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bvidzsoo · 5 months ago

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Chasing your shadows

𓍼 Cherry Blossom, March Event 𓍼

Author: bvidzsoo

Pairing: Outlaw!Kim Hongjoong x Bounty hunter!reader

𓍼 Warning: cursing, violence, guns, mentions of past abuse, slight sexism and misogyny 𓍼 Word count: 11k 𓍼 Rating: nc-17 𓍼 Genre: fluff, soulmates: each day on your arm is a particular event your soulmate will face today (ex. promotion, family death, new pet etc.), outlaw x bounty hunter, Wild West AU, enemies to lovers 𓍼 Summary: What was supposed to be a wild chase after a bounty you had your eyes set on for years now, turns into a life changing event. You had always known your soulmate was never up to any good thanks to the words inked on your inner forearm ever since you were five years old, but you hadn't expected him to be the biggest menace known to the state...or the man you had been relentlessly chasing, trying to catch for the hefty reward promised.

A/N: Hello, my lovelies!! The first drabble of the series is here, ack, I'm so excited to hear your thoughts about all of the drabbles. I'd like to think we had pretty original ideas and tried to write as fluffy stories as possible lol. I don't think I have much to yap about right now, but I'll let you know that I'm obsessed with cowboy/wild west AUs (especially Bouncy era, how can one be over that?? I even went to the concert as a Sheriff(-ish) lol). I hope you enjoy the story and let me know what you thought of it, feedback always feels really nice! Enjoy! ^^ (as a second thought, based on the characters in this story...should I write a Yungi spin-off?? lol, I cannot be helped at this point...) divider @cromernet

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The earth was still scorching hot even with the merciless sun finally taking its departure for the day, soon to be replaced by the moon, which had more mercy for us mere humans. The nights weren’t cool, but at least the breeze managed to move the otherwise choking hot air that persisted during the day, forcing everyone to sweat immensely. Your thighs were burning, and your hands were sweaty despite you rubbing them off on your pants every now and then, and your stomach growled at the first sight of buildings. You had finally reached the next bigger town. You knew you could do it, but Sheriff Jeong had tried talking you out of it earlier this morning. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in your skills; it’s that he saw you as his little sister and was worried about you. You’ve known each other for many years now, and if it weren’t for his trust and respect for you, you most probably wouldn’t be here now.

Your horse slowed to a strut, no doubt just as thirsty and hungry as you were. You had given him your last three apples hours ago when you had stopped for a little breather under the shade of a lonely tree, not a soul in sight. That’s how most of your adventures went like, it was you and Carlos, your most trusted ally. He was a gorgeous horse, standing taller than any other horse you had known, its ears long and sharp, eyes round and observant, and its feet strong and quick. He was still young, so he was in good shape, and while you could say that about Carlos, your own bones couldn’t relate to that statement. You’d soon be hitting thirty, a prime age for people in these times, and if it wasn’t your body asking you to be kinder to it, then it was Sheriff Jeong reminding you of it continuously. He had it easy, though; he had a loving woman waiting for him at home at the end of each day, cooking him his favourite dishes and running a bath for him. You…you had no one waiting for you in the small cabin you had claimed as yours years ago once you’ve had enough of your father’s abuse. He didn’t let you have anything, not even the little money you saved up by working ungodly hours at the Inn, cleaning up piss and vomit, smiling to sleazy men while delivering their beers to their dirty tables. And then your mother got sick, and you realised she wouldn’t make it if you didn’t make enough money.

In the end, it didn’t matter how much money you had earned for her to get the best treatment, she was gone in under three months. It was then that you decided you didn’t want to live in a house where your father didn’t bother to do anything for himself, taking whatever he could that you had claimed as yours. He was a homeless man now; you’ve seen him around the Townsquare at times, begging for change or a loaf of bread. You didn’t pity him, you just hoped your mother wasn’t disappointed that you had left him behind with nothing but the disgrace that he was. Your eyes surveyed the quiet town as Carlos took the two of you further inside. Older men stood on their porches smoking tobacco they could barely afford. You’ve always found it pathetic when the poor flaunted the wealth they never had, hence why there was nothing to you that you could brag about. Carlos neighed loudly and abruptly stopped, yanking its head low and making you lean over since your fingers were tightly twisted into the reign.

“What is it, handsome?” You whispered as you leaned towards your horse's ear, smiling fondly as you patted its cheek, “Tired? Come on, just a bit more.”

But Carlos just neighed loudly again, turning the heads of those walking past you. The lady had a basket filled with goods, a young boy latched onto her ragged skirt, curious round eyes looking up at you. You paid them no mind as you tried to get Carlos moving again, but your horse was even more stubborn than you and wouldn’t budge. You groaned and threw a leg over the saddle, jumping down with practised ease. The young boy was still looking at you as you patted your horse's rear, tutting your tongue as you tried to get Carlos moving again. Maybe if he saw you walking, he’d get to it too.

“Missy!” A high-pitched voice called out, making your head turn, “Are you new in town?”

“Indeed, I am.” You answered the boy as he and the lady had stopped walking now, both of their eyes filled with curiosity, “Tell me, boy, is any Inn close by?”

It was the lady speaking up, her eyes looking past you, her free hand pointing forward, “See that grand building? Go past it, and you’ll find one half its size; they might have a few free rooms.”

“Many newcomers?” You quirked an eyebrow, prodding without being too obvious. You were here with a purpose, after all, but you couldn’t let anyone know your true intentions just yet.

“Heard some men galloping in last night.” The lady shrugged, grabbing the boy’s hand into hers, “Didn’t look too nice or kind, keep safe, Missy.”

“You too.” You grabbed the front of your cowboy hat and gently lowered it in a respectful greeting. The boy grinned and waved before he was ushered forward, the lady tugging him after herself since he was still gazing at your gorgeous horse. You smiled and walked in front of Carlos, throwing him an amused look, “You heard that, princess? Think you can walk for another five minutes?”

As if you were understood by the horse, it neighed and surged forward, walking ahead of you as you chuckled and shook your head, playfully slapping its rear and making it huff as you decided to follow your horse on feet; you needed the movement. Your lower back and thighs were stiff, neck aching from the rigid position you’ve had to keep while riding all day long. Your throat was parched, and you couldn’t wait to wolf down a jug of water—or beer—but what you wanted the most was to throw yourself in a bathtub filled with lukewarm water and let your muscles melt into it.

As the lady had said, the Inn was half the size of the grand house—a mansion, you came to realise, looking unoccupied at the moment—and it was just like any other Inn you’ve had the pleasure of staying in. The structure looked old and was not in the best condition as you walked around it, trying to find a stable. A boy, around fifteen, seemed to be dozed off as he sat on a hay, a long string of grass falling out of his mouth as he was leaning against the stable door. You chuckled and then cleared your throat, making the boy jump up with heavy eyes.

“Yes?! I am on it!” You raised an eyebrow as you watched the boy fumble around himself without doing anything, and then he froze, slowly looking up at you, “Oh, I didn’t—that’s a gorgeous horse!”

“Think you can keep him safe for me?” You quirked an eyebrow with a grin on your lips, patting Carlos’ cheek. The boy’s eyes went wide as he nodded eagerly, righting his posture and tapping his dirty clothes down.

“Yes, ma’am!” He called loudly, holding his chin high. You smirked, holding the reins out to him.

“Is the Inn full? Got many people in town?” Perhaps the stable boy knew more than the previous lady and child.

“Seven men came in hours ago, ma’am, but the Inn still has some rooms available.” Seven men, he’d said, perhaps you really were in the right place. You smirked, crossing your arms in front of your chest.

“Perfect, I’ll pay you tomorrow, sound good?” You untied your bag from the backside of the saddle, throwing it around your shoulder, “And not a word to anyone that I’m here, am I clear?”

“Can I ride him?” The stable boy asked as he opened the door, staring with yearning eyes at Carlos.

“Keep my secret, and we’ll see.” You winked, grabbing a slightly melted lollipop from your pocket to toss it at the boy. His eyes glinted as he caught it, veering Carlos inside the stable after him, “Feed him well, my boy is famished and thirsty!”

“Yes, ma’am!” And then you were off to the Inn, smirking to yourself at the presence of six horses inside the stable. So, the gang was here…all you had to do was find them. The town wasn’t as big as the last one you had trailed the outlaws in, you had a feeling you’d finally find him here. It was a feeling you couldn’t explain, but you felt it deep in your stomach like when you were famished.

The Inn had yet to be filled with patrons, but the early birds were already here, downing their beer like it was water, talking loudly for no reason. The woman behind the counter looked sickly and tired, but she still smiled at you when she saw you. You sauntered over, tipping your cowboy hat in a greeting before you took it off, the air feeling cool against your heated hair, “Got a room for me, pretty?”

The girl’s smile widened as she turned, grabbed a key off the wall, and then faced you again, “Ten pennies.”

You laughed, but you were already undoing your satchel tied to your waist, “Isn’t that too much, sweetheart?”

“Aren’t you staying for three days?” She quirked an eyebrow, leaning against the counter and exposing her already visible cleavage. You huffed down another laugh, enjoying the banter as you leaned in just for the fun of it.

“You know where to find me if you need me.” The woman giggled then, letting you take the keys as ten pennies landed on the counter. You wouldn’t try and bargain your way for a lower price since Sheriff Jeong was gracious with the payment before you left on your little hunt. Your satchel was filled with pennies, and you’d have even more by the time you reached your good old town again, “Get me a drink too, I’m thirsty. On the house?”

The woman’s eyes narrowed at your playfulness as you took a seat on a stool, feeling eyes on your back. It wasn’t often that people encountered a woman dressed as a cowboy, the silver pistol with black engravings strapped to your outer thigh rather visible to anyone. What was also rare was a female bounty hunter. Sheriff Jeong took plenty of convincing to finally accept your pleas to send you out on a wild chase, then shocked, but pleased, at your return with the criminal in your hands. The officers had been trying to catch the man for years, and you managed to do it in merely two days. You were a prideful woman, proud of your accomplishments and unafraid to boast about them to men who look at you with little regard and respect. You’d spit in their face and then take them in a gunfight anytime, you knew who’d come out as the winner. There is a reason why Sheriff Jeong places so much trust in you. You’ve never failed him before, and you wouldn’t start now. You smiled as the woman pushed a pint of cold beer towards you, winking as she said, ‘on the house’. With a chuckle, you grabbed the handle of the pint and raised the heavy glass to your lips to finally quench your thirst. You didn’t stop until you had drunk half of it, your throat burning in a good way, the cold extinguishing the fire you felt inside your body. A shiver ran down your back as you slammed the pint back onto the wooden counter, letting out a satisfied sound as you nodded in appreciation. The beer was delicious, or maybe you were just too thirsty.

You hadn’t noticed the man who had taken the stool to your right, leaving one empty between the two of you, but you now felt his sharp gaze on the side of your face, “I’ve never seen a woman wolf down beer that fast.”

You huffed, turning your head to give the man a look. You hadn’t expected him to be so tall with short dark hair and sharp features, his heavily lidded eyes dark and staring sharply at you. His nose was long and his lips were plump, his skin tan, and his face covered by little blemishes and scars. His dark brown leather vest clung to his toned torso like a second skin, showing off his bare arms, his biceps bulging, his shoulders wide and menacing. Much like you, he had a pistol sheathed at the waist, which was small with his leather pants clinging to it tightly, his thighs thick. You wondered how he survived the heat in a full leather-clad outfit, but you weren’t here to find out.

“Intimidated?” You smirked, throwing back the rest of the beer and barely suppressing a loud burp. It was good, you deserved it after the long day you’d had under the hot sun burning your skin, the dust making your lungs ache since you hadn’t worn your scarf for protection. The man laughed, its sound rich and amused, deep like his voice.

“Maybe if you down two more of those, yeah.” His cowboy hat was placed on the dirty counter much like yours, and you hummed, standing up.

“Gotta pass on this one, cowboy. I’ve had a long day.” You winked at him as you grabbed your hat, setting it back on your head with ease. It had been worn for way too long, and it was visible, but you didn’t want to part with it until it hadn’t disintegrated into nothing.

“You a newcomer?” He questioned as he nursed his drink, something darker than your beer, most probably Whiskey. He didn’t look rich, but if his leather gear didn’t scream money, then the expensive drink did.

“And you?” Answering a question with a question was always the way to go when you hoped to pry out information from others. If this pretty man was just a dumb boy, he’d fall for it easily. But maybe you had underestimated him as he smirked, chuckling behind his glass of alcohol.

“Had a long day, too.” Then he tipped his drink back, rasping his knuckles against the counter to ask for a refill, “Rest easy tonight.”

“You too, cowboy.” The man seemed to like being called that as he bit his bottom lip, his eyes taking your form in. You weren’t here for him or to have fun that could potentially distract you, so you took your leave before he could try and hold you back with more useless chit-chat. But your eyes strayed towards his inner forearm as he raised his hand to wave you away jokingly, the bold letters exposed and looking like he had tried tempering with them. He wouldn’t be the first person to do that. Sheriff Jeong’s supposed soulmate refused to look at the words on her inner forearm after finding him, cutting into her skin, and refusing to admit that perhaps something was amiss. But who were you to judge since you knew your soulmate was far from being a good man? You’ve been reading the events inked under your skin that would occur to him ever since you could read, and he’s never once been up to anything good. You found it peculiar what the words on the cowboy’s forearm said, seeing the bounty hunter off on a day like today. You didn’t mean to think of Sheriff Jeong, but that’s exactly what he had done earlier this morning…seeing you off and wishing you luck for your long and dangerous journey.

The stairs felt a bit uneasy underneath your boots as you made your way upstairs, the Inn filling out with more patrons now that the sky had significantly darkened outside. Your room was towards the end of the hallway, and as you pushed the door open to step inside, the one across from yours opened. The man stepping outside wasn’t too tall, his hat tipped so low you could only see his red lips. You paid him no mind as you slammed your door shut and locked it, making sure to keep out any unwanted guests. It wouldn’t be the first time a man felt entitled enough to try and let himself into your room without your permission, promising you foolishly sweet nothings that ended in a beating he’d never forget.

The room was dingy and small, just like any other room at any Inn, and you let your things fall to the wooden floor as you walked towards the windows to push them open, closing your eyes as you were met with the cooling temperature of the evening. You leaned over the windowsill and inhaled deeply, relishing in the moment of quietness and allowing your muscles to ease up, your mind silent for the first time today. Then, you slowly stepped out of your boots and walked towards your bed, peeling off your clothing one by one until you stood naked, groaning at the feeling of nothingness on your skin. It felt like heaven peeling off the sweat-clad clothes, untying your long hair and massaging your scalp as you walked towards the bathroom attached to the room. You were lucky you didn’t have to share it with the others staying at the Inn. You let the water run as you sat on the edge of the bathtub, staring down at your inner forearm. The ink was black and thick, bold letters not too large, staring back up at you. Bar fight was carved under your skin, and you couldn’t help but feel unimpressed. Your soulmate could do something more impressive. Not even three months ago, he hijacked a train and robbed the rich. Coincidentally, days later, it was discovered that it was the outlaw gang you’ve been following for years now, the seven men who had been terrorising the Southern parts of your state.

Knowing you could run out of water anytime now, you quickly got into the bathtub and stood under the spray of lukewarm water, sighing in relief as all the grime was finally washed off your body. The first loud noise got your eyebrows furrowing, but then shouts followed until you could hear glass breaking and manly voices shouting intangible things. You chuckled as you washed your hair out, feeling the need to refresh it. Drunk men were so simple, one wrong look would result in a stand-off, and you could only hope the pretty woman behind the counter wouldn’t get injured in the bar fight downstairs.

There was nothing better than waking up to complete silence, with the occasional rooster crowing and horses neighing in the distance. But that was back in your town, where you could sleep in unless Sheriff Jeong needed you. The wicked didn’t rest, therefore, you were up before the sun could even rise, sauntering down to the bar. The pretty lady was gone from behind the counter, now replaced by a tall and muscular man, his eyes sharp like knives and rather judgemental. He had given you a one-over before rolling his eyes and knocking on the small window you’d failed to notice last night. Ten minutes later, a sloppy breakfast was pushed in front of you. Some sunny side-ups paired with a rather sad-looking salad—which you were sure was slowly starting to rot away—but food was food. If they didn’t charge you extra, you’d try your luck and ask for a cup of coffee too…if they served fancy stuff like that here. As you ate your breakfast, you subtly surveyed the place, looking for the handsome man from last night. He wasn’t here, not that you had expected him to be, and the bar looked like it went through a rough night. But given the fact that there was a bar fight just a few hours ago, you figured nobody bothered to clean it up since it would end up looking like that again soon.

Having finished your breakfast, you were ready to scoop out the town to get to know the way things worked here and get some intel on the residents and newcomers. Getting information like that was always easy if you played the confused and lost little damsel in distress; men were pathetically desperate to help out any woman who looked at them for long enough. It was hilarious, you tried to keep your grin off your face as the man leaning against the Bank’s wall spoke slowly on purpose, his expression feigning fake worry for your safety.

“Missy, excuse my prodding, you’ve been saying you’re here alone?” An eyebrow arched in your direction, and you smirked, tilting your head.

“Why, sir? Would you like to accompany me?” A trick question, but it always worked getting them off your back.

“Well, since missy seems so lonely and scared—”

You didn’t care for what he had to say, so you didn’t let him finish, “I’m afraid the handsome fella who travels with me wouldn’t be too keen on me bringing a stranger inside our shared room…”

The man paused, his eyebrows furrowing deeply as he looked at you with a new glint in his eyes. Anger. Your smirk grew as you pulled your shoulders back, slapping your cowboy hat back on. Your job here was done with this man.

“Have a lovely day, sir, may we never meet again.” You chuckled under your breath as you tipped your hat in his direction, then quickly left the narrow alleyway before he got any idea on how to make you stay there with him for longer. He wouldn’t be the last nor the first one; men around these towns were desperate for something ‘fresh’. They couldn’t wait to cheat on their wives with whoever rolled into town, even if for a remotely short period. You found your feet taking you further inside the city. Carlos would rest today and hopefully tomorrow, too, if you deemed this town useful of any sort.

You couldn’t tell whether you were in the right place just yet…but there it was that gut feeling again, still persistent to the point there was a buzzing too in your ears. It felt like your inner forearm was suddenly on fire; the words were hidden underneath a scarf you had purposefully wrapped around your naked skin to hide the words petty theft. It was unsurprising that your soulmate was trying his luck yet another time at something that could land him behind bars. The words thrown in prison were yet to be marked underneath your skin, so whoever this criminal was, he was good at whatever he did. You wondered if he’d soon run out of luck, your mind taking you places. How amusing it would be if you were the one to catch him, the thought that he was on the wanted list you were hunting through has crossed your mind more than once before. You couldn’t help but laugh it off every time, especially if Sheriff Jeong was entertaining that thought. Not that he was so much better off…the sole reason why you knew his pretty partner was not his soulmate was because whatever the ink on Jeong Yunho’s forearm said had never been the one his girl was up to that day. Sheriff Jeong and you were in a rather similar position, but he wasn’t ready to admit that just yet.

The marketplace was loud as you walked through the open wooden gates; the place was filled with people despite it being the early morning. In small towns, everyone rose with the sun and went to bed at the first sighting of the moon, living a healthier and perhaps even longer life than those in the bustling towns, greedy for more than they could ever handle. You surveyed the place, your eyes taking in all the people, the eager vendors standing behind their stands, shouting to gather more attention and more buyers. You recognised a few faces already, people who were kind enough to open their doors for you this morning and have a chit-chat. The lady from yesterday with the little boy stood behind a stall filled with freshly baked goods, and you made a mental note to buy a loaf of bread from her on your way home. Maybe you could take her son to ride Carlos later in the day, it was rather obvious that the little boy badly wished to at least touch your gorgeous companion.

Asking around was never the hardest part of your mission, yet there was one downside to it. People would grow suspicious of you if you didn’t do it smartly, so you decided to ask around the elderly instead of the youth, who could easily accuse you of planning a heist or perhaps even an attack on their otherwise serene town. The old lady you had set your eyes on had a wrinkly face and trembling hands as she sat on a small chair, knitting quietly as she hummed a melody. There weren’t many products on display, but the clothing items she handmade looked rather useful for the hot days these regions faced daily. If the price was good, you’d be walking away with a hand-knitted flowy vest and perhaps even more information that would be highly useful right now. You smiled as you approached the stall, letting your fingers run over the soft fabric of the vest you had set your eyes on.

“Mornin’!” You called cheerily, smiling widely at the old lady as she jumped at your sudden arrival.

“Oh, Saints, that scared me.” She chuckled, letting her handiwork rest in her lap as she returned your wide smile, “Mornin’, dear, you’re new in town. Welcome, what brings you around here?”

Leaning your hip against the wooden table, you decided to slip in a bit of truth, “I’m chasing after someone. I have a hunch they might be right here, but other than that, it’s nice to travel to new parts of the state from time to time.”

The woman hummed, a faraway look crossing her features, “I once had the chance to travel the whole world…but then I fell in love.”

You watched the lady rub her covered forearm, turning her head to look at you with sadness in her eyes, “Did you settle down here?”

The old lady hummed, picking up her handiwork to continue it, “Love can be a beautiful but painful feeling. Are you here on your own? Perhaps you’re chasing your soulmate?”

You scoffed but suddenly felt a weird pang in your gut. Could you be chasing your soulmate? It was possible, but what were the chances…here you were again, entertaining that thought. You shook your head and shrugged, keen on changing the topic of the conversation, “I’m just looking for someone. I doubt they are my soulmate. He’s out there somewhere, wreaking havoc in his wake.”

