asteroids, stars, and everything in between. - js park
prompt: idol!jisung meets a fan during a trip to the science museum but his curiosity feeds him something more—the existence of life outside earth and her mission to find and save her own kind.
genre: fluff, romance, angst, fantasy, sci-fi, idol!jisung x fan!reader, strangers to friends!au, etc.
a/n: this is a prompt i thought of last night, somewhat inspired by the lorien legacies. i still don't know when i'll be writing this though, but hopefully soon!
“You do know you called us asteroids, right?” I ask him, arms crossed with one eyebrow up.
“Well, I’m the star.” Jisung laughs. “There’s something so peculiar about space that I can’t stop wondering about it. Visiting this museum gives me comfort for some reason. Imagine if there really is life outside earth. That would be so cool!”
He’s so happy talking about something so familiar to me, it makes me want to tell him about this “something” I’ve kept for so long.
“Do you want to hear a secret?” I whisper to his ear.
“Sure, what is it?” he says, closing his eyes and cupping his right ear, showing he’s ready to listen.
Summary: You work at Neo City Aquarium. One night, you meet a peculiar but pretty boy named Chenle who claims to know you.
Pairing: Merman! Chenle x female reader
Genre: romance, fluff, angst
Warning: none
Word Count: 5.5k
(A/N: hiya! This is a little late and not proofread so I apologize 😭 I hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for all of the support for our stories!)
_______
[June 2020]
Your family was well known for their rehabilitation and release program at Neo City Aquarium. Your grandparents founded the aquarium and formed ties with wildlife rehabilitation centers in your hometown to expand their work into rescuing local marine life.
Following your high school graduation and having just turned eighteen, you were finally allowed to participate in dolphin rehabilitation. At the beginning of the summer, you joined your parents on a rescue mission to save a dolphin that'd been stabbed in a failed hunt for its meat.
You were tasked with nursing the dolphin’s wounds with the team of veterinarians and veterinary assistants. Socializing with wildlife animals wasn’t encouraged but you found yourself attached to the dolphin. You got to swim him when the rehab staff wanted to check his energy levels and confirm he was near his re-release into the ocean. You named him Happy for his smile and he was affection towards you whenever you fed him fish. Naming him Happy was a secret you shared only with him.
“Are you excited for your first dolphin release?” Hendery asked.
Joining Hendery, you entered into the dolphin pen at the beach, where Happy and three more dolphins were waiting to be released. Hendery was a college student who was interning with the rehab team.
You nodded. “Yes.” You were about to cry.
Hendery’s smiled faded. “What’s wrong?”
You couldn’t wipe your eyes because you’d been immersed in saltwater. You weren’t about to miss this release because you got salt in your eye. “Nothing. It’s just...I’m going to miss him.”
Hendery laughed. “I get it. My first release was emotional. Lucas, an intern from last year, had to hold me while I sobbed, begging the dolphins to come back and visit.”
You sniffled and smiled. “That’s so sweet.”
Hendery put a hand on your shoulder. “You’re okay. Happy is eternally grateful to you.”
“Yeah...I- Wait, how did you know I named him-”
“Your voice carries,” Hendery teased.
You splashed him. “Did you tell anyone?”
Hendery shook his head. “Don’t be embarrassed. I named these guys: Jisung, Sungchan, and Shotaro.”
“Those are human names!” You gasped.
Hendery raised an eyebrow. “Of all the names you could give a majestic dolphin...You named him Happy?”
“Okay, fine. To each their own.” You shrugged him off.
You were in charge of opening the pen that would grant the dolphins their freedom. These releases were so important because these animals were wild, meant to be free to explore the ocean to their hearts’ content. Because of global warming, people’s constant neglect for the environment, and animal cruelty, animals like Happy were negatively affected. Your family’s mission was to educate and rehabilitate. You planned to carry this mission on because the environment’s troubles weren’t going to go away for a long time, you were sad to say.
Releasing the dolphins meant that they would get a second chance to live freely and happily. You hoped no one and nothing would hurt them again.
As much as it pained you to say goodbye to these patients...They weren’t patients anymore.
“Okay, guys,” you addressed the dolphins, “It’s time to go home.”
You opened the pen and the dolphins quickly rushed out. They jumped into the air and whistled.
Happy was the only one who lingered and looked at you.
“Go on, Happy!” You encouraged him. Your tears fell but you were ecstatic. This was such a fulfilling moment.
Happy dove beneath the surface and joined the rest of the dolphins into the deep ocean.
_______
[July 2020]
When you weren’t at the rehab center, you worked at the aquarium as a tour guide. You were giving a tour for the governor and his family. Your family hoped to get more government funding for the aquarium so you could expand the rehabilitation center.
The kids were so wide-eyed and happy to be at the aquarium, seeing the fishes of all kinds of colors and the whale shark that loomed overhead.
The governor was hosting a private party at the aquarium tonight. The Neo City Aquarium boasted monthly sleepovers for anyone who wanted to sleep with the fishes...
Literally, not figuratively.
The children ran around while the adults mingled at the buffet area that was set up for their party. You helped run the event with your parents. Your mom was helping out with the caterers. Your dad was schmoozing with the state’s elite.
You took a break and walked through the underwater tunnel. You stole some champagne from the party and sipped it lightly.
Someone tapped you on the shoulder and you almost spilled your champagne on the floor. “Agh!”
You turned around and found a boy who grinned from ear to ear. Donning a cerulean tux, he was handsome. He had soulful brown eyes, a boyish smile, an unforgettable eye smile, and his soft, straight brown hair that nearly reached his eyes. He couldn’t have been much older than you.
“C-can I help you?” You winced, feeling like you were caught doing something you shouldn’t have.
“Y/n, it’s me!” The boy said enthusiastically. He couldn’t believe he was here with you.
You frowned. “I’m sorry...I don’t…”
His smile faded but it returned full force as he tried to convince you. “It’s me, Happy!”
“Huh?” You tilted your head in confusion. “How do you know about Happy?”
He said it slowly, “I am Happy…”
“Well, I’m glad to hear that...If you’ll excuse me…” You weren’t getting anywhere with this guy, even if he was your type from a physical standpoint.
He lightly touched your arm. “You saved a dolphin off of the Nakamoto Coast two months ago…”
Now you were listening.
He let you go and explained. “I know that this is going to sound crazy but I was the one you saved that day.”
You furrowed your brows. “What are you talking about…”
“The dolphin you saved has a scar on his underside. It’s shaped like a lightning bolt, almost…” He raised his shirt to reveal his lower abdomen. “Like this…”
It was shaped exactly like Happy’s scar. You dropped your champagne flute. It was a good thing it was made out of reusable plastic. “I…”
He offered you his hand. “Please come with me.”
“Where?” You hesitated.
“To the beach,” he said, “I want to prove to you that I’m not lying.”
You shot him a look. “You better not be. If Hendery put you up to this…”
“You can tell him that Jisung, Sungchan, and Shotaro send their love...I’ve met them in my travels. They liked their human given names so much that they kept them,” he said.
How the hell did he know about those three dolphins?
Now you were curious.
You’d excused yourself from the party. Your mom was thrilled because she thought you finally landed a boyfriend at the ripe old age of eighteen. Like you didn’t have the rest of your life to find a partner. That’s even if you needed one.
The aquarium was located right on the beach so you didn’t have to walk very far. You took off your heels and held the pair on your left hand. Chenle took off his blue dress shoes and did the same. His look had been one color, matching the deepest ocean blue.
You’d reached the shore, where the water reached your toes. “You’re gonna try and drown me here, aren’t you?”
He laughed. “Are you kidding? You are the last person I would drown.”
Did that mean he was capable of drowning people? You laughed nervously. “Thanks?”
He wasted no time and ran into the water with his suit on.
You started. “Wait, dude, what are you-”
The water began to glow a bright aqua green. You squint your eyes to see where the boy had gone. The light faded quickly and instead you saw a dolphin tail break the surface.
