Stars in the Sky (That Already Died)
Stars in the Sky (That Already Died) pt. 1
⤏ Pairing: Jungkook x Female!Reader
⤏ Genres: action, fantasy!au, angst, fluff.
⤏ Summary: the day the stars fell, one of them crash landed in front of your apartment. his name was Jungkook, and he was tasked with something much larger than your feeble human mind could ever comprehend. but he saved your life, and you were determined to spend the rest of it by his side.
⤏ Word count: 3,763
⤏ Notes and content warnings: lots of world building and original themes, monsters but not in the traditional sense, apocalyptic events, fighter jungkook, you have anxiety, minor wounds and depictions of violence
pls pls pls make sure to read the notes in this chapter and all future ones, as new arcs will come with new warnings (the main ones having to do with violence, panic attacks/anxiety, referenced character death, and smut) i will of course warn you guys in the actual chapters so you can decide if you'd be more comfortable just skipping the sections, or just not reading at all.
happy reading!! dm or reply if you'd like to be added to the taglist. <3
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AO3
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CHAPTER 1: Cygnus
Something heavy weighed in your heart when you woke up that day.
When you opened your blinds, the sky was painted a deep amber, nothing too unusual. LA, and SoCal in general, was infamous for its wildfires and air pollution, so you just sighed and turned on your air filter, trying to ignore the small voice in the back of your mind as you continued with your morning routine.
Hours passed and you even finished a few errands without anything happening, but that stupid feeling only grew stronger, gnawing at your insides. You thought about calling a friend to talk you through it, but decided that you would try everything in your power first before bothering anyone else.
You were placing a mug of water in the microwave to make tea when your phone wailed an ungodly siren, making you jolt and curse as you spilled a bit on the counter. But it still wasn’t until you saw the emergency notification that panic spiked in your chest.
Emergency Alert
AERONAUTICAL THREAT INBOUND. FIND SHELTER IMMEDIATELY AND REMAIN INSIDE. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. STAY ALERT. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.
You struggled to keep your hands steady as you opened your messages, a few texts from your friends already filtering in. Thoughts racing, your eyes scanned over their messages.
Ryujin
is everyone ok??
Lisa
everyone saw that alert right?
send updates on location. im at home
[Name]
in my apt
wtf does aeronautical threat mean
Jin
at work but at least i’m inside. they’re putting the building on lockdown
Ryujin
at my apt too. ik they said stay inside but i’m a 10 min walk from [Name] should i head over?
[Name]
a lot can happen in 10 min, just stay where you are. everyone keep ur devices charged and stay away from windows. love u guys.
Just as you pressed send, a loud boom shook your entire apartment, making you lose your footing. Your hand darted out to grab hold of the kitchen counter to steady yourself. The orange glow from the sky outside seemed to flicker for a few moments before completely disappearing, darkness flooding your apartment and blinding you. More booms echoed outside, but they sounded much further away than the first; you counted at least ten over the span of a few minutes. By now your legs had completely given out, your eyes squeezed shut and your back pressed against your stove, hand still gripping onto the counter for dear life.
For a few moments after the last explosion, all you could hear was the roar of your heartbeat and your erratic breathing. The possibility that this could be your end suddenly started to sink in, and your thoughts were surprisingly bland to be your last. All you could think was please, I don’t want to die. Please, please. You begged to someone you didn’t even know was listening, your thoughts projected out into the universe only to get lumped in with everyone else’s. There was no slideshow of your life like there was in the movies, no strange feeling of calm as you acknowledged your impending doom, because you refused to believe that this was it. You still had so much to do, so many people to meet, so many places to go–no matter how you looked at it, you weren’t ready. And obviously you knew that you couldn’t control that, so you hoped your pleading would reach the person who could.
The shriek that pierced the dark silence at that moment could be described as nothing other than bone-chilling, terror prickling at your skin and gnawing at the pit of your stomach. It sounded close by, but you had no real idea of knowing where it came from. A horrifying feeling crawled up the base of your spine and raised the hairs on the back of your neck, and your mouth went dry. You couldn’t explain it, but you just knew. Whatever was out there was coming for you next.
Ringing filled your ears as you tilted your head to peer out the window above you, terrified of what you would see. You couldn’t see much other than a faint white glow, one that you probably would’ve called ethereal under any other circumstance. You couldn’t find the willpower to avert your gaze, your eyes stuck on the window as the glow spread, spilling into your kitchen, illuminating you and your surroundings like a soft spotlight.
