#this scene makes me feel things 😮‍💨

[ronearoundblindly]

Big Pharma

Steve Rogers x doctor!Reader

Written for @stargazingfangirl18's Birthday Bonenanza--HAPPY BDAY, SIRI!--using the scenario prompt ~quick, frantic, secret sex in an almost public place + babe's hand over your mouth to keep you quiet~ and the dialogue prompt "goddamnit, will you just f***ing let me do this for you?" with free use kink for good measure. Why not?

Summary: The extreme drug cocktail you devise to save Steve Rogers has one major side effect.

Warnings for smut 🥴, sorta dub-con because it's like sex pollen, F E E L S, Steve being the most chivalrous gentleman while railing you (do it for your country, babes 🫡), completely unintentional dirty talk from Steve but 😮‍💨 we'll allow it, Tony being Tony, and--as always-- terrible puns. (There are no mentions of any medical instruments, except an IV, which is not used.) MINORS DNI. This is a mature gift work; see my Light Masterlist for all-age fanfic that is fine for minors. WC 2k

The constant photoflash burns into your retinas obnoxiously, and you’re not even the subject of the paparazzi.

Captain America is alive—all thanks to you—though he could easily have been six-feet under by now. The mysterious infection was so bad and spread so far, the drug regimen you administered constitutes one of the Avengers’ biggest Hail Marys to date, but it’s working. That’s all that matters…to the world. Behind the scenes is a different story.

As Captain Rogers turns to the next hand he must shake, his sharp blue eyes find you, twinged with a familiar fear.

This stupid event scheduled by Stark to boost morale, to show Cap is just fine and back in fighting form, has gone on too long. It’s happening again.

You worried Rogers might not make it when suddenly Stark showed up hours earlier than the initial, planned press conference—because, of course, there’s meet-and-greets, quick interviews, and these damn handshakes. He’s only gone so long between treatments for the last week.

You nod at Cap and make your way in the small crowd back to Stark. You tell him you’ll need a room, somewhere private to put in the IV, and at least thirty minutes to administer the huge dose. Rogers’s super-metabolism makes it necessary to use approximately forty times the prescription average for antibiotics and steroids. In theory, the side effects are well worth his speedy recovery.

Well, the only side effect.

Stark looks horrendously annoyed. “Can’t you just shoot him up with it and be done?” He doesn’t need your lecture repeated though. “Fine, there’s a greenroom thing over there, but you’ve got fifteen minutes at most, you hear me?”

“Twenty-five, Mr. Stark. He’s not a water balloon.”

“Twenty or he can wheel the damn thing around with him.”

You gulp in nervousness, but the problem isn’t Stark’s attitude. Rogers isn’t going to like rushing this. He feels shame enough already.

“I’ll make it work,” you assure the stubborn playboy. If he only knew…

“Good. A team player. We value that here.”

You have no fucking idea how ironic that is, you scream internally, but you follow him to a door off a back hallway, a room that shares a wall with the space all those people are gathered, and thank Stark.

“Oh good, he’s heard the dog-whistle of treat time,” Tony quips, and you swivel to see Cap trailing behind you.

He’s already made his excuses to step away, too. It must be bad.

You’re sure to pull out your props of a saline drip and tubing from your bag while Tony can still see, but you drop the act the instant the door clicks shut.

Cap take one step forward to flip the lock, immediately unzipping the fly of his iconic leather suit.

See, the only side effect of the drugs is Rogers gets hard, often, and can’t find relief from his efforts alone. Through trial-and-error, the clear solution has been help—discretely—from the only medical professional allowed around him until his condition improved.

Of course, he fought it. Of course, you wanted to preserve his dignity. Of course, you tried to keep it as perfunctory, methodical, and uninspired as possible, but the thing is, that didn’t last.

The more distant and cold the experience, the faster he became desperate and wanting again, and now you have just twenty minutes to make sure Captain America can hold out for hours.

Steve, you remind yourself. He prefers you not use respectful address when engaging is what he deems entirely disrespectful behavior. 

You need to get him off in essentially no time at all, so you’ve decided: go big or go home.

Bag tossed to the floor, you unbutton your pants and shimmy out of everything from shoes to panties, letting the longer tail of your dress shirt barely cover your modesty.

Steve looks dumbfounded. It’s bad enough he has to run to you for a handy every few hours, but this?

“Doc, no,” he breaths.

“I understand the procedure,” you say calmly, echoing his harrowing consent from that first night he needed you.

Steve’s brow furrows in strain. “We shouldn’t…”

‘We’ are way past ‘shouldn’t,’ buddy.

“Can’t ask you to…“ but he also knows time’s a wasting.

He’s already fisting himself, struggling to be the gentleman he never stopped being, which at the moment is a huge problem because both of you need to get through the day—you without losing your job and him without popping a boner on national television.

It’s your job to break him and break him right now.

“Goddamnit, will you just fucking let me do this for you?”

There’s a flat smack on the door.

“Do whatever the lady wants and then get back out here,” Tony yells from the other side. “Put us all out of our misery,” he ends with a grumble.

That is by far the most helpful thing Stark has said in the last week, so you mouth “see” and begin undoing your blouse from the bottom, giving Steve his first peek of you. His hand speeds along his length, adam’s apple bobbing in concentration.

“Here, I’ll make it easy for you,” you whisper. You walk to the far corner of the room, put your hands up, shirt rising over your bare ass, and face the wall. Your voice is soothing, pleading even. “Just take what you need.”

In some ways, you feel responsible for his predicament. You are the prescribing doctor, he isn’t in a relationship where a partner could assist, and he insists no one else know. He doesn’t deserve to be poked and prodded more than necessary, and you can’t give him any other meds in combination. None of it is his fault same as none of it is yours. You only intended to heal him.

Truthfully though, none of this is just about his release anymore, much as you’d like to dismiss your feelings.

You can’t deny, however, that each time the air gets a little thicker with tension, the body language a little more intimate. Steve has kept his eyes open, clutched your free hand to his chest, rolled his hips open, and thrust up into your fist. The greater the satisfaction of his climax, the longer he retains control.

“When this is over…I swear,” he grits out, getting closer word by word until his deep voice is right by your ear.

He tugs your shirt up to dip his fingers between your legs. “Been smelling you for two days. Can’t do anything until—” Steve growls, feeling how slick you’ve become in anticipation “—you’re ready for me.” 

His concern washes away when two fingers easily breech you to the knuckle and are immediately replaced by the blunt head of his cock dragging between your folds.

You didn’t expect him to give in so fast. You didn’t expect him to have known this aroused you. The idea he might want to continue, to go further, races down your spine, following the opposite path of Steve leaning into you. His forehead presses your occipital as yours presses the wall. The heat of him makes you arch in luxurious proximity.

Steve fucking forward to enter you in one smooth motion makes you forget to be quiet, but before the whole shout of ecstasy escapes, his hand covers your mouth.

“Shhh, Doc,” he breathes at the base of your neck. “Be good for me.”