“Those damn outlaws…” The old lady muttered, and your eyes widened slightly, making you chuckle under your breath. There was something about her demeanour that screamed calmness, her hands looked like they’d been through a lot as they were decorated with scars. You were here to find out more about any suspicious movement, though, so you couldn’t focus on small insignificant details about the people living in this town. It’s not like you’d see them ever again, so what was the point of forming bonds that would dwindle out once you left?

“You know anything about them?” You tried to make your voice sound casual, your bottom lip between your teeth as you averted your eyes when the old lady snorted under her breath.

“Who doesn’t, dear?” The old lady huffed, the look in her eyes fiery as she looked up at you, “They always ruin everything, cause carnage and leave suffering behind. If I could, I would still be catching them, but my old joints barely let me walk, let alone run.”

You couldn’t mask your surprise as your eyes widened a little bit, “Were you a bounty hunter?”

“Not quite,” The lady grinned, averting her eyes as her hands worked diligently on the sleeves of the blouse in her lap, “I helped the Sheriff catch felons a few times, but I was never brave enough to become a bounty hunter. It seemed like too much effort and danger, plus I couldn’t deal with all the mocking that already came due to me working with the Sheriff…”

“Right,” You hissed, venom slipping into your tone, “People are like that, stupid cunts.”

The old lady started laughing loudly, her lips pulled into an amused grin as she looked up at you, shaking her head, “You must hate a lot of people, then.”

You huffed with a nod, not bothering to confirm what she already knew, “Did you notice anyone suspicious coming into town these past days?”

“So, you’re a bounty hunter, then.” The old lady hummed to herself, resting her handiwork in her lap once again, her eyebrows furrowed as she looked off into the distance, “I can’t say, I don’t walk around much, but my nephew told me he’d seen men riding around just by the border as if they were scooping out the place, or something of the likes. There’s nothing much by the borders, so I wouldn’t know why they were there specifically.”

“To check the exits and set up any traps for those who would try and follow.” You smirked, mentally jotting down this new piece of information. This old lady had been more useful in just a few minutes than all the cocky men you had to listen to this morning, trying to woo their way into your pants instead of sharing valuable information.

“Brilliant,” The lady huffed, shaking her head in disdain, “Tell you what, dear…but you didn’t hear it from me, alrigh’?”

Your eyebrows furrowed, and then you moved closer as the woman beckoned you to her height with a wave of her hand. Your toes curled, and your heart raced in excitement at the prospect of finding out even more about the possible outlaws residing in the town, and you couldn’t help but quickly crouch down and stare at the lady with sparkling eyes full of curiosity. The old lady chuckled at your behaviour, and you almost flinched when she patted your cheek, her grey eyes running over your features.

“You’re a gorgeous one, dear, take care of yourself,” She hummed, then looked around before she leaned in too, her voice low, “Two days ago, around midnight, I couldn’t sleep, so I went to smoke on the veranda. I live close to the border, and there are few houses around, yet I heard voices coming from the abandoned stable on my property. It wasn’t anyone I knew and not someone from the town. I swear on what I have most precious! There were two men, based on the different tones in voice, and they were talking about a hit—more like arguing—I couldn’t tell what the fight was about, they heavily disagreed if staying in this town was smart or not. The one with a sharper tone kept denying that they were being chased, and the other one kept pressing they’d get caught if they didn’t lay low for a bit…do what you will with this, darlin’, I don’t know more.”

The lady could only stare at your wide smirk, your body almost vibrating as your suspicions were now one hundred percent confirmed. The outlaws were in this town, you’d finally catch Kim Hongjoong, and he had no idea you were so close to putting him behind bars, taking the hefty payment you deserved after all these years of chasing after him and his band of baboons. You grabbed the lady’s hand and pressed an appreciative kiss against her knuckles before standing, grabbing the vest you had set your eyes on, “Could you hold on to this for me for a bit longer? I’ll come back for it in a few hours.”

“I leave before noon, darlin’; you better return before that!” You chuckled and tipped your cowboy hat in her direction before turning around and walking off, trying to remember where you had seen the store that looked like they had supplies you could use rather soon. You were passing just by the stall where the lady from yesterday was, and you stopped to buy some fresh bread, but your eyes caught something peculiar. There were more people around her stall, amongst them the tall and handsome man from the Inn, so she couldn’t pay attention to everyone at once. That wasn’t the issue, however; it was the shorter man sneaking pastries into his satchel bag, moving slowly yet somehow lithe at the same time. You chuckled to yourself and found yourself walking towards him, stopping right behind him, your hand shooting out to wrap around his warm wrist. The man froze, his whole body tensing up as he whipped his head around, but you couldn’t see his face well due to the cowboy hat he was also wearing. He didn’t seem much taller than you, though. You wondered for a second if you had seen him somewhere before.

“Did you think no one would notice?” You wouldn’t have meddled, but you figured the young lady needed to fend for herself and her son somehow. And if some petty thief stole some precious buns, she wouldn’t make as much as on a regular day. You couldn’t let that happen.

“Not many cares around here.” The man hissed back, his tone on the shrill side, but it was raspy as he tried to yank his wrist free. Your fingers only tightened around his skin, making you smirk when the man couldn’t exactly break free.

“Well, I do. If you don’t cause a scene, I’ll be more lenient with you.” The man scoffed, his voice filled with amusement as you saw him glancing to the side, making you look too, only to find the handsome man turning away. Your eyes narrowed as you wondered whether the two knew each other, but before you could dwell more on it, your foot was being stomped on, and you jumped back with a shout of pain. People looked your way, startled, and as if to mock you, the thief grabbed another hot bun before booking it, his laughter loud and amused as your teeth gritted, taking off after him before anyone could react. The lady’s calls sounded confused, and those who realised it was a thief you were chasing tried to help by jumping in front of the criminal, but he was fast. He was way too fast and way too light on his feet as he twisted his body almost in an enchanting way whenever someone went to grab him from the side. He was cackling still; you could hear it louder now that you were gaining on him, and he jumped over the wooden fence and turned sharply to the left, scurrying down an empty, muddy street.

You hissed under your breath and jumped the fence too, your feet almost tangling when you landed again, your pace thrown off. You weren’t too athletic despite chasing criminals for a living, and you cursed the petty thief as he pushed barrels over to make it harder for you to chase after him. But you weren’t giving up; your quick thinking got you jumping on crates and over the rolling barrels, and your eyes locked in on the chain hanging from a building. You didn’t even consider whether it could hold your weight as you lunged for it, your hands tangling into the hot chains, your body swinging in the air as you kicked your legs back and sent yourself forward. The man had glanced back while you were in the air, completely missing that you were mostly above his head now, and slowed his run into more of a strut. You grinned in triumph as you timed your jump smartly, the chains rattling loudly as you released them and kicked forward, making the criminal raise his head jerkily. You had just a few seconds to take in his features, at least what was visible since the lower half of his face was covered by a bandana, his cowboy hat disguising the upper half of his head. His eyes, however, somehow managed to burn into the back of your mind despite the brief glance into them.

They were sharp, small, attentive, and so much cat-like that it made you wonder whether the man had grown up with cats and bizarrely started taking after them. They were pretty eyes, a dark brown that felt like it burned your own ones before the man twisted around and tried to make a run for it again, but your feet were already colliding with his back, sending him harshly to the ground as you tumbled just a little to the side of him, your groan matching his. Your right elbow throbbed as you landed on it funny, but when the man tried to get up, you kicked into action again and got onto his back, straddling him and pinning him to the dirty ground by the hips. He hissed and tried to throw you off, but you knew how to distribute your weight, so he was rendered motionless. It was hilarious to watch him try to fight you off until, suddenly, he went stiff.

“What? Is that it all?” You mocked, your tone laced with amusement, “You looked like you had more fight in you.”

The man didn’t answer much to your dismay, it wasn’t fun if your hostage wasn’t a bit sassy. You noticed the man didn’t have a weapon on him, at least not visible, and his dark blue shirt’s sleeves were rolled up to expose his forearms due to the heat. His vest was old, much like yours, and it hugged around his pretty waist, his trousers a dark brown and soft under your fingertips as you found yourself lightly grazing the fabric. You stopped when you realised you were being a creep, but there was a sudden pull to the man that made you want to touch him. It was peculiar…you mostly liked staying away from male specimens, unless it was Sheriff Jeong, but this one got your interest piqued for an unexplainable reason. You gulped and grabbed the strap of his satchel bag, yanking it a bit and making the man groan. His hands were pressed to the ground, and he was motionless still, his head turned to the side, but you couldn’t see his profile due to his cowboy hat.

“You’ve got something here that you’ll be returning.” You said as you yanked on the strap again, making the man gruff out something under his breath. Your eyebrows furrowed as your eyes narrowed, and you leaned just a bit closer, “What was that?”

The man said something lowly again, and you were getting irritated by his lack of answer…at least one that you could hear, “Speak up, cowboy, or did you bite your tongue during your fall?”

“I said, I’d like to see you try, skivvy.” Your eyebrows furrowed at the blatant insult, your anger exploding inside you out of nowhere. You were good at controlling yourself, but this just felt absolutely uncalled for and way too derogatory, coming from a criminal. You huffed, loudly and clearly offended, clenching and unclenching the fingers of your right hand, debating whether you should punch the man to teach him a lesson. But he spoke up before you could make a choice, “What? No more mocking?”

And as you sucked in air through your teeth, deciding to punch the man, indeed, his head suddenly flew backwards while his hips kicked up strongly, and you were thrown off balance as the back of his head collided with your forehead. It didn’t hurt since he was wearing the hat, and you weren’t too close to his head, but it was enough to jostle you off the man. Suddenly, your whole world was spinning as your back hit the ground hard, weight settling over your hips as the sharp eyes were now staring down at you, obscuring the blistering sun. You realised your cowboy hat was knocked off in the ordeal, the man’s fingers twisted into the hair on the back of your head, not tugging, but warning enough. His other hand had your collarbones pressing down, and you grabbed his wrist, glaring up at him.

“You must be so proud of yourself right now.” Your tone was sarcastic as the man chuckled under the bandana covering his face, and you could see the blatant amusement dancing in his eyes. You would bet on your cowboy hat that he was smirking, too.

“You aren’t the smartest pea in the pond.” Another low blow that got your blood pumping faster, nostrils flaring from anger.

“What makes you smarter? You literally needed a distraction to free yourself.” You fired back, your jaw clenching. For some reason, freeing yourself was a distant thought in your mind, even though it would’ve been comically easy. He didn’t restrict your hands, you could punch him, scratch him, even try and push him off.

“Right, and all you needed to free me was a distraction.” Well, that spurred you into action, your fist rising, but he caught your flying hand before it could fully raise. He tsked under his bandana, and you felt your cheeks heat up from both annoyance and embarrassment. This hadn’t happened before; men rarely managed to outsmart you or even overpower you, and what was most embarrassing was the fact that the criminal wasn’t even attempting to keep you subdued. It was your body that suddenly didn’t want to fight back, your heart racing while your muscles relaxed. To be fair, the man wasn’t making it difficult either; it was as if he found this fight amusing and was holding you still because he took pleasure in it.

“Well then, there’s nothing to brag about to your pals.” And suddenly, it felt like you were both just measuring dicks as to who was better at this and that, it was downright humiliating, but your mouth wouldn’t shut up, “You went down embarrassingly easily, I could headbutt you right now and you’d pass out instantly.”

The man laughed, his cat-like eyes scrunching up in amusement, “Well then? What are you waiting for?”

“A distraction.” You smirked and watched as the man’s eyes narrowed at you. You bucked your hips and twisted to the side, easily throwing the man off yourself. It wasn’t even hilarious anymore, just how easy it was to get him off, but it felt as if he wasn’t really trying to fight you. And why was that? You threatened to hand him to the Sheriff of the town, did he think he could get away with it? But he recovered quickly; he was up on his feet in a blink, and you were moving too, not about to let him go. You caught his arm and twisted it around, pinning it to his back as you held the man’s chin from behind, his back pressed to your chest.

“I have to admit,” The man’s voice was lower, filled with amusement and poorly timed seduction, “I’ve never been manhandled by a woman before. It’s kinda hot.”

“Shut up,” You hissed, looking for the rope usually around your waist to tie criminals up in situations like this one.

“Looking for this?” The man sing-songed, and your eyebrows furrowed as you looked up again, his left hand holding the exact rope that should’ve been on your waist. That, however, wasn’t exactly what got your heart racing while your ears rang loudly, blood going cold. Chasing a criminal was inked under the man’s fair skin on his forearm, as clear as day, glaring back at your gaping expression, “See? You shouldn’t discredit me so much, darlin’.”

“Shut up.” You hissed, snapping yourself out of your delusional thoughts as you wondered whether it was him. But there was no way this man right in front of you was your soulmate. Jostled by the thought, you pushed him forward and watched as he braced himself before he could fall into the building’s stone wall, quick on his feet as he turned around. You were about to say something, you should’ve said something, but you were instead gaping at him, plotting how to rip his bandana off. The man wasn’t moving either, for some reason, he was closely watching your expression, his eyes landing on your covered forearm. You were smarter than him with that, at least. An explosion resounded in the distance, and you both jumped, your eyes wide when you realised it had come from the market.

“Would you look at that?” The man laughed, tipping his cowboy hat forward before he winked, “That’s my cue to go.”

And before you could lunge for him, he was already sprinting back down the way you had come, and for some reason, you didn’t chase after him. You looked down at the ground and bent down to grab your cowboy hat and rope, wondering whether the man you had just caught might have been your soulmate. Your gut twisted oddly, and you gulped, your jaw clenching as you took the way you had come, going back to the market to find out what the explosion was all about. At least you could’ve snatched his satchel bag to return all those hot buns.

Your heart raced as you sprung up from the bed, eyes falling on the open window. You had forgotten to close it last night, and now your skin was covered in goosebumps as a chilly breeze blew inside. It had gotten significantly colder yesterday evening, making you cosy up underneath the blanket, your body tired from the day you’ve had. Your forehead was covered in a sheen layer of sweat, and you tapped it down with your arm, slowly realising that your forearm was burning. You lowered your arm and turned it around, staring at the inked words unblinking. Bank robbery. You gulped, suddenly feeling a hollowness in your chest as your eyebrows furrowed. The outlaws that were in this town…so was it one of them? Your soulmate—was it one of the outlaws? You gulped, your heart suddenly racing as you threw the blanket over your feet and sat on the edge of your bed, caressing your skin gently. In moments like this one, you wished your soulmate was a country boy, a farmer, a simple mine worker, anything but a criminal. What you did for a living didn’t mesh well with your soulmate’s profession, and you knew Sheriff Jeong would never understand you.

His soulmate was an outlaw too, judging based on the inked words on his inner forearm, and he had loathed his partner before even meeting them. You, on the other hand, couldn’t share the sentiment. You were displeased, of course, you were, but you’ve spent your whole life lonely and watching couples from afar, wondering what it felt like to finally find your soulmate, to reunite with them for an eternity. Nobody would’ve guessed, but deep down, you dreamed of a romance like in the old folk tales. You wished to be madly in love, blinded by it to the point that you couldn’t breathe if your soulmate wasn’t next to you. You winced as the ink felt like it was splitting your skin in two, making you wonder what was causing such a reaction since it’d never happened before. You knew today would be a long day, and you also knew you had to face the consequences of your soulmate’s actions. You knew you had a hard decision ahead of yourself, but you prayed to any existent deity that your soulmate wouldn’t be the worst of the worst. Maybe he was part of the outlaw gang you’ve been chasing, maybe he was just a local from this town, trying to make amends. Committing so many crimes wasn’t an excuse, but if he was doing it to fend for himself and his poor family, you’d let it slide. With a heavy sigh, you dragged yourself off the bed and went inside the bathroom, well aware of your next step.

The market had been a mess of panicked people by the time you had reached it yesterday, but you were glad to hear nobody was injured. Someone had set fire to an unoccupied table before the first small granite had gone off, making a store’s windows explode since it was ignited right underneath it. The old lady was shaken when you had checked in with her, and you decided to accompany her home after you bought more bread than was necessary from the lady with the little boy. You had searched for the handsome stranger’s face in the crowd, but he was nowhere to be seen, much like the thief you’ve had the chance to catch but hesitated. You weren’t pleased with yourself, but your body had refused to cooperate when you needed it most. Now, however, you knew what was the right thing to do. You didn’t want to draw even more attention to yourself, so after a quick trip to the stable to make sure Carlos was still there, healthy and safe, you took off on foot towards the Bank. It was rather close since it was in the heart of the town, and you had decided to stake out in front of it, sitting at a cafeteria.

Their coffee was overpriced and not as good as back in your town, but it would do for now. You weren’t here to enjoy a cup of coffee, after all, but to keep your eyes on the Bank and observe who came and went. You had an eye for telling the locals and newcomers apart; it was their way of dressing and conversing, of looking at ease, versus the gorgeous man with red hair who looked fidgety as he walked towards the Bank. He was wearing rather hand-me-down robes, trying a bit too hard to fit in with the crowd. It made him look even more obvious, and you smiled as you realised you had caught the first suspicious person. He walked inside the Bank, and you wondered whether it was him or not, subconsciously rubbing your forearm. You wore no sleeves today, and you made no effort to cover your arm up. It was time you faced whatever the Universe had in store for you if you came across your soulmate.

You took a sip of your coffee just as a large horse galloped right into the middle of the square, coming to a stop in front of the Bank. You realised with elation that it was the handsome man from the Inn, his sharp eyes narrowed as he surveyed the place. You quickly lowered your head and pretended to be interested in the newspaper by your cup of coffee, having forgone your cowboy hat today as you knew it would attract unwanted attention. You kept your leather pants, however, and borrowed a sleeveless shirt from the pretty girl behind the bar. She was rather eager to lend it to you after you offered her a soaring kiss, one she certainly wouldn’t forget. When you deemed it safe to look up again, you realised the handsome man was moving on, the redhead having just left the building. Your eyes narrowed, and you watched as a short-haired buff man approached your target, throwing an arm around him and casually walking off with him. You were determined to sit there all day long if it meant catching the outlaws red-handed, but that thought was quickly changed when a motorcar pulled up in front of the Bank, its engine running loudly.

A rather tall man with gorgeous long black hair stepped out, keeping the door open for someone…and your eyes widened. It was the same man from the market, the thief, the one you had chased! Your heart lurched, and your hand shook as you loudly placed your porcelain cup on the small plate, leaning forward in your seat as if that would help you see the two men better. They didn’t seem to exchange any words between each other, just a nod of a head before the long-haired man confidently walked up to the Bank’s entrance, smiling gratuitously as the door was opened for him, the other one sneaking off to the side of the building. Something in your gut told you to get up and go after the shorter one, his outfit almost the same as yesterday except that his vest was missing and an obvious pistol was lodged in his pants against his lower back. You stood and left your unfinished cup of coffee behind, making sure the road was safe as you crossed it in a run, keeping your eyes on the thief. He walked down the narrow alleyway, his gloved fingers tracing the wall before he turned the corner, making you hurry up since you didn’t know what the back of the building hid.

You made sure your steps were light and silent, and you found your fingers tracing the same spots the criminal had too, your cheeks flushing red in embarrassment. You yanked your hands away and let them lay limply by your sides as you pressed up against the building to peek around the corner. The man was smoking, a tobacco dangling from his lips, but you couldn’t see his face since his cowboy hat was pulled down low again. Much like you, he hadn’t bothered hiding his forearm, and you had a burning curiosity to know what the ink said. You flinched as a door you hadn’t noticed was there was thrown open, the hiss of a voice beckoning your target inside. The man chuckled and didn’t bother putting out his tobacco, and you were quick on your feet as the door started shutting quickly behind the man. You managed to wadge your foot inside before it could close, and realising you probably didn’t have much time to act, you flung the door open as you took a deep breath. Almost as if the man sensed he was being followed, he was leaning against a table facing the door, tobacco put out and a smirk on his red lips. You froze, your heart nervously skipping a beat, and the man chuckled.

“You are not as sleek as you think you are, bounty hunter.” You gulped, watching the man as he chuckled under his breath. You felt like you couldn’t speak, too focused on the burning sensation of your arm and the racing of your heart, “Mingi saw you leaving this morning and figured something wasn’t right. You have a pretty pistol, but it screams Sheriff.”

And he was right, Sheriff Jeong had gifted it to you many years ago. It was custom-made and expensive, resembling the one most officers used. You gulped, suddenly not as brave as you used to be. The criminal, however, seemed to have more to say, “We met yesterday too, thanks for not turning me in. Those buns were delicious, by the way. Did you get some for yourself?”

Your jaw clenched, eyes narrowing, “No, because you stole them all.”

The outlaw chuckled, shrugging his shoulders, “What can I say…I have six mouths to feed.”

“Is the food at the Inn not good enough?” You quirked an eyebrow, suddenly realising why he had seemed familiar yesterday. The day you had arrived in town and had gone up to your room, the man leaving the one across from yours had been this man, the outlaw. All this time, he was right under your nose. You felt your heart rate rise in anger, your fists clenching by your sides.

“Meh, I’ve certainly had worse.” The man pushed off the table, fearlessly stalking towards you, “But what’s the fun in following the rules? I love a little chaos.”

“I know.” The words slipped out your mouth before you could catch yourself. Did you know? Something in your gut told you that yes, you did know, you’ve known your whole life.

“You do?” The man raised an eyebrow, stopping a few inches in front of you. Tackling him to the ground would be easy, but your body refused to move just yet, “How come?”

