#and instead kinda gave up when i had trouble getting it to stiff peaks

[pride-of-storm]

gingerbread dinos turned out cute!

...gingershed turned out Hideous but it's upright so that's still a win!!

[theamberwriter]

Hi!!! Umm, if you're not too busy can I ask for an Alpha!Fem!Reader x Omega!Todoroki or Bakugou (or whoever you want, as many as you want)? In which the omega is nesting and wants the reader to scent things but is too shy to ask?

A/N: Hhhiii!! I’m so sorry this took so long! I had fun writing this, and I hope that you like it! I’m slowly chugging through requests.

Word Count: 4351

Katsuki Bakugo

Anyone who looked at Bakugo would assume he was an Alpha.

But one quick whiff and anyone could tell he was an omega.

He wasn't just anyone's omega, he was yours.

He was still very new to being with someone, even if you'd been together for a few months.

Katsuki loved every bit of you.

You were an amazing alpha, able to handle his outbursts, and simmer him down.

He'd wanted you as his alpha from the moment he saw you, even more when he smelled you.

He couldn't believe he was finally yours.

Everyone who saw him thought he'd be a difficult one, but one little touch or one little word would make him melt inwardly into a puddle.

Not that he'd ever admit it.

He claimed no one could truly tame Pro Hero Ground Zero, but it was all one big lie.

He was a just a little puppy begging for attention inside.

Katsuki could feel when his nesting time was beginning.

The primal draw deep within his gut. The restless urge to hide away in all the things that brought him comfort.

You didn't mind when he disappeared for a few days.

His scent had started changing, so you knew what was happening.

You let him carry on his business.

You did check in, making sure he was eating and bathing, and that he had all of his favourite snacks to keep hoarded away.

You really wanted to scent something for him, but you knew it wasn't your place to until you were asked.

And you weren't sure that he was ready for that step yet.

You wanted Katsuki to be yours, always. But you worried that you weren't a good enough alpha for him.

When Katsuki was finished his nest, he was restless.

Something was wrong, he could feel it.

The itching inside to add something – but what??

He felt like he was losing it.

It wasn't until he came for a visit that he figured it out.

Your scent.

That was what was missing.

When he opened the door to your apartment, your scent flooded through him and he knew he wanted nothing more than to be wrapped in it.

“Shit,” he muttered. Hoping he didn't smell too distressed.

That would mean he'd have to ask you to scent something.

And the Great Katsuki Bakugo had too much pride to bow before such base omega instincts.

He wondered if he could sneak something.

Just one thing, anything.

Just to get this scent pining out of the way.

You two were going out that day, he wondered if maybe he could trick you into scenting something.

“There's my omega!” you chirped happily, coming from the back of the apartment.

Katsuki melted at the sight of your wet hair, crisp, clean clothes with a fresh strong scent wafting off you.

You wrapped him up in your arms, giving him a little peck.

You couldn't help but scent him just a bit.

He'd never asked you to scent him, but he never pushed you away when you tried.

You wanted everyone to know he was spoken for.

He leaned into your touch, his eyes drooping just a touch, a light purr coming from deep within his chest.

So Katsuki wanted you to scent him after all. You smiled to yourself.

You brought him more comfort than he showed, which made your heart swell.

Your alpha reared up in pride.

But it was nothing compared to your prideful omega.

“Are you ready to go?” you asked.

Katsuki hummed.

He was nearly lulled to sleep.

“Are there any special places my omega wants to go today?”

This jerked him right out of his stupor.

He had an idea.

He pulled out of your arms, giving you a stiff nod.

“I want to go to a nesting store. It's starting to get too fucking cold, I want a few more blankets,” he said.

His face tinged the slightest pink.

You chuckled a little. “My Katsuki getting cold, that's a new one.”

“Don't be stupid. Just because I have a fire quirk doesn't mean I don't get cold.”

You smiled gently at him, giving his cheek a kiss.

“We can do whatever makes you happy, my love.”

Little did you know, something as simple as calling him 'my love' could make him the happiest omega in existence.

You grabbed your coat and keys and were out the door.

You didn't live too far from the main shopping district, so you walked.

You kept Katsuki close, always finding a way to touch him. Letting everyone know he was claimed.

You sent a few deadly glares at alphas who were eyeing him up.

They immediately turned tail. But you didn't know if it was because of you, or because you saw Katsuki giving them his own deathly look.

He wasn't going to let anyone try to take him from the perfect alpha.

One of the first stores on the street was a nesting store.

They didn't hide the bias towards feminie Omegas, nearly everything was pink and frilly.

Katsuki crinkled his nose at many things.

