a/n.
first and foremost: love languages as a science is basically total bullshit, due to lack of evidence and – well – oversimplification of emotions and the people they are coming from.
however, the concept itself is kinda fun, admittedly. i believe it does help to some extent, but people use this concept the wrong way. we all show affinity for all 5 love languages, just some more than others. also, we all express our love differently. it's really so much more complex than people want to admit.
so, TLDR: look at the way love truly is – multifaceted. it's so much more eye-opening to look at all the complexities and how they can be expressed.
yeah, that's all i got.. anyway, i hope y'all can enjoy regardless of my tangent!
acts of service.
aventurine himself is often trying to service you in some way or another, but typically fails at it. he doesn't know how to cook, he takes his own clothes to dry cleaning, and – well... frankly, he has no idea what he's doing. he can clean and organize, at best. everything else is new grounds for him to explore. he's a little scared about messing up.
and, to boot, he almost doesn't let you return the favor other than remaining in his life and "tolerating him some more", as he'd put it. (you do so much more than just tolerate him, but if you were to speak directly about it, it would scare him away. for a little while, at least. he always finds himself back at your doorstep.)
thankfully, he's more than willing to learn. he wants to make you happy in any and every way possible. he even takes a couple cooking classes and practices when he has the time... he's doing his best.
gifts.
most think aventurine would overdo it with the gifts. and they're only partially correct. in the first steps of the relationship, it's a barrage of gifts. he's scared of losing you already, okay? he doesn't want you gone, but the shallower parts of his psyche believes that he wishes you were brave enough to leave him. (you won't. you love him, and he loves you. but he's never felt like this before. for anyone.)
slowly, he lessens the gifts as he grows more comfortable with your long-term presence in his life. he learns that he should find things more heartfelt and sincere – two very scary things to even entertain the idea of. for him, anyway. it's an agonizing process.
he grows as he learns, though. he mentally notes what you prefer and enjoy the most, using those as his targets. but he still tries to add a bit of personal flair to it. it turns out really "stupid" looking sometimes. you don't care about how "bad" it is, you love it – you love him – all the same.
physical touch.
aventurine, at first, hates the touching part of a romantic relationship. but he's also never gotten too far in any genuine, heartfelt romance, either. it was always...for business. (it wasn't for him. never him.) he prickles at the mere idea of holding hands, so it doesn't happen much for a long time. he didn't dare think of other things. (he would anyway. they were his secret daydreams during slow hours of a workday.)
deep down, though, he craves nothing more than your touch. your hugs, your hands, your lips, your heartbeat, your very life. he doesn't want anyone else to touch him. only you. you are so terribly gentle with him and respectful of his (much needed) boundaries after a life of rough hands and violations.
and touching you reminds him that you are here, you're alive, and not just an old memory.
quality time.
aventurine truly cherishes quality time, but it does come as a later revelation in the relationship. at first, he can be very cold, even outright aloof – on purpose, no less. as much as it pains you, he's still working through it. on his own. you have to regularly remind him that you're here, that you're still around for many reasons. not just because you like him more than most people – or so you say.
for him, it's much like physical touch. but, instead of his boundaries having been violated for so much of his life, he's emotionally hyper-independent. he likes to say he's "the right amount" of independent, but it's obviously so much more than ideal.
but, when he comes to open himself up to, to even trust you a little more than before (it's more than "a little". don't tell him that, though), he's all over you. he always wants to spend time with you, to keep you as close as possible. it becomes a little suffocating, but that too will ease once he's more sure of himself and his personhood.
words of affirmation.
one would think that aventurine has mastered this. but it's oh-so shallow. he tells you what he believes you want to hear. yet he couldn't be more wrong. what you truly want to hear is the honesty in his heart, even though he's not quite sure what that is for a while. it takes so much thinking and self-exploration – a dangerous combination for him, even if it's all he does at night in bed. (he wishes he was better at this.)
