Established relationship, Angel as a petname (for Yeosang), fluff, they're so soft for each other.
Word Count: 940
A/n: Have I ever mentioned that Yeosang is the most person ever. Like he is an actual case of spiritual sightings on Earth. Especially Yeosang with red hair. I pray everyday that I could go back to the day when I first saw him with red hair at that award show.
The bedroom light was a warm colour, comfortable on the eyes. It had been nighttime for a few hours now.
You layed on the soft bed, on top of the fluffy comforter as you laid on your stomach, keeping your head up by keeping your chin in the palm of your hand.
Your eyes followed the red haired man who walked out of the shower, drying his hair. He had been punished to using one specific towel for his head until the red dye was gone. The reason was pretty much that three of your white, pristine towels were stained red because of that cherry head.
Your eyes chased his steps like sunflowers did to the sun. He walked to the bathroom to put the towel back and came back quite soon. He was most likely going to do his skincare now.
"Is there something you want to tell me?" The beautiful man said from the vanity table, where he was rummaging through the products because his ones and yours were mixed again.
"Nothing, you look pretty" You said, a gentle smile on your lips. That gentle smile slowly widened as you noticed his flushed cheeks.
“You just say things," He mumbled, you could hear the slight pout in his voice, as he started applying products.
The thing was that you would've never seen yourself in this situation 6 years ago. But during your third year in University, you had met this really nice Mathematics major, and after a few dates, you two had just…stuck. So now you had the prettiest boyfriend to ever exist.
As Yeosang hummed softly from where he stood at the vanity table, you closed your eyes. Not to sleep, not yet, the night was still young. But to just…take everything in.
The street outside of your shared apartment was quiet, except for the 24 hour cafe that was right across the street. A place you and Yeosang had had hundreds of dates by now. The owner and her wife had even invited them to their vow renewal party.
Outside the apartment window, there'd be a cat napping on the windowsill. She wasn't theirs, but she had decided that your windowsill was worthy enough to be her sleeping spot. Who were the two of you to deny her the right?
The lamp post in front of their building would be flickering, weak, yes, but not as weak as the one in the next block.
You had remembered all this without ever putting an effort to. When something happens repeatedly, it basically just settles in your head, like a memory you do not care enough to recall but you cannot forget it either.
Living with Yeosang meant living a quiet life, which was perfect, as both of you were introverts. You left for work at the same time every weekday morning, separated at the third block to the right. You usually came home before him, so you had time to wash up before he came back.
Yeosang didn't usually shower right before bed because he was always sleepy, but it was late June, and the heat was brutal, so even with the air conditioner cooling the room, he needed a shower.
“Asleep?" The soft deep voice made you open your eyes. Two beautiful brown eyes were staring at yours as he leaned over you.
"No, angel, just thinking.” You said, reaching out to run your fingers through his hair. When his eyes nearly fluttered close, you smiled, and scotted over under the comforter, holding it open for him to get inside.
He got inside and immediately nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck. “What are you thinking about?"
“Just how lucky I am to have my angel." You said, continuing to play with his hair.
“Well, your angel wants some things…” Yeosang smiled against your neck, mischievous. “A lot of things."
“Oh yeah? And what are those things?" You asked, wrapping an arm around his waist.
Yeosang replied by putting his whole weight on top of you, pressing you in the bed—not necessarily in a sexual way, he found comfort in doing that—and cuddled even deeper into your neck, as if he wanted to disappear inside you.
“Come on, baby, use your words. What does my angel want?" You asked, feeling every part of his body. Every dip, every curve, every muscle.
"Mmm, wanna know?” He asked, softly nibbling on your neck, making you huff. "Tell me already, angel."
“Your Angel wants a kiss, will you give it to him?" He said in his soft but deep voice, the ruby-toned hair falling softly on his eyes as it was still slightly wet.
You pretended to think for a while before turning your head to the side, “I don't think I will." You said, trying not to notice how the light from his eyes basically disappeared.
“Why?" He mumbled, pretending not to be hurt and failing pathetically because of his pout.
“You asked for a kiss. I can't give you that. What I can give you however…” You dragged your word on purpose to savor in the sight of how wanting he was.
“...Are many kisses!" You said, pulling him close to peck his cheek and making a ‘mwah’ sound as he giggled softly.
"You're so mean” He said, voice muffled as your lips joined in that familiar dance. His lips felt so soft, you could never just get used to them.
“How could you think I'd ever deny your request?" You said, pulling away to breathe. You also took that moment to kiss his birthmark, and felt him melt against you.
Your angel, so perfect.
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summary: you didn't mean to actually meet the man who's audio porn was single handedly getting you off every night, but you do.
note: this has been a looooong time coming and is dedicated to one of my best friends, grace. 💗 i hope everyone enjoys this chaotic smut fest.... also i've recently discovered that porn is actually illegal to produce or consume in korea? so suspend your disbelief for this fic lol
warnings: camboy!yeosang/barista!yeosang x fem!reader, it's a smut-a-thon barely a plot in sight featuring - nsfw/audio porn, guided masturbation, female masturbation, male masturbation, lots and lots of orgasms, use of dildo, nipple play, one night stand dynamics except they kind of fall for each other, big and i mean big dick yeosang, oral sex (f receiving), gratuitous squirting, fingering, thigh riding/grinding, protected and unprotected sex (do not do this they're being hella dumb), rough sex, maaaaaajor praise play he says good girl more times than i can count, so much use of 'baby', plus pretty girl/babygirl, absolute pleasure soft dom yeosang of our dreams, reader literally passes out from coming you're welcome
pairings: yeosang x reader
genre: smut and more smut, where's the plot???
word count: 14.5K
additional note: yeosang owns a cafe in this fic called ongozisin, it's a real cafe in seoul and you can check out their ig here! the vibes are truly so yeosang i can't even articulate it, so i just wanted to share this for the extra visual!
Paid porn for women has tiers. You stumble headfirst into this realization with your fingers stuffed inside yourself and your body slick with sweat, and there’s nothing that takes you right out of your frantic self care session than a request for your credit card number and a terms of service page.
Your chest is heaving, legs shaking, and you feel your orgasm slip right through your fingers as you skim over his Fansly page. You should have just skipped to another one of his free audios on Pornhub like you always do, but this week was long and stressful and slightly emotionally fraught, and there’s only so many times you can ignore his husky little ad at the end of the audio file inviting you to check out the full, uncut content.
“Jesus,” You breathe, pushing yourself up in the bed and letting your phone drop to the side as you recover your breath.
Are you really going to do this? Are you really going to pay for porn? The internet is full of it, spilling over from every angle with any little thing you can imagine. There’s a reason Rule 34 exists, people are horny and people love attention, so if you can fathom it there’s free porn of it.
And yet, nothing ever, ever gets you there like he does, and you’ve never even seen his face.
You glance down at your phone again and you see his familiar header image, a deeply contrasted black and white header of tangled white sheets, and his username striking across the corner in neon green. fromryu. This is what drew you in initially, the simplicity of it all. You were sick of skimming through all of the men making porn for women with names like ‘TheMasterDominant’, ‘Your_Daddy’, or ‘forherpleasureee’ and then just listening to them groan in your ear and call you a slut for fifteen minutes. That might work for some, but it definitely doesn’t work for you.
Ryu was different, is different. His audios are a mix of scenario based role-plays and straight forward guided masturbation for women, and you’re pretty sure he comes right along with you when you listen, but it’s just not the same.
You’ve fucked yourself to every single one of his free audios. Some of them more than once, some of them several times, if you’re being honest. You’ve always ignored his ads, because he gives so much content away for free you can’t imagine what would be behind a paywall that would get you off harder, until today.
Your brain just couldn’t get there. You’ve heard him chuckle that chuckle before, say that line before, coax you into orgasm with those exact words before, and you need more.
Your credit card is firmly in your hand before you can give it another thought, and with a fluttering stomach you tuck yourself into a robe and back into bed to pick a tier. With a long sip of a fresh glass of wine you lean back in your pillows and read through his welcome page.
His tiers make you smirk, he’s funny.
Third base, full uncut audios and one special audio per month just for subscribers – $4.99/month
Just the tip, uncut audios, one special audio per month, and access to a private discord server where subscribers can make audio request submissions – $9.99/month
Every inch (and more), uncut audios, exclusive audios, access to discord, exclusive video content, and access to a private Snapchat - $24.99/month
In for a penny, in for a pound, you guess.
You click on ‘Every inch (and more)’ and plug in your card numbers before you have a second to rethink your decision. You really hope you don’t get hit with a fraud alert that you have to explain to some poor customer service representative.
The wheel spins, the charge goes through, and suddenly you’re in. Your mouth has never been so dry.
There’s dozens of videos, dozens. For every audio you’ve listened to on Pornhub, there’s a video that goes with it, and for every free piece of content there’s two times as much paid video content. $24.99 was nothing compared to how many hours of content you’re suddenly sifting through.
There’s a common thread across every video though, you can already tell from the thumbnails, Ryu still never shows his face. Almost every thumbnail is the same, a white wall and a charcoal gray couch, and a man wearing oversized black sweatpants and a tight black athletic shirt.
His knees are parted, legs spread open and casual, and his hands rest clasped between them. You swallow thickly at the sight of his arms. He’s built. His hands are so good looking you think idly that he should just be modeling watches or something, it’s ridiculous how nice they are. His skin is tanned, veins snaking up his forearms, and silver rings across several of his long, thick fingers. Can the sight of a man’s hands make you come? Your aching clit throbs.
You skim through the video titles and tags to try and select one and your stomach twists. His videos are even more varied than the free content he posts and organized so well you think you might be in love with him already.
There’s a folder for role play videos, and you skim through that quickly just to see. Neighbor overhears you moaning and comes to check on you, best friend takes your virginity, boss and secretary working late, brother’s best friend slips into your room at a sleepover, step-daddy teaches his babygirl a lesson.
Your cheeks flush hot pink and you settle further into your sheets, backing out of this folder and navigating to your tried and true favorite.
Guided masturbation and encouragement.
There are even more videos in this folder and you skim through any of those ones that say ‘exclusive’ in the title to avoid ones you’ve already heard parts of. The hashtags alone leave you breathless and you have no idea what to choose, every video cleanly tagged with what you’ll need to be able to keep up with his instructions. Hands only, rabbit vibe, hitachi wand, bullet vibe, dildo, butt plug, nipple clamps, lubricant, massage oil, blindfold, wrist restraints, ankle restraints, the list goes on and on.
You select one at almost random with the tags ‘hands and fingers’, ‘dildo’, and ‘optional squirting’.
The screen starts black, and for a second you’re pretty sure something’s wrong, but then you hear him.
“Hi everyone,” Your muscles melt, and you push your noise canceling earbuds deeper into your ears, “I have something a little special today,”
You’ve never heard him talk so casually, almost like a vlogger or something. His voice hasn’t yet shifted into that deep teasing tone that kicks off every free video, and you’re already sold on every dollar you’ve spent when he starts to just chat.
“I got a request from a special subscriber in my discord,” He says, “someone who’s become a friend and who confided in me that she’s never been able to make herself squirt,”
Your breath comes a little more quickly.
“It’s not easy to do, I know,” He says, tenderly, the screen still black, “and I want you all to know that if you’re still struggling after this audio, that’s okay. It takes time, and your body is not a sex toy. There’s not a perfect combination that works for every person with a vagina,”
Your brow quirks at the inclusivity of his language choice and you smile a little, easing yourself down in the bed to keep listening to him.
“But I’m going to do my best to help you,” He continues, “so while I get set up over here, I need you to get your own space ready. Get up out of bed or off the couch, but keep me with you, okay, baby?”
You’re shaking and he hasn’t even said anything sexy yet. You don’t always listen perfectly to instructions, sometimes you skip ahead a bit and get to the good stuff just to get yourself off, but this time it’s different. You tuck your phone in your robe pocket and stand.
“For this session,” You can almost see the smile in his voice and you try to imagine him, “you’ll need a couple of good towels laid out across your space. You’ll need to drink a big glass of water before we get started, and then I want you to find your best dildo, the one that really makes you come hard. The one that fills you up just right, that hits that tender little place you wish I was touching with my fingers,”
He’s going to make you come so hard you see Jesus, you can tell already.
“We need everything to be perfect,” He says, “and for you to be comfortable. Tonight is not the night to test out that new toy, okay? Tonight is for you and me, so go and get your supplies, and I’ll tell you all about my day. I’ll be your favorite little sexy podcast.”
As he starts warmly talking to his audience about his long lazy morning off work, you nearly crumble. You’re really not supposed to be getting a crush on this guy, but here you fucking are. He’s sweet, casual and laughs a little while he talks, and while you gather up the towels and the water and the frankly oversized dildo, you’re smiling.
You hear him sit down and sigh and then his voice shifts, just a little, “Alright, baby, are you ready?”
You sink back back down to sit on your own bed and you wait.
“Just a reminder,” He says, “I will be using female descriptors throughout this video. If you’re uncomfortable with me calling you ‘girl’, like babygirl or good girl, or referring to you as a woman in any way, I am posting the similar content with male descriptors. If you’d prefer to hear baby boy or good boy, check the links below this video, okay?”
You smile again.
“Alright,” He hums, “now, where were we?”
The camera clicks on and you feel the little gasp leave you. You almost forgot.
He leans back on the couch and keeps talking, “That’s right, the lesson. Get settled over the towels, and if you’re wearing anything, it’s time to take it off for me.”
You lay back over the towels and let your robe part open.
“That’s so good,” He croons softly, “god, you’re so pretty, baby,”
Your chest thumps hard.
“Let’s start slow, okay?” His hands smooth over his thighs, “the key here is teasing, and I know how much you like it when I tease you.”
Your hand rests on your own thigh, your other propping up the phone as you watch with rapt attention.
“Touch your pretty thighs for me,” His voice is rich and thick in your ears, “that’s a good girl, there we go, nice and soft. Is your pussy wet? Did I do that to you again, pretty girl?”
You’re barely breathing, eyes fixated on the screen as he strokes his own thigh through his sweatpants, slow and steady.
“Are you aching?” He asks and you can’t help but nod, feeling like suddenly he can see you through the screen.
“Touch just a little,” He murmurs, “but don’t jump ahead. Keep your fingers off your clit, we’re not there yet, sweetheart.”
A little tight sound slips out of you as you follow his instructions.
“Is your sweet slit wet?” He hums, and his hand slides up his thigh and rests over his stomach, “Are you throbbing?”
Fuck.
“Someday, baby,” He sighs and you watch him shift on the couch cushions, “I’ll taste you,”
“Fuck,” You whisper.
“But for now,” He’s smiling, you know it, “you just need to listen to me and do everything I tell you,”
You’re nodding again.
“I promise,” He says, “I’ll take such good care of you baby, if you listen, I promise to make you come.”
Your stomach clenches, core fluttering, and you drift your fingertips up and down your slit, following the way his middle finger is slowly sliding back and forth on his abs.
“Are you listening?” His voice goes husky and your head drops back into the pillows. Next time you’ll need a better way to watch him and listen and touch yourself, but you’re so incredibly desperate at this moment that it really doesn’t matter, you’ll make due.
“You are, aren’t you?” He murmurs, “Good girl,”
Your legs spread a little wider.
He leans forward, you hear the rustling of the fabric and you snap your eyes back to the video to see him leaning forward, hands clasped together loosely, and you’re pretty sure you can see the outline of a bulge in his sweatpants.
“Does it hurt?” He croons, teasing.
You love him like this.
“Take your hand away from your pussy,” He says, just a little more commanding, “right now, baby,”
You pull it back reluctantly.
“Close your eyes for a minute,” He murmurs, “spread your legs for me,”
You comply immediately.
“Tease your nipples,” He sounds a little breathier now and you fight the urge to watch the video, “do whatever feels good, touch your tits exactly the way you like it,”
You roll your nipples, tugging them softly and kneading your breasts with both hands now that you’re not propping up the phone.
“Imagine me with you,” He says, “feel my fingers sliding up your calves, my lips on your inner thigh, you can feel my breath against your sweet cunt, I know you can,”
You’re about to come untouched, that’s the thought that rocks through your mind when your hips jerk on their own, his deep voice nestled right in your ear.
“Look at you,” He muses, “squirming around, so fucking desperate for something inside you,”
Your breath catches.
“You’re so needy,” He continues, “are you making noise for me? Little pants, little moans? Are you trying to be quiet?” He clicks his tongue against his teeth, a soft scold, “Not with me, baby,”
A moan bubbles up out of you.
“Hands off.”
Your eyes open immediately, and you don’t pull your hands away just yet, but you’re frozen still. You’re breathing hard, blush climbing up your chest, and your hips jerk slightly. If he doesn’t let you touch yourself soon, you’re going to lose your mind.
“Good girl,” He says after a moment, “very good,”
You drop your hands, scrambling for the phone so you can see what he’s going to do next.
“Now watch me,” He instructs, holding his palm up to the camera, “take two fingers,” he separates his fingers, keeping his middle and index fingers tucked together, “and when they’re inside curl them just like this.” He crooks his fingers in a come-hither motion, “Just like this,”
You slide your hand down your front, slipping your fingers through your soaked folds, but his voice makes you pause.
“Go slow,” He instructs, “push them in nice and slow for me,”
You follow his instructions.
“There you go,” He sighs softly, “now curl your fingers,”
You watch as he does it in the video and you follow instructions dutifully, your fingers brushing over your spongy g-spot.
“Feel that?” He leans back, and the tent in his sweatpants makes you pant, “That perfect little spot that makes you whine so good for me?”
You nod again, biting down on your lip, desperate to move but waiting.
“When I say,” He slips his fingertips into his sweatpants, teasing you, “fuck your perfect pussy with those fingers,”
Sweat drips down your chest.
His hand disappears into his sweats and he groans, “Now,”
You don’t have to be told twice.
“Harder,” He says, throaty and low, “I know you can,”
A tight sound slips out of you as you work yourself, but you nearly fall apart when you watch him push down the top of his sweats. His cock is huge, there’s no other way to say it. Thick and perfect, aching pink at the head and when he wraps his hand around himself you feel the tense knot of your orgasm rushing back.
“Oh, f-fuck,” You scramble in the sheets, pulsing your fingers in and out just like he told you to.
“Look at you,” He says again, “fucking yourself for me. I bet you’re imagining my fingers, aren’t you? Just like I’m imagining your dripping pussy,”
Pleasure rocks in your gut.
“Use your other hand,” He instructs, “rub that clit for me,”
You drop the phone like it’s hot, and you have to crane your neck to see the video, but it doesn’t matter. He’s given you the perfect permission to do exactly what you need and you have to take it.
“Does that feel good, baby? Yeah? Do you feel like you need to come for me?” His voice gets closer to the microphone and you’re rapidly approaching the edge, “You’re so close, fuck, listen to you,”
“God, oh god,” Your legs are trembling.
“Do you see how hard you make me?” His fist jerks over his cock faster and your mind is unraveling, none of his other audios feel like this, “Do you know how much I want to see you come?”
Pressure drops in your belly.
“Fuck,” He pants, “you’re almost there, I know you want to come for me, but not until I say,”
It’s happening whether he wants it to or not, whether you want it or not, and your fingers bear down harder on your clit, your eyes locking closed, head falling back.
You pull your hands away and it’s possible that nothing has ever felt as bad as this one stolen orgasm. Your hands are shaking, body flushed and slick with sweat, and if any of your neighbors are up they are probably getting an earful.
You lock eyes with the video again and his hands rest on his knees, cock standing tall and at attention, edging with you.
“Get that dildo nice and wet,” He says, and you search your sheets for the silicone cock, “in your mouth pretty girl, imagine that’s my cock between your lips,”
He strokes his hand slowly down his length, smearing a bead of precum down to the base of his shaft as you dip the cock between your lips and take it as far in your mouth as you can.
“It’s time to come,” He soothes, like he knows you’re a whining, quivering mess, “I know you need it,”
The dildo pops free from your mouth and you watch as he lifts the hem of his shirt to expose the smooth plane of his abs, “Fuck yourself with me, sweetheart,”
Pleasure pops through you as you press the toy to your hot channel.
“Nice and fast,” He pleads, thrusting into his fist, “don’t stop this time, not until you come,”
The bubble inside you expands again, pressure everywhere.
“Just trust me,” He whispers in your ear, “don’t stop. I’ve got you, I’m right here, you let go baby. Don’t fight it,”
Your back arches up off the bedding, the muscles in your arm aching as you thrust the toy in and out of yourself, pressing it up again and again into your g-spot.
“Come, baby,” He sounds like he’s begging, and your free hand flies down to grip the sheets, “let go, you come, that’s it, there you go,”
You turn your head, catching sight of him again and the way he works himself over.
“There we go,” He groans sharply, his own release spurting up ropes of cum onto his exposed chest, “can you feel me inside you? Come with me, that’s a good girl, good fucking girl,”
He sounds dizzy, panting himself, you’ve never heard him quite like this and one final thrust sends you spilling over the edge. Your vision whites, body locking up in ecstatic pleasure, and you clap a hand over your lips to stifle the moan that rips out of you.
It takes a minute to come back from that. Your ears ringing, and the dildo slips out of you with a final pulse from your shattering orgasm. He’s talking, you register it, but his voice sounds far away and you realize that you’ve lost your earbuds. You scramble to get them back in, pulling the video up to your eyes.
“-And that’s okay,” He’s saying, his cock tucked away and his shirt back down, “you can try again another time if you didn’t quite get there,”
For a second you’re confused, it was the hardest orgasm of your life, but then you remember this was intended to be a guided masturbation to squirt and you blush, alone in your apartment, at the fact that you didn’t quite get there and he’s talking to you.
“It’s all about the build up,” He explains, “but I’m sure with a little practice we can get you there.”
You’ve never really cared about squirting until now, but he makes it sound like a perfect date and something tells you that you’ll be back here again night after night if he’ll have you.
“Anyway,” He sighs and you hope he’s smiling above the camera, “thank you for spending a little bit of your day with me, I hope I made you feel as good as you made me feel,”
You blush again.
“I’ll see you soon,” He assures, gentle like a lover would, “sleep well, jagiya,”
The video cuts and you blink hard, you’re still smiling.
You are so, so fucked.
After that, Ryu becomes a problem. You wish it was just the videos and the dirty talk and the good orgasms, but it’s more than that. You just like to hear him talk now, the little bits at the beginning about his day are starting to get into your head. And then there’s the Snapchat.
You kind of expected the private Snap to be sexy photos and videos of him in the almost pitch dark huskily saying good morning, but it isn’t. You still have never seen his face, but his videos are casual, friendly, too real for a man you spend every night fantasizing about. He chats about things he’s doing or books he’s reading while he’s cooking, filming just shoulders down so you can watch the muscles in his arms while he chops vegetables. You fall in love with the sound of his voice when he’s just talking, his stretched out s-sounds that only really peek through outside of his constructed scenes. You find yourself missing him a little on days he doesn’t post.
You’ve gotten used to waking up with him, falling asleep with him, checking in on him during the day. His message announcements in Snapchat don’t feel like they’re for everyone, they feel like they’re for you. You know that’s not true of course, you know you’re paying a hefty monthly bill just to feel like this, but you don’t care. It’s been a while, and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t just need some company.
It’s a Thursday when everything goes to shit.
You wake up far too late, forgetting to set the alarm on your phone after falling asleep directly after yet another Ryu narrated orgasm, and everything has been off kilter since. You’re scrambling to get to work on time and every little thing is going wrong. Your coffee machine isn’t turning on, the sweater you want to wear is still in the wash, and your umbrella will not open despite the rain that’s ruining what would have been a good hair day.
When you decide to stop into the coffee shop across from your office it’s not even a want, it's a need. You’re already thirty minutes late, why not make it forty-five?
You’ve never come here, not once. You’re used to going to the shop around the block from your apartment, and this place is new. Ongozisin is the kind of place you’d normally take your time in. The space is clearly industrial, concrete walls and flooring made to look unfinished. The aesthetic is still warm though, with natural dark wood furniture and bamboo accents, Joseon era paintings and a juniper bonsai along the back wall.
To the left side of the cafe stands a bay of tall windows and the very modern, very clean point of sale. The line isn’t too long, but you can see that the pace of this place is slower by design, so maybe you’ll just round up and call it an hour late. A door opens to your left and you watch as one of the baristas steps out from a kitchen holding two black plates of colorful, carefully constructed pastries.
The line moves ahead of you, and the person behind you softly clears their throat to jog your attention.
You step closer, only one person ahead of you now.
When you hear his voice you nearly reach for your phone.
“That’s perfect,” It’s Ryu, clear as day. His voice is distinct and deep and here.
Your eyes snap up to the barista behind the counter, your body frozen stock still as you take him in, mind spinning.
“Do you want any cream?” He says to the woman ordering.
Blush lights up your cheeks and all you can think about is the video you watched the night before and his voice in your ear - Do you want my cum inside you, pretty baby?
You should leave. There’s a reason this man is anonymous on the internet, never showing an inch of his face, and Ryu isn’t even his name, it's just what you call him. He never calls himself anything in the videos, never reveals what part of Korea he lives in, never talks about his job. He doesn’t want to be found.
You’re about to turn, run, scramble away, but his voice comes again and this time you realize he’s talking to you. The man, Ryu, smiles, “Good morning, can I get you something?”
You’re frozen.
“Miss?” A little crease between his brows.
“Sorry,” You jump forwards, ignoring the annoyed huff behind you and shaking off as much of this panic as you can, “I don’t know where my head is this morning,”
“That’s alright,” He says warmly, “that’s what I’m here for,”
You can’t say anything, your mind blanks.
His eyes flick over you and then he nods, “You know, coffee? To wake you up?”
“Right!” You nod, “Sorry, yes, an americano please,”
“Iced or hot?” He asks.
Are you feeling hot, babygirl? Do you need to take something off for me?
“Hot,” You say it on a reflex but then you remember yourself, “no sorry, iced, iced please,”
“Okay, sure,” He smiles, “iced,”
You make it through payment without too much more embarrassment, apologizing again, and then you step to the side. Another barista appears, slotting into Ryu’s place so he can turn his attention to the drinks he needs to make and you take the moment to get composed.
He’s handsome, that’s a given. You expected that, but still he looks even better than your imagination conjured up, more real. He looks exactly right for this cafe too, his black hair long enough to brush the base of his neck with half gathered into a ponytail, pieces loose to frame his angular face. He’s dressed smartly too, black oversized trousers and a fitted black t-shirt, slim black boots, and an open jacket in a dramatic modern-hanbok style. You realize you’re staring the minute his eyes hold on yours and they crinkle up as he smiles. He has a birthmark, a smooth light pink flush across his eye and your heart thumps in your chest.
“Long night?” He asks you, passing off a coffee in a mug to the woman who had been ahead of you in line.
He just puts you at ease and you nod, “Something like that,”
“Ah,” He knocks out the round cake of used espresso from the portafilter as he talks, “and you look like you got caught in the rain, don’t you have an umbrella?”
“Broken,” You grimace, “it’s been one of those mornings,”
“Mm,” He nods, focusing on queueing up espresso for your americano, but while the shots pull he turns back to you, “I don’t think I’ve seen you here before?”
You shake your head, “No, first time,”
“Do you like it?” He gestures around with a nod of his head.
“Very much,” You smile, “it’s a great space,”
He smiles again, looking proud, “I’m glad you like it,” he says, “we haven’t been open very long, but so far people have seemed to enjoy it,”
“Oh,” You watch him pour your espresso over ice, “is the cafe yours?”
He nods, “Mine and my friend’s,”
You wish you weren’t late, you wish you were able to stay just a little longer.
“Well,” You tell him honestly, “it’s beautiful here, I’ll have to come in more often, I only work across the street.”
“Ah,” He nods, “I thought you looked familiar,”
Blush creeps up your neck.
“Did you need cream?” He asks and you hope he doesn’t notice the way your pulse quickens at his words, but he nods towards your coffee and you shake your head.
“Thank you,” You take the cup off the bar and step back, “I appreciate it.”
“I hope that helps,” He says, and then he glances behind you at the large round window, “actually, I’m sorry, can you wait one moment?”
“Sure,” You watch him duck out from behind the bar, making a quick beeline for the swinging door that leads back into the kitchen. You have no idea what he could want, there’s no way you’d be recognized by him except as a stranger on the street, and your stomach knots up.
It takes him a moment, but he darts back out, a long black umbrella in his hand, “Take this,”
“I can’t do that,” You wave a hand, “I’m only across the street, but that’s really kind of you,”
“If you’re only across the street then I know where to go to get it back,” He shakes his head, “just take it, it’s raining like crazy out there,”
He presses the handle of the umbrella into your free hand, and your breath catches in your throat, his skin brushing against yours. Your eyes flick over his rings, just the same as always. A signet with a deep black stone, a hammered silver band, a clearly vintage one on his index finger that looks like an old Catholic saint token, the finer details rubbed away with age.
“What time do you close?” You ask, accepting the umbrella.
“Seven,”
“I’ll bring it back after work then,” You tell him, “is that alright?”
He nods, “But if it’s still raining, just keep it. Bring it by tomorrow,”
“Tomorrow,” You nod.
“Mhm,” He nods, something warm in his expression, “this will have to be your new usual spot,”
Is he flirting? You’re wholly and entirely unprepared to deal with that considering the way you moaned his name last night. Something clicks in your brain at that thought though and you nod, “Maybe it will. I’m y/n, by the way,”
“Yeosang,” He smiles, “it’s very nice to meet you.”
Yeosang.
“You too,” You dip your head, “and thank you again for this,”
“Of course,” He says, “I hope this turns your morning around a little,”
You open your mouth to say something, but there’s a voice from the cafe bar that slices cleanly between your conversation, “Yeosang-ah!”
Yeosang glances back and then he sighs, just a little, “I have to go,” he tells you, “but I’ll see you again,”
“See you again,”
He’s back behind the bar before you can blink, focusing on each customer’s order. The man who called his name is grinning, and you wonder idly if he’s the friend who owns the cafe with Yeosang or just a part-timer.
With your stomach fluttering, you push out into the rain to get to work, Yeosang’s name on a loop in your brain for the rest of the day. When you get home, his umbrella resting by the door, you delete his Snapchat from your contacts and unsubscribe from his Fansly account.
Ongozisin becomes a daily ritual.
The money you used to spend on his Fansly now goes straight into the cafe, first thing in the morning before work and a last lingering stop in the evening before you go home.
On busy days you barely get to see him and sometimes you’re left just chatting with Wooyoung, his best friend and business partner. You like him too, you like the atmosphere and their kind warmth, but if you’re being honest you find yourself living for slow days. The days where you’ve timed it just right to have a little talk before the rush of the day or the closing tasks of the evening.
Little by little, Ryu fades from your mind, and the man in front of you is just Yeosang. The guy who runs your favorite coffee shop, the guy who dresses almost otherworldly, who smiles wide but only when you say something truly funny, who sometimes gets lost in his own head while he’s making cappuccinos.
He’s lovely.
Sometimes you think he might be flirting, a little more suavely and charismatic than his business partner who asked if you had a crush on him since you were coming into the cafe so much. Sometimes Yeosang adds a little extra treat to your plate of food or he adds pretty latte art to your cup if you’re staying in the cafe. That might be nothing, but it certainly might be something.
It isn’t until another day of rain, harsh pelting rain, that Yeosang appears at your table.
“We close soon,” He says, and when he sees the brief flash of concern that you’ve overstayed your welcome on your face he shakes his head, “sorry, I meant to ask, how are you getting home tonight?”
“The train,” You glance outside.
His nose crinkles, “You don’t have an umbrella today either,”
“True,” You look down at your belongings, “I didn’t check the weather,”
“If you wait a bit for us to lock up,” He says, “I’d be happy to walk you to the station,”
“Oh,”
“Or if you’re not busy,” He clears his throat softly, “I could walk you to this little restaurant around the corner?”
Flirting, then.
You smile and nod, trying to keep your eagerness tamped down to a normal amount, “Are you asking me out, Yeosang?”
He grins, “I’ve been trying to,”
Your stomach flips pleasantly, “I’ll wait, dinner sounds nice,”
His shoulders sag, a little relief in his expression and he clears away your empty cup as he says, “I’ll be quick,”
You catch Wooyoung slapping his friend's shoulder as he disappears into the back room, and before you know it you’re blushing and sitting across from this man at the restaurant down the block.
Dinner is so smooth it feels surreal. It turns out you both like the same music, and several books too, and you’ve never been on a date with a man who asked you so many questions about yourself and didn’t just talk your ear off. Dinner stretches long too, and you’re strangely grateful it’s a Friday when you finally do check the time. He has to work on Saturday at the cafe, but not until a little later in the morning, and so neither one of you really wants to call it quits.
The after dinner walk turns meandering, and then his hand is brushing against yours, knuckles to knuckles.
You don’t think of him as Ryu until his fingers brush down your back, lips close to your ear when he finally asks you. The way he does makes your body melt - I hope I’m not ruining things by asking, but would you like to come home with me tonight?
You agree before your mind catches up to itself, but every step of the walk to his apartment has your heart picking up speed. You had forgotten on the date how you met him, really met him, and your gut churns.
Do you tell him? Do you lie?