“Can I help you two find anything?” a girl asked, she looked to be in her teens. She smelled like an Omega.

“Some blankets, nothing too girlly,” you answered.

The girl smiled at Katsuki. “Your omega definitely knows what they want.”

You were prepared to let it slide, but you could see the annoyance pinching in Katsuki's face.

He grabbed the girl by the collar. “I'm the omega here, dumbass. [Name] is a strong ass Alpha. If you can't tell, then maybe you should get your fucking nose checked.”

“I-I'm sorry,” the girl stuttered.

You glared at him. “Katsuki!”

You two shared a tense look, but he did put her down.

The poor girl scampered away.

“You can't keep doing this,” you said lowly.  “People make mistakes –”

Your scent peaked in anger. Souring the slightest.

Katsuki hated that smell, reaching his own scent out to comfort you.

“You think I should let it slide when people think I'm the Alpha?” Katsuki growled. “You're better than any the rest of the shitty Alphas, and I wanna make sure everyone damn well knows it. I'd be a crap Alpha. But anyone would be compared to you.”

Katsuki stalked off, going to hunt down what he was looking for. Leaving you bewildered in your spot.

He found an aisle with neutral colored blankets and pillows.

He was almost to angry now to even shop.

Soon he found himself choking in pheromones. Two people rounded the corner to the aisle, eyeing him down.

One stood way too close to him for comfort. “What's wrong, sweetie? I do believe this one is an Alpha.”

“I think he's a cute little omega. I want him as my own. Has someone upset you? Should we hunt them down?” asked the other.

“Would you two get the fuck away from me?” Katsuki grunted.

But the two got closer, rubbing on him. Rubbing off your scent.

There was no way of escaping without blowing something up. And he was trying not to upset you anymore.

You smelled it immediately as Katsuki's scent became sharp in distress.

What trouble had he even found on the other side of the store?

It didn't matter, because you were charging off to find him.

Seeing two betas pining after your omega set your nerves on fire.

What were they even doing in here?

Your scent thickened. Sending off dangerous messages to anyone close to you.

Their heads immediately snapped to you, Katsuki's gaze followed.

Shelves were shaking in your wake, rattling their contents to the floor.

The lights began to flicker.

Katsuki had never seen you in such a rage. It was kinda hot.

“Get your hands off my omega,” you warned. “Or someone's gonna get hurt.”

The betas released their grip, tripping over each other as they ran off.

You glared after them for one very long moment.

Everything around you went still, the lights coming back on.

You wrapped Katsuki in your arms. You nearly gagged at their scents on him.

He resisted just a bit as you scented him, wanting this to be something done in private.

It just made your scent flare more. He quickly gave in to its subconscious messages.

“Pick anything you want,” you demanded, pointing to the shelves. “As much as you want, I don't care. But I'm taking you home.”

Katsuki didn't argue, instead he picked a few things he wanted.

You piled a cart high with more, despite his protests.

No one bothered to come yell at you about the mess you'd made.

Between the obvious power of both your quirks, plus the murderous scent rolling off you waves, no one had the guts.

You left with nearly more bags than you could carry.

This was not at all what Katsuki had wanted.

Why was nothing was ever simple?

You started cooking lunch as soon as you got in the door.

Normally Katsuki cooked, but he figured it was better to let you do something productive to burn off the rest of your anger.

In the mean time, he'd find something productive to do.

And he knew just what.

By the time lunch was done, your anger had dissipated and Katsuki had made a second nest right on your couch.

To say you were surprised by the massive pile of blankets and pillows and stuffed animals would be an understatement.

Katsuki had very carefully constructed a huge blanket fort.

You wondered if this is what his nest at home looked like.

“Uuhhh, Katsuki?” you spoke to the blankets, a plate in each hand.

You had no idea where the entrance to this thing was, and you didn't want to enter his nest without absolute permission.

There was no answer.

Only a second past before he came out of your bed room with a heaping arm full of blankets.

“These are mine now,” he said, and ducked back inside the fort.

“Uh – okay? Yeah. Sure. Whatever you want, Suki.”

You set the plates on the coffee table as Katsuki started throwing things at you.

You gathered up what he threw, unsure of what you were supposed to do with them.

He clambered out, face a blazing red in embarrassment.

“Don't just fucking stand there!”

He grabbed a few things, starting to rub them roughly against your skin.

It didn't take long to click.

“You....want me to scent these?” you asked, gently rubbing a little stuffed penguin against your scent gland.

“What fucking else?” he snapped, and nearly dove back into the fort to hide his face.

You smiled gently, doing as he asked of you.

Once he stopped throwing things, you slid a plate under the entrance on the fort. You sat on the other side with your own plate.

