You put that letter there? We couldn’t figure out how it could have possibly ended up there.” You’d all spent hours thinking of ways that the letter could have been snuck aboard, and even longer trying to make sense of the paper itself. After reading its contents, everyone aboard the ship felt as though they’d finally gotten the proper send off deserved of your first mate. Most questions had been answered, and everyone felt content in the way things had played out, even if it meant Junmyeon was no longer with you all.
“Well yeah. Junmyeon wanted it to go to you after he took over as guardian. I had to do my part to fulfill that wish. That, and getting you all the treasure you were promised.” Its then that you notice the enormous cases being loaded on the ship –cases you know the crew hadn’t packed themselves.
“Treasure?”
“Gold, jewels, shiny stuff you humans like.”
Yixing rushes over to a case to open it. “Are these all full of treasures?”
Jongdae nods easily, as if the fortune he’s brought has little meaning to him. “Of course.”
“This would set the entire crew for generations Captain…” Yixing says in awe.
You blink at Jongdae dumbly.
“There’s just one favor I have to ask in return for delivering all of this,” he starts. “I need you and your crew to help me with my destiny.”
“Of fucking course there’s a catch. What? We gotta help you on a suicide mission next?” Baekhyun’s voice shakes you out of your stupor. He tosses an arm over your shoulder. He’s gained more weight in the months at rest. The weight on your shoulders is welcomed.
“It’s nothing like that trust me,” Jongdae says with raised hands. He focuses his attention back to you. “Junmyeon trusts you all, so I do too. It’s nothing quite as final as Junmyeon’s, but it’s still quite a feat to complete on my own.”
“Did you run away too?” You ask in worry.
“No, no! I was given permission. This has to do with my destiny so it’s completely fine. Besides, Junmyeon’s able to help guide me home if I need to go back.”
“I’m sorry, what?” You ask incredulously.
He blinks innocently. “Junmyeon can help me find my way home when I’m ready. Whenever I talk to him he seems pretty sure that he can.”
“You still talk to him!?”
“Duh, he’s a part of the ocean now. He’s not gone. I’m sure even you guys could get some kind of response from him if you tried to talk to him. It might not be words, but he’s pretty good at communicating.” He waves away his words as if it was a passing thought. “He told me to come to you guys for help, and said I might be able to help in return. If you all help me destroy the monsters that inhabit the more dangerous parts of the ocean, then I can offer my knowledge in exchange.”
Baekhyun is able to jump back into the conversation first. You’re still stupefied at the idea that you could have talked to Junmyeon all this time. That he isn’t fucking dead, just…part of the ocean now?
Whatever the fuck that is supposed to mean.
“So…you want us to help you fight sea monsters? Like sirens and krakens and shit?”
Jongdae gives an eager nod.
Baekhyun looks at you and raises an eyebrow. Do you really want to take this on? You purse your lips and turn back to Jongdae. You’ve spent over 3 months not taking on any missions. Your crew is as rusty as they can get. Fresh out of mourning and getting back on their feet. You have enough gold and jewels to never have to work again.
Even if you declined, you doubt Jongdae would take the treasures back. This was your payment for Junmyeon’s return. Nothing more than that. If anything, this would be a favor to the other prince.
But, Junmyeon thinks you’d be of help to each other. Besides, you don’t know what you would do with your time if you stopped sailing as a pirate. You belong on the sea. You’ve know that for nearly all your life. You want to live adventurously. The Storm Chaser can’t be reduced to some shitty cargo ship. Your men came to you to escape their lives on land. They wouldn’t want to return even if they had the money to live happily. You can tell by how eager everyone is today just coming back aboard the ship.
You jut your hand out. Your decision is made; although, it might have been made up from the moment he even asked. “You’ve got a deal.” Jongdae beams and reaches out to grab your hand, but you suddenly pull back. “Ah…well as long as my first mate agrees?”
You catch Baekhyun’s eyes again and he smiles. “If you want to do this, I’m behind you 100% Captain.” The eye patch he was using to keep his bangs out of his face is slid back over his eye.