it ends up being you who gives him these words – honest praise, appreciation, and love. (the last one is by far the scariest, of course.) when he tries to return it, he uncharacteristically fumbles and trips over his words, which immediately makes him think he's doing it wrong – or worse – that he's somehow offending you. (his honesty is the highest form of flattery in your eyes.)
when it becomes second nature to him, he's painfully shy, but the words tumble from his lips before he can stop them. the first few times it happens, he stares at you in surprise with his mouth hanging open. well, that simply means you should kiss him to shut him up before he apologizes, right?
summary: his eyes aren’t his favourite but you think they’re beautiful
warnings: none :)
“They’re like crystals,” you said to him, your hand reaching up to his cheek— his skin a little cool from the night air. The sky was clear, so the stars were out tonight, and you asked him to join you stargazing on the balcony of his room. He’d never say no.
“The stars?” he questioned, his eyes meeting yours. His gaze on you was soft, and his smile was sweet. He readjusted the blanket that was shifting off your shoulders, making sure your skin was covered in case of any wind. You had refused to wear a coat— you claimed it’d make it less romantic. Less special. Now, regardless of whether the lack of a coat really was helping, it was romantic, he had to admit. You’d often say everything was more romantic at night, and he thought of those words every night he spent with you.
“No, your eyes,” you said, staring intently. He almost missed what you said— he was too busy staring at you.
“What?” he asked, eyes widening. You continued to stare, and suddenly, he felt so vulnerable. Like you’d see through him. Like he was seeing too much.
“They sparkle in the starlight,” you said, staring at his eyes like they were some jewel.
And in your eyes, there were no lies. The way your eyes were locked on his, he thought he could read your soul, and you spoke nothing you didn’t believe. He wanted to look away— almost afraid to see so much. As if, if he looked long enough, he’d find something he’d regret seeing.
“Doesn’t it scare you to look into my eyes like that?” he asked, rather honestly.
You looked like you wanted to laugh a bit. “So?” you asked. “Was I lying?”
“No,” he said, the words spilling out of his mouth. Your words were so true to what you truly thought, he felt he couldn’t dare lie about that. “But if you stare for so long—”
“Your eyes are suddenly going to stop sparkling?” you asked, a little lost with what he was so worried about.
He pursed his lips and finally closed his eyes. If he had to say, he’d say he didn’t quite like his eyes. His curse was so closely linked to his eyes that he couldn’t entirely separate the two, and he couldn’t say he liked his curse. He believed this was the same for other people as well— he was sure those who knew of his curse wouldn’t particularly like his eyes or his gaze, and he couldn’t blame them. It was only natural.
So, for someone to come along and say they looked like crystals from the bottom of their heart was not something he dreamed of. Not in the slightest. For the first time since he was 17, he'd think perhaps his mint green eyes, which he got from his father, were pretty if you said they were, so confidently.
“How do you even think these things up?” he asked, opening his eyes to look at you again.
A smile crept back onto your face, and his heart dropped a little. He wished the two of you could just stay here forever— on this small balcony in the cold, under the stars.
But you sneezed, and he laughed, as he ushered you back inside, because where you were didn’t matter one bit. All that mattered was that he would continue to be yours.
🥺🥺 As much as I love the captain being all flustered and nervous when it comes to love, I also think Illuga would be the type of lover who likes to tease and pull small pranks on you.
Like, once he trusts you enough to open up to you, he'll slowly begin to relax more around you and unconsciously start showing a “childish” side to him that he would never, ever show to anyone else other than you. Of course he never goes overboard; however, whenever he sees you, sometimes he gets the urge to be playful and see how you'll react. If you react positively (or even better, flusteredly), he will definitely open up even more towards you and show you more sides of him that he never shows others.
For example, he'll ask you to pass him some unimportant documents with a serious look— only to suddenly swoop in and steal a kiss off your lips with a mischievous grin, whispering “caught you” in a soft, gentle voice that's both meltingly tender yet also incredibly cunning. Slyly making you forget that you were just deceived.
So the next time Illuga asks you to pass him some unimportant documents, you readily close your eyes and wait for his lips to fall on top of yours... yet it never happens.