The boy who brought you here had just turned into a dolphin.
He was telling the truth: he was Happy.
You put a hand over your mouth and simply watched. He jumped into the air and made clicking noises.
“Happy?!” You exclaimed.
Once again, the beam of light appeared. It was brighter that you had to shield your eyes. Happy was gone and the boy’s upper body reappeared.
Along with an aqua green fish tail.
“I...I…” You started.
He made his way back onto shore and regained his nightwear as a human. He was back on two legs again. “I know you named me Happy...It’s a nickname I’ll always treasure in my heart. But my name is Chenle,” the boy said...
Excuse you, the merman said.
“You’re...you’re a merman…” You said.
“Yes…”
“But...you’re also a dolphin…” Your head was about to explode.
“I can transform into any aquatic being...Well, except for clownfish...I can never get the right shade of orange for them…” He started.
You shook your head. “If you were a merman...then why didn’t you transform back...all the time you were here?”
You started remembering just how much you’d told Happy...Chenle...about your life, your aspirations, about how some of your friends were moving away for college, and how you hoped you wouldn’t let your family down…You even made goofy faces at this guy.
You turned away from him in embarrassment.
Chenle continued. “The attack severely injured me...Had it not been for you and your family…I would’ve perished. I did not have the strength to transform back until you released me.”
“Oh…” You said.
He smiled. “I can’t thank you enough. You saved my life.”
You shook your head. “Oh, I didn’t do anything. The doctors and the rehab staff did everything.”
“But you were with me,” he said as he laced his fingers against yours without you realizing it. “You were the one who cared the most. The one whose face hasn’t left my mind since I was released…”
Your face felt warm. “Well, I…”
This was crazy. First, Happy was a dolphin. Then, Happy was a man. And THEN, Happy was a merman.
Someone must have laced your champagne with something. You passed out from the shock of it all.
“Y/n!” Chenle yelled as he caught you from hitting the sand.
A few minutes later, you felt like you’d awoken from a deep, uncomfortable slumber. You felt yourself wrapped in the arms of someone strong, warm…
Wet.
Your eyes opened and you found yourself in the water. What the-
“You’re awake! Thank Poseidon!” Chenle said as his arms were wrapped around you. He looked down at you, drops of water falling off of his slicked back hair. He looked absolutely glorious under the moonlight.
“Chenle, what are you-” You started as you shrugged yourself off of him.
Chenle shushed you. “Y/n, take it easy. I used some of my healing magic to help you wake up…”
“Healing magic?” You asked.
Chenle nodded. “Yes.”
You looked at him carefully. “I can’t believe you’re real…”
He sighed. “Really? You still don’t believe me…”
“No, I believe you...It’s just…A lot for me to process.” You said.
You still wondered if you were losing your mind.
You and Chenle talked for hours that night. He actually used magic to dry you and your dress. He was able to walk on land because of the full moon. That was why it took him a month to come see you and explain himself.
Chenle was the prince of the underwater kingdom, Atlantis. The mythical kingdom had proven to be real. Chenle told you all about it. How his parents ruled the seven seas in harmony. The merpeople had all sorts of abilities. They can transform into other marine life. They can heal. They can control the weather. They can manipulate water.
It was during the full moon every month that merfolk had the opportunity to walk on land to understand humans and their lifestyle. Chenle turned eighteen last year so he’d explored the human world a couple of times already. He was able to learn how to walk after the first couple of visits, apparently.
It was his first time visiting your hometown after being rescued. He’d only wanted to see you because you’d been so kind to him. He knew everything about you and he’d fallen in love. He couldn’t wait to see you again.
“So you’re a prince…” You started.
“Yes…” He answered.
“Then how come your...royal subjects didn’t come and find you?” You asked.
Chenle chuckled. “Actually, they watched me from afar…”
“What? Really?”
Now that you thought about it...You remembered pods of dolphins close to the shore the entire month Chenle had been at the rehab center.
“Yes...And they were relieved to see that I was in good hands. The entire kingdom wishes to invite your team down to the palace to bestow medals of honor to each of you.”
“Wow,” you said, “That’s...incredible...Too bad, we can’t breathe underwater or else I’d be the first to join you.”
He hesitated before he asked you the next question. “Actually...If you did wish to see Atlantis...I could make that happen.”
You gasped. “What?!”
He laughed. “Yes. So long as I’m in saltwater, I can use my magic.”
“I’ve noticed…” You said.
“y/n!” Your father called out to you.
Apparently, he’d been kept out of the loop about your “date”.
“Dad!” You started as you got up from the sand.
“Who is this boy?” He demanded as he walked over to you guys with his loafers still on.
Shocked at your father’s hostility, you said, “Dad! It’s Ha-”
You turned to Chenle and he raised his eyebrows.
“This is Chenle, my-”
Chenle continued, “I’m her friend from school.” He got up from the sand and stood beside you. His demeanor changed then. “It is nice to meet you, sir.” He extended his hand out and gave your father a firm handshake.
Chenle acted like he’d been fully employed with an MBA and a six-figure salary. That must’ve been his prince personality coming out.
Your dad was taken aback by how confident Chenle had been. “It’s nice to meet you, too...May I ask why you and my daughter are out here so late?”
Chenle continued, “I apologize, sir. I hadn’t seen her in a month...And I missed her so I came to see her.” He looked at you then, a meaningful look on his face. You knew he was being honest and you felt your heart sway, then.
Your father cleared his throat. “Well, that’s very nice of you, Chenle but...it’s 2 in the morning...It’s time you called it a night, you two.”
You both looked at each other then, disappointed. It wasn’t like you could call Chenle up on his phone. You wondered if technology could factor into Atlantis...Or if they even needed it. You doubted it.
“Okay, dad,” you said, “Do you mind?” You motioned for him to leave you and Chenle for a few minutes.
Your dad shot you a look, feeling quite overprotective of his only child. He relented when you gave him the same unwavering look. “Alright. Good evening, Chenle.”
Chenle nodded and your dad walked away.
“So much for the trip to Atlantis,” you said as you crossed your arms in disappointment.
“Next time,” Chenle said, smiling down at you, adoring the way you pouted.
_______
[October 2020]
You met Chenle at the beach at nightfall several times since the night you first met at the aquarium. It was your turn to get to know Chenle more since he knew most things about you with you knowing.
He admitted to some embarrassing secrets, like how, during one of the times he visited land, he’d talked to a betta fish in a tank located inside a convenience store and everyone looked at him like he was insane. But what was most embarrassing for him was that he failed to realize that he couldn’t communicate with freshwater fish.
Chenle was courageous and kind. He told you that the reason he turned into a dolphin the day you found him was because he’d gone to help rescue a pod of dolphins from being hunted. In the process, he’d been struck. A Good Samaritan reported his injuries to the rehab center and that was how you met.
Chenle was second in line for the throne for his older brother would soon be crowned king of Atlantis.
Today was the day you would go to Atlantis with Chenle.
“Are you ready?” He asked.
You replied, “I...think so…”
You both held hands as you stood in the water together.
“Trust me,” he said as he winked.
You sighed. Chenle explained and showed his process for helping you breathe underwater.
Chenle had the ability to create an air bubble shaped to your person that surrounded you and kept your oxygen intake high.
In August, you’d tested the air bubble 12 feet under the surface and in September you worked your way up to 1200 feet under the surface.
Each time, it worked seamlessly.
However, you were going thousands of feet underwater so you were freaking out a little. You tried to not show it.
Chenle took your face into his hands. “You’re safe with me.”
You nodded, meeting his beautiful eyes as they glowed the same aqua green from the first night he revealed his true self to you.
You both dived down and Chenle extended his hands out, enveloping you with the clear air bubble.
You were able to maneuver yourself with your legs, like you were the one who swam.