“How do you know I’m a bounty hunter?” You answered his question with a question, your heart racing as you could see the man’s lips pull into an amused smirk. You were itching to see his whole face, your fingers trembled at the thought of knocking his cowboy hat back to see his face. You gulped, waiting for his answer as the man shrugged, tilting his head slightly.

“I’ll call it a hunch, I guess.” And then, you gasped as he jumped forward all of a sudden, pressing you up against the door. You hadn’t expected him to attack you, but you finally snapped out of your frozen state and took action. You yanked your head to the side as his fist came towards your face, slightly thrown off guard that he could so easily punch a woman. Perhaps he saw it on your face because he chuckled, his left hand tightening around your bicep, “My apologies, sugar, did you think I didn’t hit women?”

“My mistake for considering you a gentleman.” You hissed under your breath and took a left swing at his face, which he easily dodged. It felt just like yesterday, with pointless punches thrown at each other with no intention of harming the other. Your body had never acted on its own like this before, and you wondered why it was happening now of all times.

“Never mistake an outlaw for a gentleman, sugar.” The man chuckled as you managed to free your left arm and elbowed him in the neck, the man making a choked-up sound. You shook him off yourself and went to kick his legs out of underneath him, but he managed to avoid your kick even as he clutched at his neck. Your next punch, however, he couldn’t deflect as he was busy getting his breath back, and his head flew to the side, knocking his cowboy hat off. You didn’t wait for him to recover as you got behind him and pushed him, throwing your arm around his neck once he was hunched over, putting him in a headlock. The man’s eyes were wide as he grabbed your arm, his nails digging painfully into your exposed skin. You turned your head, needing to see the face of the man, only to freeze in shock.

“Kim Hongjoong?” Your voice was barely a whisper, but your faces were so close next to each other that he heard you. He chuckled, gulping hard as his eyes fell on your face, a satisfied smirk still on his lips.

“Surprise, sugar, no bounty hunter’s managed to catch me before.” You felt speechless as you felt all of your hard work finally come to fruition. You had Kim Hongjoong in your arms, at your mercy, your pockets full of coins that would last you and the next generation if you spent it wisely once you handed the criminal over to the Sheriff, “Close your mouth before a fly flies inside.”

Your cheeks burned, and you felt your arm lightly soften against his neck, but then you quickly snapped out of it and willed yourself to focus. The man was gorgeous; none of those sketches did his beauty justice. His sharp features weren’t as intimidating as the handsome stranger’s from the Inn—who was part of his outlaw band, now you realised—but his eyes held danger, a promise of pain and unforgiveness. You gulped, tracing his nose and red lips, your eyes lingering on them, and you felt your tongue poking out to wet your own lips. The outlaw, Hongjoong, hummed to himself and touched your cheek with his left hand, making you jump.

“Bank robbery.” You heard him whispering, his eyes glancing down at the forearm exposed to him since you had him in a headlock with your left hand, “Peculiar, isn’t it?”

You gulped nervously, your heart racing even faster as you allowed your eyes to fall onto his own exposed forearm now that his arm was outstretched, his fingers grazing your cheek. Finally catching the outlaw. You gasped and pushed Hongjoong away, a coldness seeping deep into your bones despite the scorching hot air inside the dimly lit room. Hongjoong looked at you apprehensively, watching you as if you were a rabid animal, analysing your features and body language. You didn’t know what to do or how to react; it all felt too much, too overwhelming. Why did you have to be right? Where was Sheriff Jeong to make fun of your fate and tell you it was just a joke all along? Why was Kim Hongjoong your soulmate, and why did your body yearn so desperately for his touch again? It felt hard to breathe as your eyes filled with tears, and you didn’t want to break down, but it suddenly felt like you weren’t so alone anymore.

“Oh, don’t cry, sweetheart.” And when you felt arms around your body, you started crying hard, your body shaking with sobs as your fingers curled into his shirt, squeezing Hongjoong to yourself, “It’s alright, I’m here now.”

“You’re a terrible person.” You managed to get out as you were still crying, blinded by the tears in your eyes as you tried to look at his face, “You steal from people, you hurt others, you’ve killed too, I—and I had to sit through all of that, wondering all this time why was I fated to a man like you. Why is it you, Kim Hongjoong? I was supposed to bring you back to the Sheriff, I was supposed to get rich off of you—I—I’ve been chasing you for so long, it’s unfair!”

Your tears subsided as your anger won over, and you pushed Hongjoong away, staring at him with a glare as his jaw clenched, his eyebrows furrowing, “I’ve been wondering too why I was fated with someone who wanted to catch me, harm me perhaps, hand me over to live a miserable life.”

A deafening silence fell over the two of you as the realisation settled in that Hongjoong might’ve been feeling the same conflicting emotions as you were. Your heart raced in the excitement that you had finally found your soulmate, finally feeling complete, but your brain told you that you could still come out of this victoriously, that you could hand him in and live a life alone…it’s what you were used to after all.

“It’s not too late to walk away,” Hongjoong muttered quietly, caressing the ink on his skin, his gulp loud, “We won’t harm you if you leave us alone, I promise—”

“Are you telling your own soulmate to walk away? To leave you alone after I finally found you?!” Your voice was rising in anger, and Hongjoong flinched, glancing behind you.

“Let’s keep it down or else we’ll be discovered,” He suggested and took a step closer, his eyes analysing your face once again. You gulped when he didn’t stop approaching you and almost flinched when he reached out, his warm fingers grazing your cheek again, “Don’t you hate me?”

“I hate what you are and that you’ve made me chase you for so long that I was forced to be alone for thirty years.” You whispered, eyebrows furrowing as Hongjoong’s fingers traced your eyebrows down to your nose, under your eyes and then your lips, his gulp loud.

“You’re beautiful,” He whispered with a smile, stepping even closer to you, your faces just a breath away, “Come with me, learn my world, let me show you the brighter side of it.”

“That’s not who I am, Hongjoong.”

“No? Then who are you?”

You gulped, letting the question settle in your mind. Who were you? What did you have besides Sheriff Jeong and a house you had forcefully claimed as yours? You were nothing but a lonely woman hunting down criminals because it filled your time and distracted you from the void in your chest, a void that was no longer eating away at your heart.

“Promise you’ll never leave me. Promise you’ll keep me safe,” You gulped, already dreading the sudden twist of your future. Were you doing the right thing right now? Was this the smart choice? “Promise you’ll never hurt Sheriff Jeong.”

“I promise to keep you safe and never leave you, not now that I’ve found you.” Hongjoong chuckled then, cupping your jaw gently as shouts came from behind the door. You tensed, but Hongjoong didn’t seem phased by it, “And I won’t hurt Sheriff Jeong, even though I wonder who that is…”

“Not just you, your whole gang.” Your eyebrows furrowed as Hongjoong traced your bottom lip with his thumb, smirking at himself.

“Okay, fine, no one will hurt the Sheriff.” You hummed, eyes widening when Hongjoong closed the distance and pressed his warm lips against yours, tasting like the homemade meal your mother used to make that you loved so much. Hongjoong felt like home, like coming home after a long day and falling into your bed, knowing it always had your back, always would be there for you. These comparisons felt silly as you kissed him back, fingers tangling in his black hair, but they were everything you’d always wished for.

A sudden explosion outside made you yelp, and Hongjoong smirked, letting go of you to grab his cowboy hat, extending his hand for you to take, “Well, that’s our cue, sweetheart. We better get going before the Sheriffs get here.”

You knew Sheriff Jeong would hate you for an eternity for accepting the outlaw’s extended hand, but there was nothing you could do when your soulmate was grinning at you with mischief and wickedness in his eyes, so confident and proud as your fingers intertwined.

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sungbeam · 12 days ago

Text

BIRDS OF PREY — seventeen

nonidol!kim hongjoong x f!reader

living in gray areas of your city, out of the way of gangs and mafia territories, could only keep you safe for so long. it was only a matter of time before you began running into problems, or rather, problems began running into you.

▷ genre, warnings. nc-17, strangers 2 lovers, slow burn, mafia au, angst; swearing, violence, mentions of bombs and explosions, mentions of death and dead bodies, dislocated shoulder, concussion, allusions to torture methods, allusions to murder, mentions of blood, pretty much kidnapping, mentions of breaking and entering, there's a thing where hj alludes to scooping out someone's eyeball (no descriptions of this whatsoever), losing consciousness (x2), bloody nose smoke inhalation; PLEASE lmk if i missed anything

▷ HEY, READ ME: there are two scenes that could particularly be shocking to readers, and they involve choking to the point of passing out and a brief torture scene where a bone is shattered. the scene itself doesn't describe things in too much detail and it 'fades to black', implying something worse and letting the reader fill in the blank themselves; but please be warned if u get squeamish w these types of things!! you are responsible for what you consume here.

▷ word count. 7.3k (i indulged a bit)

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a/n: the things i would do if i could turn this into a tv show... i have a vision, guys

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER

IF YOU WERE DEAD, this was definitely Hell.

When you came to, all you felt was the heat—in your thick, winter coat, it swarmed you like a bird being roasted alive, stifling, suffocating. Every inch of your skin felt damp, or mildly burned; you couldn't tell. Then came the ringing, drilling into your head through the soft tissue of your ears, the sharp sound intensifying as you tried to lift your head and clock your immediate surroundings.

You winced as your eyes fluttered open, attempting to squint through the smoky haze. The sting of ash clung to your tear ducts, making you weep. Fire was the only source of light for you to see the amount of destruction around you. There were limp bodies about, some moving, others stiff as the dead.

Where were you, you wondered, your brain stuffed with cotton and the ringing incessant. You couldn't think, couldn't move, couldn't—

“Oh—my god,” you swore under your breath, body crumpling back to the floor.

Pain seared through your right arm, crashing through as a tsunami wave born out of the depths of the ocean. You lost your breath for an entire moment as you fell onto your back, left hand grabbing your right with a delicate hold.

You couldn't move your right shoulder, but you could feel everything.

Out of its socket? Yeah, out of its socket.

You were no longer in the train car, you realized, as you stared straight up. Instead of steel and broken LED panels, you were met with a dark, cavernous tunnel.

Everything was slowly coming back to you. It seemed that when the last bomb exploded, it must have flung you out of the train car—right? Those were bombs, right? How long had you been unconscious for, anyway?

Carefully, you rolled onto your good side. Your breathing became ragged as you exerted the rest of your energy to push yourself into an upright position, knees digging into the hard stone beneath the train tracks. You let out a groan as your right arm dangled precariously at your side, the pain pulsing like a beating heart.

Did anyone know where you were? Blood rushed to your head too fast for you to think through. You couldn't find your phone, your bag, your—

Amongst the roaring crackle of fire, you could've sworn you heard the crunching of gravel beneath shoes. A low murmur—a voice—pushed through and you braced your left hand against the ground in an attempt to focus on it.

Muttering still… you couldn't hear them clearly.

“Help!” you decided to scream, your voice a measly scratching sound, rough from the amount of smoke in this tunnel. “We're over here!”

The sounds of movement grew louder, closer.

Your eyes scanned your immediate surroundings, snagging on a familiar bag just several feet in front of you. With a slow crawl, you made your way over to the bag and hovered over it to dig around in its innards.

Without a phone, there was one last way to notify someone aboveground.

“There you are.”

Your head bolted upward and blood thundered through your head. Why was that voice familiar? A wave of nausea nearly knocked you over and the goddamn ringing made you seize up. Too fast, ouch.

Vision darkening at the edges, you saw the dark shine of boots moving toward you. A man. Someone you could not identify at the moment, and he was coming right for you.

Panic suffocated you like the acrid smoke in this room, and not even adrenaline could clear your head.

Runrunrun—you needed to run.

You didn't know his intentions, but he knew you somehow, and every alarm bell in your head was going off. (Or was that your ears ringing again?) Something bad was going to happen if he reached you, and you couldn't find this fucking lipstick—

He was closer now, close enough that you could see his face. He did seem oddly familiar, so remarkably unremarkable; his walk, his stature… it didn't matter if he was lean rather than built, he could still crush your throat beneath his boot like you were a fly.

You fell back onto your side with a grimace, wriggling backwards—you needed to run. But you couldn't get up. Why did everything hurt so goddamn badly?

Your teeth bit into your bottom lip hard enough to taste iron. Keep moving, you screamed inwardly, despite the pain in your right shoulder screaming at you. You had to keep moving.

“Don't,” you croaked uselessly to the man. “Please don't.” Whatever you do…

Something viscous seeped out of your nose, and when it dribbled onto your lip, it tasted like metal. Black dots danced in your vision; you wouldn't have much time left conscious.

He kept coming closer, each step painstakingly slow as if taunting you. You can't get away—step. But it's fun to see you try.

Your fingers enclosed around the slim tube of lipstick just as all the fight flew out of you. Your back landed against the hard floor of the tunnel, breathing haggard. Something wet streamed down the side of your cheek, and your eyes began to flutter closed.

The throbbing in your shoulder beat in time with the blood pounding in your eardrums. As your last dregs of consciousness bled out, your sight filled with the blurred face of the man.

What Hell would you wake up in next?

Shin Ryujin had seen the news on social media. Footage and clips taken by bystanders who were mainly above ground flooded the web: the streets crumbling, telephone poles toppling over, the ear-shattering sounds of explosions. She immediately got off the train after seeing those few clips, opting to take the remainder of her commute home on the bus.

For a moment, her mind flickered to you. You worked near that area, but—

“Right, day off,” she murmured to herself, relief making her shoulders droop. Maybe it was selfish to feel so much better knowing that her closest friend was alright. You were probably at home working on your assignments or napping.

Still, she grabbed the link for one of the news articles and took it to her text messages with you. Her eyes flitted from her phone screen to the bus line, as she filed onto the vehicle. But when she opened up the text channel, she paused.

There were two messages recently exchanged between her phone and yours:

ryujin's phone: heyyy would u happen to be home or on ur way home? i just realized i forgot my keys and the landlord isn't picking up 😅 ynie 💖: i'm omw!! just sit tight

She had never sent that first text to you, nor had she received or seen the text you sent her afterward. The timestamp marked the exchange from about thirty minutes ago, and Ryujin rummaged through her purse to check that she did have her keys with her.

When she fished her apartment key out, she squinted down at the texts for longer. What in the world was going on? She didn't recall sending or seeing either of these, but why would someone hack into her phone to send that message?

And where were you returning home from?

She shot you a quick text: Idk who sent you that message from before, but are you home? Call me when you get this.

“Next stop: 14th Street.”

Ryujin gripped the handle above her head, her free hand reaching over to pull the cord near the window. She resisted the urge to begin tapping her foot against the floor like a rabbit—how much longer? This had to be the most drawn-out five minutes of her life.

When the bus pulled up along the curb at 14th Street, Ryujin hopped off with a hasty goodbye wave to the bus driver. With little time to lose and a lot of anxiety left to burn, she made her way down the couple blocks toward the apartment.

You still hadn't called her back or read her message by the time she arrived on the third floor.

Ryujin had her eyes practically glued to her phone screen as she approached the apartment door. She extended her hand forward to insert the key into the lock, only for the door to give way and drift open. Voices inside suddenly came to an abrupt stop—she froze.

There were people in her apartment, people she both recognized and didn’t recognize.

“Ryujin, it’s not what it looks like,” said Chan with his palms up in front of him. Beside him stood Yeji, and on the other side of the kitchen counter were three other men, whom Ryujin had never seen before. Around the five of them, her and your apartment laid in absolute ruin. The couch and tables had been overturned, the doors to both of your rooms were thrown open, lamps and mugs were shattered on the floor.

“What it looks like, Chan, is that you broke into my apartment!” Her hand switched to her phone dial, raising it up with a tremble in her fingers as if it were her own weapon. She was digging in her bag for her pepper spray. “What the fuck are you doing here? I—I’m gonna call the police if you don’t get out—”

Yeji stepped forward with her hands outstretched. “Hon,” she said softly, “we just got here, swear to God. We swung by to make sure you were okay, but when we got here, the door was unlocked and the place looked like this.”

“And you three?” Ryujin aimed her pepper spray nozzle in the direction of the other three, all of whom took a generous step back when they found themselves on the other end of her wrath. “Did you trash my apartment?”

“No, ma’am,” one of them was quick to say. He was hugging the screen of his laptop to his chest like a comfort item, his wide eyes taking in the amount of crazed alarm radiating off her. “We got here just after they did.”

“Why are you here then? Who are you?”

“We’re looking for Yn,” said the one with red hair, narrowed eyes glancing between Ryujin and the apartment key dangling from her pinky finger. There was a deadly gleam in his expression, a tightness in his jaw; Ryujin couldn’t decide if her increased heart rate was out of fear or frustration. “You have your apartment key.” It was less of a question and more of a statement, a fact he was confirming.

She curled her lip back. “Of course I have my apartment key. Why wouldn’t—” The realization snapped into place. “The text…”

The red-haired man nodded with his lips pressed together. “Yn was with me when she received a text from you that you had lost your apartment key. That’s why she left to come here.”

Ryujin stepped backward, nearly tripping over her own shoes as she leaned back against the door jamb. Yeji scurried forward to offer her an elbow to hold onto, and Ryujin pressed the back of her hand against her temple where a headache was slowly coming on. There were too many questions running through her mind to sort through, and… she was so fucking confused.

“Where’s Yn? You said she was coming here to meet me.” Did you run into whoever hacked into her phone? Was this partly her fault? Where were you?

Yeji placed a warm hand on Ryujin’s shoulder, her brows creased together in an ill-concealed wince. “We don’t know, but” —her gaze lifted up to the others in the room— “she might have been on the train.”

Ryujin slapped a hand over her mouth as her fingers went numb. Nonononono—

“You didn’t send her that text then?” the same man asked.

She shook her head. “Definitely not. I saw it on my way home and asked her to call me when she could, but she hasn’t read my message or replied.” All of that relief and false hope from earlier, where was it now? This couldn’t be real; things like this didn’t happen to people in the gray area. Not you, not her, not anyone either of you knew.

Ryujin lifted her eyes back up to the three men whose identities had yet to be disclosed. “You didn't answer my question earlier: who are you?”

“My name is Kim Hongjoong,” he said, “and this is Wooyoung and Seonghwa. We work with Yn.”

“Like—coworkers?”

Yeji's hand wrapped around Ryujin's arm to nudge her to the outer hallway. “Let's talk out here, okay? There are some things I need to explain.”

Ryujin's head went on a swivel between Yeji and the other men in her apartment, but allowed the former to lead her out. “But we need to find her,” she said, her throat closing up. “What if she's not okay?”

As the door closed, the four men could hear the hushed whispers of Yeji attempting to calm Ryujin down. It was only natural that she would feel overwhelmed, scared, and even panicked at this moment; Hongjoong could certainly relate.

While Kim Hongjoong never admitted to being worried, concerned, or anxious, there were always signs.

The members of Ateez whipped their attention back to the heir to the Gold Village. There was business from before that needed to be resumed. From the back of his waistband, Seonghwa withdrew his pistol and leveled it in Chan's face from across the island.

“Alright,” Hongjoong drawled, leaning back against the stove and folding his arms over his chest, “you were saying?”

Chan lifted his palms again, this time, to placate the Boss who looked about five seconds away from giving the command to blow his head off. “It’s just as Yeji said: we came by to make sure Ryujin was okay.”

“And why would you think she wasn't?” Seonghwa asked as he cocked his head to the side.

Wooyoung set his laptop back onto the kitchen island to continue his work. When the Captain had summoned him and Seonghwa, Wooyoung had already begun to pour over the CCTV footage around the Hala Town train station and the station on 12th. His program was currently zipping through every frame of video in search of you or anyone else of interest. There were moments when Wooyoung was outwardly nervous, but with your life on the line, all he could feel was cool adrenaline powering him forward.

He couldn't imagine what Hongjoong was feeling right now.

“Yeji received a text message claiming to be Yn that asked her if she'd heard from Ryujin,” Chan explained. He pointed a finger in the direction of the door. “I can prove it to you; it's on Yeji's phone. But when Yeji wanted to follow up, Yn only texted to meet at their apartment as soon as possible.”

“And the apartment was like this when you got here?”

Chan nodded. “Yes.”

Hongjoong could feel the fear in his chest building. It was all covered up by cold rage on the surface, his face a mask of blank steel. He wanted to hurt someone—he was going to hurt someone, soon. As long as he could feel anything other than useless… or whatever his heart did when he thought of you and your state of being at this moment.

(What use was power and authority if he couldn't even use it to find you, to help you?)

He inclined his chin to Wooyoung. “Give him Yeji's number and he'll check it out.”

The sounds of hurried clacking filled the room as Wooyoung corroborated Chan's statement. The commander pushed out a weighted breath, shaking his head. “He's telling the truth, Cap'n,” he said, glancing over at Hongjoong.

“Can you track the IP address the texts came from?”

“Already on it, Boss.”

Hongjoong gave a solemn nod, then returned his gaze to the heir. There was a part of him that wanted to pin some sort of blame on Chan, to pin the blame on anyone—anything that could make the hole in his chest dissipate. But he knew that could only be fulfilled when he was sure about you.

Chan swallowed, keeping his head held high. “I never thought to hurt her, Kim, you know that.”

“Didn't you stalk her for 'reconnaissance’?” Seonghwa cut in with a scowl. “Show up at her work place, manipulate her roommate into introducing you, all to get to the Captain?”

Hongjoong didn't have a problem with Seonghwa speaking for him; he feared what he might say if he did speak. It was still so strange to him how at least two others outside the Ateez network knew who you were to him: Bang Chan and the Wings Express assassin, Q. It didn't help him sleep better at night, that was for sure.

