The Unofficial Parents of the Happy Hungry Bunch (Zeno x Immortal!Reader)
[Spoilers for the manga, chp 100 and 101]
Words: 2.6k
"Miss! Get back!!" Zeno shouted at Yona, running to her side desperately.
Golden hair darted into your vision as you yanked your knife out of the body at your feet. Your eyes shot open as blood spurted onto your face.
"Zeno!!" You cried, reaching out for him. He made it in front of her in time, but the strike aimed for the princess pierced him instead. They were relentless, numbers pouring over the Ouryuu. Your hands covered your face in horror as the bandits continued to slaughter him, chopping off his arms.
Then, one of them sliced off his head.
"NO!!!" You screamed.
Yona was still beside you, her face as white as a sheet and Yoon was beyond horrified. The rest of the dragons had a mix of shock and anger on their faces from where they were scattered around on the ground and Hak could barely move, only his eyes betraying his fury.
You fought your way beside Zeno, lips curling back in a ferocious snarl to ward off the soldiers who had finished hacking the precious Ouryuu to pieces.
"You'll pay for that." Your eyes glowed red, you couldn't even hear Yona scream your name as you cut them down, one by one.
They were too many and their numbers overwhelmed you quickly. You spat out blood, as a sword was suddenly pushed through your chest.
You faintly heard the anguished cries coming from your comrades.
Your deranged grin made Zeno halt as his body slowly regenerated.
You... were like him?!
Your wounds closed, magically repairing itself.
"I will protect them all. What, are you scared?" You challenged them as they backed away, drawing your blades once more. "You haven't seen anything yet."
For the first time in a thousand years, Zeno was positively speechless.
You were just like him.
He leaped up with a battle cry, fighting with a fervor you've never seen before as you dashed back into battle. The two of you fought side by side until the rest of them fled, thoroughly shaken by what they've just seen. They killed you two over and over again, and yet, you both had lived.
You grinned at Zeno in victory, and then the two of you were surrounded by your group, sending you tumbling to the ground with an 'oof'.
Yoon was weeping, and Shin-ah wasn't faring much better. His mask had gotten lost in the skirmish and his beautiful golden eyes were filled with terror. Kija had thrown himself between you and Zeno, eyes puffy from unshed tears and he finally bawled, burying his head into the ground. Yona was clinging to Zeno tightly, sobbing into his ripped and bloodied clothes.
Your gaze was gentle as you shushed the boy and the blue dragon's cries, pecking Yoon's head and tenderly rubbing your hand over Shin-ah's bloodied knuckles.
"You're all adorable." Zeno smiled brightly, patting Yona's head comfortingly.
"It's okay." You reassured Yoon softly. "We're alive. We're okay."
Hak and Jae-ha were behind you, and as you twisted to look behind you, you caught sight of their relieved but battered expressions.
You and Zeno shared a look as you embraced your friends tightly. Your conversation would have to wait, the children came first.
You stood up, ushering the dragons one by one in front of you, insisting that their wounds all needed to be treated even though yours hadn't stopped bleeding. Yoon was tearfully scolding you, but it didn't have the same harsh edge to it that you've become accustomed to as his voice broke.
After you had made camp and the pretty boy was finished patching everyone up, things had calmed down a bit. You were spread out lazily next to Zeno, face staring up at the setting sun with your arms resting behind your head. His injuries had healed completely, as had yours and you were itching to talk to him.
"You guys are really lively!" Zeno beamed. The dragons, Hak, Yoon and Yona then shifted their attention on you. You nearly collapsed under the weight of their stare.
You smiled sheepishly as Hak narrowed his eyes at you. You scurried behind Zeno, as if the Ouryuu could protect you from being crushed under the Thunder Beast's glare.
Yoon walked over, inspecting Zeno carefully before moving onto you. The two of you have no trace of the battle scars that should have been left behind.
"There are no wounds or scales..." Yoon murmured.
"After some time passes, it turns back to normal skin." Zeno explained with a cheery smile.
"You two, you really won't die?" He asked quietly, almost fearfully.
"I won't die." Zeno automatically responded and you nodded in agreement.
The boy promptly faced you, and bonked you on the head. You cried out, clutching your head in pain. "Yoon~" You pouted.
"You should have said something!!" He shouted, gesturing his hands wildly. "Do you have any idea how troublesome it is?!"