Diving down with Chenle was always an adventure but now that you dove deeper and faster, you saw more of the wildlife and greenery underwater. The ocean was a force to be reckoned with but to you, it was also the most beautiful part of this planet.
Holding Chenle’s hand, he controlled the speed in which you traveled. He wanted to entertain you with the most gorgeous sights the ocean offered. He loved the awe and admiration in your eyes. He wished to always make you happy.
Chenle moved you two faster because your hometown was hundreds of miles away from Atlantis. You two didn’t have a lot of time until sunrise when you needed to get back.
And Chenle would have to retreat. Humans couldn’t know of the merfolk’s existence.
You finally saw it: the kingdom of Atlantis. The buildings stood tall, looking almost like modern-day apartment buildings. The merfolks swam alongside fish and other deep sea creatures. As the people recognized Chenle, a group of armed mermen approached you two.
“Who is this, Your Highness?” One of the armed guards asked.
He continued, “Jaehyun, this is y/n.”
At the sound of your name, all of the guards bowed deeply before you. “y/n, the savior of our prince.”
You put a hand over your mouth. “Oh, no, please don’t do that…”
Chenle laughed. “Alright, let’s go greet my parents.”
“Wait, you parents?!” You exclaimed. Chenle never mentioned meeting his parents.
The guards escorted you to the palace doors. They were heavily guarded by the biggest jellyfish you’d ever seen so no one could break in or break out without getting severely injured. The doors opened and the castle was beyond your wildest dreams. It was translucent and the towers ran high, shaped like icicles. It glowed with a magic of its own with all colors of the rainbow glowing, depending on the angle from which you looked at the structure.
You entered into the palace and into the grand throne room where the king and queen of Atlantis stood. Chenle was the spitting image of his mother. It was in the eyes and the smile.
You bowed. “Your Majesties.”
The queen and king looked at you in adoration.
“We can not express our gratitude enough for saving our son,” the king said.
The queen continued, “Whatever your wish is, we can make it so.”
“Oh,” you said, shaking your head, “That’s okay...In fact, I wasn’t the only one who helped the prince...I don’t deserve anything.”
Chenle looked at you then with so much love and respect. “You deserve the world, y/n.”
You nearly choked. “Chenle...I mean, Your Highness, I-”
Another young man entered the throne room and greeted Chenle by rubbing the crown of his head. “Little brother, you’ve brought a girl home to mummy!”
“Kun, gah, knock it off!” Chenle asked as he pulled himself off of his brother.
Kun resembled his father more but he was also handsome. You realized he was the crown prince and bowed. “Your Highness.”
“Y/n, it is an honor to finally meet you. I’m amazed that the wedding festivities haven’t begun.”
“Wedding?!” You asked and shut your mouth, thinking you spoke out of turn.
Kun and his parents laughed. Chenle sighed. “You’ll have to excuse Kun. He has a flair for the dramatic.”
Once you finished your time with the royal family, Chenle took you to the highest point in the castle. You two looked over the palace. You could see the darkness of the deep blue sea that laid beyond.
“Chenle, this is nothing at all like I imagined it. It’s...a dream,” you said.
Chenle held your hand. “You’re a dream, y/n.” He took it and kissed it.
_______
[December 2020]
You haven't seen Chenle since your visit to the kingdom. Every night that you could visit him, he was never there. You started to wonder if something had happened to him.
You even started to wonder if you’d dreamed his existence this whole time. You cried to sleep some nights, missing him. Longing to see him again.
It was New Year’s morning a few hours before daybreak that you sat alone on the beach, resolute that this would be the last time you would wait for him.
That was when he appeared.
“y/n…” He started.
“Chenle, what happened?” You asked. “I thought you-” You broke down in tears on the shoreline.
It wasn’t a full moon that night so he couldn’t run up to you and hold you like he’d wanted to do since last he saw you.
“y/n...Kun… he died,” Chenle said, trying to fight back his tears. As he was not the crown prince, he had an image to maintain of being strong for his subjects. Strong for his parents.
But with you, he broke down. Hard. Kun died during his travels along the eastern continent. He’d been intoxicated from an oil spill. His body was recovered by the royal guards and he’d had a royal funeral. The kingdom has been in mourning since then.
You didn’t care if you got soaked. You ran into the water and held him. You cried with him. Because of the negligence of your people, marine life suffered. That always pained you but to see it hit so close to home now, you were livid.
You held each other for as long as you could. Daybreak would occur anytime now but you imagined that most people would be at home asleep, nursing hangovers or recovering from being up all hours of the night. You wanted to be with Chenle for as long as you could help it.
“Chenle...what does this mean for you?” You asked.
He sighed. “I am the crown prince and...y/n...I will be wed.”
You pulled yourself away from Chenle’s embrace. “What?”
“It is the custom of my people. My parents are stepping down from the throne. As the crown prince, I must get married and produce a royal heir.”
You put a hand over your mouth. Marriage and a baby? You’d only finished your first semester of college. Chenle was on his way to becoming a king, a husband, and a father.
Now, you had to shove down your growing feelings for Chenle. Because you’d fallen hard. And now this was the sign you needed to know that you two had been from completely different worlds. It would never have worked out.
So you swallowed your pride and said, “I understand...You came to say goodbye.”
Chenle’s eyes widened. “What? Goodbye?”
Your eyes become glassy. You tried so hard to keep yourself from crying. “You’re spoken for...And I’m sure your wife will not be keen on you coming up to see a human woman…”
“y/n-” Chenle began as he tried to hold you again.
You moved away from him. “Don’t. Please.”
Chenle put his arms down and looked at how defeated you looked. He wanted nothing more than to make you his wife. You would’ve been his first choice in the long run but now that Kun had passed, he was crown prince and with that position, there were responsibilities.
He had originally planned to wait until you were both older to ask for your hand in marriage and try to convince you to live with him in the palace...Somehow...But he knew that you belonged to the land...He could never ask that of you. So he kept his dreams to himself. He simply enjoyed being in the moment with you.
But, you were right, he realized. He couldn’t be with you like this anymore.
Chenle cried before you. “I’m so sorry, y/n...I love you.”
You froze. “What?”
“I’ve loved you since the moment you made that dolphin noise…” You both remembered your first days together, when Chenle had been Happy the dolphin. You were playing around with the other interns and you tried to make a dolphin noise to get Happy’s attention. Everyone laughed at your impersonation and you covered your face in embarrassment. Chenle thought you were adorable.
“Chenle, I love you, too,” you said. You started falling for him the day he appeared to you at the aquarium. But you fell for him when he showed you the ocean, told you his stories, and made you laugh. You both showed each other the best of your worlds and you hated that this was how you would part.
Chenle held your face and you wrapped your arms around him. You kissed each other for the longest time before you bade each other farewell.
_______
[July 2036]
It was moonrise. The sun had just set and night had fallen. You walked hand in hand with your four year old son. You walked along the shore you’d ingrained into your memory. The shore where you met with Chenle so many times. You hadn’t seen him since your last farewell so this beach once again became a happier place to be.
“Mommy! Mermaid! Mermaid!” Your son pointed out to the ocean.
“Sweetie, that’s probably a dolphin,” you said as you looked out into the water and recognized an aqua green fish tail.
Your heart nearly stopped.
Chenle, older and more handsome, swam closer to the shore and watched you. You looked just as beautiful as he’d met you. You had a more determined and confident look in your eyes. You become who you were meant to be. He could see it.
“Mommy, that’s a mermaid!” Your son said.
“Chenle,” you started.
Chenle walked out of the water, now in his human form.
“Wow!” Your son exclaimed.
“Just like your mother,” Chenle said to your son as he knelt down to greet him. “What’s your name?”
“Finn,” he said.
“Hi, Finn. My name is Chenle.”
“Hi, Chenle!” Finn said.
Chenle got up and met your shocked expression with his radiant smile. “It’s been a long time.”
You nodded. “It has.”
“Have you been well?” He asked.