A small scoff erupted from where Wooyoung was standing, and the man lifted his gaze momentarily to send Chan a snarl.

“I believe you didn't do this,” Hongjoong said at last, his stare nor his posture easing up. “Because if I did have even an inkling that you were involved, you wouldn't still be standin’ there.”

“And I believe that.”

Wooyoung loosened a swear from his lips. “Shit—you need to see this.”

Seonghwa and Chan maintained their positions, and Hongjoong was the only one to move. He slipped in beside Wooyoung, leaning over to peer down at the computer screen.

This security camera was angled to capture everyone ascending and descending the first set of stairs at Hala Town station. It was a crowded set of stairs, but there was a very familiar figure that slipped into the crowd and strolled out onto the equally busy street. Hongjoong could recognize his copycat anywhere, with his hat, cane, and audacity.

There was the flame of ire in his stomach again. It burned his insides, scalded him. His blood boiled beneath the surface of his skin.

“Where did he go next?” Hongjoong asked, bracing his hands against the counter.

Wooyoung skipped through frame by frame, hopped from camera to camera, but came up empty. After that one glimpse, the imposter Captain seemed to disappear completely. At least this confirmed two things: the imposter is neither Mr. Young nor Jung Joonseo, and he wanted to be seen. It was another goddamn taunt.

Hongjoong folded his arms over his chest again. When he finally met this son of a bitch face to face…

“There was no way he could have gotten here in time to turn Yn's apartment upside down,” Wooyoung muttered, throwing a hand up in frustration. “Were they looking for something?”

“No,” Hongjoong said, shaking his head, “there was nothing here to look for.” He knew it as confidently as he knew his own name—it was all just a fucking game.

Strictland didn't need to steal anything or grab Ryujin to make their point; they orchestrated the phone hacking pandemonium and knew where you and Ryujin lived. They were watching them, all of them, and they knew which pressure points would hurt most, even those that were lesser known.

The sound of a phone ringtone cut through the room. Hongjoong shucked his phone from out of his pocket and pressed it against his ear. He had been expecting a call from Yunho and Jongho; they had gone straight to Hala Town station where their inside men on the police force would let them get past the tape.

“Give me some good news, Yunho.”

From the other side of the phone came the sounds of crunching gravel and echoed voices, then an audible wince. “It's good news and bad news, Captain.”

Hongjoong braced his hand back against the countertop. “Well?”

“The bad news” —an exhale, more steps— “is that we found Yn's phone, but not Yn.”

The Captain pinched the place between his eyes, inwardly trying to keep the tidal wave at bay. “There's good news?”

“Her bag's missing along with her. It has to be a sign that she's still alive, otherwise, what's the point of lugging around… y'know…”

A dead body and its cargo. Right. “Thanks, both of you. Rendezvous at headquarters.”

“Aye, aye.”

Hongjoong caught the hesitation in Yunho's breath, the beat before he pressed the button to end the call. “Is there something else?”

“Noth—nothing on your end?” The question was almost whispered with how low he spoke. There was an unmistakable softness, a sympathy to it. Though Hongjoong was his leader and boss, they were still friends, brothers.

Hongjoong stared past Bang Chan, past Seonghwa with a gun, and at your apartment in ruins. There was no sign of you anywhere in these rooms, and no word from you since you left the Shipwreck.

He wanted to hit something. “No,” he said, then hung up.

Headquarters was suffocating. The top brass of the Ateez mafia family was stressed about something, to say the least. It only made all the rest on-edge. When the bombs went off beneath Hala Town station, it was clear that this would be another day with all hands on deck.

The Captain stormed in through the front door in coat and hat, not even bothering to let his cane touch the ground between steps. Like nature, the sound of “Captain on deck,” followed by spines snapping straight and boots stomping into place, resounded throughout the building. His second in command and his other commanders followed after him, one by one breaking off to disperse orders to their respective men.

Only Hongjoong and Seonghwa remained attached and the two of them took the elevator at the far end of the warehouse not up to the Crow's Nest, but down into the brig.

Seonghwa stood with his hands clasped in front of him. “Do you want me in there?”

“No.”

The second released a breath from his lips. Good luck, Jung.

As the elevator touched down into the depths of the Ateez's operations, Hongjoong stepped out of the carriage alone. The hallway leading to the holding cells down here was shadowed and dim, boasting only a limited amount of lighting because, well, prisoners didn't need to see shit.

Hongjoong was only a few steps away when he called out to his right-hand. “Find out who's been selling C4 in the city. I need names.”

“Consider it done,” Seonghwa replied as the elevator doors closed.

And then there was one.

The door at the end of the hallway was made of rusted iron. It locked from the outside, opened with a key, and kept in sound incredibly well.

Just outside the door were several hooks attached to the wall. Hongjoong slowly began disassembling his uniform, lifting the hat off his head, slipping the coat from his shoulders. He tugged the bandana from around the lower half of his face, but kept the gloves on and tightened his grip around the neck of his cane.

His heart hadn't been this steady, this calm in hours—before he feared you were gone, before he heard about the explosions, before he thought about kissing you, and your lips seared against his cheek.

If he stopped for even a moment too long, that was all he thought about.

Hongjoong hauled the cell door open and was greeted by the stench of human fear and pain. This room in particular was used for the special methods employed by members of the family to coax information out of prisoners. It had been several months since he had visited these chambers, only because there had been other things occupying him. Yunho and Seonghwa, as well as the others, frequented the brig more, though.

While Hongjoong would like to sit in during interrogations when he could, rarely did he ever get his own hands dirty. It was partly because there was no need to when his commanders could do it themselves; but also, he only got involved when there was something he really wanted.

He had surefire ways to get things out of people.

The lightbulb in the room shuttered on with a dull clink sound. A body was strapped to a chair in the middle of the room, clean and dry from the last time he was transferred here from his individual cell. Between sessions, prisoners were attended to just enough to keep them alive.

Hongjoong heard Joonseo's breath hitch at the sound of the lightbulb, and the corner of his mouth curved upward.

As he nudged the door shut, he began slowly rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, taking his time. It'd be a shame to get blood on the white fabric.

“It's a Pavlovian response,” he voiced into the quiet. “The sound of the lightbulb turning on—it means we're about to begin.”

Hongjoong passed his prisoner a cursory glance as he inspected the tools hanging on the far wall, the array of serums and toxins sitting idly on the shelf. He never needed to use these; he had two hands and a cane. But they were always nice to look at.

“Your body knows exactly what's about to happen. The bulb elicits a physical response: sweating, increased heart rate, the like.” He stepped back in the direction of Joonseo, marking the bandages wrapped around each of his fingers, the nails undoubtedly torn from their beds beneath. “You know where we learned that tactic from? Your good friend, Lee Yunseok.”

When he was stationed before Joonseo, he leaned over his cane to be eye-level with him. There was light bruising on his face, likely because most of the injuries he endured were below the collar.

Hongjoong's eyes dragged over the man's features with a clinical coldness, noting the way his mouth wobbled and his breath shook. He wondered if you were in a similar state, wherever they had taken you. “Do you know why you're still alive right now?”

“I've given you everything I know.”

“And we're checking all of it,” he replied with raised brows. He straightened up from the cane, taking a step back. “But you know, for a shrewd, scheming con man, I would have thought you would be a better liar.”

Hongjoong slid his hands to the bottom of his cane, cranked it back, and swung.

When the metal crow's head of the cane met the hard bone of Jung Joonseo's shin, it released a sound so loud from Joonseo's throat that Hongjoong couldn't even hear the bone shatter.

Oh, the sweet sound of suffering. Hongjoong didn't do this often, but there was a reason why.

Joonseo keeled over, his chest rising and falling in rapid pants. A whimper crawled out of his throat as something damp trickled down his cheeks and onto the cement floor below.

Hongjoong inspected the head of his cane to ensure it wasn't broken or deformed. When he was satisfied, he grabbed a fistful of hair from the back of Joonseo's head and hauled it up. The man's face was contorted in agony, eyes squinted shut from seeing the gleam in Hongjoong's eyes and the blinding burn of the lightbulb overhead.

“What were you saying about giving us everything?” Hongjoong smiled, saccharine sweet.

He lazily drew the curved beak of the crow's head through Joonseo's tears. The man stiffened beneath the change in position, his neck angled over the back of the chair, Hongjoong leaning over him and forcing him back.

“I don't—I don't know what more you want,” Joonseo rasped, his voice mostly harsh breathing at this point.

An unsatisfied deadpan came to Hongjoong's face. “Who is Kyungmin?”

“I told your man—”

“It led us nowhere, Joonseo-ah.” Hongjoong tapped the beak between the center of Joonseo's eyes, making him flinch. One could see the dread slowly dawning in Joonseo's pupils. Or maybe that was panic. “That IP address? That physical location? Poof! Nothing there.”

If possible, the man beneath him trembled even more. “That—that can't be. He must have changed servers or hidden it somehow.”

Hongjoong tutted. “Uh-huh, I have very good people looking into all of that. But what I'm wondering is how much this Kyungmin means to you if you've gone this far lying for him?”

“I haven't lied!”

“That's cute,” Hongjoong chuckled. “Did Kyungmin shoot Mr. Young in front of you? Is that why you're covering up for him like a loser?”

Joonseo shuddered, but he did not answer further.

Hongjoong released a sigh from his lips and outlined the shape of Joonseo's eye with the point of the crow's beak. “I will get it out of you,” he promised, “it's just a matter of how quickly you break.”

“I swear—there’s nothing else I could tell you about where he might be.”

There—that hitch in Joonseo's voice, the slight wavering. Hongjoong knew a tell when he heard one. It only confirmed for him that he was suspecting correctly, that Joonseo still knew more.

And what he knew could lead Hongjoong to you. Anything was game now.

Hongjoong removed his fist from Joonseo's hair, but swiftly applied force over his face, pinning him down backward, his neck still craned at that painful, awkward angle. With his elbow and forearm being used as an anchor, his gloved fingers pried open Joonseo's left eye.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what plans he had. Joonseo figured it out fast enough and began to thrash as much as he could.

“Did you know that crows are carrion feeders?” Hongjoong mused airily. The beak of the crow's head ghosted over the outline of Joonseo's eye, the organ flicking back and forth wildly, panicked. “They’ll eat the rotting flesh off human bones and pluck the eyes out of their sockets.”

The begging started then. The violent jerking paired with pathetic pleading. Hongjoong almost couldn't hold the man down… almost.

“Tell me where my bird is, and this one won't take your eye.”

“What do you have for me?” Hongjoong pressed his phone between his shoulder and cheek, eyes watching the dark red intertwine with the rush of water, disappearing down the sink. The sink faucet was a small, stainless steel application installed just outside the interrogation room across from the hooks. His cane hung under his arm, the metal crow head perspiring after being washed from thorough use.

The crow had its fill tonight.

Hongjoong grabbed a paper towel to pat his leather gloves dry, absentmindedly rubbing at a reddish-brown stain on his sleeve.

“We've got two names” —Seonghwa’s voice carried through the call as the captain took the phone out to hold with his hand— “Cho Namyoon and Bae Jinki. I'm with Cho now, and Yunho's with Bae.”

He picked up his hat from the wall hook and slid it on, head bowing in the darkness. Those names did sound familiar, but only one of them was more closely associated with this part of town than the other. “Tell Yunho to drop Bae Jinki. Ask Cho Namyoon where he made the C4 drop exchange.”

He heard murmuring from the other side of the call, the exchange audible if he deigned to hear it. One of the voices was low, calm—Seonghwa undoubtedly—while the other was high-pitched and frazzled. Definitely Namyoon.

“He says it was in the parking lot of the shopping center on Paradigm Avenue.”

“Paradigm, huh,” Hongjoong muttered to himself. He straightened out his sleeve, rolling his wrist. None of the places Joonseo mentioned were anywhere near Paradigm, but at this point, Hongjoong was certain Joonseo was never the true mastermind behind all of this. “We'll need to pull the Strictland files again and go through them for any properties near that area.”

He could've sworn he'd seen some mention of Paradigm somewhere…

“Aye, Captain. Did you get what you were looking for?”

Hongjoong didn't spare the cell behind him a glance as he shouldered his coat and made his way toward the elevator, cane tapping against the concrete. The sound was steady and constant, a haunting metronome. “Some,” he hummed. “I’ll catch you up when you all get back. I need to go call down a medic to tend to our guest.”

A low chuckle from the other side. “I'm sure they have their work cut out for them.”

“They certainly do.” As the elevator doors closed in front of him, sealing him away from the bleeding and unconscious body down the hall, Hongjoong ended the call.

He slumped against the back wall of the elevator, leaning his cane against his thigh while he lifted his hat just enough to card his hand through his hair. How monstrous was he to enjoy doing something so sick? He wondered how he got to this point of desperation. Months ago, the only people who could ever coax this kind of response from him was his inner circle.

Well, he supposed that included you now, too. For those couple of hours he was in the room, he didn't have to think about what horrors you were facing—or the fact that he blamed himself. (He should have insisted he drove you home. Why didn't he reach out and stop you? That damn kiss… it still branded his cheek, the place your lips had been. It was so fleeting, just a taste, and he wanted more and more.)

The elevator arrived on the ground floor with an anticlimactic thump. As the elevator doors rolled open, Hongjoong fitted his hat over his head to shade his eyes from the blinding lights above.

He caught sight of a familiar man standing nearby speaking to one of the other soldiers. “Doctor Shim, just the man I was looking for.”

The doctor raised his head immediately in acknowledgment.

“Your next patient awaits,” Hongjoong said, gesturing to the elevator.

“Aye, Captain,” he replied promptly. He bowed at the waist and headed straight for the elevator. He knew well enough that he needed to be swift if he wanted the man in the brig to see another session.

Hongjoong glanced at him over his shoulder. “I apologize in advance for all the blood.” If he had time to mop, he would, but there were too many things that needed to be done.

He was just about to make his way across the floor when his phone buzzed in his coat pocket once again. “Talk to me,” he answered, pressing the device up to his ear and striding down the main walkway.

As he went, the customary greeting erupted like falling dominoes, in time with the calls to attention.

“We have a problem,” said Seonghwa.

“Captain! Is the Captain here—”

Hongjoong raised his head to track down the origin of the voice. It was female and familiar, certainly in distress, as well. “Hold that thought, Hwa.”

With all of the soldiers at attention, it wasn't too difficult to spot the outliers. At the opposite end of the warehouse, two figures could be seen barreling in through the door with haste. Wooyoung was on a young woman's tail, both of their faces some shade of grim.

“I don't think this should wait, Joong. Namyoon just said that Strictland bought a fuck ton of C4 recently—”

“Captain, we need to talk,” said Wooyoung as he neared. There was no impish twinkle in his eyes, only a rare sort of storminess.

Hongjoong's head spun as he was caught between two different conversations. He cocked his head at the woman, the name falling from his tongue. “Sakura, right?”

“Aye,” she nodded. Her eyes darted around them, fingers twiddling in front of her. She swallowed, and said, “We need to speak with you. Now… uhm, please.”

He glanced at Wooyoung, who only pressed the corners of his mouth into his cheeks, a firm line. Now.

“Come with me—at ease!” Two fingers curling, beckoning them to follow him to the elevator. “What do you mean they bought a lot, Hwa? Wasn't that what the train explosion proved?”

He jammed his thumb against the elevator button to call the carriage, his pulse gradually increasing as the time ticked onward.

“He said the amount needed to pull that number on the metro line was only about half of the quantity they purchased” —the elevator doors opened; about damn time— “there's more out there.”

“Christ,” Hongjoong muttered under his breath as the elevator doors closed behind him, Sakura, and Wooyoung. A muscle flexed in his jaw. What was the point of even more C4? Was the plan to raze the whole fucking city? “I need to think,” he huffed, dragging a hand down his face.

A cough from beside him: “Uh, hyung.” Wooyoung pointed at the phone in Hongjoong's hand, then made a slicing hand motion across his throat. 'Mute yourself,’ he mouthed.

Hongjoong's brows creased, but he pressed the corresponding button.

“I didn't know if he was with Seonghwa hyung or not,” the commander explained. Just as the elevator landed on the Crow's Nest level, Wooyoung continued, “Did you know we have a mole problem? Sakura came to me an hour ago; she knows who it is.”

Every cell in Hongjoong's body skidded to a halt. “Who?”

Sakura made a hand motion, vigorously waving her two superiors into the privacy of the office. There was a jitteriness about her, but Hongjoong had seen some of her work before, and she already worked with you recently. Jittery or not, he was sure he could put some level of trust in her intel.

As soon as the office door closed, she asked, “Do we know where Yang Jungwon is?”

Your conscience awoke to the sounds of a news broadcast. For one fleeting, delusional moment, you believed that you were home and Ryujin was watching TV again in the next room; everything was just as it should be, and you would head out to the Shipwreck later to see Joong and the rest of the crew.

But then reality, the rip current of our living nightmare, yanked you back. The past twelve hours all came crashing down on you at once.

“‘—will keep you, the viewer, updated as more information comes to light. As always, this has been Lee Seokmin, at your service.’ That was a statement made by Teleparty News anchorman, Lee Seokmin earlier today after the tragic—”

Your body ached against the hard floor you laid on. There was an unbearable throbbing sensation coming from your right arm, and any attempt to even move it was followed by a sharp pain piercing through your shoulder.

What the fuck happened? Where were you?

“Oh, you're awake.”

Your body stilled like the dead.

“No point in trying to pretend.” The voice had gotten closer, and you reluctantly let your eyes flutter open. There wasn't much light in this room, but there was one lamp that emitted a warm amber glow, a far cry from the cold of the floor you were dumped on. Your eyes still blinked rapidly to adjust, and you winced—the throbbing wasn't just in your arm but in your head.

A small chuckle, followed by easy footsteps. Wood… were you on hardwood? One of the floorboards creaked as he continued to step toward you. “You weren't out for as long as I thought you would be, but I guess that's a good thing. I was starting to get bored.”

You wracked your brain for the identity of that voice. It haunted you as you wrestled down a whimper of pain. Dislocated shoulder, wasn't it? And now a goddamn concussion.

Someone leaned over you and filled your entire field of vision.

The name Kyungmin popped into your head as the man smiled. He tilted his head, lifting his hand toward your face.

You jerked away, hissing as that pain erupted violently in two places. “Don't touch me,” you managed to snarl like the wounded animal you were. Helpless, broken, alone.

You didn't even register the sound of clinking metal when you moved so suddenly.

“You had an eyelash on your cheek, but have it your way,” he said airily.

This man… he was so different from the quiet boy at the meeting. Who replaced him with this bastard? Or perhaps, you'd been stupid enough to fall for the charade he put on.

“What do you want from me?” you asked, watching as he stood up and wandered back toward the couch he was seated on before. That was when you clocked the big, burly man stationed in the corner of the room, eyes never leaving your form. There was not a trace of sympathy in those eyes; you were merely a prisoner, a charge. At his feet, however… your bag was slumped on the floor. That was where Aurora was.

How could you get to her?

Kyungmin settled himself on the arm of the couch nearest to you as he muted the television. “They keep replaying all the broadcasts that Lee Seokmin guy hosted. He's so… annoying. Like a little fly in your ear. Can't they obsess over someone else?”

What? You gritted your teeth. “Who cares?” And Lee Seokmin was nice, unlike this son of a—

“Just making small talk, I guess,” he said with a shrug. “Do you know why you're here?”

He was messing with you, right? He had to be.

At your silence and the undeniable look on your face, Kyungmin huffed another laugh. “You're right; you did just ask me that, huh?”

This guy had to have grown up a loner, a pathetic loser who perpetually only had himself to talk to. That had to be it.

Kyungmin slid off the furniture and stalked over to where you were again, squatting down to lean over you like you were nothing but a cadaver in the bay: interesting, but not significant enough for him to care about. “You're here because your Captain” —he spat out the word as if it were nothing but the scum under his boot— “killed my father and took my empire. So I'm going to destroy everything he treasures without ever having to touch him.”

Great, you thought, even as fear bullied its way through your veins, making your heart rate kick up. We have a supervillain wannabe on our hands.

Wait, did he just say Hongjoong killed his father and took his empire..? But that would make him... Fuck.

When you remained silent, Kyungmin's expression flattened. “You don't believe me?”

“You're so sure that kidnapping me and holding me here will help you reach your goal—of course, I don't believe you.” You forced the tremor out of your voice, hoping you at least sounded somewhat confident. If you were going to die here, you might as well go down wounding this punk's pride. “You're just as cowardly as your father. I hope Kim Hongjoong delivers you that same fate.”

You nearly missed it. There was a flash of something sinister across his unremarkable face, red in his eyes. A bolt of fear zipped down your spine, but that expression was gone just as fast as it came.

Kyungmin rose back onto his feet. He didn't say anything more to you as he turned back toward the couch, but he began to hum something under his breath.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.

We pillage plunder, we rifle and loot;

Drink up me hearties, yo ho…

Your pulse had only just calmed when Kyungmin raised a hand at the guard in the corner. “Knock her out. Make it hurt.”

Everything in you screamed.

The big man didn't so much as nod before stalking toward you, slow and unhurried. You chanted swears in your head, eyes widened like a doe in headlights, left arm pushing up to scramble backwards—

Ca-schink!

Your eyes darted down at the iron cuff around your left ankle, attached to a link of chain not even a foot long, hooked to a square of metal in the floor. Your heart dropped into your stomach, body falling against the floor in a pathetic sound as your right arm crumpled beneath you.