That only gets you moaning into the seam of his gloves.

His hips start a staccato rhythm, a second of loud friction for each second of silent, fulfilling pressure.

Steve slips his still wet fingers under your shirt and beneath the cup of your bra to swirl a smooth pattern over your nipple. Instead of voicing your approval, you shove yourself back into him faster.

You notice the muffled chatting of Tony and someone else outside while your eyes roll. The slap of your skin against the Cap suit becomes the loudest thing in the room, but that’s not what Steve minds.

He pulls out and spins you around, pausing to see the cream you’ve created at the base of him drip to the carpet below.

Deep sea eyes meet yours through golden lashes.

“If I can’t hear you…” Steve hoists you up to his waist, threading one arm through the bend in your knee, spreading you wide and diving in swiftly.

Your body curls forward automatically to grasp at him and smother yourself in the leather of his shoulder pad. This pace is much faster, purposeful, utterly unravelling you. The position delivers more range of motion, all of the buildup and less of the noise, with the added benefit of his tool belt nudging your clit repeatedly.

Tony pounds on the door. “‘Bout done in there, guys? Let’s go.” How apt, the unknowing jester.

Steve pants, open-mouthed, against your temple.

You smile but can’t stop your own ruin.

A groan gets buried in your disheveled hair. “Are you…close?” His hips snap brutally. “Are you—“ he sounds wrecked “—you gonna…come on my—uungh.”

You tip over the edge, clutching him tight and fluttering for him in every way. The detonation of your orgasm burns red behind your eyelids like camera flashes, a dirty snapshot for you alone.

“Mercy,” Steve begs, gripping your ass to rut into you, desperate to join. His neck tenses as he spills inside you, pulse throbbing in time with his cock. 

He leans against you and the wall, his steady weight stilling your shaky legs. Slowly, your feet are guided to the floor and Steve steps away to wipe away any evidence of his ‘therapeutic treatment.’ His breathing settles much faster than yours, and by the time he’s tucked back in with his suit righted, you’re simply sliding down the wall to catch up.

He hurries over to the small vanity and mini fridge—usually ‘guests’ for speaking (or interrogating) wait here—to bring you supplies.

A box of tissues is set by your side.

“So…” he hands you a bottle of water “…maybe…dinner tonight?” 

You set the water down in favor of cleaning yourself, glancing up to offer a reassuring dismissal. “This morning was your last dose,” you remind him. “It should be over soon.”

Steve may not need this anymore, may never need you again, but he doesn’t miss a single beat.

“I’d like—I want to take you some place nice, but…” He chugs his whole water then quickly unclasps the glove on his left hand, rolling up his sleeve, veins jumping over a thick forearm.

“I don’t know what food you enjoy.”

Arguably, he knows a few other things that you enjoy.

There’s another impatient bang at the door.

“I—“ Your heart soars with the soft sincerity of his face, no trace of fear left behind, no hesitation. “I’m gonna need a minute.”

Steve stands, smoothing a hand over his hair. “I’ll lock it behind me…and, um, thank you, Doc.”

It’s the first time he hasn’t apologized this whole week.

“You’re welcome, sir.”

Steve flashes you a dopey smile and shakes his head. “See you out there,” he chuckles.

You can’t be seen when the door opens just enough for Steve to step out, but he makes a show of rolling the suit’s sleeve back down like he really did have an IV infusion, selling the lie like a pro. He keeps Tony talking while shutting you back into your debauched bubble.

Through the wall, you still hear “could you have gone any slower?” followed by a curt, “yes,” and have to stifle a laugh.

“What’d you do, blow a vein?”

You’re picturing an incredibly ironic look on Captain Rogers’ face.

“Just be grateful she puts up with us, Tony…” and their voices disappear down the hall.

His treatment may be finished, but Steve wants you to stick around. He wants you.

Would having dinner with that man really be so terrible? No. Not at all. Even the ‘worst’ of this situation has been a great fucking experience. You don’t want to give that up yet.

It seems you’re both addicted now.

[Main Masterlist; Steve Rogers One-Shots; Ko-Fi]

[thelargefrye]

BECAUSE I'M HIM ... mature one - shot (21+) | PART I

pairing : supe!ateez x supe!villain!f!reader ( ft. supe!villain!sanhwa x supe!villain!f!reader )

genre : dark, mature, heroes and villains, demon slayer x mha inspired, angst

word count : 24k

warnings : language, a lot... a LOT of fight scenes 😮‍💨, death / murder, blood / body gore, suicide, choking, attempted murder, the government wouldn't do that to you - oh yes they would, mass killing (a whole island gets wiped out – not in detail and only mentioned), MAJOR character deaths, cannibalism (kind of), mention human sacrifice, any korean that appears might be inaccurate

smut warnings : unprotected sex, pain kink, wound... fingering (I CAN EXPLAIN), handjob

listen to the official soundtrack here

note : for topaz's @sanjoongie YOTV collab – had so much fun planning this and writing it, thank you for allowing me to be apart of this collab and i hope you enjoy it! please make sure to check out the other fics for this collab with the masterlist!

also thank you to @anyamaris for letting me word vomit this to you!

with the hero association struggling to take down the villain alliance, they and the government force death row villains to team up with some of the world's greatest heroes in order to hunt down and defeat them. you are one of those villains.

ACT I: THE FINAL SELECTION

maximum security prison – interrogation room – day

the briefing room was sterile and cold. not only that but filled with tension that it could be easily cut with a knife. the seven heroes in the room along with the two hero association agents stood in a line, waiting. their hero uniforms were sharp and pristine – like they had never experienced being in a fight before. some of them exchanged wary glances, waiting for their captain to speak up. 

some of the wary glances focus on said captain, hongjoong, as he lets out an annoyed sigh, arms crossed and a scowl on his face, “i still think this is a mistake. we don’t need some damn villains on our team.” 

“maybe we should hear the reasoning first,” jongho says calmly as he leans against the wall and gestures to the two agents who are whispering amongst themselves, “they must have a plan after all.” 

wooyoung let out an annoyed tsk at the youngest member’s words, “seriously? whose bright idea was it to bring in villains? we’re supposed to be heroes, not babysitters.” 

“or they’re just desperate,” yeosang sounds a little skeptical before he’s glancing at yunho, “yunho, you… you knew y/n, didn’t you? before you became a hero?” 

“yeah. we… we grew up together. went to school together too,” he answers, his body stiffening slightly at the mention of you and your… past together. 

“and you’re only bringing that up now? feels like a pretty important detail,” wooyoung says, looking at yunho was a raised eyebrow. he was suspicious of why yunho would exclude ever telling the team this information. 

the top hero looks at wooyoung, “it’s not relevant. that was years ago,” he says, defensively, but why? was he trying to defend himself or you? 

“not relevant?” hongjoong speaks up this time, “you sure about that? she turned into a villain, killed a bunch of people at vanguard, yunho. makes me wonder if you missed the warning signs back then.” 

yunho clenches his fist, eyes shooting a glare at his captain, but mingi steps in, “alright, that’s enough. no reason to randomly start pointing fingers.” 

wooyoung turns his head, “still doesn’t mean this is right. we shouldn’t be working with people who are on fucking death row of all things,” he says under his breath. 