Instead of a kiss, what greets you when you open your eyes is his handsome face inches away from yours, too far for your lips to touch but far too close to look away. From this distance, it's impossible not to see the playful twinkle in his eyes nor ignore his warm breaths fanning across your skin, causing your brain to shut down instantly and also let go of the documents in your hands.
“Were you expecting something?”
His smooth low voice causes your thoughts to go haywire. Even more so when he lifts his hand up to delicately brush your hair out of your face.
“... You're really cute, you know that?”
He murmurs it lowly, quietly. Like reverence and worship, yet also like a dark, possessive secret that he wishes to keep to himself. You can't tell which it is; not when the heavy darkness swirling in his usually clear eyes and the frail melancholy written across his vulnerable expression tells two different stories about your beloved.
And before you know it, Illuga pulls away and quickly leaves the room like a bird fleeing the scene of a crime, walking too fast for you to catch up to him. Before he leaves, you can vaguely feel him leaving a kiss on your forehead along with a short thank you in words— unfortunately, your mind buffers too long to answer him back before he left.
In the end, all he leaves you with is a pair of empty hands holding nothing, as well as the memory of a rougish smirk dancing across his face, a smile fitting of young man his age replaying in your mind for the rest of the day.
Hold your hands whenever he has the chance to, the feeling of your warmth seeping into his hand makes him happy
Pinches your cheeks when he senses that you are sad, plus your annoyed face is much interesting to look at
Falls asleep on your lap. He has some fascination with your thighs, they feel too comfy.
Secretly enjoys it whenever you play with his hair, very therapeutic
He feels an overwhelming amount of emotions, threatening to burst out of his chest when you trace the many constellations of moles on his arms (don’t fight me, I hc my bby to have BEAUTY MARKS EVERYWHERE)
(SUGGESTIVE. Also, established relationship and reader is implied to be part of the Knights)
For a better reference of what Lohen's wearing here, click here (post) or here (trailer where it appears).
You swear you didn't mean to look so hard.
When you swung open the front door to Lohen’s house and called out the vice captain’s name, you expected to see him in his normal knightly uniform (well, as normal as Lohen can be)— because what else would he be wearing on a day as important as orientation day for the new knight recruits?
However, instead of being greeted back with blues and whites, a verbal hello or even a knife to your face, the first thing your eyes land on is Lohen’s bare open chest.
“!? LOHEN?? ”
Your voice booms throughout the whole house, causing Lohen to raise a confused brow before setting aside his newly brewed cup of coffee to face you over the kitchen counter.
“Oh? You're finally here.” Lohen hums in a singsong tone, ignoring your currently confused state. He folds his arms over the counter and slightly bending over surface, exposing even more of his already exposed chest to your frightened eyes. “What a shame that I can't accompany you to the training grounds today. My presence is required elsewhere to keep the new recruits on their toes. Grandmaster’s orders and all.”
Lohen's words go in one ear before going out the other ear. Every ounce of your dying attention trails down from his open chest to the black vest hugging his figure tightly like hands pressing into skin, tightly shaping his lithe, agile body that had grown some muscle from that long five year expedition he went on. The long, dark belt wrapped around his small waist nearly made you gasp like a scandalised maiden. Is it normal for someone to be jealous of a belt? Is it also normal to want to replace said belt with your own hands around his waist? Please? Pretty please?
“I can hear you, you know?”
The smirk on Lohen's face widens as your jaw drops onto the floor. While you scramble to find the words to excuse your leering gaze pointed towards at your own vice captain, Lohen lifts himself off the counter and waltzes in your direction, keeping his eyes on you to pin you in your spot (as if you can go anywhere when your jaw is still on the floor).
Oh my archons he's coming here. He's swaying his hips while coming over here. Surely it's illegal for a man to look so dangerous and seductive at the same time right? Right??