“Let’s go kill some fucking sea monsters.”
~~~
20 years ago the seas became angry. Unruly and unkind to any sailor, to any ship that dared venture too far out in her waters. Many a man has heard the tales of Atlantis, the lost city, the key the ocean.
The heart of the ocean.
These days, her heart is at ease. These days, the ocean is calm.
The tale of the lost child of Atlantis have become nothing but an old wives tale. A thrilling bedtime story told to children to amaze them with the wonders of the sea.
A story of family, of fear, and of loss.
A story about mermaids, and storms –of ships that nearly faced destruction in attempt to return that lost child.
To return that lost man. A prince.
A tale that dazzles with promises of riches, and happiness. Of adventure and hate. A tale of love.
There’s no way to determine the truth of the story, for no written record of Atlantis exists. Only the oral retellings by those who claim to have seen it.
Many secrets lie beneath the ocean’s surface –wonders and horrors alike. The tale of finding Atlantis will stay as secret as the ocean herself.
Pairing: Businessmen!EXO x Bartender!Female Reader
Warning: Blood and... well. You’ll see.
Sentence: “If you weren’t in this city for business, then you were here because you were running from something.”
- Series Masterlist -
***
The oldest heir to the Kim Corporation straightened his collar before walking into the room with the putrid smell.
He was subconsciously preparing himself for the conversation that was about to take place, for the questions without answers, and the answers that weren’t satisfying to hear.
As if remaining within that room wasn’t unpleasant enough.
“You asked for me, Father?”
Some labored breathing was heard, before a fragile voice rose from behind the veils. His speech sounded like he was about to cough, or maybe he was already coughing underneath the words. “Minseok, is that you?”
“Yes, Father. It’s me.” The young man made sure not to sit too close to the bed surrounded by a silky frame.
“Look at you, so youthful and healthy. To think that the great Kim Corporation will be resting upon your shoulders once the angel of death takes this old geezer away -- now that would be a peaceful death.” He stopped to take a deep, wheezing breath, and let it out in a series of coughs. “Have you found my daughter-in-law yet?”
The young man tensed at the question. A question without an answer, or rather, an answer that was not satisfying at all.
“No, Father. We’re still searching. Junmyeon has been a great help. I will check in on his progress after our meeting is done.”
“With the amount of work that your brother puts into finding her, it almost seems fitting to have those two married instead!” The man managed to chuckle out a couple laughs before more coughing took over him.
“Father, if I may ask,” the young man started, “Although I have no questions when it comes to you choosing her to marry into our family, I just want to know why it had to be her.”
“I thought you said you didn’t have any questions.” The old man caught his son’s eyes through the veil that divided them. Before his son could defend himself, he continued talking. “Very well. Might as well tell you the reason.
“On the surface, it’s a strategic move. A gesture to show our many peers and rivals - and the rest of the world, for that matter - that the great Kim Corporation is in good relations with the small towns surrounding our city.”
“So that’s it, then. A symbolic marriage. A power play. An extra chip on the table.”
“No, son, that’s not all. Maybe you would learn a thing or two if you could just listen without--”
A hacking cough overtook the man, and the many machines that he was hooked up to began beeping, indicating that something was wrong. Two nurses dashed into the room from their quarters, adjacent to the old man’s bedroom.
The young heir’s worry got worse as the beeping got louder and more rapid. Is this it? He thought to himself. Is this how I lose my father?
The frantic shouting between the two nurses eventually became a blur, so did his vision, as he took a few stumbling steps towards his father. No, this can’t be it. We can’t lose him now. We’re not ready to move forward. I can’t--
I can’t do this without him.
A coarse voice snapped him out of his hysteria. “Son--”
He ran to his father’s side. He didn’t give a damn about the horrid smell anymore. He had to be there for him. He had to--
“Son, l-listen to m-me...”
A thin stream of blood was trickling from his nose, drenching his white sheets in red. Ignoring his father’s blood-stained hands, the young man leapt to his side and held them in his own.