Everytime he grins at you, touches you, tucks his long hair behind his ear and nods, you can’t imagine a one night stand. You could maybe swallow the truth if that’s all this was to you, but it’s not, and so you can’t.
On his block you feel the internal countdown ticking.
“You can change your mind, you know,” He offers, noticing how you’ve gone quiet, and it pulls you straight out of your thoughts.
“Oh,” Your head snaps up, “I’m sorry, I don’t want to change my mind at all, I just got a little lost in thought.”
He nods, this time finding your hand and giving you a squeeze, his steps slowing as you approach his building, “Can I ask what about?”
You nod, returning the soft pulse of his hand in yours before separating your skin from his. His eyes flick down to your hands, and then back up to your eyes.
“I have a bit of a confession,” You swallow hard, “something I think I should tell you before we go upstairs,”
“Okay,” He leans against the stone wall behind him, “is everything alright?”
“I hope so,” You nod, “I just feel like there’s something I should say now, and if it makes you uncomfortable at all, just be honest. I’ll go home, no hard feelings,”
“y/n,” His brows draw together in confusion, “what’s going on?”
You take a deep breath, taking a step back to get a little breathing room, “I recognized you when I came into the cafe that first day,”
“Recognized me?”
“Yeah,” You clear your throat, your chest feeling tight, “for the past few months I’ve been… a subscriber,”
“A subscriber,” He repeats, and for a brief flickering second you wonder to yourself if this man just looks and sounds and feels exactly like Ryu but isn’t, but then his face blanches, “oh,”
“I’m not anymore,” You shake your head, “and clearly you like your privacy, so I didn’t know how to just come out and say it, but if you’re actually interested in me and not just being flirty at the cafe then I just can’t lie to you… I don’t want to start something with a lie,”
He’s quiet, and then his eyes flick down.
It was so, so nice while it lasted.
“I should have told you sooner,” Your stomach flips and you take another step back, “and I completely understand that you’re upset, I’ll just, I won’t say anything to anyone and it was lovely getting to know you, and I’m sorry, I’ll go,”
His head snaps up, “Go? y/n, stop, slow down,”
His hands smooth down your forearms as he jumps forwards, pulling you gently back towards him. Your heart is beating so loud you can practically hear it, “I’m sorry,”
“I’m not upset,” He assures, “can we go inside to talk? I don’t want to do this in the street,”
You nod, letting him lead you through the garden gate and up towards the house, but his words pulse on a loop in your mind. You hope he’s good at letting you down easy because this hurts. You should have known it that first day at the cafe, you should have stayed away and not played with fire.
His house is small, but very nice and despite being sparsely decorated, you like it. You feel trapped in the entryway so unsure of what to do in this space, especially when you recognize the corner of his gray couch.
“Can I get you a drink or something?” He interrupts your thoughts, “I have wine, probably some soju, and a bottle of truly undrinkable Japanese whisky,”
“Undrinkable?” You blink.
“I think it’s supposed to be very good if you like whisky,” He explains, “it was a gift,”
“Ah,” You couldn’t feel more awkward if you tried, “wine, I guess?”
“Okay,” He smiles, a close lipped polite smile that doesn’t quite touch his eyes, “well, make yourself comfortable, I’ll get us a drink and then we can talk,”
“Sure,” You’re still frozen as he walks away down the hall to what you presume is the kitchen. It takes a minute to unstick yourself, but you make your way to the couch and wait.
He returns with two glasses of red wine and then he sits in the chair opposite you, not on the stretch of couch next to you.
“Sorry,” You take the wine, stomach flip flopping, “I know this isn’t how you thought the night would go,”
“Mm,” He nods, taking a sip of his drink.
“I don’t know what to say,” You tell him honestly.
He nods, looking anywhere but at you until he finally meets your eyes again, “You’re not a subscriber anymore?”
“No,” You tell him firmly.
“Why?” He asks, and the question hangs between you.
“When I recognized you at the cafe and you were being so nice to me,” You explain, “it occurred to me that something might happen between us, as friends or otherwise, and it just felt wrong to know you as Yeosang and then… engage with your content that is clearly anonymous and meant to be private. I didn’t want to do that without you knowing,”
He nods, setting his glass on the nearby coffee table, “I see,”
“You are keeping it private, right? I feel like you’re careful to not overshare,”
“Yes,” He nods, “no one knows.”
“Then I really am sorry,” You set your own glass aside and lean forwards, “I’m sure you didn’t want to bring your real life as Yeosang and your online life as Ryu together, I just recognized your voice immediately that day in the cafe,”
“As Ryu?” He glances back up at you.
“That’s what I…” You try to parse through it so it doesn’t sound like a parasocial affair, “fromryu, you know? That’s just what I filled in for your name, I guess,”
“Ryusang,” He nods, “it’s the Hanja spelling of Yeosang,”
“Oh,” You soften.
“Why didn’t you mention you knew me before?” He asks, but despite his words nothing in his demeanor is upset, just curious.
You take another large, steadying gulp of wine and nod, “I didn’t really think the cafe was an appropriate place to tell you that I’ve gotten off to your voice before,”
He laughs sharply and looks down, “Okay, that’s fair,”
“Right,” You murmur.
“y/n,” He sounds hesitant and you look back up to him, “can I ask you something?”
“Anything,”
“Did you come out with me tonight because you wanted to go out on a date with the guy from the cafe, or because you wanted to have sex with Ryu?” The question is direct and cutting.
“With you,” You answer quickly, and now you know exactly why he’s putting this distance between you, “you, Yeosang.”
He’s quiet, turning your words over, you can practically see him thinking.
“Yeo,” You murmur, fighting the urge to reach out to him, “if all I wanted was that, I wouldn’t have told you. But I really like you, Yeosang, and I’d like to see more of you and see where this could go, but I completely understand if me knowing this part of you is too much. If you don’t want to go any further with me romantically or as a friend, this can just be a nice date we both had,”
He nods and then says, “I have one more question,”
You wait, your stomach in knots.
“Do you have a problem with what I do?” He asks.
“I mean,” You shake your head, “I was a subscriber, so no,”
“I don’t mean like that,” He clarifies his words, “I mean in terms of a romantic relationship. I like my work, both the cafe and the content, and if we start seeing each other I’m not going to suddenly stop making porn just like I wouldn’t close the cafe.”
“I’m not asking you to,” You shift over on the couch and reach towards him, resting a hand on his forearm.
“I’ve dated a few women,” He explains, slipping his hand into yours and twining your fingers together, “this was not something any of them were comfortable with,”
“Oh,” You nod, but he continues.
“A couple of them thought it might be fun,” He adds, “but when things got more serious they expected me to stop for them,”
“I’m sorry,” You tell him quietly, “I don’t expect anything like that,”
“You don’t now,” He points out, “and neither did they in the beginning.”
You can see the way this has fucked with his head a little, the way he keeps his shoulders stiff and turned away from you as he explains, and you suppose you might react the same way if you were in his shoes.
You chew the inside of your lip as you think about how best to say this to him, but finally you manage it, “Yeosang,” you get his attention, “what you do for work doesn’t change what we do on a date or in bed,”
He turns his head a little, the only indication you have that he’s really listening.
“I have no expectation that you’re some… sex god,” You smile a little, “though my guess is that you’re pretty good at dirty talk,”
A small smile appears on his lips.
“If I didn’t like what you do for work I’d go find another guy,” You continue, “and I’m sorry if the other women you dated weren’t comfortable with it, but I’m not so shy about it. I like what you do, and you’ve helped me plenty, and there’s nothing more flattering than knowing you liked me enough to even bring me upstairs,”
“Don’t sell yourself short there,” He looks up, shaking his head, “when you said yes to dinner I thought I’d be lucky if I got to so much as touch you,”
Your heart quickens in your chest, “You, what?”
He turns his body towards you properly now, “y/n,” he says, “I like you, I’ve liked you since you walked into the cafe soaking wet and exhausted, I’ve been trying to figure out how to ask you out for weeks.”
“I think I’m dreaming,” You breathe, and he grins at your words. You clap a hand over your lips and groan, “Sorry, I didn't mean to say that outloud,”
“It’s honest,” He says, “I like that about you,”
“Well,” Your hands naturally separate as you lean back onto the couch, “then believe me when I tell you that I am fine with your work. All aspects of your work,”
His eyes flick over you, gauging how honest you’re being now, “All aspects?”
You nod again.
“y/n,” His voice softens, “what tier subscriber were you?”
It clicks in your brain that you haven’t really told him everything, all the things you know about him and his work. Little audio videos here and there might be forgivable to some women, but more might be too much.
“The highest,” You tell him, “when I say everything I mean it, the videos, the Snapchat, all of it.”
He seems to relax at that, “And if this does go somewhere,” he gestures between you both, “if we keep seeing each other. If it becomes more than a few dates,”
You nod.
“You’re alright knowing that even if we were dating and going to bed together every night, I spend my free time making people come on the internet for money,” He says it so plainly that you have to blink at him.
You turn his words over and then sigh, “There’s one thing,”
He leans back in his chair, putting a little more distance between you both, obviously braced for your words.
“I just have a question,” You ease him, “just something I should know, I think.”
He nods once, his shoulders tense again.
“Do you ever talk one on one with people?” You feel your cheeks heat, “I know you do, you have the discord, but I mean do you ever do what you do alone with someone?”
He softens, “No, no I don’t,”
“Okay,” You nod, the tense knot in your stomach relaxing, “okay, then,”
“Would that be a boundary for you?” He asks.
“I think so,” You tell him, “it’s different when you’re making a video to upload for anyone and talking to someone, at least to me,”
He nods, and then he moves, shifting from his position on the chair to your side on the couch. The nerves that were knotted deeply inside you start to unfurl, his proximity feeling like a peace offering, like an acceptance of your words.
“Subscribers aren’t lovers,” He says finally, “and some people blur that line with their content, but I don’t.”
“Then, Yeosang,” You take the opportunity to slide yourself sideways a little closer to him, “I am fine with all aspects of your work, more than fine.”
“Will you tell me if that ever changes?” He asks.
“Yes,” You make him this promise, “I like you too, all I want is to be honest with you,”
He nods, his fingers flexing on his thigh as he thinks. Finally, he swallows tightly, his skin flushing a little now that you’re almost pressed together on the couch, and he asks what he’s wanted to ask all night, “y/n,” he turns towards you, “can I kiss you?”
He’s stunning this close, enough to render you speechless, breathless. You manage a single word, “Please,”
He’s on you in a flash, and Yeosang’s lips are warm, soft and plush and as he presses into you and winds his arms around you. Your body relaxes into his instantly, the feeling of his warmth, the scent of him, rich coffee grounds and sugar infused into his skin from his work at the cafe.
His tongue probes your mouth, his breath hot as he sighs. Your body feels alight, hot and feverish and desperate from just a single kiss. You need him inside you yesterday.
When he breaks the kiss, you realize you’re half straddling him. Somewhere in the heat of the moment and the muddled fog you hitched a leg over his and his hands dragged you up against him so you’re chest to chest. When your mouths break apart, you’re still merely inches from each other and panting the same little breath of air.
“y/n,” His hands explore you slowly, moving over your skin like he’s trying to learn you, “normally I would try to keep the kink to a future date, but since you already know all of my deepest, darkest fantasies, maybe we can skip ahead?”
“Yes,” You laugh softly, “definitely,”
“But I am realizing something,” His hands find the curve of your ass, “I’m at a disadvantage here, you’ve seen my videos, but I don’t know anything about what you like.”
“You,” The word bubbles up and you flush red again.
“My voice, I’m sure you like that,” He drops it a little to emphasize the husky bedroom quality of it with a teasing smile on his face, “but what videos do you like? What were your favorites?”
He’s about to ruin you, there’s absolutely no question. Even if he was all talk you’re sure to be coming just from his words alone, but his hands, the way he touches you, there’s no doubt he has the skills to back up everything he’s ever said in the videos too.
“Now I’m a little embarrassed,” You admit, “an hour ago we were on a first date,”
“An hour ago I didn’t know the woman across the table had fucked herself to the thought of me,” He counters softly, “and we can slow down if you want but judging from the wet patch on my thigh I think you want to keep going,”
You jerk your hips immediately, angling to pull them away so you can stop embarrassing yourself all over this man after a single kiss, but his hands lock down hard over your ass and he holds your body firmly against him.
“No, no,” He adjusts his leg so that his thigh is pressed even more firmly against your cunt, “don’t be embarrassed with me,”
“Right,” You blush darker.
“I’ll tell you what I want,” He offers, “would that help?”
You nod quickly.
One of his hands shifts to lovingly stroke up and down your back as he speaks, “I want you to enjoy this more than anything. There is nothing that gets me off harder than making a partner absolutely fall apart for me, and knowing I did that for them, and I think you already know that from my content. That’s real, that’s me.”
You shiver a little and he leans up to kiss you, softer this time.
“I’d like this to be good for you,” He continues, “and honestly I already want to see you again, but in case it’s only one night for you I think we should make it count.”
The night went from nothing to everything so fast your head is spinning but you nod, surging up to kiss him with your hands pressed against his chest for balance. Your core drags along his hard thigh with your momentum forwards and you gasp a little into the kiss, your hips bucking softly on their own at the sudden pleasurable sensation. You feel something stiff and warm pressing into your belly and you feel a rush of sensation between your thighs.
“So,” He kisses you again, leaning away so he can talk to you, “tell me what videos you liked,”
“The um,” You clear your throat softly, “the guided ones,”
He smiles, “Those are your favorites?”
You nod.
“And the roleplay?” He asks.
“Good,” You nod, “everything you do is really good,”
“But the guided ones get you off, hmm?” He squeezes your hips.
You nod again, “You’re very good at what you do,”
“Guided,” He says, almost to himself, before he drags your hips up and back along his thigh, “so you like when I talk you through it?”
You rock your hips on your own this time, picking up on his cues that he wants you to grind on him, “Mm-hmm,”
“Tell me more about what you like,” He keeps one hand planted firmly on your backside, but the other starts to wonder, fingers teasing the skin of your collarbones before he cups your breast through your sweater.
“Y-you’re so comforting,” You manage as you slowly rut your body against his, “even when you’re edging me and telling me what to do, you’re just, I don’t know,”
“Is that right?” He teases softly, his fingers toying with the top button of your closed cardigan.
“Mm,” You sigh, pleasure truly starting to build inside you as you rock your clit lazily against him, “and you understand it takes time for women,”
The button opens.
“You take your time with the build up,” You sigh, finding a better position for your hands against his firm chest while you continue to rock, “and when you talk about what you wish you could do to me if you were there,”
Two more buttons part open and he hums softly, appreciatively, “You like knowing what I want?”
You nod, watching as he makes short work of your other buttons.
“Maybe I should just show you,” He slides the cardigan off your shoulders until it pools around your waist, caught on your elbows, “wouldn’t that be better than just listening?”
“Y-yes,” You sigh, your hips slowing so you can let him take the lead.
He shakes his head, pressing his hand against your ass again to keep you moving, “That’s it,”
You moan softly, fingers gripping his shirt, “Yeosang,”
He chuckles at your needy whine and brushes his fingers between your breasts, stroking up your chest, down and over the wire of your bra, and lower still over the soft flesh of your belly.
“There you go,” He smiles, “I know that feels good,”
You nod, “So good,”
“Jagiya,” His hands slide your bra straps down, letting the soft material of the mesh cups fall and reveal your breasts to his hungry eyes, “look how pretty you are for me,”
You’re close.
“Don’t stop,” He murmurs, shifting under you so that he can sit up further and press his lips to your chest, “I need you to come,”
“Yeo,” You whine, your hips sinking into a quick rolling rhythm that feels so right.
“I need to take my time with you,” He confesses, lips traveling from the center of your chest across the swell of your breasts, “but I don’t think I can,”
“I-I don’t want you to,” You moan, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to stay steady, “please,”
“I want to,” He groans, “but, fuck, y/n,”
“Yeo,” You shudder, pleasure snapping up and down your spine, “it’s not one night, it could have never been one night for me,”
He exhales a heavy breath against your skin, hands tightening pleasantly on your rutting hips.
You’re startlingly close to tipping over the edge, the bubble growing closer and closer to bursting, and you squeeze your eyes shut tightly to focus on the sensation of him, “I-I need,”
He grips you harder, “Tell me, baby,”
“I, I,” You stammer, body stumbling towards coming.
“Come on,” He says lowly, “tell me what you need, baby, I’m right here,”
A tight sound bubbles out of your mouth and you figure it out in a second, your hand winding into the back of his hair to direct his head, pushing his mouth until you feel his lips ghost over your pebbled nipple.
“Oh,” He groans, his tongue catching your nipple firmly and sending a shock down your back, “there we go, I’ve got you,”
His tongue flicks over your nipple again, closing his lips over the hardened bud to suck sharply in exactly the way you need to take you right over the edge.
“I’m,” You grip him harder, losing yourself entirely now as you grind against him for your release, “I’m so close,”
“Come,” He pants, latching back onto your breast to keep lavishing the same attention, his arms banding tightly around you to hold your shuddering body close.
Your finger tightens in his hair, he begs you once more to come, and your orgasm knocks into you sideways. You moan sharply, jerking against him as you fall apart, and you feel him start to move.
He presses fast kisses across your chest, his voice soothing, “Oh, there we go,” he sighs as he feels you trembling, “fuck, what a good girl showing me exactly what she needs,”
His words draw a groan from your lips, your head buzzing at his praise.
“Perfect,” He sighs against your chest, “you have the prettiest tits I’ve ever seen,”
You shiver, “Yeah?”
“Mhm,” His fingers trace a circle around your nipple, and something in the way he’s touching you and the sound of his voice tells you everything. He’s about to tease you, edge you, make you come, and god willing he was about to fuck you. Yeosang flicks his thumb over your nipple and smiles, “Baby, I’m going to turn you over, if you want to slow down or stop at anytime you just tell me,”
“I think I’ll be,” You start to say, and then he maneuvers you quickly in his strong arms, gathering you close so he can turn you over on the couch, leaving you lying flat on your back against the cushions. You squeak and the way he pushes your legs together, quickly undoing the buttons on your trousers and pulling down the zip, and he glances up at the sound to check your eyes but finds nothing but your lazy post-orgasm smile.
As he kneels and strips your trousers off he groans, “God,”
“W-what’s wrong?” You blink, finding his eyes.
“Absolutely nothing,” He smooths his hands up and down your bare legs, “except I’m finding it very difficult not being inside you yet,”
“So come inside me,” You smile.
The corner of his mouth turns up at your words, “Already, baby? It’s only the first date,”
You process your words and roll your eyes, “You know what I meant,”
“I do,” He smiles wider now, “but you need to come again before I fuck you,”
“Not that I’m complaining about you touching me,” You gasp sharply as he hooks his thumbs under the sides of your thong and yanks it away, “but I’ve been daydreaming about your cock for months, so,”
He laughs sharply, tugging his own shirt up and off over his head as he does, “I’m flattered,”
“Shut up,” You press your thighs together and let your head flop back onto the cushions.
“Darling,” Yeosang says, kissing each of your thighs before he starts to slowly open your legs again, “how long has it been since you’ve been with someone?”
“Honestly?” You grimace, “A while,”
“And how long since you’ve had anything bigger than your fingers inside you?” He asks it so plainly, so calmly, while he widens your legs and starts to tip you open, another kiss to your inner thigh.
You shiver in his hands, “N-not that long,”
“Hmm,” He sounds pleased at that, “do you like using toys when you fuck yourself to my voice?”
“Fuck,” You gasp as his finger traces the softest line up and down your slit.
“Is that a yes?” He blows a cool stream of air across your throbbing clit and you jerk in his hands.
“Yes,” You answer quickly.
“What I wouldn’t give to watch that,” He says, kissing your inner thigh again before he continues, “but still, I’m probably bigger than your dildo, be patient with me,”
“Oh, fuck,” You melt as he presses one finger inside your slick channel.
“Relax,” He soothes you, “just let go for me,”
You don’t know how your life is this strange, how you went from listening to this man through your headphones while you touched yourself under the covers alone at home to his fingers sinking inside you. You’ll probably wake up from this dream with sticky thighs. There’s no way this is real.
Those are the thoughts that dizzy you until he pushes two fingers flush into your heat and you moan sharply, your hand gripping down on one of the couch throw pillows. He feels pretty real.
He groans, gently pumping his middle and ring finger just to get you used to the sensation, “Feel good?”
“So good,” You sigh.
“How badly do you need to come, darling?” He asks, continuing the slow and steady thrust of his fingers.
“So badly,” Your voice is whiny, needy, entirely informed by the feverish heat spreading through you.
“Pretty girl,” He hums, “with an even prettier pussy,”
“Oh, god,” You grip the pillows harder, and he’s barely doing anything to you but your legs are already starting to tremble.
“Mmm,” His fingers begin to pulse more firmly and you feel his fingers curl, finding the spongy crook of your g-spot with practiced ease, “and you need my cock inside, don’t you?”
“Ah, yes! Yes,” Pleasure blooms through your body.
“Soon,” He promises.
You moan again as he repositions, continuing the steady drumbeat of his fingers inside you as he reaches around with his opposite hand to separate your lower lips, the pad of his middle finger now alternating between maddening flicks and taps to your clit.
“Ah! Yeo,” Your hips rock, “just like that,”
“Good girl,” He murmurs, “telling me what you like,”
A tight sensation fills your lower belly, a blossoming heat that spreads from your core up through your body in warm waves, “F-faster,”
“Mm,” His thrusting picks up speed instantly, the angle slightly adjusting as he does, “that’s it,”
The angle chance has his curled fingers pumping against your g-spot hard and suddenly the sensation drops low, almost painfully tight and sharp like you’re on the precipice of something.
It occurs to you all at once what he’s trying to do, the way he’s trying to make your body sing, and despite the rolling waves of pleasure and how close you are to your second release, you don’t necessarily want the first time you squirt to be on Yeosang’s floor.
“B-baby,” You whine, the pet name slipping off your tongue, “I’m gonna, I think, oh fuck,”
“Fuck yes,” His fingers flatten down over your clit and he rubs fast, slickly rolling over your firm bud, “let go,”
“I can’t,” You shake your head, sweat breaking out across your brow, “I’ve n-never, oh, fuck, Yeosang!”
“Come,” He commands softly, “that’s it, you come, right here, baby,”
He’s not stopping, and with the way he’s working you there’s no way you could even if you tried. In a snap your body releases hard, a sensation like nothing you’ve ever felt pulsing through your slick cunt and your legs jerk, hips snapping up as clear fluid pulses out of you. The sound that leaves your lips is wanton, broken and needy, and your ears are very clearly ringing.
“Oh, fuck,” Yeosang hums, almost to himself, rubbing fast across your soaked slit to help coax every bit of slick from your center, “oh, baby, look at you,”
Your legs try to snap shut at the suddenly sharp overstimulation, but all he does is take that as his cue to stop directly stimulating you and instead drop the warm flat of his tongue over every inch of your glistening pussy. You gasp sharply at the feeling, rolling your head forwards so that you can look down between your legs, and you moan softly at the sight.
He’s buried between your thighs, lazily licking stripes up your inner thighs and over your cunt, but slowly enough that his aim isn’t to draw you into another orgasm, he just wants to taste you. To feel you on his tongue and ease you through your little aftershocks.
“God,” You breathe after a moment, “oh, my god,”
He chuckles, kissing the top of your mound, “Was that your first time?”
You nod, still trying to catch your breath.
He groans a little, palming his hard cock through his trousers to readjust, “That’s an ego boost, I’m not going to lie,”
You manage a laugh despite your dizzy, orgasm fogged brain, “Yeah?”
“Mhm,” He strokes your thigh, “if you’re not careful I might get addicted to the way you taste when you come,”
A shudder runs through you, “You can’t just say things like that,”
“It’s not a lie,” He says, “I’d spend a whole night between these thighs if you’ll let me,”
“Mm,” You sigh, reaching down for him and brushing your fingers through his long, dark hair.
“Now?” He cocks his head slightly to the side, “If you want my mouth, you just have to ask,”
You shake your head, slowly starting to push yourself into a sitting position and slide your hips away from him, “Not tonight,”
“What more can I give you tonight?” He murmurs, running his hands up and down your bare thighs, “Anything you want,”
You cup his face, drawing him close to lock your lips on his, wrapping your arms around his shoulders and nuzzling into his nose, “Take me to bed, please, Yeosang,”
“Let’s go,” He agrees, extricating himself from your arms so he can stand and offer you a hand up.
You take it, but as you do you realize the wet puddle on the floor in front of the couch and you blush dark red, covering your mouth with your hand, “I’m so sorry,”
“For what?” He blinks at you, and then follows your nervous eyes.
“I didn’t realize,” You start to say but he interrupts you with a hard kiss.
“Relax,” He says, “if we’re lucky you’ll make a mess of my room too,”
“I don’t know how I did it,”
He laughs again, “I do,” he smiles, “now come on, I need to see you in my bed before I combust,”
He tugs your hand, leading you down the hall until you’re in a large master bedroom. Your eyes flick over the details - industrial, warm wood, dark green sheets, soft ambient lighting. You’re about to comment on it, but he flips you back around to face him and captures your mouth in another hungry kiss.
“God,” He backs you up to the edge of the bed, dropping you down and falling over you, “tell me I can have you,”
“You have me,” You pant against his mouth, all thoughts of his lovely interior decor gone in an instant when you feel the hard shaft of his cock nestled between your thighs.
“I swear next time we’ll go slow,” He grinds his hips down, rolling his length up and down your slit, only the thin fabric of his trousers separating you.
“Please,” You buck against him, “I need you right now,”
“Fuck,” His hands are hot, searching, “is that right, darling?”
“Inside me,” Your hands scramble to find his waistband, “please,”
He nods, lips still pressed against yours, and then he leans back just enough to undo his trousers and start to push down his pants and boxer briefs.
Your mouth runs dry immediately. He wasn’t wrong about his size. You have fairly large dildos at home, thick and long and perfect for reaching all the spots you need it to, but Yeosang was bigger, thicker and longer than anything you’ve ever had inside you.
“Condom?” He manages as he shucks off his pants.
You blink, tearing your eyes away from his perfect, aching cock and nod, “We probably should?”
“Right,” He doesn’t push you to make a different choice, he simply searches his nightstand for a moment and produces a foil packet.
He strokes his cock twice while he tears the packet open with his teeth, before watching you beneath him as he rolls the condom smoothly down his length, adjusting it so that it fits perfectly.
You’re trembling with anticipation, you can feel it and so can he.
“y/n,” He murmurs, leaning over you and pressing a hand beneath your back to finally unclip your bra, “I want you to do something for me,”
You nod, sliding the cardigan and bra off your body and pushing them over the edge of the bed.
He grabs a firm looking pillow and folds it in half, “Lift your hips for me,”
You lift up and he slides the pillow right under your backside to leave you propped up and open for him.
“If it doesn’t feel good,” He murmurs as he maneuvers you into the position he wants, “or if I’m hurting you at all, just tell me,”
You nod.
“And I want you to tell me when you’re about to come,” He instructs, “I need to know,”
You nod again, your stomach flipping with desire.
He licks his lips, folding your legs open a little wider and slotting himself over you. He settles with one hand on your raised hip, the other braced on the bed by your head, his knees on the edge of the mattress between your splayed thighs.
His cock finally, finally, nudges at your entrance and you grip down on the sheets below you.
“Mm,” He groans, sinking just an inch or two into your tight heat, “you’re even tighter than I thought,”
He pushes in a little more and you moan at the stretch, “Oh, god,”
“Do I feel that good, babygirl?” He teases, pushing in a little more.
“So good,” You lift your head to watch the way his thick length splits you open.
“I am bigger than your toys, aren’t I?” He rolls his hips this time, rocking himself deeper with every little thrust.
“Y-yes,” You nod, your head dropping back to the mattress.
“Can you take me, baby?” He murmurs low.
“Fuck yes,” Your hips buck up again on their own as he opens you up, nearly fully sheathed inside you.
“Just a little more,” He says, his hand tightening on your hip, “there we go, fuck, that’s it, you’re taking me so beautifully, baby,”
Tears rush to your eyes, not from any kind of discomfort, but just from the overwhelming sensation of him. You’ve never been so full, never been so deliciously stretched and had these parts of you touched, and it rushes a blush to your chest and emotion through your veins.
His fingers brush along your jaw, bringing your eyes to his, “Good tears, or should we stop?”
“If you stop I’ll actually cry,” You laugh, blinking away the hazy sheen in your eyes, “you feel so fucking good,”
“Oh,” He sighs, thrusting gently in and out of you, “what a good, good girl, you are,”
“Jesus,” You shiver beneath him.
“Yeah?” He starts to move now, just a bit more, rocking his cock at a steady pace in and out of your wet core, “You like when I tell you how good you are for me?”
“Yes,” You moan, a shock of hot pleasure spiking up from your core, “please,”
“Such a good girl letting me fuck her perfect pussy on the first date,” His voice has dropped low again, husky and direct, and you babble out a sound of pleasure as he talks, “so warm and wet,”
“Fuck, fuck,” Your eyes roll.
He collapses over you a little more, his desperate lips searching for yours and the angle deepens, pushing his cock deeper and deeper inside you with every downward thrust of his hips.
You grip his shoulders, nails digging into his warm skin, “Baby,” you pant, “your cock, oh god,”
He hums against your cheek, head falling slack as his lips find your throat, sucking your pulse points and no doubt searing his mark into your tender skin. He pumps his hips harder and you moan under him, cursing again and scrambling to hold him closer.
“Such a dirty mouth,” He nips at your neck, “are you always like this, or is my cock that special?”
All you can manage is a taught moan in response, his cockhead now continuously connecting with your sweet spot over and over and rendering you unable to string a coherent thought together.
He groans at the way your cunt flutters and spasms and he kisses you hard, fingers tangling in your hair, “One of these days I’ll feel you for real,” he pants, “nothing between my cock and your sweet cunt,”
Your back arches, your mind spinning at the thought, “Yeo,” you moan.
“Fuck,” He chokes, “the way you’re squeezing me,”
You make a tight sound, something between a pleasured whine and a sob, and his hips stutter and stop, pressing his cock in as deep as possible as he grips down on whatever parts of you he can, breathing hot and heavy against your skin.
You can’t really move well in this position, but your hips rock in tiny back and forth motions to try and keep the sensation rolling through you. He’s panting into your shoulder, clearly trying to keep himself from coming too soon, and your mind commits to an idea before you have a second to double check yourself.
“Yeo,” You tap his arm, “baby I need to move,”
He pushes off you, his cock sliding out of your soaked core and you leg your legs straighten out, “What’s wrong,”
The words are barely off his tongue before you’re sitting up, grabbing his hand and drawing him back to the bed, pushing him onto his back with a guiding hand to his shoulder. He lets you lead, watching you as you put him where you want him this time, and he smiles, eyes flicking over you appreciatively.
“I need you,” Is all the explanation you can give, and maybe with a stranger this is foolish, borderline stupid, but you know him. He’s not a stranger really, not to you.
With a feverish pulse of need inside you, you shift to straddle his hips, and with quick, sure hands you roll the condom up from the base of his cock and toss it to the side.
“y/n,” He manages, but you’re lifting yourself over him now and his hands fly up to brace your waist, “are you sure?”
“So sure,” You connect his cockhead with your slick hole and drop your hips down fast, taking the whole hard length of him inside you in one smooth motion.
It’s his turn to moan, his head dropping back at the sensation of your wet walls and he grips at you, his hips stuttering beneath you.
“God,” He bucks up into you, “you’re perfect,”
“So are you,” You rock against him, finding the perfect place for your hands on his chest, “you’re so deep,”
He moans again, and when you start to bounce up and down he curses tightly.
“J-just don’t come inside me,” You keep bouncing, a steady fluid motion in your hips that you can tell is driving him crazy, but you have to keep your head at least a little.
“F-fuck,” He groans, his jaw tightening as his eyes flick down to the place your bodies are joined together, “you’re making that kind of difficult,”
“I just wanted to feel you,” Your shaking arms buckle a little and you find yourself flush against his chest while you work his cock.
“Me too,” His hands find your ass again and he starts to direct the pace, “God, I could fuck you forever,”
A moan drops from your mouth, your hands tightening on his chest.
“Don’t stop,” He urges you, and you realize your hips slowed at his words, “you feel so good riding me like that,”
Your thighs are burning already, but you hardly care, every fast shift up and down leaves you closer and closer, “Love you cock,”
“Mm, yeah? Say that again,”
“I,” You curse as a spike of pleasure rolls through you, “fuck, I love your cock,”
“Good girl,” He grips you tight, his hips jutting up to meet you now.
Your pace falters slightly, “Please, please,”
“I’ve got you,” He adjusts just enough to hold you steady as he fucks up into your tight heat, “I’ve got you,”
You moan, dropping your head into his chest and shuddering against him, “Baby, oh fuck,”
“A-are you close, jagi?” He pants, fingers digging into your hips so hard you know you’ll have bruises.
“Don’t stop,” You beg, “please, god, don’t stop,”
He groans, keeping the pace of his thrusts and using his hands on your ass to maneuver you to meet his hips.
“Shit,” You shudder in his arms, your orgasm fast approaching, “I’m coming,”
“Come here,” He shifts you fast, rolling you up and off him and manhandling you up to your feet.