“we don’t have to like it, but you know the villain alliance is escalating. if bringing in these three gives us an edge, we can’t afford to turn it down.” 

“of course you would be on the side of bringing the villains in, yeosang,” wooyoung says, eyes glaring at his friend, teammate, “just because they have dark powers like yours doesn’t mean they are like you.” yeosang’s ears burn a bright red as his eyes look down to the floor, avoiding the others uneasy glances.

the tension in the room hangs heavy, with yunho shifting uncomfortably as the others cast sidelong glances at him. the door opens, breaking the moment and yunho internally sighs in relief, as the three villains – seonghwa, san, and you – are escorted inside by armed guards. your gray prison uniforms are a stark contrast to the heroes’ pristine, clean ones. yunho’s eyes focus in on the thick collars around your necks, a dim, red light pulsing faintly – prisoner control devices. you are further restrained with a sleek, heavy, metal helmet that entirely covers your head and face. yunho is sure that you can’t see out of it at all. 

“this is ridiculous. putting them on our team?” hongjoong says once more, scowl growing even deeper. 

“by order of the hero association, you’re to work together,” one of the agents said, fixing their glasses, “the villain alliance is escalating – demon appearances are increasing, dangerously, you’ll need their help. villains are better suited to take down other villains afterall.” 

your head tilts slightly, sensing the hostility in the room despite being unable to see it. seonghwa and san exchange quick glances, their body language guarded. 

“this is a bad idea. they’re basically just as dangerous as the demons,” jongho whispers quietly from the other side of yunho. 

“we don’t have a choice,” yunho says back, trying his best to sound neutral; however, he can’t tear his eyes away from you. all he can do is picture you from six years ago, before the hero association and public claimed you to be one of the worst villains alive. 

the other agent steps forward, their presence commanding attention as they begin to speak, “we’ve gathered intel that the villain alliance has been growing exponentially with more and more demons popping up. they are also reported to have a ranking system with the top demons known as the twelve moons. these twelve demons are the alliance’s most strongest aside from their leader – nicha yontararak, is powerful. we don’t know the exact extent of her powers yet. which is why these three,” they say pointing to you and the other two villains, “are some of our strongest villains we have on death row. they’ve… agreed to cooperate.” 

wooyoung can’t help but let out a snicker at the agent’s words, “‘agreed’? pretty sure those collars say otherwise.” 

“as if we want to help you all. i would rather happily stay in my cell and watch you all fail miserably,” san snaps back sharply. 

wooyoung steps forward, jaw clenched, “big words for someone in cuffs.” 

“careful, hero. the collars don’t stop us from speaking,” seonghwa says, his voice the complete opposite of san’s. like fire and ice. 

you remain silent, your head shifting slightly as if trying your best to track the conversation. the helmet not only robs you of your sight, but also most of your hearing. your restrained demeanor makes you an enigmatic presence amongst the three villains. 

“enough. we’re all here for the same reason,” yeosang says calmly, trying to de-escalate the situation before it grew even more hostile. was that even possible? he surely didn’t want to find out. 

“speak for yourself,” hongjoong scoffs.

the first agent speaks up again, “this isn’t up for debate. the decision is final. get them integrated into the team.” the guards step back but remain close, their hands on their weapons as if waiting for either villains or heroes to make the wrong move. the two agents turn to leave but the second one pauses at the door. 

“one last thing. these collars can and will neutralize them if they step out of line. you have our full authorization to engage them if necessary, captain hongjoong.” the agents exits the room, leaving a thick silence behind. the room feels suffocating with unspoken tension. 

“so, will you actually be able to help us? or is this just an eventual setup?” jongho asks, looking towards the villains. 

“we were in prison, not their meetings,” seonghwa deadpans at the youngest hero, “do we look like demons to you?” 

yunho finds himself stepping closer to you, “y/n? how… how have you been?” his voice is quiet and he cringes at how he sounds. why the hell would he ask you that? of course you haven’t been good, you’ve been in prison. 

you don’t answer him; however, choosing to remain silent which causes hongjoong to let out a laugh as if to ridicule yunho. yunho casts a quick glance at you. his jaw tightens, an unfamiliar guilt gnawing at him. he shifts uncomfortably, wondering if things could’ve been different – if he had done more, maybe tried harder to help you all those years ago. his fingers curl into fists before he looks away, swallowing his thoughts. 

“don’t waste your breath, yunho. she doesn’t care about any of this,” hongjoong says. 

san steps forward, tension rolling off his form, “watch your mouth,” he threatens with a clenched jaw. 

“or what?” hongjoong asks with a cold smile, “you can’t do anything without your leash.” 

before things could escalate further, mingi steps between them, raising his hands in a calming gesture. “we’re supposed to be working together. let’s not start killing each other before the real fight.” 

seonghwa places a hand on san’s shoulder, guiding him back a step. you tilt your head slightly, as if observing the dynamics despite your blindness. 

“this is going well,” yeosang says softly, the tension clearly making him on edge. 

“it’s gonna get worse,” wooyoung mutters. 

“then we’d better figure it out fast. the villain alliance isn’t going to wait for us to get along,” jongho says seriously as he looks around. 

ateez compound – common room – evening

the ateez compound is probably the nicest facility you’ve ever seen. its sleek in design and filled with every necessity a hero team might need and more: training rooms, living quarters, a common area with large couches, a television that actually worked, and a kitchen off to the side. the atmosphere, however, is anything but welcoming, you conclude. 

you sit in the corner of the common room, back against the wall, and your head finally free of that damn helmet that you had been forced to wear for six years in prison. seonghwa leans on the arm of one of the long couches, observing the room with an icy, detached look. san, sits cross-legged on the floor, tossing a small ball against the wall and catching it repeatedly. the three of you remain isolated, a rather stark contrast to the other heroes clustered together on the other side of the room. 

the air on the other side of the common area is heavy with an uneasy mix of silence and tension. hongjoong stands by the large window that overlooks the surrounding outside area of the compound, arms crossed, his sharp gaze darting towards the three villains every few seconds. his eyes stay on you a little longer, taking in your calm yet unreadable face. wooyoung leans against the wall near him, arms folded tightly, while yeosang and mingi quietly watch from the kitchen. 

jongho watches everyone from his spot on the other couch that isn’t occupied by seonghwa. yunho, perched on the edge of a chair, keeps glancing at you but says nothing. 

“i still can’t believe we have to live with them. it’s like inviting a time bomb into your house,” hongjoong grimaces. 

“more like three. pretty sure those collars won’t stop them if they decide to go rogue,” wooyoung snickers from beside him. 

“you don’t know that. maybe this could work if we actually tried,” mingi said, a little louder than he intended. hongjoong shifts his gaze to mingi, eyebrows raised. 