"Why did you stay quiet until now?" Hak asked quietly, head still spinning a little at the revelation. You glanced down.
"Because nothing changes whether you know or not." Zeno stood up, stretching his arms up over his head. "Zeno's powers don't activate unless there's a large injury anyway."
You shrugged as Jae-ha shifted his attention to you questioningly. "I'm just immortal. It doesn't matter to me whether you know or not. I'll always be there to protect you."
You looked at every single one of them. "All of you."
"Hey," Zeno whined. "That's my line."
He looked so adorable, you could help it. You pinched his cheeks, tugging at them. "Awwww Zeno, you're so cute!!"
Your friends watched you, dumbfounded, as the fearless warriors was reduced to a pile of mush in a matter of milliseconds.
Both of them.
Zeno tickled you in revenge and you squealed, running away from him.
"So..." Yoon's eyes followed you as you sprinted around the campsite, turning to Shin-ah. "These two, huh?
He nodded silently. Hak rolled his eyes humorously. "Guess they really are the adults here."
You tripped over a tree root, and Zeno lost his footing behind you, sending the both of you crashing to the ground at the same time.
"Although, they really don't act like it." Jae-ha mused.
Kija's eyes were still sparkling with relief at the fact that neither one of you were dead. "I think it's great! Y/N and Zeno make great parents!"
The light in his eyes didn't dim as everyone turned to look at him weirdly. His face flushed bright red as realization dawned on him.
"W-Wait! I didn't mean it like that!"
It was too late though, as the poor Hakuryuu was made a target for Hak and Jae-ha's relentless teasing. Shin-ah's head was tilted to the side in confusion as he watched his brothers squabble playfully, not quite sure how to join in.
Yona giggled as she watched their antics and Zeno didn't miss the way your eyes softened as they landed on the safe and sound bunch.
"You really love them, don't you?"
The corner of your mouth quirked up in a smile. "Yes."
And the two of you sat in silence, watching over your friends fondly. Eventually, Jae-ha eased up on the innocent Kija, approaching you carefully.
"What's the real reason, Y/N?" Jae-ha spoke up softly. He knew there was more than what you told them earlier. Zeno's gaze snapped to yours, unsure of what you would say to that.
It appears that he wasn't the only one curious. Hak made his way over to the forming circle and Yona followed him. Shin-ah plopped down on the ground in front of you, still albeit confused, but wanting to participate in whatever was happening and Kija settled next to him. Yoon came over as soon as he put dinner over the fire, eyeing you questioningly.
They were all in front of you, forming a semi-circle in a matter of seconds and you were at a loss for words. Zeno was beside you, and he leaned over, placing his hand over yours on the ground.
"If you don't want to tell them or me, right now," He whispered in your ear quietly, "Then, you don't have to."
You shot him a reassuring smile, flipping your palm to catch his hand before he could pull away, squeezing it in thanks.
You took a deep breath, before turning to the anxiously awaiting children in front of you.
"The more people that know, the worse it is for me." You chose your words cautiously. You didn't want to give them the wrong impression if you didn't explain it accurately. "Zeno was able to blend in and get away with it because he was a dragon that served a king before he left. For me, on the other hand, I've been hunted my entire life because of this power."
You shifted uncomfortably, not really wanting to tell them about what happened after, but Zeno wrapped an arm around your shoulder, drawing you close to him. You closed your eyes as you basked in the warmth radiating from him.
"There are a lot of people out there, who want what I have. To save themselves, to save loved ones, to save innocent ones, no matter who they are they always want it once they know about it. Generals, kings, ordinary citizens, everyone. For a time, I was kept in the dark for several years as people tried to figure out how to obtain my immortality." You continued, fingers toying with the hem of your shirt.
You left out the part that was gruesome, they didn't need to hear about the torture that you had gone through over time.
"So, I started keeping it a secret. If it was ever out in the open, the people alive to see it would need to be terminated so that knowledge of my ability didn't spread. It was the only way to keep myself and others safe. I understand you all must be upset," You winced as you were met with varying reactions. "But please try to respect why I chose to do what I did. I did not intend to hurt you by keeping this from you."