You make a surprised noise at the lack of him inside you when you were getting so close, but you don’t have to worry for very long. Before you can open your mouth he has you standing, facing away from him, and bent over ninety degrees to brace your hands on the bed.
He thrusts back inside you sharply, slamming his hips into yours and leaving you moaning and curling in on yourself, your legs starting to tremble.
“Come on my cock, pretty girl,” He palms your ass before planting his hands on your hips and using the leverage to pull you back into each of his thrusts, “you’re so close,”
Your eyes slam shut, fisting the sheets as you hang on, every sharp push of his cock driving deeper and deeper. You’re going to have bruises, you’re going to be sore, but none of it matters when he’s making you feel this good.
You sob out a moan, collapsing forward into the bedding but he holds you up, “I can’t,”
“Yes, you can,” He pants, his sweat slick skin connecting again and again with yours.
“Fuck,” You groan, “I’m almost, I’m so,”
“Touch your yourself,” He directs, interrupting your pleasured ramblings, “rub your clit for me, baby,”
You slide a hand between your legs, locating your slick bud with ease and rolling your fingers over it quickly.
“Fuck, there you are,” He groans, “that’s right, baby, come on my cock,”
The same new sensation drops in your gut, your legs start to shake and you’re fairly sure that without his sure hands you’d be crumbling.
“That’s it,” He coaxes you up, never once slowing the sharp snaps of his hips, “there you go, that’s my good girl,”
Something unravels in your gut and you come with a shout, folding in on yourself as your legs quake and your mind whites out. Yeosang wraps his arms around you, curling over your back to keep you steady, and his cock slips free so he can stimulate you through your orgasm with his fingers, more liquid pulsing out of you as he fucks you over the edge.
You’re a quivering mess, and he lets you drop into the sheets, pushing you onto your back so he can stand over you, one hand fisting his slick cock.
“I’m coming,” He groans, “w-where?”
Your hands cup your breasts automatically, and you arch up to offer yourself to him, “On me, baby, come all over me,”
Yeosang groans sharply, his hips thrusting into his tight grip as ropes of silvery white cum paint your skin, covering your belly and breasts and dripping down your chest. He’s panting, his skin flushed pink and sweat covering every inch of his toned chest.
It takes you both a moment to recover, both trembling in the same position as you try to regain your breath, but after a few moments he smiles a hazy, satisfied smile and finds your eyes, “You’re so beautiful,”
Suddenly you feel a bit shy, even despite everything you’ve just done together.
“So beautiful,” He sighs again, pushing his hair back out of his face, and then he drops to his knees.
He hushes your soft protests and this time he tastes you slowly, but with intention. After such rough, intense sex, he follows it with the softest, slowest orgasm you’ve ever had. With slow sucks and gentle licks he brings you through a languid rolling wave that softens your limbs and leaves you sleepy and pliant in the sheets.
You drift, falling into sleep too easily for a first date in a sort of stranger’s apartment.
You wake a little later to a warm sensation on your skin, and you blink your eyes open to see Yeosang sitting next you, freshly showered and wearing black sweatpants and a familiar blank tank top. He draws the wet washcloth over your skin and then stops and smiles when he sees your eyes open.
“Hey,” He murmurs.
“Hi,” You reply softly, “I didn’t mean to fall asleep,”
He shakes his head, “Don’t be sorry,”
“I think you scrambled my brain a little,” You laugh, covering your face with your hands.
“Hopefully in a good way,” He nudges you.
“Beyond good,” You look up at him, “are you kidding?”
He smiles a little wider, “Good,” he says, “I drew you a bath,”
“Oh,” Your eyebrows raise.
“I thought you might be sore,” He explains, “I know I was a little rough, I hope you’re not feeling it too much,”
You shake your head, “Just a little, but in a good way,”
He nods, “Does the bath sound nice, or would you prefer a shower?”
“Bath is perfect,” You can see that he’s suddenly a little nervous, back to the same man from your date, no trace of Ryu’s husky tones.
“Here,” He offers you his hands to help you up, and guides you towards the connected bathroom suite. It’s large, crisp and clean, and in the corner stands a large spa-like tub filled high with warm water.
“Thank you,” You murmur as he helps you slip into the cocoon of water, the subtle scent of lavender wafting up from the steam.
“Mhm,” He nods, pulling a bamboo stool from the side of the sink and setting it down so he can sit at the edge of the tub and be at eye level with you.
“This is nice,” You murmur, still finding yourself a little shy in the post-orgasm clarity of it all.
He’s quiet for a moment, his fingertips dragging over the surface of the water and then he bites his lip.
Your stomach sinks for a moment, nerves coming back tenfold at the idea that maybe he’d prefer you to go after this, maybe this is all you’d ever have. Maybe he reconsidered what you know about his online persona and maybe he wasn’t willing to take the leap.
“y/n,” He sighs, “this might be forward,”
You look up from the rippling water.
“But what do you think about staying the night? We could order some dessert, maybe keep getting to know each other a little?” He asks.
You can’t fight the smile that blooms over your face, “I thought you might have changed your mind,”
“No,” He reaches into the water to find your hand, twining your fingers together, “not at all.”
“Yeah?” You squeeze his hand.
“I’d be crazy to let this be a one-time thing,” He lifts your hand from the bath and presses a kiss to the back, “I hope you feel the same.”
“I really do,” You twist to the side, leaning over to find his mouth and lock your lips together.
Yeosang cups your cheek, deepening the kiss tenderly, his tongue sweeping against yours, “What are you doing tomorrow night, then?”
“Tomorrow?” You lean back a little.
“Let me take you out again,” He kisses you again, softly this time, “I’m probably supposed to wait a few days, Wooyoung would tell me I seem too eager, but,”
“Who cares about that?” You grin, leaning out of the bath far enough to wrap your arms around his neck and kiss him, “It’s a date,”
“And Sunday?” His hands slide down your back.
You nuzzle his nose with yours, “I have a date,”
“Oh,” He says, deflating instantly.
“You might know him,” You tease, “he owns this lovely little cafe,”
He laughs, his forehead leaning on yours, “You’re mean,”
⋆synopsis: reader was abducted by alien!ateez, and is kept company by a quiet, brooding human who is just as much a prisoner as reader. coping day by day, reader and the mysterious prisoner become something neither of them see coming.
⋆ tags: MDNI!!, 18+, secret alien!yeosang, abducted!reader, angst, slowburn if you close one eye, smut, alien!ateez au, smut warnings under the tag!!
⋆ authors note: i am quite literally so unsure if i like this to be honest, but i love aliens, and yeosang is the most ethereal man on this earth, so i kind of had to. again, pls let me know thoughts and critiques if you have them! (pls be nice lol).
⋆ word count: 7.3k
⋆ smut tags: nipple play, yeosang eats kitty like no other, fingering, vulgar terminology, creampie, very very minor dom/sub dynamic!
Somehow, you always knew you were bound for the cosmos. You were never sure why, never sure when, or even how, but you knew.
It was a Sunday when you woke up no longer in your bed, but on a cold, raised slab of metal. The air was brittle, and every breath you took felt like it crumbled as soon as it toppled down into your lungs. You didn’t open your eyes yet, like they were glued shut, but you listened to the humming coming from underneath you, the soft, constant woosh of something unknown, and your own breathing as it became doubled. When you breathed, you heard yourself gasp twice. When you exhaled, you exhaled double. Your breath shook in fear, sounding like a rattlesnake as it duplicated itself.
Your fingers grasped for the edge of the bed you lay on, inching down the shallow drop until you felt nothing at all. The lurch in your stomach catapulted your body up, finding yourself with eyes wide open, staring at the dim, metallic scene in front of you.
A long console that spanned the entire length of one side of the room gleamed with bioluminescent light, causing stripes of its reflection to cascade on the silver walls around it. You slipped off of the ‘bed,’ grimacing as the chill of the floor met your bare feet, and padded to the edge of the platform you seemed to have woken up on.
The room seemed to extend past it for ages, infinite. Its metallic walls went on forever; if there were any angles, you couldn’t see them. Turning around, you faced the bed you had woken from: It sat in the middle of a decently large, but certainly bare, platform. A curved wall backed the platform like a cradle, reflecting the lights and directing them towards the center of the platform.
Somehow, the air had become easier to breathe, but with every deep swallow of oxygen, your lungs ached, and you turned back towards the console. There was a part of you that feared what was past the edge of the platform, you could feel your heart thumping against your ribs like a caged animal the closer you got to the step off, but you could not stop your legs from barreling forward.
Whatever oxygen that you had sucked in prior to stepping off the platform was promptly knocked out of you as you hit a barrier you hadn’t seen prior. It pushed you backwards, rippling out in iridescent waves when you reached out again to touch it. It stung with every attempt to push past it. You would start with your hands touching the curved wall in the back, running with all your might and throwing yourself at the invisible barrier, but nothing changed. The barrier still rippled outwards, your lungs still ached, your feet were still bare and cold, and you were still trapped in a room that smelled like honey and bleach.
-⋆✴︎˚｡⋆-
The next time you saw another being, it was an hour after you had woken up. Your back slumped on the curved wall, you had laid your head on the cool surface at some point after giving up, willing yourself to sleep, but your brain was wide awake. Although your eyes were closed, when the bright white lights flickered on, they shot open with a sharp gasp. Scrambling to your feet, you stood against the curved wall, eying the now starkly lit room.
You heard murmurs from behind the endless silver wall on the other side of the console, although you couldn’t make out what was being said. A door, not previously there, slid open with a woosh, revealing two powerful, slender figures.
They stalked in, their eyes black as night. Inhuman.
“Wh-who are you?” Your voice wavered, pressing your back against the wall.
They didn’t respond, but continued to speak in front of you. You could barely hear them, but picked up random phrases: “home planet,” “the human.” You picked up one sentence in particular, causing a freezing chill to course through your body: “...Could operate…leave the human in the enclosure…will return to the subject with the variable…”
The two figures wore dark clothing, crisp and clean lines that outlined their extraterrestrial forms. One figure, shorter, with a sharp nose, seemed to order the other around. The second figure was taller, with wide shoulders and an unforgiving gaze.Their dark eyes would seemingly look over at you, or so you assumed, dragging their gazes across your form, then returning to conversation. They flitted around the room, their fingers dancing across the console against the wall, then finally left without another glance at your person.
The next time they entered, you were unsure of how much time had passed, but this time another figure was with them, being tugged behind them like a prisoner.
The shorter figure led them to the console, pressing a variety of lights and buttons, glancing back at you every now and then. The figure with the unforgiving stare gripped the prisoner with frightening strength. He stepped forward, pulling the prisoner with him.
“Shall I feed the human, captain?”
The captain nodded shortly, “Yes, San, sure. Throw that one in there as well.” He gestured towards the prisoner who was still in shadow.
“Yes, sir.” The sharp featured figure wrangled the prisoner as he attempted to struggle out of the figure’s grip, “now, Yeosang, just make it easy for both of us.”
With the flick of a button on the console, the barrier flashed a light purple, and the prisoner was pushed through the barrier. He landed with force, folded over on the foot of the metal bed, its metal edge digging into his abdomen.
The man groaned in pain as two plates with unrecognizable slop were tossed through the barrier following him, before the light purple flashed back to nothing at all. You eyed the prisoner: his hair was pitch black and sprawled across his face, shrouding his features. His sculptured arms glistened in sweat, drawing your eyes down to his bound wrists.
“Go on then,” the captain barked as he and the other figure exited the room, “eat. Untie him for all I care.”
The door slid shut with a quiet thud, leaving the room with the mechanical hum you had heard before, and the panicked breathing from the prisoner, still bent over the bed.
“Are you…” Your brows curled upward in apprehensive worry, “are you alright?”
He said nothing.
“Can I untie you?” You whispered.
The man’s silence persisted, but he pulled his bound hands out from underneath his body, placing them on the bed for you. You crept forward, barely making noise as you leaned over the metal surface, reaching for his hands.
The man’s hands were large, well-defined and veiny, twitching under the pressure of the strange ties that bound him.
“I’m…um…” You let out a shaky breath, “I’m going to try and… uh… untie you. Okay?”
You waited a couple moments for an answer, but received none. With a sigh, you let your hands rest on his thumbs as you fumbled with the ties. The moment your skin touched the man, his body tensed, flinching away from your touch, before reluctantly letting your hands do their work.
“It’s alright,” your fingers were flying in and out of the strange loops created by your abductors, “I’m not going to hurt you…”
As you detangled the last of the bindings, his hands shot out from underneath yours, standing himself up and retreating to one of the walls surrounding the platform.
You watched him as he sat down, his long black hair still haphazardly thrown in front of his eyes. You could barely see his features, but reflections from the overhead light sparkled behind the strands of hair over his eyes every now and then.
Picking up the plates of slop that had been tossed in your cage, you brought one to him hesitantly. You held the plate in front of him, “here. We should probably eat.”
He looked up at you through the gaps in his sightline, then glanced at the plate in your hands. Without a word, he took the plate, and placed it next to him, leaning back on the wall and staring straight ahead, catatonic.
Your silence matched his as you returned to your spot on the curved wall with your plate of food. It smelled like the honey and bleach concoction that wafted through the room before the figures had entered, but as you spooned it into your mouth, the flavor warped and twisted on your tongue. It tasted like everything at once and nothing at all, and it dissipated from your mouth before you could savor it any more than necessary.
The lights dimmed in the room once more a number of hours after the prisoner had been brought in. He still hadn’t uttered a word, just stared at the air in front of him like it was speaking to him. You teetered in and out of consciousness for the rest of the day, dreaming of absolute nothingness and awaking to the same nothingness.
-⋆✴︎˚｡⋆-
You woke with the lights still golden and dim, covering the silver, metallic surfaces of the room in a bronze sheen. The man was standing at the edge of the platform, watching the room in front of him.
“That barrier will hurt you.” You muttered, sleepy.
He didn’t answer, but kept his back turned.
“Do you know what’s going on?” Your head fell ever so slightly to the side, feeling lethargic.
The man’s silence persisted, much to your frustration. Whether he was tired of listening to you speak, or if he had seen what he needed to see, was unclear, but he sat himself back down against the wall after glancing at you briefly.
“Who are you?” Your brows furrowed with fervor and you turned your head on his diagonal.
A heavy silence weighed the air down. One where all either of you could hear were your own short breaths. One that didn’t end for a long time.
The next time the lights turned on, the same sharp-eyed figure threw the plates of slop into the cage, snickering at the prisoner. He stalked across the edge of the cage, eying the prisoner, then you.
“Look at you two…” he whispered under his breath, “Ooooo, the Captain has been enjoying watching this.”
You choked on your breath quietly, barely audible, and you looked in the prisoner’s direction. He watched as the sharp-eyed man left the room once more, before releasing a shaky breath, glancing at you with reverence, and returning to his previous catatonic state.
-⋆✴︎˚｡⋆-
As the days went by, the routine stayed the same. The sharp-eyed being, San, would enter, turn the lights on, throw slop for you both, taunt the two of you, then leave. You’d eventually gather the plates and hand one to the prisoner, who would begrudgingly take it, but not without catching your eye behind his hair.
Between meals, you would sleep, look at the room beyond the barrier, talk at the prisoner quietly, hoping for an answer, hoping for a glimpse of his features. It was four days of quiet from the prisoner–four days of observing him silently–before you heard his voice for the first time.
The lights had been golden dim for hours, you had long finished talking at the man for the evening and you were on the teetering verge of sleep when you heard a dark, silky, covered voice come from the prisoner.
“My name is Yeosang.” His voice echoed around you, and slipped down your throat.
You said nothing, but you trained your eyes on him, the tips of your eyebrows curled up, and your eyes full of surprise. Your lips parted silently as you observed him. His hair still had not moved, you still could not see anything but his eyes, but he was staring at you.
“Yeosang…” You repeated in a hushed tone, “I’m Y/N.”
He nodded at you, curtly, but said nothing more.
-⋆✴︎˚｡⋆-
The next time he spoke, it was two days of silence later, and San had just left. The plates still strewn across the metal flooring, Yeosang got up from where he was sitting, and collected the plates.
He carefully sat next to you, not too close, and handed you your plate.
“Thank you.” You whispered to him, nervously sparing him a glance. His features were more obvious from this angle: you could almost see the straight slope of his nose, the sharpness of his jaw. The delicateness of his body blended with a floral aroma that drifted into your nostrils.
You turned to look at him. He smelled like jasmine. Yeosang smelled like jasmine and the faintest hint of cashmere and spice.
You resigned to eat in silence, until you were both scraping your plates clean. Looking at him as he stared out in front of him.
“Yeosang,” You started, and he turned to look at you, “Can I ask you something?”
He nodded.
“Do you have any idea what this place is?” You met his eye, then looked out at the ceiling past the barrier, “You were brought in by them, you must know something.”
Yeosang let a silence drift between the two of you, took a breath, and stared out at the ceiling too, “Yes. I do.”
A breath caught in your throat, “Okay…”
“They’re not from here. Not from… Earth,” He met your eye, gauging your reaction, but finding nothing, “They’re aliens, Y/N.”
You were silent, looking down at your hands, then at him. “I put that together…”
Yeosang continued, “They look human, but that’s how they get away with it.” He looked away, “They’re interested in researching you. That’s what I heard them speaking about when they found me.”
“Found you?”
“...Yes.” Yeosang seemed apprehensive to explain, as if he had said too much, “I’ll explain one day. If we make it that far.”
Your breath shuddered out of you, landing in the musty air. If we make it that far. Something about the dark, hushed quality of his voice as he said it made your heart rush, and your stomach tie itself in knots, unraveling like a butterfly unfurling its wings.
“Okay.” You whispered, barely audible.
“Okay.” You could feel his gaze on you, dragging from your furrowed brows, down to your quivering lip, to your exposed neck, then back to the ceiling, quiet.
-⋆✴︎˚｡⋆-
Even though Yeosang had begun speaking to you, he still maintained his brooding silence for as long as possible, only responding if he felt it absolutely necessary.
“I wonder what they want from us?” You mumbled the next evening as the golden dim lights began to fall on the room once more.
Yeosang merely grunted in response, shrugging his shoulders, and avoiding your eyes. He found that your eyes were somehow even more persuasive than your words could be. If he caught your gaze, it was like words were thrashing behind his closed lips, begging to be let out into the air. But, every now and then, your stare would find his eyes, and it would feel like a floodgate being broken.
“Yeosang, where are you from?”
“Far away.” He’d answered, too quickly.
“Do you remember what you were doing before they took you?”
“No.” Again, too quickly.
You looked away from him, frowning softly, “I think I was sleeping.”
Yeosang’s body relaxed as your gaze left him, leaving the room in silence once more. His quiet figure dripped in questions you wanted answers to. You craved him. You craved his answers, and the creamy baritone lilt he’d have when he did answer.
One evening, you woke to him laying his jacket on you as you slept. He gasped as your eyes fluttered open, staring into his starry pupils.
“I-I’m sorry,” Yeosang whispered, unable to draw his eyes away from you, “you were shivering.”
You shook your head, groggy, “No… It’s okay.
You grasped at his jacket, pulling it tighter around your arms. It smelled like him, and it was warm like him. Your words slurred together, still half-dreaming, “...smells like you. It's warm. Thank you.”
Yeosang nodded quietly, and waited for your eyes to close once more before he sat himself against the wall. Not close to you, but you woke up to his arm outstretched in his sleep, inches away from your hair that was sprawled out around you.
There was a quiet peace that Yeosang brought that settled in you every time you inhaled his cashmere, jasmine scent. He was like an enigma… An enigma that you couldn’t get out of your head.
-⋆✴︎˚｡⋆-
Two nights later, you woke up to Yeosang sleeping on his side, back pressed up against the cold wall. He twitched, flinching from a dream. Your eyes were barely open, woken by his whimpers, but you kept an eye on him.
“Please…” He whimpered, “Leave them… just take me.”
With each word his head turned and flinched, causing his pitch black hair to fall away, revealing his furrowed brows, his lids squeezed shut, his distinctly clenched jaw, his softly defined lips, pursed in fear. In your dreamy state, you laid there as his nightmare subsided, then returned with a vengeance.
He let out a blood curdling scream, jumping up and finally letting his eyes shoot open, wide, terrified.
The terror on his face was palpable, honest, dripping down his sculpted jawline and down his exposed collarbone. His shirt hung off one shoulder, his black hair stuck to his temples with sweat, but his delicate face was contorted and bare to the world.
“Yeosang…” Your voice lilted, furrowing your brow and getting to your feet to meet him where he was leaning against the wall for support.
He stood there, panting, chest heaving up and down. His kind eyes were squeezed shut, mouth in a grimace and he braced himself on the wall.
“Yeosang, it’s alright,” Walking closer to him, you hesitantly reached out, lightly ghosting the skin on his bicep. You quieted your voice down farther, into a whisper, “It’s alright.”
His breath hitched as he felt your hand on him, opening his eyes and finally meeting your gaze head on.
Your right arm rested on his bicep, and you gently rubbed circles into his clammy skin. A silent gasp fell out of you as his left arm reached for your shoulder, pulling you closer to him. It was like a puzzle, where every place you touched him was exactly where you were supposed to fit. He held your shoulder, and in turn your hand found his left forearm. Yeosang’s touch felt unfamiliar, like a ghost, and you wondered if he was really even there at all.
His lips parted slightly, watching you as your eyes searched his face, getting to know its curves and edges and lines for the first time. Yeosang’s voice was quiet when he spoke, “... I’m sorry.”
“No,” You whispered, feeling closer to him by the second, “you’re okay. It’s okay.”
You watched as Yeosang’s eyes flitted across your face, before he gently dragged his palm up across the hot skin on your neck, underneath your jaw and around the back of your head. He pulled your forehead to his with reverence, closing his eyes and breathing as if he had a tremor in his lungs.
You let your hand creep up the back of his neck, through his long, dark hair, matching his hold on you. You breathed together. In. Like a puzzle piece. Out. Like you were always supposed to fit.
As his breaths got calmer, you whispered in a hushed tone, “Is this what you need?”
His head bobbed softly, a helpless, quiet whimper falling out of his throat.
“Would you like me to sit next to you, so you can fall asleep?” You opened your eyes and met his eyes that swam with turmoil, like Jupiter’s storm.
If he nodded any smaller, you weren’t sure if you would’ve known he had moved at all, but you broke apart, sitting down with your back against the wall and your knees propped up. Yeosang looked down at you, his eyes softer than you’d ever seen them.
“Thank you.” He carefully sat down, placing himself just barely close enough to your body that he could feel your body heat radiating across his skin.
As Yeosang sat down, you followed the details on his face, gazing through him, wondering about him. Who was he? Why is he here? Why am I here? You searched for answers in the slope of his nose, and in the soft pink birthmark that was like a halo around the corner of his eye.
You squeezed your eyes shut, resting your head on the wall.
“Try and sleep, Y/N,” He gazed at you with softened eyes, “I’ll be okay.”
You opened your eyes and met his stare, holding it with an intensity that neither of you understood, then felt his arm reach around you, gently placing his palm on the side of your head, and pulling you down so you were resting on his shoulder.
You slept peacefully, and woke to the scent of him swirling in your lungs.
-⋆✴︎˚｡⋆-
From then on, the two of you slept on each other’s shoulders, finding comfort in the other’s warmth. In their scent. In the sound of their breath. Every night, your hands would creep closer and closer, intertwining limbs, tucking heads in the crook of each other’s necks. What had been short-winded answers, and one-sided conversations before, were now hushed discussions, exploring each other’s minds, picking each other apart.
On a night where you had been quietly talking about nothing and everything, Yeosang turned to you with a look in his eyes that you couldn’t place, and held it for a long, long time. It was as if time had stopped altogether. He watched as your brows pushed together into a soft pout, watched your lips part, then pressed together, your top lip slipping over your bottom lip nervously, and letting it drag back into a pursed line.
“Y/N,”
Your fingers slipped in between Yeosang’s in response, letting him hold them, rubbing his thumb across your skin. He opened his mouth to speak, but your gaze stopped him in his tracks. Color and feeling twirled around in your iris, shooting out and meeting his stare like a firework.
The amber of the dimmed lights shed the both of you in gold, drawing you closer, agonizingly slow, lips parting. You almost didn’t notice when your lips brushed his, sighing into his touch with a quiet relief.
Yeosang’s hand crept up your arm, leaving goosebumps in its wake, landing underneath your jaw. He pulled you closer, maneuvering your lips closer to his to deepen the silent, sweet brush.
Your lips moved around each other, your hands resting on his thigh, and his on your neck.
“Yeosang…” You breathed into his mouth.
“Shhh,” He pressed his forehead to yours, lightly biting your lip and slipping his tongue between your teeth. You let out a breath-like moan and he swallowed it, furrowing his brow in passion.
Your bodies moved together like waves and sand, the tide taking you from being sat, to his hand guiding your head to the ground. He kissed you with a fever, like he had been starving and you were the first morsel of food he’d seen in months.
Laying your head down softly, he redirected his hands path: They dove underneath the hemline of your shirt, feeling the bare skin above your waist. You shuddered at his touch, pressing into his chest softly, before slipping your own hands underneath his shirt. Your fingertips grazed over his sculpted abdomen, curling around his waist like he would disappear if you breathed wrong.
“Y/N,” He took your lips in a kiss, then pulled back, “I want to survive this,” he kissed you again, “with you.” Yeosang’s lips began tucking kisses down your jawline, in the neatest crooks of your neck and down your chest.
“I do too, Yeosang. With you.” You took his head in your hands gently, pulling him up. His eyes met yours, and you let a silence fall.
In the silence, you carefully peeled off your top, keeping your eyes on him, then slipped your fingers underneath his shirt again, and pulled it up and off of him.
Yeosang’s eyes drifted across your bare chest with eyes that sparkled.
“You…” He took a deep breath, lips parted, “you are so…” He dragged his hand from his forehead down to his chin and continued in a whisper, closer to your lips this time, “...you’re like an angel.”
All thoughts of wherever you were had been pushed to the back of your head. Your skin screamed for the feeling of Yeosang’s bare skin on yours, and you shivered when Yeosang’s hand snuck down your waist, gripping the side of your ass gently, but with intention.
“W-what if they come in?” You murmured into his neck as his lips wrapped around your ear lobe.
“We’ll just have to be quick,” He whispered into your ear, his dark honey voice blowing chills across your entire body. You pressed into him with a quiet whine, your chest sensitive, craving more of him. Craving all of him.
Yeosang pulled back, taking in the sight of you once more. You guided his head down towards you again, crashing your lips on his and pressing sickening kisses to his own trembling lips. Your bodies pressed together, moving against each other, hands roaming like birds in the sky, searching for food.
With every path his fingers traced on your skin, you let out shakier and shakier breaths, culminating in a deep gasp as his fingertips grazed the tips of your chest, cold, yet on fire in lust.
“--Nn…” Your mouth was pressed into the top of Yeosang’s head as he dipped farther down your chest, kissing around your sensitive nipples, and lightly nudging them with his hot tongue. Your lips first parted, exhaling into his dark hair, then, still slightly ajar, pressed into his head, placing moaning, sensual kisses across his head.
Yeosang groaned into your skin, rutting into your lower abdomen, and dragging his pulling bulge across your burning skin. You reached down to his stomach, letting your palm slip down and under his pants. His cock glided into your hand, and you wrapped your fingers around him with a shaky grasp. As you began to move your fist up and down his erection, he released a guttural moan into your skin.
“Y/N,” Yeosang’s breath caught in his throat, “...you… oh, god. That feels good. You… feel good.”
He gazed up at you from his position on your chest, and you could feel his cock get harder in your hand as your expressions twisted and contorted in pleasure. He nearly bit into your skin as he snuck his hand down underneath your pants, sinking his long fingers into your wet cunt, causing your back to arch up into his touch gently.
“Y-Yeosang…” Your hand squeezed his cock, rubbing your thumb over his leaking head and dragging the sticky pre-cum across his length. With one finger, he caressed the entrance to your dripping cunt with sweetness, slowly pressing in and curling his middle finger inwards. The fingertip dragged against your gummy cunt, throwing a gasp out of your lungs, “Mm, no, no, no,” You whimpered, unable to stop your body from fucking itself on his fingers as he added another one, “No, Yeo-Yeosang, I want you. You.” You whined.
“Be patient.” Yeosang’s voice was firm, sending a jolt of warmth through your cunt. He smirked, “Oh? Did you like that?”
The lewd sound of his fingers fucking into you squelched and echoed across the room in response.
“Mm… mmhmm,” You whine, lips pressed together in pleasure.
“You’re gonna let me taste you, right, angel?”
“Uh-huh,” Words were choking in the back of your throat, leaving you virtually speechless.
“That’s right, angel.” With one swift motion, Yeosang removed his fingers from your dripping hole, but quickly replaced them with his wet tongue. He dragged a long, flat line from your fluttering hole up to your sensitive clit, wrapping his lips around your clit gently and sucking. His tongue lay flat against your sensitive skin as his lips outlined the shape of your core, over and over again. Every suck and sloppy kiss pressed into you pushed a fire through your abdomen, curling and winding around you like a fuse.
“Yeah?” Yeosang murmured into your wet cunt, “do you like that, angel? You want more?”
You nodded furiously, letting out a whimpering, “Mm…!”
His fingers returned to your glistening cunt, driving deep inside of you and feverishly fucking your cunt while he ravaged your clit. Your lips parted, unable to keep them closed anymore, letting your moans become open whines, full-voiced moans that filled his ears and drove him onward. Yeosang’s lips crept into a smirk on your cunt, rubbing his nose between your wet folds and throwing his tongue along the outline of your hole, then moving back up to your clit to wrap his lips around it, tweaking it in his lips and dragging his teeth ever so slightly across its body.
With a choked cry, you shook underneath his touch as the fuse curled around you and broke loose. His strong arm held your hips down as you squirmed with overstimulation, his tongue diving in and out of your hole, still rubbing the tip of his nose across your over sensitive clit. You cried out, your knees trapping his head between you, but he pulled your legs apart, and pulled himself up to press a sloppy, wet, you-flavored kiss to your lips.
You desperately felt for the waistline of his pants, dragging them down and letting his aching cock bounce up and fall onto your pelvis. As you tasted yourself on his tongue, he pressed his cock on your skin, dragging himself up and down your abdomen. You gasped into his mouth as the head of his cock slipped between your wet lips, brushing firmly against your clit and touching the entrance to your canal.
Your hands gripped his neck, pulling him closer to you, and you pushed your pelvis up to meet his, aching to be filled, aching to be found by him. Yeosang’s soft lips smiled into your skin and his brows furrowed softly as his thumb found your clit, rubbing soft circles. His cock dragged across your sensitive cunt over and over again until, without warning, it slipped past the entrance to your tight hole and sunk deep into your canal. You groaned loudly, mouth wide open and eyes rolled back in pleasure.
“Mm…” Yeosang grunted as he pushed the head of his cock deeper inside you, “Is that okay? Are you okay?”
“Mm.” You mumbled, “Good. So good.”
“I’m gonna go all the way now, okay?” His eyes were softer now as he watched you nod. It was like the wind was knocked out of you as he finally bottomed out inside you, cock pressing up against your cervix. You could almost feel the ridges under the head pushing against your tight canal, stretching you. With every twitch of his cock, your cunt fluttered, pressing up onto his length, aching to be filled more, deeper, harder.
Yeosang’s hands drifted into your hair, burying his fingers and gently holding your head in his hands. He kissed you, so softly you could barely register it, then he began to move inside you. Still pressing soft kisses on your lips as he pushed and pulled, groaning from the sight of you twisting and turning quietly underneath him.
You leaned forward, bracing yourself up with one hand, and leaned your forehead on his. It felt like a lifetime of writhing heaven before Yeosang’s hands slipped to the small of your back, one hand reaching farther, supporting your waist. He rolled on his back, pulling you with him, and you let out a surprised moan, sinking back down on his cock as he continued to fuck into you.
“Feels good?” He stared up into your eyes, and you saw so many things in his: Fire, passion, the dark brown of his iris, a soft stare, something more, something unknown, but there nonetheless.
You nodded, throwing your head back as you rocked back and forth on his cock, “Mmh.”
Your insides writhed and twisted, curling around your abdomen like a sharp, warm wind. Yeosang’s lips were parted, matching your own lips, and quiet, desperate moans spilled out of his throat. He took your left hand in his, placing it on his heart without breaking eye contact.
“This is yours.” Yeosang rocked up into you with one powerful thrust, rolling his hips down to bring them back up with an even more forceful thrust. A guttural moan burst from your mouth, and you trained your eyes on the ceiling, letting your head fall, resting.
“M-mine…?” You barely breathed out.
“Yours. I-I’m…” His eyes flitted around, “I’m not sure where to cum.”
“Me.” You let your head fall forward, catching the soft look that his eyes carried, “Yeosang, p-please.”
“Are you sure?”
You nodded, and with one long, dragging push of his cock, an almost explosive orgasm spilled from your, clenching around his cock with a vengeance. You pressed your lips together, some sort of attempt to muffle your whimpers, but they spilled out despite it all, leaving a long, broken hum in the air.
It floated around the room, driving Yeosang on, and his rocking became less sensual, harder. Your moans and whimpers became soundless gasps as he pulled you down to his chest, bringing your foreheads to touch again. His hands slid down to your ass, getting leverage to fuck into you even more. It felt like you were floating, his length barely even pulling back an inch before he would slam back into your cunt.