“tried? they’re not here to make friends, mingi. they’re here because the association thinks villains killing villains is easier than us doing it.” 

“it doesn’t mean they can’t be allies. everyone starts somewhere,” yeosang says calmly. 

wooyoung rolls his eyes at the red-haired hero’s words, “dark powers stick together, huh?” yeosang doesn’t respond to the obvious bait, but his jaw tightens. meanwhile, you tilt your head slightly, almost like you were listening. 

san catches his ball with an annoyed sigh, “we can hear you, you know.” he says flatly. 

“good,” wooyoung responds mockingly, “saves me the trouble of repeating myself.” 

“you’re very brave when you’re surrounded by your friends,” you suddenly speak up, breaking your silence. the room goes quiet at your words. this is the first time any of them have heard you speak and it sends an uneasy shiver down the heroes’ spines as you narrow your eyes over at wooyoung. an unexplainable energy feels like his chest when you make eye contact, and he opens his mouth to respond, but hongjoong puts a hand on his arm, shaking his head. the tension is palpable. 

the setting sun is the only thing warming the otherwise cold room, painting the usually white walls with an orange glow to it. 

ateez compound – rooftop – later that night

the rooftop of the compound offers a great view of the surrounding forest. you can see the city in the distance, the skyline blinking and it reminds you of the stars that are in the sky. yeosang stands at the edge, leaning on the railing looking out at said skyline. you join him, your movements quiet. 

“couldn’t sleep?” you ask, opting to not look at yeosang, but you could tell he was distracted. 

“no.” 

“figured,” you said, smirking lightly, “i guess the compound’s not as relaxing as it usually is, huh?”

yeosang doesn’t respond immediately. you shift a little, looking from him to the city where his eyes are. 

“do they… hate you too?” you asked quietly, as if you were worried that someone unwanted would overhear you. 

“what?” yeosang finally looks at you, a look of surprise on his face. 

“the others. your powers are different. they must notice.”

yeosang lets out an awkward cough as he considers your words for a moment, then shrugs. “i’ve gotten used to it. people are scared of what they don’t understand. it’s easier to focus on appearances instead.” 

“the public loves appearances more than powers,” you said absentmindedly and yeosang can’t help but agree. you hear him take a breath, like he was going to say something, but changes his mind. “what? just ask what you want.” 

“the helmet.”

“what about it?”

“why were you wearing it?”

“it was a security measure. the association learned that it was harder for me to use my powers if i couldn’t see, so… bye-bye sight,” you explain to him and yeosang frowns at your words. 

“the… hero association isn’t bad are they?” he asks and you remain quiet for a few moments before letting out a sigh. 

“not to you maybe, but i am what they label as a villain,” you say with a dry laugh. “so… yeah.” 

“right,” he says with a nod before he’s watching you step away from the edge and back towards the door. 

“make sure you get some sleep, yeosang, good night,” you say, leaving yeosang alone once again. 

“good night, y/n.”

ateez compound – training room – morning

the training room is dimly lit, walls lined with weapons and dummies. seonghwa is sitting on the floor, stretching, while yeosang practices his summoning abilities nearby. dark shadows twist and coil around him, taking the form of skeletal figures. you lean against the wall, watching yeosang’s power with mild interest. 

“so they kept you in solitary confinement?” yeosang asks, looking over to where you are leaning against the wall. 

“they didn’t trust me to not use my powers on the other prisoners,” you say rather flatly. 

“must have been… isolating,” he says with a small nod. 

your expression flickers for a moment before you shrug, “isolations not so bad when the company’s worse.”

seonghwa snorts softly, but there’s tension in his posture. jongho enters the room, his presence grounding. he surveys the scene before turning his attention to you. 

“they’re not wrong to be cautious. you’re powerful,” he says. 

“careful, jongho. almost sounds like a compliment,” you say with a smirk. 

“just an observation, but power doesn’t mean anything without control.”

seonghwa’s eyes flicker to you, a shadow of concern in his expression. before anyone can respond, yeosang’s shadowy figure lunges towards a dummy, striking it with force. the sound echoes, breaking the tension.

“you ever think about what you’d be doing if you weren’t here? if things were different?” yeosang asks rather casually that it almost makes you laugh at how easy-going and innocent his demeanor is. 

you hesitate, your gaze turning hazing and distant for a moment, “sometimes. doesn’t change anything, though.” 

seonghwa exchanges a glance with jongho, unspoken thoughts hanging heavy in the air. 

ateez compound – outdoor training grounds – day

the outdoor training grounds are sprawling, surrounded by high fences in order to protect the compound from any unwanted visitors and allow its residents to easily overlook the gray sky. you and yunho are standing opposite each other on the sparring mat, the rest of the team watching from the sidelines. hongjoong has said that him and the others should get a feel of what they are working with when it comes to you, seonghwa, and san. of course, you know he thinks he’s just wasting his time. if wooyoung not voicing the fact loudly didn’t tell you anything. 

“you ready?” yunho asks awkwardly, but when is he not awkward with you? 

“always,” you reply flatly. 

the two of you begin sparring, your movements sharp and calculated. yunho hesitates, his strikes lacking conviction and passion. you take advantage of this, knocking him off balance. 

“what’s wrong, number one hero? afraid to hit me?” you taunt him. 

yunho regains his footing, his jaw tightening, “of course not,” he says defensively. he lungs forward, but you counter effortlessly, your power flickering subtly around you – small bouts of red lightning appearing. yunho falters, his mind clouded with static. flashes of a memory – unclear and fragmented – flicker in his mind. he stumbles, clutching his head. 

you pause, brows furrowing, “yunho?” 

before you can approach, mingi’s voice cuts through the haze. “yunho! you okay?” yunho straightens, shaking off the disorientation.

“i’m fine,” he says, brushing it off like nothing happened. 

you step back, your expression guarded. the sparring session resumes, but the tension is heavier now. yunho is more aggressive in his movements, as if trying to prove something, but your skills thankfully keep you ahead. 

“enough! this isn’t a fight to the death,” hongjoong says from the sidelines.

yunho steps back, breathing heavily. you lower your guard, gaze lingering on him. “you’re holding back,” you say quietly. 

yunho doesn’t respond, turning away. the team disperses, the unresolved tension hanging over them like a storm cloud. 

ateez compound – common room – evening

mingi and yeosang are playing a game of cards at the table while seonghwa reads a book on the couch nearby. san lounges not too far from him, watching the game with mild interest. you sit in the corner by the window, eyes glued to the nature surrounding the compound. a flock of crows fly by and they have you entranced for a moment. 

“you’re terrible at this,” mingi says to yeosang with a large grin on his face. 

“i’m letting you win,” yeosang deadpans back at the light-user. 

you glance away from the window, your gaze flickering between them and their cards. 

“he cheats, you know,” you say, directing your words to yeosang. the handsome hero looks towards his teammate with wide, shocked eyes which makes mingi gasps, feigning offense. 