You nodded. “Have you?”
“Yes,” he said, “Shall we sit?”
You and Chenle sat together with Finn playing right beside you. Chenle told you he’d married the daughter of one of the family’s royal advisers. She’d never loved Chenle either. They both entered the marriage as partners for the sake of the kingdom. They produced seven heirs, seven daughters.
Chenle’s wife had a lover, a man she’d loved since before she’d married. She’d told Chenle about him. Chenle also took on a couple of lovers over the years but you were all he thought about.
You’d done what you set out to do. You graduated college with a degree in marine biology. You went to veterinary school and graduated with high honors. Now, you were the leading veterinarian at Neo City Aquarium’s Rehabilitation Center. You’d met your husband Jeno through a mutual friend. You two hit it off, dated for three years, got married, and had Finn.
Chenle surprised you with the news that the condition of the ocean had improved in the years since you’d met. It was because of generous people like you who advocated for the respect of the seas that Chenle and his people could help their kingdom thrive. The temperature of the ocean overall had improved and oil spills and pollution were the lowest they’d ever been.
You two were happy in certain ways. But it pained Chenle to see you’d been happy with another man. A part of him that he hated so much wished you’d waited for him. It was a selfish desire but he couldn’t help it.
You knew from long ago that waiting for Chenle was a dream that you could never entertain so you pushed forward with your ambitions. You wanted to do what you could to protect the ocean. You loved it as much as Chenle had. It showed in your work with marine life and in your advocacy to combat climate change.
“Mommy, where is Daddy?” Finn asked.
You remembered that Jeno would be here at any moment. You checked your texts and Jeno told you he’d pick you and Finn up in ten minutes.
“Ten minutes, sweetie. That’s soon. Let’s get ready to go,” you said. You looked at Chenle’s eyes. You knew this was another farewell. Even if it was less devastating than the first. Both of you still harbored a little bit of pain over what could’ve been.
“Goodbye, y/n.”
“Goodbye, Chenle.”
“I’m happy that you’re happy,” he said.
“I’m happy that you’re happy,” you echoed.
He gave you a beautiful, polished conch shell. “Perhaps you can make a necklace out of it. I want you to have it. It’s a gift from my parents and I.”
It was a beautiful shade of cream with traces of pink. “Thank you.”
Giving you one last longing look, Chenle got back into the water and smiled at you before he dove into the water again. A tear escaped your eye but you quickly wiped it away.
[July 2076]
Your children had their own children now. You and Jeno had divorced when Finn was 19, Dylan was 17, and Kai was 14. You split on amicable terms. You simply fell out of love with each other. Jeno could always tell you couldn’t get over your first love. No matter how hard you tried.
What gave you joy was your children. And like you, they’d all been invested in the aquarium and the center. They kept the legacy on.
Your daughter Kai had gotten married today at the beach. Everyone was celebrating on the makeshift dance floor on the sand. You stood at the shoreline alone, feeling the water hit your toes. You enjoyed the sensation every time.
You saw his aqua green tail. You couldn’t believe it. You must’ve been seeing things. You’d recently retired. You were as bright and alert as that of a healthy fifty year old’s but perhaps your eyes were now deceiving you. You had been in your seventies, after all.
Chenle, as gray as you were but as handsome as he’d been the first time you saw him, beamed at you.
You told your kids about Chenle. Finn remembered meeting him. Your eldest son knew it wasn’t in his imagination so he begged you to tell him about Chenle, Atlantis, and the ocean. Kai and Dylan had also been curious. Now your three children watched as you met eyes with Chenle.
Your three kids walked over to you. Kai put her hand on your shoulder. “Mom...go be with him. We support you.”
“But Kai...Your babies…” You started. You didn’t want to leave your children so abruptly. Even if they were older now and independent, you wanted to be there for them in whatever they needed.
“My daughter is my first and last, I promise you that. You promise to come visit, right?” Kai laughed. She’d had her daughter with another man a few years before her marriage today. She’d named her daughter after you.
Dylan started, “Mom...You’ve given us so much love and support...We want you to go after what you want. Who you want.”
You fought back a sob and hugged your children. “I love you three. You are the loves of my life.”
“We love you, too,” Dylan said, wiping his tears with his jacket sleeve.
Finn waved at Chenle. “Hi, Chenle! I knew you were real!”
Chenle laughed. “Hi, Finn!”
You hugged your children tightly and walked into the water. Chenle had his arms wide open for you and enveloped yourself into his embrace. With his magic, you became a mermaid. You sported a radiant fuchsia tail. You both waved to your children before you dived deep into what always felt like home.
ghouls just wanna have fun (A Creature Feature Story)
A Taeil fic that’s part of our Halloween Series!
Summary: After your date ends up being a dud, you stumbled upon an unusual movie theater and its most appealing visitor, Moon Taeil.
Pairing: Ghost! Taeil x female reader
Genre: romance, angst, pinch of smut, drama, fantasy, horror
Word Count: 7k
Warnings: gore mention, death mention, smut: masturbation mention
(A/N: Hi! Special shoutout to the Creature Feature readers. I love you...It’s almost one year to the day that I posted Part 1 (I know: where the hell is the rest of it?). Rest assured, the series will continue in November. This Halloween series has gotten me out of my funk. I hope you enjoy this story. And to newcomers, welcome! This story can be read alone, if you'd like, but I think you’d enjoy this more if you read my Creature Feature updates! Anyways: SHOUTOUT TO MY BEST FRIEND AND PARTNER IN CRIME/WRITING KRYS. SHE CREATED ANOTHER SPECTACULAR MOODBOARD FOR ME. SHE’S MADE SEVERAL FOR ME. AND I AM SO SPOILED. HER BRILLIANT BRAIN AND VISION DESERVE ALL OF THE LOVE. SEND IT HER WAY. We hope you enjoy this installment and our upcoming posts! Thank you for all of the love in our stories so far!
___
“Jaebum, I’m not going. Let me off here,” you demanded.
Well, tonight was just fantastic. Fan-freaking-tastic.
Your date that your friends set you up with ended up being a bust. He wanted to take you to a house party so he can get high and you could be his side piece for the night. Your friends were all in committed relationships and they thought you were bummed because you felt single and bitter.
No, you were just bummed at the fact that your friends had blown you off too many times for their significant others. That was the actual problem.
But they were doing better with you, you had to admit. They spent more time with you as their honeymoon stages with their significant others had finally dwindled. The set-up was supposed to be for fun.
They even thought that this date could open doors for you.
Doors to what? Well, it ended up being to the stench of weed in the back of Jaebum’s old Sonata.
Jaebum’s car, which included his two stoner friends Jinyoung and Yugyeom, came to a halt at a red light near a plaza.
“You want to leave, y/n? Then here’s your stop,” Jaebum said.
You raised your eyebrows. “You’re kidding me, right?”
Jaebum shrugged. “Take it or leave it. I got places to go.” His friends muttered over how uncool you were. The least this jerk could’ve done was take you back home.
You rolled your eyes. “Fine. Go to hell.”
The car sped off as you stood near the plaza entrance. It was getting colder as midnight approached. So you decided to wait outside of an abandoned Spirit Halloween store so your Uber could pick you up from there. You walked towards the plaza and suddenly…
Bright lights appeared before you that you quickly shut your eyes. You blinked them open, wondering what just transpired when you realized...
There was an active movie theater there, with a giant sign surrounded by bright light bulbs. It read “Sinema”.
What the hell, you thought.
You walked closer and closer and saw people coming in and out of the theater. And then...oh, wow, you really had lost your mind. Little human-like creatures of different colors were flying around the entrance...They were fairies! Their pixie fairy dust landed on your shoulders. You picked off the dust that had fallen on the shoulder of your dress. The texture reminded you of Cheeto dust. It was hard to get off. You were certain your black dress was permanently stained.