His guttural moans flew in and out of your ears, becoming whinier, needier, the longer he drilled up into you. Silently, still gasping, you reached back, slipping your fingers down his balls, and cupping them softly. You squeezed gently, kneading them as Yeosang’s moans became guttural and broken.
With one passionate, breathtaking thrust, he spilled himself inside of you, rutting into you as his hands returned to the back of your head, pulling you in for a sloppy, tongue-filled kiss. Your sensitive cunt tightened around his cock as he pumped you full of cum, and he gasped into your mouth.
“We’ll m-make it out, Yeosang,” You spoke quietly, but did not let the tone reach the point of hushed, “together.”
Yeosang stared at you with a desperate look on his face, like he was searching your soul for any other way out. Like your skin held the instructions on what to do, what to say to your captors. After a long silence, filled with his heavy gaze, he pressed his forehead to yours, “Together.”
-⋆✴︎˚｡⋆-
The stark white lights flickered on on a morning sometime afterwards, Yeosang gone from the space beside you, where you had fallen asleep entangled in his embrace.
In a panic, you scrambled to your feet, storming to the edge of the platform to see the Captain.
“Where is he?” You pushed your finger towards the strange figure.
“Where is…” He raised his eyebrow, “... who?”
“Yeosang.” Your voice wavered, shaking.
“He served his time. He did the necessary research, and beings from our planet do not feel the need to do… extra… work.” The being let the word fall out of his mouth like vomit.
“... what?” Your frown deepened, and a breath was stolen from you.
“What do you mean, what?” The Captain spat out the last word like it was mold.
“Yeosang… is human…” Your gaze flitted across the floor, as if you were searching for answers in the reflective shine, “...is he not?”
“He is not.” The Captain muttered, nonchalantly, “Yeosang’s task was to enter your enclosure, and learn about you…” His eyes darted towards you, “...to learn about… humans.”
You were silent; the Captain filled your silence with a loud scoff, “don’t worry, we’ll bring him in to say goodbye.”
The floor held your emotionless stare, gluing you to the spot.
“He will see you tomorrow, human.” The strange figure exited swiftly without a second glance, and you were left alone.
-⋆✴︎˚｡⋆-
You didn’t sleep. You barely blinked. You didn’t eat the food that was thrown into your cage. Your stomach growled like an animal. Tears poked at you like needles, but you swallowed them down over, and over, and over, and over again.
When the lights eventually flickered on, and Yeosang stood there quietly with the Captain, you did not look at him. Even through the barrier, you could recognize his breathing pattern, the way he sighed.
“Y/N.” You heard his deep, warm voice ring out like a haunting siren.
Looking up, your lips parted. His hair was still as long and dark as before, but it had been parted, neatly styled and wavy. He wore a dark grey bomber jacket with a black tank top. You could see slivers of the shoulder you had found comfort and safety in. You could almost smell the scent of cashmere and jasmine that always lingered in his hair.
You let a tear drop, finally.
“What?” Your brow was pressed far down your face, your eyes filled with tears, lips quivering in frustration.
“I’ve come to take you home.”
The volume of your silence hurt his ears.
“Home?” Your voice came out like a hoarse whisper.
“Home,” Yeosang took a deep breath before continuing.
A lengthy silence followed. You felt empty, hollow. What was the point? The thought of him made you feel like crumbling. All of a sudden, the air felt brittle again. You breathed in as well as you could, but all that came out was a choked sob.
You faced the Captain, opening your mouth to speak, but he spoke first.
“I will leave the two of you alone.” And he disappeared out the door, as if he was never there.
Yeosang stared at you, lips shaking ever so slightly, but he pressed them together before opening his mouth to speak, “Y/N–”
“So what was it?” You faced the ground, confused, angry.
His voice was quiet, “what was what?”
“What do you think?” You whispered. “What happened to you wanting to make it out together? Huh?”
Yeosang’s hands were clasped together, his thumb nervously brushing across the back of his index finger, “I… am free to do what I want… now.”
“And… what?” Your lips pull into a sarcastic smile, a tear dripping down your cheek. You roughly wiped it off with the heel of your palm, “you want to follow me back? You lied to me, Yeosang. I was so scared. I was so scared, but you made me feel…” You let out another sob, turning away from him and resting your hands on the raised metal surface you had woken up on that first day. “You made me feel better. Safer.”
“I know.” His voice was like quiet silver, dripping slowly and carefully out of his throat.
“So, then what? I let an alien follow me home?” You swiveled around sharply, taking your hands off of the cool metal bed.
“I’m sorry. I meant it when I attempted to tell you they had captured me too,” He shifted from foot to foot, “because they did capture me. I’m not…” He sounded anguished, clearing his throat before continuing, “...I am a prisoner of war. They are letting me leave with you, because they will kill me if I ever return to my home planet.”
You took his words in, letting them churn around your head like cement being mixed. Yeosang gazed at you, his expression pained. His eyes wandered your body: saw the places where your shirt was hastily thrown back over your head after the night before, where dark reds and purples had begun to bloom across your neck and chest. Yeosang’s lips parted silently, and he drew in a shaky breath.
Your voice trembled slightly, “Then… What happens if you don’t follow me home? Where would you go?”
He took a deep breath, letting a soft, barely audible, crackling whimper topple out of his mouth, “I-I don’t know. But, whatever data they had me collecting… it doesn’t change anything that I said.”
You were silent again, and you squeezed your fists together, “What data did they have you collecting? What was my purpose?” You spat out the last word.
The sound of Yeosang’s lips peeling apart as he breathed in shortly echoed in your ears, “Human compassion.” He could barely look at you, opting for the ceiling above you to focus on, but as he continued, Yeosang took a deep breath, and met your gaze with intention. “They wanted to understand why your people cared for others they didn’t even know.”
You stared at him blankly, eyes glazed over and almost frozen.
“Compassion…” Yeosang trailed off, turning his back to you and walking to the blinking console, “that is a trait that our species learns. Only if they are shown it, otherwise we do not have a concept of it.”
You watched as his fingers danced across the twinkling surface, turning to look at you once more when the barrier turned a barely visible green.
“What did you do?”
“I turned it off. All you have to do is leave the room.” Yeosang’s hand glided through the air as he gestured towards the door, “If you want me with you, I will go. My heart is yours. I meant that.”
You followed his gesture to the door, finally noticing the circular gap in the wall indicating the frame of the exit.
“But… if you don’t want me, th-then…” He gulped, inhaling shakily, “...then I will find what is left of my life somewhere else.”
Yeosang’s eyes were trained on the floor, but drifted upwards, meeting your pitying eyes, and swimming in them. His gaze begged you to come to him, to let his hands touch your skin again.
You stepped forward hesitantly, letting your outstretched hand push through the barrier first. When nothing happened, you fully stepped past the barrier with a nervous whimper. The stark white lights were brighter on the other side, everything was. The twinkling, blinking console shone brighter, the silver was somehow more reflective, and Yeosang’s eyes had stars in them that you had never seen before.
Without thinking, you moved closer to his nervous body, now only a foot away from the warm comfort of his body heat, the smell of his hair, the soft brush of his skin on yours. You met his eyes with reverence.
“...Let me prove it to you, angel.” Yeosang whispered, his voice choking on the last word. Your head fell an inch to the side, and you pulled your lips into a shape between agape and closed, “I would fall from the grace of my species to be with you”
Your lips quivered, and your breath had never felt weaker when you finally responded, barely a whisper, “Come with me.”
He inhaled a sharp gasp, gluing his lips together, “... Are you sure?”
You nodded, at first avoiding his stare, but Yeosang’s gaze pulled you like a magnet, and your voice wooshed around him like a gentle wind, “My fallen angel,” you whispered to him.
He held out his palm, and you took it, hesitating at first, but letting the longing in your eyes drip like molasses. Yeosang’s fingers relaxed around yours like a relieved breath.
“Let’s go.” Yeosang brought you closer to him, and you melted into his touch.
“Let’s go.” You whispered, following his lead out the room. Free.
warnings: alcohol ofc, three swear words, yeosang gets cuteness aggression for reader, reader is a giggly drunk and laughs too much, reader is kinda whiney and annoying lol, a kiss,
ss: 1
wc / cc : 1.6k / 9k
a/n: this is a thank you for 100 followers !! omg ilysmmmm 🤍 this was originally supposed to be a drabble but somehow it got to 1k+ 🫣 hehe enjoy everyone, I literally had so much fun writing this <33
synopsis —---
When you send Yeosang texts claiming you have an emergency at 1 in the morning, he rushes over to your place after you leave him without answer to find out what this "emergency"
—-- ⪩⪨⪩⪨
The knocking on your door was urgent. You open it with a giggle.
“What's going on?!” Yeosang says frantically, he looks you up and down for any injuries—grabbing your arms for more inspection, but sees none.
He walks inside your house and takes a look around for anything that could be related to the texts you sent him. Nothing. You on the other hand follow him like a lost puppy around your own home. He finally turns to you.
“Y/N why have you been ignoring my texts? And what's the emergency?” He raises a brow, wondering if this was all a ploy to get him to come over. You trip over nothing, his arm goes to your waist catching you before you fall. He steadies you. “...Are you drunk?”
You shake your head no with a pout. You pause and think for a moment. Okay maybe you were. You hold up your fingers and show the smallest amount between your thumb and index.
“Only a little bit.” You giggle. It was almost one in the morning, and by the looks of your outfit—you hadn't even left the house! Yeosang shakes his head and takes your wrist, dragging you to the kitchen.
He sits you on the stool. Yeosang maneuvers through your kitchen and you watch him intently as he grabs you a glass of water. He slids it to you on the counter and you caught it. You stare down at the clear liquid with annoyance. You look up at Yeosang with a pout.
“Drink it, Y/N.”
“But what if it tastes bad?” You ask greatly concerned.
“What if it—? It's just water! Water doesn't have a taste.” Yeosang rolls his eyes.
“Yes it does...!” Your words slur as you argue, you swirl the liquid in your cup. “It tastes better when it's cold.”
He sighs. You weren't wrong on that.
“Can you please drink the water, Y/N,” he asks softer this time. You finally comply and drink the water. Some of it dribbles off your chin. He walks over to you and wipe your chin with his sleeve. Once you were done with your drink, you place the cup down. “Why did you send me texts of an emergency this late at night when there clearly is no emergency?”
“There is too!” You huff, crossing your arms.
“Oh yeah? What's this so called "emergency", y/n?”
You point to the jar of cherries on the countertop next to an open bottle of tequila, half done jug of lemonade and two glass cups, one had lemonade in it already and the other one was empty but clearly used.
“...I couldn't open it,” you say sadly. Your finger traces something on the marble countertop. Then you look up at him with the most devastating puppy eyes and ask, “Can you open it for me? Please?”
He folds instantly, the cuteness aggression taking over his whole body. It took everything in him to not pinch your face. He'd do anything you ask him to in this moment. He wets his bottom lip with his tongue before opening the jar with ease. The stars in your eyes at the sight of the open jar and the smile you gave him did not help with his aggression. You hop of the stool and take the jar from his hands and said a polite thank you. You pop two cherries in your mouth and start giggling again, maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let you have these sugary things right now... You place the jar down and it makes a clink sound as it hits the countertop. You look around promptly before rememberance flashes past your eyes.
Yeosang watches you curiously as you stumble your way to the pantry. You return with your phone. Why was it in the pantry? He didn't know. You were chuckling to yourself about something. Music starts drifting from your phone speakers. You place the device in the fruit basket which makes Yeosang sigh, he proceeds to remove it from there before you lose it again. With his back turned for only a couple of seconds, he heard the sound of something pouring. He turns around in a flash, you had spilt tequila on the floor and some on yourself but you did manage to get some in the cup.
“Oops.”
“Y/N— No.” He quickly takes the bottle away from you. You side eye him but he stands firm. Yeosang walks over to the fridge and puts the bottle on top of it, knowing you wouldn't be able to reach it. He turns back and catches you drinking the cocktail you had mixed up, you had managed to put some cherries in. He takes the cup out of your hands, with no effort really.
“Hey, I was drinking that!” You cross your arms, your words slurred together.
“Too bad, Y/N. Look you can drink the rest tomorrow, okay?” You glare at him and was about to speak when the song drifting from your phone which was now on the counter, changed—whatever words you were going to say were forgotten cause you were now dancing way to fast for the slow pace song.
While you were distracted, Yeosang hides the rest of the drink in the fridge. He cleans up the mess you made afterwards. There was a poke on his side as he was discarding the dirty paper towels.
“Yeosaaaaang.” You drag, poking him until he gave you all his attention. “Dance with me!”
“I think you need to go to bed.” He says instead.
“Nooooo!” You pout. “Please?”
And there he goes folding again. He lets you wrap your arms around his lower torso, ignoring the way his heart was hammering in his chest right now. His hands rest on your lower back, respectfully. He sways with you to the music, your tempo slightly off but still it was... Nice. You rest your cheek on his chest.
“Your heart is going thumpity thump, thump.” He freezes. You chuckle before letting out a yawn. “You make my heart go thumpity thump, thump too.”
The another yawn leaves your mouth. Right now was not the time for Yeosang to be dwelling on your half confession.
“Let's get you to bed.” He says. But you don't make any move to let go of him. “Y/N?”
“You're comfy.” You snuggle deeper in his chest, hugging him tighter. “Don't wanna move...”
And knowing your stubborn ass, you weren't gonna move for a little while so he does the only solution he could think of. His arm hooks under your knees—you let out a surprise yelp by his sudden movements, you were now being carried bridal style. Yeosang carries you all the way to your bedroom, you must have found it amusing because you wouldn't stop laughing. What was funny? He really didn't know. He plops you down on the soft mattress and goes to your drawer where he knows you keep all your sleepwear. He throws an oversized t shirt and shorts on the bed next to you.
“Get changed.” He then promptly turns around to give you a bit of privacy. There was a sound of shuffling behind him before he hears your voice.
“I'm done.” He turns around only to get the same pair of shorts he gave you thrown in his face, they fall to the floor in a heap. You giggle again. “Don't want them.”
“Okay. That's fine.” He runs his fingers through his hair. “Goodnight, Y/N.”
You pout your pink lips for like the fourth time this night.
“What?”
“I have something to tell you. But you have to come closer.” He raises a brow but complies. He's standing right next to the edge of your bed. You wave your hand exaggeratedly, as your dangling legs kick a bit. “closer!”
He decides to humor you, he leans down.
“What did you want to tell m—!!” His eyes widen in surprise as you wrap your arms around his neck and pull him down. His hands land on either side of you to keep himself from falling on top of you. You found this shit fucking hilarious, laughing as tears form in your eyes. Yeosang's face turns red, red like the cherries you were just eating.
“What is wrong with you?” He manages to get out of his tight throat. His heart picks up again, faster than it was in the kitchen. Your arms were still wrapped around his neck which is turning red hot by the second.
“Everything!” You smile as if that was normal.
You two share a moment of quiet, just staring at each other for God knows how long. He couldn't stop thinking how pretty your eyes were, shiney from the tears you shed from laughing.
Your legs hook around his waist, pulling closer. He was suddenly aware you weren't wearing any pants underneath your t-shirt. This was not a friendly position, not friendly at all... Next thing he knew, your lips brush against his. He can taste the cherry and tequila on your sweet lips in the kiss. You pull back, licking your lips.
“I like you soooo much.” He could die, like literally right now. “You're so pretty, you know?
Your arms leave his neck so you could hold his face.
“My pretty, pretty princess.” You coo at him. Then you yawn softly, your eyes flutter shut and you mumble, “I'm sorry for kissing you, Yeosangie.. I couldn't help myself cause...”
Your legs' hold loosen and your hands lay next to either side of your head. Did you fall asleep mid sentence? He waits for a minute but nothing from you. He slowly straightens, his job here was done— Your fingers grab onto the hem of his hoodie, you let out a whimper.
“Don't leave.” Your eyes open, they were droopy because you were clearly tired. But they stare at him with that stare that made him want to give you anything you asked for.
genres and warnings: fluff, angst, violence warning, sorcerer san and sirenhunter jongho as side characters
word count: 27.8k (idky im still incapable of making shorter fics)
synopsis: yeosang is a siren and you're a siren-hunter. he may have lost his voice and you may be immune to a siren's call, but he has you bewitched anyway. on your journey together to find the sirens who killed your parents and took his voice, you make new friends, find yourself cursed and turning into a siren, and fall for yeosang. he proves time and time again that he's not the monster you thought all sirens to be as he helps you come to terms with yourself and find the person who cursed you.
manager-nim: @eightmakesonebraincell (we fought over who writes a sea au first. now i'm traumatised and she learnt her lesson) (also firing you bc you 🔫 didn't proofread this)
You couldn’t help but wonder just what was different about this part of the ocean because the sound of the waves crashing loudly was strangely calming. Maybe it was the lack of travellers or sailors here- after all, this area was considered remote. Maybe the humans had not polluted this part yet. Humans always left a trail behind them, and you couldn’t really spot any traces here.
Or maybe a kind soul was taking care of this place. As you walked with bare feet on the sand, long having ditched your sandals, the waves occasionally flowing to wash your feet, you noticed a few cabins and cottages in the distance-- someone must be living here. Maybe they knew how to treasure the land they dwelled on, the sea that they sailed in. You smiled to yourself, looking up at the sky, a lot clearer here than where you were coming from. The stars were more visible too, almost looking as if they were near- like all you had to do was jump to grab them. Even the wind smelt cleaner, containing traces of salt and mud, and-
Food. Your stomach rumbled at the thought and you rubbed it as if that would provide it any comfort. You haven't had a nice meal for a while now. You held the strap of your bag tighter in an attempt to distract yourself, glancing at your right and noticing a person walking along the shore lazily as if they had no worry in the world. You reckoned the person must be a resident here and decided to approach them, hoping to find a room for the night and a hot meal if you were lucky.
You jogged towards the person and when he turned, you said hi. “I was wondering if there are rooms available for the night? I’m leaving at the crack of dawn- I need to catch the first boat.”
“The first boat won’t leave until mid-afternoon,” he said and you involuntarily raised a brow at how different his voice sounded from his appearance- it was too much to process immediately. “As for a room… you can usually find them in town, but it’s far too late, isn’t it? And you look tired enough.”
You scanned him and you couldn’t help but notice just how beautiful he looked. There was no other way to explain his appearance- it was like he was crafted with special care. You frowned a bit, not detecting anything odd about him- was he human then? “Mid-afternoon, huh?” You looked around. “Might put a tent somewhere here then-”
“I can offer you a meal and a room… if you’d like,” he sounded cautious, scanning you again. “You shouldn’t be out alone at this hour-”
“I can take care of myself, thank you for the offer-”
“No, you really shouldn’t be out alone- not here,” he glanced at the sea and you understood. “You never know what creatures prowl in the dark.”
You realised he was right- a lack of humans meant more room for other creatures. Your stomach growled again at the thought of a meal and he looked pointedly at you. “You can find a room in town too after you eat something because I can hear your stomach loud and clear-”
“Alright,” you laughed awkwardly. “Thank you. Please, after you.”
He passed a warm smile and you followed him, glancing at the cottage he pointed to- it looked quite homey. You reckoned that if he didn’t find anything odd about the bow and arrows hanging at your back, he didn’t really have any qualms about inviting you to his cottage. You commented on how pretty it was and he thanked you, guiding you inside the warm living room and asking you to wait while he heated up the cinnamon rolls he had baked earlier. You dropped your stuff in a corner and looked around.
“Are you a sailor too?” You asked, noticing the compasses and scrolls on the fireplace mantel.
“Not my occupation but I do travel around,” he said. “You don’t mind fish stew, do you?”
“Nope,” you observed the strange wall hangings- you had travelled around the continent for years but you had never seen such ornaments- beads, pearls, shells and plants intertwined in an intricate pattern. “Where did you get these?”
“I made them,” he started setting the table, motioning for you to join him. “I learned from an elder a while ago.”
You made an impressed face and sat across from him, taking in his otherworldly features again now that you could actually see him clearly. He had highlights in his hair, perhaps from the sun, and you noticed a red mark on his temple. You thanked him for the meal before digging in.
“So what’s your name?” You asked.
“Yeosang,” he said. “And you are?”
You told him your name. “Do you travel around a lot?”
He nodded. “I have, uh… relatives who are scattered across the sea. I sometimes go to visit them. What brought you here, though? We don’t get a lot of visitors here.”
“I have someone I need to find too.”
“Family?”
“Nah, they’re long gone,” you told him. “Just… some people I’ve been trying to find for a while. They know about my family. Must be on one of the islands around somewhere.”
“I hope you find them,” he pursed his lips. “It must be lonely travelling alone all the time.”
“Yeah, but I make friends everywhere,” you chuckled. “Going back to them is nice.”
“Do you know anyone around here then? Propus is a small town.”
“Not really,” you told him, finishing eating and he poured you water. “I just arrived here an hour ago and walked around trying to find a room, but…”
“My offer stands,” he passed you the cinnamon rolls. You narrowed your eyes.
“Feels like you’re bribing me- is there anything you’d like in return?”
He laughed out loud and you couldn’t help but smile at how beautiful he sounded- he seemed less and less human with every passing second, even though you couldn’t find any characteristic feature that could indicate he might be someone else- a merman, perhaps? But they didn’t live on land- he looked human. A sorcerer then? “Nothing. I might put a board outside and call it an inn now. I just like having visitors- they always leave something behind, don’t they?”
“Like what?”
“A memory, a lesson,” he shrugged.
“You’re strange,” you told him. “Well, I think your business might run well. You make excellent food.”
He smiled shyly at that. You sighed deeply. “And I’m far too tired so a room sounds nice. I’ll pay you in the morning, though.”
“No, it’s okay-”
“Please, I wouldn’t want to be a burden,” you got up, gathering the dishes. “Consider me the first guest of your business.”
He grinned at that, turning to place the dishes in the sink and you noticed a strange glow on his temple, right where the red mark was. “Is that… a birthmark?”
“Ah, this?” He pointed at his temple. “Yeah, I guess. I’ve always had it.”
“It’s pretty,” you told him, gathering your stuff and he guided you upstairs to an empty room with a bed and a dresser.
“You can relax and get some sleep- the boats start sailing in the afternoon.”
“Got you,” you said. “I’ll wait for you- I hope you won’t mind guiding me to the nearest weapons shop in the morning? I need to restock the arrows.”
“Of course,” he glanced at the weapons by your bedside. “You’re not a pirate, are you?”
You laughed. “Just a lone traveller- I should protect myself.”
“Good,” he gave you a thumbs-up, saying goodnight before closing the door behind him and leaving. You relaxed, glad that you found a welcoming person tonight. Years of travelling made you good at finding such people.
You quickly washed up and prepared to sleep, stuffing your old clothes in the bag and wondering if you should do some laundry while you were here. You opened the window, the waves and air producing an odd harmony as they clashed-
No.
It wasn’t the sound of the air or the melody of the ocean. It sounded like the call of a siren.
But a siren so close to land? It wasn’t possible.
You took a deep breath, your instincts taking the better of you as you grabbed your bow and quiver, opening the door and halting again- it had to be the song of a siren, but it was being hummed very lightly, and…
It didn’t sound like it was coming from outside.
Not trusting your own senses, you went back inside your room towards the window, peeking out and finding no one in the vicinity. You couldn't locate the source or the distance, so you decided to go downstairs after hiding one of your daggers in your sleeves. You treaded lightly down the stairs, pausing when you found the front door open-
And Yeosang outside, looking absolutely ethereal while he hummed that song.
The song of the sirens.
It didn’t make any sense- sirens couldn’t leave the sea. Sirens had evolved over the years, appearing almost human-like, yes, but… Yeosang wasn’t a siren, was he? He didn’t look anything like a siren. He didn’t sound like a siren- yes, he was singing the song of the sirens that you recognised but it wasn’t luring you. You were immune to the songs but even then, being in the vicinity of sirens would always cloud your mind, but this time…
You were very well in your own senses.
You gripped the dagger tighter, watching Yeosang hum the song as he knitted, his fingers working with expertise. You stepped closer, not daring to breathe any louder, but his shoulders suddenly stiffened as he paused.
“For someone who hunts… your stealth could improve.”
You remained where you were. “What are you?”
He continued knitting and you watched him break the thread with his teeth before he turned to face you, not even flinching at the sight of your dagger. “What are you? Why are you going around the sea with only bows and arrows? Humans belong on the land, not the sea.”
“How do you know the call of the sirens?”
“And how would you know what the call of the siren sounds like?” He narrowed his eyes and now that the moonlight hit the side of his face, the red ‘birthmark’ glowed- no, reflected the moonlight like scales-
The scales- the skin of a siren.
Before you knew it, your dagger was flying out of your hand, aimed for this forehead. He dodged it as if he had seen it coming, the dagger landing on the floor with a clang and he glared at you. “I will pretend that didn’t just happen.”
You were already aiming your arrow at him. “You’re a siren.”
“Come on,” he raised his hands in the air. “Do I really look like one? Or sound like one?”
You didn’t respond, waiting for him to make one wrong move, positive he couldn’t deflect these enchanted arrows that would always meet their target. He turned back, gathering his stuff as if an arrow pointed towards his heart didn’t bother him at all. “You’re not singing anymore.”
“If I was really a siren, my song would have lured you. You wouldn’t be standing here with an arrow aimed at me, miss. You must know that- you seem to know a lot about sirens.”
“Of course I know. I’m a siren-hunter, after all.”
This time, he froze for a good few seconds and you expected to see surprise on his face but instead, when he turned, his eyes were filled with curiosity. “Siren-hunter, you said? You’re not the infamous reaper, are you? You must be the marauder”
“And?”
He smirked dangerously. “There is a way you can pay me back for letting you stay the night here- and ignoring that disrespect,” he told you. “You see, I need to hunt some sirens too.”
“But you’re a siren-”
“And? Can’t a siren hunt another siren?”
You finally lowered your bow. “Are you really a siren?”
“I was, once,” his eyes glinted. “I’m more human now. They took my voice.”
You gulped. “They took your voice? How can they do that? Is that even possible?”
“It is, apparently,” he sank down in his chair as if disappointed. “I’ve been outcasted.”
“But why would they do that to their own kind?” You scoffed. “Aren’t you sirens a very tight-knit community or something?”
“They are, until one of them does something they weren’t supposed to do,” he sounded grim. “Not all sirens wish to eat humans, you see? Maybe I like chicken better.”
You groaned out loud. “You’re not making any sense- ” you took a seat in front of him, the arrow still lodged in the bow. “Just answer me- you’re a siren but you’re…”
“I am a siren, but I cannot lure humans anymore,” he admitted. “I never wanted to do that anyway. They took my voice because I didn’t act like a ‘normal’ siren.”
“Damn,” you muttered. “And you want to hunt some sirens? The ones that took your voice?”
“Yes,” he nodded firmly. “I could have gone on my own, but I had a feeling… that I should wait. Wait for someone like you to come.”
“How did you know I was a siren-hunter?”
“I wasn’t sure at first- I thought you were a fanatic or something, until I sang and you came armed to the teeth,” he tsk-ed. “Is that how you treat someone who gives you shelter?”
You ignored that, scanning him once again- there was a reason why he looked too beautiful to be a human after all. “What do I get out of our deal?”
“You mentioned something about finding someone, didn’t you?” Yeosang hooked one leg over the other, appearing extremely interested in your story. “There’s no relatives out there, isn’t that so? You must be hunting the sirens who killed someone you loved.”
“It’s obvious, huh?” You looked away from his tantalising gaze. “You’ll help me locate those sirens and in return, you want me to help you hunt your sirens. How do I know you won’t turn on me?”
“How do I know you won’t kill me?” He looked pointedly at your bow. “I can fight just as good as you. I cannot lure you, I cannot eat you- but to be fair, I wouldn’t have eaten you even if I was a siren. You don’t look appetising.”
You gaped at the siren- the man in front of you. Unbelievable.
“Just because I agree and we might strike a deal,” you said and got up, lowering your bow and he got up as well, waiting to hear the rest, “doesn’t mean I trust you, okay?”
“Likewise, human,” he said and you almost felt as if he were looking down on you. You glared at him for a few moments, wondering what to do.
“You’re still taking me to the weapons shop tomorrow, by the way. As a siren, you must know which arrows hurt the most.”
Yeosang smirked. “You should get something for close combat too. You never know when you might find a siren in your proximity,” he stepped closer and you tightened the grip on your bow. “The call of sirens might not work on you but you never know when your incantations slip.”
You raised a brow in question but he simply passed you, purposely bumping his shoulder with yours and you watched him disappear in his room before going up with heavy steps to your own room, wondering if you had really made the right decision. Could you trust a siren?
Just what had you signed up for?
—------------------------------
“You know, for a siren, you’re awfully unaware of your surroundings,” you commented as you watched Yeosang trip on a rock for the second time on your way to the weapons shop in the town. Yeosang glared at you.
“If you can’t tell already, sirens aren’t meant for the land.”
“You seemed to be doing awfully well though,” you muttered. “Almost believed you were just a loner with a cottage on the beach with a thing for baking.”
“Gotta lure the humans somehow-”
Before you knew it, you were clutching his collar and the tip of your dagger was digging into the crook of his neck. Yeosang laughed loudly, making the passersby frown at your exchange. “Relax. I haven’t eaten a human in decades.”
“Not helping,” you practically growled, pushing him away before continuing walking. Yeosang didn’t seem offended- his cocky smile only grew wider as he tried to match his pace with yours. You narrowed his eyes at him- what he said sounded like the truth, but just what exactly did he do for the sirens to take his voice and make him turn to the land and live as a human, among humans? Why did the townspeople greet him with smiles and offer him their food? Had he somehow charmed them?
Yeosang spotted you standing awkwardly by the pillar of the shop in the corner while he helped an old woman carry some bags into her shop. The woman patted his arm and Yeosang bowed, politely refusing the fruits she offered as a token of gratitude. Yeosang jogged back to you and pointed towards the north where the weapons shop was located.
“What are you, some philanthropist?” You scoffed. “Charmed your way into the town, haven’t you?”
“No one can resist my charms even when I’m human,” he simply said. “Admit it. You were bewitched into staying the night too. No amount of incantations and spells could have made you resist my natural- “
“Okay, that’s enough,” you warned, wondering if that was the truth and then scolding yourself internally for doubting yourself- you only accepted his offer because he seemed like an okay person. You trusted your gut-
How did your gut not warn you of his nature?
“Are you like… a human now?” You asked him. “I mean… you don’t look like a siren even in your appearance.”
“The longer I live without activating my siren powers, the more human I will become,” he said. “And it’s not just my appearance. I will eventually lose my powers too.”
“Just how long have you been living as a human then?”
“Long enough to age,” he muttered, walking ahead of you and asking you to wait while he checked if the weapons shop was open. “Come inside- and please be civil. I have a reputation to maintain.”
You made a face, the question you had been wanting to ask at the tip of your tongue. You swallowed it though and entered with a smile, greeting the owner with a bow.
“Young miss, what are you looking for?”
You extracted an arrow from the quiver- the one you had gotten from the person who put the spell on you and made you immune to the sirens’ song. The man examined the carving on the arrow and made an impressed face. “This is a rare one. Where did you get that?”
“It was a gift,” you told him and Yeosang looked suspiciously at you. “An arrow like this is very hard to find on this continent, isn’t that so?”
“The ebony wood used to make this arrow is very rare,” the man returned your arrow. “And unfortunately, that tree does not grow in this continent. You will have better luck finding objects made of this wood at the place where its trees grow.”
“But it’s very difficult to cross the sea,” you looked pointedly at Yeosang who pretended to be interested in the ceiling.
“You seem like a person who could cross the sea,” the man smiled knowingly. “Anything else you might need?”
“Well, Yeosang? What weapon do you suggest I should get for close combat?”
Yeosang coughed a bit before glaring at you and asking the owner, “Can we have a look at the longswords?”
~
About an hour later, with a surprisingly cooperative yet still cocky Yeosang, you were having lunch at a pub in the heart of the town. The atmosphere was lively with sailors eating their fill before they prepared to take off and Yeosang ordered a bunch of food-
“Don’t think I’m doing you a favour here. I want to eat. You can have a little if you want to.”
You rolled your eyes- you still weren’t sure what Yeosang’s approach towards you was supposed to be- did he hate you or did he simply not care, purposely riling you up whenever he could? You glanced at the longsword now resting next to the wall- Yeosang and the owner had helped you find the perfect weight you could carry and the blade was sleek, the hilt firm in your grip. It was perfect for you.
“I wonder if your blood will be the first to taint my sword.”
Yeosang almost choked on his soup. “All my help for nothing, huh?”
“Why would you even help a siren-hunter find the perfect weapon to kill sirens?” You asked. “Do you really hate them that much?”
“Oh, don’t get me wrong- we’re only hunting a selective few,” he reminded you of your deal. “You’ll help me find the ones who took my voice, and I’ll help you find the ones you’re after. We’re not going on a killing spree. Besides, the existence of sirens is essential for natural selection and maintaining a balance in the ecosystem-”
“Stop quoting school books to me,” you scoffed. “What if some random siren comes after me?”