“I made a p-promise to Y/N’s f-father... I owed him--” The thin stream had doubled in width and speed, while the old man struggled to breathe, and his eyes were fighting to stay open. “L-Lee Soo-man... That’s his name... F-Find him!”
The old man took one last breath, and gave it out in a wheeze. “Find him...”
The heart monitor flatlined, and for a few moments, everyone and everything was frozen in place. The nurses looked at the young man with a mixture of sorrow, guilt, and exhaustion.
A single tear rolled down the young man’s cheek as his father was officially pronounced dead, their butler leading him out as the body got wrapped up to be taken away forever.
Your eyes trained on the words on the page through your rimmed glasses, emitting a yawn through your gaped mouth. It was a quiet morning as you spent it with a book in your reading room, nothing particular planned on your schedule for the day. It was smaller compared to the library, a sitting room with shelves of books surrounding your comfort chairs and single open window as you listened to the chirping of birds from outside.
You flipped the page with slight curiosity as to what was to come next in the chapter, but your mind was still wandering to other ideas.
“Victoria.”
You heard the scrambling shift of her feet against the floorboard behind you, her stuttering response answering you, “Yes!?”
“Tea.” you cooly commanded, eyes still glued to the page of the book in your hands. You could still see her from the corners of your eyes, hurriedly trying to pour a cup of tea for you while trying to be careful with the expensive porcelain that would indeed be difficult to replace.
She managed to hand you your teacup successfully without making a mess, smiling to herself happily with arms outstretched to you as you dropped your book onto the table stand next to you. You took the cup with fingers holding onto the handle, letting the cool porcelain press against your lips before you took a sip. The earl grey had grown warm but you didn’t bother telling her, a matter more important to you on your mind.
“Victoria, have you ever been to a party?”
Her eyes snapped with attention as she straightened up in front of you, hands clenching together as she hummed with thought.
“Only when I was younger my mistress, that was a long time ago, years ago-”
“How would you like to attend one with me?”
You didn’t think her eyes could grow any wider, her mouth dropping open as she immediately refused, “I could never! I’m too shabby looking compared to you mistress, what would they think of a maid attending a party with my mistress-”
“Are you refusing me, Victoria?”
Her mouth shut instantly as she dropped her gaze, like a scolded puppy who didn’t know any better. You set your teacup aside before getting up from your seat, your eyes examining her from top to bottom as you circled around.
“You would look amazing in some of the dresses I have.” you murmured mostly to yourself but the shift in her body didn’t go unnoticed. You glanced back up when you reached the front of her, a finger underneath her chin as you raised it up for her eyes to meet yours. You smiled adoringly, “I was invited to a party tonight, hosted by some promising partners who would be a valuable asset in the growth of my company. But you know how much I hate going to parties.”
You moved from her feigning worry with a sigh. “If I must go, I’ll go, but Kyungsoo makes it so boring for me. Always making me speak to the other guests and building rapur.”
You heard her open her mouth and stutter on a reply and you knew you got her, quickly returning back to her with a bright grin. “It would seem I might have some fun going with you Victoria. Call it, a girl’s night out?”
She was still stuttering over her words as your eyes bore into hers, not allowing her to break eye contact with you. You knew exactly how to break Victoria, but even more so on how to use her, which is why you knew she would never refuse you if you put her on the spot. And break she did, her uneasy gaze finally relenting into yours.
“I would be honored to accompany you, my mistress.”
*
The ballroom hall was filled with glittering candlelights along the chandeliers hanging above the mass of people. They were all high class individuals, dressed to impress for the evening event celebrating the union of outstanding businesses with successful revenue. You believed it was all bullshit quite honestly, sipping lightly from the champagne glass as your eyes wandered about the hall. It was an excuse for rich people to get together and brag about their companies, family names, and overall wealth they acquired from overworking lower class people.