Then, a man walked past you and transformed into a large purple dragon before your very eyes. He blew out fire within a few feet from you, you yelped. He set off for the sky and vanished. After, another group of men walked past you, flashing their vampire teeth as they laughed about something. They were all stunning but the one with wavy electric blue hair was the real showstopper. You couldn’t think that too long as people that looked bright and transparent walked towards you.
You thought they were going to bump into you so you said. “Hello? Watch where you’re going!”
But they walked right through you and kept going. Seemed like they got that kind of comment a lot.
You blinked a few times. Did that just happen? Were those...ghosts?
A young woman in her red and navy blue uniform appeared before you. She smiled. “Welcome to Sinema, the premier theater for the supernatural! My name is Haseul. You look like you have a lot of questions. Is this your first time here?”
“I...I…” You started. “Is this really happening?”
She laughed. “Yes...All supernatural creatures and their approved companions are welcome here!”
You frowned. “There must be some mistake. I’m not a supernatural creature.”
Haseul pulled out her phone. “Your name?”
“Uh...y/n y/l/n…” You said. “Wait, why did I say that?” You answered her without even thinking. It was like she compelled you to do what she asked.
She winked. “It’s a special little skill of mine. It’s a part of the job.” She scrolled through an app on her phone. “Well, you’re not a part of the approved human companions list so...You have to be supernatural!”
You gaped. “That’s funny…This is a joke, right? Some kind of Halloween event? Well, you’re a few months too late…”
Haseul shook her head. “Oh, no, this is no reenactment. This is the real deal. Allow me to escort you inside.”
You weren’t sure if that was a good idea but you were curious. You followed her inside.
The movie theater was elegant and modern. The latest video games were available at the arcade. The concession stand was huge. It had to be with the number of creatures that were lined up for snacks. The theater was three stories high. Posters for the latest movies were up. The music that played overhead consisted of songs from the 70s, 80s, and more. Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” was playing. Sinema seemed like any regular theater.
Well, except for the supernatural creatures, of course.
“What is this place?” You asked Haseul. “This can’t be real...I’ve been drugged. Jaebum got something in my system and I’m hallucinating. That has to be it.”
Haseul gave you a confused look. “This place is very real, y/n. I know it might be a hard pill to swallow but you belong here. To the supernatural world. A part of you is connected to this world. I’m not sure why it took you so long to discover that but...you’re here now.”
Haseul’s phone rang and she answered. “Yeah, boss?...Okay, I’ll stop calling you that...Oh? I see. Well, have fun with your boyfriend…” She teased. She hung up and she continued, “Well, y/n, I must be going but if you need anything, you can reach out to anyone who is wearing this uniform.” She showed off her uniform. She looked like a very casual flight attendant. The navy blue skirt was very flattering on her. Her white blouse had a red tie over it. Her name tag had her name written in her own elegant cursive.
“W-wait…” You started.
Haseul gave you a reassuring smile. “You can stay or leave, y/n. No one is keeping you here. But know that you’re always welcome here at Sinema. We hope to see you again.” She walked off to resume working, you thought.
You stood there, confused over what to do. Going to the movies hadn’t been in the cards for you tonight. Much less finding out that the supernatural existed in the same world you did.
Unless this was a parallel world, which just made your head spin even more.
Deciding to stay, you went back out to the main entrance to buy tickets. You heard growls among the chatter of people that stood in line before you. All kinds of creatures stood in front of you: werewolves, selkies, fairies, kitsunes, and more. You felt like the only outsider. For everyone else seemed to know their place…
According to Haseul, the only reason you could access this place was because you were a supernatural creature. And that...that just couldn’t be true. Sure you were adopted but you never displayed any kind of power or ability that would indicate you were a creature.
It was impossible, you thought. A striking young man with long silver hair stood behind you and you could feel his eyes on the back of your head. He was tall and muscular. You wondered what kind of creature he was or if he was actually a companion like Haseul described. You turned to him and his stare never wavered.
“Can I help you?” You asked.
He blinked a few times to snap out of it. “I’m sorry...I zoned out…” He tipped an imaginary hat. “It’s your turn.”
“Miss?” The employee at the ticket stand asked. Like the young man behind you, she seemed human. However, the red tint in her eyes told you otherwise. You wondered what she could be.
“Oh, uh... A ticket to ‘Spider-Man: The New Kid’, please,” you said.
“That’ll be 12.50,” the employee replied.
Even if this was a movie theater for the supernatural, they certainly charged like a regular theater did. You paid the employee and got your ticket. The ticket stub was actually very beautiful. It was holographic so you could collect these stubs like trading cards, if you wanted.
You hung around too long so the silver-haired boy approached you.
He smiled at you. “Hello.”
You smiled, a little uneasy. “Hi…”
“First time at Sinema?” He asked. The man was stunning with his high cheekbones and dangerous dark eyes. A devil-may-care smile that must have won over a few women.
You nodded. “Is it that obvious?”
“The look of horror on your face hasn’t faded,” he said, chuckling.
You sighed. “Yeah...Well, I’m still pretty stunned.”
He said, “Well, you’ll get used to it eventually. Something about you makes you belong to this world, right? Do you know what it is?” His eyes widened.
It was almost as if he knew the answer. But if you didn’t know, how could he?
You sighed. “I couldn’t tell you. Maybe I’m just a fluke.”
“Oh, I have to disagree…” He started.
A ghost materialized right beside you. He stood closer to you and stared down the silver-haired man. Even if he was a ghost, he was the most alluring man you’d ever seen. Although translucent, his features were striking and not to be ignored. His undercut that accentuated his face so well was bright red, like rubies. His ears were decorated with crescent moon studs. He wore a navy button down and black slacks, like he was dressed for a hot date. His tan skin cast an ethereal glow. “Yuta, give the girl some air. She just discovered she’s not human.”
The silver-haired man named Yuta sighed. “Do you ever stay out of people’s business?”
The ghost rolled his eyes. “Do you?”
You averted your eyes from them and looked at the concessions menu. Hmmm, the Sour Patch Bats looked promising, you thought. You started, “I’m gonna go.”
Yuta was about to call your name again but the ghost boy raised his hand to stop him. “You’re already messing around here too much. Leave her alone.”
Yuta rolled his eyes. “I don’t have to listen to you. I’m the alpha.”
The ghost boy made faces as he imitated Yuta’s voice. “I’m the alpha. I eat the hearts of my enemies for breakfast. I’m Yuta.”
Yuta growled and it was so animalistic that you wondered if he was going to transform into the creature he most likely was. Your money was on him being a werewolf.
Yuta stormed off and returned to his posse of gorgeous and muscular people. They all watched you and you wondered what was so fascinating about you.
The ghost boy followed you as you got in line for concessions. “What’s your name?”
“Y/n...Yours?” You looked into his soulful eyes.
He smiled. “I’m Taeil. The eyes and ears of Sinema. And you’re new.”
“Yup...And I have no idea who I am or what the world is anymore…Well, it’s time for a snack.”
Taeil chuckled. “The Sour Patch bats are really popular but they sell out fast.”
An employee at the concession stand announced over the intercom. “Sorry, folks. The Sour Patch Bats are sold out.”
Everyone groaned and moaned and growled and wailed. Even you couldn’t help the tiny huff of disappointment that escaped your lips.
Taeil sighed. “Well, lucky for you y/n. I’m friends with the manager of this joint.”
You raised your eyebrows. “Oh, are you?”
He smirked. “I know where she keeps her secret stash of Sour Patch Bats. Now she normally hides those away for her boyfriend but I’m sure she won’t miss one bag…”
Taeil led you upstairs to the manager’s office.
You frowned. “Are you sure we can be here?”
Taeil winked. “Nope. But she owes me.”
Taeil moved himself through the front door and unlocked the door from the inside. You entered the office and found a bouquet of flowers on the manager’s desk.
“How did you touch…”
He cleared his throat like he’d debated what he was going to say. “With most of my strength, y/n...Anything to impress the prettiest girl to set foot in Sinema.”