You could only grimace at the pain, your head shaking vigorously. Pleasepleasepleaseplease. The man stepped over you and wrapped his meaty hands around your throat, and no thought besides RUN blared through your head.

As you scratched and clawed at his hands with your one good arm, he stared at you with dead eyes.

You could feel the heaviness in your limbs as you were slowly, torturously deprived of oxygen. The fight in your legs went first… then your left arm.

Tears sprung from your eyes. You couldn't even blubber out a prayer.

As black spots danced in your vision for the second time, you were dragged into unconsciousness to that accursed tune.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.

a/n: pls reblog if u enjoyed !! :'))

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edenesth · 2 years ago

Text

The Captain's Favourite

Pairing: captain!Hongjoong x doctor!reader

Word Count: 1.1k

ATEEZ Masterlist

Struggling to steady your laboured breath, you pressed a trembling hand against the stab wound beneath your chest. Blinking rapidly, you attempted to regain clarity in your vision. From what you could discern, it seemed like the injury might not involve a vital organ, offering a glimmer of reassurance.

However, the stark reality hit hard – you were the sole medical professional on board.

You were always the one attending to the health of your fellow crewmates and never the one in need of medical attention. That all changed abruptly during the unexpected ambush launched by a rival pirate crew.

They strategically targeted a crucial member of the crew before escalating the assault further. The rationale was clear – if the ship's only medical personnel was incapacitated, who would attend to the wounded? Save for the captain, you were the next most important person on the vessel.

But the enemy was also aware you were so much more than just a doctor, "There she is, Captain Hongjoong's favourite. Get her," were the chilling words that you heard before feeling the sharp pain of a dagger piercing your abdomen.

The duration of the battle became a haze, with moments of consciousness slipping in and out as you observed, through blurred vision, your crewmates fighting back fiercely to defend your ship and all the treasures within.

The fight finally ended when your captain impaled the rival leader directly in the heart. Hongjoong, visibly exhausted, let out a weary exhale as he dropped his sword, "Take him and go, the rest of you. If you don't wish to join him in the afterlife." He commanded.

The rival pirates hastily moved to remove their leader's lifeless form from your ship without having to be told twice. It took no time for Captain Hongjoong to scan the surroundings anxiously, his heart racing as he searched for you.

"Wh-where is she—"

Before he could finish the sentence, he noticed what seemed to be your boots tucked away in a corner, cleverly concealed behind barrels. The enemy had evidently gone to great lengths to ensure you wouldn't be discovered until it was too late.

Without wasting a moment, he sprinted towards you, pushing all the obstacles out of his way with newfound strength fueled by desperation. His eyes widened, feeling his heart lurch at the sight of the red staining your shirt and your pale complexion.

"No, no, no, no, no, don't you dare leave me!" Hongjoong screamed, gently pulling you into his arms, "Hey, look at me. I'm your captain, and I order you not to close your eyes."

However, no amount of commanding could mend your injuries, and he was acutely aware of that fact. Time blurred as he urgently directed his crew to transport you to the nearest town without delay. Losing you was not an option he was willing to entertain.

Drawing on his experience from observing you tend to injured crewmates countless times, the captain applied pressure and bandaged your wound to minimise the bleeding until you could receive proper medical treatment.

Upon arriving at the closest town, you were swiftly taken to a medical facility, where Hongjoong fought to catch his breath as they gently took you from his arms, "Don't worry, we'll take care of her," He gave the medical staff a firm glare, "You better."

The nurse nodded nervously, motioning for him to wait by the available bench. Everyone in the facility recognised him; it was the very place he had taken you away from many years ago. As a woman, you had been denied the chance to prove yourself despite being an apprentice there.

That changed the day Hongjoong arrived, bloodied and in need of help.

With all the doctors unavailable, you, the only trainee present, seized the opportunity to showcase your skills by treating the pirate captain.

While he rested after you tended to his injury, Hongjoong overheard a conversation between you and your superior. Rather than receiving praise for your competent work, you were berated for not adhering to the rules and taking matters into your own hands.

Enraged by what he heard, he proposed taking you in as the crew doctor. Despite being aware of his pirate status, you agreed because no one had recognised and acknowledged your skills the way he did.

As time passed, you'd grown to harbour feelings for one another. Though neither of you openly admitted to them, the entire crew was well aware of the captain's undeniable affection for you. They often wondered when Hongjoong would muster the courage to confess.

You were used to him always watching out for you; he would go to great lengths, even pretending to be unwell just to stay near you. He'd reprimand other crewmates for inconveniencing you with their minor issues; a total hypocrite himself. It was hard for you to not realise the fact that he was clearly favouring you, especially when everyone aboard has been calling you 'the captain's favourite' since day one.

Except he would always be in denial whenever teased about it, despite his actions proving completely otherwise.

Now, waiting anxiously, he regretted not revealing his feelings sooner. The thought of you potentially dying without knowing his love haunted him. Reflecting on missed opportunities, he questioned why he hadn't uttered those three words earlier. What was holding him back? What was he so afraid of?

After what felt like an eternity, he was finally allowed to see you. Entering the room where you rested, he held his breath until relief flooded over him at the sight of your chest rising and falling steadily. He sat beside you, gently holding your hand to his face and pressing his lips against your palm, "Oh, thank god, you're okay."

Tears streamed down his face silently, oblivious to the fact that you'd awakened to his sobs. You smiled weakly, moving your fingers to wipe his wet cheeks, "Who would've thought? The mighty Captain Hongjoong is crying for me."

His head shot up immediately, a tearful chuckle escaping him and he nodded, "That's right. Do you see the power you have over me?" Taking a deep breath, he decided it was now or never, "I love you so much, you know that? You mean the world to me."

You nodded, "I love you too, captain. Thought you'd never admit it."

Leaning in, he kissed your lips softly, "I'll tell you I love you every day now if I have to. And I refuse to let anything like this happen again. You're moving to my quarters at once."

If you thought he was joking, you were mistaken. Things were about to change drastically. Consider yourself promoted from crew doctor to the captain's most valuable treasure, as if you weren't already.

Now that we have Prince San, General Seonghwa, and Captain Hongjoong, I'm still contemplating what other roles to assign to the rest of the members.

Anyway, really hope you're all enjoying these imagines. Thanks for reading, and as always, let me know your thoughts! <3

Tag list: @aurasblue @marievllr-abg @itsvxlentine @minghaoslatina

#edenesth #ateez crazy form #ateez #ateez fanfic #ateez fanfiction #kim hongjoong #ateez hongjoong #hongjoong x reader #hongjoong x you #ateez fic #hongjoong drabble #ateez drabbles #ateez imagines #hongjoong imagines

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marvolos · 5 months ago

Text

a song between us — k. hongjoong

fate and music reunite two souls who once dreamed together, stirring memories and unspoken feelings that still linger.

pairing: idol hongjoong x producer reader

genres: slice of life, nostalgia, fluff

words: 1.3k

warnings: not proof read ig?? english isnt my first language either

notes: (requested by anon) pls pretend this is the last song of the day and happened at nighttime and that somehow no fan saw him sneak somewhere with a woman

divider by: fairytopea

The cold breeze of Munich’s autumn air swept through the streets, carrying the sound of music with it. The square was packed, a mix of locals, fans and tourists alike gathering to watch the live performance. Hongjoong sat at the side, mic in hand, his voice melting seamlessly into the harmonies of Jongho and Sohyang as they covered "Lucky."

From behind the cameras, you watched, breath caught in your throat. It had been so long since you had seen him like this—fully in his element, lost in the music. The way his fingers trembled slightly over the mic, the way he smiled, the way his eyes softened when he sang—it was just like high school, when he used to hum melodies between classes, teasing you for always scribbling down beats instead of notes.

It felt like just yesterday you were both in the practice rooms after school, his worn-out notebook filled with lyrics he never let anyone else read, your laptop overflowing with half-finished instrumentals. You had been inseparable back then—best friends, partners in crime.

But life had taken its course. You found your footing as a producer at SM, working closely with aespa, while he had skyrocketed to fame with ateez. Busy schedules and different paths made communication scarce, but not once had he faded from your mind.

And now, seeing him again under the golden hues of the streetlights, it was like time had never passed at all.

Hongjoong, in the middle of the song, finally noticed you. His breath hitched just slightly—a nearly imperceptible falter in his voice—but he quickly recovered. Still, you saw the way his eyes kept darting back to you, how the corners of his lips tugged up just a little more but he kept singing, kept pouring his heart into the lyrics.

Your heartbeat somehow pounded louder than the music. It felt like he was dedicating the lyrics to you, that they had a different meaning only the two of you would understand.

When the song ended and the cameras cut, Hongjoong wasted no time making his way toward you, weaving through the crew. On the way, he briefly turned to Jongho.

"Hey, I think I’ll stick around for a little while. You go ahead without me," Hongjoong said, adjusting his mic pack as the staff began wrapping up.

Jongho smirked. "You mean you’ll stick around with her?"

Hongjoong rolled his eyes but didn't deny it. "Just catching up."

Jongho let out a knowing chuckle. "The manager knows something is up. He’s going to come talk to you in a bit. I managed to save you some time to make up an excuse—just warning you."

Hongjoong groaned. "You didn’t have to do that."

"I did," Jongho said with a teasing grin. "Just don’t do anything that’ll get you in trouble."

"Yeah, yeah," Hongjoong waved him off. "Tell the others I’ll see them later."

As Jongho left, Hongjoong turned back to you, a playful glint in his eyes. "What, no hi, hello? Just standing there staring at me?"

You crossed your arms, smirking. "Yeah, I planned to be in Munich just to track you down. Totally intentional."

He chuckled. "I wouldn’t be surprised if you did."

Before he could say more, his manager approached, giving him a pointed look. "You’re free for a bit, but keep your disguise on. Be back within an hour. And be careful."

Hongjoong nodded quickly. "Got it, hyung. Just sightseeing."

The manager glanced at you, eyes assessing before sighing. "Don’t make me regret this."

And just like that, the two of you fell back into rhythm. You walked through the quieter streets of Munich, stopping by a late-night café. As you sat down, Hongjoong pulled the hood of his jacket lower and adjusted his mask.

You smirked. "You look like you’re about to commit a crime."

"Hey, I have to be careful!" he defended before narrowing his eyes at you. "Wait—why don’t you have a disguise?"

You shrugged. "I don’t need one. It’s one of the reasons I chose production over performing. I love music, but I don’t need the spotlight."

He hummed at that, nodding slowly. "Yeah, you always were the one making magic behind the scenes. And you’re damn good at it."

"You think so?" you asked, smiling softly.

"I know so."

There was a pause before he leaned forward slightly. "Do you remember back in high school? When we snuck into the music room after hours?"

You laughed. "Which time? We did that way too often."

He grinned. "The first time. You were freaking out because you thought we’d get caught."

"That was your fault!" you accused. "You left the lights on!"

"Because I didn’t want you working in the dark!" he argued. "But then the janitor saw and chased us out."

You shook your head, grinning at the memory. "We ran all the way to the park near my house."

"And we spent the whole night sitting on the swings, talking about our dreams," he added. His voice softened. "We promised we’d make it in music, no matter what."

You nodded slowly. "It feels like those days were a different lifetime."

A brief silence settled over the two of you, but it was comfortable—familiar. You both shared a quiet understanding in the unspoken memories that lingered between you. The nostalgia settled between you both, warm and bittersweet. You looked at him, really looked at him, and saw that same boy from all those years ago—the one who had always been so passionate, so determined. And somehow, despite all the time and distance, he still felt familiar.

Hongjoong cleared his throat and shifted slightly in his seat, his gaze meeting yours. "I’m glad we’re talking like this again. It’s been way too long."

"Yeah," you agreed, a soft smile forming on your lips. "It’s nice, isn’t it? Not having to catch up on years of life all at once."

His eyes softened, a hint of something deeper in his gaze. "I’ve been thinking a lot about… us. About how we were, you know? And I guess I’ve just been wondering..."

You raised an eyebrow, your curiosity piqued. "Wondering about what?"

"Are you seeing anyone?" The question slipped out almost casually, but there was a tension in his voice you hadn't expected.

You blinked at the sudden question, then shook your head. "Nope. Not for a while now."

"Huh," he mused, tapping his fingers against his coffee cup. "Same here. Been a bit too busy."

"Let me guess—your last relationship ended because of your schedule?" you teased.

He laughed. "Bingo. She was great, but it wasn’t fair to her. What about you?"

You sighed. "Yeah, something similar. We just… wanted different things. It happens."

"Yeah, it does." Hongjoong exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "You know, when we get back to Korea… maybe we should, um—" He paused, exhaling sharply before trying again. "We should hang out more. Like, really catch up."

His fingers toyed with the edge of his sleeve, a nervous habit you had always found endearing. He was Hongjoong—confident leader, creative genius—but right now, he was just the same boy who used to get flustered when asking you to stay behind after school to listen to his latest song.

You tilted your head. "Are you asking me out, Kim Hongjoong?"

His ears turned pink. "I mean—! Not like— I just thought, you know, Valentine's Day is coming up and—wait, no, not that it’s because of that, just that we could—" He sighed in defeat, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah. Maybe I am."

You bit your lip to keep from smiling too wide. "Then I guess I’m saying yes."

His head snapped up, eyes wide with surprise before they softened, a slow, genuine smile spreading across his face.

And just like that, the space between you closed, filled with unspoken words, shared laughter, and the quiet promise of something more.

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daisykihannie · 1 year ago

Text

𝚂𝚠𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍 | 𝙺.𝙷𝙹

Pairing: Hongjoong x afab!Reader

Warnings: Smut, nsfw, weird, established relationship, p in v, unprotected sex, fluff, crack, body swapped, kind of self-sex?? etc.

A/N: My brain is running on approximately 3hrs of sleep and my brain had a blurb and i cannot go to sleep until i get this written. Also, i couldn’t decide who to write this for sooooo Hongjoongie it is<3

When you woke up this morning, you felt the weight of your boyfriend’s head on your chest. Apparently at some point in the night he started clinging to you instead of you clinging to him. You weren’t really sure how, why, or when the two of you swapped sides on the bed but he was now sleeping to the left of you.

Your eyes fluttered open, still heavy with sleep and you went to stretch just your legs a bit so that you wouldn’t move too much and wake him. Your foot collided with the wall, further proof that you were currently sleeping on Hongjoong’s side of the bed but why were you so cramped on a king sized bed?

Shaking off the compiling thoughts all correlating to your current position, you looked down to your chest, wanting to see how adorable he’d look clinging to you like a koala. Instead you were met with a mop of hair that was not your boyfriends. Actually it was your hair and your face and your body pressed against… Hongjoong’s body?

You were looking at your form on top of Hongjoong’s but from Hongjoong’s point of view. After who knows how long of just staring, your brain finally caught up and in the blink of an eye you were scrambling away from your body. You tripped over the covers you didn’t think to throw off first and landed hard on the floor before moving further away. You stared at the stirring figure in bed as you increased the distance between the two of you until your back collided with the full length mirror in the corner of your room that was pointed towards the bed.

“Mmmm” Hongjoong grumbled and sat up with a yawn, still not opening his eyes or- your eyes? You were far past the point of confusion and your brain was constantly misfiring while trying to comprehend your current situation.

Your boyfriend scrubbed his eyes with the back of his hand as he spoke, “What’s wrong?” his voice was low but it was significantly higher than normal considering it was actually your voice and not his. “Why do I sound-“ his sentence was cut off when he finally opened his eyes and looked at you and instead of seeing his partner, he was staring at himself and his partner was actually visible in the reflection of the mirror, staring back at him.

His eyes grow wide and they flicked back and forth between himself and the reflection in the mirror, his brain was probably going through the same agonizing misfiring as your own but neither of you were fully panicking for some reason. Had it not fully caught up with you two yet? Were you both too tired to care? No, you both cared, a lot really, but maybe it just wasn’t all that scary since you two were dating and have been together for years.

“D-did we- are you- am i-“ Hongjoong couldn’t finish a single string of words and his thoughts weren’t any better. You just nodded, wide eyes locked with the others as you both silently worked through everything in your heads. “We…” Hongjoong started. “Body… swapped…” you spoke for the first time, slightly jumping from the startling and unfamiliar bass in your voice. This is fucking insane.

“o…kay…” that single word that your boyfriend spoke was heavy and drawn out. The reality finally fully settling in now and you tried to get off the floor but your legs were far too weak to hold your weight, the adrenaline causing your knees to buckle and you fell back to the floor. Hongjoong, seeing you falling, moved to try and catch you but you met the floor first. His own knees buckled only a short distance from you as well, causing his knees to meet the floor harshly.

You both looked at each other and your non-functioning legs and you were the first one to start giggling, trying to hold them in but when Hongjoong burst into his own explosive fit of laughter, trying to hold them in was useless and you two were both giggling messes. After a long fit of laughing, you both ended up clutching your sides when they began to ache.

Hongjoong had your body doubled over the arm around his abdomen and you had Hongjoong’s body on its back on the floor, writhing around and kicking his legs. It took a minute of heavy breathing for you two to stop laughing and just looked at each other. Even though you were kind of looking at yourselves, that same expression full of love and adoration was visible in each other’s eyes.

“So um- Babe?” you called out and he tilted his head slightly to the side, showing he was listening. “Why is your dick hard?” you asked, a redness creeping up your neck. “Huh?” he asked and looked down at his body’s groin, momentarily forgetting that he didn’t have his dick anymore. “My body doesn’t have a dick.” you coo teasingly and Hongjoong looks to your body, seeing the tent that was obvious in the loose fitting plaid pajama pants he wore.

“Oh. I guess even with your brain, my body still reacts to you the same as if it was my brain in there.” he says and reaches forward to start stroking the hard-on you were sporting. Your body jolted away from his touch at the unfamiliar feeling, letting out a soft gasp. “Sorry- that felt… weird.” the blush that had settled into a soft pink was bright red again with embarrassment.

“It’s okay baby. How about i help you out yeah? Since it’s my cock, i know what feels good.” He suggested and you took a moment to think about it, cock twitching in excitement at the thought. “I have always wondered what you feel like when you fuck me…” you trailed off, looking away from your boyfriend who was still staring at you. “Oh? Well, i guess you finally get to find out.” his tone sensual but completely different than the low growl his own vocal cords normally took on.

He held his hand out to you so he could help you get to the bed. It was weird to be led to the bed by your slightly smaller body, to be dominated by yourself but kissing felt mostly the same considering you could close your eyes. But when your pants were removed and you felt that first stripe licked up the underside of your cock, you couldn’t help the deep guttural groan that escaped you. When warm lips wrapped around the head and a soft tongue was moving up and down in tandem with the plush pink muscle moving up and down your length, you couldn’t help the way your hips bucked and spasmed at the overwhelming feeling.

This was a completely different experience than getting head normally. Hongjoong knew what he was doing from learning what does and doesn’t feel good during blowjobs. He knew exactly what spots were most sensitive and made sure to focus on those. It didn’t seem to bother him that he was technically sucking his own cock which only helped him to fully fit into his role.

Once you felt a familiar knot begin forming in your lower stomach, the muscles of Hongjoong’s abs constricting ever so slightly and your moans growing more airy, he pulled off with a pop. You whined at the ruined orgasm but you knew that he only stopped because if you came now, you wouldn’t get to feel what it’s like for Hongjoong to fuck you.

After a few moments of the both of you breathing heavily, he was climbing up your body. He sat himself on your pelvis and pulled the pajama shorts, on his temporary body, to the side to expose your dripping cunt. He began to roll his hips over the expanse of his cock, fully drenching it in your fluids.

Neither of you could contain the soft, airy moans that left your throats at the new feeling. Once you were both well lubed with your fluids, he lifted his hips off your pelvis. He reached in front of himself to grab his cock and line it up with your hole. He lined it up and then took a deep breath, feeling nervous for the first time now that he realized he was about to be impaled by a cock.

His larger hands met the hip bones of your body and began to massage them soothingly. “Baby, remember that it’s my body. My body is comfortable taking your cock. It’s nothing new to the body you’re in so it’ll only feel good.” you reassured him and that seemed to help him a bit but he was still struggling to physically impale himself.

“Here, let me help.” you said and got a tighter grip on his hips, moving him just low enough for the tip to be inside so he wouldn’t have to hold his cock anymore. “You can let go now, grab my hands so you’re holding them.” you cooed and he did that, grabbing the backs of your hands that remain on his hips. Once his breathing calmed and he nodded softly, you began moving him further onto your cock.

He took it inch by inch, the stretch causing his jaw to go slack in a silent moan and his thighs began to quiver at the overwhelming amount of pleasure he was feeling. You weren’t really fairing much better, once your cock was buried to the hilt and Hongjoong was able to relax and just rest with your cock buried inside him, you felt his hole tensing over your length.

“oh- fuck. Is- is that what it- shit! f-feels like when- when my pussy f-f-flutters?” speaking was extra hard with the overwhelming, and very very new, sensations you were feeling. It was so wet, warm and tight inside of him. It was like your cock was wrapped in the softest, wettest, and somehow the most tingling sponges ever. It was heavenly.

He nodded and let out a shuddering breath. “I d-didn’t think about h-how every time we fuck… oh shit… your pussy m-muscles have to st-stretch like this…” he was not keeping his composure as well as he normally did. “F-feel good?” you ask, lungs still heaving but getting better. He nodded with his eyes still shut. “s-so fucking good.” he moaned out and did an experimental roll of his hips.