Slowly, gradually, he makes his way to you and lifts your chin up with one hand. His long fingers, no longer restrained by his old gloves, carefully trace your jawline with reverence, leaving a path of lingering warmth of your flushed face that looks ready to explode at any moment. How delicate they look— these fingers that have ended countless lives are now cradling your face like a priceless jewel, taking care of you with hands that have held more weapons more preciously than any precious gemstone.
“Look at you. Even without being able to read your thoughts, I can still hear you as clear as day~”
Lohen leans in closer and brushes his mouth against your earlobe. His lips are dry, the consequences of always being exposed to the cold air out in the wild without taking proper care of them— yet that doesn’t stop him from blowing hot air into your ear. He laughs when you jump in surprise and uses his other hand to pin you in place, roughly squeezing your shoulder to keep you from running away.
“Tell me. What part of my body excites you the most? Is it my chest? My waist? My hands?” He muses. “If you tell me, I might let you have a taste of me before we leave. How does that sound?”
You choke, too taken aback to say a word. Why did he have to make it sound so dirty when nothing was going to happen!?
“Vice cap—”
You barely manage to get his title out before Lohen's lips are on you, silencing every sentence that you had fought to piece together.
Turns out, the air in his lungs aren’t the only thing hot inside of his body. His tongue (the same one you've seen used to snap back at your shared comrades with cold remarks) finds an opening past your lips and leaves a blazing path in its wake, claiming your mouth with the same dominance he shows on the battlefield. With a tilt of his head, he pushes himself deeper inside you, keeping you on your toes as he fights his way into your self conciousness, forcefully filling your thoughts with him and only him with his kisses.
“Tch, not enough…”
Lohen pulls away and clicks his tongue for a brief moment before sealing his lips on top of yours again. This time, he pushes your body to the closest wall and crushes you between it and his body, letting you feel the thin belts dangling loosely around his thighs and his thigh strap all digging into your flesh at once. The rough manuever causes strands of his teal blue hair to fall out of his hair, brushing against your face like a paintbrush drawing on a blank canvas.
A sane person might call this feeling overwhelming but none of you can truly be called sane right now. Not when one of you is currently battling with the forces of gravity to pull you inside of him, while the other of you is letting him do it.
He doesn't give you time to breathe, doesn't want to. His hands grip your hands with the force of a bow with its string pulled, pressing you against the wall until you are squeezed to his body as tightly as possible like the belt you were oh so jealous of. He doesn't even try to pull away with his head starts to feel dizzy from the lack of air. The exhilaration and excitement pushes him to take more, take everything that belongs to you and keep it for himself.
It doesn't come as a surprise to anyone when you showed up to the orientation late with a few bright hickies blooming on your neck.
【Bonus】
“So, why are you dressed like that!?”
You finally manage to ask the one question you have been dying to know.
While you frantically try to find your lost clothing scattered all across his floor, Lohen leisurely buttons up the few buttons on his shirt while humming.
“Like I said, grandmaster's orders. Instead of greeting the new recruits like everyone else, I've been tasked with testing the new recruits. To ensure that they don't pose a threat to the knights nor Mondstadt. ”
“... Did he also ask you to dress in your old adventurer’s clothes, or was that a decision you made on your own?”
“Hm, who knows~ But if I had earlier known that you liked this outfit so much, I would've worn them in front of you much sooner.”
I love ur writing so much so I wanted to send in a hc request ehehe
I was wondering if you could write about the deep route boys (Jumin and Seven) rescuing Mc from one another's route??
What I mean by that is imagine a scenario where Jumin's being crazy possessive and Seven has to pull up and get Mc. Versus Seven being so aloof that it's doing more harm than help and Jumin pulls up to save her. Think about the drama! The angst!!! The once thought to be unrequited romance but maybe it is a romance after all!