Although your concept of ghosts was completely debunked (ghosts could indeed touch inanimate objects), your face warmed up at that comment. You tried changing the subject. “Taeil, maybe this is a bad idea…”
He shook his head as he stuck his hand through the manager’s desk drawer and rummaged around before he grabbed a bag of the popular candy. He threw it over to you. You caught it.
You opened the bag and ate the bat-shaped sour gummies of lime, orange, lemon, and cherry. They were the best candy you’d ever tasted and until tonight, you’d been deprived of their existence.
Your eyes grew. “These are...Oh my God.”
Taeil smiled knowingly. “I knew you’d like them. See, the supernatural world isn’t so bad, is it?”
You were touched. He was being so kind and attentive. So quickly, too. “No, I guess not…”
His beautiful lips curved upwards as he watched you enjoy the candy.
“What movie are you going to see?” He asked.
“Well, Taeil, I thought you were the eyes and ears of this place. You should know,” you teased.
He laughed. “Well, I don’t. Is it an oldie? Sinema plays throwback movies every week to appease the masses.”
You shook your head. “I’m watching the new Spider-Man. The new actor they picked is supposed to be above all of his predecessors so I’m excited.”
Taeil asked. “Can I join you?”
You pretended to deliberate. “Well, you have supplied me with sustenance so how could I say no?”
Taeil usually kept to himself, occasionally confiding in his best friend. He really was the eyes and ears of the theater. He knew of all the romantic entanglements that transpired. The current feuds between species. And more.
Typically, he was stuck facing his demons and never quite got past the last thing he needed to overcome in order to ascend to heaven.
He’d sought justice so what was holding him back?
And at the sight of you, he felt an ease in his heart that he hadn’t felt since he was alive.
___
Your first night at Sinema was the first of many where you and Taeil bonded and enjoyed each other’s company. You went to the theater every weekend and met up with him. You’d see a movie together and talk about it for hours on end. He’d even sometimes accompany you back to your dorm. And even if you could see him...no one else in the human realm could. So you would have to pretend you were on the phone when you talked to Taeil. Even as he sat closely beside you. Longing to hold your hand.
You wondered just how many creatures hid from you in plain sight. Some of them could masquerade as humans and you’d never know it. That terrified and excited you.
You loved Taeil’s sense of humor, how he showered you with free movie tickets and concessions (courtesy of his best friend’s connections), his wit, his smile, the goofy, fascinated look he gave you when you spoke.
You always wanted to push back his hair and slap his arm when he teased you. And you wondered what those soft red lips would feel like on yours.
But you couldn’t.
The most wonderful person you’d ever met.
And he was an apparition.
As for Taeil, well, he loved everything about you. Your mind. Your curiosity of the world. Your inability to shut away the unknown completely. The way you adapted to Sinema so quickly. The way you looked at him.
He was convinced that you also wanted to kiss him.
It killed you both, honestly.
You told him you were in your senior year of college. You were getting a degree as a nutritionist but you felt unsure about what you would pursue after college. You felt like nothing got your heart racing. You were just going through the motions, making your parents proud. They’d given so much to you so you didn’t want to disappoint them. So you figured getting a steady paying job was a step in the right direction and maybe one day you’d figure out your passion...and how to capitalize off of it.
Taeil could tell you were frustrated and lost and he wished you didn’t feel so down. He saw the light in your eyes. You had a whole future ahead of you. You would find your dream job someday, meet a man, settle down, have his children, and grow old together.
And him? Well, maybe at that point, he would finally have moved on.
Before meeting you, he was fixated on getting even with the man who murdered him and the woman who betrayed him and got the ball rolling.
He told you all about it...Originally, he didn’t want to because the details were too gruesome. But you’d been honest with him so it was the least he could do for you. He told you about his life in the west coast town of Luna, where he aspired to be a producer and songwriter. And he told you about how his life came to an abrupt end.
Taeil’s killer had been none other than Jung Jaehyun, the man whom his girlfriend had cheated on him with. Jaehyun was a member of one of Luna’s most notorious gangs and he detested Taeil. Taeil’s girlfriend, Lexa, didn’t know how to break up with Taeil so she could be with Jaehyun. She was frustrated because Taeil was so sweet and giving. He was so good to her that Lexa chickened out and never broke up with him. She was getting frustrated and Jaehyun was getting even angrier.
One of the nights that Lexa spent with Jaehyun, she let it slip that she wished there was a way she could get rid of Taeil. And Jaehyun was more than happy to oblige.
Jaehyun and his men cornered Taeil one night. He thought he was meeting Lexa for their 300 day anniversary. He got a text from her phone saying to meet her on the rooftop of the Nectarine Hotel because she had a surprise for him.
However, she was nowhere to be seen. Jaehyun took Taeil by surprise and pushed him off of the twenty story luxury hotel.
Jaehyun’s men lingered downstairs and made sure there were no witnesses on the scene. All evidence of Taeil’s death had been covered up. Taeil’s family and friends reported Taeil as a missing person. Lexa had also disappeared off of the face of the Earth. And many wondered if she and Taeil had disappeared to start anew.
That couldn’t have been further from the truth. Jaehyun, Lexa, and his men disposed of Taeil’s body off underneath an overpass. They’d buried his body and washed their cleans of him.
Taeil always thought about whether or not an afterlife existed. When he hit the ground from his fall, everything went black. The roaring pain all over his body that hit him for one moment...Quickly vanished at the next.
Taeil opened his eyes again and instead of seeing Downtown Luna...Only white surrounded him. Surrounded by golden specks.
An angel appeared before him with stunning peach-colored wings. The angel shined so brightly that Taeil couldn’t make out their face. They spoke softly… “Moon Taeil...Born June 14, 1994...Died October 22, 2018.”
Taeil sobbed then. “Please, is there any way you can save me?”
The angel sighed. “My poor child...You’ve been wronged. I want to give you the opportunity to seek justice...And once you have seeked justice and found peace, you can ascend into Heaven and join us. Our Heavenly Father awaits you.”
Before Taeil could respond, he became a ghost. He manifested into another town he couldn’t recognize. It was the city of Mystic. Jaehyun lived a life of luxury and terrorized the new city with his gang. And who reigned right beside him in a God-awful bubblegum pink wig?
The woman he’d loved and planned to propose to: Lexa.
Lexa played around with the buttons on Jaehyun’s designed shirt as she quietly thanked him for killing Taeil. And Jaehyun murmured back a thank you for giving him the idea and for suggesting a good hiding place for his remains.
Taeil felt sick to his stomach. The love he felt for Lexa had quickly shifted into hatred. And Taeil wanted revenge. He wanted to take them both down. But how, he wondered.
It took him a few more months to figure out how exactly he could enact revenge on them. Haunting them for a few weeks was a thrill but he wanted Jaehyun behind bars. And Lexa? Well, Taeil just wanted her to drown in guilt.
And then, Taeil found Sinema, a supernatural hub in the seemingly typical town of Mystic. Taeil struck a deal with the vampires to help them dig up his body. They in turn compelled the police to find his remains and track down Jaehyun.
Taeil owed the vampires a few months of haunting humans who had deceived them when they were once humans. So both parties were happy.
Taeil decided to spare Lexa from prison. Instead, her family, her friends, and everyone from Luna shunned her for having a hand in Taeil’s murder. Although she was never charged, she was as good as guilty as Jaehyun and his men.
Lexa remained in Mystic in a run-down apartment, barely making ends meet. The luxuries she was able to afford before, because of Taeil and then because of Jaehyun, were no longer accessible to her so she lived a life full of resentment.
But Taeil visited her many nights to remind her that more than anything, she should’ve felt guilt and remorse for what she’d done to him.
How she convinced him that he’d found happiness in her. How she made him out to be a fool. And how she discarded him like a piece of trash.