“Fuck… i’m not g-gonna last long Jagi…” he whimpered softly, voice cracking slightly. “I-it’s okay joonie… I’m n-not either.” you replied, a moan following as he began bouncing up and down despite his legs shaking. You grabbed his hips and held him in place an inch or two above your pelvis. You bent your knees to give yourself some leverage to move, “let me.” was all you said and Hongjoong was grateful for the offer because he was incredible sensitive everywhere and his brain was struggling.

You began to jack hammer into his body, the way you love being fucked the most, punching wanton moans from him and grunts from yourself. You were both crying out each others names and a lot of “Fuck”s,”shit”s, and ”oh my god”s. It didn’t take long for the knot in your abdomen to snap, slamming his smaller frame down hard on top of yourself as you spilled inside of him and his body began convulsing through its own orgasm.

After a few moments, both your bodies collapsed from exhaustion, his body becoming dead weight on top of yours while your cock was still buried inside him. At that moment it was like someone clapped and you were now on top of him, his cock buried inside you. “oh thank fuck-“ you groaned, feeling more at peace now that you were back in your own body.

“Holy fuck… we both had the most insane orgasms and we swap back… how fucked is that.” a spiteful chuckle left his chest after he finished speaking, both of you a bit too exhausted to care about anything more than being in your own bodies again and being held by the person who had become your home, in post orgasm bliss.

#daisyhannie #ateez #ateez x reader #ateez smut #ateez fluff #ateez crack #hongjoong #ateez hongjoong #hongjoong x reader #hongjoong smut #hongjoong fluff #hongjoong crack #ateez drabbles #hongjoong drabble

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crimsonbubble · 1 year ago

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Saddle Up

cw. nsfw, afab!reader, kinda subby cowboy hongjoong, real men whimper and cry, dacryphilia, praise, overstimulation, creampie, handjob, oral, cum play, cum eating *not proofread, just pure horny

[IM SAVING SO MANY FUCKING HORSES RN DAWG]

His eyes are rolling back into his head as you rode him. His hands grab at your hips, his thighs tensing under you. His shirt once neat was now crumpled and hastily unbuttoned. His chest was now littered with soft red lines, as you drug your nails over his skin.

The cowboy hat on his head sat unsteadily as your hips only bounced with more vigour. Hongjoong stared up at you as he bucked his hips up from under you. The rough fabric of his jeans against your thighs is sure to leave your thighs sore. “Baby, fuck- Just like that,” His moans are slowly getting breathier and more pitched as you clenched around him.

Hongjoong’s nails dug into your hips, letting his hands loosely follow your movements. You stopped for a moment, steadying your hands behind you, on his thighs. You watched his mouth fall open as you roughly fucked yourself on his cock. “Fuck, make me cum- Baby, please make me cum-!”

Hongjoon’s mouth fell open as he whined through his release. You didn’t stop for a second, splitting yourself open on his cock rapidly. His grip on your hips tightened as you rode him through his orgasm. You pulled off of him, straddling his thighs. You stroked his cock swiftly, using his own cum to make the slide easier.

You leaned down, keeping your eyes on him as you pressed a kiss to his leaking tip. Hongjoong let out a string of curses, thrashing as you brought him to another orgasm so quickly. He wrapped his hand over yours, forcing you to get him through his next one. Hongjoong looked at you with tears in his eyes, the sensitivity no doubt catching up to him, “Aah- Your mouth, please baby-”

Hongjoong arched his back off the bed, his hand squeezing around yours. “I need- Fuck- Need your mouth ‘round me, please baby-!” You couldn’t help but coo at how he whined for you, locking your eyes on his as you swirled your tongue around his mushroom tip. Hongjoong is biting so hard at his lip, his hips shaking as your mouth sinks down on him.

There’s a mess of cum, spit, and your arousal soaked into his jeans. But the mess only spurs you on, wanting, no, needing to see Hongjoong fall apart again. You sank deep on his cock, taking in as much of him as you could. Hongjoong bucked his hips when the tip of his cock hit the back of your throat. You choked and sputtered around him, more drool pooling out of your mouth.

Hongjoong carefully held the back of your head as he shakily fucked your face. His moans were now full blown whimpers, tears streaking down his cheeks as he used your mouth. His movements grow sloppy every time he hits the back of your throat. All it takes is you looking up at him with teary eyes for him to blow another load. Hongjoong held your mouth down on his cock, coating your throat with his cum.

He removes his hands from you, his chest heaving as he watches you swallow his load. You moved up to straddle his hips again, grinding your wet, messy pussy against his aching cock, cooing at his twitches weakly. Hongjoong looks up at you with bleary eyes, cheeks and lips flushed a rosy pink and his chest heaving with every inhale. You nearly moan at his expression alone, watching his eyebrows furrow as you grind your hips on his.

Your eyes shift to the hat that sat on his head. Putting a hand on his shoulder, you lean over to take it, putting it on your own head. Hongjoong knows what this implies; it was the sole reason you dragged him to the bed as soon as he got back to his hotel room, but Hongjoong moans nonetheless. You lean back away from him, pushing the hat down onto your head as you grinned down at him.

Save a horse, ride a cowboy indeed.

#bubbly writes <3 #ateez smut #ateez x reader #ateez x y/n #ateez x you #ateez x female reader #hongjoong x reader #hongjoong x y/n #hongjoong x you #hongjoong smut #ateez drabbles #ateez imagines #ateez scenarios #hongjoong scenarios #hongjoong drabble #hongjoong imagines

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323cutie · 11 months ago

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soak you in and let it stew. | khj

pairing ୨୧ hongjoong x reader

word count ୨୧ 700

genre ୨୧ like mostly suggestive and a teeny bit of angst. Lol. feat. rockstar joong!!!!

warnings ୨୧ ermmm it gets kinda smutty at the end barely!!!! also suggestive language and such throughout

author's note ୨୧ hongjoong has always been sexy but im Feeling things. i need to go home

18+ mdni!

You see Hongjoong for the first time in five months at a bar, performing on stage in a band.

It shouldn’t really surprise you since his apartment is over in this part of the city. But it’s weird. It’s not like you never expected to see him again, but you didn’t really think about it either – too focused on work and forgetting the sting of a premature parting.

He’s different now. His hair is shorter and brown, his body a little bigger. He looks in his element up there, the red-brown guitar you remember seeing in his backseat a perfect fit for the glimmer in his eyes. Part of you aches, part of you yearns.

The whole thing makes you feel a little silly, all things considered – it wasn’t not a relationship, but neither of you ever put a label on it. Maybe it could be called a summer fling, an intimate crossing of paths. But you got a promotion and consequently busier, and Hongjoong started to put more time into his band; after a while, you both kind of called it quits. It’s a weird, rumbling nostalgia, seeing him on stage, wondering what parts of him you can still trace from memory, wondering what parts are different. If he’s different at all.

You keep an eye on the stage once the band’s set is over, and when you see Hongjoong make his way to the bar you do, too, telling your friends to watch your bag. Your heartbeat feels so loud, but you don’t think you’re nervous.

“Hey,” you greet, sliding into the stool next to Hongjoong. His eyes light up with recognition and you offer a little smile.

“Hi,” he responds, mirroring your grin.

It’s easy to fall into conversation with him, even when you think it shouldn’t be. You’ve missed so much of each other, and it’s not like the two of you parted on bad terms anyways. Hongjoong is eager to talk, and you’re more than happy to listen.

More than happy to take him in, looking at his teeth, his hands, his neck.

“You’re giving me that look,” he says suddenly, and you blink back to his eyes. He looks cautious, but also… teasing. Knowing. Understanding.

You think you know, but you ask anyways. “What look?”

“Like you want something else from me,” Hongjoong responds. He takes a sip of his drink but keeps his eyes on you. You feel like you can't breathe.

There’s something in you that alights at the thought that he still knows these things about you. Even after so long, he can read you so easily – then again, all that time you spent together… lazy Sunday mornings with nothing to do, or wine-filled, rainy nights lit up by streetlights, or letting the feeling of him simmer in your bones, or heated, hazy calls in the middle of the night when you couldn’t make the train down. You figure it takes a while to forget that, to unlearn all of it.

You open your mouth to say something that sounds an awful lot like a plea, but Hongjoong gives you a knowing look. “Don’t start begging,” he says, but there’s something different about his tone. A challenge lingers in his words, a flash of something in his eyes under the dim lighting.

So you say, “don’t make me.”

He quirks an eyebrow at you, but the growing grin on his face is unmistakable. There’s a promise in his gaze and you feel it follow you as you walk back to your table to grab your bag and tell your friends you’re leaving.

You feel it later, too, in his room. His sheets are new, and he has more posters hung up. But his fingers still taste like him and a little bit like you, comforting familiarity even now when you’re practically melting into his mattress. Hongjoong sighs and you feel proud that every decision you’ve made has led you right back to his bed, right back to him.

And when he’s pressed all the way into you and he breathes out a whisper about finally having you again, you know he feels the same way.

#like. im ruined #ateez imagines #ateez smut #ateez x reader #ateez hongjoong x reader #ateez hongjoong imagine #ateez hongjoong drabble #ateez hongjoong smut #kim hongjoong x reader #kim hongjoong imagine #kim hongjoong drabble #hongjoong x reader #hongjoong imagine #hongjoong drabble

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pixlpxie · 11 months ago

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Just imagine yourself between those legs

#ateez smut #ateez #hongjoong #hongjoong smut #kim hongjoong #hongjoong hard thoughts #hongjoong hard hours #ateez hard thoughts #ateez hard hours #ateez hongjoong smut #ateez hongjoong #hongjoong imagines #hongjoong drabble #hongjoong x reader #atz #atz smut #atz hongjoong

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seonghwaddict · 2 years ago

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forget-me-not — kim hongjoong

in which the wall separating you and him is very thin, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

neighbour!kim hongjoong! x fem!reader. genre. fluff, comfort. warnings. a storm. wc. 1k

lilo’s notes. happy birthday @pocketjoong!! a little hongjoong drabble to celebrate sky’s birthday!! i also have a permanent taglist now so if you’d like to be added please let me know :]

listening to. round and around, jo yuri.

masterlist

you really hated thunderstorms.

as you lay in bed wide awake a little past midnight, you flinched as thunder roared outside your window, the soft pitter patter of rain hitting the glass not easing your anxious mind. usually you’d be able to handle it, but since you moved into your apartment only two months before, there was a minimal sense of comfort.

despite living here for four months, you hadn’t quite settled in. the furniture from your previous apartment was still on the other side of the country, complications with the transportation preventing you from receiving it until september. but, nevertheless, you did enjoy living here.

sure, the walls were quite thin and most nights you could hear commotion in the neighbouring apartments… but the complex was well kept and the people in the surrounding area were friendly enough. you had even gotten somewhat close with one of your neighbours.

the first time you met hongjoong was in a park just around the corner of the building 3 months ago. you had reached down to pick a flower, unaware of the handsome man reaching for the same one, vision somewhat blocked by the large box of utensils in your other hand. when your fingers brushed against each other, the two of you jumped apart as you realised what had happened.

“oh- um… you… you can have it.” you’d muttered, gesturing to the beautiful white flower.

he had merely smiled and shook his head, a soft smile stretched on his lips. “ no, no, it’s ok. you should take it. i think you would’ve reached it first anyway.”

still unsure, you furrowed your eyebrows and looked around in determination to find an equally pretty flower. finally, your eyes settled on a bundle of baby blue forget-me-nots, setting your box down and walking over two small steps to crouch and pick them. after standing up, you held the bundle of flowers out to him.

“you can have these, then,” you had smiled at him warmly, “they match your sweater.”

he bowed politely and walked away with a small smile after accepting the pretty bundle of flowers while you picked up your box in one hand and the single white flower in the other and walked to your new home. soon enough, you realised you’d have to encounter the cute silver-haired man more frequently than you expected.

this became apparent a day later when you stood in the lobby and called for the elevator to go up to your apartment. once it reached your floor and the doors slid open, there he was, standing on the other side and waiting for the same elevator.

“oh, it’s you,” you wanted to smack yourself in the face for not coming up with something better to say. but, nevertheless, that still got his attention as he glanced up from his phone screen.

after a moment, a look of recognition passed over his face and his eyes seemed impossibly soft. it had something stirring in your stomach and you weren’t sure if you welcomed it. it was then that you learned that he was the one who lived in the apartment on your right and frequently had his friends over who were sometimes so loud you could hear them through the wall of your bedroom. but you didn’t tell him about that last part.

from then on you’d see each other more often, whether it was in that same park, leaving your place as he enters his, small talk in the elevator.

eventually, he even realised how thin the walls were. one night you were scrolling through your phone in the comfort of your bed when you heard a loud thud followed by a “SHIT!” through the wall. You say up, confusion written all over your face as you tentatively knocked on the wall.

“you okay?” it took him a second to respond, looking around his room with just as much confusion to see where the voice came from until his eyes settled on the wall separating his and your bedroom.

“yeah, i’m okay.” he sat cross legged on his bed facing the white wall. then he spoke with a slight laugh, “i knocked over my lamp.”

after that incident, it wasn’t unusual for you to have late night conversations through the wall. sometimes you’d be writing your book, asking for suggestions and forgotten words through it and he would help you out. other times he’s be working on his music, playing it just loud enough for you to hear so you could give him a second opinion.

but now as you lay flinching and sobbing in your bed, everything was silent and you were alone. well… until there was a small knock on the wall by your head.

“you okay?”

you pulled the covers closer and nodded your head, soon realising he couldn’t see you. “yeah, i’m good.”

“really? because i can hear you sobbing through the wall.” you couldn’t see him either, but his face was so full of concern it was obvious he actually cared. “you can talk to me, you know…”

when you didn’t respond immediately, he thought you fell asleep. but your small, shaking voice said otherwise. “i-i’m gonna sound stupid…”

“try me.”

his answer was so sure and caring it nearly brought heat to your face. nearly. because as you opened your mouth to respond, another boom of thunder crashed outside your window that has you cursing loudly. he tilted his head, brows furrowing.

“are you scared of the storm?”

“no… okay, yes maybe a bit… a lot actually.” you admitted, squeezing your eyes shut at the prospect you just might have embarrassed yourself in front of your super handsome and pretty much perfect neighbour.

“that’s okay, there’s no need to be ashamed of it.”

you could hear the caring smile in his voice and could almost picture it as well. so, you relaxed. unsure of how to respond, you stayed silent.

“tell me about your day, y/n.”

you knew damn well he was just trying to distract you and talk you into forgetting about the weather, but you answered. and then it turned into another meaningful conversation as he kept your mind too busy to worry about the thunder and rain and lightning. your crying and flinches and shaking subsided quickly and you relaxed as you listened to the voice of the man you were beginning to fall for.

networks. @cromernet @blankjournal

taglist. @ad0rechuu

#bjnet #kim hongjoong x reader #kim hongjoong fluff #hongjoong fluff #ateez fluff #ateez x reader #ateez #ateez fanfic #ateez au #kpop writers #kpop writing #hongjoong #kim hongjoong #ateez hongjoong #hongjoong drabble #hongjoong imagine #hongjoong scenarios #cromernet

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bvidzsoo · 6 months ago

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Through your colours

Author: bvidzsoo

Pairing: artist!Kim Hongjoong x barista!reader

੭ Warning: recreational drug use (weed), alcohol consumption, swearing ੭ Word count: 11k ੭ Rating: nc-17 ੭ Genre: fluff, angst-ish, slice of life, strangers to lovers, a hint of simp Joong? post university setting ੭ Summary: A broke barista and a broke artist meet in a student infested dingy pub, what do they have in common? The desire to make something great of themselves, to live a fulfilled life. But first impressions can go wrong, deterring people from each other. You're probably lucky that's not how your story with Hongjoong goes, though.

A/N: Hello, hello, my lovelies! I present you another story that was supposed to be a drabble but instead turned into...a smaller oneshot?? I consider anything that's below 15k a drabble because my oneshots just go over 20k all the time, save me! This idea came on a random whim while my pinterest suggested three photos lol, and it took me some time to write it, but it's here at last. Your feedback is greatly appreciated, let me know what you thought of this little story, and I hope you enjoy it! divider

Gustav Klimt had once, sometime during the nineteenth century, stated that, “Art is a line around your thoughts”. This could be interpreted many ways, of course, but for an artist it was just as plain and simple as Mr Klimt had said. Whatever was on your mind, you could give it life by putting it on a piece of paper by the brush of ink and feather against the parchment, or by the swift twist of one’s wrist as their brush coloured their canvas. Art comes in many forms, many thoughts, and many interpretations. After all, everyone relates to it based by their own experiences, based on the emotions they feel and have felt before…and overall, their capacity of seeing beyond what’s shoved in front of their eyes. Maybe that’s why Hongjoong would stare at a painting or picture for hours on end without growing tired. He liked to see everything, he wanted to understand every stroke of brush, or why the lightning fell in that specific way on the item in the picture. Hongjoong wanted to feel the same emotions the author of the creation had felt while creating their piece. It helped him draw inspiration, expand his horizons towards new possibilities. Hongjoong liked new challenges as long as they were about his art. In life, he preferred the steady and sure lifestyle, the one that was predictable enough that it wouldn’t send him into an existential crisis over the smallest inconvenience.

Hongjoong needed order in his life since his art was all over the place, judged by many and often misunderstood. He didn’t paint just for the fun of it, sure, there were passion projects he started on a whim without much of a goal in mind, and usually those were well received by his professors, by his colleagues. But whenever Hongjoong wanted to say something through his art, he’d get scrutinized for it. He yet had to find that one person that saw beyond what others called a mess. He’s never thrived for attention or validation, but it had gotten lonely after a while when he realised nobody really understood him. He felt like he was the odd one even in a crowd full of odd people. He’d always been different, more open-minded and receptive to the changes in the world, and he’d always been judged for it. Here, instead of being frowned upon due to his character, he was sometimes ignored because his art was either dull or not good enough. Nobody seemed to understand that art is relative and subjective, that whatever lay on the canvas made by Hongjoong was his and would always be. That he had dipped his brush into a touch of colour from his soul, displaying it for the world to see on the once blank canvas. He became vulnerable for them and yet nobody had appreciated it yet. And so, Hongjoong got used to not being seen for his art, but for who he was.

Quirky with questionable fashion taste to many, bold because he wasn’t afraid to try out new styles—much like with his paintings—and intimidating because no matter how many times he tried out something new, he’d instantly make it his, owning whatever concept he had in mind. Hongjoong knew not everyone was against him out there, but it was easy to fall hostage to such thoughts when he was alone. It would make sense for an artist to have a mind clouded by questions and rarely answers, a mind that worked too fast and yet never good enough. Doubts and fears pulling one down, Hongjoong loved expressing it through his paintings, his hand nothing but a guide to the brush clutched tightly between his fingers, calling out to him even when he chose to step away. Hongjoong was in it for life, and he wondered whether the weeping willow tree by the river bank in his framed painting was a premonition for how his life would look like.

The bar was busy like every other night in this student-infested town. It wasn’t even a surprise anymore, you should have known better than to wear your boots with high heels. There were no seconds to waste and even less time for breaks between preparing drinks, cleaning the bar, and running around the room to clean the tables too. Nobody wanted their hands sticky because someone had previously spilt their drink, and you were more than ready to clock out for the night. The only problem was, however, that you still had three hours left of your shift. You sighed as you averted your eyes from the clock, realising you hadn’t started preparing the drink the drunk college student had asked for on the other side of the bar. His eyes were glossy and he was swaying in his spot, you debated filling his cup with water rather than Vodka, but you couldn’t risk getting a complaint since your boss was a stinky little fucker. Your hands worked fast, and years spent doing this kind of work were showing as you did a few tricks, hoping you’d get a nice tip. You doubted the college guy would leave a huge tip, if anything at all, but at least you tried. It was all about trying in places like this one. Trying to stay calm when a customer was rude, trying to remain sane when night after night the DJ played the same playlist for the drunken students, trying to smile and hide the fact that you hated when these frat boys flirted with you. And also try and hide the fact that you were fed up with people, and needed at least a month away from civilisation.

But if one wanted to achieve something in life, one had to work for it to happen since it wouldn’t fall from the sky. Going abroad and starting a new life over there wasn’t for free, and it especially wouldn’t happen overnight. You were well aware of that, that’s why you were working day and night, taking up shifts that were probably too long to be healthy. But the dream you had in mind demanded such sacrifices, and if it meant working hard right now for a comfortable life in the future, you were willing to spend your nights sleepless and surrounded by annoying college students. You had been like them once, after all, but that was a few years ago, and since then, the harsh reality has awoken you. What was the purpose of a degree you couldn’t do anything with? Yeah, you could’ve laughed at yourself, but then it would soon turn into hysterical crying and you weren’t strong enough to deal with such emotions. You’ve cried enough, it was time you took action now. You sighed as another rush of bodies crowded the bar, asking for shots and long cocktails. You weren’t a fancy place by any means, but you served the usual sweet cocktails that could be found in every other place. Your hands worked fast as you catered to everyone’s likes, your coworker, Hanni, was somewhere lost between the students as she had gone to clean up the tables. And even in your rush, it seemed like you couldn’t satisfy everyone. It shouldn’t have phased you, but you’ve had a rough day today.

“Hey, babe, think you could work those hands faster, maybe?” You ignored the question and smiled as a group of girls paid for their pink cocktails, leaving a bigger tip than most men would. You felt grateful and felt your smile turn genuine when the tallest in the group winked at you before they became part of the rowdy crowd again. Then, you could face your impatient customer. He didn’t look like a student, way too old to be in a crowd filled with students, but who were you to judge? Some people go to college at a later age, maybe he wanted to get the full student experience. Although, you doubted a thirty-year-old had anything in common with young adults on the brink of maturing, if they managed to mature during their upper-level study days.

