Everything on this blog is fictional and is not an accurate representation of the idols. My work is purely an expansion of my own imagination and is not everyone's cup of tea. Additionally, this blog is 99% NSFW and 1% SFW which will be clearly labeled, so MDNI
- @zkgrb is my reblog page for fics that I really enjoyed
- I have a life outside of writing, so do not expect regular updates
- I am currently writing for Enhypen only, NSFW content for hyung line, and SFW content for all members
Content I will NOT write about: scat play, incest, ageplay, etc...
I am not opposed to writing about darker themes as I personally enjoy writing angstier fics (with happy endings). This is not limited to drug use, alcohol use, abuse, mental health, infidelity, etc... Though I try to tread those topics carefully and represent them as accurately as I can in my writing.
General rules
- please be respectful in my comments, reblogs, and inbox
- do not interact if you are below the age of 18 as I would be very uncomfortable with someone younger than that reading my kind of content
- please don’t spam like, instead, comment and reblog! 💗
- please don't redistribute my works elsewhere
A = angst, M = mature, F = fluff, S = suggestive, and other genres
Drabbles/oneshots
Heeseung
Shredder ~ 6.3k | A, M, F
“is that why you treat me like shit? because you think i’m a whore?”
No Wings No Horns ~ 20.4k | A, M, F, fantasy ft. Jake 💗
growing up with your best friend, Jake, you thought you knew him inside and out- until you met Heeseung on your first day of college. With his dark allure and unyielding devotion towards you he leaves you questioning who Jake really is. Unbeknownst to you, Jake and Heeseung, who were once best friends in a realm beyond mortal understanding, share a secret so powerful between them it could shatter everything you thought you knew about them. But after a single, fateful mistake cost them their life full of radiance and purity, they’re now bound to earth under a haunted curse with a fate that can only be ended by one, unforgivable act.
Corporate Life | M ft. Sunghoon
working in corporate was supposed to be boring, not a guessing game of whether your two coworkers were eye fucking you or not.
Part 1 | 4.7k
Part 2 | 4.5k
Part 3 | 7.1k
Breaking free - 6.3k | S, F, A
who better to learn from about college culture than the resident stoner on your dorm floor?
Part 1 | 6.3k
Part 2
Jay
Cheater ~ 19k | A, M, F 💗
after discovering your fiance’s devastating betrayal, you return home to live in your best friend’s vacant apartment, desperate to start over. After a long night of drinking leads to an unexpected encounter with your neighbor, Jay- who is unknowingly entangled in his own troubled engagement, you start to develop an unexpected friendship built on shared secrets and vulnerabilities. As you begin to heal, a feeling more than just camaraderie begins to form. But in a world where love has proven to be painfully deceptive, can you and Jay find strength in each other, or will the weight of your pasts drive you apart?
Jake
New Dynamics ~ 3.2k | M ft. Sunghoon
you, Jake, and Sunghoon were the dynamic trio all throughout high school, until the lines of friendship blurred and you started to date Sunghoon. Now consumed with jealousy, Jake begins to pull away from the friendship. Sunghoon, observant as ever, suggests something unexpected.
No Wings No Horns ~ 20.4k | A, , M, F, fantasy - ft. Heeseung 💗
growing up with your best friend, Jake, you thought you knew him inside and out- until you met Heeseung on your first day of college. With his dark allure and unyielding devotion towards you he leaves you questioning who Jake really is. Unbeknownst to you, Jake and Heeseung, who were once best friends in a realm beyond mortal understanding, share a secret so powerful between them it could shatter everything you thought you knew about them. But after a single, fateful mistake cost them their life full of radiance and purity, they’re now bound to earth under a haunted curse with a fate that can only be ended by one, unforgivable act.
Stains ~ 1.5k | F
it’s shark week, and what better way to start it than to stain the fresh white linens your boyfriend had so lovingly replaced your old bedsheets with
Sunghoon
New Dynamics ~ 3.2k | M ft. Jake
you, Jake, and Sunghoon were the dynamic trio all throughout high school, until the lines of friendship blurred and you started to date Sunghoon. Now consumed with jealousy, Jake begins to pull away from the friendship. Sunghoon, observant as ever, suggests something unexpected.
Outcast ~ 8.6k | M, A, F
as a rising kpop soloist and one of the many brand ambassadors for Prada, declining an invitation to the Sound of Prada event in Seoul is not in your itinerary. Though, when your manager advises you to stay close to Enhypen during the event, you find yourself constantly prickling the feathers of one certain member.
Corporate Life | M ft. Heeseung 💗
working in corporate was supposed to be boring, not a guessing game of whether your two coworkers were eye fucking you or not.
Part 1 | 4.7k
Part 2 | 4.5k
Part 3 | 6.7k
Series
Loose Ends ~ hiatus | A, M, F
choosing to enroll in a university on the other side of the world after graduating high school seemed like the perfect way to escape your mother’s alcoholism and relentless abuse. What you didn’t anticipate was meeting a group of persistent boys determined to break through the emotional barriers you had built after years of emotional turmoil back home. Letting them in would prove to be one of the best choices you could make after you come to the realization that you had never truly left your mother’s torment behind- and other buried secrets that start to unravel after your move. Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | …
Blood on Fire ~ finished | A, M, F, supernatural au, fightclub au (hyung line) 64.5k words
in a city where the supernatural are arrested on sight, the only refuge for their pent-up rage is “The Enha Arena”- an exclusive, hidden venue where creatures engage in brutal, blood-soaked battles with one another. Concealed beneath the unassuming exterior of “Dusk and Dawn,” a gym that serves as the front of a totally legal business, this underground fight club acts as the epicenter for this violent world where supernatural beings not only fight for dominance and pride but for the sheer thrill of it all. In dire need of some money, you find yourself drawn into the fight club when you come across a black market job posting- an offer for a new trainer at the gym. Desperate for new ways to keep your own abilities under wraps and even learn about other supernatural beings, you accept the position, completely unaware of the dangers and complicated relationships that await you
A/N: this is part 1 of the BOF series! I have decided to divide this story up by who's sex scene is in it, but in order to fully understand the story, you must start with part 1 and finish (if you want). they are plot driven, and context will not make sense if you start with part 2, etc...
genre/tags ✶ MDNI reverse harem!hyung line x afab!reader, angst, smut, gore and violence, supernatural themes, (sirens, werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters, phoenixes, frost elves, dragons, witches, and more…), underground betting, alcohol use, blood, verbal and physical violence, murder, manipulation, death (no major characters, lol kinda), government themes (not political), fight club au, ot7
synopsis ✶ In a city where the supernatural are arrested on sight, the only refuge for their pent-up rage is “The Enha Arena”- an exclusive, hidden venue where creatures engage in brutal, blood-soaked battles with one another. Concealed beneath the unassuming exterior of “Dusk and Dawn,” a gym that serves as the front of a totally legal business, this underground fight club acts as the epicenter for this violent world where supernatural beings not only fight for dominance and pride but for the sheer thrill of it all. In dire need of some money, you find yourself drawn into the fight club when you come across a black market job posting- an offer for a new trainer at the gym. Desperate for new ways to keep your own abilities under wraps and even learn about other supernatural beings, you accept the position, completely unaware of the dangers and complicated relationships that await you
Luxta was different from other cities; it was neither big nor small- large enough that not everyone knew each other by name, but small enough that you didn’t need to make it a day trip to get to the grocery store. What set apart Luxta from other cities was the thriving population of supernatural beings living in the shadows, though their existence was only known by the government and select humans. The rest of the world, including the unsuspecting citizens of Luxta, had no idea that they walked on the same streets as did you so-called ‘monsters’, the ones that should have only ever existed in stories.
Being supernatural was illegal in Luxta and if you were to be caught by those hand-held scanners the government officials in the enforcement division wore around their belt, you’d be arrested on site. They weren’t as far-reaching or accurate as the large, reinforced scanners that were mounted in the back of their trucks or brought to building inspections, but they were enough to ruin your life. So, like everyone else who had the misfortune of being ‘different’, you stayed hidden.
There was one solution to these scanners: suppressants. A sort of perfume that you could use to spray on yourself that would make you undetectable to their scanners. But they were difficult to come by, the production being regulated by one man and their distribution being restricted to underground networks that sold them at sky-high prices. And they were experimental at best, coming with an abundance of long-lasting side effects and malfunctions that didn’t guarantee 100% effectiveness. For the few people that could afford one, they were used as an emergency fall-back.
And for the majority few that didn’t have that luxury, they stayed in The Veil, the black market’s so-called ‘base’ for the supernatural. For you personally, you lived there until you turned three, when a blue-collar couple took you in a few days after your birthday. “Adopted” wouldn’t be the right word- “purchased” would fit the situation better. Given only a handful of humans knew about the supernatural, these types of ‘transactions’ came with a strict clause that if broken, were punishable by death. Even so, 90% of supernatural children grew up as orphans, relying on The Veil for support.
Being adopted in the supernatural community was supposed to be some sort of grand escape from poverty, and in a way, it was. But since meeting your parents, you never stepped foot outside of your home. From the moment you met your parents, you never left your parents’ 800 square foot apartment and its measly excuse for a patio that overlooked the area where people took out their trash.
You existed only to service your human parents- like some sort of bloody commodity. At first, you didn’t know any better. A few healing touches here, a bit of supernatural magic there- it was harmless. But as you grew older, smarter, it didn’t take a genius to know why you were really there. You were just a piece of capital to them, a tool to be used.
As a phoenix, you were an expensively rare commodity. Your regenerative and healing abilities made you invaluable, and many people sought after those traits- but few possessed those characteristics. Your parents, both construction workers, were no stranger to danger in the field. Injuries were a part of their daily lives, and having you around to heal their wounds was an advantage they never hesitated to use.
It was routine- your mother’s strained back from lifting heavy materials and your father’s broken bones from working with heavy machinery. It was the perfect system, your healing touches allowing them to return to their jobs faster than most could manage, like a money making pig. But their injuries were extensive, more than just a mere cut or bruise. Every wound you healed required a certain amount of energy, the more severe wounds drained you of energy for days. As time went on, you felt your body getting weaker and weaker until eventually, you just couldn’t do it anymore.
Whether it was because your body was drained of its own powers or you just couldn’t find it in you to help them anymore, you stopped healing them. So at 14 years old, they kicked you out of their home when they realized they couldn’t extort you of your powers anymore. The realization that you parents had only used you for your abilities hits you hard now, but at the time, it was like a huge burden had been lifted off of your shoulders. And now, for the last six years you’ve been living alone in a poorly lit apartment that’s been funded by The Veil; two years out of highschool and working part time jobs at home all while remaining disconnected from the world outside. Since being kicked out, you hadn’t physically interacted with anyone aside from the person that delivers your groceries to your door. At this point, you’re starting to think you have a deeper connection with your delivery driver than anyone else in your life.
But now, even that little security was slipping away from you. The Veil was making room for the next generation of supernatural kids, which meant only one thing- you were getting kicked out. You still had a few more months to get your shit together, find a new place and make sure you had a stable enough job to maintain yourself in this economy. Your side hustles weren’t going to be enough to cover a first and last month's rent deposit anywhere. So that’s how you ended up here, pulling on some workout gear for some gym training job you found on the dark web for a place called “Dusk and Dawn,” a supernaturally owned gym that operated within the shadows of the black market. The wage was kind, almost too kind and it had you second-guessing the legitimacy of the job- but you were in no position to play it safe right now.
There wasn’t much of an interview process, just some email telling you that your first day would involve being shadowed by a staff member to see how well you interact with their clients. It sounded doable, despite your half empty resume and lack of any formal qualifications. But surely, your years of self-defense training during your free time through a computer screen counted for something, right?
When night finally settles over the city, you leave your cramped studio apartment, watching garbage sweep across the broken cracks in the sidewalk as you hastily make your way down the alleyways. It always took a bit longer to get to where you wanted when you took the back alleys over the main roads, but it was a safety net you had no choice but to rely on whenever you went out. The shadows of the alleys felt safer anyways, more familiar to you than the brightly lit streets that crawled with government officials late at night.
Luxta was always scarce at night, save for the few men in blue that scoured the streets looking for the supernatural under the guise that they were just keeping watch over the neighborhood. When the supernatural had first invaded the city, it was more of a slow encroachment than a sudden flood. It started with a few whispers at first, shadows passing by in the night. Then rumors began to stretch across the city as sightings of these fleeting figures moving faster than the human eye could imagine became more and more frequent. It was never officially confirmed what they were, but the government responded swiftly and labelled the mysterious occurrences as nothing more than a mere increase in criminal activity.
The men in blue- members of the government’s enforcement division- were sent out in droves after that, scouring the streets while armed with silver scanners clipped to their belts. Their devices would emit a piercing alarm at around 90 decibels whenever it detected a supernatural presence, irritatingly announcing their capture to anyone nearby. It’s game over once you hear that alarm, immediate handcuffs specifically designed to detain the supernatural. What happened after was anyone’s guess.
There’s speculation in the supernatural community about what they do with you after you’re arrested: years of brutal testing, harsh interrogations, maybe even torture only to conclude it with a senseless execution. But no one outside of that division knew what happened beyond the arrests made in public. And no one knew why they were even populating Luxta in the first place. The only thing you did know was that your only ally was The Veil.
Arriving in front of a dimly lit building that is squished between a post office and a laundromat, you’re pulled from your thoughts when you see a flickering “Dusk and Dawn” sign hanging above the entrance. You look at the windows, but you can’t see past the dirt and scratches that decorate the glass, obscuring any view of inside. With a nervous breath, you push open the door to the entrance, its rusty bell ringing above you as you enter.
Your eyes fall on the counter before you, its fading white paint peeling at the sides from years of wear and tear. Behind the counter sits a woman with sleek black hair and rectangular framed glasses that accentuate her sharp jawline, “Hello?” you call, glancing around the small waiting room.
The woman glances up, her brown eyes zeroing in on you as you step closer, “And you are?” she asks with disinterest in her tone.
“I’m Y/n, I’m here for orientation as the new gym trainer?” you respond. Up close, you can see that she’s around your age, maybe a few years older with smooth skin and dark eyes that shine at you despite the deadbeat tone she uses to address you with.
She gives you a curt nod, her expression slightly brightening, “My name is Yuqi, I’m the manager here,” she slides off of her stool, the old wood creaking beneath her. “Were you able to see well in the dark, I know the hours of your orientation seem a bit odd, but we’re a 24/7 gym.”
Your mind hesitates as you recall the unspoken question to recognizing a fellow supernatural: asking about the darkness of the sky, “It was glimmering enough for me to see clearly, thanks.”
Yuqi narrows her eyes before offering you a smile, flicking her tongue at you. You watch as her eyes transition from a dark brown to a piercing yellow, her pupils narrowing into a slit. A subtle hiss comes from her as the forked tip darts out at you in a dangerous frenzy. You freeze, mesmerized by the way her thin tongue moves in an unsettling precision, like she’s trying to reel you in, “I’m a serpent, but if you really wanted to get technical, I’m a basilisk,” she explains, observing your wide eyes, “You don’t seem to know many supernatural, do you?”
You blink at her, shoulders slumping as you shake your head.
“Well, if orientation goes ok, you’ll be meeting a lot more supernatural people here. Things can get… intense,” she says, her eyes glinting with pride. “Come,” she gestures for you to follow her, guiding you through a large room filled with old gym equipment that look like they’re about ready to break. You don’t stop there though as she continues to lead you into a dim hallway where a heavy iron door clad with locks and chains at the end of the hall is. You hear a thrum of things clanging on the ground and low murmurs behind the door, and an uneasy tension begins to coil in your chest.
“So, how much do you know about our gym?”
“The ad only told me I’d be helping people work out, nothing more.”
Yuqi raises her eyebrow as she reaches into her pocket, pulling out a silver key. When she begins to unlock the chains, she turns to you, “Don’t be alarmed, things are just different here,” she says calmly, undoing the last lock.
With a rough push of her shoulder, the door opens with a heavy click, unveiling a space that feels worlds apart from the one you just saw minutes ago. The polished bamboo floors shine under the cool lighting of the gym, the industrial light fixtures hanging 6 feet in the air. Each area of the gym is meticulously organized, groups of machines clustered by function on top of black rubber gym tiles. There’s even motivational black and white posters hanging on the walls, accompanied by black plates that adorn the walls near the benches and squat racks. It all feels so overwhelming, the sheer volume of equipment just waiting to be used.
But the most striking feature of the auditorium had to be the imposing boxing ring that sat to the left of everything, its rubber barriers worn and fraying in a way that commanded authority. Encircling three out of four sides of the ring was a bunch of bleachers that looked as though they had been spray-painted black to match the aesthetic of the black and white theme the rest of the gym was following, giving it a high-end yet gritty finish.
“Welcome to the Dusk Gym,” Yuqi says with pride laced in her voice, her gaze sweeping over the space in front of you, “What you saw outside was our Dawn Gym. I know the ad said you’d be helping people work out,” she continues by gesturing at a few of the members working out on some of the equipment, “but that’s only a fraction of what you’ll be doing.”
You turn to her, confusion evident in the way you tilt your head and furrow your brows, “What do you mean?” your voice carries a mixture of wariness and intrigue as Yuqi’s thin lips curve upwards into a smirk.
“Nestled within Dusk Gym is the Enha Arena,” she reveals, her voice dropping a few decibels as she points to the boxing ring, “This is where supernatural beings come to fight one another, to test their limits and use their powers without worrying about the legal repercussions,” She matches your gaze with her own and presses her lips together, “We are technically an underground fight club, Dawn Gym is just a front. There’s an official match with spectators once a month. And yes, this is extremely illegal.”
Listening to her words, you swallow a string of saliva building up in your throat. As she continues, an uneasy wave washes over you and a coil begins to tighten in your stomach.
“Your job isn’t just to guide them through their workouts, but to prepare them to fight one another, to teach them how to harness their abilities and control them. One mistake in public, and they jeopardize not only themselves, but the entire underground community.”
Her words hang in the air like an impending storm, the heavy weight of them waiting to strike. A nauseating tension settles in your stomach as you begin to question your capabilities for the job, your confidence waning by the minute. Uncertainty swirls through your mind, your lacking qualifications pressing against your forehead like a swollen thought. “You’ll be given a journal that was started by our old trainer- it’s got notes on every member in the gym, so don’t feel like you’re going into this blindly.”
You press your lips together, “Ok, anything else?”
“You’ll also need to make sure they’re pushing themselves to be their best without losing control. It’s on you to make sure they’re ready to fight, mentally and physically. At the end of the day, we’re a fight club and that’s how we make most of our money.”
You hold her gaze, finally feeling her words settle like lead. “Ok, but why a fight club? Why all the violence?” You feel your words catch in your throat as you ask, feeling as though this may be too much to take on. But you couldn’t turn it down, the pay was good and there weren’t many other supernatural jobs that were hiring.
Yuqi looks around the gym, nodding towards a few of the patrons that were already working up a sweat before answering your question, “I’m sure you’re well aware of this already, but the majority of us have spent our lives isolated from the real world. A lot of us don’t know how to regulate ourselves. Not being brought up properly didn’t give us the chance to learn how to cope with big emotions. The Veil helped create this place for us, a space for the supernatural to confront their inner demons and let their anger out in a safe environment” her voice softens for a moment, the slit of her pupils expanding briefly, “In a place like this, they don’t have to hide.”
Her words hit harder than you expect, cutting through a part of your heart that still aches for your past. Despite leaving the community, you had still hidden yourself. Even after being taken in and offered what you were forced to call a home, it felt more like a prison than living without a roof over your head. Forced to hide away what was an extension of yourself and acknowledged only when it benefited the two people who were supposed to love and cherish you, you never thought you’d see the day where you could embrace your entire being. Yet here you are, standing in a place where you weren’t a secret anymore but rather a strength. It’s foreign, and if it weren’t for Yuqi’s words holding up a mirror to your own past, you never would’ve questioned what life was like where you weren’t discriminated against for being different. You would be an idiot to not take this job up now.
“Now, be a good girl and introduce yourself to one of our patrons. I’ll be right behind you.” She shoves you along a bit, following after you with a soft laugh. “You’ll be working with Heeseung, Jay, Jake, and Sunghoon. They’re four of our seven regulars here.”
You bite your lip out of nervousness and find the nearest patron, only getting a view of his back as you watch him push through a set of squats. You can see his muscles strain beneath the weight, each striae bulging beneath the tight compression of his black long-sleeve. His focus is nearly palpable as he executes each movement with a haunting precision and you almost hesitate to introduce yourself, but Yuqi pushes you forward again and into his peripheral vision. When you stumble in front of him, you see that his skin is a striking porcelain white and you feel a sub zero chill run through your spine as you step into his presence. Noticing your feet awkwardly shuffling from one weight to the other, he pulls his earbuds out and gives you a strikingly cold stare.
“Hi, I’m Y/n,” your voice trembles a bit, your confidence wavering as an icy chill travels through your veins. Your next words catch in your throat as you begin to find it harder to focus, the temperature of your body becoming colder by the second. “I’m a new trainer here… at Dusk and Dawn. I’m just getting to know everyone.” You kick yourself internally for fucking up your intro, but your mind falters when your muscles begin to stiffen, the coldness gripping you like an iron vice.
Frozen in place, you opt to stare into Sunghoon’s eyes, a storm of frost and grief storming behind them. There’s a mysterious depth to them that draws you in despite the arctic freeze that’s creeping through your body, an irrational pull to figure him out.
When Yuqi notices your frozen state, she moves to deliver a sharp smack to the back of Sunghoon’s head, “Knock it off, Sunghoon,” She scolds, throwing him a venomous glare. “You’re not a walking AC unit,”
The boy has an air of arrogance to him that floats around him like a cloud, thundering when she gets too close. Rolling his eyes, his lips curve into a mocking smirk before he slides his earbuds back in as if dismissing you. You’re about to scoff when Yuqi slips her arm through yours, pulling you away before he can catch a glance at your flushed out cheeks. “Please excuse him. He’s a frost elf, so don’t expect much empathy from him.”
“Is that why I nearly died of hypothermia all of a sudden?” you ask, rubbing your arms despite your core temperature returning back to normal almost immediately.
She sighs, shaking her head as she drags you over to the next patron. “Probably, it’s a defense mechanism of his. When he feels negative emotions like annoyance or just wants to push someone away, his body temperature significantly drops, as well as whoever else he wants to affect.”
“So he did it on purpose?”
“I’m not sure,” she answers, tapping her foot on the floor, “It’s integrated into his sympathetic nervous system, so it normally activates when his fight or flight gets triggered. But if he really wanted to, he could control it. But I’ve noticed he just lets it happen whenever, like it’s his way of telling people you’re pissing him off.”
You give her a simple nod, filing the information away in the back of your brain to jot down for later. When you gather yourself, your gaze falls onto the next patron- a tall, lean guy who was too busy re-racking his weights on the bench press to notice your presence. His taut muscles flex under his white compression shirt as he handles the bar, each side stacked with more weight than you could imagine. “Fresh blood?” he asks without even sparing you a glance.
Before you can respond, Yuqi leans over, “He’s a vampire. He can smell your blood from miles away. Just don’t stare into Heeseung’s eyes for too long.”
You give the woman a nod of confirmation, playing it off as if meeting a vampire was just a regular occurrence. Turning to the vampire, you offer him a short but polite greeting, looking anywhere except his crimson gaze. Just like with Sunghoon, you find an invisible tug pulling you towards him that has you craving more, an unknown urge in your belly asking you to uncover whatever it was this person was hiding from you.
He shoots you a knowing smile, his pearly white fangs peeking out while he narrows his red eyes on you, as if testing your resolve. His stare pierces through you, slickening your core with a striking heat that has you instinctively pressing your thighs against each other. You feel a warmth begin to pool in your stomach as your composure starts to crumble, his gaze melting you like frost in the morning sun, “Yeah, that’s enough of that,” Yuqi says, pulling you away from his heat induced fixation.
Her grip on you is uncomfortably tight as she pulls you over to a corner where another person is working hard at a punching bag, each one of his strikes sending a powerful ripple through the tough canvas. The rhythm is hypnotic as he paces around the bag, his muscles surging with every hit. You stay back and watch for a moment, flinching as he assaults the bag with an unspoken aggression, years of pent up anger charged with each punch. Without even turning to address you, he snarls in an aggravated tone with his lips curled up, “Don’t bother, I already heard all the introductions.”
You raise an eyebrow and turn to Yuqi, finding yourself increasingly annoyed at the little respect you’ve been offered from the boys. “That’s Jake, another one of your trainees. Don’t mind him either… he’s a werewolf, so his hearing is enhanced, as well as all his other senses.” Yuqi looks around momentarily before connecting her hands together, turning to give you a small smile.
“Alright, I think you can find the last member assigned to you by yourself, but there is one more thing I’d like to show you,” she places a hand on your shoulder and guides you back over to the entrance. Gesturing upwards with her hand, she points to a glass booth that was suspended above the gym floor, facing the Enha Arena on the other side of the gym. “That’s our staff room. We have access to it 24/7, letting us control who enters and exits the Dusk Gym. Patrons will use the same entrance we came through with a staff to unlock the chains and everything, and we all leave through this one-way exit,” she points to a smaller door a few feet away from the entrance.
Looking over to where she points, you feel a sense of finality wash over you. The gym was starting to feel more and more like a fortress by the second, all the security features overwhelming your mind. “This isn’t just a gym, Y/n,” she says as if reading your mind, “It’s a sanctuary, and we take security here very seriously. Come find me in a few hours once you’re done, ok? I’ll be in the booth.”
With a final wave, Yuqi disappears up a staircase, leaving you by yourself with the few patrons that were still training. There were only four men in the gym, which meant the last one had to be Jay. Looking around, you spot him at the pull up bars, a grunt escaping him with each rep.
Sweat slickens your hands, and before moving, you hastily rub your hands up and down your leggings. “Hey,” you say, waving your hand. The boy hops off the pull up bar and looks at you expectantly with an eyebrow raised exceptionally high, “My name’s Y/n, I’m just introduced myself as the new gym trainer here.”
“The name is Jay, though I don’t think I’ll need much help…” he looks you up and down, his gaze terribly imposing as he takes you in, “... from you.”
You scoff at that, swallow the urge to get to know him better like a bitter pill. Like a switch, you narrow your golden eyes at the boy, refusing to let him brush you off like that, “If you want to fix that poor pull up form, you’ll want it,” your voice is rich with annoyance as you feel a deep sense of aggravation draw from within you.
He lets out an airy laugh, a breath of fire escaping his mouth as he does, “I don’t take advice from people who think ‘chin ups’ count as a real up.”
“Keep saying that when your protein shakes start tasting like the salt from your tears,” you shoot back, forcibly shoving him to the side, “And I don’t do chin ups,” Jay stumbles into the bar as his eyes begin to glow with an orange hue, an amused annoyance radiating off his warm body while a smirk creeps onto his face.
You jump onto the bar with ease, gripping the iron structure firmly before pulling yourself up in one fluid motion. With an almost annoying ease, you begin to pump out as many reps as possible, each one silently taunting him. Eventually, you drop back down to the floor once you find yourself losing count, letting your chest rise and fall with a feigned exertion.
“That’s cute, but half reps don’t count,” he declares, straightening his posture as the smirk on his face dies out like an old flame, “Now move, I’ll give you something to fucking count.”