Lexa’s mind slowly unraveled over time and the guilt slowly consumed her each time.
Taeil ate it all up. This felt like justice and he didn’t want to ascend just yet. He wanted Lexa to get on her knees and pray to God for forgiveness for what she’d done to Taeil.
But that day hadn’t come. So Taeil frequented her apartment at night...Having Lexa think she dreamed of him as she slept.
One late Saturday night...going into Sunday morning, Taeil waited with you at the bench for your Uber to arrive to take you back to your dorm. Sometimes he accompanied you to the dorm and talked to you. You’d have to pretend you were on the phone so your Uber driver didn’t think you were talking to an imaginary friend.
Tonight, though, he wouldn’t be taking you home.
You asked, “Are you going to see her now?”
Taeil froze. “What?”
You wondered aloud, “Lexa...Do you haunt her on the weekends too?”
“Not recently, actually...I’ve been seeing her less.”
You smiled. “Taeil, that’s great. It means you’re getting over her.”
Taeil glared. “I don’t need to get over her. I despise her.”
Your smile vanished. “I know that. It’s just-”
He shot back, “Just what?”
You looked down at your hands and played with your fingers. “It’s just...You’ve sought justice...Jaehyun is rotting in a jail cell...Lexa is guilty over what she’s done...And...I hate to say this...But I think if you stop going to see her...There’s a chance you can finally ascend.”
He looked taken aback at your words. “I can ascend whenever I want.”
You lifted an eyebrow. “Really?”
Taeil looked even more annoyed as he sneered. “Absolutely. Excuse me for wanting to spend a little more time with you before I leave forever.”
His words infuriated you. “Taeil, you...I’m not the reason you want to stay...You’re hung up on your ex. Even if it’s not in the romantic sense...You’re fixated on terrorizing her until what? She begs for forgiveness?”
“And what the hell is wrong with that?”
“Taeil, you’re meant to find peace. You have to let her go.”
“Well, y/n, thank you for your opinion. I never asked for it but it’s certainly never stopped you...Have a safe trip back to your dorm.”
“Fine! Manifest yourself back to me when you get a grip.” You crossed your arms around your chest in anger. He was unbelievable. You were right. He just wouldn’t let go. He wouldn’t give up on seeing that...that wretched bitch.
Why did you let this piss you off so much and why were you overstepping...You had no right…
Perhaps it was because you’d fallen for Taeil and seeing him jeopardize his fate over this woman infuriated you like nothing else had.
The full moon was out that night and you couldn’t help but yell in fury at the sky.
Someone crept up behind you and with his claws, he scratched deeply into your collarbone. “Hey, what the fuck?!”
You turned around to find a werewolf before you. It was a literal wolf on two legs. His muscles protruded like that of a man’s but they were so large...You knew he could easily snap your neck with a quick movement of his hands. His tawny coat shined in the moonlight. His brown eyes watched you, expectantly.
You were about to get on your knees and beg for mercy.
You saw a group of people lingering beside the werewolf. You remembered them. They were a part of Yuta’s pack.
“Yuta?” You finally connected the dots and realized the wolf who scratched you was Yuta. You hadn’t seen him since that first time.
He had been a werewolf, after all. But why had he transformed? Why was he here? Why had he done this to you?
You winced slightly at the scrapes and monitored them as they quickly vanished. You couldn’t believe your eyes.
Yuta’s fur vanished as he transformed back into his human self. He was shirtless but his pair of jeans remained on. “Y/n, I wanted to confirm something…”
You frowned. “What?”
“The scratch of the alpha is borderline lethal to any outsider of the pack...So any pack member or...descendant of that pack member can heal from his bite…”
You laughed nervously, confused. You wanted to get the hell out of here. Where the bloody hell was your Uber? “Uh...That’s interesting, I guess.”
“Can’t you see, y/n? I’m the alpha of the Nakamoto clan. You’ve healed from my scratches...Which means…”
You demanded, “What does it mean?”
“It means you are a descendant of this clan, y/n…”
You shook your head. “No...That’s...Impossible. I’m not a werewolf…”
“You were adopted at five months, y/n...Your parents perished in a war against the vampires...Your parents led normal lives as humans for as long as they could...Much to the disappointment of my father.”
“Yuta, you don’t know what you’re saying…”
“I do, y/n. The pack and I have uncovered everything about you and your family history. You’re a werewolf. An unawakened one.”
“No…”
“Explain how your bite healed. The only way you could enter Sinema of your own accord is if you possessed supernatural blood. And werewolf blood is as supernatural as it gets.”
“Yuta, please, you’ve got the wrong person...I don’t know why you bit me and why it healed. Maybe it’s some magic trick you pulled off to please your pack...I’ve had a shitty night so if you don’t mind, I’d like to go home,” you said, checking your phone for the arrival of your Uber. It was arriving.
“Y/n!”
The Uber pulled up and you turned to him. “Just leave me alone.”
___
You visited your parents the next day. You asked them about where they’d adopted you from. They’d always been very mum about the details.
“Someone told me something crazy the other day,” you said to them as the three of you shared dinner with your adopted younger siblings.
Your parents both looked at each other, concerned.
“He said my biological parents were werewolves!” You laughed in disbelief. “How crazy is that?”
Your parents eyed each other again.
Your mom started, “Who is this man?”
“Mom, I believe the proper response is ‘That man is crazy. Where did he get that kind of story?’”
You knew your parents were hiding something and you wanted to hear the truth from them.
Your father scratched his neck as he took off his glasses. Your younger siblings all eyed each other uncomfortably.
“Why aren’t you guys saying anything?” You asked.
Your dad said, “Y/n...We hoped for you to never find out.”
You shook your head in disbelief. “Dad, you’re scaring me...Find out what?”
Your parents went on to tell you about the incidents you had when you turned eleven. After you’d had your first period, you began to experience terrible mood swings and throw tantrums left and right around the time the full moon occurred. And when you turned thirteen and the first full moon following your birthday occurred…
You’d attacked a neighbor who was walking their dog.
You’d grown teeth and hair all over your body that night. You’d become a wolf, according to your parents.
Once the night had ended, you’d transformed into a human again and fallen asleep.
Your neighbors never knew that it had been you. Your parents helped your attacked neighbor get to a hospital and they reported an animal attack in the neighborhood. Your neighbor couldn’t remember anything.
But her dog never forgot and hated you.
Your parents got a hold of the adoption agency and they had no information on your birth parents besides their names. Your parents then got in touch with a psychic, who referred them to a witch. They took you to the witch and she told them you were an unawakened werewolf. You were a fledgling. Unless you received the bite of an alpha werewolf and acquired your position in the pack, you were susceptible to these monthly full moon transformations and since you hadn’t been awakened, it would be even worse and dangerous for those around you. So the witch concocted a potion that would suppress your fledgling urges but it was critical that you consumed it each month.
Which explained why your parents were always so adamant for you to come home every month for dinner. They put the potion in your dinner. So you were able to suppress your urges up until this point.
Could this be the reason why you felt so unfulfilled? Because you never explored your true nature? Your parents never gave you the choice to control it.
Your parents had good intentions but you had the option to meet the pack all of these years...And you never knew.
You’d always felt like a part of you had been missing and your trip to Sinema had done the trick to lead you to the truth.
___
Back in your dorm and without having ingested the potion your parents had given, you’d only had a few days until the full moon. You were resolved to speak to Yuta.
You’d gotten out of the shower, letting out a shaky breath from all of the bundled up nerves you carried. You were shocked to find Taeil standing in your common room that you shared with your roommates. They were all away for the day.
“Taeil!” You started as you covered your towel more tightly around you.
“I heard,” Taeil started, worry etched all over his face, “If I could kill Yuta, I would…”
“Taeil, I’m going to him,” you started.
“What?” He asked.
“I’m going to be awakened by him.”