You truly hated parties, but tonight was special. Tonight you didn’t have Kyungsoo to torment you into dancing or making ‘friends’ with the rats who only cared about having more money and popularity. You didn’t completely ignore the rodents though, keeping light conversation and earning a few points in getting invited to the next ladies brunch outing.
You wanted to hurry and wrap this night up all together, but there was something you planned to do if the moment arrived. That’s why a pleased smile formed on your face when you noticed her at the top of the marble staircase.
Before Victoria became your maid she was known as a mysterious beauty across the nation. Not many people got the chance to witness her grace and charm but she was sure to leave them absolutely stunned. Now she belonged in your hands, living to abide and serve only you.
She looked elegant in the black gown that initially belonged to you, making heads turn as she made her way down the steps. Her midnight black hair was slicked back falling down past her shoulder blades in gorgeous waves. Her makeup only accented her features more, with a red lip stain that was addictive to the eye. You applauded yourself silently with the fine work you’ve done, watching her make her way towards you in the sea of people with their attention on her.
Of course she was stopped many times, astonished men not being able to help themselves wanting a dance with her. She rejected all except one, an older gentleman far out of his league that she permitted with a chasting smile.
You scoffed to yourself at the way he rumbled with pride, courting her the whole night as he introduced her to his many acquaintances before they made their way through the room down to the hall that led to other private rooms. You continued to sip your champagne, enjoying the night through until you figured it was late enough. Kyungsoo must be missing you by now.
It was a long walk down the dark hallway, hearing the sound of a record player and deep laughter of men the closer you got to the door. You didn’t bother to knock, turning the knob and pushing the door open with your fingers as the noise quieted down upon your entrance.
You almost snorted, lips turning up in a sneer at the sight before you. “Uncle.”
The room was dark except for the few lighted candles that littered the tables, smoke hazing the room from the cigars each man had. You were able to spot Victoria in an obscene position, pushed against the table with hands all over her being pressured to take a drag from the cigar by the man you addressed. They were all taken back by your presence, removing themselves from Victoria as you leaned against the doorway with arms folded. “How are you? I see you’ve grown acquainted with my maid.”
Hushed murmurs and chuckles filled the room as your uncle stepped back from Victoria, taking a drag of the cigar he offered her before blowing the smoke out into the air.
“My niece, it isn’t polite to address people you mistaken as. Now if I had known you were here I would have properly greeted you-”
“Don’t say things you don’t mean. Then again you do love to talk nonsense.” you cut him off, tsking to yourself as you stepped into the room and towards the group of men. “You’ve been going around boasting on about my company and how well it’s been doing which is true, but I don’t remember ever giving you a share of my profits.”
The murmurs grew in volume, your uncle’s face falling by your words as you stepped in front of him. Your plan went exactly the way it should, putting your uncle in a corner he couldn’t get out of. You noticed some time ago that money was being withdrawn from your company’s bank account on numerous occasions, and the tellers all informed you that someone with your name was taking it out.
“You’ve been going around with these claims of teaching me since I was young and taking me under your wing when my family unfortunately died in that accident. And excuse my terrible memory, Victoria what was he saying?”
“I let her have the rights to the company’s fortune so she feels as if she’s accomplished her parents wishes.” Victoria repeated the words from memory of only a few moments ago before you arrived. You turned your attention back to your uncle who seemed to be at a loss for words, stumbling over his speech as you sighed.
“Everything that I built over time is in my name, and you dare go around spewing these jokes on how you mentored me? Please.” You stepped away and circled back towards the door, the horrible scent of the cigar getting to you.
“Let me formally introduce myself. I am ___, owner of Herbal Pharmaceuticals, the number one leading pharmacy in the country, and probably the reason keeping you old jackases alive.”
Only silence answered back as you noticed a few heads turn, ashamed to keep your gaze. Only your Uncle stood with rage in his eyes as he cackled with a gruff tone, “Shouldn’t you show more respect to your elders, dear?”