As the light beamed over you, a creature climbed in, strangely angelic with its long, platinum blonde hair, and skin so pale it was almost translucent. But then you saw its eyes, obsidian voids full of nothing except pure, concentrated evil, and you knew this was not an angel. You felt like you were trapped in your own body, unable to move or scream, like you were dreaming. Oh, if only this were just a nightmare.
The figure smiled, its mouth stained crimson with what you could only assume was blood, its teeth reminiscent of stalactites in a musty cave. You didn’t dare movc, breathe, or even blink. You barely even thought, but one word persisted: please.
It let out a terrible screech as it lunged for you, and you closed your eyes, bringing your arms up to shield your face. Pain erupted where its sharp claws grazed your skin, heat rushing to your wounds as blood oozed out of them. You managed to kick it off for a brief moment, and scrambled backwards to put distance between the two of you. It looked unfazed–possibly even amused–and brushed itself off, tilting its head at you. The light around it was almost blinding now, your entire apartment fully lit, and you could barely look at it straight on. But you knew that the second you looked away, it was the end.
“Wh-What are y-y-you?” you whimpered, your mouth quivering. “Why are you d-doing th-this?”
The smile on its face grew and it dropped down to all fours. Its voice was unbearably hoarse as it spoke, like nails on a chalkboard, “We are the solution.”
Your head whipped towards your patio door as it shattered, a body crashing through it and landing in your living room. The man whipped his head up from his crouched position, your chest swelling with relief as your eyes met his. You blinked and he had crossed over to where the monster was, his armored fist connecting with its head and sending it flying backwards and colliding with the wall. The creature didn’t have any time to recover before the man was on him, throwing powerful strikes into its body. You could hear the wall thudding and bones cracking with each hit, and you couldn’t help but cover your ears and look away. You noticed the light in the building flickering and getting dimmer everytime the monster took a blow, and you shut your eyes for a moment, focusing on your breathing to combat the dizziness you felt.
When you opened them again, the room was dark. You blinked a few times to adjust to the lack of light, and slowly uncovered your ears. The sound of labored, rhythmic breathing came from your kitchen, but you didn’t want to look just yet.
“... is it gone?” you whispered.
“Yes,” the man said, his voice softer than you anticipated. “You can look now.”
And as soon as the words left his mouth, your eyes were welling with tears, a sob punching you in the gut and throwing you to the ground. All the fear that built up in your body over the past who knows how long, probably only a few minutes, was finally being released. You struggled to breathe through your wails, your forehead pressed to the ground and your knees huddled to your chest as you grasped at the carpet. You hadn’t heard him walk over to you, but the sudden warmth on your shoulder alerted you of his presence, and your fingers reached out to weakly hold his.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered. “You’re safe.”
~*~
You could only bring yourself to turn on the table lamp, warm light dimly illuminating the living room and nothing past it. You knew there were still remnants of the fight in the kitchen that you didn’t want to see, so that was as much of your apartment that you were willing to make visible.
The stranger quietly walked over to you, holding your first aid kit and a blanket. You started blankly at the wall in front of you as he draped the blanket over your lap and sat beside you.
“May I?” he asked, and you only furrowed your brow slightly, gaze unmoving. “Your arm.”
You nodded, and he gently took hold of your wrist, placing your hand in his lap. You barely felt the sting of the alcohol on your wounds, the shock numbing your senses. Before you knew it you were all cleaned and bandaged, silence hanging in the air between you and the heroic stranger.
Your tongue darted out to wet your lips and you felt how chapped they were. Without you even saying anything, the man got up and went to your kitchen, opening your fridge. You winced at the sudden beam of light, turning away to tuck your face in your shoulder.
He returned and you took the water wordlessly, almost wanting to smile when you realized he had opened the bottle for you. Whoever this guy was, he was a gentleman. If you had met under any other circumstances, you’d probably be planning to take him out to dinner. Among other places.
“Thank you,” you croaked out after taking a few sips. You finally looked over at him and took in his features, and he looked right back at you, unwavering. He was handsome, with round eyes and a piercing on his pretty lips, another one through his right eyebrow. You could see a few on each ear as well. Your heart clenched when you saw a fresh wound on his cheek, and you instinctively brought your hand up to cradle his jaw.
He turned ever so slightly just so your skin wouldn’t touch his, but it wasn’t a harsh movement. Your hand dropped back into your lap. “Of course,” he said. “That’s why I’m here.”
“What is?” you asked. “What the hell is the reason for any of what’s happened today?”
He blinked, glancing in the direction of your kitchen. “I don’t know if I can tell you that.”
“Well then… who are you?”