You were more than prepared to eat like this, to give Katsukit he space he needed.

“Why the fuck are you out there?” he demanded, lifting up the flap. “Get your ass in here.”

“A-Are you sure?” you asked, knowing what this meant.

Katsuki nodded. “You're my Alpha. - Now get in here!”

You two spent the rest of the night inside the fort.

Stealing small pecks and cuddling.

You couldn't have been happier, knowing just how much your Omega loved you.

~

Shoto Todoroki

Shoto really wasn't sure he was doing this whole 'Omega' thing right.

He had the most amazing alpha he could've asked for. A better one than he thought he deserved.

And he couldn't even ask them to scent something for him.

He definitely wasn't doing this Omega thing right.

Every time he tried he froze up.

Far too shy and self conscious to get the words out.

You were his Alpha, you'd been together a year. Why was this so hard???

More than once Shoto stood stupidly in your kitchen as you made him something.

When you asked what he was doing, he simply replied he was wondering when the food would be done.

You always kissed him, give him a little taste of what you made, and he'd wander back off.

Then he'd just sit there staring at whatever he'd wanted you to scent, carefully tucking it away for next time.

Shoto was itching to finish his nest, but it would never be complete without something from you.

Which meant that his nest would never be complete.

He had the thought to sneak something when you weren't looking.

But he didn't want to break your trust in him.

Though you were his alpha, so surely you wouldn't mind...

Still, Shoto felt guilty when he snagged a shirt from your room.

He returned it the next day.

There had to be someway to get your scent in his nest.

He called Midoriya, maybe he would have an answer for the conundrum.

“I'm sure [Name] wouldn't have a problem with you borrowing anything,” Midoriya told him.

Shoto shook his head, though it wasn't like the guy on the other end could see it.

“I feel too guilty doing that.”

“Has [Name] ever said anything about not taking their things before?”

Shoto took a long pause.

“No. But I know Alphas don't like their things being taken.”

Midoriya laughed awkwardly.

“They're your Alpha, it's a bit different.”

“I still worry about losing their trust.”

Midoriya hummed in thought. “Let me ask Ochaco when she gets home.”

Shoto didn't like the wait.

His nest agitated him, it wasn't fair.

A nest was supposed to feel safe.

Be a paradise.

This place was pure torture for him.

What if [Name] thought they were a bad Alpha because he couldn't ask them to scent something.

He couldn't bear if you ever thought anything bad about yourself like that.

He had to find a way to let you know he wanted you.

You were the perfect Alpha to him.

You were kind and patient.

You let him open up as slowly as he wanted.

You worked on his self worth. You showed him so much.

Shoto was so much more of the kind of person he wanted to be now.

And it was all thanks to you.

He'd never be able to show you the full amount of his gratitude.

Which was why it was so painful for him to be unable to ask you this one thing.

The thing that showed he trusted you unconditionally.

A few hours later, Ochaco called back.

“I have an idea, Izuku and I went through a few possibilities. But I think this one will work the best.”

They spent a few hours conspiring.

A perfectly guilt free way to get you scent something for Shoto's nest, without his shyness getting in the way.

“[Name], can we go somewhere today?” Shoto asked.

He was making you two tea.

He was always happy when he got to make you something in return.

You smiled at him. “Of course, Sho. Where were you thinking?”

“I'm not sure yet. I thought we could go to the mall.”

You gave him a peck on the cheek.

This always caused his heart to do a little flip.

“When we're done our tea, we can go. I'll buy you anything you want.”

Shoto planned on buying his own things, since he could afford to.

But he was going to let you, his Alpha, purchase him a few things.

He knew you got sad when he didn't let you buy him things.

And the last thing he wanted to do was upset his alpha.

Once cups were empty, washed, and put away you were off.

It was only one bus to mall from your house.

You could smell the food court as soon as you walked in.

But you could also smell all the lurking Alphas.

Anyone would be lucky to have Shoto as a mate.

And you were very damn lucky.

You held him close, threatening anyone who looked his way.

He seemed as oblivious as ever.

Though you did notice the determination in his stride.

He was up to something.

You weren't going to press it.

Shoto always had his own way of doing things, and you always tried to make sure he went at his own pace.

That he knew it was okay to do things his way.

That's why you hadn't asked if he wanted something scented yet.

You knew Shoto.

You'd taken so long just to get him to this point.

To get him to see his own potential.

You didn't want to scare him off.

You'd be lost without him.

One of the first places you went was a large department store attached to the mall.

It smelled like perfumes and store warehouses.

You were just following Shoto, trying to figure out what he was up to.

It was cute watching him as he headed towards bedding.

He made a beeline for the throw blankets.