“Shouldn’t you show more respect to the richest in the room?” You challenged calmly, raising an eyebrow as you watched his face fall once more. “You’ve been stealing money from your poor little niece and stole my spotlight for some time now, Unc. And you along with the men in this room also conspired the death of my parents, jealousy over inheritance.”
His face was grim when you uttered the truth, his mouth falling open as he breathed, “Preposterous, there’s no evidence to prove that-”
“Kill them.”
Victoria’s movements were swift; the gleam of a knife swinging from a pocket attached to her leg and inserting into the neck of a victim closest to her. He made a gargled noise before blood pooled from his mouth and neck; Victoria made quick work of pulling the other hidden knife to slice another.
The screams began in that small room, a sinister smile on Victoria’s face as she began the killings.
“Prove to whom? I know what you did.” you muttered mostly to yourself, taking one last look at the sight unfolding before you turned on your heel to leave.
Your uncle backed away in disbelief, watching the slaughter being committed as he watched his colleagues fall one by one. His head spun in your direction, quickly racing to grab your arm. “Wait, you can’t do this to your own family!”
He heard something fall to the ground with a thud as he paused, watching you turn back to him with your attention aimed at the ground. He immediately felt the rush of nausea, his body trembling as he peered down to make out his forearm lying on the ground in a clean slice.
His head came back up, widened eyes staring at you in horror as you stared at him questioningly.
“What are you talking about? I never had one to begin with.”
Victoria was a mystery to the nation, showing up at coincidental occurrences of when an elite official would be pronounced dead. Other than being horrible at house chores, she was amazing when it came to drug usage, and an expert in weaponry. You were able to trust that they wouldn’t make it out that room by the time you left the party.
All stories will be rated T-M and indicated as such for teen audiences and mature audiences. The mature rating is used for any explicit sexual conduct being used in the story.
Angst = ⛈️
Fluff/romance = 🌺
Smutty themes = 🎉
~Reactions Masterlist Link~
LAST UPDATED: 28/07/2019
EXO Multi-Chaptered Series
~to be filled later~
- What Dating Xiumin Would Be Like 🌺 (T)
- Dancing With A Friend ⛈️ 🌺 (f2l AU) (T)
- Coffee Dates 🌺 (coffee shop date trope) (T)
- What Dating Suho Would Be Like 🌺 (T)
- My Beauty ⛈️ 🌺 (reassuring bf trope) (T)
- The Brave and the Brain (Harry Potter AU) 🌺 (T)
- Smoke and Mirrors: Part One, Part Two, Part Three ⛈️ (we have complicated love issues trope) (T)
- Talk Nerdy to Me (college AU) 🌺 (T)
~to be filled later~
- Innocent? Not So Much Darling 🌺🎉 (Baekhyun’s a perv and his friends divulge trope) (T)
- You Look Like the Girl of My Dreams 🌺 (police AU) (T)
- The One Behind The Shelves 🌺 (book store worker trope) (T)
- Stress Relief 🌺 🎉 (fun times after a long day trope) (T)
- You’re Fantastic, Baby 🌺 (he watches you dance and you don’t notice trope) (T)
- Stay With Me 🌺 (he catches you singing his song in the shower trope) (T)
- Tango Dancing in Seoul 🎉 (jealous/possessive bf trope) (T but almost M)
- This Isn’t Acting, it’s True Love 🌺 (’We Got Married’ AU) (T)
- Goodbye For Now ⛈️ (he leaves for tour trope) (T)
- What Dating Kai Would Be Like 🌺 (T)
- What Kind Of Smell Kai Prefers on His Girlfriend 🌺 (T)
- How Kai Would Show His Love to His Girlfriend 🌺 (T)
- Death of a Bachelor: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four (The Great Gatsby AU) ⛈️🌺🎉 (Hiatus Series; Incomplete) (T)
- I Just Wanted Bubble Tea But I Found You Instead 🌺 (coffee shop AU) (T)
Includes: kid chanbaek, a little bit of bullying and just pure fluff
Note: Happy Valentine's! This is a short fluff I had lying on my drafts for quite some time. I decided to post this since it matched my letter and did a bit of editing. This surely sucks, but I promise to make it up soon!