“I’ll protect you,” he said, “so you don’t need to worry about that. Remember- we accomplish our goal first before you resume your stupid siren-hunter job-”
Your heart may have fluttered for a second but he continued, “-which, I must point out, makes no sense. Why would you go around targeting all of the siren community? Why did you become a siren-hunter?”
“Why do you sirens go around hunting humans then?” You countered. “Humans only wish to sail the sea freely.”
“And sirens only wish to live without their homes being polluted. So do the merpeople. You don’t seem to hold a grudge against them. Aren’t they more frequently killing humans than sirens?”
“Everyone is killing everyone,” you sighed deeply. “I don’t go around killing sirens just because I’m immune to the call of the sirens now. I only protect myself while I try to find the ones who… the ones who killed my family.”
Yeosang didn’t respond to that, putting some kimchi on your rice bowl and you chuckled lightly at that. “An eye for an eye, huh?”
“Why do you want to kill the sirens who took your voice?”
“Because even if I do not wish to use it, they stole a part of me.”
“Do you wish to become a siren again?” You wondered out loud. “Getting your voice back will make you a siren, won’t it?”
“I am a siren, sweetheart. I still am. And you should be glad you’re immune to the song of the sirens because if you weren’t and you heard me humming last night? I’m not sure we would be here right now.”
You gulped at his confession. “So you can still lure humans?”
“I haven’t tested it, but one time, someone accidentally heard me hum a song- after I lost my voice,” he admitted. “I thought it didn’t affect them. They appeared normal enough to me. But the next day… I learned that they drowned themself. I stopped singing after that.”
“If you knew that… why did you sing last night, knowing I could hear you?”
“Because I recognised that arrow,” he pointed at your quiver, the arrow you had shown the owner at the weapons shop. “The ebony wood is fatal to sirens. I knew who you were instantly, I was just praying you weren’t the sadistic siren-hunter of the two.”
You scoffed in disbelief. “Do you realise what would have happened if I turned out to be the ‘sadistic’ siren-hunter- the reaper- who I’m sure every siren has heard of? Who has terrorised every creature in the sea, not just sirens?”
“Well… I didn’t think that far,” Yeosang shrugged. “And I don’t think planning that far would have mattered anyway-”
“You’re kidding,” you laughed in disbelief. “You risked your life and hummed like an idiot hoping I would be the nicer siren-hunter of the two?”
“Honestly, you don’t look like a siren-hunter at all,” Yeosang pointed out. “So of course I took my chance.”
You shook your head in disbelief, finishing your food and splitting the bill because you told him you did not want him to have any more ideas about you- you also told him you were debating calling off the deal because you weren’t sure you could ever find your sirens when he was this reckless. He only laughed it off and you both went back to his cottage, packing your bags and preparing to leave.
“What weapons do you possess to guard yourself?” You asked Yeosang, noticing a lack of weapons on him. “Did you hide your daggers in your bag or something? Because you won’t have time to get anything out of the bag if you come across the better siren-hunter out of us two- or what if I decide to attack you in the middle of the night, huh? Are you taking me easy-”
“Stop rambling,” Yeosang scolded, waving at a man standing near a ship by the docks. “It’s only going to be the two of us, right? No sailor?”
“I’m sure we both can manage,” you said and he nodded, asking you to wait while he went to talk to the sailor. He returned with a smug face, pointing at a-
“There’s no way I’m sailing in that piece of trash-”
“How dare you call my boat a piece of trash-”
“It’ll attract too much attention!” You almost shouted. “And honestly? It looks like it will fall apart at any moment.”
You weren’t wrong. The boat had odd planks nailed to it at multiple spots and the reason you realised it was Yeosang’s personal boat was because of the familiar hangings on the boat. It was spacious enough for only the two of you and you weren’t sure it could withstand a still sea let alone crashing waves. You turned towards Yeosang, “Listen to me. We’re travelling in the sea, okay? You might be able to breathe underwater and swim like a fish but I’m human.”
“Alright,” Yeosang groaned. “I hear you. Let’s just begin on this boat- we’re travelling along the continent for now, yeah? The moment we feel this boat is about to give in, we can dock wherever we are and find someone to travel with.”
“Or we could ask someone here-”
“I said it before- I have a reputation and a life here and I will not let you tarnish it.”
“Whatever,” you rolled your eyes. “I will use you as a boat if your boat decides to dismantle in the middle of the sea.”
Yeosang muttered something under his breath that you chose to ignore and you hopped on the boat after him, fearing this would be your last trip in the sea- you probably wouldn’t even make it very far. With a groan, you grabbed one of the oars and the two of you started rowing your boat away from the docks and you both made a bet on how far you could make it.
You only made it to the neighbouring city of Alhena which you would be bordering as you sailed further around the continent. For now, the two of you needed a place to stay after having rowed and complained incessantly for more than half a day. Yeosang asked if you had ever been to Alhena and you told him you had been everywhere, which was true.
“How come you never found your sirens then?” He asked when you settled down at an inn for dinner, having dumped your bags in your separate rooms. “Where did you lose your family?”
You rested your elbows on the table, sighing deeply. “Near Mesarthim Island. We were on the way there from Denebola.”
“Ah, the island,” Yeosang stuffed his mouth with chicken, lost in thought. “I used to live there once.”
You narrowed your eyes at him. “As a siren?”
“In the sea, yes,” Yeosang nodded, raising his brows as he looked at the chicken on his plate. “You should try this- it’s amazing.”
You obeyed, nodding along as you ate the chicken, wondering what it meant if Yeosang used to live near Mesarthim too- you had been siren hunting for four years now and you knew that there was only one spot around Mesarthim that hosted sirens- unless something had changed very recently. But if Yeosang was one of the sirens there…
That could only mean he was somehow involved in that attack that killed your parents, or he was related to the sirens that did.
And him helping you find those sirens… this could be a trap.
You finished your food quietly, nodding along to whatever Yeosang had to say before going to your room and counting your arrows. You pursed your lips- you had to get more ebony arrows before you would finally go to kill those sirens.
But for now, you had one, and if Yeosang dared to try anything…
Would you kill him and risk losing the arrow? Risk losing perhaps your only tool of revenge?
If Yeosang noticed the change in your demeanour the next morning, he didn’t comment on it, which made you even more suspicious. You told him you were going to the docks to find someone with a better boat and he said he would join you soon- he had some business in the market. You debated following him and keeping an eye on him but you figured you should solve the bigger problem first.
The docks in Alhena were much livelier than the docks in Mebsuta- a variety of boats, yachts and ships were lined across the docks and the harbour in the distance. You decided a sturdy boat would do- a small but enchanted boat would be your best find. Something that could withstand the storm and the harsh waves…
You spotted a man not far from you dragging some ropes, his get-up screaming sailor, yet there was something different about him. As if having sensed someone staring at him, he turned and passed you a smile. “Looking for a ride?”
You noticed the ink on his neck hidden by the scarf wound around it. “Where are you sailing to?”
“Wherever the waves take me,” he threw the ropes on his boat- the boat looked okay too. “Where are you headed to?”
“Sheratan,” you told him- the city closest to Mesarthim Island.
“You’re travelling a long way,” he scanned you. “Are you alone?”
“I have someone with me,” you said and he considered. While you negotiated the price, you scanned his broad figure and recognised the mark on his neck as the one that sorcerers wore and wondered if it was a good idea to bring a sorcerer into the equation- you were already dealing with a siren-
“Yes, I’m a sorcerer,” he laughed when he noticed your gaze stuck on his neck. “Does that bother you?”
“Not at all,” you assured him. “My experience with sorcerers has been… good.”
“Glad to hear,” he offered his hand and you shook it, calling it a deal. “My name is San. Our stop is Sheratan, but if you’d like to travel after, I can offer you my boat. My life is on the sea.”
“I like that,” you grinned. “I’m y/n. And…” you noticed the familiar figure approaching you. “That’s Yeosang. Don’t mind him, he’s a bit… odd.”
“Ah…” San frowned as Yeosang drew nearer. “He’s not human.”
“Believe it or not, that’s not what makes him odd,” you told him and he shrugged, hopping on the boat and telling you he was ready whenever you were.
“That’s a… good ride you got,” Yeosang said, hands on his hips as he took in the boat- spacious enough for three with a cabin.
“Admit it, it’s better than yours. Far better,” you scoffed.
“Mine was prettier,” he muttered, raising the bags in his hands. “I got us some food.”
“That’s a lot of food,” you took in the sheer number of bags in his hands. “I thought you were going to uh… catch fish on our way there? You can fish, right? Don’t you sirens have claws or something?”
Yeosang glared at you. “If I grow some back when we’re in the middle of the sea… you’ll know.”
You pretended to be scared before jumping on the boat and taking the bags from him, storing them in the cabin. Yeosang went to talk to the sorcerer and you noticed them discussing sailing strategies. You figured as a siren, he probably knew more about the sea than any sailor out there, though it must have been a while since he last navigated the seas. You wondered if he would start to look more like a siren as you stayed longer in the sea-
Could you stomach the sight of him as a siren? Sirens were, after all, the product of your nightmares.
“We’re steering west to avoid the Mesarthim coast,” Yeosang let you know, tossing an apple which you caught, lying back on the bags you had shaped as a couch. “It shouldn’t take too long given the weather remains clear.”
“And what exactly can we expect while on our journey?” You asked. You had sailed around your continent by yourself, yes, but you had never travelled across the ocean.
“Sirens, of course, and then the merpeople… water dragons if we’re unlucky. Pirates maybe. You’ll be surprised to hear that sirens aren’t the worst of these.”
You reluctantly agreed- the pirates were the ones you should avoid at all costs. You thought that it was ironic that you had to worry more about humans than the other sea creatures. San appeared out of the cockpit and said, “Our journey begins now. It shouldn’t take us more than four days to cross the ocean given that we don’t encounter, uh, any unexpected guests,” he looked pointedly at Yeosang who you were sure didn’t get the message. “Shall we begin?”
“Aye, Captain,” you saluted and San chuckled at that, disappearing back inside. Yeosang began to set up his space at the bow of the boat, arranging bags as pillows to rest against. You opted to watch the sorcerer instead, who was currently muttering something under his breath as he ran two fingers along the wheel, probably an incantation for the boat to stay on track. You had seen that before so satisfied, you began setting up your own corner, not much you could use to set camp unlike a certain someone-
“It’s only four days,” you couldn’t hold back. Yeosang looked like he had brought everything of importance from home, which was a bit too much.
“Yes, but I’m finally home,” Yeosang replied, his skin glowing at the temple with an almost blue sheen. “You won’t understand.”
You didn’t want to, so you only shrugged and let him do his thing. The sea… was it your home? For about a decade now, ever since your parent’s deaths, you practically lived on the sea. Sure, the land was where your ‘home’ was but you had always preferred the sea, even before the creatures of the sea stole a part of you.
You shut your eyes though you knew you couldn’t sleep right now. You simply let the sound of the waves and the gentle rocking lull you into a different headspace where there were no worries. Perhaps, that was what you liked so much about the sea- here, without anything holding you back, you could dream of what could have been or what could be. At this moment, you had no concerns, no worries, no expectations until you would reach land. Right now… you were free.
The sound of shuffling made you open one eye and you were a bit surprised to see it was almost dark. San looked at you for permission before sitting next to you.
“So… is our siren going to catch dinner for us or what?”
“I can hear you,” Yeosang mumbled and you snorted- was he trying to sleep or was he just pretending, like you?
“This siren is a good-for-nothing,” you whispered, making the sailor smile. “But it looks like he looted the market before settling here, so shall we prepare dinner?”
San agreed and the two of you went to search through the shopping bags, finding an odd variety of ingredients but still managing to make a decent meal of bread, fruits and nuts, and soup from the inn that San helped heat up. Yeosang looked proudly at the spread and you scoffed.
“You look pleased,” you commented. “Must thank you for the dinner. I thought I was going to get to eat some seafood thanks to you, but… I guess I’ll have to wait until I reach land.”
“I don’t think I’ll have to wait until land to eat some humans though,” Yeosang’s eyes glinted and San coughed to interrupt.
“So, how did a… siren? And a human? End up together in my boat?” San sounded unsure of what you two were, and for right reasons. “I kind of doubt you’re human.”
You frowned. “I am. I’m the marauder. You must have heard about me if you travel a lot.”
“The siren-hunter on an endless journey. I suspected,” he nodded. “I’m just wondering why a human would travel with a siren willingly. If… Yeosang really is a siren, though he doesn’t look or sound like one.”
“He's a siren,” you confirmed, glancing at Yeosang. “He just… got used to pretending that he’s human.”
“For your information,” Yeosang began. “I’ve always been like this. You think what sirens do all day is wait by the rocks for a human and sing?”
“That’s unfortunately what we’ve heard,” San looked amused, “but I’m willing to learn more.”
Yeosang looked disappointed. “You’re humans. You can never know the extent of what the ocean contains. The sirens are devoted to exploring more of the ocean and clearing it of potential threats-” Yeosang looked pointedly at you. “You humans think you’re the only one who does the work around here.”
“Yes, we’ve heard all about the ‘ecosystem’ too,” you retorted. “If the sirens and merpeople could leave the humans alone, maybe we wouldn’t think we’re the only ones doing the work around here. Sirens don’t have to eat humans to live.”
Yeosang smirked faintly and you wondered what he was hiding- or if he was doing that on purpose. He turned his attention to San. “It’s been a while that I’ve been on sea, so what can we expect on our way to Sheratan?”
“I’ll try to steer us as further away from the Mesarthim territory as I can, because that’s the problematic area,” San began and you nodded- you had heard enough tales about the abundance of wild sea creatures there who left no chance to hunt humans. “If you’re a siren, you can probably sense the presence of a threat better than the two of us, so I’ll have to depend on you a little.”
“And if he doesn’t warn us, we’ll just throw him into the sea. He can swim to Sheratan then,” you concluded and San stifled his smile as Yeosang rolled his eyes.
“And if you don’t behave, I’ll gladly hand you over to the pirates because I have a feeling that we will encounter them. Can you believe it?” Yeosang pointed at you as he looked at San. “I offered her shelter in my house and this is how she treats me.”
“His kind killed my family,” you told San.
“Humans are after sorcerers all the time, but we don’t hold grudges,” San shrugged and Yeosang clapped in approval. “But how did you survive if sirens attacked your family?”
“I don’t really remember,” you admitted. You knew you chose to forget some parts of it- it wasn’t the best memory after all. Sometimes, you tried to recall the events of that night but you could never see past the way one of the sirens locked eyes with you as it sank its teeth into your mother’s neck-
“That’s okay,” San started clearing the table, noticing how you zoned out for a moment. “If you’re only targeting the sirens who killed your family, that’s fine. But don’t be surprised if the siren community decides to target you.”
“I’m already targeted. They remember me,” you told them and even Yeosang looked surprised. “The last thing I remember from that night is one of the sirens telling me that they would wait for me. That they would never forget me. There’s a reason I couldn’t let it go and live like a normal human,” you got up, brushing your clothes. “If they’re after me… I can return the favour.”
You took the dishes from San and went towards the kitchen, leaving Yeosang staring at your figure, a faint realisation scratching at his brain, dots starting to connect.
It was too much of a coincidence, he thought. The last words that you heard from that siren…
He remembered them.
—-----------------------------
Yeosang was realising that there was far more to your story than you were letting them know. He was confused after your statement from a couple nights ago when you said the sirens were already targeting you, and he wondered if you believed that because it was the last words you heard from the siren or if they were actually after you, because if that was the case…
That meant trouble. If a siren spotted him with a human, much less a siren-hunter? Yeosang already had a bad reputation among the sirens.
And then there was the matter of you and Yeosang unintentionally, coincidentally targeting the same sirens. He thought about it all night and he was almost sure it had been his family who killed yours. Because he had been there. He had witnessed all of it.
And he couldn’t let you know.
It was good- you were going to kill two birds with one stone. He just hoped you wouldn’t have to find out about him being one of the sirens present when your parents were killed. Those very sirens had taken his voice too. If you were out to kill them, so be it. He would help you, but he would have to stay lowkey. If they found out Yeosang himself was helping the infamous siren-hunter…
He shivered at the thought, prompting you to stop your longsword practice and glance at him. “Feeling cold already? We’re miles away from Sheratan.”
It was usually snowing in Sheratan, but that wouldn’t affect him too much. “If sirens felt cold, they wouldn’t be spending their whole lives on the sea.”
“True,” you nodded, swinging your sword once again, testing its weight. “But aren’t you… a little human now?”
“Is cold the only reason humans shiver?” Yeosang wondered. “Maybe I sensed something strange- ah. I did.”
You turned your attention towards him, taking a look around. “What is it?”
“Humans,” Yeosang dropped the ball of yarn he had been playing with, shifting so he could stare into the distance. As if on cue, San popped out of the helm and found you looking through the lens of your telescope.
“Pirates,” you tsk-ed. “Two days and we’re already in trouble.”
“I’ll speed the boat away as much as I can,” San announced. “Pirates usually have a few sorcerers on board too so I don’t think we can really avoid an encounter at this point… we might have to negotiate.”
“Can we offer him in case they want something?” You pointed at Yeosang who looked amused.
“Good luck finding your sirens after I’m gone,” he simply said and you made a face, knowing it was the truth.
“Shit, I gotta protect you then,” you muttered. “The pirates will think you’re the treasure if they find a siren without its voice.”
“Ah, how the tables have turned,” Yeosang got up to join you, taking the telescope and trying to get an idea of how much time he had to plan something. “Well, lucky for you, I can still breathe underwater. As soon as they’re in your vision, let me know and I’ll just dive into the sea. You both can negotiate on your own then.”
“And if we find ourselves in trouble?”
“Then you know that I haven’t lost my voice completely,” he leaned in to whisper in your ear, making you shiver this time. “Cold?”
You pushed Yeosang away, wondering how immune you really were to the song of the sirens if his normal voice was making you react this much. Yeosang laughed to himself as he went to hide his belongings in the secret compartment of the boat. You stationed yourself at the bow, waiting for the pirate ship to become visible through the fog. The boat sped and started sailing further north-east but the ship was becoming more visible with each passing second and Yeosang started taking off the layers of clothing-
“Woah, woah,” you fanned yourself, unable to hide the heat creeping up your cheeks as you got a peek at his sculpted body- there was no way you were going to drool for a siren. “A little shame would do you no harm.”
Yeosang tsk-ed. “I would like to come back to dry clothes, thank you very much,” he bundled his clothes, thankfully keeping the pants on, tossing them to you with a wink. “Be back soon.”
With that, he dived into the sea and you watched him disappear into the dark depths of the ocean. When your heart rate steadied a bit (you made a mental note to think about why your heart couldn’t handle a half-naked siren), you stuffed his clothes in your bag and went inside the cockpit, taking control of the boat while San went outside to deal with the pirates who were now in your vision.
You could hear the low rumbling of their laughter as a few of them jumped on your boat, passing you sleazy looks. You ignored them, slowing the boat as instructed by San.
“Fancy seeing you here, Choi San,” one of them said. You wondered if he was an acquaintance but San didn’t look too pleased to see them. Maybe they had met in a similar encounter before. “You’ve got a guest, it seems. Only one?”
“Only her,” San said. “We’re going to Sheratan. What about you?”
“Sailing around the continent,” the man adjusted his sword hanging by his side. “Anything of interest you heard or seen lately?”
“Nothing much,” San took a deep breath, appearing very casual. “Just got some food and found someone who needed to travel.”
“I see,” he walked around slowly, observing his surroundings while what you assumed were his lackeys snickered, stealing some apples from the basket in the corner. “We have someone on board who needs to go to Sheratan too. Perhaps… you could do us a favour and rid us off him. We’re getting tired of his lamenting.”
“Oh?” San looked as surprised as he sounded. “That’s new. Don’t you kill anyone who annoys you?”
You wondered who the man was- he sent a dark glare in San’s direction and he tensed. “This one we can’t kill. Man’s the siren-hunter we’ve heard so much about. I bet he could give the sirens a run for their money with his songs.”
Your heart sank to your feet and as if on cue, you spotted the familiar figure of the only other siren-hunter alive, dangling by the edge. The man didn’t ask for permission- he shouted at the siren-hunter to get his stuff and get his ass down on your boat. You looked at San helplessly but his face gave away nothing, even though he appeared tense.
When you heard a low thud, you finally stepped out of the helm and nodded at the man you assumed must be the captain or the mate, catching the attention of the siren-hunter-
“Oh, y/n. What a coincidence. She’s the siren-hunter I told you about- the marauder. Really skilled- could shoot you all dead by the next second.”
“Jongho,” you greeted. Choi Jongho, the one siren-hunter that every sea creature feared- siren or not. The reaper who spared none. “You’re exaggerating.”
Jongho only grinned. “I hope you don’t mind my company- I really need to get to Sheratan. Urgent business- I was lucky to have found someone going in that direction,” he pointed towards the man who looked surprised to find himself in the company of not one but two siren-hunters. “And it seems I’m luckier to have found you.”
“Of course,” you smiled, the approval tasting bitter in your tongue. There was no way he would let Yeosang live. You contemplated proving Jongho’s point and killing everyone in your vicinity including him. “We should reach our destination in two days.”
“Perfect,” Jongho clapped, tossing his bag elsewhere and shaking hands with the man. “It’s been a pleasure, Captain. I hope we can cross paths again on the sea.”
He passed a weak smile, obviously not having found Jongho’s company as pleasing, and after thanking San telling him he owed him one, he went back to his ship and steered it away from your boat. San whistled. “The Captain is in my debt. Never in my lifetime have I thought I would see this day.”
“You’ll have to thank me,” Jongho said, laughing. “I gave him a hard time. He wanted to get rid of me so bad. The only thing keeping him from throwing me off board was the fact that I just saved them from a group of sirens.”
“Really?” You frowned. “Not around Mesarthim, were they?”
“No, why?”
“Because they’re mine to kill,” you muttered. “Remember?”
“Ah, yes,” Jongho nodded enthusiastically. “My offer is still on the table. You can ask me if you want some help.”
You bit your lips, looking at San and silently holding a conversation with him. San shrugged as if to say that there was no other choice.
And there was no other choice, really. You would have to tell Jongho about Yeosang.
But the thing about Jongho was… he hated sirens. He himself had survived the sirens by singing back to them and driving them crazy, was what you had heard though you never asked him if that was true. And then he had made it his life’s mission to hunt sirens- he learned to be immune. He was the ultimate weapon against sirens.
Why would he ever spare Yeosang? He would kill him first and think later. He would tell you you didn’t need Yeosang- yes, Jongho was kind and a good friend, but he was also scary and powerful-
You heard the splash of waves around your boat and you shut your eyes, bracing yourself for-
“Oh… we have company.”
Jongho turned towards the source, frowning when he saw Yeosang, his wet hair thankfully hiding the mark on his temple that would have given his identity away instantly. “And who are you?”
“San, can you tell him to disappear for a few minutes?” You finally sighed and San nodded eagerly, filling him in and putting his hand on his head, practically dunking him back in the sea while a confused Jongho watched the scene unfold in front of his eyes.
“Is he trying to kill him or what?” Jongho turned to you.
You scanned him once- he was wearing a jacket which meant he must be hiding daggers on his upper body. There were no visible weapons otherwise. “I have a favour to ask.”
“Shoot.”
You took a deep breath again, deeming Yeosang safe. “That man… he is um… a siren but a human, if you will-
And immediately, Jongho was reaching for his inside pocket and you grabbed his arm- “No, listen! Please hear me out first before you decide to kill him.”
Jongho wasn’t having any of it. “You had a siren on board? You’re supposed to be a siren-hunter, y/n.”
“I still am,” you glared at him. “That man- Yeosang- he is a siren, yes, but he no longer has his voice. Do you understand what that means?”
That finally made Jongho take his hand out of his pocket, clutching a dagger. “No.”
“Apparently he lost his voice a few years ago, which means he’s not a siren anymore. Oh, and he lives on land now. He’s practically human. He wasn’t a normal siren anyway- he prefers chicken over humans-”
“I’ll do the explaining,” Yeosang peeked out from the other edge of the boat, dodging the dagger Jongho aimed at his head with ease. He appeared out of the water, soaking wet, and proceeded to enter the boat and search through his bags-
Only to take out a towel and rub it over his head.
You groaned loudly- you wondered sometimes if Yeosang had a death wish. He was far too reckless to be normal. Jongho looked confused as well and you took the chance to steer him to the nearest chair, making him sit and then ordering Yeosang to sit in front of him.
“We talk like civil human beings-”
“He’s a siren, though,” Jongho finally noticed Yeosang’s scaly skin on his temple. “I’m not having a conversation with a siren.”
You turned to San for help who looked like he was enjoying this way too much. You stepped between the two glaring at each other with folded arms. “This is my mission, and I am not going to let a stupid, sorry excuse of a siren and a thick-headed siren-hunter ruining it, is that clear?”
Jongho scoffed but nodded. “Let’s hear you then.”
“Yeosang,” you said, going to stand behind him, putting your hands on his bare shoulders for emphasis and finding them surprisingly warm. “Is a harmless siren. He is… a vegetarian in terms of sirens, if you may.”
Yeosang snorted at that but you slapped his shoulder and continued. “He is going to help me pinpoint the specific group of sirens that I need to hunt. Only he can do that. You don’t have to kill him, Jongho. He is on his way to become a siren-hunter too.”
Jongho looked impressed. “What grudge do you hold?”
“They took my voice, and it does not belong to them. It is mine, even if I choose not to use it,” Yeosang said and you felt satisfied to hear his stern tone. “I can still sing, but it’s not the same. Also, she’s right. I don’t enjoy humans too much. Never did.”
“Now, Jongho,” you went to stand behind him, threateningly rubbing his shoulders. “You are not going to kill my guest. I will kill him myself if such a need arises. You can either join me on my mission or we can drop you off at Sheratan on the condition that you don’t tell a soul about Yeosang.”
“I would join you, though I wouldn’t have told anyone anyway,” he looked pointedly at Yeosang. “But I do not like being in the company of a siren.”
“Neither do I,” you told him. “But let’s tolerate him until our mission is over, please? You can kill him later.”
Yeosang tsk-ed. “So much for helping you. Humans,” he spat, picking his towel and spreading it on the clothesline, wearing his shirt back.
“Are you sure he’s a siren?” Jongho asked as he watched him set his little camp back. “I would believe you if you tell me he’s just a human.”
You finally relaxed, smiling. “I don’t know what his deal is, but… he’s an odd one, for sure. Don’t kill him, okay?”
“Okay,” Jongho shrugged. “Don’t expect us to get along though.”
—-----------------------------
You weren’t sure how, within a day, it came to the scene unfolding in front of your eyes, but Jongho was choking Yeosang as he threatened to throw him into the sea. For a split second, you wondered if you needed to remind Jongho that being in the sea would only help Yeosang, but then… Jongho probably knew.
“Say sorry,” Jongho’s voice was dangerously low. You scanned your surroundings, finding nothing odd except for San simply watching the two without doing anything about it. It hadn’t been too long with San but you found that he was someone who enjoyed chaos unfolding in front of him. He wouldn’t be one to step in and stop them, so you decided to do the deed.
“Not one moment of peace,” you muttered, starting towards them, Yeosang struggling to laugh. You scoffed to yourself- you needed to scold Yeosang for the lack of regard for his own life. Jongho repeated his order to Yeosang before you could reach them and do something about it, and Yeosang tapped Jongho’s shoulder.
“...Okay, I’m sorry!” Yeosang struggled to breathe and you paused- you weren’t sure if Yeosang’s lack of breath was due to Jongho restricting his air intake or because he couldn’t stop laughing.
Jongho let him go and Yeosang almost fell face-first into the sea. He laughed to himself while Jongho brushed his clothes, smirking. You put your hands over your hips, shooting a glare in the siren-hunter’s direction.
“What the hell was that?” You asked.
Before Jongho could answer, Yeosang called, “I was wrong, I admit it.”
Your brows rose in surprise- Yeosang admitting his mistake? Was it a good decision to bring Jongho on board after all-
“I was wrong,” Yeosang scoffed. “You’re not cute, Jongho. You’re very cute, actually-”
Jongho whipped around to throw a dagger in his direction and Yeosang nearly got struck, too busy laughing to properly avoid his death. San pumped the siren further, urging him to run for his life if he wanted to see tomorrow and you, arms limp by your sides and jaw hanging open, watched the siren-hunter chase the siren like a cat would chase a mouse.
It wasn’t until San put a finger below your chin and shut your mouth that you realised you had been zoning out. You looked at San in disbelief. “Tell me I’m dreaming.”
San stifled a grin. “Unfortunately… you’re not.”
“When did they get so… chummy?” You watched Jongho intently listen to Yeosang explain why he thought Jongho was cute and you wondered if Yeosang had sung and bewitched Jongho somehow.
“I have no idea,” San finally laughed, finding the situation both hilarious and unbelievable. “But far better than having them at each other’s throats, right?”
San was right and you suddenly saw Yeosang in a newfound light- or perhaps you had been ignoring this fact on purpose. The fact that Yeosang didn’t have to use his voice to captivate people- there was just something about him, and heck, he wasn’t even fully siren. He was very human but he was unconsciously drawing people to him. Jongho was not the kind of person you could crack and yet here he was, the reaper now laughing with a siren over something they found funny.
“I distinctly remember you insisting you would never get along with a siren,” you joined the two in Yeosang’s little corner, slumping down in front of them. “I’m really confused right now.”
“It was only a matter of time,” Yeosang said cheekily and Jongho rolled his eyes in response, though he couldn’t stifle his smile. He was kind of bad at hiding his feelings.
“I figured I’d get to know the enemy better by getting close,” he shrugged and you scoffed.
“And? Have you learned something?”
“He’s an odd one,” Jongho turned towards you, finally finding the opportunity to talk about that fact out loud, waiting for San to settle down too before he continued. “Sure, he doesn’t like to eat humans, which is strange enough for a siren, but… look at this?”
San chuckled at the way Jongho pointed at all the crocheting Yeosang had been doing ever since getting on the boat. “Apparently sirens have hobbies too, Jongho. You find that strange?”
“A siren’s gotta do something to pass his time,” Yeosang pouted, shoving the in-progress crochet out of Jongho’s probing gaze. “I was making hats for you all. Should I not?”
You put a hand on your heart, touched. “You were?”
“Not for you,” Yeosang stuck his tongue out. “For San. He’s been kind to me. And for Jongho because I don’t want him to kill me yet.”
San bowed in thanks and you made a sour face. “Why not for me? I like hats too.”
“You’re just using me to kill me later,” Yeosang sighed dramatically.
“I might change my mind if you make me one,” you offered but Yeosang wasn’t buying it and you looked to San for help who waved a hand at Yeosang.
“You shouldn’t leave someone out. We’re in this together.”
“Yes, and I saved you last night,” you pointed out. “If those pirates saw you or if I didn’t negotiate with Jongho, you would have been long dead.”
Yeosang locked eyes with you. “You sure about that?”
You leaned in, “I’m sure. And this tactic doesn’t work on me, Yeosang. I see right through you. You can act tough all you want.”
Yeosang whistled in approval. “No hats for you.”
You told him that he could keep his damned hats for himself. And to prove his point further, as soon as you reached the shore of Sheratan the next day, you spotted an old lady selling knitted clothes and you took the chance to buy a black hat for yourself- even though it was expensive. You told yourself it wasn’t just out of spite but also because it was extremely windy and cold here.
Yeosang was quite amused at the sight of you and couldn’t help but comment on it. “Jealous?”
“Please, if you were human, you’d know it’s a necessity at this point,” you clenched your jaw to prevent the chattering of your teeth. “Quite rude of you to not make me one.”
“I got something better for you, but you weren’t nice enough to ask for it,” Yeosang tsk-ed and you frowned, turning to him. He unzipped the bag hanging by his shoulder and produced a black muffler just like the one he was wearing and to your surprise, proceeded to wrap it around your neck.
“I don’t hate you, y/n,” he tucked the ends under your jacket and you thought you could hear familiar snickers from behind you but you were too busy gaping at the siren to care. “Even though you hunt my people… I don’t hate you. I understand your reasons. I just hope you understand mine,” he said, taking a step back to admire how his creation looked on you.
“...Thank you, Yeosang,” you finally glanced down, admiring the muffler. “And you must understand that I have a hard time being around you. I may warm up to you but at the end of the day, I can’t deny who you really are.”
“And that’s okay,” he nodded. “You look stupid in that hat by the way.”
“Yeah?” You scoffed immediately in response, glad he wasn’t making it awkward. “You’re just mad it’s not your hat I’m wearing.”
“You’re making it sound like I wanted you to wear something I made,” Yeosang pretended to throw up. “I only gave you that muffler because I couldn’t tolerate the sound of your teeth chattering. And because I don’t want you to freeze to death before you get me my voice back.”
“Whatever you say, pretty boy,” you teased, having picked that name from Jongho. Coming from Jongho, Yeosang didn’t seem to care but now he looked almost offended. Before he could retort, San finally decided to remind you all why you were here.
“Are we having lunch first or do we get straight to business?”
After a majority vote for lunch first, you dined at a local restaurant that had some amazing side dishes. San knew the area quite well and he told you that to find your ebony arrows, you would need to travel deeper into the town and get to the other side where there was a specific area designated for the growth of rare plants maintained by sorcerers.