You roll your eyes as you step back, letting him line up below the bar, “Did you need a spot, or can you get up there by yourself?” you tease, but he shuts you up with an angry grunt.
As he powers through each movement, every motion as fluid as your own, you catch a glimpse of red as his tank top moves with the speed of his reps. Red scales decorate a part of his lats and shoulders, shimmering like molten embers embedded in his skin, catching underneath the glint of the harsh lights hanging from the gym ceiling.
“Good job, Jay. Maybe you’ll graduate to a real pull up,” you say, a smirk playing its way onto your lips as you turn around. Without waiting for his response, you make your way towards the sound of metal banging on metal.
In another area of the gym is Heeseung, sitting at one of the high-end rowing machines, working up a sweat as his muscles flex under the synthetic material of his shirt. When you fall into his line of vision, he drops the grip to the row, “Can I help you?” he asks, his voice dripping with an allure as he eyes you up and down.
“I noticed your right shoulder was sagging, did you recently strain your rotator cuff?” you say, pointing at his shoulder.
He rubs the shoulder in question, feeling for the pain and nods his head, “Some bitch twisted me into the ring ropes of the arena, fucked up my shoulder and everything,” he grunts, moving it around as if to show he was still in pain, “I was just going to let it heal itself.” He moves to pick the grip back up, wincing as he pulls backwards on the heavy weight attached to it.
Without thinking, you reach out to him and place your hand over his, pulling back when he flinches away from your touch. “Sorry, but you’re just going to make it worse if you keep going,” you tell him, “Can I touch your shoulder?”
He drops the grip again, letting it hit the metal bar in the middle of the machine with a loud clang before looking at you with a coy smile, “Be my guest.”
You ignore the obvious tease in his voice and step closer to him, reaching your palm out to cover the curve of his shoulder. A quiet hush falls between the two of you as warmth diffuses from your hand while a soft orange glow emanates from your palm. The warmth intensifies as it spreads over his shoulders like liquid fire, seeping into his muscle until you feel the tautness melt away.
Heeseung’s red eyes widen slightly as he pulls away from your touch, rolling his shoulders back, “What the hell was that?”
“I’m a phoenix,” you say simply, amusement flickering across your face as you watch astonishment cross his features, his stoic mask dropping for a brief moment.
“Shit, didn’t think I’d ever meet one,” he mutters under his breath, quickly resuming his workout to test out his newfound repairment.
A twinge of sadness tugs on your heart as his words settle over you like a heavy weight pressing you to acknowledge the sad truth of the fact. You force a smile, despite his focus being elsewhere, “Yeah, we’re quite rare now,” you say more to yourself than him, an affirmation of the loneliness written into the stars. Your thoughts are burdened by the inescapable truth: you’ll never encounter another phoenix as there can only ever be one solitary ember burning in this world, destined to rise and fall until their purpose is fulfilled. At least that’s what Google says.
Heeseung finishes his set as you stand back awkwardly, unsure of what to do, “You should spend some time with Niki, he tends to hurt himself a lot during training. Usually Minnie helps, but she can only do so much with a sports medicine degree.”
“Who is Minnie?”
Heeseung stands up from the machine, seemingly done with rowing, “She’s just another trainer here. She works with Sunoo, Jungwon, and Niki.” He explains, using a towel to clean the seat on the row machine, “There are some other trainers, like Yuqi, who work with the casuals, but the seven of us are Dusk and Dawn regulars. We kind of hold the fort down here.”
“Good to know, thanks,” you say with a quick nod. When he starts to move to another machine, you don’t follow him and instead offer him a quick wave goodbye, “I’ll see you around, Heeseung.” When he nods you off, you leave the gym, ascending the same staircase Yuqi had used earlier to head up to the office. Reaching the top, you’re met with a short hallway. At the end, a single door on the left catches your eye- the staff room. With a quick knock, you enter the room to find Yuqi sitting at a large desk with several monitors in front of her, security camera footage running across each screen.
Hearing you enter, she swivels her chair around, a large smile on her face as her snake eyes long and you, “Just the person I wanted to see!” she exclaims, waving her hand for you to come over, “Looks like you’re getting along quite well with the boys, so I’ll go ahead and email you the schedule for their training sessions and the journal I was telling you about earlier. Their next match is in two weeks, so you’ll be preparing for that.” She turns to grab something from her desk, reading for a worn out leather journal, “You did more than enough today, so study this journal and I’ll see you tomorrow,” she says, placing the item in your arms with a satisfied nod. You take the tattered journal from her, the weight of its content acting as a tangible reminder of the crazy few hours you just had.
When you exit the building, the early morning air hits you like a slap, the sun barely peeking over the horizon. The streets were devoid of any governmental presence now, too much of a commitment for them to maintain any vigilance past 3 a.m. You knew they’d be back on the streets around 12 p.m., and that the neighborhood would soon be populated with moms and their strollers and people walking to work by 7 a.m. the earliest. So this four hour period in which the streets were abandoned was something the supernatural community knew well, a time slot in which the supernatural could leave their homes and stretch their legs without having to worry so much about being caught.
As you walk home, you see figures blur by you at an unnatural speed while others propel themselves dozens of feet into the air, skipping across roofs. It was a testament to what the human eye could only deem as a fantasy, but to you, it was an unspoken reality that only thrived in the quietness of the early morning. Even during this time, though, there were still limits. Elemental abilities were still kept at bay- no one dared to bend water or fire in public so openly, no matter the hour of the day. Those who did wield such powers stuck to minute things like changing the temperature of their body or whispering the flicker of heat into an angry flame.
And you knew there was still a whole other realm of abilities you weren’t aware of, tucked away beyond layers of secrecy the supernatural world was too scared to show. There was only so much research you could scour online before it became repetitive and almost theorized by rumors. The shame of living in a universe where it was illegal to exist gnawed at you everyday, and you were becoming desperate for life beyond scratching the surface of freedom. Each moment spent outside of your home left you with an aching curiosity, questions unanswered indefinitely.
But with the journal Yuqi gave you, clutched tightly in your grasp, you had a sliver of hope. Maybe it wouldn't grant you the freedom you’ve wanted for the supernatural all these years, but you hoped it could answer some of the questions that have been burning at the back of your head since your parents kicked you out.
When you arrive at the steps of your rundown apartment complex, you slowly make your way up the creaky stairs until you slip inside the dimly lit studio. Flicking the light switch on, you watch as a single bulb pathetically sputters to life, casting a faint glow across the room. There’s a lack of light in the hours where the sun doesn’t shine through your one window that acts as a source of constant frustration for you, making it nearly impossible for you to see without the flashlight from your phone or the fire from your fingers. But with your new job and new paychecks, you’re starting to hope you’ll be able to find a place that has bulbs stronger than a meager 40 watts.
With an exasperated sigh, you throw your belongings onto your patchwork couch and change into an old shirt and panties. As much as you wanted to dive into the journal that Yuqi had so generously given you, the dim lighting of your apartment made it almost impossible to read. You could’ve used the flashlight on your phone, but the lack of a working outlet left you unable to charge it if it died. And as much as you would’ve liked to cast a pretty flame from your fingertips, they were far too much of a fire hazard inside the old wooden walls of your studio apartment. Instead, you decide it’d be best to just wait until the early afternoon when the sunlight enters your window naturally.
When the sun rays do filter through your window, you spring upwards in bed, your body restless despite the pitiful amount of hours you managed to snag. For the first time in years, your night wasn’t consumed with a monotonous amount of homework or the glow of online workout videos in a lonely room. Instead- no matter how chaotic- you had a new purpose. You were exhilarated to keep going, fuelled by only a few hours of sleep yet ready to take on the next few days coursing with energy- a trait Phoenixes prided themselves upon: resilience.
With a precise stretch, you reach over to your desk and grab the journal you set aside from earlier. Nestling back into bed, you open the first page to reveal a comprehensive list of all the supernatural beings that had ever attended Dusk and Dawn over the years. Your eyes scan through the list of names, a mess of words that bleed onto the next page. Some are expected, familiar even- werewolves, vampires, dragons, griffins- but there are some that catch you off guard: valkyries, kitsunes, fairies, centaurs, and many more. Yet, you notice that not a single phoenix appears on the list, and it leaves an invisible weight sitting on your shoulders.
Moving through the next few pages, the entries become more and more detailed as they start to divulge into each patron, starting with Heeseung. His name is scrawled out on the top of the page in fancy letters, and underneath it readers ‘Vampire.’ A barely legible sketch of his face is drawn next to his name and you let out a soft laugh as you trace your finger over the old led before drawing your eyes down to Heeseung’s written description.
Heeseung came to Dusk and Dawn seven years ago, seeking for a way to cope with the anger of his parents abandoning him at the age of 16. He has been a general joy to have, often participating diligently in activities and putting his best foot forward in matches. Throughout his years at Dusk and Dawn, staff has observed that when pushed too far, Heeseung enters a state known as vampiric rage. Symptoms include: severe blood lust, glowing red eyes, feeding compulsion, disturbed/over enhanced senses, uncontrollable aggression, and predatory behavior. It is recommended he be taken into isolation when this occurs until he calms down
Power descriptions: hypnotic gaze, enhanced senses (strength, smell, sight, hearing), night vision, super speed. Please revise if necessary
You swallow the lump in your throat when you finish reading his entry, feeling a knot tighten in your stomach as you turn to the next page. Jongseong is the next name you see, and in parentheses the name Jay is written next to it with a large ‘Dragon’ scrawled underneath it. There’s another half-hearted sketch drawn next to it, and you notice the birth mark added to his neck, a darker patch on the left side of his neck.
Jay first came to Dusk and Dawn a few months after Heeseung, bringing a similar energy as the latter. Shaped by the self-resilient upbringing he developed under The Veil’s guidance, he has showcased a few profound characteristics that stand out during training. His past cultivates a very competitive spirit that is landmarked by a web of complex trust issues, resulting in a volatile temperature which resembles that of a pressure cooker.
Power descriptions: scale armor, pyrokinesis, enhanced strength. Please revise if necessary
On the next two pages are profiles for Jake and Sunghoon, the last two members Yuqi said you would be training. Beneath Sunghoon’s name are the words ‘Frost Elf’, and ‘Werewolf’ beneath Jakes.
Jake joined Dusk and Dawn shortly after Jay and Heeseung with a unique backstory, coming from a lineage of other werewolves, he sought out this place after losing his family during an attack. His personality fluctuates heavily between being quite friendly and open to acting quite aggressive and aloof. During full moons and times of overstimulation, he struggles with the primal side of his werewolf blood coming into full effect: excessive aggression, overprotection of his packmates, animalistic instincts, and loss of rationality. Jake should be carefully monitored for any signs of depression d/t history of family loss
Power descriptions: enhanced senses (smell, hearing, speed, strength), healing saliva (minor wounds), scent tracker, lethal bites and scratches. Please revise if necessary
Below Jake’s profile is Sunghoon’s.
Sunghoon joined a day after Jake with the primary goal of fighting people. Like Jay, he has navigated the challenges of all life stages by himself and upon joining Dusk and Dawn, he openly admitted to struggling with recognizing emotional cues and controlling his powers. It has become evident over the years that Sunghoon has made significant progress in developing his abilities, yet he often chooses to not exercise control unless absolutely necessary. Rather, he tends to resort to violence when provoked, that he just “doesn’t care” as stated by Sunghoon himself.
Power descriptions: cryokinesis, frost armor, temperature manipulation/aura. Please revise if necessary
Upon finishing Sunghoon’s entry, an overwhelming sense of responsibility descends over your shoulders, prompting you to close the book and reflect. The solemn history of these four members has you reconsidering your qualifications, debating whether you’re just in over your head and blinded by the hourly wage of your new job. Did you have the societal experience to connect with them and guide them in the way that Yuqi was expecting you to? Really, they too grew up alone or abandoned at some point in their life, isolated from the real world- but they had more time to learn about the real world through Dusk and Dawn than you did. What right did you have to go ordering them around and telling them what to do?
Heeseung had previously mentioned that there were three other regulars that attended the gym, but because they weren’t training with you, you decided it’d be best to wait until you met them before reading their entries. Right now, your immediate focus was on sharpening your own skills.
So with your renewed determination, you divulge into a whirlwind of rigorous training. The next few hours leading up to your second training shift is filled with a relentless cycle of speed drills and high-intensity circuits designed to test your endurance. Your goal wasn’t to just be stronger- you already had that. Instead, you aimed to outlast the boys. Stamina would be your greatest asset working at Dusk and Dawn.
After who knows how many hours, your phone alarm goes off indicating you had one hour left before your next shift started. You take that time to shower and clean up, taking an especially hot shower. Clad in a new pair of leggings and tank top, you walk back to the gym, retracing the same alleyways and backroads as you did the night before.
“Hi, Yuqi.” you say, greeting the serpent hybrid supernatural sitting behind the front desk. She's got her head tilted down with some magazine in her hands, her black framed glasses perched low on her nose as she reads.
She acknowledges you with a low hiss, her forked tongue flicking up and down in the air. “Here are some keys,” she says, tossing a set of keys at you to which you catch mid-air. “Take the boys into the elemental training room when they get here, you’ll learn about their abilities there. It’s just Niki in there right now”
With the keys in one hand and your backpack strap tucked in the other, you make your way down the familiarly dim hallway where that same iron door stands at the end, wrapped in a chain of metal. Laying against the rusting door were at least three padlocks, and after a minute of figuring out which key goes where, you push open the door to reveal the glory of the Dusk gym once again.
The familiar clang of weights hitting against one another fills the air, echoing through the large auditorium as you walk in. Setting your bag down against a long black bench beside one of the cement pillars, your eyes draw in on a tall, unfamiliar boy whom you presume to be Niki, working out in front of the numerous mirrors lining the gym. As you approach him, you can’t help but let your focus fall on the way the vein in his bicep bulges with every rep, straining when the dumbbells press against his chest. You lean against a machine nearby, momentarily forgetting your intent to introduce yourself to him. “Looking for something?” he says, glancing at you through the mirror. Your attention snaps back up to respond, but he’s not there.
“I’m right here, sweetie.” the voice continues to tease, this time coming from behind. You spin around, your gaze travelling the area as you look for the source but to no avail.
A dark laugh that seems to only fill your thoughts starts overwhelming you, the absurdness of the voices in your head making you spin. Shutting your eyes, you will the laughter to go away. Suddenly, a tap on your shoulder jolts you out of your thoughts and the laughter comes to a stop. Opening your eyes, your gaze finally lands on the boy you saw in the mirror, his sharp eyes glaring down on you with a mischievous glint, “So you’re the infamous trainer I’ve heard so much about.” He says, leaning down to match your height.
You clear your throat, “That’s correct. And I’m assuming you’re Niki?” Stepping back, you attempt to create some distance from the relatively tall boy standing before you.
He nods his head, letting the fringe of his black hair fall into his eyes. “I’ve heard a lot about you,” he says, stepping into your space despite your previous attempt to distance yourself. He bites his lip as his mouth curves into a devious smile, eyes darkening. Reaching for your hand, he interlocks his fingers in yours, “So you’re a phoenix…”
He brings your hands up to your vision so that the both of you can see, his large hand almost devouring yours completely, “I can play with fire too.” He says, squeezing your hand harshly. Suddenly, a glow of embers envelopes your hands completely, a scalding heat spreading between you both as his powers force yours out as well.
But as quickly as the fire emits, it extinguishes, a flash of blue striking the flame and leaving only a cloud of smoke in its wake. “Cut it out, Niki,” a voice calls from a distance. Turning to the sound, you see a boy with ashy brown hair approaching you with graceful strides, “We’re not supposed to use our elements in the gym, there’s a specific place for that.”
“Alright, Katara.”
“It’s Sunoo, not Katara.” The boy corrects, bowing to you.
“Could’ve fooled me with that water bending of yours,” Niki pesters, squeezing Sunoo’s ears after letting go of your hand.
Sunoo gives Niki a face as he swats the taller boy’s hand away from him, shooting him a darkened glare that leaves Niki in a slight daze. “Are you guys ever gonna act like your age, or are we stuck with the mental capacity of a 10 year old?” a voice calls from behind. Sunghoon’s chilling voice pierces through the air as he comes into view, casually dressed in a pair of gray sweats and white tank, a disturbing contrast to his arrogance. He shoves his hands into his pockets before adding, “You guys are fucking children.”
An arctic freeze radiates off of his otherwise relaxed body and Niki begins to tremble, angrily flicking his arm to emit a glow of fire that crawls up his arm and down his torso. “Stop using your temperature manipulation on us, Yuqi said you’re supposed to control that shit,” Sunoo scolds, moving closer to Niki to feel his fire.
You roll your eyes, feeling bored of their tense exchange. “Enough, just get into the training room before you rip each other’s heads off.” you demand, your voice laced with annoyance. The boys grumble in response, muttering things that you don’t bother to decipher as they walk into a dark room tucked away in the back of the auditorium. When you enter, you flick the light on to reveal a large gray room, both its floor and walls adorned with the same glossy stone material- though they’re marked up by what you assume is years of burn marks and blunt force. The room is a quarter the size of the gym, holding an abundance of training dummies and bullseyes; amongst other things.
“Line up here,” you say, pointing to the back of the room. They kick their shoes off before stepping onto the black gym mats, moving in silence. “I’ll have you guys each target train on a dummy so I can get a gauge of your guys’ skills. If you don’t have an ability that requires target training, just don’t line up.” You say as you kick your own shoes off.
Before you can continue, an out of breath voice interrupts you, “Am I late?”
You turn around to see the silhouette of a boy who seems to have run all the way here. Rather than answering, you nod your head to the mat in annoyance, “Who are you?”
“Jungwon,” he offers, presenting you with a smile to which the pits of his dimples show. For a second, your shield of authority falters for a brief second when your eyes pass over his grin, but you’re quick to pick it back up as you address Sunghoon.
“Sunghoon, can you tell me what each of these boys are?” He opens his mouth to complain, but you catch on to the change in his demeanor rather quickly, “Without complaining.”
He bites his lip, grumbling something under his breath before proceeding. “Niki is a kitsune- a childish one at that. Sunoo is a siren, and Jungwon is a shapeshifter. And I’m a frost elf, but I’m hoping you already knew that.”
Looking down at your watch, you frown when you realize that more than half of your own group is missing and you were supposed to start ten minutes ago. “Ok, let’s start,” you annoy, stepping off to the side.
“Shouldn’t we spar? We already know how to target train,” Sunghoon tests, cinching his eyebrows together in annoyance.
“Did I ask?” you shoot back, raising an eyebrow at him. “Sunoo, go first.”
Sunoo grins, dramatically flicking away a strand of hair from his face before stepping forward. He steadies himself, planting his feet firmly on the floor before narrowing his fox-like eyes at the dummy across the room. In one graceful motion, a stream of water burst from his hands, gradually growing in volume before he thrusts his hands forward, sending a jet of water towards the target. The liquid splits down the middle as it moves through the air, weaving around itself before slamming into the target.
When it hits, Sunoo begins to sing- his voice a piercing yet soothing high that seems to resonate with the movement of the water. The liquid responds, wrapping around the target like a mermaid’s tail, constricting the target more and more with every second. When Sunoo’s voice fades, the water falls, limp of any life it once had.
“Well done,” you say, giving him a nod of acknowledgement, “But I’m worried about your singing. You become quite vulnerable when you sing, though your water becomes very powerful when you do, so come up with a way to make yourself safe before performing something like that.”
Sunoo smiles at you as he accepts your critiques, stepping aside. He brushes past Sunghoon with a smirk you don’t quite catch and the responding boy pushes him into the wall. You nod to Sunghoon next, who steps forward to take his spot, his confidence radiating in a piercing chill around him. He doesn’t wait for further instruction before he’s raising his hand to eye level, creating a razor-sharp shard of ice that cuts through the air and tears straight into the dummy’s chest with cunning precision. Upon impact, the ice splinters, shattering the dummy beyond repair.
Before you can offer your commentary, Sunghoon’s launching himself into a side-flip, a long blade of ice forming in his hands mid-air. When he lands, the floor beneath him transforms into a sheet of ice. With amazing ease, he glides towards the other dummies and wields the blade of ice into each target with a lethalness that has you flinching.
His chest heaves up and down as the ice underneath him dissipates, returning the floor back to its original material. He carries himself with a cold arrogance, his head thrown back as he walks back to the line. “What the hell…” you whisper, not catching the way your eyes ravage his body, his veins bulging out of his arms. Sweat glistens down his porcelain skin and you subconsciously rub your thighs together to quell the unnatural feeling in your core.
“He’s hot, right?” a voice from behind you whispers, loud enough for only you to hear. You turn around only to see Jake standing beside you, just inches away from.
“When the hell did you get here?”
“When Sunoo finished, but you were too busy ogling at Sunghoon to notice.”
“I was not ogling, I was evaluating,” you correct, taking a step away. Jake is quick to compensate for the pathetic distance you try to put between you and him, bringing his body even closer than it was before until you can feel the heat of his body radiate off onto yours. He’s taller than you, not as much as the others, but enough to make you want to crawl inside of yourself and disappear as he breathes in your exhales.
“I may just be a werewolf, a mutt as some of the boys like to call me, but I’m just as strong as Sunghoon,” he whispers, his lips grazing the shell of your ear. “Maybe even stronger.”
His voice sends a rush of heat down to your core, only adding on to the slick that’s coated the seat of your panties. Fueled by a mix of arousal and anger, you force yourself to choose the latter to control your next decisions. Stomping on his foot, hard, you give Jake a throaty snarl, “Get in the damn line.”
Jake smirks, ignoring the pain that shoots up his foot, “I just know you’re gonna be begging for me soon,” he whispers once more before sauntering off to stand next to Jungwon.
“Well?” Sunghoon’s voice pulls you out of your own mental storm and you look up at him, “Any comments, Ms. Y/n?”
“Dial it back a bit,” is all you say, nodding at Niki next. Sunghoon rolls his eyes, biting back a smirk as he plays oblivious to the fact that he didn’t just catch the way you watched his every move as he walked back into the line, staring at him like a bitch in heat. Just like all the others, he thinks to himself as he watches Niki step up to the spot he was in originally.
Niki is your focus of attention now, steadying himself into a ready position before allowing his body to engulf in a rage of flames. He strides towards the group of targets, flaming embers dripping off of him like a molten sweat as he approaches. As he moves closer, a swirl of fire surrounds the targets and fills the air with an eerie, high-pitched laughter that echoes off the walls. The swarm of fire morphs into a crowd of sinister faces that leer at the targets, hauntingly paralyzing if you were to look them in the eye. It’s disorienting, even to watch as a spectator on the sidelines as the faces transform into flaming spears that shoot into the dummies- a copycat of Sunghoon’s ice shards.
The room immediately fills with smoke as the targets burst into flames, smoke stinging your eyes. Sunoo jumps into action then, dousing the fiery targets with a storm of water, clearing out the smoke. The room is silent except for the soft sizzling of the dummies rematerializing in front of you as brand new, like some sort of magic. “Alright, Jake is useless with elements and Jungwon would rather spar than copy our powers, so can we finally start hitting each other?” Sunghoon asks, breaking the tension in the room.
Jake lets out a growl, slamming his fist into Sunghoon’s unsuspecting body, “Suck my cock.”
In a matter of seconds, Sunghoon’s dark brown eyes transition into a furiously bright blue, his hand materializing a razor-sharp ice blade. He lunges towards Jake, raising his arm up at the boy to attack but you step in immediately, a burst of flames surrounding you as you teleport to Sunghoon’s side. “Enough!” you yell out, Sunghoon’s arm held tightly in your hand. “No more of these stupid fights unless it’s during an official match or sparring. And Sunghoon,” you twist his shoulder until he’s wincing, “I will not have you slicing Jake open with your blades of ice.”
You bring your hand down to grip the girth of his ice-blade before looking at the others, “Go to the damn ring and put your wraps on. Now.”
As the group begins to exit, you catch Sunghoon’s arm with a sharp glare. “Not so fast.,” you mutter. A surge of heat pulses through your palm and immediately melts his blade, the crystalline weapon quickly losing its shape and dripping onto the padded floor. With a final shove, you send him stumbling to the ground.
“What the fuck, Y/n?” He hisses, shooting you a blue-eyed glare.
“Out.” You hiss with finality, watching with your eyes as he stomps out of the room. The door slams behind him, echoing with the anger he harbors towards your actions. You could care less- finally alone for a brief moment. You draw in a deep breath, an attempt at steadying your racing pulse. The air is thick with apprehension and you feel a knot developing in your shoulders, one that likely wouldn’t have developed if it weren’t for the boys’ constant bickering. There’s a frustration that bubbles beneath your authoritative facade, one that’s bordering the lines of blowing up.
You lean against the wall and close your eyes for a brief moment, taking that second to let the darkness consume you. In that moment of peaceful blindness, you seek solace in the unknown- almost yearning for your life in isolation to come back. “It’s nice to see someone keep the boys in line,” the voice has you opening your eyes, focusing in on a girl that steps out from the shadows of the training room. Her pink eyes sparkle with warmth as she approaches you, a broad smile painting her face.
“Are you Minnie?”
“What gave it away?” she giggles, “Sorry, something came up yesterday during your orientation so I couldn’t meet with you, but I’ll be able to spend some time with you today.” She takes a hold of your hand, humming softly as a warm glow radiates between the connections.
Her gesture sends a wave of relaxation through your tense body, easing the knot in your shoulders as the light travels through your veins. “I’m a light fairy,” she explains, “one of my powers is to calm people down through touch.”
You smile into her touch, placing your free hand atop your connected ones, “I may need you around me indefinitely,” you prod at the tense air gently, though deep down you both know it’s not entirely a joke. The weight of everything despite it only being your second day was already feeling like too much. Her warmth was like a much needed respite.
Minnie laughs again, infecting you with a joy you didn’t think was possible. When the light between your hands fades, she pulls you out of the room. “Boys!” she exclaims as she approaches the ring, waving at the group of boys who have started warming up. You notice Jay and Heeseung are already there.
Sunoo and Jungwon are the only ones that bother to look up, waving back excitedly before rushing to the edge of the arena, leaning on the rope rings to peer down at the two of you. “Hi noona!” Jungwon says, reaching his hand out toward Minnie.
Minnie connects her hand with his and closes her eyes, a ball of light transferring between their intertwined fingers, “Are you gonna calm them down?” she whispers, a soft melody that could make you fall asleep. Jungwon nods, letting the light dance along his skin before it dissolves when he disconnects their hands and bounds back to the boys to tussle around with them. With his back turned, Minnie looks at you with a melancholic gaze, one that doesn’t really match her vibrant energy from earlier, “The older boys don’t let me touch them, they’re a bit closed off like that, but I get it,” her voice drops off as her gaze drifts back to the older members, a longing sadness in her eyes. Though it doesn’t last long before she turns back to face you, “When they get riled up, Jungwon copies my powers temporarily and does the same thing I did with you. They seem to trust him the most.”
You turn to watch Jungwon, his hands subtly climbing the backs of the older boys as a soft luminescent glow of light identical to Minnie’s pulses from his fingertips and transcends through their bodies. He continues to mess around with them, shadow boxing with the elders as each one of them slowly let their defenses fall.