“... I don’t know if I can tell you that, either.” His eyes returned back to you, his expression apologetic.
Uneasiness grew in your chest, your heartbeat getting too strong to ignore. “What can you tell me?”
His brow furrowed and his lips parted slightly as he thought about his response. “That you are safe, because I’m here. And I’ll stay for as long as you need me.”
You felt a pang in your chest at his words, suspicion and guilt bubbling in your gut. “Why did you save me? Do you have to go save other people?”
He shook his head. “I was assigned a mission, and I carried it out. Until I receive my next one, I can do whatever I want.”
“And what you want is… to be here, taking care of me.” You searched his eyes for any sort of answers, knowing you would find none but wanting to find any information at this point.
The corners of his mouth tilted upwards into a soft smile. “Yes.”
Your phone buzzed on the coffee table in front of you, the sudden noise making you jump. You reached forward to grab it, seeing Ryujin’s name on the screen.
“Hello?”
“[Name], are you okay?” her voice was shaking, and you gripped the blanket on your lap.
“I’m fine, are you? Do you need me to come get you?”
“N-No, I… I just wanted to hear your voice. You weren’t responding in the group chat, so…”
You gnawed at your bottom lip, debating whether or not you should tell her what happened. If all of you managed to make it out of this, fingers crossed, you would find some way to tell them after the fact. “I honestly didn’t even notice, I’m sorry. I was so scared I couldn’t really do or think about anything.”
“Okay,” she said, her voice small. You could hear faint barking in the background, so you at least knew she was still at home. “Did you hear the explosions, too?”
“I did. There haven’t been any for a good amount of time, though, so I think the worst is over.”
You felt movement next to you and looked over at the man to see him staring uneasily at the floor in front of him. Something about his expression made you anxious, and he snapped out of it as if he could tell what you were thinking. “Hey, uh, I’ll text you, okay?”
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing. Love you,” you said, your jaw clenching. You hated leaving her hanging when she needed you, but you were going to get the answers you all deserved. “I promise I’ll text.”
His expression was calm when you looked at him again, a stark contrast to the emotion you saw on his face just a few seconds ago. You thought about the best way to approach this, the most logical and successful method to accomplish what you needed to do.
“My name is [Name],” you said. The look on his face didn’t change, but you only hoped he was going to listen to what you had to say. “Do you have a name?”
He blinked at you, his mouth parting slightly before closing again. His eyes darted around the room for a brief second before resting on your face again. “Yes.”
“Can you tell me what it is?”
His eyelashes fluttered as he inhaled, something unreadable in his eyes. “... Jungkook.” His voice was steadier than you thought it would be, given his body language. His jaw tensed and he exhaled through his nose. You let the weight of his confession sink in for a bit of time as you two sat in your dim, oddly serene living room, the only things audible being your breathing and the soft whistle of the wind as it flowed in through your shattered patio door. Something in the air shifted when he made the decision to introduce himself, and the anxiety felt like a dagger was stuck in your throat. But you swallowed it down, and focused on what–who was right in front of you. That would have to be enough for now.
“Jungkook,” you repeated, testing it out on your tongue.
“You have questions.” There was no judgment in his voice as he said this, just a simple acknowledgement of your curiosity. “There’s a lot I won’t be able to answer, not yet.”
“When will you be able to? Are you waiting for something?”
He offered a small nod. “I answer to someone very powerful. I want to give you your answers, believe me. I understand what this situation must feel like from your perspective. But I need you to know that you are safe now.”
How many times has he said those same words now? Your mind suddenly transported you back to the dangerous moment you were just in, the grating voice of the monster scraping in your ears. “That thing from earlier… it said something to me.”
Jungkook’s expression darkened, and you swallowed thickly. “It told me… it said it was the solution. Well, it said ‘we.’ Which means there are more of them, right?” Tears burned at the back of your eyes as you thought about your friends, your neighbors, everyone you’ve ever been in contact with. The scream you heard before the light appeared. “You saved me, but what about everyone else? Are there more of you?”
“Yes.” That was all he was willing to say, and you were too defeated to press.
“Well.” You sniffled, wiping away the lonely tear that dripped down your jaw. You were tired of crying, tired of this day, tired of the danger. You would get your answers later. “Are they all as hot as you are?”
He laughed, and you were grateful for the sound. “They’re pretty hot, yeah.”
“Damn.” You nodded in approval. “I guess I can’t be complaining too much about having almost died, since you came to save me.”
His hand reached out to hold yours, his touch warm and firm over your fingers that you didn’t realize were shaking. “You should probably text your friends, right? C’mon, I’ll clean up out here, and you go get some rest.”