“i do not!” he shrieks out, this causes san to chuckle from his seat as seonghwa looks up from his book, a faint smirk on his face. you know moments of peace like this are brief, but you can’t help but feel this is a small step towards a hopeful unity. 

if only the others were like mingi and yeosang…  

ateez compound – training room – night

you’ve grown use to hearing the hum of the machinery in the training room over the short amount of time you’ve been here. it echoing and bouncing off the walls and sparring mats. you stood near the edge of the large sparring mat, back against the wall with seonghwa next to you. his arms crossed and his shoulder brushing against yours as he whispers quiet words into your ear. the quiet promises of something later making you let out a small smile. 

san sits across from you all on the floor, stretching, his broad shoulders even more prominent in the black tank top he’s wearing. he can’t help the soft grin that graces his lips as he watches you and seonghwa. “that definitely looks like training.”  

you turn to look at the blood user, grinning softly, “i think we’ve had enough training for one day.”

seonghwa hums in agreement, tilting his head towards you slightly, “i agree. i’d rather just be here.” 

san lets out a chuckle, rising to his feet and stepping closer to the two of you. he stops just next to you, his hands brushing lightly over your arms and it sends a chill down your spine. 

“i think you look better when you’re not fighting,” san teases, making you laugh. 

“i don’t fight all the time,” you say, rolling your eyes a little bit at his words, “you were always the one starting fights in prison. i was too busy being held in solitary confinement.”

“and you only came out when they threw san in,” seonghwa says, making san send a glare over the other male. 

you notice seonghwa watches you and san with a calm expression, eyes soften as you can’t help but rest your forehead gently against san’s. you feel the shapeshifter’s finger tracing up your back, neck – over the damn death collar, and under your chin before he’s turning your face to look at him. 

“hwa…” you call out his name softly and it feels unreal almost. like the three of you weren’t villains, but just… normal people. “i don’t know what i’d do without you both,” you add quietly as you feel seonghwa’s arms slip around your waist. seonghwa’s grip is both grounding and gentle as he pulls you towards him. you feel san pressing a light kiss to your hair and you feel your heart speed up from how close to the males are. 

you haven’t been this close to them in a while and it felt nice. 

seonghwa draws your attention back to him as his hand comes to brush along your cheek, lifting your chin slightly as his lips connect with yours. san hovers behind you, sandwiching you between the two, his hands resting lighting on your hips and slipping underneath your shirt, and tracing small circles into your skin. 

the moment stretches, tender and unguarded, and for now you forget about the hero association, the villain alliance, hongjoong’s aggressive attitude, and even yunho’s avoid eyes. you felt normal. your fingers curl gently into seonghwa’s shirt to pull him closer to you – if that was even possible. san presses his forehead against your shoulder and you feel his lips press into your skin. 

from the shadows of the door, yunho stands frozen in place. his eyes watching the intimacy between you three and he can’t help the twist in his gut at the sight. his fists clench, unclench, clench again at his sides as an unfamiliar mix of emotions flickering through him.

the room blurs slightly, but yunho can’t find it in him to look away. like he refuses to look away. heart pounding in his ears when seonghwa presses his lips to yours once more, san’s thumb grazing over your bandaged, healing skin with a sort of tenderness yunho didn’t even realize the blood user even had. 

a faint static hum fills yunho’s mind. his vision distorts – flashes of static along with something distant and obscured flicker across his thoughts. he grips the doorway, feeling his breath hitch as sweat builds along his hairline. a vague image – your face, slightly younger and laughing, suddenly blurs into focus for a split second, only to fade back into the static. 

his breath shudders as the static fragments slip away, leaving a dull ache in its wake. yunho’s knuckles whiten against the frame as his mind reels in so many directions.

“y…ho? yun…? yunho? you good?” mingi’s sudden voice snaps yunho out of his daze and grounds him. 

the top hero stiffens a little, blinking as he turns to see his friend approaching him. yunho clears his throat and steps away from the doorway, not wanting mingi to find out he was spying on you three. 

shaking the lingering ache from his mind, “yeah, i’m fine.” a fake smile appears on his face, and he hopes that mingi buys it. 

“you sure?” he asks, eyes studying him and a frown faintly appearing, “you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

yunho forces a laugh, his smile still not reaching his eyes as he nods, “just tired.” his gaze shifts back towards the training room, thoughts lingering on the villains one last time. the warmth you all seem to share feels distant, like something yunho can’t reach. 

as yunho walks past mingi and down the hall, his expression hardens, but the flicker of the static memory lingers. haunting and incomplete. his fingers brush briefly over his temple, the ache refusing to fade. 

outskirts of seoul – itaewon district – night 

the nine of you stand together at the edge of the seemingly desolate district. the supposedly once lively streets are eerily silent. when briefed about the mission originally, you were expecting to see at least some people hiding in their homes, away from the villain that is terrorizing the district. however, this place was completely deserted: broken windows, overturned cars, and abandoned belongings create an unsettling atmosphere that sends an unwanted chill down your spine. a flickering streetlight buzzes faintly in the distance and you think it only adds to unsettling tension. 

hongjoong stands at the front of the group, his eyes scanning the area, “stay sharp. something’s not right here,” he says and you all nod. despite how much you don’t like hongjoong for how hostile he’s been, you have to hand it to him that he takes his captain role seriously in cases like this. 

“it’s too quiet. no birds, no wind… nothing,” yeosang says, frown evident on his face as he also looks around. 

you all continue to walk cautiously down the street. mingi kneels down next to an abandoned bicycle, the handlebars bent and smeared with blood. “whatever happened here wasn’t long ago,” he says, looking from the bicycle to you and the others. 

suddenly, a low clicking noise echoes through the streets. everyone freezes.

“what the hell was that?” yunho asks, tensing as he clenches his fists. you look around nervously, your breath visible in the cold air. when did it suddenly get so cold?

“probably a rat,” wooyoung snickers, but you can tell he’s trying to hide his nerves, “or maybe y/n’s shadow creeping around.” you shoot him a sharp glare, but choose to say nothing. you refuse to waste your breath on him and his snide remarks. 

“that’s no rat,” seonghwa whispers, eyes narrowing. 

the clicking grows louder, accompanied by the sound of something wet and slithering. the sounds fill your senses as you and the team move cautiously toward the sound, weapons ready. as you turn a corner, that’s when you come across the horrific thing – a man (or what looked like a man) crouched over a pile of corpses, tearing into the flesh of his victims as blood pools around him at his feet. 

you couldn’t help but let out a gasp when the man’s head suddenly snapped towards your group. no… it wasn’t man, at least not anymore, you concluded. his face had been morphed into something similar to a spider. several beady eyes and fangs protruding from his mouth, his limbs were also similar to that of a spider – long and spindly limbs which you figure made it easier for the creature to tear into flesh. 

“what the fuck?” jongho grimaced, gripping his fist as the spider monster stood to his full height and let out a hiss.  

“it’s a demon! be careful!” you shouted right as the demon lunged for mingi who used his light powers in defense. the demon stopped in his tracks, shielding his eyes, he let out another shrieking hiss before he’s jumping back and away into the shadows. 