“My boys don’t get as angry as yours,” Minnie continues, running a hand through her blonde hair. “I think that’s why Yuqi paired me with them. She knows I can only handle so much negativity as a fairy.” She pauses to glance over at the boys once more, smiling when she sees Jungwon’s head stuck in between Sunghoon’s arms- a sisterly affection radiating off of her body. “I think their outbursts are what made the old gym trainer quit. If I’m being honest, they’re quite dangerous when their emotions get the best of them. They’re rough around the edges, but they’re good people on the inside.”
Her words spark a curiosity deep inside of you, and you press on for more info as you continue to watch them from outside of the arena. “Have they known each other for a long time?” You ask, noticing their sibling like energy, despite the tension from earlier.
“I think some of the boys have known each other since they were in the community, and others have just met a year ago when they joined the gym. But they all get along differently, some are really close while others aren’t.” She gives you a grim smile, “I think Sunghoon’s got the most complicated relationships out of all of them. Frost elves aren’t exactly known to be friendly, but he’s different with these boys. I dont think he’d ever really hurt them- at least not seriously. He really cares for them, he just lets his emotions get the best of him.”
Her candid assessment of Sunghoon roots you to the spot, prompting you to process her words right then. You had noticed something too- he was especially closed off when you first met him. There was a storm in his eyes when his gaze landed on yours, one that seemed to cloud his judgement. It was raw and unfiltered, hiding what you felt was a war of control in the back of his mind behind a fog of indifference.
Shaking your head, you give Minnie a grateful nod and gesture to the ring, “Should we get started?” Her face lights up and she slips into the arena, lifting the ropes up for you as you follow after her. You bounce against the padded cushion of the ring, adjusting to the flooring before addressing the group of boys before you. “Let’s start off with Jake and Jay, no powers. Just pure strength and skill.”
Jake and Jay separate from their impromptu shadow boxing match, leaving the other boys to move off to the side, leaning against the ropes like its routine; varying levels of interest on their faces. Sunghoon’s got his arms crossed with a bored expression across his face, like he could be doing anything else than watch other people fight. Next to him, Niki looks intrigued, his head slightly tilted like a little puppy as he awaits the match. The rest of the boys seem indifferent, neither bored nor interested as if they’ve seen this a million times.
In the center of the ring now is Jay and Jake, facing each other as they steady themselves in their own personal ready positions. Jake has his right foot forward, his hands up to his face in a rather tense position as he narrows his eyes at Jay. The latter is more calm, his posture relaxed while his hands are held loosely at his face. “Go.”
Jake is the first to move, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet as he sizes up Jay, initiating an unspoken agreement to move counter-clockwise in the arena. The two boys circle around one another for a few seconds, each step heavy with tension as their gazes become predatory. Jay throws the first punch, lunging forward with a fast left jab, but Jake anticipates his movement and strides to the side, allowing Jay to graze his ear. Jay overcompensates and passes Jake, barely stumbling forward while Jake’s lip curls into a grin, laughter erupting from his belly.
Rolling his eyes, Jay kicks his foot back, connecting with the back of Jake’s knee. In an instant, Jake is on the ground, dead-legged by his opponent. “Dumbass,” Jay mutters, smirking to himself when he turns around. He steps back, allowing Jake to get back up.
Jake regains his composure quickly, rolling his shoulders back and stretching his neck. Jay moves in one more time- using his right arm this time as he aims for Jake’s jaw, but he ducks out of the way again, throwing a left hook into Jay’s side. The force of his punch has Jay gasping for air, hunching over from the velocity as he staggers back to catch his breath. It doesn’t hurt, but rather knocks the wind out of him. There’s a brief silence as Jay quickly catches his breath, steadying himself as he gives Jake the chance to go on the offense this time.
Sweat is beading on both of their foreheads now as the tension in the air thickens. You watch as Jake begins to circle around Jay again like a predator stalking his prey, locking eyes on him once more. With lightning speed, Jake flies forward to uppercut Jay’s jaw, blood flying in the air as Jay bites down on his tongue- hard. Jay doesn’t falter though, immediately responding with a jab and two crosses to Jake’s face. They stumble away from each other for a brief second before going at it again, throwing a mess of punches and kicks at each other until they can barely hold themselves up.
You get a good look at their faces once they separate- a thick stream of blood spills from Jay’s chin, the familiar taste of metallic filling his mouth. He smiles, teeth bloodied as he’s reminded of the adrenaline from fighting- a chemical surge of power. He brings a wrist to his lip, pulling back to see bright red staining his skin. When he looks at Jake, he observes his best friend in a similar state, a jagged cut across his eyebrow and blood gushing from his left nostril. You don’t even want to imagine the bruises developing beneath their clothes where they clutch at themselves like a kicked puppy.
You step forward, wincing at the blood staining their faces. “Alright, that’s enough,” you say, looking over at their hunched over figures. Jake and Jay, flushed out and breathing heavily begin to unwrap their boxing wraps. Limping to the middle of the ring, they exchange a quick handshake and slap on the back before slipping out of the ring to clean themselves up at the benches. The pungent mixture of sweat and iron has you cringing when it slams into your senses, causing you to wrinkle your nose up in disgust. “We’ll take a quick break and then I’ll have Sunghoon and Heeseung spar next.”
Before you can turn away, a voice- unfamiliar and brooding- slices through the murmur of conversation amongst the group. “Mind if I hop in?” You whirl around to the source of the voice, your gaze landing on a figure taller than everyone in the room standing just a few feet away from the arena. He’s clad in a black zip up jacket and white sweats that hang loosely around his lean, athletic build, “My name’s K. Just signed up at the front desk.”
You tilt your head to the side as you take in his presence. There’s something unsettling about him. The air around him seems dark, hanging off of his frame like a suicide gone wrong. There’s a ringing in your ears as you debate whether or not to let him spar, and without realizing it, Jake steps in front of you. Glancing over at Heeseung, he nods, a look of challenge lighting up in his eyes. “Alright, you can go up against Heeseung. Just give them a few minutes.”
Ten minutes go by quickly and Heeseung is back in the ring along with the others. He’s quick to get into position, hands raised to the front of his face as he plants his feet firmly into the mat of the ring. K lines himself up across from Heeseung in a similar position, ready to start but you hold your hand out. “K, I want to know who you are before starting.”
A wicked grin spreads across his face as he keeps his eyes locked on Heeseung, “You’ll figure it out soon enough, sweetheart.” He taunts, and before you can press further, he lunges.
Heeseung doesn’t hesitate, sidestepping out of K’s trajectory at an almost inhumane speed. As K’s fist whistles past Heeseung’s face, he counters the attack with a right hook aimed towards K’s gut. It doesn’t work as K snaps his body around to catch Heeseung’s punch with an iron-like grip. Heeseung’s eyes widen momentarily but he recovers quickly as he twists his arm out, driving a knee into the taller boy’s stomach.
Again, K blocks the attack and with a violent twist, throws Heeseung to the edge of the ring that you’re standing at. You along with Jungwon, Niki, and Jake quickly separate to make room for Heeseung’s body before he slams against the rubber ropes, landing on the ground with a loud thud. He’s quick to recover, his vampiric speed allowing him to regain his composure within milliseconds. With a new anger raging through him, Heeseung bares his fangs at K as sweat drips down his temple.
K’s smirk never fades as he runs at Heeseung, his fist flying through the air as he closes in on him, but Heeseung dodges. A mirage of relentless punches and kicks are thrown at Heeseung, but he dodges each one by a hair. Quickly fatigued by the sporadic movement, K’s motions become slower and in a moment of weakness, Heeseung delivers a swift uppercut to K’s jaw followed by a sequence of jabs that are delivered with a savage intensity that only a vampire at full strength could display. The force of his blows sends blood gushing from K’s face, his features splitting open in an unattractive display.
K staggers back, suddenly caught off guard by the sheer force of Heeseung’s assault. In a heartbeat, the air shifts and K’s demeanor changes from that of a playfully oppressive gaze to one of a lethal intent. When Heeseung throws one more punch, K catches his fist in his palm mid-air and uses his momentum to slam him into the ground with a bone-cracking force, the impact knocking all of the wind out of Heeseung.
A guttural sound rips from Heeseung’s mouth when his back hits the pad, the impact leaving him clawing for air as you take a step forward out of instinct. Niki’s hand grips your shoulder and he pulls you back, holding you there firmly as he drops his hand down to your forearm. “You worthless vampire,” K whispers, a black tendril stretching out from K’s hand. When you see the shadows unfurl from K’s palm, your breath catches and you move to intervene right as Heeseung’s own red tendrils flare to life, his red eyes glowing with rage. He kicks under K’s hold, their shadows a mess of anger as they collide against each other.
“Enough!” you shout, cutting through the brutal stalemate they seem to be locked into.
K releases Heeseung from his hold, his sinister shadows immediately flowing back into his slender hands while Heeseung rolls away from under him, his chest heaving up and down. “What the hell was that?” you shout, fury boiling under the surface as you clench your fists.
K leans down to match your height, his gaze locking on yours as his eyes cloud over with a black haze, “I’m a necromancer.” He says, his voice dripping with challenge.
A snarl erupts from your throat, barely restrained by the thread of resolve you hold for yourself as you throw a deadly glare at K, “That doesn’t give you the fucking right to try and kill him during practice!” You accuse, the heaviness in your voice punctuated by the chilling tension in the air. You let out a long, shaky sight and rush over to reach for Heeseung, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?” You murmur, trying to gauge his emotions.
He flinches under your touch, roughly pulling away from you before giving you a barely noticeable nod, lips held in a tight line as he refuses to meet your concerned gaze. You tongue your cheek with worry as you watch him slip out of the ring and head into the changing rooms, leaving you standing there in the middle of the ring while the rest of the boys pretend to not have watched the whole exchange. A complicated knot of guilt settles in your stomach as you think about what to do, torn between following after him and just staying put.
You’ve only known the boy for a day- barely enough time for you to feel entitled to his trust or to chase after him. In fact, you’ve only known the gym for a day- but there was something sharp that twisted inside of you after seeing him like that.
With a shaky sigh, you turn around but you’re caught off guard when you see Sunoo’s eyes wash over you, but his eyes are vacant, as if he’s looking right through you. His expression is dulled by a glassy sheen, holding a deeper understanding that you can’t quite grasp and it makes the knife in your stomach twist just that much more.
“I think we’re done for today,” You look back at K before slipping out of the ring, ““K, I don’t want to ever see you pulling that shit again.” The atmosphere is thick with hostility as you start to clean up, thick enough you could choke on it. Throwing a bloodied rag into a nearby laundry bin, you spot Yuqi entering the gym, her snake eyes narrowed on K.
You watch as she zips towards him in quick, determined strides. Within seconds, she’s face to face with K, thrusting her hand at his neck. She grabs onto his long neck with a vice-like grip, strangling him. With her serpent-like strength, she slams him into a nearby pillar, the impact echoing through the gym loud enough to have the boys flicking their heads up. K’s eyes widen in shock as he claws at her arm, his arrogant facade breaking as his back slides against the concrete pillar.
“If you ever hurt one of my patrons like that again, I will have you blacklisted from Dusk and Dawn in an instant,” she hisses, her forked tongue flicking out to spray a mist of black venom on his face. The effect is instant, liquid smoke curling up from his skin as the venom sizzles into his flesh, leaving red blisters on his face. She tightens her fingers around his throat for just a second before letting go, letting her threat hang in the air like old laundry.
When she leaves, your mouth hangs open in shock, “You’re catching flies.” Sunghoon says, nudging your chin closed.
You purse your lips, ignoring him as you clasp your hands in an attempt to regain some composure. “Alright…” you trail off, still reeling from the confrontation between Yuqi and K. “Before you guys leave, I’d like to have a one-on-one conversation with each of you. I’ll be over by the benches when you’re ready.”
Despite being able to feel the pounding of your own heartbeat in your damn throat, you stride over to where the benches are, forcing your steps to remain steady and confident. You refuse to show the boys any hints of fear or inferiority, not like the first day.
As you sit down on the benches, you notice Jake is the first one to approach, his presence commanding as ever when he enters your space. “Jake,” you say, patting the spot beside you.
He doesn’t move, rather adjusts the strap on his gym bag that’s slung over his shoulder as he continues to stand in front of you.
“You really should sit. This isn’t supposed to be a quick chat.” You respond, noticing his restraint. “I’m not asking.”
Sighing, he drops onto the bench, letting his bag fall to the floor with a loud thud. “Alright, what’d you need?”
Cutting straight to the point, you ask your first question, “Are you friends with all the boys?”
Jake lets out a deep laugh, his canines flashing at you when he does. “Really? That’s what you want to know?” You roll your eyes, smacking him. “Ok, well I guess you could say we’re all pretty tight. But Sunghoon, he’s a dick through and through, but I know him well enough. I’ve been at this gym for six years now?”
You’re not surprised to hear about his comments towards Sunghoon, his earlier bickering with him being evidence enough that they often butted heads. But your mind thinks back to the journal entry you read about Jake’s past, about his family being torn apart prior to coming here. You shift in your spot, choosing your words with careful precision. “I came across something while I was reading the old trainer’s journal. It said you had supernatural parents. That’s quite rare in Luxta, most of us are found and taken in by The Veil.”
Your question hangs in the air with unspoken emotion as Jake’s entire body tenses at the mention of his late parents, his laughter dying in his throat as he thinks of a response. “Well yeah, I’m a werewolf. We live in packs, but that’s all gone now.” His jaw clenches as the browns of his eyes darken into something deeper. At his sides, his fists repeatedly clench and unclench, his knuckles blanching with each movement. “It’s none of your damn business anyways. Are we done here?”
His voice drips with anger as he stands up, snatching his gym bag in one quick motion. He doesn’t wait for you to answer, instead curling his lips at you, a silent warning for you to stop talking. “Watch your fucking mouth, Y/n. You don’t know anything.” He says before walking off, shoulders tense and you swear you can almost smell the angry pheromones lingering in his absence.
“Don’t mind him, he tends to have extreme mood swings.” Jay says from behind. You turn around to face him, unintentionally letting him catch a glimpse of your sad eyes, mourning the ghost of his presence. His own gaze softens in response when he sees your reaction, and he finds himself fighting this flicker of empathy clawing its way up his throat. “You said you wanted to talk to us?” He says instead, sitting at a comfortable distance from you.
“Right, I just wanted to see how you guys get along, that sort of thing.” You clarify, pausing in order to let him fill in the gaps.
“Ah, I guess you could say I’m pretty close with everyone. Jungwon and I go way back though, I guess I took him under my wing in the community since neither of us were adopted.” He offers you a half-smile as he speaks, but you notice the way he rushes through the word ‘adopted’, as if it’ll hurt him if he lingers on the word too long.
“What was it like growing up in The Veil?”
“It sucked, but I’m not sure the alternative was any better,” he steals a glance at you to which you look down at the floor in a hurry, guilt eating away at you for being one of the few children that were ‘adopted.’ “We were in and out of shelters until we were 16, then Jungwon and I got housed together and then eventually, we were forced to find our own place once we turned 20.”
“And what about Sunghoon?”
“What about me?” That familiar wave of coldness shocks your nervous system and you freeze, feeling it work its way up your veins. Sunghoon’s voice cuts through the chilling temperature, and you steal a glance at the boy standing behind you, his eyes sending daggers into your back. “If you have something to say, say it to my face.”
Jay only laughs, finding the situation amusing. “I think that’s my cue to leave.” He stands up quickly, throwing Sunghoon a hesitant glance before parting.
You meet Sunghoon’s glare, a touch of guilt coursing through you as your core temperature continues to drop. “I’m sorry, Sunghoon,” You say, your voice evident with a mix of frustration and defeat. “Please, can you stop trying to give me hypothermia?”
Your pathetic apology seems to strike a chord in Sunghoon, and for a moment, his usually hard expression falls. Though as quickly as it falls, it tenses right back up as your body bounces back to its original temperature. “I didn’t mean to talk about you behind your back, I just want to know how I can support you.”
Sunghoon crosses his arms, offering you an unamused smile. “I don’t know why you’re so desperate to support me. You’re just a gym trainer.”
His words are like a slap to your face, and you flinch, feeling its harsh sting. He’s right- you’re just a trainer, hired to make sure they don’t kill each other and out themselves to the real world. You know you should keep your distance, but you can’t. That pull you felt yesterday when you met them all, it’s only grown stronger. You weren’t going to let Sunghoon’s attitude freeze you out, not if you could help it.
“Well unfortunately, that’s not up to you.” You counter. “So, can you explain to me why you feel the need to use your temperature manipulation so casually? Why do you choose not to control it around your friends?”
Sunghoon remains indifferent to your question, but you think a small part of him reacts to you saying the word ‘friend.’ “Cuts down on the amount of talking I need to do. Gets the message across that they’re pissing me off when I freeze them, and when they back off, I dial it back.” He pauses for a second before continuing. “And they’re not my friends.”
“Ok, except it doesn’t.” You challenge him, “This isn’t just some simple power where you can use negative reinforcement to condition other people’s behaviors. You can’t punish people into compliance, it’s not ethical.” You hang your head, trying to think of a way to speak to him like you aren’t talking down on him. “I would really appreciate it if you’d put in more effort on keeping it in check. I get it- in a world like this, we can’t trust anyone. But these boys care about you, so it’d be nice for you to reciprocate it.”
When you raise your head, you hold his gaze with your own and notice that the storm in his eyes has cleared. It reappears as quickly as it left, but you saw; his vulnerability melting away that frost and it makes you wonder if there were more layers underneath his cold indifference. It’s clear that this is about as much as Sunghoon is going to give you before he starts to snap at you, so you decide to hold back on prodding any further.
“Anyways, can you tell me if Heeseung is still around?”
“Heeseung should be out of the changing rooms by now,” Sunghoon says, standing up.
“Thanks,” you mutter, following his lead. When he disappears from your vision, you make your way over to the changing rooms, a tired drag in your step. “Heeseung?” You say into the tiled hallway, your voice bouncing off the walls- but no response. You wonder if he had already left, but you don’t recall ever seeing him leave, so you decide to wait a little longer, the quietness of the gym almost suffocating as time drags on.
As you lean against the concrete, you watch as the younger boys wave bye to you, smiling joyfully as they head out. The minutes pass by slowly and you’re almost worried that Heeseung slipped out without you noticing, you were really hoping to talk to him before the end of your shift. The weight of your concern had only grown heavier in his absence. When you’re about to push off the wall and leave, Heeseung emerges.
You almost forget the list of things you want to address with Heeseung by the time he comes out, but it slips your mind anyways when you see his eyes glowing an unnatural red. “Heeseung?”
“Move.” He snarls, baring his fangs at you. You notice his skin has turned into a pale white, drained of its energy as he pushes past you with an abrupt shove, practically forcing you into the wall but you catch yourself, grabbing him by the collar of his leather jacket.
“Don’t talk to me that way.” You snap, shoving him back.
“I’m not going to tell you again, Y/n. I said, move.” His voice carries the weight of a thousand suns as he stares hard into your eyes- and for a moment, you almost waiver, feeling a hypnotic force to obey his order. It’s strong, and it almost pains you to reject this invisible beckoning, but you have to. Despite his intense stare, you grit your teeth and clench your fists, ignoring the uncomfortable ache in your core.
Your eyes lock onto his, acutely aware of the bright orange hue that has now plagued your irises as you struggle to maintain control. “Heeseung…” You gasp just before he crashes his mouth against yours.
With his lips on yours, the grip on your throat falters and he moves his hands to clutch at the sides of your face while shoving his knee between your legs. His fangs plunge into your bottom lip, puncturing the soft tissue until a stream of blood flows down your chin. You groan into his mouth as he begins to suck on your lip, tasting the warmth of your blood with a savage intensity. His tongue draws up and down your chin, soaking up each drop of blood that pulses out of your lip all while grinding his knee into your core, picking up on the scent of your essence leaking out of your cunt. His tongue plunges into your mouth and you taste the iron of your own blood on your tongue. It’s disgusting really, but the desperation of his kisses has you weak and reeling for more. You can’t help but get off on the taste of your own blood seeping through his tongue.
Shock and arousal have you drunk on Heeseung, but you summon every once of strength in you to shove him off of you with the strength of a phoenix. He stumbles backwards, flying into the edge of one of the sinks. “What the fuck!” he shouts, his voice dripping with fury and hunger. Heeseung clutches at his side, the impact likely adding on to the bruises from earlier.
“What the hell, Heeseung!” You shout, panting as you reach your hand to your lips, a drop of blood staining the microscopic divots of your fingers.
“I told you to fucking move!” He shouts back, massaging his side.
Your mind races as you think back to his journal entry. Glowing red eyes, disturbed senses, compulsive what? You wrack your brain for the rest of his vampiric rage symptoms, but the adrenaline of it all has your mind scrambled of any rationality. What was it that you had to do when he became like this? You’re so busy caught up in your own mind that you don’t notice Heeseung approaching you again, each of his steps dripping with savage lust.
He reaches out a hand, grabbing your arm and with unnatural speed and force, he pulls you into him. Your body abruptly presses against his, and the unmistakable feeling of his cock presses against your hip. “Focus on me,” he growls, forcing your eyes on him, “Only me.” The glowing intensity of his eyes ensnares your mind like a trap, leaving you gasping for air. A surge of slick gushes out of your cunt, pooling at the seat of your panties and leaving you with a desperate ache in your core. There’s a striking need to keep your eyes locked on his, a primal urge to surrender yourself to him entirely as his glowing red eyes pierce the amber haze of your own- igniting a part of your heart that you didn’t realize was dormant.
In one swift motion, Heeseung rips apart your top and latches his mouth onto your nipple while his hands massage your ass, pulling you plush against him. “Damnit, Y/n,” he moans, his fangs digging into the flesh of your breasts. “Couldn’t fucking listen… Just had to get in my fucking way.” He pulls you in by the ass, grinding his cock against you as he sucks on your nipple, his fangs nipping at the delicate flesh. His hand slaps your ass harshly, the sound of his palm landing against your cheek echoing in the chambers of the locker room. The sting of his hand against your ass only sends another gush of slickness through you, earning a dark chuckle from Heeseung. “I can fucking smell how turned on you are. You like it when I slap you?”
Blinded by an overwhelming wave of lust, you throw your head back and comb your fingers through his hair, relishing in the way his tongue flicks over your bud. “Hee, m-more.” You beg, feeling the trickle of something wet fall from where he’s sucking.
You look down only to see a shiny line of red trailing down your bare stomach, staining your leggings next. Heeseung licks a stripe up your stomach, catching the flow of red onto his tongue, groaning in delight as the taste of your blood soaks into his taste buds. In one sudden movement, Heeseung hoists you up and moves you to the counter, ripping your leggings off along with your panties. You lay bare before him now, back pressed on the counter, but you don’t even care. Your body is on fire, every nerve of yours flaring like a wildfire. You feel so overwhelmed with the desire to fill your pussy with something, anything- that you’re clawing at the air. “Please- I need you.”
“Use that fucking mouth of yours, baby. What do you need?” You mewl out a response as Heeseung dives headfirst into your cunt, pressing a rough kiss on your heat. The warmth of his tongue against her bundle of nerves leaves you shaking, moans erupting from your throat. He practically growls as he slides his tongue between your folds, getting a taste of your sopping pussy. “So fucking wet, you like disobeying me?”
You don’t say anything, instead opting to cry out and moan as he continues his assault on your cunt. “I asked you a fucking question,” he demands, slapping a hand down on your pussy.
The slap sends shockwaves through your body, the sting of his hand only offering you brief stimulation. “N-no, Heeseung! I’ll be good!” You shout, dragging your hands through his hair to pull him towards you while you buck your hips up. He brings his face down to kiss at your pussy again, rocking up and down so his nose rubs against your clit while he eats away at your core. You let your eyes wander down to his face, catching the sultry stare he gives you as he flicks his tongue in and out of your entrance.
Eventually, Heeseung slides three fingers in at once, not bothering to prep you as he deems the amount of slick pooling on the counter enough. “Fuck!” You scream, feeling the stretch of your walls adjust to the girth of his fingers. He pumps his digits in and out of you at a savage pace, ghosting his lips over your thighs as he does.
“Keep screaming, baby. Let me hear you.” He moans, biting down on your thigh suddenly. You scream out, a mixture of pain and pleasure shooting through you when you feel his fangs piercing your skin once again. The sound of his lips sucking around the wound sends another gush of arousal out of your cunt and you can feel a warmth building up in your lower abdomen. He sucks vigorously on the wound, wrapping his arm around your other thigh and massaging it generously.
“H-Heeseung-” You whine, squirming in his hold. “I-I’m close!”
“Cum on my mouth, let me taste you,” he encourages, moving around your thighs to press more bites into. A particular spot, closer to your pelvis, is bitten and that’s all you need to let go, the coil releasing as your pussy begins to clench around Heeseung’s fingers indefinitely. “Fuck, good girl, Y/n.” He says, moving his mouth back to your pussy, lapping at your folds. He sucks on your bud, drinking up your arousal as pleasure washes through your body like a tsunami. “So sweet,”
You shudder under his touch as his tongue stays extra diligent in swirling around your clit while he finishes you off. “Turn around,” he demands, helping you slide off the counter.
You struggle to stand up, entirely relying on Heeseung as he presses you against the counter, your breasts rubbing against the coldness of the counter. Behind you, Heeseung shoves his jeans and briefs down, allowing his cock to spring free, the tip an angry red from his neglect. “Give me your hands,” he says, catching them in the air as you throw your arms back. “Good girl,” he coos.
With his one free hand, he flicks it forward and a red tendril forms, ghosting from his palm like liquid smoke. “You’re gonna be good for me, right?” he asks, smirking as the red wisps move to coil around your wrists like a makeshift handcuff.
You nod anxiously, tears pricking your eyes as the strain of your hands behind your back begins to pull on your muscles. “My good fucking girl.” He says before plunging his cock into your soaking pussy, immediately followed by the snap of his hips. You scream as his cock fills you up, the girth stretching you out all at once. With the coil of his tendrils holding your arms captive behind your back, he lets his hands wander to your hips until they’re bruising you, using them as leverage to piston his cock in and out of you.
You have no idea for how long he continues, but you know he goes long enough to fuck you through two more orgasms before he begins to slow down. When he does, he reaches forward to grab you by your throat, pulling you to his chest. His lips ghosts over your pulse point as he continues to snap his cock into your pussy, the drag of his cock having you reel with pleasure. “I can taste your fucking pulse,” he whispers, licking your neck. You shiver under his touch, the warmth of his breath causing you to unintentionally clench around his member. “Don’t fucking squeeze like that,”
“Heeseung, I- I’m gonna cum again,” you cry, biting your lip as you close your eyes, too tired to keep them open.
He stays silent as he drags his mouth further down your neck, puncturing a few more spots as he soaks up the red liquid quickly. “So sweet, you taste so good.” He snaps his hips into you even deeper than before, the tip of his cock brushing against your G-spot now.
“Hee,” you beg, focusing on the stretch of his cock. You open your eyes just in time to see a collection of red tendrils surrounding you, some crawling up your body and you suddenly become acutely aware of the ghostly feeling of them roaming your bruising skin. They tickle the fine hairs of your body, leaving you a shaking mess before Heeseung as he continues to ravage your pussy.
The added stimulation sends you over the edge and you’re coming for the fourth time, crying out as you wrap your walls around Heeseung’s member tightly. “Fuck, I’m coming Y/n!” Heeseung shouts, shoving his cock up to the hilt of your pelvis.