Idk if that makes sense and feel free to ignore this if it isn't up ur alley but I LOVE ur head canons you have such a good understanding of the characters 🥰
omg... this sounds so interesting and i can't lie this concept has crossed my mind many times over the years, especially with zen LOL. it took me a while to write this in a way that wasn't so "hey is this guy bothering you? ahaha..." so i did my best! thank you for the compliments and the request 🫶🏻
(note: i didn't think hcs would do this request justice, so i wrote two mini fics that are lowkey really long oops! also, mc refers to saeyoung as "seven" just for canon's sake)
jumin (in saeyoung's route)
"why can't you understand that i don't care about your feelings?"
you can't stand to listen to it anymore. to have the man you've fallen for treat you so coldly... it's more than you can handle now.
seven holds your gaze, his expression wavering, just slightly, but you can't keep holding onto that glimpse of hope anymore. you can't keep lying to yourself. it's delusional to keep reading between the lines, looking for any sign that he's hiding behind a mask. that he's pushing you away because he cares... but if he loved you, he wouldn't treat you like this, so for once, you just nod.
"okay. i get it. i won't bother you anymore," you offer a meek smile before turning towards your room. the complete 180 in your response confuses him.
"mc?"
but you've already shut the door. softly, of course, so as to not attract any attention. he wants you to leave him alone, right? so that's what you'll do.
you crawl into bed, looking towards the window to see it's nearly dusk. the lump in your throat only feels heavier as you curl into a fetal position, your phone clutched in hand. the tears don't come yet... just an ache in your chest that makes it hard to breathe.
what is so wrong with me?
you force the depressing thought aside. you need a friend right now, but who can you even turn to in a time like this?
you open the messenger. yoosung, jaehee, and zen are all online. you hold your breath, fearing the consequences of seven seeing you whine about your feelings for him even more. yoosung and jaehee probably had good advice, but zen would only fuel the fire even more, and that wouldn't help your anxiety.
that left only jumin. but... wouldn't he be busy right now?maybe it would be better to wait until tomorrow...
these thoughts are what make the tears finally fall. it truly felt like you didn't have anyone to turn to. what were you thinking? would jumin be a good shoulder to cry on, anyway? would he chastise you like seven, telling you that your feelings mean nothing?
you squeeze your eyes shut and sob. your phone vibrates in your hand.
jumin is calling you.
your eyes widen, your breath catching. you sniffle, and sit up to take the call, trying to stabilize your voice.
"h-hello?"
you failed.
"mc? i was calling to check on you, but you sound... unlike yourself. is luciel still with you?"
"yes, um... he's in the living room right now. did you want to talk to him?" your breath wavers, fearing that you will have to face seven immediately again.
"no, thank you. i'm aware that he is working. i haven't seen you on the messenger since this morning, what have you been doing?"
"we... i haven't been doing much. i cooked for him earlier, but i don't think he ate it... sometimes i think he wants nothing to do with me at all."
why am i telling him this?
"...what do you mean by that?"
"oh... nothing. it's nothing. what were you up to, jumin?"
there's a heavy silence, and you know he isn't falling for it. you've been caught in a lie. it's like you can hear the gears turning in his head, calculating the best way to make you spill everything. your breath is unsteady, and you can feel the tears building again, but still you feign ignorance.
"jumin?"
"what happened?" the question is sudden, and it catches you off guard.
your face heats up. for some reason, when it came to you, jumin always noticed what was written between the lines. he was the one member who knew how to read you, who made you feel secure. maybe you should tell him everything? but...
"i... i don't want to bother you. it's stupid... and it's not really something you can say on the phone."
"i can send driver kim near the apartment. please, i want to know what's troubling you."
your heart swells at the gesture, and it's hard to say no, but seven's face flashes in your mind. would he let you leave the apartment at this hour, even if it was to see jumin? you're tempted to just leave and not ask for permission at all. seven probably wouldn't even care.
"okay. i will send you the address of a place near the apartment."
"i will send driver kim right away. i'll see you soon."
you hang up, you definitely feel better, but there's a feeling of dread weighing on you. can you sneak out of this apartment past a secret agent? is it better to just tell the truth?
you open the bedroom door. seven is still sitting on the floor of the living room, his back to you. his headphones are wrapped around his neck, so you know he can hear the door as it shuts behind you.