“So these ebony trees, why are they so scarce around the world?” Jongho asked.
“They didn’t use to be,” San told him as if letting him in on a secret. “Sorcerers are to blame. They had to make a living somehow, so they went around destroying some of the rarest plants around the world just to build a greenhouse here and become the only providers.”
“I did not know that,” you frowned.
“It happened about a century ago, and you won’t find this in the books,” San winked. “I saw your arrows earlier, by the way. The ebony one seems to have some sort of a spell on it?”
“A single graze and the siren dies,” you told him and he whistled. “I had a sorcerer help me with that.”
“That’s a strange spell,” San shook his head in thought. “Are you sure that’s the spell on it?”
“I have no reason to doubt it,” you shrugged. “I’ve heard about similar spells so this must be it.”
“It just feels strange, but maybe it’s because of the medium- the ebony…” San decided to let it go. “Shall we get the horses now?”
—------------------------
“I don’t know, y/n,” San told you, shaking his head in denial. “It just doesn’t feel right. Why can’t you use the arrows we got from Sheratan? I’m pretty sure your aim is good enough.”
“I only have one shot at this, quite literally, San,” you told him, referring to your old ebony arrow. You had three more from your visit to Sheratan. “I can’t risk losing the other arrows too.”
“Maybe you should.” Yeosang butted in, and you rolled your eyes. “What if you miss and kill someone you’re not meant to kill?”
“One less siren to worry about then,” you muttered.
“What if you accidentally graze yourself?”
“If I was that clumsy, I would have died three years ago, Yeosang,” you laughed a little. “Thanks for worrying about my wellbeing.”
“I’m not worrying about your wellbeing,” Yeosang began but when your smirk grew, he simply waved his hands in defeat and sank down in his corner.
You turned to San once again. “You’re a sorcerer, and I trust you, San. What feels so weird about that arrow?”
“The magic has a dark element about it, and I can’t tell if that’s all there is or if it’s the surface of something deeper,” San sighed deeply. “What I mean is that it could have been tampered with or it isn’t what the sorcerer told you it is. There’s no way I can test it either. Maybe just avoid the arrow if you can?”
“Alright,” you nodded. “Maybe I should have listened to you and got the arrow cross-examined when you insisted back in Sheratan.”
“That’s okay, just use the simple arrows,” San felt relieved and you smiled at him, watching him join Jongho.
San had first brought this up when you showed the arrows to the sorcerers in the greenhouse in Sheratan. They had confirmed that the arrow was of the ebony wood that grew right there, and had inquired about the spell on it. You had told them about the sorcerer who went by the name of the Wanderer. The sorcerers looked at each other after hearing that and upon asking, they told you that your sorcerer didn’t have a good reputation around here. You figured if a sorcerer was indirectly targeting sirens through you, he definitely wouldn’t have the best reputation. But after leaving, San had asked about the details of how you met him.
“I met him three years ago while going through a tough spot sailing on my own,” you told him. “I almost drowned but he spotted me and helped me. When he learned who I was, he was very intrigued and offered me the arrow.”
“Just like that?” San found it strange.
“He had a grudge with some sirens too, but he thought he could never get revenge so he decided to forget or something. And I was not going to miss the opportunity when there was a free ebony arrow right in front of me.”
You could tell why San felt conflicted so you picked that arrow out of the quiver and gave it to San. “Keep it safe.”
San smiled and went inside the cockpit and you felt the burning gaze of a certain someone. “What?”
“I can’t believe you’re giving up the arrow now that we’re so close to Mesarthim,” Yeosang said and you turned to him.
“Ebony arrows are fatal to sirens, and I have three of them. Three are enough,” you said. “Besides, if I need to kill you, I’ll still have that arrow, damned be the consequences.”
Yeosang scoffed in amusement. “You think those sirens will let you be after you kill them? You think there will only be a few of them?”
You narrowed your eyes at him. “You said you lived there, but you’ve been suspiciously quiet since letting out that information. And now you’re warning me? When we’re right around the corner?” You pointed towards the ominous dark cloud in the sky- the telltale signs of a storm that seemed to be a constant surrounding Mesarthim Island. Jongho, who had been sitting on the edge with his legs dangling, raised a brow at you both.
“I don’t think you need my warning,” Yeosang folded his arms. “You know what it’s like there. You’ve hunted sirens. I haven’t been to that area in about a decade. But if you think you’ll just go trespassing in and killing a few of them and return? You’re wrong.”
“And that’s what he’s here for,” you pointed at Jongho. “And aren’t these the very sirens you want to hunt as well?”
Jongho muttered something like ‘interesting’ while Yeosang gaped at you. “How did you figure it out?”
“Like I said, you’ve been awfully quiet, which must mean the sirens who took your voice are also there. I don’t know how many sirens live there or if we’re hunting the same ones, but first, you’re helping me kill my sirens, and then we help you. I hope you haven’t forgotten the deal.”
“I haven’t,” Yeosang’s voice was low. “You might not have to help me at all.”
Before you could ask what he meant by that, a loud thunder sounded making you jump a little. Tiny droplets started to fall as the boat rocked unevenly with the rough waves and you began wrapping a scarf around your head so your hair wouldn’t get in the way. Jongho checked the weapons he had docked up on again and you peeked inside to see San struggling to steer the ship. You turned to Yeosang. “I think it’s about time you hide. And remember to wear earplugs unless you want to get killed by Jongho.”
“I’m kind of loud,” Jongho grinned. “So I can’t guarantee you won’t get bewitched by me.”
“I still don’t get why everyone thinks it’s totally normal that a human can bewitch sirens,” Yeosang muttered under his breath as he started covering his head and face- he couldn’t be spotted by the sirens here. “Remember to signal me if you need me.”
“Got it,” Jongho said and Yeosang went towards the other corner. You walked to stand next to Jongho, now spotting the faint outskirts of the island through the fog.
“I think there’s something Yeosang is not telling me, and it might be related to my parent’s death,” you whispered and Jongho looked at you in surprise. “Either he knows something about it or…”
“I don’t know, y/n,” he pursed his lips. “Why would he bring you here willingly then? Ulterior motive?”
“He does need his voice back. This could be a trap.”
“Good thing you have me then, eh?” Jongho smirked and you rolled your eyes but you knew that was true. “I won’t butt in until you tell me to, so stay safe, okay? No hasty moves.”
“No hasty moves,” you confirmed and stationed yourself on the edge of the boat, waiting.
The fog only grew thicker and though you had better hearing now, you were wondering if you would ever hear the sirens since the waves were too loud- along with the beating of your heart.
You were finally here. After eleven years, you were here to avenge your parents. Everything about this moment was familiar and nostalgic in an upsetting way. It had been stormy just like today. You had huddled next to your parents who looked worried along with the few other people on the boat. The sailor had been having a hard time steering it away from the red zone.
You shivered when you recalled the moment everyone fell silent and started listening to the sirens. That was your last intact memory before everything got muddled. You took a deep breath, fisting the daggers that hung by your hips, the longsword and quiver hanging on your back, bow on your shoulder. San started steering towards the red zone with his ears safely plugged despite the spell he had put on himself to not get lured by the sirens.
This had to end well.
Right then, you heard the faint humming of a siren and you looked through your binoculars, clicking your tongue in disappointment- the fog was far too thick today and the rain was only getting worse. You reminded Jongho to stay alert and only kill if necessary and then you loaded one of the ebony arrows, waiting to spot the faces of the sirens that had been the product of your nightmares.
You could hear the low humming but this one was different- they were not trying to lure you. You looked at Jongho for confirmation and he nodded. You glanced at Yeosang who was huddled in the corner, looking surprised. You inched closer to him, asking him what was up with the sirens.
“They’re not luring you,” he whispered. “They’re sending a warning call and alerting the others. They recognise us.”
“What do you reckon we should do?”
“I think it’s better if I stop hiding once they confirm they know I’m here, and then I can help you out.”
“I don’t trust you though,” you told him.
“I don’t trust you to hand me over to the sirens who will gladly kill me, but here we are,” he locked eyes with you and for a moment, your heart twitched in sympathy. The humming started to grow louder and harmonious.
“You still haven’t told me why they want to kill you,” you loaded your arrow back, aiming in the direction of the humming.
And just like that, the humming stopped entirely, an eerie silence taking over. You looked through your binoculars and found the faint figures standing still on the numerous rocks bordering the island until one of them spoke.
“One who betrays his blood has no right to return, much less with the enemy. How dare you?”
For a second, you wondered if all your spells had worn off in that moment- the sharp voice sounded inside you. It shook you to your core, and you realised then that Yeosang was right- he really had lost his voice.
Yeosang looked at you as if to say his point was proven, and then he removed the scarf from his face. “You could say I brought a gift… dear old sister.”
You almost lost your footing when you heard that and as the boat drew closer to the rocks, you finally saw a glimpse of the owner of that voice. Your limbs felt limp as recognition settled in and you struggled to breathe-
The face of the siren who killed your mother.
“Shoot, y/n.”
You slowly turned to Yeosang who was now beside you, glaring at who he had called his sister. There was no way… right? There was no way-
You let out a whimper and hastily covered your ears as the siren screamed- perhaps, you should have used those earplugs too. Yeosang tsk-ed painfully and yelled at San to stick to the current route, extracting a dagger from your belt and throwing it with full force at the siren, effectively silencing her as she dodged it and snarled at him, whistling loudly and alerting the other sirens.
“Get a grip, y/n. It’s gonna get messier than I thought,” Yeosang muttered, helping you up and brushing away the stray hair from your face, cupping it for good measure. “This is it, okay? You and I have the same enemy- I’ll explain later, but for now, let’s get rid of them. Okay?”
You nodded, unable to answer verbally and he went to the cockpit to borrow some weapons. You looked at Jongho who was clutching his daggers, waiting for your signal to sing, but he would have to wait a bit more.
You had some unfinished business with a few sirens.
“Yeosang,” you called when he came out with his own bow and arrows. “That siren is the one I’m after- but that’s not the only one. There were more.”
“I understand,” Yeosang aimed an arrow at his sister. “They’ll be right behind her. I’ll take the left and you take the right.”
Thus, the battle began. You kept the simple wooden arrows for the other sirens, the two of you shooting in succession. Jongho kept your backs safe as San dived right into the siren territory and it looked like the sirens had figured out that none of you would give in to their songs- you were spotting glints of silver from the corner of your eyes so you started scanning the crowd of sirens until you spotted another familiar face.
“I’ve found him,” you told Yeosang, motioning towards the male siren with its familiar long blonde hair. “That one killed my father.”
“He has a thing for men,” Yeosang rolled his eyes. “Sorry to tell you that he’s my cousin, of sorts.”
“I’ll deal with you later,” you muttered angrily, extracting one of the three ebony arrows. “I’m going for him.”
You aimed for the siren’s chest and just as the siren met eyes with you having swum from the island to the rocks, you shut your eyes for a second, saying a silent prayer, ignoring the harsh wind and rain, and dismissing the wailing of the sirens.
For you, dad.
You let the arrow loose and when it hit home, you let yourself rejoice for only a second. And then the siren fell on its knees and the other sirens dived into the sea, swimming towards your boat.
“Fuck,” you called Jongho to get back to the centre of the boat. “Yeosang! We’re covering Jongho until we cannot take it anymore.”
“Got it!” He yelled over the storm, getting closer and stealing a few arrows from your quiver. “I’m taking this ebony arrow.”
“Be my guest,” you couldn’t help but share a grin with him. The boat rocked dangerously and San appeared out of the cockpit, his eyes almost glowing.
“The boat will remain as stable as it can, I’ll make sure the sirens don’t mess with my property.”
You made an impressed face and then you heard a splash, a siren climbing on the boat. You immediately sent an arrow for its head which it dodged but Yeosang was quick to redeem you. Two other sirens started climbing from opposite ends and while you shot at them, a few others appeared until it became a cycle of shooting at them while they tried to get nearer. San had some sort of spell going on where phantom hands were throwing the sirens away from the cockpit and Jongho sent dagger after dagger with impeccable aim.
“Y/n, you need to know when to stop, okay? I’m not going to wait for your signal if I think we’re in danger,” Jongho reminded you.
“That one,” you pointed at Yeosang’s sister, still on the rocks watching with an evil smirk on her face, “That one I’ll kill with my own hands, and then we can do whatever.”
The siren seemed to get that message and it dived into the sea. You loaded the last ebony arrow, waiting to spot her but-
Yeosang hissed in pain as a siren raked its nails across his chest and you jerked in surprise- when did the sirens get this close? You instinctively let the arrow loose and killed that siren, turning to assess the damage. Yeosang seemed pale but he shook it off.
“Where’s your ebony arrow?”
“One of the sirens almost killed you with your own arrow,” he explained. “I got to her first.”
You shook your head. “I’ll take care of the rest, get back. Your sister might kill you before I get the chance.”
“No, they’re too much,” he shot an arrow at another siren who got too close. You unsheathed the longsword.
“It’s about time I put this to practice,” you told him and taking a deep breath, you started going after the sirens one by one. They were quick to match your pace with their long and sharp nails which were weapons enough. You slashed their scaly skins, glad it wasn’t sunny here because their glow would have blinded your naked eyes. You managed to get a few of them with only a few scratches and when you took a break, you spotted your target about to take out San who was now in the cockpit steering the boat away from the island-
“Jongho, get her!” You shouted and Jongho sent two daggers for the siren who dodged them, disappearing from your sight. You circled around that enclosed space with your bloody sword stretched out, hearing your own heartbeat in your ears-
And your heart sank in the worst way when you spotted your target with one of your ebony arrows going after Yeosang. You sent a dagger for her which wedged in her shoulder and she let out a cry of pain, alerting Yeosang but she didn’t let it hold her back- she almost jumped on top of Yeosang and they clawed at each other until she overpowered him, seizing him with the tip of the arrow resting on his chest, ready to be lodged in his heart if any of you made the wrong move. You paused in your tracks as she looked at you threateningly, assessing the damage.
“So many of us killed by your hands, brother dearest,” her melodic voice rang. “What would mother think?”
“Bet she would love this sight,” Yeosang was still in her grasp.
“And what would your mother think?” The siren asked you and your blood ran cold. “What would she think when she learns you’re lowering your weapons to save a siren?”
You looked at Jongho who shook his head- you were compromised. If he started singing now, Yeosang could get hurt. You turned to look at San who was glaring at the siren. He met your eyes and signalled at his side-
The ebony arrow you received from the sorcerer. You still had that.
You tried not to let it show as you looked back at the siren- she must be thinking you were defenceless now. “Let him go and we can have a fair fight,” you tried.
“I don’t want to,” she shook her head, her black locks flowing behind her. Everything about her was as beautiful as Yeosang, if not more, but Yeosang didn’t share the horridness a siren had. “And you,” she looked at her brother. “Did you know that killing me means you might not get your voice back?”
“I’d kill you anyway, I’m very tempted to,” Yeosang muttered and she scoffed, digging the arrow into his chest until he winced in pain. You bit your lip, sheathing your sword and clutching your bow.
“Let him go,” Jongho tried. “I could make all of you go mad right now. You might have heard of me- the reaper, your kind calls me.”
“Oh, I’ve heard all about you. Didn’t expect you to look so… human,” she scanned him. “But you should know that your singing won’t work on me. I possess more than one voice, after all.”
You knew then- Yeosang's sister must have been one of the people who took his voice, which meant she was dangerous. Killing her meant that there was a chance Yeosang wouldn’t get his voice back, but…
You had to save Yeosang. There was no other option.
As if Yeosang could hear you, he nodded subtly. He could probably see San slowly creeping near you. While Jongho distracted the siren, San threw the arrow towards you and you caught it, immediately loading it in your bow and aiming it for the siren’s head- and all hell broke loose.
The sirens who had been waiting for orders went after you and Jongho. San used his phantom hands to keep them away and while Yeosang’s sister watched in surprise, you let the arrow loose before she could hurt him.
One graze, and the siren would be dead. All you needed was for the arrow to graze the siren. Yeosang pushed his sister with all his might so she would stay in place and between her attempts to dodge it, the arrow grazed her cheekbone, drawing blood and clattering loudly on the ground- you wondered if the clatter was louder than the thunder booming in the sky. Before you could react further, Yeosang snatched the arrow from her hand and stabbed her heart.
“This is for taking what does not belong to you,” he practically growled, watching his sister fall on her knees, blood spilling from her mouth so dark that it looked black.
“You… you’re killing your own?”
“You almost killed me- a decade ago and today,” Yeosang pulled the arrow out of her body, making her fall on the ground. The other sirens stood watching, unsure how to respond especially after Jongho revealed his identity. “My voice belongs to me, even if I never use it. Even if I never kill a human with it. You all,” Yeosang locked eyes with every siren on the boat. “Take her back. Let her rest with our parents. And let this be a reminder to all of you to not mess with one of your own.”
The sirens looked scared of Yeosang and you wondered who he really was. Why were they obeying him and not killing him? You and San stood side by side, watching the sirens help each other and hiss at you both for hurting them, none of them daring to sing or attack you. Yeosang sat beside his sister with both the arrows, waiting for her suffering to stop and when her body fell limp, he shut her eyes and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He took off her necklace and pocketed it before asking the sirens to take her.
Even the storm seemed to have calmed a bit as the sirens left, silence filling the boat until Jongho looked at Yeosang. “You… you need to answer a lot of questions.”
Yeosang nodded slowly, turning to face you and stumbling in the process. You shook your head, going to him and helping him stay upright. “You’re hurt, you fool. You need to sit down and let me see it.”
He nodded, letting you help him to his corner and you sat him down, looking behind you to see Jongho collecting the weapons and San steering the boat away from the wretched island. You took a deep breath, turning back to Yeosang who was staring at you intently, making you blink in surprise.
“I’m going to, uh, unbutton your shirt- it’s already tattered anyway,” you swallowed the lump in your throat. “Stop staring at me while I do my work.”
“Not how I imagined you would undress me,” Yeosang said in a low voice so only you would hear. “That’s all I’ll say.”
You shut your eyes in mild annoyance. “Not the time to make jokes, siren. You’re hurt quite badly,” you assessed the several claw marks on his chest. “Don’t you have healing powers or something?”
“They’re quite slow now since I stopped acting like a siren,” he admitted. “But I’ll heal- just get me the potion in my bag, there,” he pointed at his bag and you nodded, opening the zip and finding several vials.
“Which one exactly?” You frowned. “Did you bring the whole cabinet with you or something?”
“The one with the purple cap,” Yeosang groaned in pain as he shifted. You tossed the bottle to him, going to your own bag to get your first aid kit and flipping Jongho who wiggled his brows at your concerned face. You settled down next to him and took out a bottle of alcohol.
“I don’t know how your body heals, but I’ll do it the traditional way. Don’t want you getting infected now that you finally got your voice back, do we?” You looked at him. “How would you know you got it back?”
“When her spirit leaves her entirely, that’s when the magic will work,” he told you. You started cleaning his wounds and he clenched his jaw in pain.
“Did you know all this time that it was your family that killed mine?”
“Are you really going to get answers like this?” Yeosang hissed in pain when you pressed purposefully on his wound.
“I think now’s a good time, Yeosang,” you tried not to sound amused. “On a serious note… did you know?”
“I didn’t connect the dots until you told me what my sister said to you right before sparing you,” he admitted. “My sister has always been rogue. We were not raised like this- yes, we hunted humans but she broke a lot of rules,” he took a breather while you continued cleaning his wounds. “And she broke a big rule when she decided to declare me an outcast and took my voice. I would have hunted her down one day. People like her really shouldn’t be in charge of the community.”
“Can’t say I feel sorry for her,” you muttered, starting to bandage the slashes on his chest. “Now, when are you going to tell me where you were when they killed my parents?”
Yeosang fell silent and he waited until you finished bandaging him. “When you overcome the trauma and your memories return to you… you’ll know where I was.”
“Do you have to do this?” you asked him, defeated. “Do you have to make me confused? You’re literally related by blood to the sirens who killed my family, and then you take me to them so I can kill them, save my life multiple times-”
“You saved mine too-”
“And won’t tell me what your role was in the attack a decade ago?” You let out an exasperated sigh. “I really start seeing you as a human sometimes. I really think you’re better than the sirens who are monsters in every sense. I don’t think you are a monster, Yeosang, but if you continue to play with my head-”
A sharp ache, almost like a stab, spread through your chest, making you double up and cough loudly while Yeosang’s breath got caught and he struggled to breathe, falling on his side. You could hear the faint sounds of Jongho and San rushing to the two of you and patting your cheek to make you come back to your senses but you gave in to the pull of the pain as everything went black.
—----------------------
“Too strange to be a coincidence.”
“The timing is very off- and the arrow, I swear it glowed for a second. And then she faints just like Yeosang? Yeosang’s getting his voice back, but what is her reason?”
You groaned loudly, stretching your limbs and making them crack in the process, your mouth curving in pain- it felt like every muscle in your body was cramped. Everything started to feel too much as you regained consciousness and you shut your eyes-
The light was too bright. Their whispering was too loud. Their cautious touches on your body were too much.
“Stop,” your cracked voice sounded and you felt a cold hand tap your cheek.
“Open your eyes, y/n. Look at me.”
“Not now,” you tried wiggling away from Yeosang but he put a hand on your shoulder, preventing you from rolling away and after taking a few deep breaths having curled into yourself miserably, you finally opened your eyes.
“Oh dear,” Yeosang looked at Jongho and San who were equally shocked. “You seeing this?”
“What?” You croaked again, getting up with immense effort and motioning at Jongho to pass you the water bottle near him which you gulped hungrily. “What happened? I fainted?”
“Not just fainted,” San began but paused, wondering how to word it. “How are you feeling right now?”
“Honestly? In pain,” you admitted, looking at Yeosang. “What happened to you? Why did you faint- why did we faint together?” You frowned deeply. “Did you do something?”
“Did I look like I could do anything?” He reminded you of the wounds across his chest. “Just to let you know what's going on, your eyes are, uh… glowing. Like a siren’s.”
You scoffed in amusement. “Just tell me I have pretty eyes, Yeosang.”
Jongho snorted and San looked up at the skies for help while Yeosang tried his best not to pass a stinging remark- you were not going to take it well. “Yeah? Don’t believe me? Go look in the mirror.”
“I don’t need to,” you started getting up, almost losing your footing. “How long was I out again?”
“A few hours,” San said, watching you cautiously.
“Must be the relief catching up or something,” you muttered, going towards the edge to look at the fading remnants of the island.
“Jongho, do something,” Yeosang pleaded and Jongho hugged himself.
“I’m scared of her,” he pouted.
“Okay, that’s enough,” you turned, bringing the stool in front of the three and sitting on it, peering down at them. “Tell me what’s going on. San first.”
“When you fainted, the arrow glowed for a moment,” he pursed his lips. “And then you just shivered uncontrollably for the three hours you were out.”
“Must be the spell, right?” You thought. “A single graze killed that siren, it must have something about it that it takes away from the user. Now, Jongho… what is it about my eyes glowing?”
“They just seem… glossier than usual. Like Yeosang’s.”
“So you all are tired too, I get it,” you shook your head. “Or this is an awful, awful prank-”
Yeosang dug a mirror out of his bag and held it in front of you, and your glowing eyes were not the first thing you noticed.
It was the faint purple mark on your temple. You leaned closer to examine it, noticing it looked a lot like scales-
It couldn’t be.
You turned your face and on the other temple- no, wherever the sun hit, your skin reflected an iridescent purple sheen, not too noticeable but there alright. You unwrapped the scarf from around your neck and shifted towards the sun, and sure enough, it was there as well. As a matter of fact, it was everywhere.
Suddenly it was too silent and too loud all at once. This was not the temporary better hearing spell you had, no. This was you hearing the low gurgles of something deep in the ocean. This was you seeing the very distant island and still being able to count the rocks around it- something you couldn’t even have seen with your binoculars. This was you hearing the breath- heartbeats of those on the boat. This was you smelling their anxiety. This was you feeling the hair on your body rise-
You rushed for the edge of the boat and gasped for air, choking on nothing. You could hear the shuffling of your companions but they didn’t come near- they let you have a moment until familiar light steps drew closer.
Yeosang touched your shoulder cautiously. “You’re still burning up- you need to let us do something about it.”
“What is happening to me?” You searched his eyes for answers but found none. “It’s too much, Yeosang, it’s too much-”
“It will be okay,” Yeosang squeezed your arm assuringly. “I think it’s some side effect of the arrow you used- the arrow from the sorcerer. If it doesn’t fade soon… we’ll do something about it, okay? We’ll figure it out-”
Yeosang couldn’t finish his sentence as your eyes rolled back in your head and you fell unconscious, him holding you in his arms just in time to save you from falling painfully down. He looked at the others helplessly- he had never seen something like this happen before. But you…
You, a human, were turning into a siren.
—----------------------
You didn’t know how long you kept lying on your back, watching the starry night sky and blocking the whispers of your companions on the boat. You were too busy replaying everything that had happened in the past few days in your head and you kept coming to the same conclusion.
The arrow. That darned arrow.
Did the Wanderer really take advantage of your vulnerability? Did he see what he needed in you- someone who would hunt a siren for him- and give you that arrow? Did he know about the spell as a sorcerer or did he give it to you because he was too scared to use it himself and find out what it would do to him? And if he knew that using that arrow would somehow turn the user into a siren…
Why would he want you, a siren-hunter, to turn into a siren? Did he have a personal grudge against you? He couldn’t, he had never met you before, had he? Or did he want you to turn into a siren just because he was someone sadistic? But it still made no sense- if he hated sirens like he had claimed he did, he wouldn’t have wanted you to turn into a siren, would he?
You finally got up, looking around- everything was starting to feel different, more heightened. You wondered for a moment if this was what was normal to Yeosang, but you were a human. You couldn’t be a siren. You hunted sirens for a living, for crying out loud. You walked around the boat until you spotted the three huddled in front of the fire, heating themselves up-
And you realised you did not feel cold either. You scoffed internally- you finally got all your questions about sirens answered. The questions you had been asking Yeosang all this time.
Yeosang was the first one to hear you walking towards them and he actually looked worried as he scanned you. “How are you feeling?”
“Angry,” you settled down in front of them. “And hungry.”
“Hangry…” Jongho acknowledged. “Any unusual craving for humans yet?”
“Jongho,” San warned though he was trying to stifle his smile.
“You’ll be the first to know if I do, human,” you muttered and Yeosang looked awfully proud to hear that.
“Really hope you don’t turn into a siren though,” Jongho casually cleaned his dagger, looking at his reflection on the blade. “Otherwise I’d have to kill two of you.”
“I thought we were friends,” Yeosang put his hand on his heart, disappointed.
“I’m not turning into a siren,” you glared at Jongho and Yeosang and they immediately shut up- you were pretty sure you had never been this angry before in front of them. You turned to San. “Where are we going?”
“I’ve steered the boat away from Mesarthim, so we’ll be bordering Sheratan in a few hours.”
“Good, keep it in that direction,” you nodded. “I need answers from a certain sorcerer.”
“I don’t think it’s safe to go alone, especially in this condition,” San scooted closer to get a good look at you. “You were burning up while you were unconscious and I had to use a spell to bring your fever down. There’s no guarantee when it will come back.”
“Thank you, but I will take care of myself,” you smiled reassuringly at him. “You’ve been a lot of help, San, but I think this is where we should part ways.”
“Nope,” San shook his head. “If you’re dealing with a sorcerer, I need to be there. There’s no telling what he will do to you- he probably planned this. This arrow- it has to be a curse.”
Your heart sank. “A curse?”
“No spell can change the nature of who you are- whether human, sorcerer or siren,” he explained. “It would have taken a curse to do that- and if that is the case… you don’t have to be a sorcerer to put a curse on something or someone, right?”
“You mean…” Jongho shifted uncomfortably, “This sorcerer might not have been a sorcerer at all?”
“That is a possibility, because to put a curse, you simply have to have a deep grudge against something or someone. For the curse to be effective, it takes a lot of negative energy. If the Wanderer placed a curse on that arrow himself and gave it to you…”
“That would make another person with a deep personal grudge against sirens,” Yeosang looked at you. “He wouldn’t have been on the boat with you and your parents a decade ago, would he?”
“No,” you said. “I’m sure he was not.”
“There’s a lot to consider here,” Yeosang rubbed his hands as if he finally felt cold. “Whether he had a grudge against the sirens we just killed or a grudge against siren-hunters, which means it could easily have been Jongho who wielded that arrow.”
Jongho grimaced at the possibility. “He must have purposefully searched for us then but found y/n first…”
You shook your head in disappointment. You definitely should not have trusted that sorcerer- or anyone, for that matter. You should have double-checked the spell on the arrow with other sorcerers. You should have trusted San and not used that arrow at all-
“I’m sorry for tossing you that arrow even though I told you not to use it,” San sighed deeply. “It’s my fault.”
“No, it’s not,” you patted his shoulder awkwardly. “I would have done that anyway.”
And only after saying that did you realise that yes. You would have done that anyway, all to save a siren.
All to save Yeosang, who was currently watching you intently and making your heart flutter, something unspoken passing between you two. The whole ordeal had really been a test for you both and you saved each other’s lives without hesitation again and again.
Before Yeosang could say something or Jongho could pass a comment with that devilish smirk on his face, you got up and went to the other end of the boat, sitting on the deck and taking a few deep breaths.
Everything you had planned had come to ruins. You killed the sirens, yes, but at what cost? You were turning into something you hated. And at the same time, you were so confused about Yeosang and his involvement in everything.
While you were unconscious, you had… dreams. You weren’t sure if they were flashbacks of your deeply buried memories or just a figment of your wild imagination, but you were back at Mesarthim, clutching your ears and sobbing while your parents' blood spilled in front of you as the sirens sank their teeth into their bodies. You were screaming as another siren made its way to you, and your scream got louder when a now familiar face stood between you and the monster.
“Not the kids. That is enough already.”
And then your saviour was thrown away with a harsh push and you scrambled to hide yourself amidst the panic, but the sirens could smell your fear. Soon, the boxes you hid behind went flying away and you brought your knees closer to your chest, eyes widening as the siren made one of its own kneel in front of you, face a bloody mess.
“Kill this child, siren. It is who we are.”
You were pretty sure it was Yeosang, and if this was a memory that finally made its way back…
Had it been Yeosang who saved your life that day?
“Stop staring holes into the poor sea,” Yeosang settled down next to you. You glared at him for good measure, taking that chance to scan his face again- he looked very different in that dream/memory but it had to be him. “And stop glaring at me every chance you get.”
“I’m still waiting for your answer,” you told him, looking back at the sea and swinging your legs a little. “
“I think we have more pressing concerns right now,” he scanned your face. “Can you tell me exactly how you feel? Do you feel any… physiological changes?”
“Well, I can hear your heartbeat, for starters, and that is the most unnerving thing,” you finally laughed a little, making him relax as well.
“We learn to ignore it until it becomes the background,” he smiled. “What can you hear?”
You took a deep breath. “Everything. I can hear them talking if I focus, I can hear the creatures in the sea… I could sense your presence, Yeosang. Is this how it feels to be a siren?”
“You’re not a siren yet, don’t worry,” Yeosang patted your back. “But do let me know if you get intense cravings.”
“I can’t tell if this is a joke or not.”
“I won’t tell,” he smiled cheekily. “Well, excellent night vision?”
“Yep,” you confirmed.
“If you’re up for it, we could test some other things, see how far it has progressed. I could tell you how to deal with it-”
“I don’t need to learn how to be a siren, Yeosang,” you raised a brow. “I’m a human. I will remain human, and I will undo whatever has happened.”
“Yes, you're still a siren-hunter,” Yeosang rolled his eyes. “But sweetheart, if you need to hunt that sorcerer, you need to learn how to live with this body and make the best use of it. It’s probably going to benefit you. And once you find him and we break the curse, you can go back to being a human if you hate it so much.”
“I will go back to being a human,” you said. “But… you’re right. I should learn how to stop stumbling every two steps.”
“Did the siren thing make your perspectives broaden as well?” Yeosang wandered out loud and you smacked his arm. “We’ll take it slow, don’t worry.”
“You’re quite pleased that I’m turning into a siren, aren’t you?” Your voice shook and his smirk fell. “You could leave me be. You could watch me suffer, but why are you offering to help me? What do you want from me?”
“I thought it was clear by now that I want nothing from you,” he looked a bit hurt and that made your heart ache as well. “I only want to thank you for helping me out and saving my life today. I want to thank you for helping me get my voice back, and I want to apologise for the unfortunate consequences of it.”
You looked down, trying to sort your thoughts out. “You’re… too human to be a siren.”
“And that is why I was outcasted by my own family,” he said. “Sirens don’t go around saving humans, y/n.”
“It was you that day, wasn’t it?” You finally looked at him, a clear memory back in your head. “I don’t know why I suddenly remember, but it was you. They made you kneel in front of me, ready to kill you if you didn’t kill me.”
“And you saved my life that day,” Yeosang smiled.
You realised you had. Not only today, but about a decade ago too. When he was struggling to breathe and being forced to kill you, you waited for the other sirens to get distracted before passing him the dagger you had been hiding behind you all this time. He had thanked you silently before he told you to close your eyes.