They were on sale two for ten.

Taking each one between his fingers, giving it a soft rub.

Finally, he decided on a plain one in your favourite color and a patterned one.

Shoto held it out to you. “I want these two.”

You took them from him, nodding.

He didn't ask for anything else from the store.

So you paid and went to the next.

He bought a shirt here.

You went to each store, and Shoto bought one or two things at each.

Finally, you ended up in a nesting store.

It was the last store with anything that interested him.

Shoto piled a cart full of stuff.

There was no way all of this was fitting in the little room you knew he used for nesting.

Maybe you should talk to Fuyumi, see if he's okay.

Shoto didn't even seem phased at the large price tag that came up at the register.

The question was how you were going to get all this back on the bus.

You'd been shopping for quite a while at that point. Your stomach just starting to shout in hunger.

“Would you like to get food, love?” you asked. “Are you hungry?”

“We could make something at home,” he said.

The way he said home shot a tingle of pleasure down your spine.

You were going to have to move him in soon.

You forced yourself to shake your head.

“I have to go grocery shopping later. It'll be better to eat now.”

Shoto nodded, then followed you to the food court.

It was packed to the absolute brim.

You were glad that the food overwhelmed the mixture of pheromones.

“I'll find us a table, and keep watch over our things,” you offered. “You can go get what you want to eat.”

Shoto scanned the food stations, then headed towards one.

His eyes were on you as he waited.

God forbid another Omega come and try to weasel their way in.

You tried to keep your eyes off Shoto.

Off the Alphas you could see trying to inch their way to him.

A few minutes later, you heard your name.

You looked up to find Izuku and Ochaco pushing their way towards you.

“Hey!” you greeted, grinning. “It's been a minute since I've seen you two. How've you been?”

“We've been good!” Ochaco rushed. “We should've gotten together earlier, it would've be –”

Izuku was frowning. “Is that....another Alpha trying to scent Shoto?”

You head snapped to the line where your Omega had been waiting.

Sure enough, another person stood very close to him.

Shoto seemed as indifferent as ever, but you noticed his tense shoulders.

And your nose, all too attuned to his scent, caught it as it snapped bitterly in distress.

“I think the hell not!” you growled.

You pushed people out of your way as you marched up to the line.

That earned you some grunts.

You ducked under the ropes separating the lines.

People called at you for butting.

But they went ignored, your eyes laser focused on the smugly grinning Alpha.

You aggressively butted between the two.

The Alpha jerked back.

“Everything okay, Sho?” you spat, still glaring down the Alpha.

“It is now,” he replied.

“Good. - Now back the fuck off my Omega.”

The Alpha was not happy.

“He's not mated, he's fair game!”

They tried to make their scent menacing.

You growled. Your scent overpowering theirs in threat.

You felt eyes on you.

“He is not! Shoto smells like me. He's my boyfriend! He's mine. And some random, stinking loser in the mall making him uncomfortable isn't going to change that!”

“Order up!” the guy behind the counter called.

“That's me –” Shoto started softly.

You whipped his container off the counter, slapped money down, and shoved him out of the queue.

People stepped away as you did.

You reeked like murder.

Once back at the table with Ochaco and Izuku, you clung to Shoto.

You didn't even bother eating.

That could wait until you were sure Shoto was safe from assault.

You invited your friends back to your place when you were cooler.

They helped carry Shoto's bags.

A little too willingly, honestly.

Every now and then Ochaco would let out a suspicious chuckle.

The pair stayed for a few hours, then offered to walk Shoto home.

You had wanted him to stay with you.

But he was insistant on going home to his nest.

You weren't going to argue with him and his instincts.

A little after they left, you noticed a bear Shoto left behind.

It was sitting casually on couch where he'd been.

You knew he wasn't forgetful.

Why was it there though?

It still smelled like the store and the residual scent of many other people.

You decided to scent it, just to see what he'd do.

To your surprise - the next time he was over, the bear disappeared.

In it's place was left a pillow.

In the same spot.

You scented that too.

Where was he hiding these when he came over??

The next time Shoto came, that disappeared too.

A blanket this time was left.

This happened every time he came over for a month.

You chuckled every time he left something.

Did he really think he was being sneaky?

Either way, it was adorable.

Shoto never said anything about it.

You figured this had to be what he was up to at the mall.

Buying things to sneakily leave for you to scent.

“Hey, Shoooto,” you cooed, about a month and a half later.

He kissed your hand and hummed.

“So you keep leaving things for me to scent....”

He went stiff next to you, not even a breath leaving him.

Of course you had caught on.

Now you were angry with him, weren't you?