Shin-ah's head was bowed, and you couldn't see his facial expression, but his hands were clenched tightly in his lap. Jae-ha was shaking with what you assumed was anger, and Yoon was outright crying. Hak wasn't mocking the boy like he normally did, instead he was staring right at you, a turmoil of emotions swirling in his cobalt eyes. Yona's pleasant features were murderous and you were almost taken aback at the depth of rage manifesting there. Kija's mouth was pressed in a hard line, his dragon claw tearing his clothes at the force he was gripping them with.
You looked away guiltily, unable to keep eye contact with them knowing that they were upset with you. Needless to say, you were shocked when they all jumped on you.
"Y-You idiot!" Yoon reprimanded, throwing himself down in your lap so you couldn't see the tears gathering in his eyes.
"You endured so much pain!" Kija wailed, face filled with torment. "I am so sorry, Y/N!!"
"Did you think we would expose you?" Jae-ha asked, seemingly calm, but you recognized the insecurity in his eyes. You shook your head, smiling at him reassuringly. He didn't feel any better.
Shin-ah dropped to your side, face buried into your shoulder.
"Shin-ah?" You called softly, hoping to jolt him out of whatever trance he was in.
"You..." You strained to hear him. "You didn't deserve that." Shin-ah finished quietly, but firmly.
"He's right." Hak rested his chin on your head, making you sputter indignantly. "You didn't deserve what happened to you. We understand why you chose to keep it from us." His voice was uncharacteristically soft and your shoulders dropped as the tension eased from it.
"Yona?" You piped up timidly, realizing that she had yet to say anything.
Her shattering sobs was all the answer you got, and you wrapped an arm around her, rocking her gently. That sent the rest of them spiraling down, unable to take it anymore.
Shin-ah and Kija broke down, with Yoon furiously trying to wipe away the tears still streaming down his face. Jae-ha was desperately attempting to retain a semblance of control, but failed miserably. Your hair grew damp and you realized it was coming from the ex-general above you.
You tucked your face into the crook of Zeno's neck, and he rested next to yours, unshaken by Hak who continued to remain perched on top of you. Your breath was even against his skin, and Zeno resisted the urge to shudder. He was so angry when he heard what you had been through, but your comfort was more important than his feelings at the moment. He knew you didn't need to know his vengeful streak just yet, but he was for sure going to gather the rest of the dragons and Hak to avenge what had been done to you.
Zeno had no doubt they'd all agree.
You were too precious to all of them.
He knew you had promised to protect all of them, even him, but not if he got to it first.
It was true though, you had all eternity to duke it out with him. But somehow, his fate now seemed a lot less lonely when he pictured you in it.
Zeno smiled softly, looking down at where you were resting, fondly.
I'll keep you safe, Y/N. No one will ever hurt you again.
Bonus:
"Come at me." Zeno's blue eyes flashed. "I have all the time in the world."
"Me too." You said seriously.
"Y/N, you have to say something else." Zeno instructed, squatting down beside you, losing all the fire he had a second ago. "That's not very threatening."
"Stop patronizing me!" You whined childishly.
"YAH!!" Yoon whacked you both over the head with a wooden spoon. "STOP SCARING TONIGHT'S DINNER!!"
You were apparently terrorizing the nearby forest animals, practicing your slogans so that in a battle, you had a handful to pick from. Yoon was not impressed with your idea.
You shot him an innocent look and Zeno copied you. He glowered, and you shrunk back from his angry gaze, hiding behind the Ouryuu. Zeno chuckled, casting a look over his shoulder to see you staring back at him wide-eyed.
The array of animals before you had absolutely no idea what was going on and you were not going to try to explain it, lest you would get scolded at by mother again.
You grinned mischievously at Zeno as Yoon turned away and the animals all scattered, using the distraction as a diversion to escape.
"What say we practice on a bit more of a likely audience?"
Zeno laughed after as you bounded off into the night, doubling over at his stomach as he distinctly heard Jae-ha cry out and the scuffling that followed. It would appear that you had made contact with your target.
He couldn't keep the smile from stretching across his face as he heard his earlier words being repeated by you, only to have the Ryokuryuu reply, "Isn't that Zeno's line?"
If the thump that shattered the silence was anything to go by, Zeno was guessing that you were less than pleased with his answer. He traveled towards the sound, and found you hunched over a now distraught Jae-ha.
He really wouldn't mind eternity if it was with you.
Thank you... Zeno thought silently, sending a prayer up to the heavens. Thank you for Y/N, I'll treasure her forever.