»»»»»
"You have such big ears. Are you...Yoda?"
The small boy muttered innocently as he stared at the giant in front of him.
The tall one had widened his eyes in surprise, shocked at how some random midget at the village playground stood in front of him just to tell him that.
"I-I'm sorry!" the small kid said while panicking, taking a step back as soon as he saw the taller boy come closer to to him with intimidating eyes.
"Are you one of them?" asked the taller. He shot a glare on the little kid, trying to mask his nervousness.
"W-what? Who?" the other asked curiously, his head slightly tilting despite being a little scared of the tall boy.
The giant looked away, but never dared to move a little. Well you see, Park Chanyeol is a kid from a wealthy household. But then, that did not exempt him from the awful bullies who kept teasing him about his ears.
He honestly learned to love them, since his parents and sister always told him that it is one of his assets, something that made him unique. Besides, he is too good looking and it never was a flaw in his appearance. It's just that some kids really liked to tease him. And of course, Chanyeol can't help but be hurt while other kids pointed fingers while laughing at him.
And right now, Chanyeol thought that this little midget came to laugh about his ears. Chanyeol can clearly knock this kid if he wanted, but he won't. He may look like an arrogant and scary kid, but he'd never hurt anyone physically. That's what his parents told him all the time.
"What? Are you gonna laugh at me? Are you gonna tease me?" Chanyeol asked as he sat on the bench, crossing his arms while his forehead formed a knot.
"H-huh? No! No! I just wanna...touch them" the smaller's face turned beet red while he looked at his own white sneakers to avoid being seen in an embarrassed state.
Chanyeol raised his eyebrow. The smaller actually said something but it was too soft that he wasn't able to hear it.
"What?"
"N-nothing." the small kid muttered.
He honestly wanted to run away as fast as he can, but he didn't. He can't. It seemed like he was frozen on the ground. His feet did not move even if his mind wanted to. He can't even raise his face and take his eyes away from his shoes.
"Tell me." Chanyeol insisted.
The smaller one shook his head aggressively. It was too hard that he got dizzy and lost his balance as he almost fell in to the ground.
He shut his eyes tightly, waiting for the painful sensation to take over his body. He waited for a few seconds but then he felt nothing...except for a strong arm wrapped around his body.
"What did you do? Are you hurt?" Chanyeol asked, his eyes full of concern.
The kid opened his eyes and blinked for a few times before stepping away from the taller's arms.
He shook his head once more, causing him to feel dizzy and almost lose his balance again.
"Hey! Stop shaking your head midget!" Chanyeol said which made the smaller flinch.
"M-midget? I'm not a midget!!!" the smaller one yelled, his face turning hot with anger and embarrassment.
"Whatever, midget." Chanyeol said, taking a seat once again.
He almost laughed when the smaller kid marched towards him while glaring at him furiously.
"Don't call me that!" he yelled.
"What do you want me to call you? Dwarf?"
"No! Call my name, okay!"
"I do not know your name. So I'll just call you midget."
"BYUN BAEKHYUN!" the smaller shouted, annoyed.
Baekhyun glared at Chanyeol while his face turned hot. But then Chanyeol let out a little smile as soon as he heard the other's name.
"Okay, Baekhyun. But you're still a midget."
"Whatever Yoda!"
Chanyeol then frowned, unhappy with the fact that maybe Baekhyun doesn't want to be his friend. That maybe Baekhyun just came to tease him, that maybe he had no hopes of having a friend. Ever.
Chanyeol looked away and stood up with his face painted with disappointment and sadness. He started to walk towards an empty tunnel in the playground but he had to stop when Baekhyun called his him.
"YODA!"
Chanyeol stopped on his tracks but did not look back. To his surprise, Baekhyun ran in front of him and handed his handkerchief.
"Y-you dropped this...And sorry for calling you Yoda. It's just that I don't know your name." Baekhyun said, almost turning the last sentence as a whisper.