“I was thinking....why don't you just – move in? We're both financially well off. So it wouldn't be a problem. Plus, it will be easier than trying to be secretive about wanting me to scent things.”

“I could never. I would take up too much space -” he retorted.

“Don't be silly. I want to marry you eventually,” you threw in casually.

Shoto's scent went sharp in surprise then danced delightedly.

“It would be silly for the two of us to live separately. - So, what do you say? Will you move in with me?”

Shoto was very still for a moment.

You began to worry.

Had you gone too far too fast?

Shoto suddenly tackled you, wrapping you up and giving you kisses everywhere he could reach.

You took that as a resounding yes.

Happiness swirled within you both as you started talking logistics.

Shoto was over the moon.

Maybe he really was good at this Omega thing after all.

~

[soulofatiny]

No fear, I’m here... Ch. 6: Your Warmth

word count: 3.8k

warning(s): minor cursing and mentions of anxiety

a|n: happy reading! let me know what you think :)

Ch.7

masterlist

∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘

“Ready…fight!”

As soon as Hongjoong gave the cue, you and San instantly swung your twin swords. The blades made a satisfying sound, ringing to you and San’s ears as the metals came into contact. You pushed him back with one arm and swung your blade with the other as soon as you saw an opening. Your heart raced with adrenaline and judging from the exhilarating look on his face, he must’ve felt the same. 

The members up at the balcony were hollering as you kept attacking but no matter how many openings you saw, San dodged all of your strikes. Something was off, fishy even. You clashed with San a couple more times, bright sparks emitting from both of your blades until you were now certain about your suspicions. San was reading your moves. It should’ve been physically and mentally impossible to read since ZG had a strict training structure for unique battle styles that couldn’t be found in any combat system, and yet he reading your moves like it was written on the back of his hand. There was a difference between being skilled at defense and being able to predict combat methods so swiftly. San was definitely doing the latter. You flashed a knowing look and altered your combat style and you could see the surprised look that ran across his face due to the sudden unexpected change. The metals came into contact once more, this time a little more hastily from his side. He tried to retreat but you kept pushing forward, not letting the blades to come apart. 

San stared back amusingly and leaned his face closer to yours as the smirk on his face grew and then shifted to a softer smile. You were always surprised at how fast he could change his facial expressions. 

“You haven’t changed one bit…” San murmured so hush that it wouldn’t reach normal ears but it did with your attentive ones.

Right when you were about to ask what he meant, you were interrupted. “Alright, stop the fight!” Hongjoong called out from the balcony. 

You retreated silently but San argued instead, “Neither of us won yet.”

“It’s just a mock battle to see her fighting style, there’s no need,” Hongjoong answered as all the members began descending down the stairs to meet where you and San were.

“You were totally losing the last half of the fight anyways,” Jongho added cheekily. 

You thought San would’ve disagreed but he instead nodded his head in agreement, “You’re right. She’s strong. Exactly as strong as I thought she would be, maybe even stronger.”

Something fluttered within your stomach, feeling a little bashful listening to compliments you weren’t used to receiving. 

Hongjoong nodded upon what San said, “Yeah, I agree. She’s very skilled.” 

Your hand touched your stomach gently as it fluttered again. What was this feeling?

“What Gremlin, you hungry or something?”

Everyone’s heads turned to Yunho and then at you, who still happened to be clutching your stomach.

“Um… I’m not sure. I think so?” you answered hesitantly. Was that what you were truly feeling? Hunger?

“I’ll start making breakfast, well I guess it’s almost time for brunch,” Seonghwa suggested.

Just as you were about to disagree, Seonghwa already walked off, quick to fulfill his task willingly. 

“Alright then, let’s train until Seonghwa calls for us. You guys can go work individually,” Hongjoong announced and as everyone dispersed to their desired sections, he then turned to you, “Y/n, feel free to join wherever you would like to practice. I’m going to head to my office to work on something but if you have any questions, you can ask any of them and they’ll help you. Everyone is really independent here.” 

“Thanks, Hongjoong.”

He smiled and waved as he walked off, something he did often. After you completely lost any trace of him from your field of vision, you looked around to see what everyone was doing. Surprisingly, everyone went back to their original places except for Jongho who was now lifting weights off to the sideline and Wooyoung who was at the sniping range at another glass-enclosed room, similar to the room where Yunho and San were practicing. You walked towards Wooyoung, deciding that he was probably a good target to gain information from and entered the transparent room. Immediately upon entering, the loud gunshots that were being released echoed throughout the compacted space. 

“Hey, Wooyoung. Mind if I join you?”