“What can I get for you?” Your voice was raised since the music was booming, and unfortunately, you also had to lean over the counter to hear the man better. For some reason, that made the man smirk as he leaned forward as well, eyeing you up as if you were a piece of meat. You ignored it as your teeth ground together, you’ve seen men like him before, he wasn’t the first to act like this and you knew he wouldn’t be the last one either.

“How about…you, sugar?” Your expression didn’t budge as his smirk became shit eating as if he had accomplished anything by saying that. You waited, without blinking or reacting to what he’s said, hoping he’d catch on that he wasn’t hilarious nor flirty.

“Don’t we all wish to have a piece of the pretty barista?” That managed to throw you off as your head whipped to the side, eyebrows furrowing as you just now noticed the newcomer. He was…well, something else for sure. He wore no casual or ordinary clothes, nothing you could compare to the annoying frat boys or just the other dudes with a regular fashion sense. His hair was dark but it looked a little fried, as if it had been bleached already one too many times before. His white blouse was loose and tucked in at the waist, his black pants wide and reaching below his ankles. A thick belt was secured around the guy’s petit waist, and if you looked harder, you swore you could see a dark blue bow tied to it. His brown vest seemed to elevate the outfit even more, the pleated brown choker sitting at the base of his throat with a few other silver chains, a ruby pendant hitting his pecks as he was leaning against the counter lazily. His hip was jutted out and his painted nails tapped against the side of his head, cat-like eyes blinking slowly as he watched you. The hat he wore looked something like you’ve only seen in Peaky Blinders, and for a second, you almost chuckled. He looked peculiar but not in a negative sense, it’s just that you haven’t seen someone like him stumble inside the pub before. He didn’t seem to belong with the crowd and that would’ve been something you’d appreciate on any other day than today.

“I don’t think we were talking to you, no?” The cocky man in front of you raised a mocking eyebrow at the other guy, and you rolled your eyes for a second. But before you could answer, the other guy did for you.

“You threatened my game is better than yours?” The artsy-looking guy asked with a chuckle, his tone was more on the higher side, and you found yourself not irked by it too much. But you weren’t here to have men measure their cocks by who can get the barista’s phone number faster, so you interrupted them before they could piss you off even more.

“Listen, fellas, I don’t have all night. What do you want?” Your tone was sharp, straight to the point, and shut down all attempts at flirting as the man in front of you scoffed, shooting a dirty look at the peculiar-looking one. You tilted your head as the older man finally faced you, trying to downplay his irritation as he plastered on a charming smile again. It made your jaw tick again, but you said nothing more.

“Do you have whiskey?” You were already reaching for the bottle of Whiskey before the man was finished talking, your other hand grabbing a glass as Hanni finally returned to the bar, her tray filled with dirty glasses.

“I’ll just wash these and come help.” She said as she passed by you and you nodded, filling the man’s glass with ice and whiskey, not too much but not too little either. Who even drinks Whiskey in a place like this one? But you didn’t care as long as he’d be out of your hair, so you placed the glass on the counter, but before you could tell the guy how much it was, he had already slid a bill on the counter, sauntering away. You grabbed it and pushed it into your fanny pack, taking a step back to take a deep breath. You could do this, Hanni was back and maybe you could ask her to cover for you for five minutes. A bathroom break was allowed at any time, after all. Your small moment, however, was interrupted by a scoff. You blinked your eyes open and looked towards where the sound came from, eyes narrowing when you realised the other guy was still lingering around.

“What a pig, he didn’t even tip you.” You had to agree with his slurred words but instead walked over with an impassive expression. You weren’t here to be nice or to make friends, and you never failed to make it clear to your customers. These entitled dudes thought they could get your number and get in your pants with just a few—fake—nice words, you could confidently say you hated them all and that they made you wish you never again encountered their species. But alas, that wouldn’t happen tonight, so you headed over to the pompous guy, raising an eyebrow. He was intriguing, you couldn’t deny that, but you also knew not to mingle with guys who frequented the pub. So, even if one sparked your interest, at the end of the day, you’d still walk home alone and relish in the quiet of your room.

“What can I get for you?” You tried to keep your tone level as your hip pressed into the counter, feet aching now even more. You were ready to chuck your damn boots at the wall and call it a night, but as Hanni flashed you her typical sweet smile, you knew you couldn’t leave her alone in the wolf's den. She was too sweet and too naïve, smiling and laughing along to the shitty jokes of the frat boys who were eyeing her up with little regard for the fact that she was visibly uncomfortable.

“Something sweet like you.” You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, telling yourself to keep your cool. He wasn’t saying anything offensive, unlike many other men, he just kept calling you sweet and pretty. That could be considered even nice, but not tonight.

“The menu is literally behind me, you can choose anything from it.” You pointed a finger behind yourself, where you knew the menu was hung high on the wall so that everyone could see it. The peculiar guy just gave you a look of confusion before looking past you, blinking his eyes lazily once again. You tapped your fingers against the counter, waiting for his choice, glad that you could take a breather now that nobody was crowding to get their drinks refilled. Hanni whizzed past you when she noticed a smaller group of girls approaching, her smile reaching her ears and already talking to them, beckoning them closer. Hanni was an excellent barista, she kept her customers entertained and always engaged with them…unlike you, but that’s why your duo worked so well. You were the stoic one and she was the sunshine, but you were both quick on your feet so your boss couldn’t complain.

“Uh, I’ll take a Cosmopolitan.” The guy finally decided and you quirked an eyebrow, grabbing the shaker.

“That’s not sweet.” It was unlike you to make conversation, but the words were on the tip of your tongue so you couldn’t ignore them. The guy chuckled, letting his elbows rest on the counter as he placed his chin in his palms. Your eyes raised for a second to look at him, and you were taken aback by how cute he looked. But as he blinked slowly again, a small smile spreading onto his lips as he watched you, you quickly focused your attention on his Cosmo.

“I know, I was just trying to make you feel better.” He sighed, tracing a manicured finger against the dirty counter. You had to clean that too. As you grabbed some olive to stash on a toothpick, you followed his finger with your eyes and noticed the two silver and shiny rings on his finger, his nail done a neon yellow with a black smiley face painted on top of it.

“What do you even know…” You scoffed to yourself, placing the martini glass on the counter for the guy to take. He was still looking at you, his eyes hazy, and you allowed yourself to take in his features. He had a petite and sharp nose, pretty and well-fitting with his sharp jawline and otherwise intimidating eyes if it wasn’t for the smile in them. His lips were more plump than thin with a pretty Cupid’s bow, slightly pouty as he gave you a small frown.

“Well, I bet you don’t plan on wasting your life away here.” The way he spoke had an airy feel to it, as if he wasn’t really thinking before speaking, “And by the looks of it, it seems as if your degree didn’t take you too far as of now, which is not a big deal, people change their minds all the time.”

Your eyebrows furrowed as the guy reached for his Cosmo, your fingers brushing together since you hadn’t retracted your hand yet. You ignored how warm his fingers felt, the softness of them as they lightly brushed against yours, “It’s just sad to see talented people waste their lives away in places like this one, you know? I mean, we all go to college to make something of ourselves, but then we end up in a dimly lit and smelly bar, selling alcohol to entitled pricks, forced to listen to their attempts at flirting, or them berating us for ‘not’ doing our job. Sure, it’s honest work, but at the end of the day, when you walk home after an ungodly long shift, you still hate yourself, so…”

Something in you broke at his last sentence, making you gulp hard. You still hate yourself, the guy had said with the most easy-going expression on his face, a slight smile pulling at his lips as he continued to blink lazily at you. What did he even know when he was clearly wearing designer clothes to a pub where alcohol could be spilt on you, among many other things? Who was he to assume you couldn’t do anything with your degree, rubbing it in your face that he knew people ended up like this when he clearly came from a rich background with all those accessories on him, his tone airy and almost mocking. Your jaw clenched again as you realised you had tears in your eyes, and your hand came down harshly on the counter as the guy slipped a bill towards you, way over the price of his damn Cosmopolitan.

“Go fuck yourself.” You snapped as you threw the change back at him, watching his expression fall, his eyebrows raising comically high. You didn’t sit around to listen to him trying to get your attention again, you brushed past Hanni and leaned down to tell her that you needed five minutes. She gave you a worried look before nodding, letting you head to the bathroom as a few tears spilt down your cheeks. Today was complete shit, you couldn’t wait to get home and ignore all the responsibilities and problems you had. You were doing this for a better future, this was just a small fragment of your life, and it wouldn’t last forever. At least you really hoped so.

You released a long sigh as the cool air hit your face, eyes stinging from the sudden coldness as the red backdoor slammed shut behind you. Hanni and you kept telling your boss to change the hinges, but he had more important things to take care of, of course. Stepping aside so that the door wouldn’t slam into your back if any staff member decided to come outside at this moment, you leaned against the cold wall, pushing your hands into your pockets. You didn’t bother grabbing your jacket, although you should have given the fact that your skin was now covered in goosebumps, teeth slightly chattering. It was always a whiplash coming outside from that parched pub, having to forcefully push through the bodies too busy to notice your approaching form. It was another busy night, the weekend was approaching so the students were coming in waves that the pub could barely house. You’ve been telling your boss that you should put a capacity limit, but he wouldn’t make as much money like that as he was making now, so of course, he said no. He was a greedy monster and he didn’t even try to hide it.

Just as you closed your eyes, you heard a loud tsk followed by a hiss, and your head jerked to the side, your eyes widening. You hadn’t realised there was someone else here with you, too taken by your own thoughts of wondering what you’d cook for dinner…if you make it home at a decent hour, which was looking less and less likely to be. With your eyes narrowed and head turned, you tried to find the source where the sound had come from, eyebrows furrowing when you noticed someone crouched down right by the door, their head lowered over their knees. It wasn’t your business what anyone was doing, really, but if a client was feeling unwell and would need assistance, you’d feel guilty if you just walked away without a word. So, sighing to yourself, you pushed off the wall and took a few steps to approach the person, eyes taking in the black messy curls on the top of his head. The person had a baby mullet growing out, framing his pale nape. You cleared your throat and reached down, gently poking at the guy’s shoulder.

“Hey, you good?” You asked unsure, eyebrows furrowing when the guy grunted only. Tilting your head, you realised he was shielding his left hand, his right thumb trying to roll the sparkwheel of his lighter, but to no avail.

“Yeah, this bloody thing won’t work.” The guy groaned, shaking his lighter as he tilted his head back, a hand-rolled cigarette hanging between his lips. Your eyes widened as you realised the face was familiar, having seen him just yesterday. The guy’s eyes looked innocent as they rounded, recognition flashing in his too. You gulped and straightened up, your expression slightly hardening as the guy’s harsh words from yesterday rang through your ears. He seemed pretty fine to you, but before you could step aside and go back inside, he spoke up.

“Hi there, pretty barista.” He then grinned, a lazy pull of his cherry-red lips, his tone easy. You didn’t expect him to be so easy-going after what you had said to him, but it almost looked like the guy wasn’t bothered by you cursing him out…maybe he really wasn’t, “You on a break?”

You crossed your arms in front of your chest, watching as he struggled to get his lighter to work. You had one in your pocket, but you found a bit of satisfaction in watching him struggle. Maybe if he asked whether you had one, you’d let him use yours. But people who didn’t ask wouldn’t get help, that’s what your father taught you, at least.

“Obviously.” You muttered matter of fact as the guy hummed, grinning wickedly when the lighter finally sparked to life, allowing him to light his cigarette. You watched as the flame danced in front of his face, making his dark eyes appear amber-like, sharper from this angle. You realised, alarmed, that you were appreciating his looks so you quickly stopped, looking away as the guy puffed out a whiff of smoke.

“You want some?” The guy asked, reaching his hand toward you as you eyed the cigarette, its smell hitting you. It was too herbal to be a normal cigarette, you belatedly realised as you watched the guy take another hit of his joint.

“What’s in it?” You decided to ask, just to make sure. If you were wrong and it was a regular cigarette, maybe you’d accept a smoke. You didn’t usually smoke but you were still tired from yesterday’s shift, and something that could loosen your nerves would be highly appreciated.

“Good stuff.” The guy grinned, giggling even a little, and the sound almost put a smile on your lips, but you caught yourself in time and instead shook your head, pushing your hands into your pockets again.

“I’m working, so, no.” The guy just hummed as he looked up at you again, taking a drag of his joint as you gulped and everted your eyes. It felt like he was gazing right through you and into your soul as your eyes had met, and given the fact that you were still butt-hurt over what he had said to you yesterday, you refused to look at him too long…you’d only admire his beauty, either way. He wore a fuzzy yellow and pink sweater today, his brown dress pants looking way too thin for this weather, but the guy didn’t seem to mind. His nails stood out with their unique design, and he wore fewer rings today but more earrings than yesterday.

“Hey, yesterday…what I said at the bar, I didn’t mean to berate you.” The guy gulped, his eyebrows furrowing as you looked back at him, slightly taken aback to see such sincerity on his face. You’ve never met someone so easily readable before, “My intention wasn’t to hurt you, I was smoked out too so I was just running my mouth, I do that when I’m high, sorry…”

A beat of silence passed as the two of you shared an apprehensive look, making you bite your bottom lip. You cleared your throat and at last averted your eyes, kicking a few pebbles towards the guy without meaning to, “Right, I shouldn’t have cursed you out either…I’m sorry too, I guess.”

The guy hummed, a smile slowly appearing on his lips before he took another drag of his cigarette, his eyes boring into yours again, “I’m glad the pretty barista doesn’t hate my guts anymore.”

You have no idea what took over you, but your cheeks were suddenly flushing as if you had been noticed by your crush for the first time, your skin prickling. You weren’t one to care about the compliments your clients gave since most of them were only trying to get in your pants, but this guy seemed to be genuine. He didn’t try to hit on you, he was just calling you pretty, and it was getting to you. You hummed and turned towards the door, hand reaching out for the knob when suddenly the guy spoke again, “Humans are easily susceptible, you know? We judge without knowing first, and we rarely apologise and recognise our mistakes. I hate people like that, rude people for no reason too. I don’t stand for all that bullshit, so I’m glad you told me to fuck myself instead of smiling at me like you do with all the other assholes. I appreciate your hard work, we all have to make due somehow and you aren’t less for working in this pub, pretty barista.”

There he was again, making your chest feel heavy as you huffed, a sarcastic smile pulling at your lips. Once again, what did he know about you? Maybe you loved this damned job, maybe being a barista in a shitty pub has been your lifelong dream. You almost scoffed at yourself, eyes narrowing as the guy took more drags of his joint, seemingly waiting for an answer that you didn’t exactly want to give. But you didn’t want him to have the last word, much like yesterday, so you plastered on a sarcastic smirk, “There you go again, blabbering your mouth when you’re smoked out.”

You didn’t expect the guy to start laughing loudly, his head falling back as it landed against the wall, his eyes crinkling at the corners. You didn’t mean to gape, but he was beautiful and painfully honest, it was refreshing in a world full of fakeness. He was an intriguing person, and you would’ve allowed yourself to become interested in him if only you had met in a different setting. With a hum and lingering eyes, you pushed the door open as the guy nodded at you in goodbye once he realised you were leaving for good. And with a faster beating heart, you willed yourself to focus on the few hours that you still had of your shift.

It’s been quite a while since you had the chance to wake up at the crack of dawn without feeling tired, or without having to rush in for an early shift. Through hard work, you had earned these two days of break, and while you wished you had been given a full week, you made sure to utilise these two days wisely. You had always been an early bird, wishing to wake with the sun, opening your windows to hear the song of the birds, but it was too cold for them to hunker down in front of your window today. You didn’t mind, you’d take a stroll after your breakfast and check out the new art store that’s opened not too far from your apartment. You’ve heard great things about it, the prices seemed to be reasonable, and it had an adjoint bookstore and a coffee shop as well. A quick check on the internet showed you just how cozy it was, so you thought you could buy a book from your to read list and settle down in the coffee shop. It sounded like a great plan to destress and forget for a bit about work and all the idiots that kept you up at night, quite literally.

Your scarf was thick as you buried your nose into it, trying to keep it warm from the cold chill of the early morning. The city was awake with you, orange sun rising on the horizon and blinding you as you were walking towards it, you couldn’t help but smile. It warmed your cheeks and body, feeling the sun on your skin during cold season always felt like a blessing, you would always relish in it as much as you could because you knew it wouldn’t last for long. You exhaled as your eyes remained squinted, watching the people around you as you walked towards your destination. Kids were rushing to school, parents by their sides guiding them, and traffic was as crazy as ever, impatient drivers honking and disturbing the little peace everyone had. You paid it no mind and felt thankful that you were able to wake up so early instead of just going to bed, all tired and wishing for your boss to fire you. But if he did fire you, you would be in trouble, so you didn’t actually wish for that to happen. And suddenly as you turned the corner, the guy’s words from the bar managed to ring through your ears once again. Working at the pub was just as much of an honest job as it would’ve been working anywhere else.

You sighed, realising you were thinking about him again. You’ve been doing this a lot lately, letting your mind wander to his peculiar fashion sense and even more peculiar way of thinking. He seemed almost raw with his words and thoughts, unafraid to say them to your face. It was refreshing and intriguing, but you couldn’t let yourself be sidetracked right now. You had a purpose, and that was working until you had enough money to move away. If somehow a guy came into the picture right now, you felt like that would mess up all your plans and vision of the future. Under no circumstance would you stay here, but you knew your heart would betray you and try to keep you here for longer, with your lover. You didn’t even want to think of the guy as a potential love interest, you didn’t even know each other, so you shoved these thoughts to the back of your mind as you reached the art store, eyes widening at its exterior.

You haven’t seen anything quite like it before, the windows reached from ceiling to floor, a clear view of what was going on inside. There was a spiral staircase that led to the higher level which was littered with bookcases and low hanging retro chandeliers, bean bags spaced out on the floor as people sat around with books in their hands. To the right was the coffee shop with a separate entrance if you were only here for coffee, but you could also enter through the art store. And the art store was gorgeous as you made your way inside, the double doors opening easily. A sweet scent hit your nostrils as you walked further inside, your eyes wide as you took in the whole place. Paintings were hung on the walls, blank canvas placed underneath as many shelves housed all kinds of art supplies. The clerks were all smiley and they welcomed you warmly once they noticed your arrival. Maybe you could find a nicer workplace, something like this one. The workload seemed less strenuous and the people that came here to shop were less rowdy and rude. As much as you loved admiring the fine arts, you didn’t have the talent for drawing or painting, you could mess up even something as simple as a cloud. It was embarrassing, but arts have never been your forte, so you headed for the staircase to look for the book you had on your mind.

Navigating around the many shelves seemed a bit intimidating at first, but then you noticed they were sectioned on different genres, the tags hanging low from the ceiling with an arrow pointing towards the section to help you out. You smiled to yourself as you unrolled your scarf from around your neck, the warmth of the store helping your frozen fingers as you turned down a corner, two tall bookshelves on your sides. At the end of the row sat a younger girl with a manga in her hand, another one pressed to her lips as she seemed to be giggling. You felt yourself smile as you came near her, looking at the titles of the books. Asking for a clerk to help you find the book you were looking for would’ve helped enormously, but you found yourself wanting to stroll around in the warmth, fingers grazing the spines of the books. The girl giggled just a bit louder and blushed when you glanced her way. This wasn’t a library, so she wasn’t disturbing anyone, but she was still mindful of those around her. You turned the corner once again, finding the High Fantasy section, having made your research beforehand, you knew you were in the right place. It took a bit more cruising down the row to finally find the book you were looking for, and you grinned when you found it, taking it off the shelf.

You thought about strolling around the store more just to discover it further, maybe they had cheap trinkets you could buy. You even thought about paying a visit the coffee shop as well, maybe they had one of your favourite patisserie delicacies. You wouldn’t turn down something sweet right now, you didn’t have a sweet tooth necessarily, but there were days when your cravings got the better of you. With that in mind, you headed back the way you had come, sneaking another glance at the younger girl as she gasped, manga now clutched tightly in both of her hands. You chuckled before you rounded the corner, now back on the main aisle that led to the spiral staircase. You noticed that most people who were inside the store looked to be college students, their outfits mismatched colours and patterns, hair coloured something vibrant as most of them had piercings you never even thought possible before. You really liked their style and found yourself staring at them, blushing when a girl caught you and raised an eyebrow before she smiled. You nodded your head and hurried down the stairs, flustered and a little embarrassed. They oddly reminded you of the guy from the bar, you thought he’d somehow fit right in with the people inside the store. It looked something he’d enjoy, not that you knew anything about him besides that he smoked weed, wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, and had a nice sense of fashion.

You were looking at the hard cover of your book as you got to the base of the staircase, taken by the pretty illustration and completely unaware that someone was headed straight towards you, just as taken by items in his hands as you were by your book. The collision could’ve been avoided if you both had been paying attention to where you were going, but alas, you gasped loudly as you felt a hard body collide into yours, items spilling loudly onto the floor. Your head shoot up, eyes wide as you looked at the equally startled man and—wait, it was the same guy from the bar! You gulped, suddenly feeling nervous as your cheeks burned, but the guy hadn’t noticed you yet as he had crouched down to collect his items off the floor. You felt bad and hoped the expensive palette on the ground hadn’t been broken, so you crouched down too and reached for it to inspect it. The guy still hadn’t quite noticed that it was you out of all people, but as you reached for the same brush, his head raised sharply. Your smile was apologetic as the guy’s eyes widened, recognition flashing on his face. This was the third time you met this week, the sheer coincidence of meeting outside the pub was a bit jarring…especially since you’ve been just thinking about him.