With a few more thrusts, he stills, allowing his cum to bury itself deep within your womb. Spurts of cum shoot into you at such a force you feel each rope hit your walls, clenching around him as his dick pulses inside of you. Heeseung lets go of you once he starts to soften, his rosy mist disappearing into thin air as you collapse onto the cold surface of the counter. Without warning, he slides out of you and you wince, listening to him zip himself back into his jeans.
Your body is still shaking from the aftermath of your release when you hear Heeseung’s footsteps echo out of the changing room. When it fades, you’re left alone and bare, laying against the cool surface of the counter. In the absence of his presence, a wave of clarity rushes through you, replacing any lingering heat you once had. You can’t help but let out a string or curse words as you fumble around to put your clothes back on, each movement a cold reminder of your impulsive endeavors, your muscles already feeling the dull ache.
As you pull your leggings on, you feel the unwelcome sensation of his cum slowly leaking down, slick and cold now. At this point, you’re too focused on getting home to care- letting it trickle down your thigh as you head back home into the rising daylight. When you finally reach the temporary sanctuary of your studio apartment, you reach for your journal first. Shadow manipulation, you write that besides the writer’s notes on Heeseung’s page before collapsing face-first onto your bed, letting sleep consume you immediately.
genre/tags ✶ slow burn, slight angst, fluff, smut, idol!au
synopsis ✶ as a rising kpop soloist and one of the many brand ambassadors for Prada, declining an invitation to the Sound of Prada event in Seoul is not in your itinerary. Though, when your manager advises you to stay close to Enhypen during the event, you find yourself constantly prickling the feathers of one certain member.
parings ✶ idol!sunghoon x idol!reader
content warnings ✶ mentions of anxiety, feelings of being an outcast, lots of drinking (kinda drunk)
smut warnings ✶ dirty talk, praise, unprotected sex, penetrative sex, fingering, making out, neck kissing, creampie, after care, squirting, thigh riding, use of pet names (baby, princess, etc...), slightly drunk sex (everything is consensual)
WC ✶ 8.6k
You were never one to party, much more preferring to stay home and drink wine with your close friends or stay in and read a book. So when your manager announced to the media that you’d be attending The Sound of Prada Seoul event, it was hard to hide your disappointment internally. Of course, as one of Prada’s brand ambassadors, it came with responsibilities like appearing at certain events and wearing their brand. But a crowded, high-energy fashion event wasn’t exactly your scene. Nevertheless, you knew that showing up to the event in full Prada attire was non-negotiable, especially because it was being held in Seoul- a showcase for their new product line in Korea.
“Just stick around for a few hours,” Hajoon says, his voice direct but warm with sincerity. Your manager, Hajoon, had been with you since the start of your career, guiding you through countless events just like this one, and he knew better than anyone else how much you hated these, “The company van will pick you up from your place at 4. You’ll get your hair and makeup done, get dressed, take a few photos outside, and then make your entrance.”
He pauses at the door with a half-smile, bag in hand, “And Y/n, at least try to look happy.” His tone had a teasing edge, but it was clear to you that he was serious. You were an easy read, your expressions constantly betraying you if you weren’t careful enough. Tonight wasn’t a night to appear indifferent or bored. When the door closed, you let out a sigh and leaned against the recording booth wall, pushing away the mic hanging in the air. You still had a few more songs to record for your upcoming album, but it’d have to wait until tomorrow; tonight's obligations took priority.
Like expected, the van arrived at precisely 4pm, a staff member behind the wheel as they parked the car. “How long until we get there?” you asked, settling into the back seat.
“About 30 minutes. The event is at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza,” he replies, starting the engine. You nod, leaning back into the seat as you started to mentally count down the minutes until you’d have to mingle with a sea of strangers.
Some would say that being an idol meant being a natural extrovert- someone that thrived in crowds and enjoyed meeting people. But that wasn’t the case for you. Yes, you were outgoing and had a lively energy that shone in your performances, but breaking out of your shell and talking to people was a challenge for you. Being a solo artist, it often felt like you were navigating the idol life without a safety net- no group dynamic to lean on and ease the pressure of being perfect. “Oh, and by the way, Hajoon asked me to remind you to stick close to Enhypen tonight,” the driver mentions casually, making a sharp left turn, “They’ve been made aware of the request and to keep an eye out for you.”
You’d heard earlier that Enhypen would be at the event tonight, and you weren’t shocked. They were your label mates, and were also brand ambassadors for Prada as well. Though, your paths with Enhypen had only ever crossed briefly during encounters at company events, never really giving you a chance to connect with them. “For PR, right?” you ask, watching the driver nod in the rearview mirror.
An uncomfortable warmth settles low in your stomach, Enhypen was a powerhouse of a group, and the idea of conversing with them all under the watchful eyes of a thousand cameras added a whole other layer of pressure to it. You drew in a deep breath, hoping tonight would go smoothly and then you could get back to recording for your album.
Right on schedule, the van pulls up to the plaza and you quietly slip by the cluster of fans near the main entrance and into the side door, expertly avoiding the flashing cameras outside. Hajoon is already inside waiting by the emergency exit, linking his arm through yours as he quickly leads you down the hall. Guiding you into the bustling prep room where BE:LIFT staff were present, he gives you a quick and purposeful glance. “Alright, you have an hour and a half to get ready before we need you out to get your photos taken,” he says, releasing your arm before hurrying back outside.
Before you could settle in, a staff member took hold of your wrist, gently guiding you over to a vanity chair. She wore a black mask, hiding her identity from the cameras located in various corners of the room, a common practice all staff members at BE:LIFT did. Though the mask hid most of her features, her warm eyes met yours and you instantly relaxed, leaning into the soft touch of her hands and she ran through your hair, “Can we put it up?” you suggest. With a nod, she began to fluff out your already curled black hair, adding texture to the style.
As she works her magic, you feel yourself relaxing into her touch, slowly melting away the anxieties that always seemed to build up when you prepared for events like these. The gentle touch of your stylist's hands never failed to remind you of the way your mom used to style your hair in the mornings before school when you were younger. It gave you a sense of comfort, helping you calm yourself before diving into whatever it was that caused you unease. Tonight, you’d need every bit of that grounding. It wasn’t just the cameras or fans that had you on edge tonight- but it was the room full of celebrities you had barely crossed paths with that was digging a pit in your heart. You were waging a war in your mind, how you would go about interacting with Enhypen tonight.
That fleeting sense of serenity shatters almost immediately when the door to the room swings open again. You flick your eyes to the corner of the mirror, catching sight of a group of familiar figures entering, accompanied by a few masked staff members following behind them. That had to be Enhypen, you realize, as they chat animatedly amongst themselves before settling on the other side of the room. You watch as they were quickly assigned to a stylist, creating a whirlwind of energy that filled the once quiet space.
“Okay, I’m all done!” Your stylist exclaims, stepping back to observe her work. “You can wait on the couches while we wait for the rest of the staff to bring in the outfits for tonight.” She gives you a friendly nod before walking away.
She had your hair pinned up in a ponytail, just a trail of strands left out to frame your face in the front. Sighing, you stood up and navigated your way to the couches in the middle of the room, pulling your phone out in an attempt to distract yourself from the nerves building up in your stomach. You were so engrossed in the scrolling of your social feed that you didn’t seem to notice one of the boys approaching until he stood right in front of you.
“Y/n?” he calls. You look up to find a tall boy standing there, his friendly demeanor brightening your anxious mood. “I was told you’d be at tonight’s event. I’m Niki.” He bows slightly.
“Oh, it’s nice to finally be able to meet you properly. I’m Y/n.” you reply, standing up quickly to return his bow. After a beat of silence lingers for a moment, you speak again, “Did you need something?”
He looks at you in surprise, as if he forgot why he came over, “Ah, our manager said that we should stick together tonight, and since we haven’t really had a chance to meet one another, the group thought now would be a good time to break the ice,” he explains, a friendly smile on his face, “Most of us are done with hair and makeup; we’re just waiting on the clothes.” He gestures toward the couches where the rest of his group sat, inviting you to join him.
“Hyungs, this is Y/n.” Niki announces, stepping aside to give you some room. You bow politely, avoiding eye contact with your labelmates. Although this wasn’t your first encounter with the boys, the atmosphere felt unusually intimate.
The boys introduce themselves one by one, a courtesy as if they hadn’t already done it at other events. As they did, you caught snippets of their own individual personalities- Sunoo’s infectious laughter, Heeseung’s charming aura, etc… Though they all welcomed you with generosity, you couldn’t help but notice Sunghoon’s quick absence as soon as you had arrived.
Your eyes catch him walking away from the group, settling for a quieter corner of the room with a detachment in his face. He seems almost withdrawn as he sits, his gaze quickly flickering between you and his group, as if torn between wanting to go back and an inexplicable urge to distance himself. A pit develops in your stomach as you wonder what’s running through his mind, why he felt the need to walk away when you came over.
“Are we allowed to drink tonight?” Niki asks suddenly, glancing over at Heeseung with a hint of mischief in his eyes.
Heeseung shoots him a playful glare, his expression a mix of exasperation and amusement, “I guess you can since you’re of age now,” he replies, crossing his arms in an attempt to maintain some sort of semblance of authority.
“Eungaeee, our baby!” Jake whines, a shit-eating grin plastered across his face. You watch the exchange unfold with a smile, each of them fulfilling an unspoken role in their group: Niki practically vibrating with anticipation at the thought of getting to drink tonight, Heeseung trying to hold onto his older-brother demeanor, and Jake with his eyes of mischief as he poked fun at Niki.
While the three boys mess around with each other, seemingly forgetting about the woman they had just met, Jay leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees and fixed his gaze on you. “Y/n, do you drink?” he inquired.
You hesitate for a moment, the question reminding you that tonight's event was more than just a PR appearance, but an actual party. One that Hajoon had told you to pretend to enjoy. Despite your distaste for partying, you figured a drink or two may just be what you needed to help you relax. “Yeah, but I prefer beer.” you admit right as Sunghoon returns, avoiding your gaze.
“Beer, a woman of taste, I see,” he remarks with a smirk. “Do you have a favorite brand?”
“There’s a local brewery back home that makes some great pale ale, but Stella has never let me down.” You respond, reminiscing of your hometown. Jay nods, his expression thoughtful.
“We’ll make sure to get you one when we head into the event,” He says with a smile, his eyes crinkling slightly. You fall into a relaxed conversation with the rest of the boys, sharing an easy laughter with them as you wait for the stylists. The room’s atmosphere is lighthearted when the door swings open again, revealing a team of staff rolling in a clothing rack full of suits and what you assume is your dress in the very back.
One by one, they hand each of you an outfit. They reach you last, placing the garment in your hands. You hold it up, taking in the length and style of the dress in surprise, “This… This is quite short.” You murmur, the words escaping you almost involuntarily. You glance up, hoping not to capture anyone's attention, but Jungwon notices your hesitation and steps over, his own outfit draped over his arm.
“Something wrong?” he asks softly, looking down at your dress.
“Oh, it’s just a bit… short.” You admit, holding it up to yourself to show him. He raises an eyebrow, not needing words to convey his own surprise. “I’m sure it’ll be fine,” You say quickly, brushing off your own discomfort so as to not bother him further with your own issues.
Taking turns with the changing rooms, you each slip away to put on the high-end Prada outfits, anticipation building with each reveal. When it’s your turn to step out, you reveal your dress, feeling more than exposed. You feel vulnerable, the cool air biting at your naked legs and the eyes of a dozen people staring at you in such an intimate space. The corset top of the dress fits snugly, hugging your breasts and accentuating your frame before it flares out in a flowy skirt, balancing elegance with boldness. It would’ve been beautiful, had the hem of your dress reached further than just passed the top third of your thigh. The boys give a nod of approval to one another, each of you now dressed head-to-toe in Prada.
Standing in line behind the boys, you annoyedly tug at your dress, feeling a wave of nerves build as you wait for them to headout. Suddenly, a man with long hair steps up beside you, “Y/n? My name’s Yuki. Hajoon’s tie up, so if you need anything, just come find me- I’m Enhypen’s manager.” He says with a reassuring smile. You nod, returning his gesture before slipping behind Sunoo and stepping out into the main hall.
Before reaching the main entrance, the familiar sound of camera shutters outside grows louder and you brace yourself, taking a steadying breath. “We’ll go out first, then you can come out after a minute, alright?” Jungwon says, peering around Niki’s tall frame to meet your gaze.
And with that, the boys step through the doors and immediately begin to pose under the lens of the flashing cameras. You watch from inside, catching glimpse as they slowly walk down the carpet, pausing every so often to wave to their fans and smile at the cameras. You count the seconds in your head, letting a minute pass before nodding at the guard to open the doors.With one last breath, you take a step forward.
Finally, you step into the sea of flashing lights, facing the cameras on your left first. For a second, you wait for your eyes to adjust to the bursts of brightness before you walk forward again. Slowly, you move down the carpet, your gaze soft as you make eye contact with the cameras. The cheers of the crowd grow louder whenever you stop to interact with fans, signing their albums and holding hands with each, every interaction grounding you.
Eventually, you spot Enhypen just a few strides ahead. They slowed down to let you catch up, and as you fell into step beside them, Jungwon leaned in just enough to whisper in your ear, “You doing okay?” You give him a quick, reassuring nod, making sure to keep a bright smile on your face as you look out at the maze of cameras. You ignore how the sound of the paparazzi ordering you and Enhypen around begins to grow incessantly louder.
“Just a few more minutes,” Jay mutters, glancing around as he holds his expression for the cameras. While the cameras wouldn’t be able to catch it, the boys made small talk amongst themselves to pass by the time on the carpet, something you never knew idols did. Something you’d never be privy to be included in since you were a solo artist. It left a weird, hollow ache in your heart thinking about it, but you shoved the feeling down deep.
Finally, slowly but surely, you reach the entrance to the venue. With one last wave to the crowd of paparazzi and fans, you follow the group of boys through the doors, the sleek Sound of Prada logo illuminating your faces as you enter. Inside, the sounds from outside are immediately drowned out by the thumping bass from inside. The atmosphere inside is completely different, strobing lights everywhere and sweaty bodies pulsing against each other. There were still flashing cameras everywhere, though you couldn’t hear the shutters as clearly, and there were less fans.
You glance around, feeling your anxiety rise as the crowd presses in on you, bodies leaning into you from every direction. Suddenly, an arm wraps firmly around your waist and you look up to see Sunghoon has pulled you into his side. “Let’s go to the bar,” he says, his voice low and steady. Relief and a hint of confusion wash over you as he leads you through the crowd, closely following behind the rest of the group.
Sunghoon hadn’t spoken much to you since you were introduced to the group, barely sparing you a glance all evening. Yet now, his unexpected gesture has left you slightly off-balance, and before you could process your confusion, his arm slips away right as you arrive at the bar. “You said you liked Stella, right?” Jay shouts over the music, capturing your attention.
You nod, giving him a quick smile rather than trying to shout over the noise. Leaning back against the bar, you watch Jay as he speaks to the bartender, ordering a round of drinks for the group. A few moments pass and the bartender returns, giving each of you your own drink, each one different from the other. “One Stella, as promised.” Jay says, raising his drink to clink with yours. “Let’s move away from the bar now, we can head over there so we can see the stage more clearly.” On instinct, he places his hand against the small of your back and you shiver as he guides you and the rest of the group to a railing near the stage.
Shoved between Jay and Sunoo, you mingle amongst them while missing the way Sunghoon seems to be glaring daggers at his older friend. “What’s your problem, Sunghoon?” Jay asks, turning to his friend. “You’ve been acting weird all night.”
“Just have a headache, that’s all.” He replies, sipping on his champagne as he focuses on the DJ in front of him. Jay decides not to push further, ignoring the way his tone clips. Grunting, he pushes the long glass to his lips and chugs the rest of its sparkly contents in one go. “Do you need a refill?”
Jay watches, swirling the cocktail in his hand, “No, unlike you, I’m not an alcoholic.”
Sunghoon rolls his eyes, irritation bubbling below the surface as he strides back over to the bar to order more champagne for himself and strong liquor for Heeseung, noticing his glass was empty.
While Sunghoon busies himself with the chore of refilling drinks, his gaze flickers towards you. Upon seeing your body move effortlessly against Jay and Sunoo, he finds his jaw clenching as he watches the hem of your dress lift just above your ass cheeks. Dirty girl, he thinks. Shaking his head, he continues to watch as laughter spills from your lips when Niki and Jake move closer to you, spewing nonsense into your ears while you dance. A twinge of jealousy gnaws at Sunghoon, why were you being so careless? So oblivious to how alluring you looked to all the men around you? He trusted his members, trusted them to not let any strange man touch you here. But still, he couldn’t help himself but feel jealous at how easily they found themselves getting close to you. Why couldn’t he do that?
As the night unfolds, vibrant energy continues to swell around you, practically suffocating you. The pulsating music, the dewy air from the sweaty bodies, it was all starting to overwhelm your senses. You glance around, feeling slightly dizzy from the stimulus of everything as bodies brush against you and the strobe lights flicker in your eyes. Just as you're about to raise your bottle of Stella to your lips again, someone bumps into you, sending your drink crashing to the floor.
Gasping, you bend down and attempt to pick it up, but Sunghoon roughly grabs at your arm. “Don’t, you’re gonna cut yourself.” His tone, laced with urgency, only stresses you out more. With a heavy sigh, you quickly mutter out an apology to the person who bumped into you, as well as to Sunghoon.
“I need a fucking break…” you sigh, tugging at your dress as you stand up. Spotting the balcony door, you quickly weave through the crowd of drunken bodies and slip outside, shivering slightly as the night air bites at your skin.
It was like you had put noise-canceling headphones on- the bass-heavy music inside sounding muffled now, and the strobing lights just a distant flicker behind the glass door as there were no other windows leading into the building.
You finally felt your body relaxing, the tension in your muscles relieving themselves. Just as you’re closing your eyes, you hear the door open. Sunghoon steps out, his expression shifting into one of concern as he spots you, “Hey, everything ok?” He asks, his tone softening as he leans against the brick wall.
You nod, preferring not to speak to him.. “Just needed some air, thanks.”
Sunghoon stays quiet for a moment, studying your expression before speaking again. “You seemed really overwhelmed there, even before dropping your drink.”
As Sunghoon spoke, your mind drifted back to earlier. How Sunghoon had barely acknowledged your presence after you introduced yourself to the group, hardly spared you a second glance before leaving to sit somewhere else in the styling room. Had it been anyone else to come check in on you, maybe you would’ve opened up to them. But Sunghoon, he was just confusing you. He was being distant for no reason. You turn to face him, really preferring to be alone. “Sunghoon, I don’t intend to be rude, but why do you care?”
His brows furrow at your question, and for a moment, you think maybe you did offend him. But then he shrugs, “You just seemed anxious in there, I get anxious too. It helps when I talk about it.” He pushes off the brick wall and turns to lean against the railing instead, now facing you.
You cross your arms, “No, I mean why do you care at all? You barely acknowledged me earlier when we were getting ready. What’s the deal now?” Your tone was quite accusatory, maybe it was the liquor running in your system, you weren’t sure.
“I’m sorry, that was- rude.” he starts, shifting from one foot to another as he looks at the ground. “I wasn’t sure how to approach you, not with everyone else around me. But you looked so uncomfortable in the venue, I couldn’t ignore that.”
Now it was your turn to stare at the ground, feeling guilty that you snapped at him. “I thought you didn’t like me…”
“No, that’s not it. It was just hard for me to see everyone connect with you so easily, it made me feel like an outsider again. But seeing you in the venue looking so anxious, it kinda reminded me of how I felt earlier, I didn’t want you feeling like that.”
Finally, you offer him a small smile, the vulnerability in his words disarming you of your defenses, “That means a lot, Sunghoon. Honestly, that’s the first time someone has shared something that I’ve resonated with so much.” You explain to him, unfolding your arms. “I’ve always felt like such an outsider as a soloist, and I did feel anxious in the venue. It means a lot that you noticed something like that.”
He stops shifting on his feet, hesitating for just a moment before leaning closer, the scent of his champagne apparent on his breath. “I noticed some other things.”
You quirk your head to the side, “Other things?”
“Those lace panties?” He slurs slightly, relishing in the way your cheeks burn bright crimson at the mention of your panties, “Some nerve to wear a dress that short around that many men.”
You squirm under his gaze, “S-Sunghoon, I didn’t have a choice in wardrobe, you know that.” You whisper, despite being centimeters away from him. He presses forward, making sure you could feel his hot breath on your cheek.
“What if someone gets the wrong idea?” he responds, his voice dropping in octave, “Or the right one?”
His teasing sends a shiver down your spine, and suddenly you're unsure of whether Sunghoon was truly just worried about you, “You’re being ridiculous, I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you say, moving around him to leave but he grabs your wrist firmly, his cold hand a stark contrast to your warm skin.
“Y/n, don’t be smart with me.” He groans, trapping you in between his arms, the soft leather of his jacket pressing against your skin, “You know exactly what I’m talking about. Swinging your ass around in front of everyone, practically asking for it to be grabbed.” He looks to the ground and shakes his head, “Begging for me to just take you in front of everyone, hm?” His lips ghost over your neck and you shiver, feeling the warmth of his breath fan above your carotid.
You feel your heartbeat quicken at his words, the faraway sound of the bass from inside the venue fading away, “I was not doing that,” you argue, subtly playing at his game now. He presses his lips against your pulse point, practically feeling the pace in which your heart beats.
“You sure as hell were, princess. Those black lace panties biting at your folds…” He murmurs against you, peppering soft, wet kisses down your neck and to your collarbone, stopping just above your cleavage “You want to be man-handled so badly, don’t you?”
You can’t help but moan in response, unintentionally bucking your hips into his. He grunts, feeling your pelvis grind into his semi-hard cock. Reluctantly pulling himself away from you, he speaks again in a low voice, “Careful, princess. We can’t do anything out here.” He says, biting his lip. “We should head back inside now.”
Before you’re able to mutter out a response, Sunghoon grips your wrist again and tugs you inside the venue. The sudden motion catches you off guard, causing you to stumble and collide into Jungwon, who seemed to be making his way to the bar with a few empty glasses stacked in his hands.
“Sunghoon-hyung, where were you?” He asks, his words slurred just enough to suggest that he’s had a drink or two.
“Just getting some fresh air,” Sunghoon answers, adjusting his dress pants. He releases your wrist as he responds, leaving you momentarily disoriented as you watch him walk away from you. Standing in front of Jungwon, you gather yourself and attempt to ignore the wetness growing in your panties and clear your throat.
“Need another round?” Jungwon asks, lifting the empty glasses. You nod, eager to follow him over to the bar. As you arrive, you notice Niki and Jay are already there, likely waiting for another drink. “Hyung, can you ask for a Stella and another rum and coke?” Jungwon asks, tugging on Jay’s cardigan.
“I’ll have a vodka sprite, actually.” You interject before Jay can wave down the bartender again. A Stella wasn’t going to do anything to fix the growing heat in your core. Jay nods, ignoring your tight-lipped expression as he continues chatting with Niki, who was going off about some random game he had recently bought.
Eventually, the bartender slides a chilled vodka sprite down the counter and you gulp it down in record time, the icy beverage doing little to settle your nerves. Setting the glass down, you wave the bartender down once more, “Could I get a tequila shot?” you ask, leaning over the bar. He nods at you with a knowing smile, and within moments, returns with a small glass filled with a clear liquid garnished with a lime and salt around the rim.
You shoot it back quickly, the burn of the alcohol finally quelling the sensation that had been probing your core since you spoke to Sunghoon. Unbeknownst to you, however, was that Sunghoon was watching this whole transaction. Leaning against a wall, his usual stone cold expression now adorned a smirk as he watched you desperately attempt to distract yourself from the aching heat in your pussy.
You shoot Jay a quick thanks before returning to the railing where Jake and Sunoo are, filming everything and everyone on their phones. Laughter and music swell around you, flashes from the fans' cameras capturing the moment between you and the three boys as you dance beside them, feeling the alcohol seep into your bloodstream like a warm hug.
As the night wears on, the energy of the venue reaches its peak as the camera flashes and strobing lights pulse in time with the music's beats, creating an intoxicating environment around you. The air is thick with excitement as the boys egg you on to keep dancing, their laughter and encouragement blending into the music, amplifying your already drunken state.You feel yourself letting your inhibitions slip away, but despite that, you can’t shake the flicker of desire settling deep within your stomach.
Every so often, you find yourself stealing glances to check on Sunghoon, only to find his eyes already locked on yours with an intensity that sends a shiver down your spine. His gaze is strong, almost physical in a way that it feels like he’s pulling you towards him with just his stare. Like an alluring force that’s pushing you to him, beckoning you closer. But you do your best to ignore that feeling, focusing on the way Jake and Sunoo enthusiastically shout for you to keep on dancing with them.
Whether or not you were thinking about succumbing to the temptation later on, you spot Yuki entering the venue, his presence sobering you up as he starts to round up the boys. He first collects the lingering members at the bar, then eventually makes his way over to Sunghoon who reluctantly tears his gaze away from you, and then to your little circle. “We’ll be heading out now,” he announces, leaning into the half-assed circle you and the boys had formed around him, “We’ll go in three cars- three in the first one, and two in the last two. Figure it out amongst yourselves who is going in which car.”
And with that, the boys erupt into a flurry of overlapping chatter as Yuki leaves, voices rising above another as they debate the logistics. Before you can offer your own two cents, you feel a warm arm wrap around your waist, “I’ll ride with Y/n,” Sunghoon declares, tugging you closer. “We’ll head out first.”
You have no time to voice your own concerns before Sunghoon is dragging you away, his grip firm on your wrist as he pulls you through the crowd. The noise of the boys’ chatter fades into the background, a distant sound now as he leads you away. Before you can even muster a quick goodbye, you’re outside, standing in the cool night air at the back of the building along with some other celebrities waiting for their vans.
“Are you cold?” he asks, noticing the way you pulled your hand from him the moment you came outside to wrap them around your arms. You choose not to answer him, not wanting to engage in whatever it was that he had planned. He smirks at your lack of response, opting to take his jacket off and wrap it around your bare shoulders instead.
“I don’t need your jacket,” you complain, beginning to shrug it off, your way of trying to assert some form of control over the situation.
“Stop fucking talking.” he responds, his tone lighthearted but firm as he secures the jacket on your shoulders by pulling it down snugly. The silk material of the inside feels soft on your shoulder and the jacket smells of him, an intoxicating reminder of his intimacy from before.
“What if someone sees?” You say, glancing around anxiously.
“Y/n, I-”
You interrupt him, a pout forming on your lips as you look up at him. “You know how quickly rumors can spread around? Your fans are gonna kill you if they see this.”
“Y/n, they won’t-”
“Yuki and Hajoon won’t be happy if they open their phones and the first thing they see is an article from Koreaboo about a dating scandal.”
“That’s not going to-”
“And to think, we just met. That’s insane, they’re going to think you’re some manwhore or something.”
“Y/n, actually stop talking.” He cuts in, shoving his hand over your mouth. “Just get in the stupid car.” He adds, lightly pushes you forward, signaling to you that the van had arrived while you were speaking to him. Your cheeks grow warm as you realize that maybe you shouldn’t have had that tequila shot and extra drink.
“Fine,” you concede, slipping into the van. “But if the headlines come out tomorrow, I know who to blame.”
Sunghoon rolls his eyes, smirking as he catches a glimpse of your panties while you crawl into the van. Settling into the backseat, the van pulls away from the venue, the low hum of the engine being the only sound filling the tense air.