"i'm going out," you say it flatly. seven keeps typing, not bothering to look at you, but he asks, "where?"
"jumin is coming to pick me up. i'll be back later. don't wait up." your tone is dry, mocking. he obviously wasn't going to wait at all.
seven does turn to look at you, though, his expression unreadable. he just stares. but you pay him no mind, and walk out the front door.
* * *
jumin is in the backseat of the car when you arrive. it startles you, since this is the first time you've seen each other in person. his face is more expressive than you pictured it, because even he looks shocked to see you.
for some reason, you find yourself blushing, because he is way better looking in person, too. his dark eyes make you feel conscious of your appearance, and you did freshen up before leaving, but now you wish you had done more.
you quickly sit in the seat next to him, holding out your hand. "it's nice to meet you," you force out. jumin nods, taking your hand in his for a gentle handshake.
driver kim puts the car in drive, then embarks on jumin's penthouse. you can feel jumin's eyes on you. you feel a bit conscious of the fact that driver kim is listening, but you don't know how long you have with jumin, and you want to hear his thoughts as soon as possible.
"...i don't really know where to start," you murmur.
"is it regarding luciel?" it feels like the obvious question, but it gets you started.
"well... ever since he came to the apartment, he's been acting really different. he's not at all how i thought he would be... he doesn't make jokes, talk to me nicely, or even smile at all. he's there to protect me, but... he's so cruel. he hates any effort i make to be kind or be closer to him. what am i supposed to do with these feelings for him?"
"...feelings?"
you falter ever so slightly. you turn to meet his eyes, and wordlessly nod, as if curious to see his reaction, but his face is nearly blank. you had never wondered until now, but how would he feel if he knew you had feelings for seven?
his brows furrow somewhat; you're slowly able to pick up on the subtlety of his facial expressions. "i see. you love him, but he doesn't return your affections."
your cheeks dust pink, and your voice comes out small, almost like a squeak. "i-i didn't say i loved him!"
jumin looks perplexed. "doesn't 'having feelings for someone' mean love? i don't understand."
"not necessarily... i like him, but it's not love. sometimes love takes time... once you really know the person, but... i don't think i'll ever get to truly know him. he told me he wants nothing to do with me."
"oh. i think i understand now. he is not open to a relationship with you, and he won't give you a chance to try. i didn't know that love took time... for me, it was instantaneous--" he abruptly stops himself and looks out the car window, clearing his throat.
you tilt your head, your focus fully on him now. "jumin? have you loved someone?"
he doesn't answer you right away, stubbornly turning away from you. "forgive me, this is not the best time to answer that question."
your hand moves on its own, and you don't realize what you've done until you feel his wrist beneath your fingertips. he snaps out of his stubbornness and whips his head to look at you. you gasp and pull your hand away, but you don't distance yourself from him completely.
"i'm sorry... i'm sorry. but, jumin, you can tell me anything. i'm here for you, too."
to anyone in the rfa who could see jumin in this moment, he is keeping his cold, steady gaze, but to you, the softening of his eyes is obvious. his hand reaches up to find yours again, where he lightly traces it, as if dancing around the idea of holding your hand.
"you... don't deserve luciel. you deserve someone who will listen to you, embrace you, and love you no matter how you feel. you are a very dazzling person, one who should be treasured. luciel is a fool for not appreciating someone as lovely as you."
it starts to sink in, the poetic words, the quiet understanding, and the way he always dotes on you. he loves you, and has from the beginning. you begin to realize that he is what you've been looking for, and you can't see yourself ever falling for anyone else.
part 2? hehehe
saeyoung (in jumin's route)
seven hasn't been able to stop checking the cctv footage since you left. he just wants to see you walk through the door, and jump back into the same routine you always do. he wants to know you're safe. he knows you will probably be safe at jumin's, too, but the recent behavior of jumin on the messenger has become alarming.
he logged in to let everyone know that you're safe to return back to the apartment, but of course, jumin doesn't seem to think so. he wants to delay the departure for another half-day, but who knows what that will spiral into later?