Wooyoung looked up upon hearing your voice and smiled as he scooted over to the side to make space for you, “Of course. Just grab one of the rifles. All of them should be loaded already,” he pointed at the weaponry table nearby and you complied. After grabbing one of the guns, you laid down and positioned yourself on your stomach next to him, as you both aimed and began shooting at the target. The bullets ricocheted at a patterned pace and you noted how his aim was incredibly accurate. 

“Thank you.”

You glanced at Wooyoung, startled at the sudden gratification, “For what?”

“The mock battle. San looked really happy. It’s been a while since he’s met someone who fought around his skill level. I think he had fun.”

You stared at him, bewildered. Did he seriously thank you for fighting his fellow member? 

“You guys seem really close,” you murmured softly as you took your gaze back at the scope on your rifle. 

“Yeah, we met when we were younger and kinda grew up together from there on,” Wooyoung answered, you peaked at his direction and could see his eyes soften a little even though he stared directly through the scope, one eye squinting and the other fully open to focus on his precise aim.

“How did you guys join ATEEZ? If you don’t mind sharing,” you asked nonchalantly to hide your true intentions.

“Ah, sure thing,” Wooyoung finally took his gaze away from the scope and shifted his position so he could face you and you mirrored his movement. 

“Hmm…let’s see. We met when were thirteen. I grew up at a foster house before I met San and he convinced me to get out. The people there didn’t really care if I left since I kept getting into trouble. I wasn’t really a good kid…San wasn’t that much better than I was so we both became a duo gang,” he chuckled with slight bitterness and continued as you listened intently, “At first, we only stole some stuff and stirred up shit every now and then, just enough to keep us alive and entertained…but then as each year pass by, things escalated and I…” Wooyoung looked down, face anguished as he seemed to recall his past. 

You tried to stop him, but he kept going, face still down, “I-I killed someone…”

Your body stiffened upon hearing the action that was far too familiar in your life. Wooyoung looked up as his eyes met your own.

“San and I were out doing our usual thing and we encountered some other gang. That wasn’t anything new but we were severely outnumbered and they happened to be stronger than what we were used to. I thought we were both going to end up dying there so I shot them. All of them. Except for one that I missed and was behind me. The one that San ended up killing. We ended up living that night but we felt dead. We both fell into this deep pit of depression soon after, feeling empty, and ended up homeless since we didn’t care to do anything after that. We were just waiting to get out of this hell we suffered mentally…” 

You gulped down the stiff knot in your throat, feeling your anxiousness creeping up since you knew exactly how they felt. Wooyoung reached forward, gently bringing your hand onto his before he continued, “One night, San and I were laying on some random sidewalk. We were actually on the verge of death but we didn’t care. I’m not sure what San felt but I was happy, almost excited to finally die. I thought I could finally escape my sorrows… but when it really hit me that my existence was on the verge of being erased from this world, I got really scared for both of us... A lot of people passed by not giving us a single glance expect occasional looks of disgust. That is except for this one guy. He didn’t look at us like we scum. He didn’t look at us like other people did. This guy actually laid down right between San and I. At first, I thought he was some drunk bastard but I didn’t have the energy to argue. We all laid there, on the busy city sidewalk, staring at the night sky that seemed unfittingly beautiful with San and I dying and do you know what he said?” 

You stared at him, a little afraid to continue to listen, “...what?”

“He said, ‘This isn’t how humans should live.’ And that’s when I thought he was truly crazy and thought he was joking at first since there’s no way San and I were humans… but when I looked at him, he was serious. I tried to crawl away from him in fear, I looked over at San and he wasn’t moving. I thought he died already, leaving me with this crazy guy but I was desperate to get away from him. He didn’t stop me, he didn’t have to since I didn’t have the strength to advance even a foot away. But then he spoke up for the second time that night, ‘Let me help you and your friend. It’s not too late. Whatever you’re both struggling with, I’ll carry the burden with you both.’ I remember cursing and yelling at him over how he didn’t know anything about our lives and what we’ve been through but he just smiled. Not a mocking smile, but a knowing smile. It was the type of smile that makes you feel like you were being embraced with comfort, it was the type of smile that gave you life…”

Wooyoung squeezed your hand lightly and brought his other hand closer to your face, “Do you know who that guy was?”

“W-Who?”

“It was Hongjoong.” Wooyoung answered with a nostalgic smile as he placed the falling strand of your hair behind your ear and continued, “He gave San and I the will to live again and took us in ATEEZ. He accepted all of our flaws and took us in, calling us family.”

You stared at Wooyoung, unable to formulate words and Wooyoung gave you his usual boxy smile, “And now you’re family too, y/n.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Family… Why do the people living in this mansion throw such a heavy word around as if it's weightless without burden? 