“I killed my people that day,” Yeosang continued. “And I’m glad you managed to escape that day, y/n, or it would have been all for nothing.”
“But they took your voice,” you whispered. “Because of me.”
“And then you found me,” he looked down at your hands which were almost brushing. “You found me…” he dared to brush his fingers against yours and when you didn’t pull your hand away, he intertwined them. “And you saved me again. It took me a while to remember you, but it looked like you had forgotten me, which is why I decided not to tell you again. It’s not the best memory, after all.”
“Well, I still hate you and you’re a siren,” you said though your smile betrayed you.
“And you still reek of human,” Yeosang retorted, his confession oddly comforting. “But I like you anyway.”
You couldn’t meet his gaze anymore so you looked away but you could tell that he was smiling. You simply squeezed his hand in response, which was enough for now. He continued to play with your fingers as he asked, “If things hadn’t gone wrong today, what would you have done? Where would you have gone?”
“I don’t know,” you admitted. “I never thought I’d make it out alive. I owe you all for that.”
“I never thought I’d make it out alive either,” Yeosang stared into the distance. “It was more like a suicide mission because let’s face it- how could I have made it out alive? We barely escaped this time. I just wanted to get back at my sister for a number of things. You won’t believe it, but I’m not the only odd siren out there. There are others who practise restraint simply because once you give in to your carnal desires, siren or human, you turn into a monster.”
“Wow,” you breathed. “So we’ve just been unfortunate this whole time? Coming across sirens that are monsters?”
“Kind of,” Yeosang smiled dejectedly. “The normal ones won’t really be sitting and waiting for humans, would they?”
“Okay, you’ve got a point,” you said. “So were you the odd one out in your community?”
“More like most of us gave in to peer pressure and had no other choice. And if you rebelled… you end up like me.”
“Not a bad place to end up though?”
“It wasn’t always so easy,” Yeosang shivered involuntarily. “Especially when they took your voice. The first few years were miserable but then I learned to live with it. I pass as a human now, don’t I?”
“Hate to admit but you do,” you tsk-ed. “So what next for you?”
Yeosang looked at your joined hands and you suddenly felt conscious. “I think I’ll stick around. At least until we find the person who did this to you, and then I will make them suffer. After that…” he brought your hand to his lips to plant a soft kiss on your knuckles, making your heart somersault. “I’ll see where this road takes me.”
You heard it- the silent promise to help you out and go wherever you want to go. To be with you. You wondered how he, as a siren, was so… beautiful. Not just from the outside, but from within. How he gave and gave without really asking anything in return. How he was still willing to hunt for you even when you had, till now, clearly reminded him again and again that he was a siren but you hated his kind.
He was a siren, but… he was more human than you could ever be.
—-------------------------
“There is no way I’m learning how to breathe underwater,” you insisted for the umpteenth time. “I have experienced breathing underwater. When the water gets into your lungs…”
“That shit hurts,” Jongho agreed, for once siding with you and you silently thanked him.
“Yes, but that’s when you’re human,” Yeosang was losing his calm now. “You need to learn how to breathe underwater so if that damned sorcerer tries drowning you, you won’t kill yourself.”
“I don’t think he’ll get to that,” you scoffed.
“Then you think too highly of yourself,” Yeosang said. “Do not underestimate someone who has the power to turn a human into a siren.”
“And the sorcerer is travelling around, so chances are we catch him while sailing or we find him at some shore,” San quipped. “He’ll definitely try to kill you- because you’re going to try to kill him too.”
You poked your tongue in your cheek, hands on your hips as you thought about it. Truth be told, you may be travelling the oceans most of the time but you were pretty scared of diving into it, especially when you almost drowned a few times in the past too.
A few days ago, when you finally completed your life’s mission and found everything going wrong, you reached Sheratan’s shore and inquired about the Wanderer. Everyone scattered around town, San tagging with you and after a few hours of asking around and a hearty dinner to celebrate making it out alive on that deadly mission, you got on the boat again to border around Sheratan in hopes of finding a lead.
While you travelled, San practised his spells, trying to either recreate something like your curse only in hopes of finding how to undo it in the process, or actually just get to breaking it himself, but so far, all his efforts had been in vain and a few times even backfired at him. He almost got hurt and you had to put Jongho on duty to make sure San wouldn’t end up hurting himself. So he started focusing on location spells and defensive shields.
Jongho could have gotten off at Sheratan since he had intended to go there anyway, but for some reason he decided to tag along until you got back to normal, and you were pretty sure the reason was not only that he was worried about you and wanted you to turn back to human, or because he wanted to kill Yeosang- which was an inside joke now. If you thought about it, he had become so used to travelling alone that perhaps, he was finding a home and a family within your odd group. You were sure about that because when you tried to tease him about it, he threatened to drown you, which made you snicker to yourself. But you had to admit you found the young siren-hunter endearing especially when he forgot who Yeosang was and just listened to his stories and let him tease him with a stifled smile. There was something about Yeosang that no one here could resist.
And that included you. These past few days, he had been making sure you felt okay and helped you live with yourself not only physically but mentally too, because if you looked past your anger, you knew that there was no telling how long you would have to live as a siren or if you could ever go back to being human. He was helping you come to terms with yourself and you were grateful for that, because if you had been alone, you weren’t sure what you would have done to yourself. Now that you knew so much about sirens and started seeing them as people just like you with emotions and feelings and dreams and wishes instead of bloodthirsty monsters… you were okay.
You were okay with Yeosang- you had been for quite a while though. He had never felt like a siren- even now, when he was fully siren, he was the same. He tried singing once when you were in the middle of the ocean- you all were immune anyway. Despite that, when he sang, you thought it was the most beautiful thing you had ever heard. It wasn’t hauntingly beautiful like a usual siren’s call, but it was almost dreamy. Even Jongho was in awe as Yeosang sang his heart out after what had to be a decade and your face was wet with tears by the time he ended.
He asked you last night if you felt like singing. You told him you didn’t know the answer to that, because currently you were busy repressing every emotion you felt and focusing solely on the anger you felt towards the sorcerer for violating your entire being. But ever since he asked you that, you couldn’t help thinking about it. So you asked him in the morning.
“Why do sirens sing?”
You knew that the sole purpose of singing wasn’t to lure humans, so you were curious why Yeosang wanted to sing so badly even though he didn’t intend to lure humans.
“So we don’t forget who we are.”
Though it was an ambiguous answer, as you narrowed your eyes at Yeosang who was waiting for you to make a decision, you wondered if he was enjoying your misery-
“No, I’m not enjoying your misery,” Yeosang chuckled. “Please, get in the water.”
“How do you even breathe underwater?” You almost cried. “Do you have some gills that I can’t see? Did I grow gills-”
San and Jongho burst out laughing in the corner and Yeosang put his head in his hands. “I’m not a fish, y/n. You just breathe through your nose- the water won’t get in. Come on,” he outstretched his hands and when you still kept giving him the side-eye, he raised a brow.
“Don’t you trust me?”
You took a deep breath, raising your hands and pausing. “I trust you. But I’m scared.”
“You’ll be okay,” Yeosang gently locked your hands with his and tugged you closer, taking off your cardigan and scarf and throwing them on the deck. “No need for these extra layers. Feeling okay?”
“Yeah,” you breathed, left in a plain black shirt and pants, similar to his. “At my pace, okay?”
“Of course,” he nodded, stepping into the water first and waiting for you. You glared at him one last time before following-
And clutching onto his arms for support.
“Just so you know, I suck at swimming,” you told him and he laughed.
“We’ll change that- for sirens, swimming is second nature to them,” he told you, trying to unwrap your grip around his arms. “Now, let go of me and you’ll find yourself floating-”
“No-” you drew closer, clutching onto his shoulders, your eyes widening as you looked down. “Can you always see that deep into the sea?”
When Yeosang didn’t answer, you looked at him, blinking in surprise when you realised how close you were, practically hugging him. But you couldn’t care right now- you were far too scared to let go. “Bear with me, please.”
“Okay,” Yeosang nodded. “Now, if you’re feeling a little better, you can let go of me and we can go underwater, okay? There’s nothing to be scared of- I’m with you.”
“Alright, I hold my breath when I go down?”
“If you want to,” he squeezed your waist assuringly, only then realising he was holding you there. Good lord, he thought. “It doesn’t matter, but when you open your eyes and get your bearings, allow yourself to breathe- through your nose, okay?”
“Okay,” your voice sounded small. “Let’s try this?”
Yeosang smiled. “Hold on to the boat and watch me.”
You did as he instructed, staying upright and you watched him dive inside the sea and swim around, all the while breathing through his nose. He waved at you and you laughed at the sight, feeling a bit relaxed.
You could do this.
You let go of the boat and held your breath, diving into the sea and opening your eyes, surprised at how everything was visible. You could see Yeosang waving at you and when you looked down, you could see the fish and other creatures. You smiled and swam closer to him and he put his hands on your shoulders-
“Breathe through your nose.”
You almost inhaled water when you heard his voice inside your head and he smiled cheekily, putting his hands on your shoulders again.
“You really are turning into a siren. Sirens can communicate through touch while underwater. Takes a little practice though. Now, inhale.”
You shook your head, swimming away from him- somehow, you could hold your breath longer now. You saw a few fishes circle around you both and while you were momentarily surprised, you had an awful realisation and you looked up-
You were far too deep in the sea. You felt short of breath and you made the mistake of opening your mouth as if to call Yeosang which just made you panic and you shook frantically, Yeosang quick to reach you and wrap his hands around your waist-
“What’s the matter? Breathe through your nose, quick!”
You shook your head, looking up again, silently communicating that you needed air and you opened your mouth again, panicking- you couldn’t hold on much longer and you were going to drown to death-
“It’s quicker to inhale than to go up for air, please, inhale, y/n! Trust me-”
You smacked his chest as if to curse him for doing this to you but he remained close. When you almost gave up, your human instincts overriding your system, Yeosang decided to help you a little-
He pressed his mouth against yours, transferring his breath to you. Your eyes widened in shock for a few moments until he drew back, equally shocked and slightly amused.
“You’re breathing.”
You shook your head in denial- yes, you breathed for a second there and the water didn’t pass through your nose and burn your lungs, but your fear made you lock that again. Yeosang brought his hands to your face, cupping them and looking at you almost lovingly.
“Just relax, y/n.”
You didn’t know which one of you made the next move but you were pressing your lips against each other again and this time, he wasn’t simply transferring air to you. This time, he was kissing you. You were breathing through your nose and you were kissing him back, your hands fisting his shirt and keeping him close, and you could make the excuse that you couldn’t breathe, but both of you knew this was different. He relaxed himself when he realised you weren’t stopping him and then he let one of his hands cup your jaw and angle you better, the other stopping at the exposed skin below your shirt. Despite wanting to continue kissing you for as long as he could, he slowly started swimming upwards and when you finally ascended up and the cold air hit your face, you broke away from him, breathless.
And for once, he was the same.
You took him in, his dark hair matted all over his face, your bodies still so close to each other, his eyes still glued to your lips. You took in your fill and then you cleared your throat. “Uh… I think I’ll try that another time.”
“Try what?” Yeosang asked and you frowned.
“Breathing underwater, you idiot,” you smacked his shoulder, drawing away from him and when he started laughing, you couldn’t help but join awkwardly. “I panicked, okay?”
“I could tell,” he teased and you splashed water on his face, feeling his gaze as you climbed up the boat, San and Jongho waiting.
“How were your adventures underwater-”
“Shut up,” you muttered, going for a towel, positive your cheeks were flushed. Yeosang followed and you avoided his gaze, going towards where your bag was.
“Are you sure you were only panicking?” Yeosang said in a low voice so only you could hear. You clenched your jaw, glaring at him.
“We’ll talk about this later,” you muttered, throwing your towel at him and going inside the cockpit, shutting the door so you could sort your thoughts out by yourself-
You weren’t sure what was worse for you as a siren-hunter. The fact that you were turning into a siren, or the fact that you kissed a siren.
Or the undeniable reality that you had been falling for him for quite a while now.
It was stupid, you thought, to fall in love with a siren. It could never end well. The stories you had heard about sirens and humans falling in love always ended ill-fatedly. You recalled hearing one from an old sorcerer you met in your hometown when you first began your siren-hunting.
“There was once a siren who fell in love with a human.”
“How could a siren love a human?” You asked.
“That’s not what matters, because they have a heart too, they find it when they fall in love,” he said. “What matters is that when a siren loves a human, it gives up everything. It gives up its own life. It forgets who it is but a siren shouldn’t love a human because eventually, a siren will sing. And when it sings, the human gives up everything for it.”
“So did that siren end up singing?”
“That’s what we’ve heard, but we never found out if that’s true,” the sorcerer sighed. “That siren loved his human so very much, but it forgot that sirens are not the only monsters out there. Humans are as monstrous themselves. So when everyone found their secret, what did they do?”
“What?” Your heart sank.
“The humans killed their own while the siren watched,” the sorcerer patted your back. “And the siren lost a part of itself. You are a human, dear. Remember not to become the monster that you hunt.”
You shivered as you recalled the story. You wondered if some part of it was true. And then you wondered if Yeosang felt the same.
Truth be told, you could blame him for being too kind to you, for protecting you, for making your heart flutter with his little actions that he didn’t even give a second thought to. You wondered why he continued to kiss you underwater- did he like you now that you were a siren? Did he like you when you were a human? Or was he simply too touch-starved all these years? Were you starving for love?
How could you fall for a siren-
You heard a knock and you thought it was San but Jongho peeked inside instead. “May I come in?”
“Why are you suddenly asking for permission,” you pouted and he grinned, settling in front of you. “If you’re here to tease me about something, please leave-”
“I wanted to ask you why Yeosang keeps grinning like an idiot. What did you both do underwater?”
You frowned, looking outside from the window and sure enough, Yeosang stood in a corner playing with his ball of yarn and smiling to himself. He almost looked like a kid at that moment and you shook your head. “He might be giggling over how I panicked underwater. I couldn’t really breathe like he thought I would.”
“Really?” Jongho frowned. “Because you were down there for quite a while.”
You could feel the heat creeping up your neck now. “Sirens must have good lung capacity or something.”
Jongho narrowed his eyes. “You like him, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Who am I talking about?”
“Jongho,” you looked at him. “I know you’re talking about Yeosang. And yes, I don’t want to kill him anymore, but neither do you. We grew on each other, that’s it.”
“Yeah, but you two can’t stop staring at each other whenever you think nobody’s looking,” he grinned. “Look, my thoughts about sirens have changed too ever since I met Yeosang, and now that you’re turning into a siren and might stay that way… you know I won’t hurt you, right?”
“I know,” you smiled.
“We’re closer to finding that sorcerer,” Jongho said. “And it’s going to be dangerous. What I mean is… you can’t be distracted or let the sorcerer get inside your head, okay? You understand what I’m saying, right?”
“Yep,” you nodded. “Thanks. I’ll sort myself out. No more tantrums.”
“Nah, you can continue having these tantrums,” Jongho laughed. “That’s not what I mean. I know I would have holed myself in a corner and cried 24/7 if I was turning into a siren. But you need to understand that we barely escaped last time and this sorcerer is powerful enough to do that to you. In case something happens to one of us…”
“We’ll be fine,” you insisted. “We’ll make it out alive, all of us.”
“I sure hope so, but I’d rather be prepared if I don’t make it out alive, which is why I’m here right now, actually,” Jongho said. “What do you think would be your biggest regret if you don’t make it out alive?”
“I… haven’t thought about that,” you admitted. “What would be yours?”
“Well,” Jongho slumped back. “I think it would be that I wasted all these years continuing hunting sirens, even when I got the ones who killed my family. You’ve just completed your life’s mission too. I think if I make it out alive, I’d like to quit hunting and do something else.”
“Oh,” you grinned at him. “Someone’s matured.”
“Right,” he scratched the back of his neck. “Do you think you’ll quit hunting as well?”
You found yourself looking out of the window at Yeosang who was now talking to San about something. “I think I might. I don’t know.”
Jongho smiled knowingly. “What do you say? The four of us continue conquering the sea and helping people get past evil sea creatures or humans?”
“Doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” you laughed. “We’d be called pirates at this rate.”
“Yeah, our reputation already sucks anyway,” Jongho laughed as well. “But I think we make a really good team.”
You nodded, smiling at the sight of the sorcerer and siren clapping at something they found funny. You really did make a good team, and perhaps, you’d like to continue being that way. “We could find some unexplored island and make it our home. I don’t want to go back to my hometown.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Jongho said. “But first… let’s all make it out alive, okay? Let’s stay strong.”
—-------------------------
“What if we get caught trespassing on someone’s private property?” Jongho sounded concerned as he jumped over the wall to get inside the house you had travelled miles to get to.
“I think it’s justifiable considering what the sorcerer did to me,” you said, letting San help you climb up and then you jumped down, Jongho catching you. “I could burn down his whole property.”
“I won’t be surprised if that makes the sorcerer curse you again,” San said as he jumped down effortlessly, dusting his hands off. “I can undo spells like those put around this property, but I can’t undo another curse.”
“Are you sure there’s no alarm here to detect sirens?” Yeosang asked before he jumped down. “Pretty sure he would set one up considering how much he hates sirens.”
“None of you are siren enough to activate one anyway,” San scoffed. “But no. There’s none. I don’t think he ever thought a siren would come parading in his house.”
“Trespassing,” Jongho corrected.
“If you’re so worried about the law, Jongho, maybe you should retire after this mission. We could get you some place by the sea,” you teased. “You could catch fish for a living.”
“Jokes later, we don’t have much time,” San took the lead, unlocking the main door with a swipe of his hands. “Remember not to leave any sort of trace. And try not to make it look obvious that we’re searching his house, will you?”
“Got it,” you all muttered before entering the Wanderer’s house.
While on your journey around Sheratan, you came across the same pirates who had dropped Jongho off and since they were in his debt, they gave you all the information about the Wanderer which was not much but was enough. You had the location of one of his many properties across the continent and you all thought it would be a good idea to search his house for any clues about his real identity or the curse, which was how you ended up here.
“Stick next to me- if any spells have to detect a siren, I’d rather it be me,” Yeosang pushed you behind him, taking the lead. You felt touched and you were just staring at him in disbelief and adoration when he continued, “You can’t even handle one curse. I don’t know how you’ll handle another-”
“Thank you, but I’m good,” you tried overtaking him but he grabbed your arm and locked eyes with you.
“Please. I’d rather it be me.”
You narrowed your eyes. “I can’t tell if you’re genuinely worried or if you’re making fun of me.”
“Can’t it be both?” He grinned and you made a face at him, none of you breaking physical contact.
Somehow, you were getting used to Yeosang’s physical touch. Ever since that day when you both kissed underwater, he had been somehow more gentle with you yet he was still the same. You were too afraid to ask what exactly was your relationship with him now, but it definitely had surpassed the boundaries of ‘just friends’ and you hadn’t even acknowledged him as a friend verbally.
He did talk to you about what happened that day. For two days, you did your best to avoid him though you couldn’t do much, being stuck in the same boat as him. On the second night though, he joined you by the deck and asked how you were doing, making small talk until he finally said-
“Are we going to talk about the kiss or are we going to pretend it never happened?”
You pursed your lips and when you didn’t answer for a few moments, your mind racing with too many thoughts, he gently took your hand in his, caressing it.
“I know what I want,” he said. “Do you?”
His gaze was too much. It was overwhelming, but at the same time… you wished he would keep looking at you that way forever. You met his eyes- they were so warm. So full of affection and love.
“Why, Yeosang?”
“Do I need a reason to want you?” He wondered. “Maybe I just like you, y/n. Maybe I just like who you are.”
You scoffed. “I haven’t given you anything. This isn’t me- you can’t possibly like this version of me.”
“Isn’t this you?” He intertwined your hands, holding them up in front of the full moon. “Isn’t it you, afraid to admit you want a siren, just like I was afraid to admit that I want a human?” He shut one eye as if studying the way the moonlight passed through the gaps between your fingers. “Was that not you who spent all her life searching for the sirens who killed her parents to avenge them?” He put your hands down, still staring at the way they fit with each other. “Was that not you who has a heart of gold- who, even when at her worst, saw the human in me and helped me?”
“Stop,” you almost cried, wanting nothing more than to let him hold you. You didn’t look his way again but he kept playing with your hands and waited for you to continue.
“What are you so afraid of, y/n?” He whispered.
“There’s way too much to be afraid of,” you finally lost your patience and looked at him. “Firstly… I’m a human and you’re a siren- and it can’t end well. I don’t know how this could work- but from what I’ve heard, it can’t work-”
“So you do want me,” Yeosang was grinning now and you shook your head in disbelief. Had he not heard a word you said?
“Do you like me more now that I’m almost a siren?” You locked eyes with him and when you saw his smile fall, you knew you had asked the wrong question.
“If that’s what you think, I’m willing to wait for you until you’re human,” he managed to say though he felt his heart had been ripped. “Though, I thought it was obvious even when you were human.”
“No, I’m sorry I asked that,” you admitted. “It’s just… I’m not certain about the future right now. I don’t want to make a promise to you that I cannot keep- not when I’m in this state. I may have gotten used to it thanks to your help but that does not mean I like it.”
“But… you do like me?” Yeosang asked and in that moment, he looked so vulnerable that something in you broke. All the walls you had built to guard your hesitation, fear, and the stupid second thoughts came crashing down and you almost whimpered with the sheer ache in your heart as you slid closer to him, cupping his face in your hands.
“I want you,” you told him, watching the uncertainty on his face fade away. “I don’t know what song you’ve sung but despite you not having your siren voice and despite my immunity to a siren’s song… I’m bewitched and I want you so bad.”
That was all Yeosang needed and he put one arm around your waist to tug you closer until you were flush against him. You joined your foreheads, simply breathing in the proximity and getting used to it, the brushing of your noses driving you absolutely insane. When your lips brushed, it took everything in you to draw away and look at him, his eyes fluttering open.
“Let me just get that damned sorcerer first,” you said, pecking his lips for good measure and surprising him. “Let me just sort my mess out, and then…”
“And then…” Yeosang smirked, pecking your lips and looking at you- if he meant to drive you insane, it worked because you were kissing him back as if you were on stolen time, trying to draw him closer than ever, his hands every fucking where. This time, he broke away and finished with peppering kisses all over your face.
“You don’t have to be afraid of what’s next, okay?” He said, kissing your cheek. “I’m with you. We’re all with you. You’ll be okay, love.”
You snuggled into his neck and he held you for the rest of the night. And now, here you were, back to being whatever you were. Yeosang led you inside the house and you noticed that there wasn’t much dust inside.
“He’s been here recently,” you commented. “Are we splitting up?”
“Definitely,” Jongho said. “Me and San can cover upstairs.”
“Okay,” you nodded. “Yeosang, you should start with the rooms, I’ll do the living room and kitchen.”
Though reluctant to let you go, Yeosang did, understanding the shortage of time. You had your eyes on the shelves where several books, candles, inkpots and other objects were placed. You skimmed through the titles- they were mostly history and fictional. You made a face- perhaps he was a reader. You found it odd, though, that there were no books on spells or magic like a sorcerer should have. The objects there were mostly stationery and you checked a few letters but found nothing strange. Disappointed, you searched the kitchen and the hallways, finding Yeosang there who was also looking lost.
“Found anything?”
“Seems like a normal person so far,” you sighed. “I hope Jongho or San find something. Found any signs of another person living here?”
“None- he seems to be alone. There’s a locked cabinet in there that San should check, though.”
Right then, you heard the two coming downstairs, empty-handed and perhaps as disappointed at you. San said, “For a sorcerer, he sure hates spell books. There’s a library up there but no books on spells or magic.”
“Isn’t that odd?” You asked. “What does a sorcerer usually have in his possession? At least a spell book or some magical items, right?”
“Nothing like that here,” he said.
“There’s a locked cabinet in there- you should check that,” Yeosang led San inside what looked like the master bedroom and San assessed the cabinet.
“There’s no spell on it,” he said, opening it with ease. “And there’s nothing inside. Must be for whenever he actually stops by.”
“I told you it would be a waste,” Jongho looked happy to have proven his point and you glared at him.
“It won’t be a waste,” San assured. “We know that he stopped by here only a few days ago thanks to the mailbox. I checked his study and found that one of his properties is located in the neighbouring town which means if he’s not sailing right now, he must be there. I tried a location spell but I got nothing.”
“Wow, are you a part-time detective or something?” Jongho looked impressed.
“Just observant,” San scoffed. “Unlike you lot.”
Which sparked a heated debate and while you all argued as you exited the room, Yeosang noticed a peculiar painting hanging in the hallway and he paused to examine it. San asked if something about the painting was familiar. You looked at it- it was a gloomy painting of a lone man sitting on a rock with waves crashing around him.
“I’ve seen this place,” Yeosang sounded sure.
“And?” Jongho asked, waiting.
“I’m pretty sure the place in the painting is the caves where the sirens dwell near Fomalhaut. You see the ashen mountains? The only volcanoes on this planet are near Fomalhaut and near Regulus. I’ve been here.”
“And what’s so special about this location?” San asked.
“The most monstrous sirens dwell there- the elders, we call them,” Yeosang looked at San.
“Interesting,” you contemplated his revelation. “But… what’s the problem with this painting specifically?”
“No one who’s human has ever made it out alive after crossing that place, so… how could someone have painted it so accurately? Down to the specific details about the place?”
“What are you saying?” Jongho asked. “Someone told a painter in great detail or…”
“Or someone painted it themselves,” Yeosang touched the painting. “Did any of you see any painting supplies?”
“In the study upstairs, yes,” San said and Yeosang pursed his lips.
“A lack of spells or sorcerer-related items and this painting… why do I have a feeling our sorcerer isn’t a sorcerer at all?”
You felt your heart sink. “What is he then? Human? But you said no human made it out alive-”
“What if he’s a siren, just like me?” Yeosang looked at you, eyes a little wide. “Pretending to be human- if he hasn’t used his voice in a while, he could pass as a normal human. He pretends to be a sorcerer and wanders around- the Wanderer.”
While you stood having major flashbacks about all your meetings with the Wanderer, San asked Yeosang if he was sure but even San felt like it was more plausible than anything so far. Jongho put a hand on your back, rubbing it. “It doesn’t matter if he’s a siren or a sorcerer or whatever. We’ll get him, okay?”
“I know we will,” you smiled weakly. “I just… if he’s a siren, why?”
That was an answer you’d get soon.
—--------------------------
If you were expecting to find the sorcerer in another mansion like the one he owned in the town you came from, you couldn’t have been far from wrong. You didn’t know what exactly you thought you’d find in this town, but…
The sorcerer sitting on the porch of an old hut by the beach was just not it.
You stood looking at him from a distance, the rest looking as confused as you for their own reasons. You, for one, hadn’t expected him to look so ragged.
“That is not a sorcerer,” San shook his head. “He has some incantations done on him, but he is not a sorcerer.”
“You’re right,” Yeosang looked the most surprised out of you all and he met your eyes before he said, “That’s a siren, not a sorcerer.”
“A siren?” Jongho frowned. “Can you sense him, y/n?”
You couldn’t. You asked Yeosang, “How do you know?”
“Because I’ve seen him before, when he was a siren,” Yeosang held your wrist. “I don’t think this is a good time to confront him- we need to strategise-”
The sorcerer- or whoever he was supposed to be- looked right at the group of you with a faint smile on his face as if he had been expecting you. He got up and brushed his clothes before treading almost inhumanely towards you.
“What a sight,” the Wanderer clapped. “I was expecting you, huntress.”
Yeosang pushed you behind him protectively and finally, the Wanderer looked at someone else other than you and something in his face changed- he looked highly amused. “Oh, look who we have here. A siren protecting a human!”
“Who’s turning into a siren herself thanks to you,” Yeosang’s voice sounded so different from anything that you had ever heard and you looked at him in surprise. “What’s the reason behind this curse?”
“A curse, you call,” the Wanderer scanned San. “As a sorcerer, you must know what drives a person to curse someone.”
“Was it something I did?” You finally asked. “Why me? Why am I turning into a siren, of all the things?”
“I just knew there was something about you when I saw you, and I was right!” He looked up at the sky as he laughed, the black strands of his hair falling back, and you resisted the urge to claw at him. “You, a siren-hunter, have a siren wrapped all around your fingers! Now that’s one variable I didn’t predict.”
You scoffed. “That would be an overstatement-”
“You’re him, aren’t you?” Yeosang began, sneering at him. “The siren we’ve heard so much about. The bedtime story of what would happen if you fall in love with a human.”
“Someone clearly didn’t learn,” the Wanderer looked at Yeosang. “And look at what happened. She’s now turning into a siren. Would you still love her if she becomes the monster that you swore not to be?”
That was it. You unsheathed the longsword and pointed at him, its tip almost meeting with the Wanderer’s chin. He glared at you in response. “I’ve had enough of your rambling. I don’t care what happened to you or who you are. You gave me an arrow that saved lives, cursed as it was. Undo it, now. That’s an order.”
His gaze darkened. “Do you really think it’s that easy to reverse a curse that was born after decades of grief? Grief longer than perhaps this siren’s life?” He pointed at Yeosang. “Your best bet is obviously killing me, but I have unfinished business, human. It’s better if you give in to the instinct clawing at your heart. Don’t you think so, siren? You wouldn’t have to worry about the other sirens hunting you down for loving a human like they did to me.”
“You know, for a siren who claims to be harbouring this grudge for what? Decades? Almost a century?” Jongho began and you met eyes with San- Jongho was definitely going to infuriate the siren so you had to act quick. “You sure have been slacking. Perhaps, you do not possess what it takes to get revenge like these two here. Are you sure you’ve got your revenge story right?”
And though the siren may have long given up on who he was, he sure had a few tricks up his sleeve. In a blink, he had produced a dagger and sent it for Jongho who narrowly dodged it and San immediately drew a shield around all of you. However, having pretended to be a sorcerer for so many years, the Wanderer was prepared. His next dagger went right through San’s shield, grazing his shoulder in the process.
“All of you, stay back,” you muttered, fuming with anger. “I’ll deal with him on my own.”
Yeosang wasn’t having any of that though. He loaded an arrow at the siren and let it loose, hitting him in the calf and the Wanderer sent a wave of air in your direction, throwing you both back a good distance, groaning in pain.
“It doesn’t have to end this way, huntress,” he called, tearing a piece from his clothes and quickly wrapping his wound while you recovered. “You can embrace being a siren. Being a human won’t do you any good in the long run.”
“And what would you know about being human,” you spat. “Why target a siren-hunter like this, huh?” You walked away from where Jongho and San were- it looked like the Wanderer hadn’t recognised Jongho yet and that was good. “You could have manifested whatever grudge you had into cursing the sirens who actually wronged you-”
“You don’t understand,” the Wanderer shook his head. “Sirens… They’re not the real monsters. We have laws and I broke one- I deserved my punishment, but humans?”
He looked so broken in that moment that you finally understood. You recalled the story you had heard about the siren who fell in love with a human and realised with a sinking heart that his grudge against humans was well warranted.
“You humans,” he started nearing the shore and Yeosang muttered a curse, dragging San and Jongho behind him as well. “You are the real monsters. And I’ve thought long and good about how I could avenge humans- I can’t just kill them all, can I? You prowl like ants on the land, there’s too many of you. But… you hunt sirens. You hunt us as if we’re the real monsters- you’re the perfect candidate.”
As soon as the Wanderer’s feet touched the waves, he raised his hands and you gaped at the sight of the waves growing louder, reaching new heights- did he intend to drown all of you? “When you become a siren- which you will, make no mistake- you’ll be hunting your own kind- humans.”
As twisted as it was, it made sense but at the same time… “You’re really going to do this?” You asked, while the boys muttered plans to each other. You could stall. “What have I done? I’m not the human who killed the person you loved. You know sirens killed my family too- how is this justifiable?”
“It doesn’t have to be,” the Wanderer smirked dangerously, raising his hand up and making a huge wave stand still in the air, making all of you take a few steps back and gasp. “I will kill your little group and make you watch, just like your kind did to me. And when you’re about to drown to death, you will give in to your siren instincts.”
Before you could retort, head spinning because there was no way this was happening, the Wanderer sent the wave crashing down on all of you and you lost your footing, almost getting carried away into the sea but Jongho was quick to grab you.
Jongho helped you up while San sent another magical wave for the siren which turned out to be ineffective. Yeosang slicked his hair back, angry. “It’s not going to work- he’s a centuries-old siren. Our powers might be useless against him.”
“What then?” You asked, shooting arrows after arrows for the siren. “We let him kill us? We run?”
“I could try singing- he doesn’t know who I am yet,” Jongho quipped. “I don’t know if it would work against a centuries-old siren, but…”
“But it’s our best bet,” you nodded. “I wish I had an ebony arrow right now.”
“Uh, I may have something better,” Yeosang patted his chest. “I’m wearing my sister’s necklace made of a water dragon’s tooth- it’s fatal to sirens.”
“Why do you even own it,” you muttered, grateful there was at least something.
“She killed sirens with these- those who went rogue. Almost got killed too,” Yeosang grinned. “We gotta get close to him though-”
The Wanderer sent another wave, this time shaped as pointed arrows and you gawked at it, San grabbing all of you and trying to get you to hide behind the boards or anything. “You guys are not helping me at all, find cover immediately!”