“why the hell is there a demon here?” jongho asks, eyes wide in surprise which matches the rest of your faces. 

“i don’t know, but i have a feeling he’s not the only one here,” hongjoong says, eyes locking onto the pile of corpses the demon was just eating from. “let’s split up, this is no longer just a regular investigation mission.” 

outside itaewon district – forest – night

you and wooyoung run through the dark forest, the sound of your footsteps are muffled by the damp earth beneath you. the trees are dense, casting long, twisted shadows in the dim moonlight. 

“we should’ve stayed with the others. i don’t trust you watching my back,” wooyoung snarls out from slightly ahead of you. 

“don’t worry, wooyoung. i wouldn’t trust me either,” you say, rolling your eyes.

wooyoung opens his mouth to retort but stops short of his remark when you both stumble into a clearing. a woman wearing a white kimono stands in the center, strands of silk coming out of her fingers and you notice she’s manipulating them. this must be the demon controlling the other spider demons. her eyes are closed, so it's hard to tell if she’s noticed you and wooyoung yet. 

“this must be the main demon,” you whisper to wooyoung who nods in agreement. “we kill her and the others should die as well.” 

an eerily smile then stretches onto the woman’s face, eyes snapping open and you notice that instead of regular pupils she instead has 하위다섯 – lower five – written on her eyes. “ah~ fresh prey. how delightful~ you both will be perfect additions to my family,” she says, words dripping from her mouth. 

wooyoung lets out a tsk, “let’s see how delightful you find this,” he says, raising both hands and allowing both of them to easily be engulfed in ice and flames. 

“she’s with the villain alliance, be careful!” you say, but wooyoung seems to ignore your warning as he unleashes streams of fire and ice, weaving them together to attack the woman. the villain lungs for wooyoung, spider limbs ripping from her back and you watch as she easily dodges all of wooyoung’s attacks. her inhuman agility easily gives the hero a run for his money. 

that’s when you notice her fingers, moving and invisible silk strings glimmering slightly in the moonlight. you suck in a breath when you realize that you and wooyoung have walked right into her web. you summon a sword with your powers, shimmering red as you grip it tightly in your hold, charging at the spider villain. 

you manage to cut down one of her spider limbs, black blood spraying the area around while some of it lands on your arm. you let out a hiss as the blood starts to burn. acid. her blood was acidic thanks to her powers. she lets out another hiss before directing her attention towards you now. your blade gleaming in the moonlight. the two of you clash violently, the sound of steel meeting hardened exoskeleton rings through the forest air. the woman retaliates, one of her bladed limbs slicing across your arm, drawing blood. 

wooyoung suddenly appears from your peripheral, left fist covered in ice as he manages to strike her, freezing the part that wooyoung made contact with. you use wooyoung as a distraction, slashing through the silk strands before countering a powerful swing from one of her spider limbs. 

“you’re not walking away from this,” wooyoung hisses out before attacking her again with his ice powers. the villain grits her teeth, silk strands whip out, wrapping around your arm and yanking you forward. 

“you’re wasting your potential with these weaklings,” she says, gripping your face tightly as another strand of silk catches your other arm. you feel the strands digging into your skin and slowly dripping down your arms. “join my family.”

“not… a chance,” you hissed out before managing to headbut the villain and knocking her away. wooyoung burns the strands that held you, and you turn to give him a nod before you snap your attention back to the villain.  

she lets out a high-pitched scream that shakes the trees around the clearing. her eyes begin to transform into a darker red color, teeth sharpening as the strands attached to her fingers turn a blood red. 

“i am sakura, lower rank five of the twelve moons. servant to lady nicha, creator of the demons and leader of the villain alliance, and i will make sure to kill you all and bring your heads back to her on a plate!” sakura hisses out as her remaining spider limbs hoist her up above you and wooyoung. 

you brace your sword while wooyoung stands next to you, both fire and ice at the ready. “like to see you try, spider-bitch.” 

outside itaewon district – deeper in the forest – night

yunho and san run through the forest, breathing uneven from both villain and hero as they rush into the clearing. they manage to arrive just as you and wooyoung struggle to subdue sakura. the villain’s grotesque, spider-like form creating dangerous shadow-like figures under the moonlight, her bladed limbs slicing through the air with deadly precision. 

“we’re here!” yunho shouts as him and san rush forward, “hold her off!” 

“about time! she’s a damn nightmare!” wooyoung says through gritted teeth as he dodges one of sakura’s limbs. 

sakura lets out an inhuman screech, her silk strands snapping like whips towards the group. you counter, slashing the threads mid-air with your glowing sword, but more strands follow, faster and more aggressive than the previous ones. 

“she’s not slowing down!” you shout, dodging and slashing at several strands. so many are coming at once that you don’t even notice more of them coming from behind; however, san does. he plants his feet firmly, his blood tendrils lashing out like crimson blades, slicing through the silk strands. he extends a sharp tendril forward, wrapping it around one of sakura’s legs, and yanks her off balance. 

“i’ve got her! go!” san shouts and you nod rushing towards the villain, blade raised high in the air, but sakura twists unnaturally, snapping san’s blood tendrils with her powerful limbs. she leaps into the air, flipping away from the males and lands directly in front of you. sakura thrusts one of her bladed limbs towards your chest. you dodge, but not fast enough – sakura’s limb slices across your upper arm, drawing blood. 

you let out a hiss as you roll away from her, “fucking hell,” you mutter, glaring at the spider villain who has a malicious smile stretching across her face. 

you easily shrug off the pain, swinging your sword with calculated fury, sparks flying as the blade clashes against sakura’s hardened limbs. each strike grows more vicious, the forest ground beneath you splattered with dirt, blood, and silk. 

yunho then comes rushing in, “stay back, y/n!” he barrels into sakura with his shoulder, sending her sprawling to the ground. he stands in front of you, his fists flowing faintly with energy. 

“a hero protecting a villain? how sweet. too bad i’ll have to kill you both!” sakura snarls out tauntingly. she then lunges, her blades arms spinning in a flurry of strikes. yunho ducks and counters, landing a glowing punch that sends her reeling. 

“now!” yunho shouts to san who nods. 

san forms a massive spear from both his own blood and what’s already been spilled and hurls it with deadly precision. it impales sakura’s shoulder, pinning her to a tree. he then hurls several smaller ones into her body to keep her from trying to get free. 

“do it now! take her down before she gets free!” san shouts urgently to you. you sprint forward, sword glowing brighter as your power surges. but sakura, even pinned, refuses to go down easily it seems. she lets out a screech and pulls herself free, shattering the tree behind her and even leaving several large holes in her body. 

“you’ll have to try harder than that!” sakura snarls with a laugh. 

“how the fuck is she still alive?!” wooyoung shouts, annoyed. 

“you have to aim for the neck when it comes to demons,” yunho tells him. 

suddenly, sakura summons more spider demons, their grotesque forms crawling from the shadows of the forest. all bearing a striking resemblance to sakura herself. wooyoung steps up, unleashing a fiery explosion that engulfs several of them.