Although it was just you, Sunghoon, and the driver, it felt as though the world outside had vanished. The tinted windows offered little for you to see of the outside world, and the non-transparent partition window separated you from the front seats. The atmosphere felt tense, thick with remnants of the night’s events, the alcohol still flowing through your body.
You look over at Sunghoon, finding him appearing more relaxed than you could ever hope to be. He was leaning back in his seat with his legs casually spread out, hands resting against his thighs while his head was slung back against the headrest. The confidence radiating off of him was palpable, and it only deepened the flush that was threatening to creep up onto your cheeks.
In this position, it was hard to deny the slick that was beginning to pool between your thighs as your mind drifted to the idea of grinding against his lap, feeling the warmth of his body beneath you. The mere thought of feeling his member under your heat sent shockwaves though you, your pulse quickening at the idea.
His position was a stark contrast to your own: legs tightly crossed over each other, pressing your thighs together in an attempt to quell your aching desire. Your hands were clasped together and resting just on top of your lap, fighting the intoxicating pull he had on you.
“You doing ok?” he asks, breaking you out of your intimate thoughts.
“What? Of course I am, what makes you think I’m not?” you stammer, defensive as hell as you look away.
“You’ve been staring at me for the last five minutes, princess.” he dumbfounds. You feel your cheeks flush for what feels like the umpteenth time tonight and you quickly glance down at your hands, finding quick work in fidgeting with your fingers.
“I wasn’t staring,” you mutter, voice barely above a whisper.
“I beg to differ,” he adjusts himself in his seat, the fabric of his pants pulling at his groin as he sinks further into the seat, the taut material emphasizing his bulge. “It’s hard not to notice when you’re staring at my lap.”
Before you can utter out some sort of excuse, the driver rolls back the partition. “Y/n, we’ve arrived at your apartment.” You sigh, a sense of disappointment and relief flooding over you. A small part of you wanted to see where this stupid game of Sunghoon’s was going to go, but another part of you knew that the alcohol in you would have you doing something you’d probably regret later on.
So you stumbled out of the car quickly, not trusting yourself to linger in his presence any longer. “Bye, Sunghoon.” You say, closing the door.
“Actually, do you mind if I pop in? I really need to use the bathroom.” He says, reaching his hand out to keep your door from closing. With an exasperated sigh, you open the door so he can get out, thanking the driver before turning on your heel.
“You piss me off, you know that?”
“I wasn’t aware that using your bathroom would upset you so much, Y/n.” He says, prodding at your side playfully as he matches your pace. You try to ignore him, speeding up your strides as you enter your building. Turning a blind eye to the way he stood in your personal space, you step onto the elevator, the small and confined space seeming to amplify your already rising body temperature.
As the doors close, he deliberately leans into you, pressing his body against yours despite the ample space in front of him. Annoyed, you push him away but he doesn’t budge, stubbornly remaining in place. “Sunghoon-”
“Relax, princess. I’m just trying to keep warm,” He says, a shit-eating grin spreading across his face.
Finally, the elevator dings and you shove past him, creating some much-needed space to clear your drunken mind. “Okay, go piss.” you say half-heartedly, flopping onto your couch as soon as you enter your studio apartment. Closing your eyes, you wait for the sound of his footsteps to fade away as he walks to the bathroom, but instead, they grow closer as he approaches you instead. “Sunghoon? What are you doing?” You ask, suddenly looking up at him with wide eyes.
“Close your legs; you don’t want to catch a drift up there, do you?” He quips, a teasing smile playing on his lips before he kneels down before you.
“Sunghoon!” You exclaim, closing your knees and raising them up to your chest. His eyes grow dark when you realize your movements did nothing but reveal more to him than before. Embarrassment coursing through your veins, you move your hands behind your legs to hide your bum from his view, but he’s quick to catch your wrists in his hands.
“Y/n,” he murmurs in a sultry voice laced with desire, “You looked absolutely stunning tonight, did you know that?” His hands, which had been previously pinning your wrists to the side, slide to the back up your thighs and up along the sensitive thing before settling on top of your knees. Leaning closer, he presses his weight forward until he’s brushing his chest against your shins, his face now just a mere few inches away from your own. “Y/n, tell me to stop and I will.”
But you don’t say a word. Instead, you let your hazy mind guide you into your next decision, leaning in to capture his soft, plush lips in yours; letting the tension from tonight’s party unravel. Sunghoon stills for a moment, a flicker of surprise etched across his features before he presses himself against you to match your equal fervor.
The kiss itself starts slowly, as if those words he had whispered in your ear on the balcony were never spoken. Like he wasn’t prepared to pounce on you right then and there, in front of everyone at the venue. Before you can deepen the kiss, he pulls away, drawing out a whimper from you at the sudden loss. His responding smirk is maddening as he grips your jaw in his hand, his thumb tracing over your bottom lip. He teases the flesh, tugging at it gently before sliding his finger inside. Without thinking, you wrap your lips around his digit, allowing the warmth of your mouth to envelope his finger like a warm hug. The feeling of your tongue tracing the lengths of his thumb has him sucking in his breath, his own bottom lip tucked in between his teeth as he watches you erotically suck on his digit. With a playful smirk, he slips his thumb out, raising an eyebrow as he opens his mouth, hinting for you to follow suit.
Driven by the pure lust that’s taken over your body, you part open your lips and stick out your tongue. As if in slow mo, you watch as a string of saliva falls from his mouth and lands on your tongue, “Good girl,” he purrs, bending down to kiss you, tongue sweeping in to taste himself. With a new surge of urgency, he moves his hand to your neck and pushes against it, just barely cutting off the circulation as he laps at your mouth.
The kiss turns heated, messy now, and you feel every shockwave of pleasure that runs through your body as you tangle your hands through his hair. “Sunghoon-” you gasp in between breaths.
“Talk to me, baby.” He says, pressing you into the couch, his knee slotting between your thighs.
The thin fabric of your panties leaves little to the imagination of the rough pressure of his legs driving into your heat sends waves of pleasure rolling through you. Moaning, you arch up against him, seeking more friction, every fiber in you desperate for relief. “Look at yourself, getting off on my thigh.” He slurs, pressing his leg even harder into you. Sunghoon looks down to see his leg driven between your own, your dress riding up over your hips, leaving your black lace panties on full display. “Use your words, princess.”
“I need you,” you plead, “Anything, your fingers- something.”
He dips down, pressing his lips to your neck, peppering a trail of kisses as he cups your breast through the material of your dress. “They really thought this was appropriate to send you out in?” He mutters, gently sinking his teeth into your neck. “Hardly covers your ass, let alone your fucking tits.” With a firm tug, he pulls down the fabric, freeing your breasts completely. He takes one breast in his hand, massaging it gently as he worships the tender mounds.
His mouth descends, capturing your nipple in his lips, the gentle flick of his tongue only having you aching for more. “Yeah? You like it when my mouth’s on you don’t you.” He whispers, sucking harsher on the nipple. You close your eyes, overwhelmed by the sheer pleasure running through you- but Sunghoon notices, and he uses his other hand to lightly slap your other tit, “Look at me when I talk to you.”
Eventually, his hands wander down south, tracing over your heat. His eyes search yours for some sort of consent, and you nod eagerly. Smiling, he hooks a finger through the waistband of your panties and slides them off. “Fuck, you’re soaking, princess.” He observes, closely looking at the way your pussy glistened under the light in your apartment. With a delicate touch, he drags his fingers through your swollen folds, making you flinch at the sudden touch but he holds you steady. “Stay still, princess,” he commands, pressing your thigh down with his knee. With his dark eyes keeping you captive, he continues his exploration with his fingers, gliding them up and down and eventually slipping a finger in.
“God, you’re tight, sucking me in like that…” He moves slowly, feeling your walls mold to the shape of his digit as he pumps his finger in and out.
“Faster,” you beg, rocking yourself against his hand in an attempt to seek even more from him.
At your command, he picks up his pace and slips a second finger in, stretching you just right. Your breath becomes ragged, your mind clouding over as waves of pleasure pulse through you. “Shit, you like that don’t you? You like when I finger-fuck your pussy.” He hisses, leaning forward to press a kiss to your temple.
You’re a complete mess underneath him, squirming under his gaze as his forearm moves at a relentless speed. Desperate for your high, you begin to roll your hips against his fingers even faster. “Am I not enough, princess?” He asks, slowing down his fingers. You whimper, reaching down for his forearm. “So horny, you can’t even let me work you through your own orgasm.” He leans back, still keeping his fingers in place. “Go ahead, fuck yourself on my fingers then. Show me how much you want to cum.”
With a desperate plea, you sit up in order to position yourself better before beginning to bounce yourself up and down on his digits. He simply watches as you lose yourself on his fingers, his cock straining against his pants as he feels his fingers reach a depth they hadn’t before. “Sunghoon… I’m close!” You cry out, your body shuddering as you quicken your pace. The wet sounds of his fingers pounding into your pussy mingle into the air with the sound of your cries as you quickly reach your high, your walls clenching around his fingers in wavelengths. Your orgasm crashes over you, leaving you overstimulated and breathless as you slump back against the couch.
Too exasperated from the efforts of working for your first orgasm, you barely register the sound of Sunghoon’s belt unclasping and his leather jacket hitting your floor. Standing before you, now clad in only his cream-colored Prada sweatshirt and black dress pants, he lifts you up from the couch and throws you onto your bed. As you scramble to position yourself on the bed comfortably, you watch as Sunghoon slides out of his pants and sweater, leaving him in nothing but his dark briefs, his erection straining painfully against the fabric.
“Get on your knees,” he says, climbing onto the bed. The seriousness in his voice has you urging yourself onto your hands and knees, the fabric of your dress still bunched around your hips. Pulling off his briefs, you hear the satisfying slap of his cock hitting his abdomen. “Look at that, you’re glistening.” he purrs, brushing the tip of his cock against your folds. “So wet for me…
“I’ll go slow, ok?” he breathes, guiding himself into you inch by inch. His slow plunge has you gasping, a relentlessly delicious torture as he teases you. “Are you doing ok?” he asks as he drops his chest forward so he can wrap his arm around your waist.
“Y-yes!” You cry, holding the arm wrapped around your waist with your own. Your breath hitches with every inch as you do your best to relax, feeling the delicious stretch of his cock open you up even more. Biting your lip, you steady yourself as he bottoms out, every nerve on fire.
“I’m gonna start moving now.” True to his words, he begins to snap his hips in and out at a slightly fast pace, a speed of his own remedy to make up for the painfully long restraint he put himself through in order to tease you earlier. His need pulses through him with every movement, each thrust filling the space in your studio apartment with raw, unfiltered desire. “Fuck, I’m not gonna last long with you’re pussy sucking me in like this, princess.” He pants, his movements speeding up slightly.
“F-fuck, give it to me Hoonie!” you cry, reaching behind you to entwine your fingers through his hair. As you tug on his hair, he groans deeply, hips bucking into yours even harder than before. “I- I’m gonna cum again!” you whimper, squeezing your eyes shut as the familiar coil in your stomach winds up. Feeling your walls tighten around his member, you feel that wave of pleasure crash over you again and you unravel around his cock, body shaking as you release.
“God, you’re fucking perfect.” He pants, his thrusts unrelenting as he works you through your second high.
“Hoon- ‘s too much!” you cry, your body ablaze as his ministrations push you past every threshold. Sensing your overstimulation, Sunghoon holds firm against your waist and slows down just enough to turn you on your side. With the new position, he slots himself between your legs, lifting one of them to hold close to his chest, holding you open as he lines himself back up with your hole.
“Hold on, princess, can you take one more for me?” He asks, plunging his cock deep into your pussy. Voice thick with desire, he watches as you take in every thrust, the new angle allowing the tip of his cock to brush against your G-spot. “You’re taking me so well, Y/n.” he chants, losing himself to the feeling of your pussy wrapped around him.
“Sunghoon!” you whine, burying your face in your arms, overwhelmed by the intensity building up within you. Every thrust seems to be driving you closer to a third orgasm, but this one seems impossibly stronger than the others “I can’t- It’s so sensitive!”
“I’m close, baby!’ he rasps, speeding up his rhythm as he begins to press kisses onto your calf. His breaths are uneven, sweat running down his back as he brings his hand down to your clit for extra stimulation in hopes of pulling you over the edge once more with him. The extra stimulation has you reeling and you suddenly feel a gush of liquid squirting out of you and around his cock. “Fuck!” Sunghoon cries out as a flood of desire rushes through him, feeling you pulse around his member. With one final thrust, he stills, his cock buried up till your hilt as he spills his own load into you.
Milking him of his orgasm, he slowly pulls out once he’s sure his cock has stopped twitching and collapses beside you, quick to wrap you up in his arms. You tangle your limbs with his and giggle, feeling the warmth of his body radiate against yours. The intimacy doesn’t last long though before he’s prying himself out of bed, “Where are you going?” you ask, a wave of disappointment running through you.
“I need to clean you up, Y/n.” He says plainly.
“The bathroom is the first door on the left.” you tell him, flopping back onto your mattress. With a smirk, he disappears into your bathroom and reappears with a towel and a paper cup of water. As he returns, he sits down beside you and gently lifts your legs, taking his time as he tenderly cleans around your sensitive spot. “Drink up,” he murmurs, handing you the cup.
He watches absentmindedly as you down the contents of the cup in one go, “This scene looks quite familiar.” He laughs, reminding himself of the way you downed your tequila shot just a few hours ago.
“Oh save it, I can’t help but recall seeing you drink four glasses of champagne in the first hour.” you remark, giving him a playful smirk.
Rather than responding, he takes the empty cup from your hands and places it on your bedside table, opting to lay down beside you. “Stay with me tonight?” You whisper, hope glistening in your eyes.
“What will I tell the boys? My manager?” He wonders, a trace of reluctance painted in his undertone; though you could tell by the way he was smiling he had already made his decision. He shifts closer to you, pulling you into his chest. “I’ll just tell them I was too drunk to get home.” He concludes softly, kissing your temple.
You smile, but a part of your heart remains heavy. A bittersweet heaviness lies dormant in your heart. This night was full of spontaneous decisions, but you couldn’t ignore the deeper yearning that stirred inside of you for more. You bite your lip- hesitant, before finally asking, “Sunghoon, will there be a next time?”
“Do you want there to be a next time?”
“Would it be weird of me if I did?”
His hold on you tightens before he glances down at you to brush a strand of hair out of your face. “No, because I’d like there to be a next time too. I’d also like there to be a first date, and maybe even a second, a third-”
Okay I know it's been forever, thank you for adding me on the tag list. I've been dealing with heavy mental health but I finally got to reading Blood On Fire.
It was a lot of fun! I had a lot of fun! And the plot was really up my ally of simple but very effective and gut wrenching. I would have liked to go in a little deeper with our favorite flaming phoenix and hyung line. But my own headcannon would be not only did she understand them but also, she's a phoenix. Probably smoking hot pun not intended but also very intended— she's such a gem creature that creatures rarely meet, and that only adds to her allure. I don't blame the boys for going all the way at least once just to taste what many wont in their lifetime. And they truly respect her too...most of the time anyway, professionally and publically 💗
👑👑👑 Queen behavior.
Ive always found it difficult to write long series as I get impatient with myself 😅 but yes, she really is one of a kind and in another world, i couldve expanded more on her “legend” and how she connects with each member of the hyung line. The last part was rushed, but tysm for getting to the end! Im sorry about ur mental health, i hope its been better now.
That being said, i have been on a hiatus for a long time and i plan to continue it. I will keep my account active though for those that still like to read my stuff. Ive become terribly busy and tired with my last clinicals, ive actually started to develop bags under my eyes.
Gonna be going on a small hiatus, just to focus on school and get my inspiration back. I promise I’ll return, just need to focus on other things without this blog lingering over my head for a little bit ❤️ thanks for understanding 🥰
yk what i was thinking about the other day? this is totally self servicing bc i love jazz and i would looooove to go to a jazz bar w heehoon :P like imagine a dark smokey lounge and they sandwich you between them, humming along and lazily drumming their fingers on your thigh along to the music. and ofc you all get tipsy and moved by the music… im sure you know where im going here LOL
Hoon in that red velvet turtleneck with a black blazer over it and black dress slacks, and heeseung with a rose on the front of his white button down tucked into another pair of black slacks with a long black coat. Thats the fit they attend the jazz bar in.
There’s not a lot of people in there, just some VIP regulars and the jazz band playing live. The room is humbly small and lit with a somber ambience of purple and red. You’re in this backless dress and Heehoon are all over you, ghosting their fingers on the small of your back. Sunghoon is pulling you into his side while wrapping a protective arm around your bare back and Heeseung is busy ordering drinks for the three of you.
Not only is your dress backless, there’s also a rather large slit on the front, which irks the boys to no extent. Heeseung, sitting on the side your slit is on, traces patterns on the bare skin of your thigh, though you know he’s fuming with anger. Heehoon are perfect players in mastering the element of ignorance is bliss. If you looked at them for too long, you’d see the way Sunghoon’s jaw is clenched and the way Heeseung rhythmically curls his fingers into a fist. But from afar, you just look like a happy group of people enjoying the music while sipping on a rum and coke on the rocks.
Being the lightweight that you are, you find yourself swaying into Heeseung’s warm chest. “Baby, dance with me,” you’d say, pulling on his hand. Herseung would shoot sunghoon a look, who only returned his concern with a raise of his hand, as if telling him to go before you get upset.
You drag him into the middle of the bar and wrap his arms around your front, pressing your back into his chest. The two of you sway along to the music and heeseung does everything in his power not to pop a boner. With your ass rubbing against the zippered seam of his slacks, heeseung grits his teeth and moves his hands which were clasped across your stomach down to your hips.
Sunghoon watches from afar with a smirk, occasionally shooting the other men in the bar glaring looks because apparently, seeing you come in with two men wasn’t enough to fend off these good for nothing bastards. The band finishes up their set and you let out a chime of compliments, inebriated by the liquor making its home in your stomach. Heeseung, slightly annoyed, grabs your wrist and pulls you back to where sunghoon is.
“Baby, you were supposed to be enjoying the music, not pressing up against Heeseung’s cock like a pretty slut.” Sunghoon whispers, nuzzling your exposed neck.
You feel a warmth in your belly bloom upon hearing the rasp in sunghoon’s voice. Rubbing your thighs together, you hop back onto the bar stool between Sunghoon and Heeseung.
“Behave. We’ll sit here for a bit and sober up before heading home.” Heeseung says, running his fingers up your thigh again.
You find a sobering comfort in the way his fingers light a fire under your skin you lean into his touch and instead of dragging his hand back down like he had been doing for the last few minutes, his fingers mischievously find there way under the satin fabric of your dress. You look to Heeseung, but there’s no change of expression evident on his face. He’s just calmly conversing with Sunghoon while he toys with the side of your panties. “Heeseung…” you whisper, opening your legs wider under the bar.
“We said, behave.” Sunghoon closes your legs together by grabbing the knee closest to Heeseung and pulling it towards himself. The movement has you spinning to face Sunghoon and he stares at you with his deep brown orbs, gleaming with trouble. You fucked up.
“Spreading your legs in public?” Sunghoon tsks at you and you shudder when you feel Heeseung’s warm hand stroke your back. “Someone doesn’t want to cum tonight.”
Omg ok but imagine sunghoon and jake sharing you, jakes got you in doggy style while sunghoon has his cock down your throat while telling you how good you’re doing for him.
And they’re just trying to see who fucks you better, grunting at one another how much you like their cock better than the other. 😭
yk what i was thinking about the other day? this is totally self servicing bc i love jazz and i would looooove to go to a jazz bar w heehoon :P like imagine a dark smokey lounge and they sandwich you between them, humming along and lazily drumming their fingers on your thigh along to the music. and ofc you all get tipsy and moved by the music… im sure you know where im going here LOL
Hoon in that red velvet turtleneck with a black blazer over it and black dress slacks, and heeseung with a rose on the front of his white button down tucked into another pair of black slacks with a long black coat. Thats the fit they attend the jazz bar in.
There’s not a lot of people in there, just some VIP regulars and the jazz band playing live. The room is humbly small and lit with a somber ambience of purple and red. You’re in this backless dress and Heehoon are all over you, ghosting their fingers on the small of your back. Sunghoon is pulling you into his side while wrapping a protective arm around your bare back and Heeseung is busy ordering drinks for the three of you.
Not only is your dress backless, there’s also a rather large slit on the front, which irks the boys to no extent. Heeseung, sitting on the side your slit is on, traces patterns on the bare skin of your thigh, though you know he’s fuming with anger. Heehoon are perfect players in mastering the element of ignorance is bliss. If you looked at them for too long, you’d see the way Sunghoon’s jaw is clenched and the way Heeseung rhythmically curls his fingers into a fist. But from afar, you just look like a happy group of people enjoying the music while sipping on a rum and coke on the rocks.
Being the lightweight that you are, you find yourself swaying into Heeseung’s warm chest. “Baby, dance with me,” you’d say, pulling on his hand. Herseung would shoot sunghoon a look, who only returned his concern with a raise of his hand, as if telling him to go before you get upset.
You drag him into the middle of the bar and wrap his arms around your front, pressing your back into his chest. The two of you sway along to the music and heeseung does everything in his power not to pop a boner. With your ass rubbing against the zippered seam of his slacks, heeseung grits his teeth and moves his hands which were clasped across your stomach down to your hips.
Sunghoon watches from afar with a smirk, occasionally shooting the other men in the bar glaring looks because apparently, seeing you come in with two men wasn’t enough to fend off these good for nothing bastards. The band finishes up their set and you let out a chime of compliments, inebriated by the liquor making its home in your stomach. Heeseung, slightly annoyed, grabs your wrist and pulls you back to where sunghoon is.
“Baby, you were supposed to be enjoying the music, not pressing up against Heeseung’s cock like a pretty slut.” Sunghoon whispers, nuzzling your exposed neck.
You feel a warmth in your belly bloom upon hearing the rasp in sunghoon’s voice. Rubbing your thighs together, you hop back onto the bar stool between Sunghoon and Heeseung.
“Behave. We’ll sit here for a bit and sober up before heading home.” Heeseung says, running his fingers up your thigh again.
You find a sobering comfort in the way his fingers light a fire under your skin you lean into his touch and instead of dragging his hand back down like he had been doing for the last few minutes, his fingers mischievously find there way under the satin fabric of your dress. You look to Heeseung, but there’s no change of expression evident on his face. He’s just calmly conversing with Sunghoon while he toys with the side of your panties. “Heeseung…” you whisper, opening your legs wider under the bar.
“We said, behave.” Sunghoon closes your legs together by grabbing the knee closest to Heeseung and pulling it towards himself. The movement has you spinning to face Sunghoon and he stares at you with his deep brown orbs, gleaming with trouble. You fucked up.
“Spreading your legs in public?” Sunghoon tsks at you and you shudder when you feel Heeseung’s warm hand stroke your back. “Someone doesn’t want to cum tonight.”
A/N: this is part 4 of the BOF series (LAST part), please read part 1 for the story to make sense as these are heavily driven by plot.
genre/tags for this part ✶ MDNI reverse harem!hyung line x afab!reader, angst, smut, gore and violence, supernatural themes, (sirens, werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters, phoenixes, frost elves, dragons, witches, and more…), blood, verbal and physical violence, lots of murder, manipulation, murder, significant self doubt, government themes (not political), fight club au, ot7
synopsis ✶ In a city where the supernatural are arrested on sight, the only refuge for their pent-up rage is “The Enha Arena”- an exclusive, hidden venue where creatures engage in brutal, blood-soaked battles with one another. Concealed beneath the unassuming exterior of “Dusk and Dawn,” a gym that serves as the front of a totally legal business, this underground fight club acts as the epicenter for this violent world where supernatural beings not only fight for dominance and pride but for the sheer thrill of it all. In dire need of some money, you find yourself drawn into the fight club when you come across a black market job posting- an offer for a new trainer at the gym. Desperate for new ways to keep your own abilities under wraps and even learn about other supernatural beings, you accept the position, completely unaware of the dangers and complicated relationships that await you
WC ✶ 18.4
part 3
smut warnings under the cut
smut warnings ✶ monster erotica (obviously), unprotected sex, temperature play, fingering, oral fem!receiving, squirting, dirty talk, size kink, making out
The gunshot cracks through the air like a whip, deafening those around it yet not quite reaching your ears. For a momentary, blissful second, you brace for impact but don’t feel anything, making you question if you were even shot. In that fleeting moment, hope stirs within your stomach and you pray that it was just a warning shot. But reality comes knocking and you feel a crushing force on your chest as the bullet barrels into your heart, an impact so hard it slams all the air out of you. Right then, you feel the world begin to close itself in on you.
And then the pain.
A searing, unbearable burning sensation flows through your veins like a slow moving poison as the bullet rips through layers of your body. Each breath of yours becomes a vicious battle for more time, every inhale feeling like glass is sliding down your throat. The pain consumes you completely and threatens to swallow you whole, but you desperately continue to claw for more air as blood quickly rises in your throat and spreads across your chest.
The metallic tang of your blood floods your mouth and bubbles past your lips, painting your chin scarlet. Eventually, what was once a warm sensation quickly turns cold and you lose feeling in your extremities, like the bullet has drained you of all that you have. Coolness travels your body like a map and you feel yourself slip away more and more. It’s almost peaceful, but the world before you refuses to slow.
K stands over your body with a maniacal smile. He’s completely indifferent to the chaos around him, laughing with a malevolent satisfaction that drips from his every breath. The necromancer's shadows move in on you, slowly wrapping you up into a void of darkness that’s colder than death itself. It suffocates you more than the bullet, and you find yourself yielding to the weight of its darkness.
“No! No, no, no!” An animalistic scream rips from Heeseung’s throat, reverberating around the gym as the sight of you lying lifelessly on the ground tears into his soul. He shoves away the soldier pinning him down and races over to you, falling to your side and pulling you into his chest. With each broken sob, red tendrils spread further out from his body and slowly engulf you both, muffling the chaos from outside. Within his sphere, time slows down and he holds you impossibly close to his chest. He buries his tear-streaked face into your hair and sobs, whispering broken apologies as though it’d reverse your last breath. His body shakes uncontrollably, barely steady enough to rock you back and forth in the protective sphere of his shadows.
Outside of his shadows, chaos ensues like a violent storm.
Jake lets out a feral howl, his animalistic instincts consuming him like a starved man. His eyes burn with fury and he moves to tear into the nearest soldier, sinking his fangs into their throat and clawing at their flank until there’s nothing but carnage left in his wake. Blood splatters against his face as his canines slice into the man’s carotid. The flash of red only drives him deeper into his blind rage, erasing the little instinct he still has. He bares his teeth and shoves the soldier to the ground, turning to his next victim but encounters the butt of their rifle instead, striking his face and sending him backwards as his own blood pours from his nose. With a guttural snarl and a throbbing nose, he crushes the man’s throat with his bare hands. With the soldier gasping for air, Jake then drags his bloodied fingers down to his chest and rips it open with his claws only to shatter the bony cage surrounding their heart. Eyes red with rage, he rips the man's heart out and holds it up for all to see. Blood drips from the base of the organ and draws racetracks of red down his arm. His graphic act of violence works as a warning to those that dared to approach him.