Chanyeol's eyes turned to Baekhyun. There, he realized that he, himself was also like the kids who teased him and called him names to Baekhyun earlier. But then he didn't really mean to make Baekhyun feel bad though. He's just...cute.
He got his handkerchief before offering the smaller a handshake.
"Chanyeol. I'm Park Chanyeol."
Baekhyun's nervousness faded away and reached for the taller's hands, his eyes turning into crescents as he smiled widely.
"C-can I touch you ears? They're...cute." Baekhyun asked, shyly smiling at the taller.
Chanyeol can't believe what Baekhyun said, it was the first time somebody besides his family told him that his ears were cute.
"H-huh?"
Baekhyun shook his head while his eyes widened
"N-no! It's n-nothing. I'm sorry..."
Baekhyun chewed on his lower lip out of embarrassment when he felt a huge hand reach for his own. That's when he realized Chanyeol was now bending so he could reach his level while he grabbed Baekhyun's hand and placed it into his ears.
Baekhyun blinked repeatedly before giggling. He really found Chanyeol's "yoda" ears adorable.
"Are you my friend now?" Chanyeol asked with hopeful eyes.
Looking into Chanyeol's eyes, Baekhyun nodded as he showed off his widest smile.
"Of course! I promise I'll be your friend forever!"
The two were widely smiling at each other on the playground, happiness filling their bodies with the friendship they just formed
---
A clapped was heard all over the large room along with cute giggles from the twins, Seoeon and Seojeon.
"And that was how me and your Chanyeol samcheon met." Baekhyun said as he smiled while caressing Seoeon's hair
He looked at Chanyeol who was holding Seojeon dearly. They smiled at each other for a bit before Seoeon spoke.
"But Baekhyun samcheon, I think you're still a midget until now though..." he asked innocently.
Chanyeol immediately burst into laughters which was later on followed by the twins. Baekhyun just pouted while looking at the kid.
"Seoeon-ah! Give Chanyeol samcheon a high five!" Chanyeol said as he raises his right arm for a high five.
Seoeon giggled as he reached for the taller's arm, while Baekhyun maintained his frown.
"Seoeon-ah. I'm not that short though. It's just that your Chanyeol samcheon is very tall. Like a giant yoda." he said, obviously teasing the other.
"Kids, Baekhyun samcheon didn't grow tall because he didn't drink his milk when he was younger. That's why..." Chanyeol let go of Seojeon for a while to reach the glasses of milk on the table.
"Here you go! Drink up!" he said enthusiastically, which made the twins stand up as they excitedly grabbed the glasses and gulp it down.
Baekhyun's pout was replaced by a chuckle with the smooth timing of Chanyeol's action. He really made the twins drink it willingly when a few minutes ago, they didn't actually want to.
"Mr. Baekhyun and Chanyeol Pa--wow. You kids are drinking your milk happily for the first time!" Ha Myung, the lady who acts as the head of the orphanage said as he chuckled.
Seoeon and Seojeon nodded as they smiled.
"It's because Chanyeol samcheon said we need to drink this so we'll get tall." Seojeon said which Seoeon seconded with a nod.
Ha Myung just smiled, already feeling how Chanyeol and Baekhyun will be good parents.
"Well then you better stop calling them samcheon now, kids." she said, which made the kids alarmed.
"WHY?!" both of them whined at the same time.
"Because...your Baekhyun samcheon and Chanyeol samcheon will now be your Daddy! Mr. Baekhyun and Chanyeol Park, your adoption request had been granted. Congratulations!"
While the twins clapped and jumped in joy, Chanyeol turned to his midget's direction and pulled him into a tight embrace.
"Finally..." Baekhyun muttered, a smile plastered all over his face.
"Finally. I love you, midget." Chanyeol replied, placing a small peck on Baekhyun's head.
"I love you too, yoda." Baekhyun replied as he chuckled.
"WE LOVE YOU MORE, DADDIES!" the twins exclaimed in chorus as they joined the tight embrace shared by their new parents which earned a chuckle from the two as they wrap their arms lovingly at their kids.