“i’ve got the small ones. you three handle her!” he shouts before having two more spider demons engulfed in flames with loud screeches. 

san and yunho close in on sakura, attacking in unison. san uses his blood tendrils to ensnare her limbs, while yunho lands precise strikes on her half regenerated torso, forcing her back. 

sakura leaps into the trees, her movements becoming even more fast and erratic. you follow her, launching herself into the air with a burst of power. 

“you’re not getting away!” you shout, swinging your sword mid-air, narrowly missing sakura as the villain flips backward. they land in a small clearing, separated from the others. 

sakura smirks, her bladed limbs ready for another attack, “you’re persistent, but you’re just a pawn, same as me.” 

“we are nothing alike,” you say, gritting your teeth and charging again, sword blazing. you land a powerful slash across sakura’s abdomen, black blood spilling onto the ground and just barely missing you. sakura screams in rage and pain, movements becoming more erratic and less precise. 

yunho and san catch up, cornering sakura from opposite sides. san skewers one of her limbs with his blood tendrils, holding her in place, while yunho delivers a devastating punch to her mid section, you even hear her exoskeleton cracking. 

“we need to immobilize her! take her into custody for the hero association!” yunho shouts to you. you approach sakura, sword trembling in your hands from the amount of energy this fight has taken. that’s when your eyes meet sakura’s. 

you see a wave of panic flood her eyes as she begins struggling to free herself. “kill me! you have to kill me!” her voice desperate and pleading. it catches the three of you off guard at her sudden tone change. 

“what?” you say, sword gripped tightly in your hand. 

“she’ll find me! lady nicha will do worse than death! please, just kill me!” her words screaming and bouncing off the trees surrounding the clearing. 

you hesitate, sword hovering at sakura’s neck. the conflict in your eyes is clear as sakura’s pleas echo in your ears. her pleas sounding hauntingly familiar to those you have heard before. 

yunho notices the hesitation in your stance, “y/n, don’t hesitate– 

before anyone can act, sakura seizes your sword with her remaining limb and makes a clean swipe at her neck. the blade cuts through her neck, head being severed from her body as they both collapse, lifeless. blood sprays across your body, her blood staining your face and hands. 

you stand frozen, staring at sakura’s body. “she… she killed herself,” you whisper, shaken at the sight. 

san steps forward in an attempt to comfort you, his expression softening. “y/n, it's not your fault– 

you flinch and push him away, stumbling back. you turn to face both san and yunho with wide and shaken eyes. yunho stares at your bloodied face, “y/n–

suddenly, yunho grabs his head, a sharp pain overtaking him as his vision fills with static, distorted images flashing before his eyes. he sees fragments of you, blood across your face, but instead of fear you look almost… emotionless. dead. 

“no…” he groans, clutching his head in pain, “not again.” he collapses to his knees right as wooyoung joins the three in the clearing. he rushes up to yunho, panic on his face as he shakes his shoulder. 

“yunho! what’s happening?” the elemental hero asks, voice also full of panic. 

yunho doesn’t respond, his mind consumed by the visions. meanwhile, you still remain frozen, staring at your blood-covered hands. the clearing is silent except for the rustling of the wind and the faint distant calls of the others calling for their four teammates and the cawing of a single crow.

infinity castle – ██████

the infinity castle groaned with restless energy, its every moving labyrinth walls shifting in different patterns under the glow of several thousand orange lanterns. at the heart of it all, lady nicha stood on a platform, exuding a dominance that was godlike. 

karina, seated beside her with her bipa resting gracefully in her lap, plucked a melancholic melody from its strings. the mournful tune filled the endless castle dimension, heavy and foreboding, stirring unease in the very air. 

“karina. call them.”

without a word, karina’s fingers plucked a singular cord. several hanok doors appeared, sliding open and summoning the lower rank moons. one-by-one they stood on the platform above nicha, her cold gaze watching them intently. they all knelt down, heads bowed low, trembling beneath the weight of nicha’s presence and stare. 

the woman surveyed them with disdain, her eyes narrowing as she looked over them. her voice, calm but laced with venom, shattered the silence. “sakura was killed. why is it that you demons in the lower ranks are so utterly weak? the upper ranks of the twelve moons have remained unchanged. how many times have you been replaced?”

that’s easy for you to say, but we… one of the lower moons thought. 

“that’s easy for you to say, but we…” nicha says, repeating the demon’s thoughts. “what? go ahead and say it.” her eyes piercing down at the lower moon with her red eyes. 

i’m screwed! they thought, body trembling.  

“screwed how?” 

the air grew impossibly cold, the shadows on the walls twisting with sudden ferocity. her expression darkened, her crimson eyes gleaming with a silent fury. suddenly, a grotesque tendril appeared and attacked the lower moon, raising him upside down in the air. his eyes wide in fear, but had no opportunity to scream as the tendril shredded through him. blood pooling down blew and covering both the platform and remaining lower moons. 

nicha then turns her attention to one of the other lower moons, “every time you cross paths with a hero you run. the only thing on your mind is to escape it's an embarrassment to the villain alliance.”

the demon immediately began trying to explain herself, saying how she repeatedly puts her life on the line for lady nicha and her cause. 

“are you… calling me a liar?” nicha’s voice reverberates through the chamber, each syllable a knife carving into the demon’s hysteric composure. the music from karina’s bipa continued to play with a sharper edge. the grotesque tendril immediately crushed the lower moon with its weight. her blood spraying the remaining three lower moons with blood. 

before nicha could continue her slaughter on the lower moons, the lower third suddenly dashes away. his demon speed taking him away from the platform he was originally summoned on and further into the infinity castle. 

the only option is to run! he thought as he jumped from one sideways roof to another. 

a sudden slash was heard before the lower moon’s head was clutched in nicha’s head, dripping blood as his dead eyes stared at the remaining too. 

“i believe the twelve moons are better off consisting of just the upper ranks. i am now dismantling the lower ranks.”

nicha then effortlessly tosses the severed head down onto the other platform. the head hitting the wooden ground with a thump! and rolling slightly before coming to a sudden stop. 

“do you have any last words?”

“i can still be of use to you, lady nicha! if you were to just give me more of your blood then–

“what makes you think you can order me to give you my blood?”

“you misunderstand! you misunderstand!”

“shut up. i misunderstand nothing. i’m never mistaken about anything. my word is absolute,” nicha’s eyes began to glow as she continued to look at the lower moon, “you tried to tell me what to do, yet you are the worthless one. you deserve to die.” 

lower moon one, yena, is suddenly the only one left, her face covered in the blood of her previous fellow lower moons. yet, she continues to look up at lady nicha with more adoration than fear. eyes glazed over. 

“do you have any last words?” nicha asks, looking at the demon. 

“if i am to die by your hand, my lady, then i am honored~ you have given me everything. my strength, my purpose… my life. if i am unworthy, than i would rather die by your hand than live in disgrace~” 

nicha paused, her fury momentarily eclipsed by curiosity. her crimson eyes narrowed as she regarded the unshaken demon. 