Jay moves in tandem to Jake, making his way through the crowd with his flames dancing along the skin of his targets, scorching the air with the sickening smell of burning flesh. He pushes through the stream of soldiers with force, sending them flying backwards with the force of his fiery exhales The scales on his back glow with rage and act as a beacon for his team as he moves forward. In his path, a few soldiers manage to land a couple hits to his side and face, resulting in a cut lip and bruising eye, but it doesn’t stop him. Slowly but surely, he reaches the edge of Heeseung’s sphere and starts to fend off the encroaching soldiers, determined to protect what little was left of you.
Just beside him, Jungwon and Minnie have made their way to the center of the chaos as well, their movements hardly visible to the naked eye. They move in a blur of speed and precision, Minnie shining beams of energy at soldiers while Jungwon moves at the speed of light to disarm them of their guns.
Sunoo is nearby as well, hanging around the edge of the crowd and weaving his hands in the air like he’s painting with water. Jets of water shoot out of the palm of his hands, attacking whoever is near. His stream moves around the people like a tail and coils around individuals with a deadly squeeze. Zeroing in on a particular soldier, he watches their body explode from the pressure of his water wrapping around him like a lasso. Blood and organs paint not just the floor and walls, but those around him as well.
The relentless rage of the group’s efforts reduces the soldiers to a mess of lifeless bodies that litter the floor of the gym. There’s red everywhere, making it hard to tell whose blood is whose. At the same time, the air is thick with iron, leaving a sour taste in all of their mouths, the weight of murder dissolving on their taste buds.
In the end, only K stays standing. Surrounding the tall necromancer are the bodies of his team, but he doesn’t seem to care. It doesn’t seem to matter to him that his team has collapsed.
Jay, panting and drenched in sanguine fluids, speaks with fatigue evident in his voice, “K.”
The necromancer’s name carries in the air with a heavy burden, but K is indifferent to the void of guilt.“You fuckers are so easy,” he sneers, “ It was almost too easy to ruin you all. You didn’t even notice my cameras.” The man points upwards at a small red light that blinks above them, just barely visible as it sticks to one of the light fixtures. Letting out a deep sigh of content, he wipes at his face to clear up the blood that marred his features. “Just give it up, boys. The government’s got enough data to track you down, arrest you, and condition you to become part of their army of supernaturals.”
The malice in his words seems to reach Heeseung as he finally lets his shadows dissipate, revealing your lifeless body laying limp in his arms. The original color from your face has drained completely and your body is hauntingly cold in his arms. Your hoodie, which was once a nice lavender color, is practically black with your blood seeping from the gunshot wound on your chest. Wincing, Heeseung looks at Niki and nods in his direction, letting the youngest replace his spot immediately as he goes to stand up. Niki’s hands shake as he cradles you close to his chest, hoping that the warmth of his body could restore what you lost, though he knew it was futile. While Niki quietly sobs to himself, Heeseung points a threatening finger at K and explodes, “This is your fault!” His words crack with his pain, “What the hell were you thinking, working with the government? They’ll kill your ass the second they don’t need you anymore.”
K only laughs again, the echo of his sounds dripping with venom. “Enough hiding, Heeseung. I’m sure there’ll be tons of vampires now that they know how deadly you are. You made for such a perfect little murderer.” He narrows his eyes at Heeseung when he says the word ‘murderer’, his eyes creasing into crescents as he smiles wickedly at the younger boy.
Heeseung’s face pales before him as the word, ‘murderer’ cuts deep through his chest like a fallen blade. His expression is full of pure horror, realizing that his past has been exposed for all to know. A secret that had only been revealed to you, was now coming back to haunt him. K unravels his years of guilt like it was a habit. “I’m not a-”
“Save it. I know every single name of the people you killed: innocent, harmless people.” His eyes widen with a sadistic pleasure as he forces Heeseung to eat his own words.
The group stiffens, subtle but unmistakable. They try to mask the foreign unease they harbour towards the eldest, but it doesn’t matter. Heeseung has grown to be too aware of the changes in people’s body language, just a fraction of what his guilty conscience has taught him to do.
Practically radiating with anger, Heeseung takes a step closer to K, but Sunoo reaches a hand out to hold Heeseung back with desperate strength, keeping him grounded as Heeseung’s composure fractures. “H-how, how could you know that?” He says through tears that threaten to spill down his paled face.
Heeseung doesn’t get a verbal answer, just a bloody cough that splashes red onto his face. He’s bruised and battered and definitely looks like he’s had better days, but his injuries don’t stop him.“This should be familiar to you, right Jake?” K’s eyes widen as he turns to the werewolf, who stands off to the side with his knuckles blanching white. “You were just a boy when everyone in the Sim pack died, right? Trembling in the corner while you were all hunted like prey. Good riddance, I always hated werewolves, dirty mutts.”
Jake lets out an angry growl, “Keep my family’s name out of your mouth!”
“What, are you afraid I’ll tell them what you did?” He walks toward Jake with a sadistic glare, each step echoing his entertainment, “Or, what you didn’t do? Afraid they’ll find out just how much of a coward you are? You don’t want them to know about how you hid behind a bush and watched them all die slow, painful deaths, right? Pathetic, couldn’t even protect your own blood.” K spits at the floor, a glob of red mucus landing next to Jake’s foot. “I know you have nightmares about it, feeling guilty and powerless for letting your pack die. Some things just don’t change, do they.”
In a lapse of anger, Jake lunges forward with his arm in the air, but his fist is caught by Jungwon, catching his strike with his palm and guiding it back down to his side. “That’s cute, always protecting your hyungs.” K’s words drip with a venom that threatens to leak into their bloodstream as he addresses Jungwon, “-But who’s protecting you? Surely it can’t be Jay. I mean, who would want to live with someone that killed off the people trying to adopt me.”
Jungwon’s breath catches in his throat and he almost lurches the entirety of his stomach contents forward. He had confided in Jay countless times growing up about his longing for a real home, a way out of the damned community. He knew the reality of being adopted wasn’t at all glamorous, but he believed anything would be better than sleeping outside in the cold. And Jay had always reassured him, told him that being adopted wouldn’t help him live a fulfilling life, that he could be loved as long as he stayed by Jay’s side.
Jay speaks up immediately, panic arising in his voice, “Jungwon, don’t listen to him!” He rushes to the younger boy's side, grabbing at his hand like he always does, but his expression falters when Jungwon suddenly flinches away.
Despite the cold front Jungwon seemed to be sporting all of a sudden, he reassures his hyung, “I won’t.” It was a whisper, but his words felt hollow, K’s voice rattling him to the core. All that safety and love that Jay had provided him, had it really been genuine?
There’s a beat of silence that follows Jungwon’s halfhearted reassurance and the group thinks that K has finished talking, but they’re wrong. He never does. “Sunghoon, would now be a good time to tell them about your night terrors? You know, the ones where you slaughter your friends- every single night.” His voice twists into something sharper now, almost light with teasing, like he’s relating to Sunghoon’s violent tendencies.
Sunghoon screams at K to shut up, his voice shattering with despair under the weight of his vulnerabilities being broadcasted. He clenches his fist, mist coiling around them like an uncontrollable fog as he thinks about the effort he went through to keep that secret buried. All those nights he spent barricading his apartment door, just a desperate attempt at keeping his darkness inside- to protect them from himself. But when he looks around the room, all he sees is the face of shock on his members faces.
“How does it feel to think so similarly to a necromancer, hm? You have a very dirty subconscious, Sunghoon. You’re drowning from the weight of your sick, psychotic mind. Just let go.”
Sunghoon only screams again, this time unable to find a suitable word to express his outrage. For a moment, rage is the only thing that courses through Sunghoon’s veins, but slowly does he fall to his knees, his pale blue eyes brimming with tears now. “Why- why are you doing this?”
“Because hiding is for cowards, and in exchange for your information, I was promised protection.” He says, smiling sadistically. “I didn’t think I’d get the pleasure of digging up all this dirty on you guys in the process.” He pauses to let out a loud chuckle, sneering down at Niki. “Your hyung’s are fucked in the head, Niki. I’d kill them off while I still can.”
K locks his gaze onto Niki, daring him to strike, but he doesn’t move. Instead, Sunghoon crosses into his vision and a fist that’s wrapped in a shard of ice, makes brute contact with K’s face. The necromancer staggers back, clutching his face as crimson liquid pours between the crevices of his fingers. Before he can even gather his bearings, Sunghoon strikes again, but this time it’s the force of an ice blade driving him backwards. The knockback of his attack is so strong that K ‘s back slams into the body of the nearest pillar, rendering him more breathless than he already was.
Slumped to the ground, K coughs up spurts of blood as his chest blooms with blood, yet his laughter still lingers, triumphant even. “You’ll get what’s coming for you,” he mutters before taking his last breath.
Silence, and then, “You bitch!” Heeseung’s voice cuts through the thin string of tension and shoves Yuqi to the ground, hard. “How could you just watch her die? Huh?” Yuqi doesn’t make any moves to strike back, quietly accepting the eldest' anger like she was being scolded by her parents. “You were right there! You could’ve stopped him from pressing the fucking trigger!”
Yuqi mutters quietly, for the first time, afraid of what the boys may do, “I did this for a reason-”
“A reason?” Sunghoon’s snarl cuts her off, “What kind of sick idea made you think we’d be okay with watching her die like that!”
The two boys' interaction with Yuqi goes unnoticed as the rest are too focused on crowding around Niki, who is still holding onto your body. “Y/n…” Jay cries, gently moving your body into his lap. His entire face is flushed and there’s snot dripping everywhere, but he doesn’t care. All he cares about is the touch of your body on his and how he’ll never feel your warmth again.
Rather than fighting back, Yuqi just sighs and gestures for Minnie to stand by her side.“Burn the bodies, all of them. I don’t want to see a single trace of K or the government here again.” Yuqi commands, but there’s a waver in her voice.
Jake looks at Yuqi with hesitation before flitting his eyes back to you- completely lifeless in Jay’s arms. He clutches your body to his chest, talking to you in hushed whispers as if you were still alive, like you could still hear him.
“And burn Y/n separately.”
Niki finally speaks, fury overshadowing his grief in that moment, “Are you being serious? You can’t even wait to give her a proper burial? Who the hell do you think you are to be ordering us around!”
“Obey me, or don’t bother coming back to this fucking gym.” She snaps at the youngest, flicking her tongue out in warning.
Niki bites his tongue and watches Jay and Heeseung move around the gym to throw the bodies into one big pile. Jay looks back at Yuqi, waiting for her nod of confirmation. When she gestures for him to hurry up, he proceeds to light a fire in his hand and throws the embers onto the pile. The stack of bodies lights up in flames immediately, cinching the air with burning flesh. Sunoo’s nose wrinkles in disgust and he shields his eyes from the blazing fire.
For a few minutes, the gym is silent save for the crackling of the fire. They watch the blaze die down without saying a word, a communal mix of grief and anger residing in all their hearts. Slowly but surely, the last of the fire burns away and all that’s left is a mound of ash. “Ok, now burn Y/n.”
Niki clenches his fist and looks to Jay, but all he receives is a gentle nod that does nothing to reassure him. Yuqi pushes him forward and he grunts back at her. “Don’t fucking touch me,” he seethes, pulling away from her. She ignores him and gestures to your body which has been moved to the center of the gym. Biting his lip, Niki flicks his arm out and a fire ascends his limb. With one last hesitation, he forms a ball of fire in his palm and drops it onto your body.
Immediately, the flame consumes you and travels against your skin like a whisper. The inferno only grows bigger as the seconds go by, forcing the boys circling around your body to take a few steps back. As they watch on in tears, Sunghoon is the only one to notice your arm twitch, “Wait-”
Your eyes snap open, glowing with that same orange hue they always did as the flames snake down your veins, lighting your blood on fire. In an instance, your body becomes weightless in the inferno and you rise, flames spinning around you like a cocoon. And then you scream.
In the heat of the fire, you let out an ear piercing scream as you feel the embers melting your skin off, cutting into you like knives. It’s searing in heat and scalds your heart like a wildfire. Breaking through the pain, a black shadow erupts from your chest and transforms into a spectral phoenix that spreads its wings before quickly dissolving into a flurry of ash. The phoenix is reborn, rising from the ashes.
“It’s working…” Yuqi whispers, stars in her eyes.
In absence of the smoky phoenix, a solstice of light floats out of your chest, flash banging everyone around you. In a matter of seconds, the blinding white of the solstice dims and your body descends back down to the ground, embers no longer dripping off your body like molten lava and smoke curling into the air in its stead. Your hoodie is back to its lavender color and your face looks years younger now.
Silence surpasses you as you lay still and the boys hold their breaths. Without warning, you sit upwards with a sharp gasp, “Wh- what…”
Jake trips over his own feet as he rushes towards you, crushing your body with the force of his embrace. “Y/n? Is it really you?” He trambles into the crook of your neck, disbelief washing through him as he takes a deep whiff “How- fuck… I seriously thought I lost you.”
Sunghoon, Jay, and Heeseung crowd around you, shocked into complete silence. Their expressions vary from surprise to relief, but there are no words that follow in explanation. Confused by the uncharacteristic quietness of the boys, you subconsciously move your hand up and down Jake’s trembling back to comfort him. Your fingers run over the ridges of his spine and to his shoulder blades and then back down. It feels good to have him in your arms, though you’re not sure why it feels like you missed out on a lifetime of hugs.
“Yuqi, what just happened?” Sunoo speaks with a low strain in his voice, gaze flickering between Yuqi and the smoke that still remained thick in the air.
Yuqi, who still stands separate from the group, watches on with awe in her eyes, “She was reborn, so the legends were true.”
His lips part in silence, glaring daggers into Yuqi, “You didn’t think to tell us that she’d come back to life? We just went through the five stages of grief, Yuqi!” Frustration spills through the cracks in his voice, the weight of his emotions flooding forward.
Before Yuqi can offer an explanation, Sunghoon turns to confront Yuqi, breaking away from the circle and tilting his head to the side. “We could’ve avoided a lot of this conflict if you had just told us what’s going on.”
Yuqi’s expression hardens into something unreadable, but guilt flickers beneath her gaze, a little bit shocked by the outburst, “I’m sorry, but the idea didn’t come to mind until she was staring down the barrel of the gun.” Yuqi repents, sparing Sunghoon a guilty look. “Phoenix’s can only exist one at a time, reviving countlessly until their purpose is fulfilled. I wasn’t entirely sure it’d even work, it was a long lost legend, but there was no other option. I needed to use your guys’ anger from her passing, letting Y/n die was the only way to refocus and direct us all towards a common goal: killing K.”
Her words do little to extinguish the heat of anger coursing through his body but he doesn’t respond, just gives Yuqi a hard look and turns back to you and Jake, letting his silence speak for him. They all turn their backs on her and refocus their attention on you, who is now holding Jungwon in your arms.
He sobs into your chest and clutches at your hoodie strings, murmuring nonsense into the heat of your chest. You can’t make out anything through his incoherent babbles, but you look up to see the boys match his anxiety. “Please don’t cry, Jungwon. I’m fine, really.” You pull apart from him and gesture to your body which was free of any evidence of the last few hours. Jungwon doesn’t let up, in fact his cries only grow louder, “I think we should all just head home for the rest of today. I don’t know exactly what happened, but it’s clear from the pile of ash on the ground that there was more than one casualty tonight.” You part from Jungwon and wipe a tear off his cheek, offering him a strained smile.
The boys mumble in agreement and help you to stand, each one giving you one final, lingering hug before calling it a night. Their embraces felt hollow, their postures hiding the strained dynamic that now drove a wedge between the boys. You shake the feeling, unaware of the context that accompanied the new change.
In the back, Yuqi grabs a hold of Minni’s hand and squeezes it. “Did I do the right thing?” She asks with a tight heart.
Minnie looks at Yuqi and softens her gaze, “I think- you could’ve gone about it in a better way. But all that matters is that Y/n is alive and well.” Minnie tells her, brushing a hand up and down her arm. “The boys won’t stay mad at you for long, they’re just dealing with some difficult emotions right now.”
Yuqi stiffens beside her friend but she doesn’t speak, instead choosing to find solace in Minnie’s presence. Minnie turns her gaze to the boys and watches as Sunghoon moves to place a hand on the small of Sunoo’s back, wincing when the boy flinches away. “I- I’m sorry,” he stammers, “I just-”
Sunghoon shakes his head, like he knows what the boy is about to say. “Dont. It’s fine, Sunoo.” He speaks quietly and forces a smile on his face. Sunoo could tell it lacked genuineness, even without being familiar with the shape of Sunghoon’s smile as he was always so closed off, but it didn’t matter to him whether Sunoo could see the lie straight through his teeth. Sunghoon didn’t want to argue, didn’t want to press the issue any further. He knew what was happening. Instead of talking any more, he straightens up awkwardly and takes a weird side step away from the boy, letting the silence bridge the gap between them.
Sunghoon knew this would happen, the slow pulling away of the members once they realized the kind of monster he really was. He had wondered how long it would take for them to see past his mask, and it looked like today was the day. The tension was palpable now, the avoidant gazes of his members leaving his heart clenching.
He wonders if you know too, if you heard everything K said. The idea of you looking at him with the same fear he convinces himself to believe the boys harbor towards him has him spiraling. He’s terrified of hurting you or the boys, even by accident, and that fear alone drives himself to put a space between him and everyone else. His night terrors are like a relentless attack on his subconscious, reminding him that his hands were stained with the blood of the people in his dreams. He was so afraid of hurting the ones he loved, and that fear came at the cost of keeping himself at arms distance from those around him.
He just didn’t know it’d hurt so much to see them push him away instead of himself.
With a sad look, Minnie looks away, unable to bear the sight of seeing someone she knew to be so strong and indifferent, look so pitiful. She turns around to move to Jake who was working to pack up his bag in a haste. Her expression on the werewolf is one of concern, shimmering with sadness that would’ve looked so pretty if not for the reason of her gaze. Minnie’s mind races with concern as she watches Jake withdraw back into his shell, shoulders tense and muscles straining under every movement. Jake notices the heavy look in Minnie’s eyes when he throws his bag over his shoulder and brushes her off, “Don’t give me that look,” he snaps. “I know exactly what you’re thinking of right now, and you can go shove it.”
Jake hated the way he spoke to Minnie, but it was easier to push her away than to face the truth. He’s well aware of the coward that he is, and it eats him alive every day. Flashbacks of his packmates' blood painting the rocks while their lifeless eyes bored into his soul play in his mind like a carousel, spinning and spinning around his brain until he can barely stand. He recalls the names of all the people that died, all because he was too scared to move. He could’ve saved them, but he didn’t. He didn’t even try and that ruined him. Jake doesn’t want pity, doesn't deserve pity, especially not Minnie’s when the weight of his conscience is pitiful enough.
“I’m sorry, just- I’d like to be left alone right now.” He says in contrast to his snippy comment moments ago, his tone is considerably softer when he observes Minnie’s injured look.
Minnie nods her head at the werewolf and then turns away, walking back over to Yuqi while feeling heavy with sadness.
Meanwhile, Heeseung and Niki walk side by side as they approach the exit, their heads hanging low despite the bittersweet outcome of the night's events. When Niki reaches for the handle of the door, Heeseung brushes his hand against his by accident. The touch doesn’t last more than a few seconds, but it has the hackles on Niki’s neck rising and he jumps backward, hand recoiling like he touched something hot. Upon seeing the broken look on Heeseung’s face, Niki begins to stammer out an apology but Heeseung interrupts.
“You first,” he murmurs, gesturing to the door.
There’s not enough fight left in Heeseung to care about the way the youngest member looked at him. Too consumed by his own trauma, the only thing on his mind is to go home and reflect in silence. He had tried so hard to let his past erase itself through his ignorance, tried so hard to be the opposite of reality and care for his loved ones. Never once did he want to revert back to the mindless killer that he was as a teenager.
Back then, Heeseung had been brainwashed by his parents, conditioned to believe that they’d love him a little more if he just got rid of his parent’s competitors. Obviously, that became so far from the truth the moment he had come home that night with flesh tangled in his fangs, squirming under the disappointed gaze of his parents. Apparently, his job was sloppy and a person had escaped. But it doesn’t matter now, his parents are long gone and so is the escapee, he just wants to go home and rest.
Niki hesitates for a moment but then walks out the door, Heeseung following a few strides behind in an effort to put some space between them. It was clear that the dynamic between the oldest and the youngest had changed, but that was an issue for another day.
Watching as his members leave the building one by one, Jay turns to Jungwon.“Let’s get out of here, Jungwon.” He says tiredly, running a hand through his hair. There’s no real urgency in the way he grabs at Jungwon’s hand, it’s more like a plea to escape the reality of what just happened and go home, start anew.
Jungwon stiffens at the mention of his name leaving his best friend’s mouth and reluctantly pulls his hand away. “I- I think I’m gonna stay with Niki tonight.” He says quietly, rushing after to follow Niki who was already out the door.
Jay’s shoulders slump, disappointment etched in his posture. He wants to argue with Jungwon and tell him he’s being ridiculous, but he knows better not to. There’s a sudden mistrust in Jungwon’s gaze and it wraps Jay’s heart with guilt. It was clear to Jay that the influence of K’s words had made its way into Jungwon’s brain, planting a seed of doubt in the echo of his thoughts.
Jay couldn’t really explain why he did what he did, maybe he had convinced himself that a pair of strangers wouldn’t be capable of loving Jungwon the way he did, maybe he convinced himself that they would exploit him like all other humans did, he wasn’t sure. But he doesn’t regret it. He knows Jungwon would’ve been taken away from him and hidden in the confines of a stranger’s home, alone and scared. Jay wasn’t ready to lose 17 years of friendship with Jungwon just because some couple had the money to buy him out of the community. They had only gone five years without knowing each other, meeting at the age of 5. And it took only three years for Jay to slowly become obsessed with his presence, to kill off any opportunity Jungwon had at escaping the community. Things were better off anyway with Jungwon by Jay’s side, he could protect him that way. But Jungwon doesn’t know that, and he never would based on the way he avoided Jay’s gaze.
He knows deep inside of him that lying to Jungwon was wrong and that he should’ve told him the truth, but it’s too late now. So, with a broken frown, Jay watches the back of his best friend's body disappear, and for the first time since Jungwon was almost adopted, Jay feels him slipping out of his fingers again.
With a frustrated sigh, Jay turns to you and engulfs you in a sudden hug, ripping you away from your conversation with Yuqi and Minnie. “Oh- Is everything okay, Jay?” You ask into his shoulder, buried beneath the scent of his cologne.
“I hope so…” his strong arms wrap around your waist and he buries his face into your neck. “K said a lot of bad things.”
You push on his chest gently only so you could look into his eyes as you said, “No matter what he said, we’ll figure out how to move past it.” You didn’t need to know what he said to know that you and the boys would find a way through it, you always did.
Jay wears a soft smile on his lips and leans down, pressing himself to your lips in response. Memories of his night spent with you flood his mind and he lingers on your lips for a moment longer than necessary, savoring the tenderness of your contact. “I’ll see you later, Y/n.” He says before taking his leave.
Blushing, you turn to Yuqi and feel the thrum of your pulse beat against your skin. “Come stay with us for the next few days, I want to discuss something with you two.” She says, gesturing between you and the light fairy beside her.
Thinking about it, you’ve never once visited Yuqi’s place, or anyone else's for that matter. The idea of staying in her home feels oddly comforting, and given the fact she’s inviting you over must mean it’s not safe for you to stay alone, at least for now. . Spending a few nights with a serpent and light fairy suddenly didn’t seem all too weird. You smile at Yuqi and nod your head, a quiet confirmation that you’d stay with her and Minnie.
Not another word is shared between the three of you and she directs you to her car. She’s parked just out front of the gym, her white sedan waiting patiently for her to return. The silence between you all stretches on through the ride to Yuqi’s place. It’s not more than a 15 minute drive from the gym, but it feels like the minutes leak into each other, the ever-pressing weight of what’s to come lingering on your shoulders.
Outside the car, the city blurs and that in itself causes your brain to slow down, unable to focus on anything more than the fast moving streaks of light. There’s tension lingering in the small space of the car and you clear your throat awkwardly, shifting around in your seat. “Yuqi, what happened at the gym?”
You watch as she shares a look of concern with Minnie, pursing her lips and glancing at you through the rearview mirror. “K came to attack us, brought an army of soldiers from the government.” She pauses to place a hand on Minnie’s thigh, gripping it as if it provided her strength. “You passed away when K shot you in the chest… When you were dead, K had said some things about the boys that were supposedly long kept secrets, it definitely shook the boys’ dynamic with each other.”
You find it difficult to process that you had passed away, and you felt like you had cheated life. But then the legend of the phoenix comes to your mind and the pieces suddenly start to come together. “Did you know that I’d revive?” You ask her.
Instead of answering, she speeds up the car and within seconds, she pulls into a driveway. “Let’s talk more inside.” She says, unbuckling her seatbelt and leaving in a haste.
Your body seems to be weighed down by invisible weights, preventing you from moving. Minnie, who’s movements seem to be slowed down, clicks out of her seatbelt and twists around in the passenger seat. She reaches out a hang to place on your knee and gently rubs her thumb up and down the side.
“Let’s go in together,” she says quietly, the glow in her eyes no longer bright.
The two of you walk into Yuqi and Minnies shared apartment hand in hand, ready to face the reality of the situation together. She guides you over to the couch and excuses herself, saying she was just gonna change into something more comfortable. Yuqi was busy tinkering around in the kitchen, which left you all alone to be consumed by your thoughts.
You look around the apartment and see the distinctive characteristics of each girl, yellow and white decorations with black accents scattered about the apartment. It was homey, well lived in and you saw on the side table a picture frame of Yuqi and Minnie, laughing with one another. You grab the frame and take a closer look, smiling subconsciously.
“I think we were 14 when that was taken,” Yuqi says, sitting on the couch across from you.
You hurriedly put the frame back, muttering an apology. You suddenly felt small.
“Nothing to be sorry about,” she smiles at you. “So, you asked me if I had known if you would revive after being killed, and the short answer is yes.”
You nod.
“You were face to face with K, while the boys were scattered all over the gym. I was the closest one to you, close enough to run and intervene if something happened to you.” Yuqi clasps her hands together. “He pulled out a gun, and in that moment iI recalled the legends I had read about phoenixes and the prophecy that each bird fulfills. I read that they continue to rise from the ashes until their prophecy was completed. In that moment, I realized that it might apply to you as well, so I didn’t move. I knew letting you die would send the boys into a rage.”
“You said, ‘might.’ Meaning you let me get shot without even knowing if I’d stay dead or come back to life.” You're growing timid now, tired of people beating around the bush.
“We were losing, Y/n! There was no way we would’ve come out of that attack alive and well unless the boys used their anger to control their fighting. You know how much stronger they get when they’re emotional.” Yuqi spits out her words in a hurry, trying to get you to see her side.
Maybe you would if the circumstances were different, if your death had been a result of nature and not in the hands of a murderer. “Unbelievable,” you say, leaning back against the couch.
Becore Yuqi can say more, Minnie enters the living room and plops down beside you, the fuzz of her pajamas brushing against your leg. As if sensing the visible tension in the room, Minnie places a hand on your leg and a soft glow emits from her palm, seeping into your bone. “I- I guess I understand why you did it, but it hurts that you were willing to take that risk.” You tell her, much calmer than before.
“I’m sorry, Y/n. I really am.” Yuqi apologizes with sadness in her voice. You’re not used to this, not used to seeing Yuqi so lost and afraid. It made you uncomfortable.