This one was a bit harder to continue off of, so I have no idea what this is lol. Hope you like it.
~Hyejin
fluff and angst I guess
Mafia AU
This is a continuation of Exo mafia Reaction: Their wife running away again
After that kiss, after your realisation of what you really felt, you had locked yourself in your bedroom. The bedroom you shared. Sehun decided against just walking into the bedroom as if nothing had happened and instead let himself collapse on the large sofa. It was big and comfortable enough to function as a bed, not like he would care as he was truly exhausted. He took pillows and blankets galore, wrapping himself in them as he couldn't stop shivering. He really just wanted to go upstairs to you but at a certain point didn't even have the energy to do that anymore.
Around midnight, you carefully made your way downstairs to get a glass of water.
You attempted to stealthily make your way past Sehun on the couch, but were stopped half way as you heard the clattering of his teeth. You slowly made your way towards him. Not sure what was wrong.
"Sehun-ah!" You called silently as you went to sit on the couch, at his side. He seemed awake yet didn't answer, his eyes were half closed and he was shivering violently. "Sehun-ah." You called once more, shaking his shoulder lightly, but yet again you got no reaction. He was sweating heavily yet looked like he was freezing. You didn't think as you lifted the blanket so you could pull him close to you in attempt to warm him. You immediately felt him pull you closer as he snuggled up to you. "Sehun-ah, mianhada (I'm sorry), eh? I'm sorry Sehun-ah." You brushed your finger trough his hair in attempt to get him to fall asleep, and after a long while he finally did. At this moment you were slightly annoyed at the decision you made of only letting the maid come in the afternoon. In the early morning, when Sehun's breath had calmed, you carefully got out of his grip and went to make some rice porridge so he could eat once he woke up.
After wondering for a long time you decided you'd just call the maid to ask how he had been during your absence. apparently he had been rushing around, stressed and hopeless, not taking the time to eat or rest. Now that he had finally found you, and you had left the room, he had just collapsed, completely drained. You felt guilty, but couldn't change a thing, so you decided to just take care of him as much as you could.
You heard him stir and groan as he slowly woke up and you gathered the food you’d made for him before walking into the living room.
"Cha, I made you some food." you said in a fairly friendly tone which may have startled him. He watched your every move as you sat everything down before turning to him.
"Sehun-ah" You started, sitting down next to him "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so careless. I didn't know you'd be affected by me leaving, let alone be worried." your voice held a certain sincerity and it threw him off. He had never seen you this way, you were always sassy and grumpy.
"Aissi, just forget about it and leave me be will you." He hissed.
"Never." You smiled, leaving the platter of food on the coffee table and left so he could eat in peace.
After he ate you went to clean up, but you noticed he had left his spot on the sofa. You put everything back in it's rightful place and decided that you'd go see where Sehun was hiding out. Of course, he had merely just gone to the bedroom.
"Are you good?" You wondered, standing in the doorway. He nodded, a hoarse sound emanating from his throat. You went to get him a bottle of water, leaving it on his nightstand and heading back out. But your steps stilled as soon as you felt his hand brush against the skin of your wrist.
"Can you … stay?"
You simply nodded, a stoic expression still on you faces, and he let you join him in bed, his arms wrapping around you as yours did the same to him.
It felt oddly pleasant to be like this and the both of you fell asleep again.
Yet after you both got up and he was feeling better, the annoyed naging started once more.
Only this time around, there was a hint of humour hidden behind the words.
"God damn it Sehun, can you at least put a shirt on around the house."
"Only if you'll take your shirt off around the house." He smirked, earning a towel to the face.
cheeky
♥ Thanks for reading ♥
masterlist
please tell me if you find it annoying when I use Korean romanization in my stories. I just find some moments hard to express in English. I only use it with very common expressions so they're easy to derive from context and some of you might already know them. Just let me know if you want more or less of my random Korean and I'll keep it in mind :)