You dragged Yeosang behind a shed- he was too in awe at the siren’s powers to react quicker. San stood his ground though, waving his hands and muttering a spell, this time a visible shield in front of you all and when the siren sent those arrows at you, his shield managed to hold it.
“I’m going inside the hut and I’m going to sing,” Jongho announced. “When I give a cue, you better cover your ears, Yeosang.”
“Got it,” he said. “If the singing works, y/n, I’ll go stab him with the tooth- hey!”
You had snatched the necklace from him and you wound it around your arm. You looked at San. “Please make sure Yeosang covers his ears properly. I can’t risk him trying to cover his ears and stabbing the siren at the same time when he’s a siren himself.”
“No,” Yeosang tried grabbing your arm but you stepped back and hurt flashed his eyes. “There’s no guarantee this tooth won’t be fatal to you too- and there’s no telling if you’re immune to Jongho’s song anymore.”
“There’s not, but I’ll take the chance,” you smiled at him, hiding behind San. “Please restrain him, will you?”
“I could do it for you,” San said while grabbing Yeosang who was currently trying to snatch the necklace from you. “I should do this.”
“But you’re hurt,” you said, looking at the hut- Jongho seemed to be preparing. The Wanderer was currently going deeper in the waves, finally having gotten a break from you trying to shoot at him. “I should be the one to do this.”
“Y/n,” Yeosang shook his head, trying to break free from San’s grasp who understood that it couldn’t be Yeosang, at least, out of all of you. “You could get hurt-”
“I’ll be fine,” you assured him though you knew he was right- there was no telling how it was going to go for you. “I’ve got my earplugs so don’t you go shouting for me when I attack him, okay?”
San chuckled at that and Yeosang finally stopped fighting back. “I’ve got earplugs too.”
“Doesn’t matter,” you noticed Jongho’s signal. “You’re staying here.”
Before he could stop you, you walked to Yeosang and asked him to show you his earplugs. When he fished them out, you took them and switched them with yours. “Mine are better- they’ll keep you safe, okay?” You proceeded to put one of them in his ear, and when he held your wrist, pleading with his eyes to let you come along with him, you kissed his cheek. “Thank you for everything. I’ll be back, okay? As a human. I’ve got to do this myself.”
Yeosang understood- perhaps, the person cursed had to do the deed themselves to break the curse. You put in the other earplug and asked San to stay safe. And then you put in Yeosang’s earplugs, unsheathed your sword and marched towards the Wanderer. The vengeful siren sent wave after wave of pointed arrows at you but you fought back, gritting your teeth. You noticed the siren mouthing something but you really couldn’t care less- it was enough. You did not spend all those years siren-hunting only to become a siren yourself.
So you raised the sword and pointed it at Jongho, all the while maintaining eye contact with the siren. “Your mistake was thinking that you were not at fault. Because when a siren loves a human, yes, they give it their all, but do you know what happens when a human loves a siren?”
The Wanderer paused, arrows hovering in the air waiting for his command.
“When a human loves a siren… they forget they are mortal. It consumes them. They knowingly risk their short lives to protect that one brief moment of love they shared and they can die happy if they get that one moment,” you breathed, glancing back at Yeosang who was still struggling to break free from San’s grasp- San seemed to have obeyed when you told him a few days ago to magically restrain Yeosang if it came down to that. “Yes, humans wronged you. You should have dealt with those who wronged you instead of targeting another human who fell in love with a siren- just like your human. You really thought repeating history was the best idea?”
The Wanderer reconsidered for the briefest moment but as soon as you saw his gaze turn dark, you knew he was no longer the siren he once was. He had given in to his monstrous instincts and was too far gone. You raised the sword up and you heard the faint but sharp voice of the reaper pierce through the air. It sounded just like a siren’s call but somehow worse, if that was possible. You had heard it once before but this time, you had to actively resist it and it sent a burning sensation through your entire body.
You looked back at Yeosang who seemed okay but started struggling again when he spotted your pained expressions. You shook your head at him and gathered all your strength, you looked up to see the Wanderer entranced by the song.
It was working.
But he was too far away- even the distance of a few feet was seeming overwhelming when you couldn’t even take a single step. You ditched your sword and clutched your ears, taking one step and then another, practically crawling towards the siren-
And he finally reacted- he looked at you but his eyes were glossy. You clutched the tooth in your fist and he shook his head furiously, clutching at his ears but thankfully, Jongho was overpowering him. Once you reached him, you stabbed him in the chest-
Just as he took out his dagger and stabbed you.
You clutched at your own chest- he missed your heart by only a few inches. Now that you weren’t clutching your ears, you fell on your knees, the siren falling on his side as well, the waves washing over you two. He writhed in pain and you took out your earplugs, hearing the hauntingly beautiful call of the siren-hunter. You shut your eyes for a few moments until the siren fell silent and then you welcomed the darkness.
Jongho stopped singing as soon as he saw you both unmoving and he sprinted out of the hut, Yeosang and San following close. San made sure the siren was dead before extracting the tooth that was half-lodged in his chest, and Yeosang held your unmoving figure in your arms.
“She’ll be okay, let’s get her away from the sea,” Jongho said and Yeosang nodded, jaw clenched in anger and relief as he picked you up, moving away from the waves and laying you down on the sand. San followed soon after, assessing the damage.
“I have a healing potion- do you think I should get it?” Yeosang asked worriedly and San shook his head.
“Let’s not mess with her when she’s trapped in a curse- let me get this out first,” he said, extracting the dagger from your chest while Jongho put pressure on your wound. “Let’s hope the curse breaks after helping her heal a little.”
“I should have done something, anything,” Yeosang rubbed his face. “I should have-”
“No, you definitely should not have,” San reprimanded and Jongho agreed. “She’ll be okay even if she remains a siren. You would not have been okay. She protected you, okay? She asked me to protect you.”
“But-”
“Do you know what’s the last thing she said to that siren?” San was smiling. “She told him it was a mistake to target a human who fell in love with a siren.”
“But she-” Yeosang paused, raising his brows, wondering if he heard that right. “She said that?”
“Yes, you fool,” Jongho smacked Yeosang’s arm. “Give her a little credit. She’s not used to sirens being willing to protect her, okay?”
“Might be, a little,” you muttered, wondering if you were dreaming- everything felt cloudy. “He’s protected me far too many times for my own good.”
And when you heard the loud chorus of the boys asking if you were okay, you decided to go back to being unconscious for a little while longer.
—--------------------------
It was finally a sunny day at the sea after days of gloominess.
You took off your jacket, letting the heat soak through your shirt and spread throughout your body like a warm hug. You shut your eyes, smiling to yourself. Everything felt peaceful-
“Oh, so you can break an apple in half with your bare hands and you think you’re strong?” Yeosang scoffed. “I once cracked a siren in half-”
“Well, obviously the parameter is different,” Jongho pointed out. “You’re a siren.”
“I’ve lost most of my siren strength though. Maybe I should try cracking you in half-”
“Oh, try it on San,” Jongho pointed at the sorcerer. “He seems like he would be easy to crack.”
“Hey!” San scooted away. “You’re not doing that to me- hey!”
Yeosang had picked San up in his arms, quite effortlessly, while Jongho stood giggling at the way San tried to squirm out of the siren’s grasp. You would have tried to ignore them were it not for San having finally escaped and the three now running around you as they tried to catch each other. Yeosang almost bumped into you but with a quick apology, he was back to chasing him. You took a deep breath, willing yourself to let it go but when Yeosang tackled San and the two fell with a thud making the boat shake dangerously, you shouted at them.
“Not one moment of peace!” You glared at the three who straightened. “Yeosang, why would you want to crack San in half?”
“Yes, tell him!” San looked down at the siren-
“He’s obviously the easier prey out of the two and we need the sorcerer. I would be going after Jongho- he’s pretty useless save for his singing-”
“You traitor!” Jongho yelled at you and you grinned as Yeosang went after Jongho. San shook his head in amusement, settling down next to you.
“Enjoying the sun?”
“Very much,” you grinned. “What’s our bearings?”
“On track like we’re supposed to,” San exhaled. “I hope we don’t run into trouble again. The last island was enough.”
Now that the four of you were a team, you were travelling the seas in search of a secluded island you could inhabit and call home- it didn’t have to be secluded. The last two islands you chanced upon were unwelcoming to your group and for all the right reasons.
Your group attracted too much attention and nobody liked that.
“Perhaps we’re meant to live on the sea after all,” you sighed wistfully. “Sailing endlessly, a home with each other, one siren, one sorcerer and two hunters. We should search for more crew members then, what say you?”
“It’ll happen if it has to,” San said. “We didn’t search for each other, did we? It just happened.”
“Well, we’re lacking a pirate and mer- wait, is that a boat?”
You calling it a boat was an overstatement- it was more like a raft with a lone man travelling on it. You looked at San, wondering if you had really manifested something. San asked, “Should I check? Seems like a good time to offer our services in exchange for some money.”
“Sure,” you laughed. “Let’s offer the poor guy a ride anyway- I don’t know how he made it this far in the middle of the ocean on a raft- I’m curious.”
“You’ll stay here- San and Jongho can do the talking,” Yeosang slumped next to you now that San and Jongho were steering the boat in the raft’s direction. “We don’t want a replay of how you handled a potential customer last time.”
“Come on,” you turned to him, scratching below his chin. “Just because I offered him our pretty siren in exchange for his longsword which was way prettier than mine, doesn’t mean I would have actually traded you. You know that, right?”
Yeosang narrowed his eyes. “Do I? Somehow I still suspect you would have gladly traded me for an object.”
You grinned, kissing his lips for a good moment. “Of course not. I don’t think I can part ways with my longsword.”
“But you will part ways with me, after everything we’ve been through-”
“And I can’t make out with a sword, can I?” You winked at him, watching the siren flush a million shades of red. He pursed his lips, flustered, suddenly finding the ends of your sleeves interesting. You enjoyed passing flirting remarks like that so much- Yeosang was experiencing love for the first time in his long life, though he claimed he wasn’t ‘inexperienced’. You made it your life’s mission to give him a love worthy of legends- something that would overwrite the tragic love story of a siren and a human which was all people knew for centuries now.
“Y/n, Yeosang!” Jongho called. “Our guest claims to have escaped a pirate ship.”
“On a raft? Impressive,” you got up, shaking the man’s hand and assessing his appearance- his red hair looked like it was different shades in the sun. His skin was a little tan and he was wearing a lot of jewellery. “Where do you come from?”
“You might have heard of the White Mask? The pirate crew? I was their firstmate but things happened. I no longer wish to be a part of them so I escaped with what I could.”
“Wow,” you breathed- you were in the company of the legendary firstmate of the White Mask. You had heard a lot about those pirates whom even other pirates feared but you never expected their First Mate to look so… normal. “How can we be of service?”
“I wouldn’t have bothered you all- I can make it to the continent on my own, but when I sensed who you were, I couldn’t resist joining.”
“Sensed?” You frowned. “What are you then?”
“Half mer,” he grinned. “Nice to meet you, I’m Hongjoong. I heard you were looking for more crew members?”
You looked at the others who looked slightly amused, a bit shocked, but willing to see if you could have the legend of a pirate joining your crew.
synopsis: a movie night spent with your best friend
wc: 2k
tags: fluff, slice of life, allusions to woosan (if you squint hard enough)
etc: maybe i’m just projecting at this point… ugh, i'm having too much fun doing this stuff, and of course, not proofread!
You hum to yourself as you move easily around the dorm kitchen, reaching for the mugs without as much as a second thought. The cabinet doors barely make a sound as you open them, fingers brushing past the assortment of mismatched mugs you’ve collected over time. Yours is easy to spot—a soft ceramic pink one in the shape of a flower, something you found ages ago at an antique store. Right next to it sits Yeosang’s, simple and personalized; one of the pottery pieces the two of you had painted on a whim a few years back. You smile, pulling both down before glancing at the others.
Wooyoung’s is a black mug, resembling the shape of a cat, whilst San’s is a deep, earthy brown, slightly chipped at the handle from the time he knocked it against the sink. You trace the rim of his mug absentmindedly remembering the day he brought it back so proud to finally have a mug of his own at their place. It feels like ages ago now, but looking around the space—Yeosang’s space, everything still fits together, just as it always has.
Softly you shake your head, getting to work making the hot cocoa, letting the scent of chocolate and cinnamon mix with the aroma of the baked goods being prepared. It was light work in comparison to them, just warming the milk over the flame.
Behind you, Yeosang is still preoccupied with rolling out the hotteok dough, his apron already tied neatly around his waist. He had gotten his own with ease a while ago, while you still struggled with yours. The string seemed to refuse to cooperate, twisting awkwardly behind your back no matter how many times you tried to grab them properly. You huffed in frustration, nearly about to give up, when Yeosang let out a soft sigh behind you.
“Turn around,” he said, already stepping closer behind you. You did as told, standing still as his finger brushed lightly against your waist. He worked quickly, his movements were done firmly, seemingly with much practice as he knotted the first strings, but there was a gentleness to it—like this was part of a routine the two of you had always done. The warmth of his hands lingered through the fabric and through to you as he pulled the strings taut, tying them into a neat knot at the small of your back.
“You’re hopeless,” he murmured, his voice low, fond.
You huffed in a bit of fake offense, twisting slightly to look at him over your shoulder. “Maybe I just like making you do things for me.”
Yeosang scoffed with a roll of his eyes, but you couldn’t miss the corners of his lips twitching upward, betraying him. “Yeah, yeah.”
You both turned back to your tasks, but as you moved to get a better angle of stirring the cocoa powder into the mic, you accidentally brushed against him, sending a puff of powder and streak of chocolate syrup that hadn’t been fully mixed in across his apron. You froze, eyes wide in disbelief.
You let out a sheepish laugh. “Oops,” you said innocently, and before he could say anything, you reached across to wipe it off, only to leave another smudge in the process. Yeosang let out a quiet groan, glancing down at the mess on his apron before meeting your eyes, already anticipating what you were about to do.
“Don’t you dare,” he said.
You took a step closer, a small grin spreading across your face. “Don’t I dare what? I’m just helping you out.” You reached out again, intentionally leaving another mark, this time on his cheek.
He rolled his eyes whilst shaking his head. “You really are hopeless.” He grabbed a nearby paper towel and wiped the mess away on his face, before dipping his finger in the chocolate fudge on the side, flicking it onto your nose.
“Oh, so that's how it is?” you say as you tilted your head.
“Don’t start, I'd rather eat the food than wear it.” he warns again, looking away for a moment. “But consider that as my payback.” He said as his eyes flitted back from his peripheral view over to you.
Now, as you finish stirring the mixture of cocoa on the stove and start to pour them into their respective mugs, you steal a glance at him. He moves easily around the kitchen, comfortable in his space, the soft overhead light catching the curve of his cheekbones and illuminating the mark by his eye.
“Hey, stir that for me,” Yeosang asks, nodding toward the hotteok batter. You set down the mugs and move beside him, you could feel the warmth of him next to you radiating through the small space between the two of you. You briefly lean into him as you stir, catching the faintest scent of his cologne—woody with hints of floral, but above all, it was clean, warm, and familiar.
“You’re lucky I value our friendship,” you tease at him, bumping your hips against his.
He huffed out a small laugh, his lips slightly twitching. “Yeah, yeah. You’re just here for the snacks.”
You gasped in a breath of air melodramatically. “How dare you say that?”
He only shoots you a knowing look, with a quick raise of his eyebrow.
With a sigh, you finish stirring the mixture and set it aside. “I guess I could find it in my heart to forgive you since you’re feeding me.”
And so, you work in tandem, comfortable moving around each other as you prepare the snacks. Yeosang fills the dough with the warm, gooey cinnamon mixture while you plate the first batch, sneaking one for yourself before he can stop you.
“Hey—”
“It’s quality control,” you say through a mouthful, barely containing your grin. “Gotta make sure they’re good.”
He rolls his eyes but doesn’t argue, instead reaching past you for his own, lightly pushing you aside and taking a slow bite of how. You watch as his eyes flutter shut for a moment rolling back slightly, and lets out a quiet, but pleased hum, and you pretend not to notice. He always gets like this when you cook together—it was oddly sensual.
He grabbed the plate of hotteoks whilst you took the mugs in your hand, setting it on the end table next to the side of the couch where Yeosang took his seat. Where he always sat, near the arm rest, making just enough space for you to fit beside him. The loveseat wasn’t exactly big, but neither of you minded. It never really mattered anyway, since it was just Wooyoung and him living there.
“For my pick, I think… Notting Hill?” you ask as you curl your legs beneath you ask as you curl your legs beneath you, pulling the blanket over your lap, your shoulder just barely pressed against his.
He nodded, already reaching for the remote that sat on the end table. “It fits.”
You hum in agreement, cradling the mug between your hands. It does fit—something about the way the night has been unraveling, the quiet, comfort between you. You let yourself sink into it, into his side. And you were unaware of the way he shifted just slightly, just enough to make the space between the two of you practically nonexistent.
The opening credits roll with soft music, and you take a sip of your cocoa, warmth settling deep into your chest. You sigh into it as you found yourself satisfied with the feeling; almost nostalgic, the nineties rom-coms always did. They always had you wishing, longing for what they had—you suppose your time would come at some point or another along the road. You were content with what you had, a steady job, top marks in your class, close friends, and of course, Yeosang, but you couldn’t help but want for more at moments.
As the movie continues, the warmth of the room settles into you. You opt for a comfier position and instinctively shift a little closer. It’s not intentional, but the loveseat is small, maybe it felt even smaller tonight, but the quiet comfort of the night makes it easier to lean into him. He doesn’t move away. Instead, he subtly adjusts, making it even easier for you to rest against him, just letting you fall deeper into his chest.
You’re about halfway through your cocoa when you catch him looking down at you, his expression was the one that he made when he was deep in thought, always unreadable. But, before you can ask, he reaches out, his arm already snaking around your side. His fingers brushing gently against the corner of your lips. You freeze at the touch, your eyes never leaving his, as you were too dazed to do anything else. You knew that the two of you had started becoming more affectionate with each other, but never anything like this before.
“Messy,” he says quietly, amused at the situation.
You huff, eyes flicking away from him trying to find somewhere else to focus on, finally finding focus on his hotteok. The one he had been holding onto but barely eating. So that’s what you did, you stared at it until he caught on.
And he did so, almost immediately. Without a word, he lifted the hotteok toward your mouth, offering it silently. And you accepted it, taking a bit, only for Wooyoung to stroll in right then, his voice cutting through the otherwise quiet living room.
“Oh?” Wooyoung remarked from right behind, and you could practically feel the burn of his smug smile from behind you. “What’s this, lovebirds? Sharing food now?”
You choke, the bite of hotteok going down the wrong way as you scramble to sit up properly. Yeosang sighs, rubbing soothing circles against the crest of your back as you coughed, trying to catch a breath from the fit. All the while he was glaring back at Wooyoung
“Don’t you have somewhere else to be?” Yeosang deadpans.
He just stood there, smiling wolfishly. “Nope. Just here to grab some of those hotteoks for San and myself.”
He snatches a few before either of you could protest whilst looking up at the screen playing in front of the two of you. Wooyoung stared for a moment before raising an eyebrow slightly at the scene unfolding—similar to the position he had found the two of you in before; cuddled up comfortably under the blankets, your head in his chest. He swiftly moved his gaze back to you, this time with an unmistakable twinge on his lips. And with the wink of an eye, you felt your face heat up, all the while he was sauntering off. Yeosang shook his head, muttering something about his antics.
Without much thought this time, you settle back against him, but Yeosang doesn’t just let you—he adjusts again, letting you rest more comfortably against his chest. Pulling the blanket up and over you. You were close enough to him this time to hear the lulling sound of his heartbeat, it remained at its steady pace, only deepening the comforting atmosphere. His hand found its way into your hair, absentmindedly threading through the strands. The slow, gentle movements pull you further into the haze of the evening.
As the movie continues on, you're only paying it half attention. Between the warmth of his hand in your hair, the steady rise and fall of his chest, mixed with his constant beating beneath you, your eyelids only grow heavier.
“You can stay,” he murmurs after a while, his neck craned down as his mouth hovered over your ear. His voice is much softer now. “If you’d like.”
You know what he means—there was no pressure or expectation behind it. Just an invitation.
Humming sleepily, you pushed yourself a little closer. “Yeah,” you mumble, your voice thick with drowsiness as you take a deep breath, his scent inviting its way into you. “I wouldn’t mind that.”
Yeosang doesn’t say anything else, but you feel the way his fingers dance lightly over your shoulder before finding their purchase. His thumbs kneading into your skin. His body relaxing into yours as you found yourself drifting away.
The library was quiet this evening as the clock crept to the closer toward the end. The air was heavy with the smell of old books and the whiff of coffee. You, hunched over a stack of textbooks in one of the dimly lit study carrels, were furiously scribbling your notes down in your notebook. Your eyes flicked up to the clock on the wall; you still had just enough time to finish this last problem before closing time.
You looked up at the soft shuffling noise, knowing it came from Kang Yeosang, your close friend since freshman year and your classmate. He was holding a couple of textbooks and a cup of coffee in hand. His usual casual smile had brightened his face as he spotted you.
"Hey," he said, setting things on the table beside you. "Mind if I join you?"
You smiled. "Not at all. Just trying to finish this up before the library closes."
Yeosang sat down beside you, flipping open his books. "Same here. I got a ton of reading to do for this upcoming exam."
As he got comfortable, something warmed up inside you. Yeosang had been your friend since freshman year in the university. You'd both bonded over shared interests in literature and coffee, and over time, your friendship grew into one of the key lifelines in your life. The thing was, though, that recently, you had been getting that different kind of warmth whenever you were around him—one that makes your heart race just a little bit faster than usual.
Hours slid by in easy silence, only occasionally broken by the soft murmur of conversation or the rustling of pages. It was peaceful, and you found yourself easily focused with Yeosang beside you. He would occasionally peer over your notes, making useful comments or small explanations when it seemed you were puzzled.
It was nearing midnight, and library staff started to chant the closing time. You and Yeosang gathered all your stuff and started packing things up. Slipping your backpack over one shoulder, you felt eyes on you, and you turned to find Yeosang's gaze; his smile tugged at his lips and gave your heart a happy little stutter.
"You wanna grab a late-night snack before heading home?" he asked, rising to his feet and stretching.
"Sure, that sounds great," you replied, feeling a flutter of excitement.
You two walked to a nearby 24-hour diner; the night air was cool against your skin. The streets were relatively clear, save for the odd passing car, and the hum of the city created a soothing background.
You slid into a booth inside the diner, and Yeosang sat across from you. The small table was fitted with a checkered tablecloth and a small, flickering candle. You both ordered coffee and a couple of sandwiches, and while waiting for your food, you talked about everything and nothing—university stress, upcoming exams, and your favorite TV shows.
As the conversation went on, you found yourself laughing more than you had in awhile. Yeosang was one of those people who could make anything seem lighter with his attitude, and he had this laugh that was infectious. It was during these kinds of moments that you realized just how much you actually enjoyed his company.
Your food finally arrived, and you continued chatting while eating. With the clock ticking closer to 2 a.m., you noticed that Yeosang was still looking at you for a bit longer than usual. You felt mixed emotions of anticipation and nervousness, like something big was to happen.
"You know," Yeosang said as he set his coffee cup down, "lately, I have been thinking a lot."
"What is it?" you asked, tilting forward a bit with your interest on high.
"About us," he said, his eyes locking with yours and became stern yet soft.
You felt your heart race. "What do you mean by 'us'?"
Yeosang took a deep breath. "I have been trying to figure out why I have been feeling so different about you lately. And I think I finally have. I don't just see you as a friend anymore. I. .. I care about you a lot more than that."
You stared back at him, and those mind gears were turning at full power. Had he just implied what you thought he did? The air felt so dense between them with all that was said and specially with all that was unsaid.
"I care about you too, Yeosang," you answered yourself, barely above a whisper.
He reached across the table and took your hand firmly, but gently. You felt a shiver down your spine. "I've been wanting to tell you for a while now. I was just scared, I suppose, of blowing it."His hand was warm around yours, and his eyes locked into yours, the vulnerability there plain. It was terrifying; it was exhilarating—to know that all those emotions you'd been wrestling with were mutual.
You found yourself leaning in, helpless against the pull. Yeosang's eyes met yours, and time felt frozen. The diner's hum faded into the background; all that remained was the air between you.It was soft and tentative when your lips finally met. Yeosang's kiss was soft, as if he had been trying to put into it all the emotions that he kept inside. At this, your heart swells, and you match his tenderness, savoring the sweetness of the moment.
Breaking apart, both of you are gasping. Your foreheads lean against each other as Yeosang's eyes shine with relief and happiness.
"I've wanted to do that for so long," he confessed, his voice trembling a little.
You smiled, feeling complete in a way you hadn't known you weren't until now. "I'm glad you did."
As you both settled back into your seats, hand in hand, the whole world outside seemed a little brighter. It was all worth it—the library, the late-night study sessions, the hassle of university life. You both knew then that this was the start of something beautiful.
The night washed on in fits of laughter and conversation, but now it had a new, exciting undercurrent. That diner and its flickering candle and booth had turned into the setting for a new chapter in your lives, one where the lines between friendship and love blurred beautifully.As you walked back to campus with Yeosang, you knew in your heart that whatever this future held, you would face it together.
︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿
Word count: 1043
Author's note: The same one-shot has been posted on Wattpad (hwashua-luv). Requests are also open <3
Yeosang loved Y/N. Of course, he did. But he didn't think she felt the same way. But as he sat there listening to you say the words he wanted to hear. “It's always been you.” No matter how much he wanted to hear those, his expression remained unchanged. His eyes fixated on the setting horizon.
The wind rustled his hair as he took a deep breath, a thoughtful pause hanging in the air. How did he get here? Yeosang wasn't supposed to be here. It was never supposed to be him, sitting here with you. He wasn't the main lead, so why were you confessing to him? He wasn't supposed to be here.
You both knew this. So, why were you still here waiting to hear his answer? Yeosang wasn't supposed to be here, so why was he? He remembered. Yeosang blinked, watching the smile on your lips as you smiled at the guy you were talking to.
Some part of him wanted to be the reason for that smile on your face. He wanted to be the guy who made you happy. but the other part of him knew that would never be a reality, he wasn’t going to be the right choice.
You weren't for him. His hand tightened against the railing. It didn’t matter how much he loved you or how much time he spent with you. He would never be the one to make your heart race. Yeosang would always be the second lead. The character everyone seems to not care about. Yeosang wouldn’t be the one you liked. You weren't for him. So why couldn’t he let it go?
He couldn't help but watch the way your eyes lit up, and how the corners of your mouth curled itself, into a smile as you spoke to the person in front of you. That guy wasn't him. His heart squeezed painfully. If this were a book, the author would have given him a happy ending, but not him.
The second lead's job was to support the protagonist and be the second of interest, who the main character would never love. That's all he was, and that's all he ever would be. A character no one cared about in a grand scheme of things. No one cared about the second male lead, especially not the main character. He would never be the main lead.
It didn't matter If his heart was beating out of his chest or his thoughts were consumed by you, he just wasn't the one for you. He would never be. Yeosang would never be the first choice. He will never be the one to make you look that happy, not with a smile like that. It was better for him not to try, to get his hopes up only for them to be crushed later. His thoughts consumed as he hadn't noticed you walking up to him until you stood in front of him.
He glanced at you, His expression silent, his face giving away nothing. He noticed that you look happy, the smile apparent on your face. "Guess who has a date? He said yes." You grinned at him as he felt his heart shatter. You had asked him. Some part of him you wouldn't. But you did. Yeosang smiled tightly, ignoring the pain in his chest.
Why didn't he think this would happen so soon? He knew that it would happen but he hadn't expected it to be today. The second male lead would always lose. "Oh…that's great." He tried to keep his voice even, trying not to think about how he wished that it was him instead.
Wishing that it was him that you had asked. But it was too late. Yeosang watched as your eyes lit up as you went on and on about your soon to be date, the corner of your lips curling into a soft smile as you did.
It was the same smile that you had given him when you told him you had been accepted into the same university as him, the same one you had given him when he gave you a small bouquet. Once again he felt his heart squeezed painfully. He smiles slightly, nodding at your words. He didn't say anything else, his gaze turning back to the sky. You stood there awkwardly, waiting for him to respond, which he didn't.
He watched the sky, not saying anything. After a few minutes, he turned his attention back, noticing you were still there. You were looking at him confused, waiting for him to say something. He sighed softly, turning his attention back to the sky, the wind blowing through his hair.
You frowned, wondering if you did something wrong. Was he upset with you? Maybe he was? Yeosang seemed to notice that you were still there as he turned his head and glanced at you, his expression unreadable, his eyes cold and hard.
After what felt like forever, Yeosang spoke, his voice low and quiet. "I'm happy for you Y/N, I am." You smiled nodding. "Thank you." You said softly, a little bit surprised by his demeanor. He smiled slightly, the corner of his mouth tugged upwards. His smile was gentle and kind, yet so completely unreachable. "Yeah. Just…be careful, okay?" You blinked in surprise, staring at him, wondering what had changed. Why was he acting like this? What happened? Have you done something wrong?
You watched him turn and walk away, leaving you alone to watch him walk away. It wasn't the first time it happened. The night of your date you had invited him to help you pick out an outfit. He watched as you tried on different outfits, all of them looking beautiful on you. He couldn't take his eyes off of you.
He just wanted to pull you close and hold you forever. And yet he couldn't do that. You weren't his. He could only step back and watch as someone else held you, kissed you, and loved you. It hurt, knowing he couldn't be that person. He knew it wasn't his fault but it didn't change the fact that it hurt. He would never be the person you would want.
He couldn't imagine a world where you would choose him over someone else. A world where you would be with him, where you would choose him. He couldn't imagine a world where you would want him. Even if it was fantasy, a dream that would never happen, he wished you would come to him and tell him everything was a lie, that it wasn't real, and that he wasn't second. That you wanted him.
You didn't. He shouldn't have fallen for you. It would have been easier to let go. But he couldn't. He couldn't help himself. He wanted to be selfish, to have you in his arms. He couldn't help it. You weren't his, but he wanted you to be.
So that night Yeosang watched you walk away with your date. Your smile was beautiful, perfect, it made his heart ache. He wished he was the one you were walking away with, that it was him that made you happy, not the other guy.
He wanted to hold your hand and kiss your lips, to whisper how much he loved you. He wanted to tell you how he felt. But it was pointless, he was second, and you would never love him. But the fact that you stood in front of him saying that it was always him he wanted to believe it, he did, but he couldn't.
Not because he was the second male lead, but because he now realized that he was always going to be second in your life. He was going to be the person who mends your broken heart, after it had been stepped on and inevitably crushed by the one you thought was your prince charming. He sees it now. He was just a rebound. His gaze turned to you, the small smile didn't reach his eyes. "Has it been me, Y/N?" Yeosang asked, his eyes searching yours. He watched your expression change, a mixture of confusion and regret.
"What?" You asked, confused.
"Has it always been me?" He repeated. You paused, unsure how to answer. Did he mean has it always been him that you had feelings for? Or did he mean something else? You swallowed, looking away from him. "No, it hasn't." You spoke quietly. He nodded looking away.
He didn't know why but his heart dropped. He knew it all along but he couldn't help but feel hurt when you said that. It has always been the second male lead syndrome. It was a constant reminder that no matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he wished for it, no matter how much he believed in your words, he was still going to be second.
He was always going to be the second male lead. Yeosang's lips formed a straight line, the corner of his mouth twitching up, a sad smile forming on his lips. It was ironic. The second male lead would always be left in the background. "Ah," Yeosang chuckled, running his hand through his hair. He knew it would end like this, he just didn't want to think it would. He didn't know why he hoped that maybe, just maybe, this would've been different. He looked at you, his gaze tense. "Then why are you here?"
You went silent, unable to speak. Your throat was dry, your hands clenched into fists. Yeosang watched you, his expression blank, his eyes dark. He knew the answer, he had always known the answer. But he couldn't help but ask, he needed to hear it, he needed to hear you say it. "Y/N?"
"I'm here because I…" You trailed off, not finishing your sentence.
"You're here because you what?" Yeosang asked, his tone hard, his voice cold.
"I'm here because I don't want to be alone anymore." Yeosang sighed. Of course. Just like he thought. He was going to be a rebound. "Right. Of course. I was foolish enough to think it would be different." Yeosang muttered, shaking his head.
"Wait, Yeosang! Please, let me explain!" You pleaded, grabbing his arm, trying to get him to listen. Yeosang stopped and turned to you, his eyes locking with yours. "What is there to explain? You came here because you didn't want to be alone anymore, isn't that right?" He asked, his voice icy. "Yes, but…"
"Then what's the point?" He said, cutting you off. "If you came here because you don't want to be alone anymore, then what am I?" You stared at him, tears threatening to fall from your eyes. "Just another person to fill the void, another person for you to use and throw away, right?" He questioned, his voice bitter. Y/N didn't know what to say.
She couldn't say anything. That's all he needed to know. He was always going to be second. He took a breath, running his hand through his hair, and walked away, not even sparing a glance at her. He should have known. It was the second lead syndrome. Always second. Always.