20 minutes go by before Yuqi and Minnie finally finish explaining to you what had happened in detail. You’re left absolutely shocked, jaw hanging open as you process what really happened in the attack. From Jake ripping a man’s heart out of his chest to Sunghoon driving his blade into the hilt of K’s torso, ultimately killing him. They even tell you about Heeseung running to you and shielding you both in a ball of his shadows. The whole thing seems so surreal.
“Ok, now what was it that you wanted to talk to Minnie and I about?” You ask, forcing yourself to move on to the next topic.
“I want to use Jungwon’s shape-shifting ability to infiltrate the governor’s office. He’ll act as their head officer, Jaehyuk and approach the governor with a proposition.” She pauses to slide an envelope across the coffee table, catching the attention of you and Minnie. “Jaehyuk is reported to be a close friend of governor Lee, so I’m hoping that will give us some leverage. I think it works out perfectly because Jaehyuk died during the attack in the gym, so we won’t need to worry about being caught.”
Yuqi nods at you to pick up the envelope so you do, the weight of its contents making everything feel much more real. You open the unsealed flap and pull out a piece of paper that was covered in words. Overwhelmed, you skim through the contents of the letter, “Why are we asking to form an alliance with the government? They don’t even know about us, only the enforcement division does.”
You hand the letter over to Minnie and look at Yuqi expectantly. “This letter exposes the constant abuse the enforcement division has subjected the supernatural to. It also states for how long we have lived in secrecy, lingering in the shadows and burdening ourselves to be perfect. There’s a USB in the envelope too, it’s the video surveillance from the hidden cameras K had put up, it recorded the attack in the gym.”
You lean back on the couch with your arms crossed, the weight of your own morals pressing heavily on your chest. On the one hand, the idea of exploiting the government to secure your freedom with the possibility of negative backlash seemed undesirable. If things were to go wrong, you would have no other option than to silence the governor- by eliminating him, and that in itself brought along a whole string of challenges you weren’t ready to face. But on the other hand, your long-held birthday wish to roam the streets in the daylight, unburdened by the fear of being arrested etched a scar in your heart.
Minnie, who is sitting next to you in her favorite pair of pajamas, shifts uncomfortably and puts the letter down. “Ok… How do you plan to go about this, Yuqi?”
“Y/n and Niki will enter the governor’s office as Jungwon's prisoners. Jungwon is gonna speak to the governor, deliver the letter, and recount the stories you told him during your interrogations. He’s going to explain to the governor how you and all the other supernatural beings deserve to live like everyone else, that he had gotten to know the two of you through your interrogations. Essentially, Jungwon is going to be the advocate you never had.”
Minnie looks skeptical, unsure. Her lips part in the way like she’s about to say something more, but she can’t seem to find the words. “And if it doesn’t work?” You press, asking the question she was too afraid to voice.
“Let’s hope it does.”
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Yuqi’s plan develops over the next week, starting first with convincing the rest of the group to go through with it. Over the course of a few days, Yuqi painted the picture of a future they had all yearned for so long, explaining that this was the sacrifice that had to be made. Obviously, it took them time to agree to the plan, particularly proving to be a difficult task with Niki’s ego and Jake’s fear, but their dreams outweighed their doubts.
But collaboration proved to be difficult, particularly with the hyungs and the maknaes. Jungwon frequently avoided Jay while Heeseung and Sunghoon seemed to be iced out by everyone else. And Jake was just a shell, a lifeless, poor, shell. You had bever seen the dynamics so strained. Like it was a string being pulled to its max, the sllightest tug enough to snap it in half.
The plan was simple. Niki, someone who had taken his hours of free time to become a certified IT specialist online, hacked into the government’s email servers and forged a message sent under the name of Jaehyuk. The point of the email was to request for a meeting with the governor, the subject header titled: URGENT. Once you had confirmation that an appointment had been scheduled, the plan would move into the next phase.
A day before your meeting, Niki wired up your typical black spy van, equipped with the latest technologies and headpieces that would establish a line of communication between you and them. Yuqi, Minnie, and the rest of the boys would remain safely in the confines of the van, waiting on stand-by in case things went wrong. At the first sign of trouble, they’d be ready to jump in and intervene, though everyone was silently pleading that it wouldn’t come down to that. The rest of the plan was painfully simple.
Fast forward to today, you and Niki proceed to stumble forward as Jungwon, no, Jaehyuk, pushes you forward with your hands bound behind your backs. You deliberately grunt about and feign resistance against Jaehyuk who continues to shove you forward while the badges on his uniform gleam under the stale building lights. “Move,” he barks, tone monotonous.
Passing the front desk was easy, Jaehyuk just had to show his badge to the clerk and explain his reasons for being here and he was let through. You could feel Jaehyuk’s hand tighten on your wrist, nervous by the first obstacle, but the clerk barely flicked their eyes up at him. Despite the assurance, Jaehyuk made sure to put up a show with you and Niki, moving the latter around aggressively while shooting you stern looks. It almost felt real, if not for the way Jaehyuk whispered to Niki to stop acting so dramatically.
After a long time traversing the hallways that seemed to be identical to one another, you came across a grand oak door with a label that read ‘Governor Lee’s Office.’ Jaehyuk knocks against the wood firmly, waiting with his hand raised until a man from inside ushers them to come inside.
Jaehyuk swings the door open and pushes you into the office first, Niki following after you and eventually Jaehyuk as well, closing the door behind him. The office is quite humble compared to what you had imagined, maybe the size of your bedroom and decorated with photos of him and his family. It wasn’t the stately look you were expecting, but much more lived in and humble.
Before you, a middle aged man whose hair has started to gray and his face has started to crack, rises from his chair and moves to lean against the front of his desk. “Sergeant Kang, to what do I owe the pleasure?” He asks, his voice a rough mixture of curiosity and authority.
“Governor Lee,” Jaehyuk says, bowing to the man. He pulls a white envelope from out of his chest pocket and drops it to the table beside Lee. “I’ve brought you something rather unusual. A phoenix and a dragon.”
The mention of your kind being spoken into the room has the governor narrowing his eyes and cocking his head to the side in curiosity. It was a known fact that the supernatural was not something openly acknowledged by the rest of the government, its issue being a strict enforcement division subject only, but rumors spread quickly.
“Oh, interesting.” He murmurs, taking a step closer. “This is the phoenix?” He asks Jaehyuk, to which he nods.
He walks towards you and leaves only inches of space between you, peering into your eyes and raking over your features like a starved man. “You are a sight to behold,” he says, tracing his fingers down your arm. “Remarkable…” You tense under his touch, pressing your lips into a straight line as you inwardly cringe at the intimacy.
Besides you, Niki bristles and bites his tongue to prevent himself from roaring at the governor. No one was supposed to touch you, not on his watch.
“So, what is the reason for this?” The governor lacks surprise in his voice and you find yourself letting bits of anxiety creep in.
“During their interrogations, I was made aware of the injustices that they have been faced with- and by extension, the supernatural community as a whole. They have told me about the years they’ve spent living in the shadows, yearning for nothing more but the same freedom as we humans have. Unfortunately, my due diligence with matters elsewhere have led to me overlooking the mistreatment that my division has subjected them to. So to make amends, I would like to act as an advocate for the community and propose a treaty- an alliance between the supernatural and us. I would like to stop hunting them.”
Governor Lee raises his eyebrow at Jaehyuk, but it’s more of interest than skepticism. It seems that he has been privy to the actions of the enforcement division, aware of what lurks beneath the guise of their group. “An alliance? What makes you think I’ll agree to that?”
Jaehyuk points to the letter, “Yuqi, the leader of a sanctuary where many supernatural beings go to find peace, has written about the specifics in that letter. Enclosed in that envelope are the details of their request, as well as a USB drive that contains footage of the enforcement officers illegally raiding their sanctuary, harming innocent beings.”
The governor opens the letter and spends a few minutes reviewing the contents before sighing and throwing it back onto his desk. He crosses his arms, crinkling his suit. “If this goes public, the whole country will know about them. While I’m not opposed to hosting a conference to discuss this, things could go south very quickly.”
“Yuqi is aware of the ramifications, that’s why she has stated that the limitations of the supernatural’s freedom stays within Luxta. No other cities will be put under the expectation to grant them the same rights like Luxta does, she is aware it is a lot to ask for. They want justice, Governor. They want to exist in this world without living in fear.”
The governor flicks his gaze between Jaehyuk, you, and Niki. “And what’s the catch, Jaehyuk?”
“There is no catch. The supernatural have never posed an actual threat to the public despite my division hunting them like criminals. They’re arrests were made for their existence, not for any crimes. The reason for our hunting was out of fear, but now, I have talked to more than enough supernatural beings to understand that they’re innocent, like all of us.”
“Ok, you’ve convinced me. I’ll let the office know to prepare a conference to discuss publishing this letter.” The governor moves to put a hand on Jaehyuk’s shoulder and smiles at him, “I trust you, little brother.”
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To the citizens of Luxta,
For several decades, the government of Luxta has been operating a covert unit known as the Enforcement Division. The grounds for this establishment was to maintain public safety with several officers patrolling the streets and detaining individuals that were deemed “criminals”.
It is the government’s duty to maintain transparency through an open line of communication with the public. Therefore, it is within your rights to be aware of the true intentions of the Enforcement Division. At the start of its origin, supernatural beings began to populate our streets, and out of concern for the city's safety, each individual was detained without question. They were unfairly categorized as a threat and resulted in hundreds of unwarranted arrests. The safety of our citizens was our number one concern, prompting our unethical actions.
As a result, supernatural individuals were forced into hiding and a marginalized community called The Veil was created. Through a thorough investigation following a particularly poor arrest, it has been concluded that the supernatural community poses no threats to the public. They share the same aspirations as our citizens and from now on, will be considered as such. It is with great humility and sincerity that we issue a sincere apology and announce a new era of inclusivity.
Effective immediately, supernatural individuals will be granted the same rights and protection as any citizen of Luxta. Marking this historic shift, we introduce the Veil Treaty, our way of committing to equal treatment under the law, regardless of nature.
Furthermore, a supernatural sanctuary has been established in order to welcome all supernatural beings. It is run by Song Yuqi who runs the establishment personally: Dusk and Dawn.
Best regards,
Governor Lee
It’s been four days since the announcement of The Veil Treaty, and concerns were at an all time high. “So what now?” Sunno asks, placing his phone beside him on the bench.
“Jungwon spoke with the governor following the announcement,” Yuqi says, sitting beside Sunoo. “Scanners are discontinued now, as well as nightly patrols. Additionally, the Veil is receiving government funding now, and the enforcement division has been transformed into a supernatural support division.”
“You mean the same people that hunted us down for years are now going to support us?” Jungwon baffles, looking at Yuqi incredulously.
“No, the original workers were arrested and each position was replaced.”
Niki shifts uncomfortably with his hands in his lap, fidgeting against each other. You glance over at him and notice the dark circles under his eyes and frown. It was evident on his face that he has faced many sleepless nights since the letter was published.
“Niki, is everything alright?”
The boy glances at you and you notice the shine in his eyes is absent, a dark shadow looming over his pupils in its steed.“What if the public reacts poorly? What if we’re still ostracized?”
Yuqi jumps in quickly and places a comforting hand on his back. “Legally, they can’t.” Her voice is unwavering yet it does little to alleviate the anchor on Niki’s heart. “The federal directive ensures that we are entitled to the same treatment as humans are. Any discrimination is punishable by law. While there’s surely going to be some overexaggerated articles released, that’s to be expected with anything. For now, let’s breathe. We can finally walk in the daylight without the fear of being arrested.”
“Things will be okay, Niki.” You make a lame attempt at comforting the youngest, but the words feel terribly hollow. You don’t know if they can sense it, they probably can, but your body trembles with uncertainty. There is a new spotlight on the supernatural community, one that would scrutinize every little detail you do, waiting for you to mess up. The freedom was nice, but it was juxtaposed to the restrictions you now had to set for yourself.
You drop your gaze from Niki’s and stare at the pattern of the gym tiles beneath you. Your carefully crafted composure breaks at the seams as you think of how hard the next few days will be. Tears brim your eyes but you refuse to let them fall, you refuse to let the boys see the worries that are quickly wasting away in your body. What’s done is done, and if you had to offer them false reassurance to keep them afloat, then so be it.
Around you, the others stand scattered near the gyms. All but Jake is present. You hadn’t seen him since the day you went into the governor’s office, but even then with his uncharacteristic quietness, he might as well have not been there. Worry tugs at the delicate strings in your heart and you question whether you should check on him. You hate to admit it, but it wasn’t until today that you really noticed his absence, too busy with everything else to worry about him.
Jay, who was sitting beside Niki but at a fair distance, slides down the bench and pulls Niki into his shoulder, an instinct he’s done since forever ago. But the younger freezes in his hold, quickly murmuring a strained apology, but it seemed genuine, like he was desperate for any kind of comfort. “It’s fine, Jay. Just startled.” He says, closing his eyes before leaning into the older’s body.
You feel yourself grimace at the interaction, disliking the dynamic between them. Niki was always such a sucker for physical touch, and to see him so apprehensive before Jay had your heart plummeting.
From the little details that Minnie and Yuqi had shared with you, you were well enough aware of the situation between Jay and Jungwon. You knew he made some questionable decisions back then, but it felt wrong to treat him any differently, you didn’t see it as fair until you could hear his explanation. He had that right.
Niki, on the other hand, as well as the other maknaes, shelled up around him, like they were worried Jay would do something as untrustworthy as killing Jungwon’s prospective parents all those years ago. They were young and inexperienced, so maybe it made sense for them to be apprehensive, but it still hurt to see Jay pretend like he wasn’t upset by it. The others, Jake, Heeseung, and Sunghoon, were too busy caught up in their own heads to treat each other differently.
But ultimately, you knew something needed to be done. The group wouldn’t last if there was so much tension in the air.
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“Sunghoon!” Your face lights up upon seeing the familiar raven haired boy standing at your door, but it immediately slumps when you see the solemn expression on his face. “What are you doing here?” You ask, stepping aside to let him in. He doesn’t normally come over at night, especially not alone. You saw him yesterday at the gym, but it feels like forever for some reason.
Your eyes trail after his back, watching as he walks in. His movements are slow and laden with an emotion that has your chest tightening. As he sits down on your couch, you notice his hair is slightly tousled and glistens under your lights, indicative of the thunderstorm going on outside. The imperfection of his messy hair gives him a raw, soft vulnerability, making him look so… normal. “I just wanted to see you,” he tells you, leaning back on your couch.
“Would you like some water?” You ask, already moving into your kitchen.
“No,” he replies to your question quickly, “Actually, I came here because I wanted to talk to you.” His voice is thick with uncertainty and you feel your body tense as you pour a glass of water anyways. You weren’t a stranger to his closed off demeanor, but hearing him speak without his usual flare of coldness has you worried. It’s not something you normally see in Sunghoon, a boy who you have grown to be so close to in recent weeks. Taking a deep breath, you walk back out into the living room and set the water on your coffee table, sitting in the spot next to him.
“What’s going on?” you ask quietly, resting a comforting hand on his knee.
Unbeknownst to you, Sunghoon hangs on to the thread of your touch as if it’s the only thing keeping him afloat. With a sigh, he turns to glance at you and you can already see a misty gloss icing over his gaze. “You once asked me why I pushed people away so much, why I chose to isolate myself. I had told you that things were safer that way.”
You nod, recalling the conversation you had in the training room on your first week. His response puzzled you, but it didn’t feel like it was in your right to ask him about it.
“If I didn’t let anyone in, then that’d mean it’d hurt much less if I accidentally killed them. I wouldn’t have this string of attachment keeping me from moving on if it happened. I could just kill them and go on with my day. But my night terrors, every night I dream about the same thing: killing them.” His voice cracks with the weight of his guilt, but he forces himself to continue. “I sleep walk during my night terrors, breaking everything around me. Every night, I barricade the door to my apartment because I’m terrified that if I don’t, I’ll find them.”
Your hand, which was placed on Sunghoon’s knee eventually finds its way into his hands, grasping them tightly. “I’m listening, Sunghoon. Don’t push yourself, I hear everything you’re saying.”
A rare, pearlescent tear falls from his blue eyes and you watch as it leaves a trail of opaque white down his face. “K told everyone that I was psychotic, messed up in the head. He told them that it was only a matter of time before I slaughter them, he even told Niki to kill me before I got to them first.”
The realization of Sunghoon’s true shame dawns upon you. Sunghoon isn’t just struggling with the fact that he has night terrors- it goes much deeper than that. He fears the moment his loved ones start to see him as a monster, someone unworthy of their worries. It made him feel alienated, vilified, but Sunghoon could endure the torment of his mind by himself, burning it under the confines of his icy exterior. But he couldn’t handle having his vulnerabilities exposed like this- he just couldn’t stomach it.
“Everyone thinks that I hate him,” his voice cracks under the weight of his fear, a tremble that betrays his pride. “But that’s so far from the truth, Y/n. I love those boys like they’re my brothers, but I just can’t let them get close to me. Not when I’m like this.”
He raises a hand up to his nose, wiping at the snot that’s begun trickling down. His shoulders sag under the shame that hangs heavily in the air, and it reaches you too.
“In the Elf Kingdom, blood paints the snow more than the fresh falling snowflakes. I’ve never known more than the Veil, but it’s like my mind and soul have already existed in a place of murder and wrath. There are history books in the communal library and I would spend my time reading about the Elf Kingdom, but it felt so much like deja vu that I had to stop.”
The vulnerability of his voice ignites a part of your heart that longs to comfort him, to hold him. Listening to your heart, you reach a hand up to his cheek and let your warmth dissipate from your palm in hopes of it reaching Sunghoon’s core. “Sunghoon,” you murmur, using your thumb to caress his cheek. “You’re more than your kingdom. And you’re nothing like your kind.”
You watch as a single, pearlescent tear escapes from his eyes, slipping down to meet the edge of your hand. It leaves an opaque white trail in its wake, a physical manifestation of the rawness of his heart. “Y/n…” he whispers, closing his eyes and leaning into your touch. “You’re warm. I- I never thought I could feel more than frost.”
You squeeze your eyes shut, heart aching at the sight of him baring his deepest vulnerabilities to you. “You should feel proud of yourself for being so strong. You are so loved- and I know that deep within their hesitation is a love so deep that it hurts. It will just take them some time to understand, don’t let yourself go in the process.”
He swallows down a cry of despair, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down harshly. “I don’t want to be strong anymore, I’m so tired. Tired of these night terrors keeping me up every time I try to sleep. Tired of bolting my door shut and shoving under the handle. I’m tired of being afraid of myself.”
“I can be strong for us both,” you tell him, scooting closer. “I will always be strong for you.”
Your words seem to shift the demeanor in his gaze- something that feels oddly familiar to you but you can’t quite pinpoint what it is. His eyes go from a dark haze to a clear blue that stands out even under the dim lighting of your lamps. Before you can decipher the look on his face, he surges forward, connecting his lips with yours. The feeling of his lips against yours feels desperate, hungry, every one of his vulnerabilities bleeding into your touch and acting as a reflection of the storm that stirs in Sunghoon’s heart.
He whimpers into your mouth, a cathartic emotion he so desperately needed to release through your touch. The world fades away into an afterthought and he deepens the kiss, pushing his tongue into your mouth.
The feeling of his tongue fighting against your own has you moaning, grabbing at anything and everything. Your hands fly up to his hair and you pull on it desperately, wanting the kiss to last a lifetime. He moves his lips against yours with equal desperation, finding a comfortable rhythm against your mouth. As the connection between you deepens, Sunghoon pulls you into his lap, letting his icy hands fall to your hips. There’s a desperation in his touch that acts as a tangible desire full of pain and longing. He desperately yearns to feel something more than the suffocating numbness that he’s grown so used to.
Breathless, he pulls away and moves his head down to your neck, lapping long strokes against your skin. The wet feeling of his tongue lights you on fire, a pool of arousal seeping into your panties and leaving no question about the effects he has on you. His soft pink lips move against your neck, sucking marks down to your collarbone. “It feels so right having you in my hands,” he tells you, emphasizing his comment by firming up his grip on your hips.
The feeling of his hands on your skin feels like fire despite the sub zero temperature of his body. It feels like an ice burn, searing and tingling. In this charged moment, the only thing that exists is Sunghoon, ice in his veins and fire in his eyes. With his hands controlling your hips, he moves you back and forth across his clothed member, swallowing every moan of yours like he’s getting drunk off it. “Take these off,” he says, pulling at the waistband of your PJs.
He helps you off his lap and pulls down your shorts, as well as your panties. When the cold air hits your heat, he pulls you back onto him immediately, grinding your hips against his clothed member. His tip rubs up against your clit and you bury your head into his neck, already feeling overstimulated by the rough material of his pants. You shake with every movement, the stimulation of it all barely allowing you to keep up with the speed of his kisses. “Fuck- I, I’m close,” you whimper, moving your hips even faster.
Suddenly, Sunghoon moves you to his thigh and you let out a desperate whine. Your slick stains the fabric of his pants and you blush a furious red, whimpering when he speaks again, “You’re doing so good, let me hear you. Tell me how desperate you are to cum on my thigh.” He coos into your ear, tucking a strand of your hair back all while using his other hand to guide you along his leg.
His voice is erotic, dripping with seduction that sends shivers coursing through your spine. It wraps around you like a spiral, pulling you deeper and deeper into this heat induced haze. The sound of your name escaping his thick lips, the rasp of his voice as he grows more and more desperate to see you unravel in front of him- it only has you stuttering about in his lap, letting the fabric of his pants catch against your clit deliciously.
You try to move faster, to match him in his movements but it seems like your body is working against you. The high that you so deliciously crave is just out of reach and keeps you working over the edge, refusing to unravel. The lack of a release maddens you and drives you to a point that tears prick your eyes. Frustrated, you let out a broken whimper.
Sunghoon notices your frustration and pulls back to look into your misty eyes. “Don’t cry baby, you can do it.” He says, rubbing soothing circles onto the curve of your ass. “I’ll guide you, don’t worry.”
Sunghoon moves under you and lifts his leg up abruptly, flexing the muscle. You cry out, both in surprise and pleasure as the friction becomes more intense. “So good, Y/n. So pretty riding my thigh.”
He continues to whisper praises into your ear as he gently bounces you on his thigh. “Cum for me, Y/n.”
His words seem to act as a trigger, finally sending you over the edge. Arousal spills through you like a wave and your tears finally fall out of relief. Your movements grow irregular as you stutter against his leg, stimulating your high as far as it can go. “That’s my pretty girl. Good job, baby.”
Finally stilling, your chest heaves up and down as you recover from your orgasm. Sunghoon looks into you longingly, gently humming as he caresses your back. When your breathing seems to reach a steady rhythm, he pulls you back in for a kiss, “Sit on my face.” he pants into your mouth.
Hesitation rushes through you and you almost shake your head, too shy to move, but something in his voice has you moving automatically, driven by lust. He guides you to his face and lays back on your couch, asking for you to face in the direction of his legs. The position gives you a perfect view of his erection and you’re ashamed to admit that the sight of his hard member has you gushing out more slick.
With your bare heat hovering over his face, Sunghoon sticks his tongue out and gives your pussy a tentative kitten lick. It’s wet and hot, prodding at your entrance and you bite your lip. Broken moans leave your mouth and he takes that as encouragement to begin mouthing at your cunt. His tongue flicks at your folds and he massages your breasts with his free hands, melding the tissue into the shape of his large hands.
A gasp rips from your throat when something cold slides through your folds. You look down to see Sunghoon’s hand brought up to your core, moving back and forth. “Fuck, Y/n- you’re melting the ice right off my hands.” His lips trail around your inner thighs as he rubs his frosted fingers across your pussy. The melting of the ice as it dances along your most vulnerable bits leaves a trickle of water in its wake, dribbling down your thighs as if it was your own essence. When the sensation fades away, it leaves you hyper-aware of what’s to come, your skin scorching with chills. “Relax for me, baby.”
The pads of his fingers tease at your entrance for a few minutes longer, just rubbing around with newly formed frost on his fingers to get you used to the temperature. When you feel yourself relaxing, a sudden intrusion to your entrance breaks you from your haze and you let out a sharp gasp. His fingers slide to the end of your cervix with punishing greed, no amount of prep beforehand acting as enough warning. He pumps his fingers in and out at a steady rhythm, his thumb reaching around to play with your clit as he fucks you with his digits. “Beg for more, Y/n, I want to hear you.”
“More- fuck me more, Sunghoon.” you moan, your hips taking liberty and grinding against him.
You wrap around his fingers like a vice and cry out when the tip of his slender fingers reach the spongy spot in your cervix. Smiling, he carefully adds in a second finger, scissoring you open until you’re begging him to stop. “F-fuck, Hoonie! I’m cumming” you cry out, feeling the pit in your stomach stir with pleasure. He relieves you with a particular strong thrust of his hand and you fall forward, catching yourself in his shins.
You catch your breath while Sunghoon takes his fingers out and you hear the sound of sucking. Leaning back up, you look down to see Sunghoon licking his fingers clean. Your mouth falls open in surprise, stunned with pleasure from the sight of his fingers shining with your essence. Before you can comment on his erotic act of display, he moves a hand down to his lap and sneaks it under his briefs. You watch as he fists his cock, seeing the outline of his knuckles past the fabric of his pants. As his hand moves up and down, he latches his teeth onto your sensitive bud. “Hoon!” You gasp out, feeling his teeth nibble on your bundle of nerves. You turn your head to the side and look down at him, ignoring the slight discomfort in your neck as you look down at him.
His pupils seem to swallow the blue of his eyes as he looks up at you with nothing but love and desire in his eyes. “You’re so sweet- taste so good, baby.” He says while lapping at your sopping cunt. Sunghoon desperately savors the spiced honey taste of your arousal leaking onto his tongue while moaning a melody of pleasurable curses.
Seconds pass and another moan of pleasure falls from your parted lips when his mouth attaches to your folds, licking vicariously between them.
“God, you’re dripping on my mouth, princess.” He groans, snaking a hand back up to your breasts as you ride his mouth. “Make a mess on my face, fuck.” He squeezes the fat of your breast, drawing out yet another lengthy moan that drips with intensity.
Sunghoon slips himself out of his pants somehow and your eyes go wide at seeing the shape of his cock beneath his briefs, straining with neglect. Your mind practically spins when you see him pull his cock out, twisting his hand up and down the girth of his shaft while he eats you out. A sheen of precum wraps around the length of his cock as he pumps himself to the edge.
You hear a low growl come from under you and press yourself down harder, relishing in the way his tongue warms you in ways you could never do yourself. He fists himself a few times before letting out a sound of annoyance, finally getting rid of his briefs. You gasp.
His cock is beautiful, a pretty pink cock with a girth that easily trumps the other boys. It’s long and veiny and you practically salivate at the thought of having him in your mouth.
Another few grunts leave Sunghoon’s mouth as he simultaneously jerks himself off while eating your pussy. Without warning, he whimpers into your heat and strings of cum shoot out of his cock, parts of it hitting your lower abdomen and the rest spurting onto his stomach. You can feel the vibrations of his moaning work through your core and you’re embarrassed to admit you’re reaching the edge again.