“Pretty barista from the pub!” He motioned towards you then chuckled, letting you pick up the brush. Your book was placed on the ground next to you so your hands were free to help.

“Hi,” Your voice came out a lot shier than you had intended it to be, and you chewed on your bottom lip awkwardly, “Sorry about this, I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“Don’t worry,” The guy chuckled, scooping up the small canvases, “I wasn’t either. If it makes you feel better, it was both of our faults.”

You hummed and grabbed the last item off the floor, standing at the same time as the guy. His arms were filled with his items, and you wondered if you handed over the four in your hands how he’d be able to carry everything. Despite the cold weather outside, he was underdressed. He wore a simple turtleneck with a brown knitted vest over it, long flowy plants and mismatched tennis shoes. As you both stepped aside from the staircase to make way for others, you cleared your throat and averted your eyes once you realised you were staring again. But you hadn’t seen him wearing glasses before, and with the curly strands falling over his forehead, he didn’t only look handsome but cute as well.

“What brings you here?” The guy made conversation as you tried to figure out how to hand him his items without making him drop them all again, “I say this without meaning to be rude, but you seem like the last person who’d be interested in art.”

You huffed, not bothered by his honesty, “While that statement is incorrect, I’m not here due to the art section of the store. I was looking for a book.”

“Right!” He exclaimed, glancing down at his own chest, “Oh, sorry, you can hand me those, I can carry them!”

“Are you sure?” You asked as he nodded enthusiastically, so you complied. You stepped closer to place the other four items in his arms, watching as he clinched the smaller canvas underneath his chin to keep it from falling. You would’ve laughed and offered to help until he got himself a bag or something, but the guy looked pretty content like this. Like it wasn’t his first time doing this…

“Are you collecting them?” The guy’s incomplete question left you raising a confused eyebrow at him, “Sorry, I saw you’re buying The Hobbit. It’s a pretty famous reprint, the covers are gorgeous, my best friend is collecting them so I assumed you are too.”

You glanced down at the book in your hand and bit your bottom lip, trying to brush off your embarrassment. Why were you feeling like this all of a sudden? It made no sense, but you didn’t want to leave a bad impression on the guy…even though his perception of you might already be fucked since this wasn’t your first time meeting.

“I’ve, uh, so, uhm, I have a to read list for books I’ve never read while growing up, so now I have a little tradition that I buy a book from the list each month and read it.” You spoke quickly, avoiding eye contact as the guy listened to your ramble. His intake of breath was sharp and you chanced a glance at his face, finding his eyes wide and his mouth rounded.

“Wait. Are you saying you haven’t read The Hobbit before?!” He sounded incredulous and alarmed, and your cheeks grew hot once again, actually managing to sour your mood a bit. Not having read the book didn’t make you less by any means, but you had a feeling this guy was well-versed in literature, so it felt like a jab and even a subtle scrutinising.

“Yeah, not everyone likes reading while growing up…” Your tone grew cold and voice snappish as you continued to avoid eye contact, looking towards the front desk so that maybe the guy would get the hint that you were done with this conversation. But it didn’t actually surprise you that he continued speaking without noticing you didn’t want to keep conversing anymore.

“That’s totally cool, my brother hated comic books growing up and now he’s obsessed with them.” The guy chuckled, expression innocent and tone genuinely excited, “I think you’ll love the book, it’s filled with adventure and otherworldly creatures. It’s a nice step back from our grim reality, I feel like you need that right now.”

Okay, there he was assuming again that he could just…psychoanalyse you or whatever, “Can you stop doing that? I’m not a painting you can interpret to your liking.”

The guy blinked, face going blank before his cheeks flushed, his gaze averted now from yours, “I…have I been doing it all this time?”

“Ever since we’ve met.” Your answer was sharp and quick and the guy blushed even more.

“Oh, sorry, I just…I’ll stop doing that,” Then he smiled awkwardly and held eye contact with you, “I’m Hongjoong, by the way, I don’t remember introducing myself.”

Because he hadn’t. You repeated his name in your head, finding yourself liking the sound of it, it seemed like a fitting name for him. You hummed, extending your hand.

“I’m Y/N.” But you and Hongjoong glanced down at your extended hand and then his occupied ones at the same time, chuckles leaving your mouths as he seemed flustered.

“I’m shake your hand the next time we see other.”

“If there will be a next time.”

“I quite like the pub you work at, pretty barista.” You cleared your throat and avoided looking at him because as corny as it was, it kind of made your heart flutter. What was happening? The chiming of the doorbell reminded you that it was time you left and took care of other errands you had in your schedule, but before you could say goodbye to Hongjoong, he asked a question that took you off guard, “Wanna grab a cup of coffee with me?”

Then he turned sideways, nodding towards the adjoined café, and you hesitated for a second. You could actually slip in a little time to have coffee with him, but you felt reluctant. You had met him at the pub, after all, and you still couldn’t decide what type of person he was. Of course, he was handsome, and so far, has showed a good character, but there were little moments when he somehow managed to ruin everything with his words. And he was still a complete stranger, so, listening to your rational mind, you slowly shook your head.

“I don’t like coffee, but thanks!” Your smile was easy, Hongjoong’s face morphed into something knowing as he hummed with a nod.

“Sure, I’m glad I caught you here.” Then, as you were about to take off, he added, “The pretty barista now has a name, I can say my morning was successful.”

You tried to huff and look irked, but the blush betrayed you. You just shook your head before heading for the front desk, “Goodbye, Hongjoong.”

“See ya!” His smile was radiant as he turned around and headed for the café instead, and you realised he was underdressed because he had come from the coffee shop, his things already there. And with Hongjoong on your mind, you followed his distinctive walk as he sauntered over to his table with an elegancy yet swagger you hadn’t seen before.

Now, a week ago you probably would have said no to a preposition that involved you following home a complete stranger whose name you had known for a maximum of four days, but tonight had been literal shit and you were on the verge of tears when Hongjoong had sauntered over to the bar, his Chesire like smile blinding. You had one more hour left of your shift and you’d be clocking out, not even staying behind to help Hani clean up. Your cramps were terrible and a guy who hit on you for the whole night had spilt his drink on your favourite blouse, calling you a bitch as well for shunning him away, so, when you saw Hongjoong approach the bar with mischief in his eyes, you were ready to scream at him and tell him to get lost. Except that you didn’t do all that because his question completely threw you off guard.

“Y/N, do you like art?” He had a rolled-up joint resting at his ear, his hair pulled to the side and clipped back with colourful hair clips. Your laugh that bubbled past your lips sounded incredulous and tired, but you nodded.

“I do, do you want something to drink?” Hongjoong shook his head, leaning across the bar despite it being wet from spilt alcohol.

“When does your shift end?”

“In an hour.”

“Wanna see some of my art?” Then Hongjoong grinned, looking proud of himself, “I’m a painter.”

Something came over you and didn’t even let you ponder over your decision, “Do you have weed?”

The answer was obvious as you glanced at the joint and Hongjoong laughed, tilting his head in a way that sharpened his features under the neon lights of the pub.

“Obviously, got some on me right now. Want some?” Not while you were working, afterwards, however, you were free to do whatever.

“After my shift, yeah.”

“Cool, I’ll meet you in the back. See ya.”

And that’s how you ended up at Hongjoong’s apartment, not even ten minutes away from the pub. Your feet ached and your cramps were so bad you felt like doubling over and emptying your already empty stomach, but you tried to hold yourself together in front of Hongjoong. There was a nervous flutter in your chest as you had followed him up the steel staircase, the building old and dodgy. However, the second you walked inside his studio apartment, it felt like you had entered a different realm. He was the true definition of an artist, you came to realise, with canvas strewn around the apartment, most finished but some blank, oil paint tainting the wooden floor and even the walls. The colours were neutral, beige with a slip of sage green here and there, the curtains sheer and pulled to the side as Hongjoong hurried over to the windows to push them open. There was an earthy smell in the air mixed with something sweet like vanilla, and you couldn’t help but marvel at the cosiness of Hongjoong’s studio. You recognised a few prints on the walls, they were the paintings of well-known painters who no longer lived, and the d��cor Hongjoong had used was rather vintage than modern. His huge wardrobe was open, and he pushed the door closed with little care as he picked up a hoodie off the floor. You were surprised he even owned one of those.

You flinched when it collided against your head, confused as to why he had thrown it at you. Hongjoong chuckled as he shrugged his coat off, trying to tidy his messy bed but quickly giving up when he realised you didn’t look like you cared. Truthfully, your apartment wasn’t in a better shape, the dishes in the sink had been there for three days and your bathroom was in dire need of a deep clean.

“We can’t smoke weed with closed windows, so it’ll get colder.” Hongjoong suddenly explained, shrugging on a cardigan that looked very soft, “Wear my hoodie, it’ll keep you warm.”

You hummed, glancing down at it before you stepped out of your shoes, shrugging your jacket off and wearing the hoodie. Its scent was sweet but potent with something musky, and you blushed as your nose buried into its fabric, drinking in its soft material.

“Make yourself feel at home!” Hongjoong grinned, walking over to the small kitchen section to grab two cups, “Do you want tea?”

You shook your head as you walked towards the small bean bag, pushing it with your leg to try and get it more gathered together. And then, just as you were about to sink into the chair, you heard a faint sound come from the kitchen. You turned your head and were met with a small black creature blinking at you in wonder.

“You have a cat?” You asked in surprise, staring back at the little pet. Hongjoong chuckled, looking down at his pet as the electric kettle started whistling.

“Is it so surprising? I found him near a dumpster a few years ago, he’s been by my side ever since.” You couldn’t help but gaze at Hongjoong with admiration as he spoke, pouring hot water into his cup for the tea, “His name is Woo ‘cuz he reminds me of my friend. They are both rascals and really loud.”

As if on cue, the cat meowed loudly and you chuckled, finally easing yourself into the bean bag. Your lower back protested and your spine cracked as you allowed yourself to lean back, arching your back. You could’ve cried at the relief, thankful to finally be off your feet. You couldn’t wait for the weed, it would dull your cramps and help you ease up after the day you’ve had. You were probably in dire need of a shower since you smelled like alcohol, but you didn’t feel comfortable showering at a guy’s place you barely knew. Which, now that you thought more about it, realisation started setting in. You weren’t too smart for following Hongjoong home, but he had never creeped you out, so you decided to give him the benefit of the doubt tonight. You stared at the cat as Hongjoong mixed honey into his berry-flavoured tea, the warm mist hogging up his glasses. The cat, still at Hongjoong’s side, stared back at you and then slowly walked towards you, its head tilted in wonder. You smiled at it and let it smell your fingers, taking you off guard when it unceremoniously climbed into your lap, starting to make biscuits against your lower abdomen.

“Ah, of course, you’re already in the lap of the pretty barista.” Hongjoong mused with an amused smile on his lips, “You take after Wooyoung more than one would think.”

You had no idea who this Wooyoung guy was, but it sounded like he was a flirt if Hongjoong wasn’t bluffing.

“I like your apartment,” You blurted out as you started petting the cat, smiling down at it when it started purring, “It’s got character, much like you.”

“That’s the first time you said something completely honest to me.” Your eyebrows furrowed as you looked up at Hongjoong, the joint from his ear now gone as he grabbed some matches to light it up. You didn’t think that was true, but you didn’t say anything as Hongjoong came nearer, sitting down on the floor across from you. You looked at him as he took a long whiff of his joint, then extended his arm for you to take the weed. It’s been quite a while since you smoked any, you knew it would hit you faster, but you hoped it wasn’t too strong or you’d become sick. You took a careful drag of it as Woo settled into a slumber in your lap, and the earthy taste of it made you grimace. But you kept the smoke in your lungs for a bit before exhaling, taking another drag as Hongjoong watched you with a lazy smile. He looked so…handsome. You’ve had a few days to yourself to think about Hongjoong after your encounter in the art store, and you realised you were attracted to him. It was mostly physical since you liked his looks, but his brutally honest character also had you intrigued even if you’d get offended at times by what he was saying.

“I find it hilarious that you decided to come home with me after you declined to have coffee.” Your eyes met Hongjoong’s quickly just as you were about to hand over the joint, “Do you really don’t drink coffee? Or did you just want to get rid of me that day?”

“I…” You licked your lips as Hongjoong took the joint from you, grinning as he took a long drag once again, “Both, actually. I just…I don’t know you well enough and we’ve also met at the pub, I don’t like meddling with clients. Those frat boys are horny and only want to sleep with me.”

“Good thing I’m not a frat boy then, right, Woo?” Hongjoong grinned and ruffled the slumbering cat’s fur, looking back at you with an understanding look, “I’ll be done with my master’s degree in just a few months.”

You hummed, picking at the sleeve of Hongjoong’s hoodie before you saw the joint handed to you again, “And after that? What do you plan on doing?”

Suddenly, Hongjoong had a pensive look on his face as he leaned back on his arms, staring up at the ceiling. You took shorter drags of the joint now but kept the smoke in your lungs until it started burning.

“I want to travel the world, visit art galleries and drink a lot of expensive wine.” That didn’t sound bad at all, Hongjoong continued before you could tell him, “It’s hard breaking into the industry as a painter even though some realtors have already approached me to buy my paintings and put them on display.”

“And? What did you say to them?” You felt genuinely curious, the cat sighed loudly in your lap and Hongjoong looked at you two, reaching out for the joint. Your fingertips brushed together and Hongjoong’s hands felt too cold, but you didn’t comment on it.

“I turned them down,” Hongjoong smiled, but it looked almost sad before he shrugged, taking a drag, “I don’t want just anyone owning my creations. I want someone who understands what’s on that canvas to contact me, I want someone who genuinely loves art and isn’t just doing it for the money. It’s hard to find people like that nowadays, but I’m willing to wait as long as it takes…even if that makes me broke.”

Hongjoong scoffed out a chuckle, sounding bitter by the end of his sentence. For someone who was so good at reading others and commenting on their lives, Hongjoong seemed to be having his own demons he had to fight. You hummed, closing your eyes for a second as you felt your muscles ease up, your cramps less torturous. You were glad the weed was slowly kicking in, your cramps would’ve had you crying if not.

“So how do you plan on travelling if you have no money?” Maybe the question was insensitive, but you were curious. Hongjoong didn’t take offence as he smiled, looking at you with sparkling eyes.

“There are art courses all around the world, I might sign up for one and leave, never look back…”

“Do you hate it here?” The question tumbled past your lips before you could stop yourself, “Because I don’t.”

Hongjoong didn’t look surprised as he nodded, handing back the joint so you could finish it. Three drags and it would be gone, so you took your time savouring it.

“It’s not the worst, but I don’t see much of a future for myself here.” So, Hongjoong was just like you then, “When are you leaving?”

“How did you know?” You sounded shocked as Hongjoong shrugged, averting his eyes.

“You and I are rather similar, you just fail to see it, Y/N.” Well, maybe he was right, maybe he wasn’t. You couldn’t read Hongjoong as well as he could read you, you needed more time to feel out his character.

“Six months and I’m out of here, never to come back if life’s kind to me.” Your voice was quiet as you didn’t look at Hongjoong, smoke wafting through your lips as you finished the joint. Hongjoong hummed, a low and warm sound, as he reached for the stud to take it from you. Your fingers brushed together once again, and you looked at Hongjoong when he held your wrist.

“You’re stronger than you think, you’ll make it big out there, Y/N, have more faith in yourself.” You found yourself smiling now, head a little hazy as you nodded, finding it easier to believe whatever Hongjoong told you.

“You’re the artist between the two of us, you’re the one supposed to make it big.” Hongjoong chuckled and stood, headed for the kitchen.

“Can’t we both make it big?” He raised an eyebrow as he threw the stud away, turning around to face you. You hummed, not entirely agreeing with him, but you decided to nod. Then, Hongjoong turned towards where his bed was and grinned, “You’re here to see some art, no?”

“Right, I almost forgot about that.” Hongjoong chuckled, then beckoned you over. You grabbed the cat in your lap and pressed a kiss against its small head, placing it on the bean bag in your spot. Your feet felt light as you headed towards Hongjoong, who had sauntered over to the desk pressed up against the wall underneath the open windows. He turned the small lamp on, and suddenly you were looking at small canvases filled with colour and abstract shapes. Somehow they looked like an organised mess, even in the overflowing swirl of colours, you managed to find a pattern that seemed to never end like a loop. You turned your head to look at Hongjoong, and suddenly you realised his art was a perfect reflection of who he was.

“I can tell you made these.” Perhaps phrasing it like that was offensive, but Hongjoong only looked curious. He hummed, raising an eyebrow.

“How come?” His voice was quiet, curious.

“I can see you in these.” You pointed at the canvas with orange and yellow as the more prominent colours, circling a deep blue that looked almost black, “The blue is you at your core, dark and perhaps scared of the world. And then all that orange and yellow? I think that’s how you see the world, how you wish it treated you, hoping it would lighten all that darkness that looms over you all the time. And this one? I wonder if it was a coincidence you hid so many infinity symbols in the background, this burgundy is gorgeous, by the way. I think everyone is afraid of disappearing without leaving a trace of themselves in this fucked up world, and I actually…I admire you for being so honest and straightforward, very few people are like you.”

Hongjoong’s eyebrows were furrowed the longer you spoke, but he remained silent as you smiled, looking down at the white canvas, unfinished but with light blue swirls creating the illusion of a clear sky, “I wonder what this will turn into. So far, it reminds me of serenity, of the calm before a storm. Life’s like that too, don’t you think? It’s quiet and gentle, and then it turns into a scary thing that can destroy us if we let it.”

Hongjoong just gulped, his eyes clouded but his heart racing. He was positive no one had been able to interpret his art for what it was before, and he wondered how much of him you could see through his eyes if you could read so well what the trail of his brush had left on a blank canvas. It made him feel seen like never before, not even his biggest supporter, Wooyoung, could see beyond Hongjoong’s intentions when he sat down to paint, to tell the world his pain and rage, yearning for someone to just finally see him.

“You’re…” Hongjoong gulped, his throat feeling dry as you smiled at him, curious if you’d been right, “You are a person I should cherish more from now on.”

Your eyebrows raised in surprise, your heart skipping a beat once again. What did he mean by saying that? You wanted to ask, but Hongjoong stepped closer, his tone breathy as he spoke up again, “‘Whoever wants to know something about me – as an artist which alone is significant – they should look attentively at my pictures and there seek to recognize what I am and what I want’…that’s what Gustav Klimt once said. And so far, you are the only person who’s managed to do that.”

Your mouth gaped open, and you both heard Woo stretch and meow loudly, his soft footsteps loud as he walked towards Hongjoong’s bed, jumping up and finding a new spot to sleep. You didn’t know what to say back to that, but you felt your heart race as your cheeks flushed, shy all of a sudden. Hongjoong was looking at you with a softness no man has looked at you with, it was a bit hard to take it all in without freaking yourself out that this wasn’t real, that it was just the weed, or that maybe Hongjoong wasn’t as genuine as his expression showed.

“Y/N,” You didn’t flinch when his hand wrapped around your wrist, his tone still soft, “I think you already know that I find you pretty, and I…I might have gone to that dingy pub for so long just to see you, actually.”

Those words had your heart racing even wilder as you looked up, finding Hongjoong’s face closer to yours as his eyes now bore into yours, “I should’ve been more specific when I asked you to have coffee with me. I meant to ask you out on a date, but I panicked because I knew I had slightly upset you, but…”

He gulped nervously and you felt so curious to hear what more he had to say, perhaps a smile would encourage him, so that’s what you did, offered him a small friendly smile. He released a breath and cleared his throat, his hand slipping from your wrist to your hand, “Can I kiss you?”

If this was anyone else but Hongjoong, your answer would have been an instant no. But the longer you looked into his eyes, the more excited and giddy you felt, so you just nodded your head and licked your lips, trying to ignore the deep flush of your cheeks. Hongjoong chuckled, suddenly looking shy, but he started leaning in, his eyes fluttering closed just as your lips met. It was careful, it was sweet and it made your heart roar as you stepped just a bit closer, your noses brushing together as your lips moved slowly and carefully, mostly just testing out the waters. Hongjoong’s lips were soft and sweet, and surprisingly didn’t taste like weed but like peaches. You wondered if he used any sort of lip balm to have them taste like that. His hand settled on your cheek and he gently caressed your cheekbone with his thumb, making your heart roar once again. It’s been long since someone had treated you with such gentleness, and you told yourself to remain level-headed, but it would be just so easy to fall in love with Hongjoong. You couldn’t help but smile as you two pulled apart, Hongjoong tried to hide his own grin as he sucked his lips together, but his eyes gave him away. You chuckled and he giggled, and suddenly you felt the urge to pull him into a hug.

“So,” He cleared his throat as he let his arms rest around your torso loosely, “If you don’t like coffee, what do you like?”

“Delicious cakes.” You didn’t hesitate to answer and Hongjoong chuckled, patting your head.

“Well then, would you like to go on a delicious cake-hunting date with me?” You closed your eyes to contain your excitement, but the weed had not only eased your muscles but your always worrying mind as well.

“Yes!” You didn’t mean to squeal, but it was hard not to when Hongjoong startled giggling sweetly once again, nodding his head.

“Good, I’ll make sure we find the best spots in the city then.”

And perhaps not just in the city, but also in foreign countries while you attended Hongjoong’s art expositions, an expensive bottle of wine waiting for the two of you back at the hotel.

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