seven studied your responses when zen pushed you. of course, seven has no idea what you're saying in private, but it seems like you want to leave, and he wants to help.
but what can he do?
you sit idly in the master bedroom, having just chatted with jumin and zen, where you learned you may be staying until dinner instead. you sigh. it's not that you like jumin any less, it's just that you're pretty homesick. you didn't think you would stay this long, and certainly didn't pack accordingly. jumin insisted that he would buy you anything you could ever need, and there was no reason to go back to the apartment ever again, but the idea made you uneasy. it's like he didn't understand the value of your personal, sentimental items; they can't be replaced.
i... want to go home, you think helplessly.
you read the conversation with seven back, who had informed everyone that the apartment was safe again. you wish you could talk to him to make sure that was true.
so, you call him, and he answers on the first ring.
"mc! it's you. is the princess still locked away in the tower?" he tries to be lighthearted, but he sounds exhausted.
you smile nonetheless. "yep. the princess would like to go home~" you say without thinking. "well, i mean, when jumin lets me."
"oh? what's the hold up, i wonder? did you cast a spell on prince jumin?"
"...something like that. is the apartment really safe?"
you can hear the smug smile in seven's voice when he says: "of course. our hacker has been away for a while, and i was able to secure everything again. you're free to return to your castle."
free, you think bitterly, right.
"jumin won't let me leave. can't you convince him?"
"hmm... he probably wouldn't listen to me. he seems a little scary right now, don't you think?"
your heart sinks slightly, realizing you agree with him, and suddenly the situation seems a little more complicated.
"yeah, i mean... he joked about locking me in a cage earlier, but i think if i gave any indication that it's okay, he would have it built within a day."
seven doesn't laugh at this. "you're probably right. what does he say when you ask to leave?"
"i haven't asked him too much, but he brushes me off. he doesn't always listen to what i say. he seems pretty involved in his fantasy. seven, the longer this goes on, the more anxious i get. it doesn't seem like i'm ever going home again."
"...is there anything i can do?"
you perk up, never thinking seven's help was an option.
"can you come get me?" you ask in a small voice.
"...yes, but can you even walk out the door? do i need to come up?"
this makes you pause. did jumin have cameras here? did he plant a tracker on you somewhere while you slept? wouldn't he find out you left with seven? should you come clean now?
but then you remember his obsessive behavior, and the cage, and realize you need to escape as soon as possible.
"i'll find a way. i'll climb out the window if i have to. i think something bad is going to happen if i stay. jumin is... not well right now."
"got it. i'll call you again when i'm there."
"thank you, seven. my knight in shining armor..."
he chuckles, bashfully, and ends the call.
* * *
you pack a light bag. security guards are lining the front door, both inside and out, which makes your hands shake. jumin really doesn't want you to leave.
did seven have a plan? the fairytale analogy he gave was starting to feel genuine. you were the damsel locked in the tower.
you have now resorted to tiptoeing and sneaking around, looking for any blindspots or guaranteed exit routes, but there were none. any opportunity for escape was quickly intercepted by another security guard. if jumin could see you right now, would he be hurt?
the thought is interrupted by the sound of seven's call.
"i'm here. you will be free to walk out in about ten seconds."
you hesitate. did you hear him right?
"what?"
there is a commotion by the entrance. you hear a faint, but high pitched tone sound coming from the guards' in-ears. some of them stand in confusion, others claw at their ears to remove the ear pieces. it doesn't seem loud enough to harm their eardrums, but they are definitely caught off guard (no pun intended). reality sets in, and you rush out the door. this is the opportunity seven has given you.
you raise the phone to your ear, running to the elevator.
"how did you do that?"
"whatever bluetooth jumin set up for those ear pieces were pretty strong, i could reach it from all the way down there. all i did was intercept their channel."
you release a breathless laugh, watching the floors of the elevator descend from inside. you're so close to freedom.
what can only be seven's convertible is parked near the lobby doors, the headlights shining like heaven itself came to greet you. "i see you," you say.