Sunghoon gently taps your ass and you clumsily lift one of your legs off his face. He watches with an amused smile as your legs shake beneath you, completely spent from holding yourself up while you were wracked with orgasms. “Let me fuck you now.” He whispers, tracing patterns over your skin. “Get on your back, you must be so tired, princess.”
Your cheeks warm at the sentiment and you let out a quiet squeal of happiness. Eager to have him fill you up, you quickly get onto your back and let him fill the space between your legs. He throws his shirt off and it lands on your table lamp, obscuring the light. “Sunghoon!” You whine, slapping his arm.
“Shush,” he smiles, leaning down to kiss you.
The sight of him hovering above you is ethereal, you almost don’t believe your eyes. You can see the bead of sweat resting on his forehead and the way his muscles tense as he holds himself up. He is absolutely gorgeous, otherworldly. “You’re so beautiful, Sunghoon.” You say, running your hand up and down his bare chest.
“Not as beautiful as you, Y/n. You light a fire within me that no one else can manage.” His tip rubs against your entrance, a mixture of his cum and your arousal acting as lubricant. “Relax for me,” he says before pushing the tip in.
The intrusion is intense and you feel your hole widening in order to accommodate the stretch. You hold onto his arms with a tight grip and close your eyes as he slowly rocks out and back in, a bit deeper this time. “Good girl, just keep doing that.” He praises, sinking deeper into you.
When his cock hits the hilt of your cervix, the two of you sigh in unison. Sunghoon feels impossibly close to you with his lips ghosting over the shell of your ear, and yet he still craves for more. “Be mine, forever.” His breath is hot against your ear and you feel yourself growing flustered by the intimacy.
You want to say yes- yes a thousand times again. You desperately want to tell him that you’ve fallen for him. But you hesitate, caught up in the web of your own history with the rest of the boys. You realize now, with himself sheathed inside of you, that you’ve fallen for Jay, Jake, and Heeseung as well. Your body has memorized the bites of Heeseungs, the sound of Jake’s inhales, and the caress of Jay’s touch. You don’t regret it in the slightest, but it certainly complicates your feelings for Sunghoon.
“If you’re mine, that means you’re theirs by default.” A flick of knowingness flashes across his gaze and you feel yourself flush before him. He knew. The truth of the situation lays bare between you and you feel your heart rate quicken. Of course he knew. Jake’s oversharing tendencies, Jay’s competitive spirit, and Heeseung’s blatant willingness to share you with Jake, you suddenly don’t feel surprised that Sunghoon has become privy to the fact that you’ve been with them too.
Sunghoon, impatiently waiting now, snaps his hips forward again, each thrust pushing his cock further and further into you. He is steadfast on his decision. He wants you, no, needs you. He needs the whole of you, raw and vulnerable before him. “Y-yes, Sunghoon!” you cry in between thrusts.
He flashes a sharp grin at you before burying his face into the crook of your neck as he continues to thrust into you. His cock drags against every fiber of your muscles and you fight to not cry out in pleasure. “These boys didn’t do a good enough job opening you up,” he snaps forward, “Too tight,” another snap, “Too tiny.”
His grunts send vibrations through your skin and you claw at his back, longing for anything to keep you grounded. “You’re so pretty, so little underneath me.” Sunghoon says, leaning up on his hands, trapping you between them. “I could bend you every which way if I wanted,” As if proving his point, he lifts your hips up and presses your legs to your chest, allowing him to enter you even deeper.
The new position has you crying with pleasure and you feel a fast approaching orgasm make its way through you. It shoots through you without much warning and you ride the highs of your pleasure, gasping when a cold gust of air hits your neck. Goosebumps quickly decorate your skin and you pull back to look at Sunghoon. “Sunghoon…!” You exclaim, the feeling of his frost somehow overstimulating your arousal and bringing you to your next high stupidly quick.
“You like it when I use my powers on you, right?” He says with a cocky grin, licking at the frosted over skin of your neck. “Your skin looks so pretty with my ice on it.” His fingers trace the patch of ice that spirals down your neck and lands on the little divot on your throat. He presses his thumb into the space and you feel delirious with the pressure.
“Can you cum for me one last time, baby?” Despite the chills emanating from his touch, both you and him shine under the dim lighting of your living room, slick with sweat from exerting yourselves. “Do you have one more in you? I’m so close…”
You nod at him quickly, yearning for him to reach his high quickly or else you think you might go crazy. There’s an unfamiliar heat budding within your core and you squirm about, trying your best to hold it in. Sunghoon continues to pound into you relentlessly, practically using your hole like a toy for his pleasure. You can see through the darkness of his lust that he’s blinded by pleasure and is no longer focused on your enjoyment, but you don’t care. You’d please him however you could.
His cock slides through your walls perfectly and after a particularly harsh thrust that pulses against your g-spot, your cunt pushes him out of you with overwhelming force. “Nngh, Hoon!”
A gush of clear liquid shoots out from your cunt with unrelenting force and sprays his torso. The sight of you coming apart and squirting onto him unravels Sunghoon completely. Working his way through his own orgasm, he quickly places a hand over his cock and generously pumps the length of it. Within seconds, he cums on your torso while the velocity of your essence slowly dies down.
You spend the next few minutes riding out the shockwaves of your orgasm as Sunghoon drapes himself over you, flinching slightly when his softening dick rubs against your swollen entrance.
The two of you are a mess of sweat, body’s heaving against each other as you catch your breath. Eventually, your breathing soon matches with his and you feel sleep start to consume you. “Don’t sleep yet, baby.” Sunghoon coos, gently stroking your cheek. “We gotta clean up and then you need to pee.”
“So tired…” you croak out, letting your head fall to the side.
He only laughs and you barely register the feeling of him lifting you up bridal style. Sunghoon walks to your bathroom and gently sets you down on your toilet. “Ok, go.” He says, shuffling through your cabinets for an extra washcloth.
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Tonight, none of the boys’ had won their respective matches and it left a sour taste in your mouth. Jungwon, Niki, Heeseung and Jay were bruised and battered, beaten to a pulp. And now, with the four of them sitting in the gym's medical rooms, the tang of blood mingled in the air as you tended to their injuries, blending with the thick tension and wrapping around it like a snake. No one says anything, but for once, you’re ok with letting the silence speak for you.
Jay pulls back from you when the alcohol on your cotton swab presses into the raw tissue of Jay’s cheek, a jagged cut made by a griffin. You feel the sting of the alcohol burn away the nerves in his face as if it were your own and you cringe. It was Yuqi who had told you not to use your powers to speed up the healing tonight, claiming it’d be too fatiguing, but you couldn’t stand the pain ghosting on Jay’s face as he grimaced through every touch of the clean up.
You cup his cheek in your hand tenderly, both an act of submission and to help him. Despite the boys’ efforts to normalize the transition back to the gym after the government’s attack, there was still a lingering air of sadness that clouded your judgement. They had told you time and time again how sorry they were for letting you down, that the Veil Treaty was an opportunity for them to turn a new leaf over. Still, you found yourself run down with the burden of accepting their countless apologies and the unresolved tension that entangled the boys together.
It’s been five weeks since the Treaty was announced, and yet the dynamics among the group have yet to return to what it once was. In place of the usual light hearted banter was now avoidant eye contact and murmured apologies towards the smallest inconveniences. The hyungs were acting as if the floor was covered in egg shells, and the maknaes did little to hide their discomfort around the elders. In front of you, they tried to act like everything was fine, but you could see through their carefully crafted fronts. You’d have to be an idiot not to see how much the atmosphere has changed. You can feel the weight of their unresolved tension, but somehow, you feel like you’re in the middle of their storm.
Shaking your head, you shake your shoulders and let a scorching warmth pass through your hand and seep into the red of Jay’s exposed cheek. You watch as his flesh reconnects over the wound, leaving no traces of the earlier match. When it heals, you move your hand down to his chest, the blooming purple that was spreading on his front beginning to fade back to its original flesh tone. Jay’s eyes are fluttered shut as the grimace on his face softens, each wound of his healed by your molten touch.
Moving to his shoulder, you watch the glow of light travel into his skin and relieve the dislocation of his joint. Your knees buckle when it heals, a surge of energy leaving you when his bone pops back in place, but you’d go till the brink of passing out if it meant you could make Jay feel better. There were only a few more wounds left, and you really weren’t sure you’d have the energy to get through them. Still, you work your way through each of them quickly, travelling his body in silence as you use up the last of your energy to bring him back to 100%.
Silence in the gym was becoming a new normal now. You thought things would get better after K was gone and the public knew of your existence, but it only seemed to act as a bandaid over a bullet wound. Funny, because you were actually shot. It was clear that there was still residual distaste left in some of the boys’ mouths, planted by K himself on the night of the attack.
Yuqi and Sunghoon had only briefly filled you in on the gist of what he had said that night, and you hoped that in the weeks that went by since the attack, they would’ve found a time to talk it out amongst each other. But it seems that was just wishful thinking as they only interacted when need be.
“-Y/n? Y/n!” Jungwon calls, ripping you out of your spiral. “Will you heal me now?” He sounded irritated almost, like he was annoyed by the attention you were giving Jay. His face tells you that Jungwon thinks Jay isn’t worthy of your affection.
Reluctantly nodding, you tell Jay he can go and he leaves the room, leaving only Heeseung and the maknaes. Heeseung stays in the corner with his head hung low as he waits his turn, still iced out by the group for reasons you wish you could fix.
You walk over to Jungwon slowly, fatigued by the excessive use of your powers, and begin assessing his own injuries, spreading your warmth here and there. “You should talk to him.” You say quietly, bringing a wet rag up to his lip. “You can’t keep sleeping over at Niki’s apartment.”
He turns his head away from you in irritation. “Don’t. Jay had 12 years to tell me the truth about everything, yet he didn’t. Not until a man we thought could be trusted drops the truth on us like a bomb.”
You frown at the boy, unfamiliar with the snap in his voice. He was rarely ever this serious, the only other times he held himself with this level of maturity being that time he acted like Jaehyuk.
“You know, Jay makes your favorite dinner every night in hopes you’ll come home. You have no idea how many curry’s I’ve had to give the boys because Jay gives it to me when you don’t come home.” You brush his bangs out of his face as you mindlessly retell Jungwon what his hyung has been up to since Jungwon’s impromptu vacancy. “It’s like every night that he drops off the curry, I learn about you and his relationship. He falls into this trance almost as he talks about you.” You wipe a warm finger over the cut on Jungwon’s eyebrow, grimacing when the energy in your body depletes further. “He told me why he did what he did, and while I can understand why you feel so upset by this, I can also understand where Jay is coming from.”
Jungwon doesn’t speak, but he does give you a low grunt in response. It’s not much of a response, but you cling to the small glimmer of hope that suddenly buds inside of you when your gaze passes over his eyes which no longer looked hollow. “And I suggest the three of you boys talk to Sunghoon, Heeseung and Jake. You can’t keep ignoring them.” you glance over to where Heeseung sits on the one exam table in your gym, fiddling with his fingers instead of conversing with Niki like he used to.
“Whatever,” he quips, standing up from where he sat and hastily grabbing his things before leaving.
Disappointed, you turn your attention towards Niki. His injuries were less severe, but they were extensive nonetheless. You knew you could only do so much for him with the amount of energy that was draining from you. To your surprise, you find respite in his silence. It was a small gesture that you knew was unintentional, but it meant you could focus your energy on his recovery rather than on words.
When you finally finish, you can barely hold yourself. Fatigue melts into your every bone and you feel dizzy from standing, but the rejuvenated look on Niki’s face makes it worth it. Without saying a think, Niki moves to gather his things and leaves just like Jungwon, likely chasing after him to go home together. The moment he’s gone, Heeseung finally speaks.
The long stretched silence snaps and Heeseung wiggles his fingers. “Come here,” he says gently, bringing his arms out.
Forcing a small smile, you step toward him and stand between his legs. Your hand naturally comes up to cradle his face, but he stops you. “Don’t,”
“Heeseung-”
“You’re about to pass out, baby. Just sleep for a bit.” He jumps from the exam bed and pats the cushion, gesturing for you to lay down. “Don’t disobey me, I’ll be right here the entire time.”
Heat blooms across your cheeks and you reluctantly climb onto the table, stumbling onto the bed. Heeseung braces your shaky body and guides your head down, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead. His hand brushes against your skin and you feel yourself fall victim to the safety of his touch. You fall asleep almost immediately, relief flooding your body immediately.
When you wake up, you don’t open your eyes, but the sound of hushed whispers reaches you.
“We need to get out shit together,” a voice says. Was that Sunghoon?
“They can’t even stand to be in the same room as us, Sunghoon. How are we going to talk to all of them?” That had to be Heeseung, his voice was coming directly at your head. You grimace at the sound of frustration evident in his tone. You didn’t need to see his face to know his eyebrows are furrowed and his jaw is clenched.
“We’ll have them meet at Y/n’s place.” Jay rests a hand on your thigh, gently kneading the fat as he speaks. “They won’t know we’re there until it’s too late.”
A pregnant silence follows and for a second, you wonder if you fell back asleep, but a soft hand on the side of your neck tells you otherwise.
“Will they forgive us?” Jake’s voice breaks the silence and you realize it’s his hand on your face. He always had a habit of tracing his hand down your neck, saying your scent was the strongest there.
Heeseung lets out a long sign of resignation, “We can only hope.” He pauses, “So, Sunghoon.”
The first voice cuts in sharper, louder this time. “Y/n told me she’d be ours, but it feels like we’ve lost her again.”
His words sound tight and you push yourself to keep your eyes closed and your ears open. This was the most amount of communication you’ve heard between the boys in a long time, and you weren’t sure you’d get to be hidden in the audience again any time soon. Maybe you were afraid of meeting their grief stricken eyes as well. “It’s cuz we’re all fighting.” Jay says, stepping back to lean against the wall.
“We can only fix that once we talk to them. We have to tell them what really happened to us.”
“Ok, then we’ll have a ‘gathering’ at Y/n’s place and when they arrive, we’ll crash the party.”
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“You’re not going anywhere.” You say with a glare sharp enough you can convey the words: sit down, in silence. Jungwon comes back to slump against your couch, forcing himself onto the couch with Sunoo and Niki rather than share a space with the other boys. “Talk. Speak. Do something!” You gesture to the older boys and they grunt in unison.
An awkward silence falls upon you and the boys and so you nudge Heeseung in the side, silently asking him to break the stalemate. He gives you an annoyed look but bites his tongue, blowing the strand of hair off his forehead before standing. “So, things have been a bit rocky since…” he lets out a strained sigh, “-since K died.”
The looks around the room are enough to tell you that this was a sensitive subject, for all of them. Yuqi and Minnie, who are standing behind the couch, stiffen while the rest of the boys look down at the ground. You give Heeseung an encouraging nod and he reluctantly continues. “K had said some horrible things about me, Sunghoon, Jake and Jay. I- I can’t speak for them, but I want to apologize to you all for hiding behind a lie. Contrary to what K said, my adoptive parents were business tycoons who thrived on illegal business to get where they wanted. I was sent out against my will to eliminate their competition. They made me kill innocent lives.”
The older boy looks up to the ceiling and tucks his bottom lip between his teeth. He can’t cry, not now. Not in front of them. But his strained whimpers that bubble up his throat are loud enough to be heard in the silence of the room holding its breath. “I didn’t know any better. At the time, I thought I was making them happy. I just wanted to see them smile at me.”
Minnie’s face falls as she listens to Heeseung retell his past like it’s a painful reminder of her own. She was never close to Heeseung, much more to the younger ones, and hearing this has her heart clenched and her eyes misty. Minnie rests a hand on Sunoo’s shoulders and rubs them, both an act of comforting Sunno and herself.
“One night, I came home. I hadn’t finished the mission, not completely. There was still one guy left that had gotten away. I had to come home though, it was nearing the morning.” Heeseung takes a breath and thinks back to that night. He could almost see the rage in his parent’s faces when he told them that there was still someone out there. They looked about ready to kill him, dispose of him like useless garbage. That night, Heeseung learned there was more to killing innocent people and pleasing his so-called parents. “They screamed at me for hours, calling me every name in the book. In a fit of rage, I killed them…”
Gasps ripple across the room like a fast dripping faucet. Even you, who know the gist of his story, gasps. Heeseung’s hands clench into fists and his crimson eyes begin to glow. “I locked myself away for months after that. I was a monster. I had to change, so I vowed to myself never to hurt another soul unless absolutely necessary. But it wasn’t fair for me to live this lie of peace and serenity around you guys when I know it was anything but that.” Heeseung puts his hands up to his face, but not before you see the first few crimson tears fall from his sunken eyes. You’ve never seen him cry, so to see red streaming from his face stunned you. What made it worse was the fact that it was so obvious that Heeseung hadn’t been sleeping much. Even before today, you could see the weight of his guilt spilling into nights of restless sleep for him. “I’m sorry you had to hear this from K.”
The room falls into a suffocating silence that seems to stretch on for several minutes, but eventually, Niki speaks. “You don’t need to apologize, hyung. I think- maybe we were all a bit unreasonable to think we had the right to judge you like that. We don’t think you’re a monster, not at all.”
Beside him, Jungwon and Sunoo nod their heads in agreement. Seeing that, Heeseung’s shaky composure shatters and he collapses to the ground, full on sobbing into Niki’s lap.
“Hyung!” Niki yelps, attempting to push Heeseung’s heavy head off his thigh. “These were brand new!” When Heeseung picks his tear stricken face off of the boy’s leg, he gasps when he sees red stain the white fabric of Niki’s sweats.
The tension in the room briefly dissipates to make room for the soft laughter that breaks out, albeit awkward in a way. Everyone but Jake seems to lighten up. A few feet away from where you sit, Jake occupies your arm chair with his hands fiddling about in his lap. “I’d like to say something, too.”
You experience whiplash from the way the room falls silent again almost immediately. All eyes turn to Jake and he clears his throat. “I’m sorry for kind of disappearing on you all.”
His voice seems foreign to you, not having heard it in so long if you didn’t count that other day when you were pretending to be asleep. Jake had been becoming increasingly more absent from you and the gym’s life since the day K passed. The only time he showed his face was at matches and when you, Niki, and Jungwon went to the government.
“Jake-” Minnie interrupts, but Jake cuts her off with a sad smile.
“No- I need to finish, I was ashamed, I hid away again after K revealed to you all about what happened with my packmates. It felt like I was reliving that night all over again. I was just a kid when it happened, when I had to watch my family bleed out in front of me. I was frozen with fear, I didn’t know what to do, I couldn’t save them.” Jake hangs his head in shame. “I was scared, and I’m still scared.”
For Jake, the past few weeks have felt like he was driving on autopilot. He felt like a monotonous robot with overly tight screws. Day and night, he traced the same footsteps as the day prior, too scared to stray away from his normal. It was like he was reliving the following year after his family’s attack. The same thing everyday, same amount of eggs for breakfast, two twists of his pepper shaker in his pasta for lunch, and a plain sandwich with six pretzels on the side, because a seventh reminded him too much of the number of people that should’ve made up the group.
Sunoo shifts uncomfortably in his seat before softly responding, “Jake, nobody blames you for being afraid.”
“I know, but I blame myself. I could barely live with myself at the time knowing that I was the only one to survive the attack. And then when K brought it up again, I felt like I was back behind that wall, watching in horror as everyone around me died. I couldn’t face myself.”
Jungwon leans forward and rests his shoulders on his knees. “Jake, we’re a family. You should’ve trusted us to give you unconditional support and listen to what you have to say.”
“That’s a bit hypocritical, Jungwon.” Minie interjects, narrowing her eyes at the younger boy and crossing her arms.
Everyone freezes. Minnie had always been so gentle, too soft to really discipline the boys. So hearing her confront Jungwon like this had everyone experiencing a double-take. “You tell Jake you would’ve listened to him no matter what, but what about Jay?” Minnie presses Jungwon into a corner, “You run away from him every time he enters the room. So either you’re lying to Jake or you’re lying to yourself.”
“Minnie-” Yuqi interrupts, grabbing the girl’s arm.
“No,” she shakes her off. “This isn't fair to Jay, Jungwon. You guys are best friends, you can’t just leave him in the dust like that all because you don’t have the full story!”
Jungwon’s face pales. His mouth opens and closes but he can’t manage to find the words to respond.
Jay, who had been quiet until now, finally speaks. “No, he has every right to be like that.” You look at Jay who was now shifting about in his spot on the couch. “Jungwon, I didn’t kill those people to keep you from leaving the Veil. I did it because I knew that the second you leave, you’d never escape. I’ve seen what happens to those that are adopted; they get locked away and turned into something unrecognizable. Who knows what could’ve happened to you? Hell, you could’ve been treated just like Heeseung’s parents treated him.”
Heeseung stiffens beside you but he shakes it off. He knew Jay needed to use him as an example.
“Look, I’m sorry for what I did, but I don’t regret it.”
For a brief moment, nobody moves, not even you. Then, to your surprise and everyone else's, Jungwon stands up and pulls Jay up from the couch. When he stands, Jungwon pushes himself into Jay’s chest and wraps his arms around him. “I’m sorry- I shouldn't have ignored you.” His voice is muffled in the fabric of Jay’s hoodie, but it's loud enough for Jay to understand. “I didn’t understand what was happening, I didn’t want to understand. I just wanted to feel anger and run away from my problems. I thought I was better off not knowing the truth behind your actions and just assuming it was all done in anger, but I was wrong. I missed you…”
Jungwon’s tears seep into Jay’s hoodie but he doesn’t care. He just holds the boy closer to him while the others watch on in silence. “We’re sorry too,” Niki says, standing up to join the hug. “It was wrong of us to treat you like that.”
Jay waves him off and pulls him by wrapping his hand around the back of Sunoo’s head. Eventually, the rest of you join one by one until you’re pressed against each other in a messy group hug. All but Sunghoon.
You notice him standing off to the side with his jaw clenched. “Sunghoon?” you call out, extending a hand to him.
“I guess it’s my turn to apologize,” he starts, clearing his throat. “As you probably know, K mentioned that I have night terrors.”
The rest of the group breaks apart from the hug and they look at Sunghoon with expectant gazes. “I’ve had these night terrors for as long as I can remember. I can’t really explain what they were about when I was younger, just a lot of darkness and screaming. But when I met you all, the dreams became more vivid, more violent. I was forced into this world of nightmares where every night, I would kill you all.” Sunghoon physically winces when he says that out loud, embarrassed that he even has to say it. “I told myself not to get close with any of you because if I hurt any of you, I would never forgive myself. You may all think I’m this rude, apathetic prick with the ego of an elephant, but I did that on purpose. I was rude and arrogant for a reason, and yet it didn’t even work. I care about you all in a way I have never felt, and that terrifies me.”
You reach for his hand and caress the back of it with your thumb. With a shaky breath, Sunghoon continues. “Every night, I would set up my apartment so that no one can get in, and no one can get out. My windows were locked, my doors were barricaded, it honestly looked like a tornado hit my apartment. But I did all of that because I didn’t trust myself. “
Again, the room is silent. Sunghoon feels like a monster for having these thoughts, but he wasn’t sure they’d ever go away until he told them. Eventually, Sunoo steps forward and pulls Sunghoon into a tight embrace. “You’re not a monster. None of us are.”
Sunoo doesn’t need to say much to let Sunghoon know that he’s been forgiven. The foreign skinship between them is enough of an answer.
“Are we gonna be okay?” Sunghoon asks no one in particular, breaking apart from the hug.
“We’ll be okay,” you tell him, placing a delicate kiss on his lips.
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Today, the word monsters, was trending on X.
It was an awkward shift from the usual hashtag involving famous soccer players or the latest viral recipes. The word sat at the top of the trends like a sore thumb.
Monster was not a word that was uttered anymore, not since the exposure of the supernatural community. It had been years since the word monster trended on X, but that was when the Veil Treaty was created. Now, there was no reason for that word to be trending again.
When the public had become aware of the fact that they were living among the supernatural, fear gripped the city. “Monster” was headlining every article, every news station, and was the topic of many whispered conversations. For a long time, the public was hesitant on accepting the new community, but slowly as they were integrated into the real world, people either became accepting of the supernatural or simply forgot about them. They were just like every other citizen in Luxta. Slowly but surely, people learned to coexist with the other side.
But now, years later, the same word reappears at the top of the timeline.
Staring at the hashtag for a moment, she hesitates to click on it, skeptical of what’s to come. But curiosity trumps her skepticism and the girl presses on the hashtag. Immediately, a 23-second clip pops up. This is the same video that’s been circulating the internet for a few days, only a few blurry figures in the background were showing on the thumbnail, not enough to pique her interest until now. The sheer volume of comments and shares speaks volumes and drives her to click play.
When the video starts, her eyes widen. There’s a shakiness in the video that suggests that it was filmed inconspicuously, and first, the only thing she can make out is the movement of two pairs of legs. They were in a ring of some sort- no, it was definitely a boxing ring.
Noticing the lack of audio, the girl increases the volume. Suddenly, she can hear the sound of roaring spectators surge in the background as the video zooms out to show that the two men were in fact in a boxing ring. This didn’t look like the ring from WWE.
She watches through her phone as the two men lunge at each other with an unnatural speed that makes her breath catch in her throat. They moved too fast to be considered human, just a blur of movement. When they pull apart, she finally sees the red scales on one of the man’s shoulders glinting under the light.
The scene was horribly mesmerizing, unable to tear her eyes away from the video. Flames roared in the air and danced along the other man’s body as he moved around the ring. Suddenly, the one on fire jumps high into the air before forcing himself onto the scaled man. A pattern of punches make contact with the man’s face and the camera zooms in to focus on his bloody features. The scene continues on like that for a second before the video ends abruptly, freezing on a sickening frame of the scaled man slumped to the ground, gasping for air as black shadows invade his body.
Stunned, she clicks out of the video and looks at the comment section. It was almost as messy as the video above it.
that’s obvsly CGI
Are those the “supernatural” ??
MONSTERS
LOL this is so fake
#exposed
didn’t governor lee say they were harmless? Tf is this
IS THAT A DRAGON?
im sorry i didn't expand much on the hyung line relationship with yn. also, there will NOT be a next part. be honest, do you guys hate me for the ending LOL
I’ve been sick for days, completely bedridden, i feel like dying and the only thing that has been on my mind is the idea of being pampered by someone , i feel like jay would be the best at this 😔 he would cook for you, help you clean up and he would eat you out when you can’t fall asleep AJSNEKDJSJDJEIDJ i am losing it bcuz of this foking cold
Oh my gosshhh, the flu has gotten much stronger recently! Drink lots of fluids and get more rest. Plz self indulgent in whatever you need rn
But yea jay is suchhhhh a service top. Would change your wet towel on your forehead every twenty minutes, stroke your cheek while you deal with your body aches. He’d be so worried and feel so helpless that he cant rid you kf your pain.
He’d spend his time in the kitchen if he isnt with you, wanting to do his best to make you happy. Jay would make a little blanket fort for you in the living room and put on ur favorite show while giving you a shoulder/back massage.
And when you’re tossing and turning in your sleep, he’s ask “whats wrong, baby?” And he’d start ghosting his fingers over your heat in an attempt to distract you. To thw point your begging, not just for some reprieve from your cold but for his fingers to do something, anything more than grace the seat of your panties.
And when he slides them off to the side, you’re alrdy slicked up sm that his fingers slip right inside. Your arousal practically rips a moan from jay and his cock twitched in his pants knowing how wet youre getting for him.
The rest is history, as he fingers you through several orgasms. :)