He looked at you in disbelief. “Y/n, what are you-”
“I’m an unawakened werewolf, Taeil. My biological parents were werewolves and if I don’t receive the official bite of the alpha, I’m going to suffer by the influence of the full moon.”
“Y/n, the full moon is in two weeks!”
“I know…” You said.
Taeil sighed. “Y/n, you have a chance to be away from the supernatural world. To avoid the dangers of these creatures. I know humans are terrible, deceitful, and cruel...But the supernatural doesn’t fare better. You didn’t grow up in this world. It could consume you and spit you right back out…”
You were resolved, though. You longed to explore more of the world and to embrace the part of you that had always been neglected. “Taeil, I’ve made my decision. My family has respected it. And I hope you will, too.”
A tear escaped Taeil’s eye. “Y/n, I’m so sorry. If I hadn’t left you alone…”
You shook your head as you wished to embrace him. “Taeil, this isn’t on you. This opened my eyes. My path is more defined now...Who knows what awaits me once I awaken? That’s for me to find out.”
Taeil extended his hand out and pretended to caress your face. “There’s nothing I can say to make you change your mind, is there?”
“No,” you said, as you leaned closer to his transparent hand.
He smiled weakly. “Y/n, I’ve thought a lot about it and you were right...I’ve given up on visiting Lexa.”
You opened your mouth wide. “Really?”
Taeil avoided your stare as he stared at the potted plant by the window. “I...wanted to stay longer but...we’re both meant to part ways...And I’m not happy...Terrorizing Lexa hasn’t given me any sense of fulfillment. Temporary pleasure? Yes...But I long to find that peace.”
You cried. “Taeil, I’m so happy to hear that. And you will find that peace, I promise you.”
“In the meantime, I’ll be by your side as you head into your next chapter.”
You smiled at him and didn’t realize your towel slipped to the floor.
“Y/n…” Taeil coughed as he quickly turned red and turned around.
“What?” You frowned.
Without looking at you, he pointed to the towel on the floor.
“Shit!” You exclaimed. But then, you watched Taeil...He was blushing…
“Did it hurt that much to look at my body, Taeil?” You asked, quietly.
“What?” He asked, confused.
“It’s okay...You can look…”
Taeil turned and was shocked to see you still unclothed.
You gave him a flirty smile. “I know we can’t touch...But it doesn’t mean we can’t have fun, right?”
You got onto your bed and slowly began to tease your clit and Taeil’s jaw nearly fell to the floor. He adored every inch of you as he scanned your body and worked his hardest to commit it all to memory.
You could see his member grow in his pants. He immediately gripped his gorgeous length and pleasured himself alongside you.
“I wish I could feel your heavenly cock on my clit…” You told him.
He grunted. “Heaven can wait...This is real paradise...Here with you.”
You muttered sweet nothings to each other and imagined that you made love to each other that day.
___
You and Taeil were more inseparable than before. Because you knew your days together were numbered.
The full moon arrived and Yuta had agreed that this was the ideal time for your initiation into his pack. You would be able to absorb the moon’s power as you transformed from Yuta’s bite.
Yuta invited you to his mansion in the woods not too far outside of town. His pack members were present and they’d arranged a massive bonfire at the center in honor of your awakening.
Taeil was right beside you, much to the chagrin of the rest of the pack members. But what could they do? Drag him out? When they couldn’t even lay a finger on him?
Yuta was dressed in his best tuxedo as he recited the pack’s code of conduct to you and welcomed you into their pack. He transformed into his wolf form and at the brightest the full moon had been, you’d taken on your fledgling form. You howled at the moon and became rabid. Yuta knew what he had to do.
Taeil watched you in concern but Yuta had sworn to protect you. For you would be one of his family soon enough. So Taeil had no choice but to trust him.
Yuta bit into your collarbone and your eyes shifted from their usual color and into a bright amber. You felt yourself regain consciousness and became aware of where you were.
“Y/n, do you know who I am?” Yuta asked.
You nodded.
Yuta continued, “Good. You are now a fully awakened werewolf. Harness your abilities with honor and know that you have a family in the Nakamoto clan forever.”
“Hear hear!” The pack members yelled out.
You’d reverted back into your human form through your own accord. You were shocked at how quickly you could turn back.
You ran over to Taeil and he beamed at you. “How do you feel?”
“I feel...whole...Fulfilled...I have no idea what will happen next but it’s a new kind of uncertainty...And I like it.”
Taeil said, “I’m glad, y/n…”
He started to pixelate before you and his voice began to fade.
Your smile faded. “Taeil?”
“I think God wanted me to stick around for this momentous occasion...Before he summoned me…”
You couldn’t help the tears that escaped you. “Taeil, I love you.”
He cried with you. “I love you, too. I will see you up there...Soon. I’d better be the first person you look up when you ascend, you hear me?”
You wrapped your arms around him and to your shock. To everyone’s shock at the party...You could feel Taeil. He was muscular and the warmth of his body was like the fuzziest blanket wrapped around you after the worst day. He felt wonderful. And you never wanted to let him go.
Taeil longed for the day he could feel your body around his...And it was only at this time when you two had to bid farewell when he could feel you against him. You were strong but at that moment, he held you tenderly. Like you would break at any second. Because this moment was the most fragile. It was fleeting. So you both soaked in the feeling of each other’s bodies as you held each other.
Taeil kissed you and you reciprocated. His lips felt just like you’d imagined them. Soft. Perfect against yours. His kiss was the euphoria you would treasure for the rest of your life.
You released each other.
“Goodbye, Moon,” you teased. You made a play at his last name. Since you were a werewolf now, you’d be highly influenced by the activity of the moon.
He joked back. “Goodbye, Wolfie. Don’t forget to howl at me once in a while. It’s kinda hot...” The cliche of werewolves howling at the moon was actually a common practice for them.
You shook your head and laughed as he faded away. You cried hard that night, missing him already.
Yuta and his pack comforted you as you cried. They celebrated you and they mourned with you. This pack had become your family.
___
Taeil finally ascended to Heaven. It was a lot like Earth but idealistic. Paradise had everything at his disposal. He could go to the movies and have an unlimited supply of Sour Patch Bats. He finally knew what they tasted like. He could get a foot massage whenever he felt like it. He could play his music and sing to his heart’s content. God was a big fan of Moon Taeil.
But the thing he loved most was being able to look after the loved ones he left behind.
Now that Taeil had become an angel, he would accumulate power overtime in order to send blessings to the people he loved most.
Especially to you.
____
You’d gotten a better grip on your powers but you were still a long way from being Yuta’s right hand. You’d moved into one of Yuta’s apartment complexes that he owned. You were finishing up your last year of school, as well. Since you’d stabilized your powers, you could carry on with your day-to-day activities. It’s just nighttime that would be unaccounted for.
One day, Yuta visited you.
You greeted him as you welcomed him inside your spacious apartment. He sat down on your L-shaped couch in your living room as you gave him a glass of water. “To what do I owe the pleasure, boss?”
Yuta never visited his pack member’s homes unless it was important business. Usually, he summoned them to a common area, like one of his mansions in the city.
Yuta smiled. “I see you like your new place.”
You nodded. “It beats hearing my roommates screw their boyfriends every other night, I must admit.”
He laughed. “Well, I’m glad to hear that.”
“What’s up? You’re not usually one for small talk...Unless you want to sleep with them...And that girl isn’t here at the moment.” You knew about Yuta’s tumultuous relationship with Sinema’s manager.
Yuta blushed then. “You...Knock it off.”
You laughed heartily, then. You two had developed an older brother little sister relationship. Yuta was able to uncover more information about your parents and your extended family. He’d been extremely helpful during this time, providing financial support not only to you but your entire family.
When Yuta said the pack was a family, he really meant it.
Yuta was mulling over his next words and he gave you a solemn look. The light, breezy mood had quickly vanished.
The power the alpha held to control the room.
He said, “Y/n, prepare your things. The war is about to begin.”