No. It’s not that. 

It’s the exact opposite for them. 

To them, family is merely a simple word in the dictionary that isn’t nearly enough to fully describe their bond.

A bond that’s so strong that they’ve carried and supported it throughout their ups and downs. 

So how could Wooyoung even dare to call you family?

An outsider, a murderer that kills with no mercy, a betrayer.

Obscure emotions coated you both mentally and physically as you sat on the edge of your bed, resting your weary head in your cold hands. After the talk with Wooyoung, you quickly excused yourself, unable to maintain being by his side or with him holding your hand with such care. You’re sure you got strange looks from the others when you ran out of the basement, but you didn’t care. It was suffocating to be there, with them. 

A flash of lightning lit up the dark room for a split second with the roaring thunder following soon after. You blocked your ears with your hands to mute the rumbling of the storm and raindrops hitting your vast window rapidly. 

There was no way they viewed you as family…as one of them… They must’ve been waiting for you to shatter your guard down to expose you so they could kill you...

After exhaling one quivering breath, you took your phone out to make a call.

“Speak.”

“Boss, I have called to give an update regarding ATEEZ.”

“Continue.”

“It’s an eight-member subunit with the leader being Kim Hongjoong. Then from eldest to youngest, Park Seonghwa, Jeong Yunho, Kang Yeosang, Choi San, Song Mingi, Jung Wooyoung, and Choi Jongho. I have specific information upon Jung Wooyoung.”

“Continue.”

“Jung lived in a foster home for thirteen years, cut ties after meeting Choi San and formulated as a duo gang for two years until they met their leader. Jung specializes in sharpshooting and is titled as their official sniper.”

“How and why did Choi San and Jung Wooyoung meet?”

You paused at your boss’s question… How and why did they meet…? Was it really by sheer chance? You didn’t know… Before you even had time to panic or collect your words, your boss spoke up again.

“Why are you silent? I asked you a question. Now, speak.”

“I do not have an answer,” you replied, trying to remain as monotone as possible, ignoring your hand that was beginning to shake.

“Then let me ask you this. Who is the overall bastard that’s running the shitty organization, KQ? The one responsible for sending out a mission to a rat to eliminate my entire west wing?” Your boss’s voice was full of spite and wrath. It was evident even through the stifling phone call on the other side of the line. 

“Speak and do not disappoint me.”

You clenched your hand into a fist, nails sharply digging through your skin due to the absolute terror you were feeling but you still didn’t have a choice but to answer.

“I do not have an answer. I apologi-”

A loud sigh echoed through the call, “Let’s not waste time with that. Really, if you weren’t a useless piece of shit, you wouldn’t even have to apologize right now. I said not to disappoint me, and that’s exactly what you. have. done. But-”

Your grip tightened even more, feeling the warm red liquid spill as you continued to listen to the sinister voice that possessed the deed to your life. 

“-But, consider yourself blessed and spared from being killed since I just received promising news from the east division and am in a particularly good mood. Do whatever it takes to obtain information. I want to know everything. I don’t care what you do, be their slave if you have to. In the end, I will be getting what I want. Do not disappoint me again.”

*click*

You finally released the prolonged breath you were holding as you let your hand that was holding the phone fall on the bed, the call dead as you felt. The room was silent, but you could still hear the alarming pounding of your heart as it beat erratically but felt it pause when you heard a knock on the door.

“Y/n? Are you there?”

The muffled voice behind the door verified with familiarity… It was Seonghwa.

You dragged your numb legs to move across the floor so you could reach the door. Blood trickled from your palm as you marked each step and unlatched the door once you reached your destination, revealing Seonghwa’s aura that was full of warmth.

“Oh! I’m glad you answered. I thought you might’ve been sleeping. I just wanted to see if you wanted anything to eat since you skipped breakfast…” His eyes were not quite meeting yours, almost timid to do so. An entire demeanor that was the complete opposite compared to the first time you both have met. He slowly looked up to see your face, as if he finally gained the courage to do so, “I mean, I bet you’re hungry-”

His voice immediately evolved from a hint of glee to utter worry after taking in what was in front of him. His eyes widened as it trailed to the strands of your hair that were sticking to your temples due to the cold sweat, then to your eyes without a single glint that was almost lifeless as your body trembled, and then down to your bloody hand. 