"come to me."
your heart nearly skips a beat at that, which feels almost wrong given the circumstances, but you can't bother to care right now. the guards could have realized by now that you're gone, and the thought makes you hightail to the passenger door. seven hangs up the phone and pushes the door open from the driver's seat.
you hesitate for half a second, taking in his appearance. his red hair is resting on the upper rims of his glasses, and he sports a casual outfit, no more than a t-shirt and sweatpants. his eyes widen slightly when he sees you, but he quickly gives you a smile that screams safety. you quickly get in the car, and he wastes no time driving off.
against your better judgment, you turn to look at the building's entrance where about ten guards pour out of the doors. they wildly look around before seeing seven's car speed away. one has his phone pressed to his ear. could jumin be on the other end?
"seven..." you breathe. his eyes flick to the rearview mirror, swiftly getting on the same page as you.
"turn your phone off," he orders, "he might be tracking you."
panic strikes as you quickly pick up your phone to do so, and at that moment, jumin calls you.
"decline it."
you obey with shaking hands, then turn your phone off completely. though he didn't ask you to, you pass your phone to him, and he wordlessly shoves it in his pocket.
"are we going to the apartment?" you ask, feeling an inkling of relief in your terror.
"yes, you'll be safe there."
"will you stay with me?" you ask suddenly, reaching for his shoulder as he drives.
seven does his best to hide the way he jumps when you touch him, but it's still plenty noticeable. he nods, not trusting his voice at that moment.
you sigh in full relief, slumping in the seat to hug yourself. you try not to look behind you, paranoid that any flash of headlights could be jumin's guards catching up.
"this whole thing was a mistake. if i hadn't left the apartment, i wouldn't be in this mess."
seven shakes his head. "you cared about him."
you notice the past tense, but you don't correct him. "i did. i thought he cared about me, too, but this isn't how you treat people you like."
"don't think about him anymore. you'll get yourself worked up again, mc."
when you look at him, you realize he's worried. his hand grips the steering wheel tightly, his eyes flicker repeatedly to the rearview mirror, and his voice is unsteady.
maybe seven cares more about you than jumin ever did.
* * *
when you get to the apartment, you stay close to seven, who has practically become your bodyguard. you don't dare touch him again, but you're practically attached to his hip. you focus on slowing your heart rate while he puts the code into the door for you.
"and you're sure they can't find me here?" you ask again.
he just guides you to the couch, his hands on your shoulders behind you. he sits you down and picks up a blanket to place on your lap. "no, they have no idea where you are."
you tuck the blanket under you, and seven sinks down beside you. "i'll be here in case anything happens," he says in a quiet tone.
your face feels warm. to your surprise, you can't seem to look away from him... his confidence in his ability to keep you safe only makes you more drawn to him.
"thank you," is all you can say after a while.
he looks taken aback at that, quickly turning to look at you. "what for?" it was as if protecting you was the most natural thing in the world for him. he didn't need gratitude or recognition.
"i feel like at the rate things were going, i would have been locked in a cage right now, so... thank you. for coming to get me."
"you don't have to worry about it. you deserve the freedom to come and go as you please. jumin is used to being in charge, and he probably didn't see anything wrong in trying to control you if he thought it was for the best. but you don't have to be afraid, i'm here for you now."
your eyes widen at the conclusion of his words. was he implying that he planned to be more involved with you?
"what do you mean, 'now'?"
now his face reddens. "i... i mean that you deserve better than jumin, that's all."
you pause for a moment to think about everything seven has done for you tonight and the days prior. he took the initiative to come get you. he calmed your worries by speaking to you gently and staying by your side. he reassured your feelings, validating that jumin was acting obsessively. he's here now keeping you safe, not just from jumin, but the hacker as well. you subconsciously scoot closer to him.
"you're right... i want someone who will listen to me, who won't try to control me. someone i can depend on."
"i can be that for you, mc... when you're ready, and if you'll have me."
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