You bit your lip as you nodded, not wanting to think about what “clean up” meant.
~*~
The girl staring back at you in the foggy mirror was tired. Her eyes were rimmed red, wet hair sticking to her cheeks. You hadn’t seen her in a while, and she was not a happy sight.
The scratches on your arm weren’t very deep, but they were an angry color, and inflamed slightly. After you re-dressed them, you had to close your eyes for a moment, having stared at them a bit too long. You clenched your fist, nails digging into the palm of your hand in an attempt to ground yourself. The pink half-moons left in their place stung slightly, not enough to disrupt your raging thoughts, and your eyes snapped open. You slammed the door behind you as you rushed out of there, the humid air from your hot shower too thick for your lungs to breathe in properly.
There were over 100 texts waiting for you when you checked your phone.
Jin
I literally cant see anything in here. the generators arent working. one of my coworkers jumped and we could hear the thud guys im fucking sick
Your hand flew to your face as you read the message, sweat pricking at the nape of your neck as you struggled to breathe through the nausea. You were scared to read more, but you also felt obligated to in order to determine whether or not your friends were safe.
Ryujin
holy shit Jin thats awful im so sorry
also my dog wont stop barking but theres nothing outside, i cant see or hear anything its freaking me out
Lisa
does anyone else see like a blob of white light?
Your heart plummeted to your feet as you read her message. It was sent 4 minutes ago. No one responded to her since. Your body started moving before you knew what you were doing, swinging your bedroom door open and rushing into the living room. Jungkook’s eyebrows knitted together at the sight of you, distressed and panting.
“My friend–I think my friend is being attacked, she said she saw a white light just like the one I saw, please save her, I need you to save her, please–” Your breath stuttered when you realized he wasn’t doing anything, wasn’t reacting in any sort of way. “Jungkook?”
“I can’t… do that.” He shook his head, guilt etched into his features.
“What the fuck does that mean?” you choked out. “You’re here to fight those things, right? Isn’t that your ‘mission’?”
He shook his head, and you gritted your teeth. “It’s not that simple, [Name].”
“Then I’ll do it myself, and you can leave.” You tried to storm past him to grab your keys on the counter, but he grabbed your wrist. You twisted your arm out of his grip, and he quickly latched back on, this time holding your bandaged area and reopening the wound. “Ah!” you winced, pain running up your entire arm.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said. “But I can’t let you leave.”
You looked at him through glossy eyes, but your tears weren’t from sadness. Your face burned from the anger coursing through your veins. His guilty, dejected expression was really starting to piss you off. Your voice was icy when you spoke again, “You either help my friend, or let me go so I can do it myself.”
“If I help your friend, mine will die. And so will I.” You knew he wasn’t lying. And it didn’t make it better, didn’t make you less angry at him, but you understood. “If you leave, you will die. There’s no outcome if we take action where no one dies.”
But who will guarantee that Lisa doesn’t die? You punched the counter with your free arm, the frustration too much to contain. Over and over again, you slammed your fist against the marble, before eventually collapsing against Jungkook, who held the back of your head as you soaked his shirt with your tears. You weakly hit his chest, even though you knew you couldn’t make it hurt half as much as yours did. Eventually his grip on your arm loosened, and you jerked it away from him, cradling it with your other hand.
As soon as you were able to stop crying, you broke out of his arms and turned away from him, roughly wiping away your tears. The two of you stood there in silence for a beat until he spoke softly, “Can I look at your arm?”
“No,” you said, still not looking at him. “I think you should go.”
You went to your room first, not daring to look back at him. When you closed the door behind you, you sank down to the floor, hugging your knees to your chest. The brightness from your phone screen in your otherwise pitch black room made you squint a bit at first, but your eyes adjusted quickly.
[Name]
don’t go towards the light.
Lisa
i didn’t. it just went away after a bit. glad to hear from u
If you had any tears left, they would be pouring out right now. But you didn’t, so the most you could do was heave a sigh of relief.
Emergency Alert
THREAT ERADICATED. REMAIN INSIDE UNTIL THE ALL CLEAR. DO NOT TALK TO STRANGERS. CALL 9-1-1 IF YOU NEED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.
Just as you finished reading the alert, you heard the soft click of a door closing come from outside your bedroom. You hadn’t expected him to stay, but you’d be lying if you said a part of you didn’t wish he had.
The same feeling you had in the back of your head this morning told you this wouldn’t be the last you’d see of him, though. And today taught you not to ignore it.
