“No thanks. I don’t want any-”

Seonghwa grabbed your uninjured hand, ignoring your response as he led you somewhere in a hurry. You strongly protested but your voice was weakened that also layered with exhaustion, which Seonghwa was definitely attentive on. He was dragging you but still with much gentleness and caution although he ignored your disapproval. As he continued to guide you across the long hallway, Yunho was walking from the opposite direction, mirroring the worried look that Seonghwa had on his face. He was going to ask why he was in such a hurry but retracted his question when he saw you following behind him, your hand in his. He felt his chest slightly twinge until he saw the lifeless look on your face. The same face he saw back when you guys were at your apartment. The face he disliked the most on you especially. Seonghwa passes by Yunho without noticing him while he still guided you, his determined mind inhibited his field of vision as he left Yunho behind. Yunho looked down at his feet as he sighed, but his eyes widened when he saw droplets of blood on the marble floor, creating a pathway that followed you and Seonghwa.

Upon reaching a door that slightly differed in design like the rest, Seonghwa hastily grabbed the handle and opened the sliding door as he led you inside to a room that looked similar to an infirmary. The whiff of chlorine bombarded your nostrils instantly, reminding you the numerous times you’ve cleaned your own wounds in the past. He released his grip on your hand, taking the warmth with him but your hand, as if it had a mind of its own, reached forward to grasp his hand once again, desperate to rid the coldness that was severely unwanted. The action startled both you and Seonghwa but he was quicker to recover and squeezed your hand in return. 

“I just need to grab some things to treat your hand,” his voice was soft much like his movements as he raised his free hand and gently placed it on top of your head, caressing it tenderly as he spoke in a whisper, “I’m not going anywhere.” 

You nodded as you looked down, unable to maintain eye contact and released his hand, trying your best to endure the cold that overtook your hand replacing his warmth. Seonghwa lightly ruffled your hair before he withdrew his touch to go find the proper tools to treat your injury and you immediately craved his coziness again. He shuffled through cabinets and drawers, putting the necessities on top of a metallic tray and made his way back to you.

“You can sit right here,” he directed you to a seat that looked much like it belongs to a doctor’s and you complied. He crouched on the floor facing you as he sat the metal tray next to him and placed your bloody hand on top of your knee, palm facing up, revealing the origin of the wound for him to see. You observed Seonghwa as he began cleaning off the now dry blood on your hand that was already beginning to scab over and the imprints of your nails were now clearly visible. He was immensely quick with his hands as if he’s done something similar or even worse many times before. His blonde hair was a little disheveled as he continued to work swiftly yet calmly to avoid adding any more pain on your hand. 

“Am I causing too much pain?”

No, it’s the opposite, you thought to yourself and shook your head. He bandaged your hand neatly, evident that his skills were pristine as he finished the treatment.

“Are you in pain anywhere?” Seonghwa asked as he looked up to see your face and you paused. 

Your head lowered slowly and you squeezed your eyes shut.

“Are you hurt anywhere else, y/n?” Seonghwa repeated the question, tone lowering ever so slightly and more serene.

You nodded hesitantly. 

“Where..?” 

“Here,” you placed your hand on your chest and clutched the fabric of your shirt. 

“It hurts here and I-I don’t-” your voice cracked but you pushed forward, “I don’t know why-”

Seonghwa reached forward abruptly, sliding you off the seat as he pulled you down to him so he could fully embrace you in his arms.

“Y/n…it’s okay to cry,” he whispered directly to your ear, voice soothingly deep, “It’s okay to cry. You don’t have to hold it in anymore. No one will see you if you do and no one is stopping you... I won’t stop you.”

Upon hearing his words, you felt a droplet roll down your cheek as if on cue. Then another drop of tear followed soon after the other until it persisted in a flowing pace. You pushed back from Seonghwa ever so slightly to free your arms to somehow stop the continuous droplets but you failed. The abundance of tears that had been stored for countless years finally screamed of its release from your confinement. Seonghwa tried to pull you back into his chest but you stopped him.

“I-I can’t stop,” the words came out in hiccups as the lump in your throat hindered to project your voice but you still forced yourself, “Your s-shirt will get- wet.”

“Let it,” Seonghwa spoke the two words straightforwardly as he pulled you back into his chest again, with a little more force this time and you finally broke down, weeping. He kept his firm hand on the back of your head as he caressed it. He kept whispering things into your ear but you couldn’t fully comprehend what he was saying, being too overwhelmed with emotions, but you felt secure.

Little did you both know, Yunho was just outside of the room, only on the other side of the sliding door. He paused before entering as his hand gripped the handle until his knuckles turned white after overhearing your pained sobs and Seonghwa’s consoling words to you. 

“I’ll never leave you behind.”

Yunho’s heart twinged in pain.

∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘∘

-e|n: i’m sorry it took some time to post this chapter. i had a lil case of writer’s block especially with my finals around the corner but i’m content with how this chapter turned out. thank you for reading and let me know what you think or if you have any predictions! :)