“honored, are you?” the dimension fell silent. but the silence didn’t last long when a fleshy, grotesque tendril came down from above and stabbed yena in the neck. injecting the lower moon with some of nicha’s blood. yena suddenly fell to the floor and began to thrash and convulse, letting out a guttural cry. 

“that’s what i like to hear~” nicha said, a faint cold smile twitching upon her lips for a split second. she seemed to gain some sick satisfaction at watching yena convulse on the ground beneath her. “i’ll give you an ample share of my blood. make yourself useful to me, then. if you kill the female villain who works with the heroes then i will give you even more of my blood. failure is not an option.” 

yena could only let out a gurgled noise in response. karina plucked several notes on her bipa. with each note a hanok door appeared and shut, separating nicha from yena who struggled on the ground. one final note plucked and a door appeared underneath yena, opening and whisking her away and back to wherever she was prior.

ACT II: MUHAN TRAIN

busan district – train station – night

the moon hangs low in the night sky, its pale light illuminating the quiet train station. mingi walks over to the entrance, his boots crunching the gravel underneath. he adjusts his gloves and scans the area. the train station is quiet, almost abandoned of human life as he steps inside to look around. there’s a single light glowing warmly in the place. there’s no one at the counter, too dangerous to be out at night anymore. 

he remembers hongjoong briefing him on the mission: investigate the train that had twenty passengers suddenly vanish without a trace. the association think its the work of a high-level villain. mingi though? he’s not entirely sure anymore, especially after dealing with sakura back in the itaewon district. 

“this place gives me the creeps,” he mutters under his breath. the faint sound of a train whistle echoes through the distance. mingi frowns as he feels a chill run directly down his spine. he looks around cautiously, his heightened senses on alert.

mingi comes to the conclusion that this sleepy town looks like it forgot the concept of daylight. the streets are dimly lit, and most of the windows are closed, not a single outside soul able to see what goes on inside. he stops in front of a rundown looking diner and enters to see a few locals gathered about the place. the bell above the door jingles half-heartedly at his arrival. 

the smell of stale coffee and grease fills and lingers in the air. mingi approaches the counter where an elderly waitress, face lined with years of worry, greets him. 

“you’re not from around here, are you?” her voice is hushed as she looks over mingi’s appearance, his natural stark white hair making him easily stand out amongst the locals. 

mingi shakes his head, “i’m here about the train. heard anything strange?” his words catch the gazes of the other patrons who look nervous.

the waitress hesitates before leaning closer, her voice low and trembling, “it’s not just the train. there’s someone… something. we call him ‘the slasher.’”

mingi straightens, brows furrowing, “the slasher?” he repeats. 

“attacks people at night. leaves them… torn apart. no one’s seen his face. some think he’s a legend at this point.” 

“and you’re sure it’s not connected to the train?” mingi asks, hands tightening into fists. the waitress shakes her head, glancing towards the door nervously. 

“no, but he’s just as dangerous.”

suddenly, a loud crash comes from outside. mingi bolts to the door, throwing it open to see a figure standing under a flickering streetlight. 

mingi assumes this is the slasher the waitress told him about. the figure stands tall, shrouded in darkness. his mask is stitched together with mismatched pieces of leath, and his hands are tipped with sharp, metallic claws. mingi thinks he just walked straight out of a horror film. a terrified civilian is pinned against the wall beside him, struggling to break free. 

“leave, hero, or they bleed,” the slasher hissed out, beady eyes staring straight at mingi. 

mingi steps forward, unshaken by the threat, “let them go. now!” 

the slasher tilts his head, amused. he tosses the civilian back, who lets out a cry, before lunging towards mingi with surprising speed. the villain swipes his claws in a flurry, each strike aiming for mingi’s vital points. mingi is able to duck and dodge with precision, his combat skills sharp and deliberate like any high-class hero. 

“is that all you’ve got?” mingi asks grinning. 

mingi retaliates, delivering a powerful kick that sends the slasher flying into a pile of crates. the villain recovers quickly, leaping into the air and slashing downward. mingi rolls out of the way, his fist glowing faintly with his light energy. the alley becomes a quick battlefield, the slasher’s claws leave deep gouges in the brick walls. meanwhile, mingi counters with precise strikes that force the villain to become defensive. 

“you’re faster than the others, but you won’t leave here alive,” the villain taunts, a maniacal laugh leaving his lips. 

“we’ll see about that,” mingi says. the hero charges, his energy-infused punch connecting with the slasher’s chest. the impact sends a shockwave through the alley, shattering nearby windows. the slasher stumbles, his claws sending sparks flying as they scrape the ground. 

realizing he’s outmatched, the slasher attempts to flee. mingi chases him through the streets, their movements a blur of speed and violence. 

the fight ends at the edge of town, where mingi finally subdues the slashes. with a final punch, he knocks the villain unconscious, leaving him crumpled on the ground. the first rays of sunlight peak over the horizon, bathing the scene in a faint golden glow. mingi wipes sweat from his brow, breathing heavily. 

“one down. now for the train,” he says to himself as he goes to connect the hero association so they can deal with the villain that lays on the ground.  

busan district – train station – sunrise

mingi approaches the train station once again. this time instead of being abandoned, he notices a person at the ticket booth. he walks up to the older woman who simply smiles at him. 

“the muhan train… is it running?” he asks.

“oh, yes! they sent her back from the train yard last night,” she explains and mingi is surprised by the news, but if this means he can figure out the mystery surrounding it then…

“three tickets, please,” mingi says, holding up three fingers. the older woman lets out a chuckle as she gets the three tickets ready. mingi pays the woman before thanking her. 

he pockets the tickets and turns, spotting a familiar figure waiting for him near the platform – yunho, with you standing a few feet behind, your expression unreadable. mingi is honestly surprised that hongjoong sent the two of you on this mission with him considering the results of the last mission. 

“took you long enough,” yunho says, nodding towards his friend. 

“ran into some… distractions,” mingi said with a smile. you glance towards him, your eyes briefly flickering down to the faint scratches on his arm. 

“looks like you’ve been busy,” you say, crossing your arms. mingi chuckles, brushing your comment off as approaches you. 

“don’t worry about it. let’s go. we’ve got a train to catch,” he says, handing you and yunho your tickets. the train whistle suddenly blows and the three of you board before it begins to move, carrying you all to your next destination. 

muhan train – passenger car – night

the train hums steadily as you, mingi, and yunho sit in a modest, warmly lit passenger car. one of the overhead lights flicker softly, making your eye twitch every time it does. a few other passengers sit scattered throughout the car, their light chatter fills the air peacefully. 

“the hero association thinks it’s a demon,” yunho’s voice is low as he leans forward, “it’s the only explanation for twenty people vanishing without a trace.”

“a demon on a train? sounds like something out of a horror movie,” mingi says with a frown, his eyes darting from yunho to you to see your reaction. 

“except this one’s real,” you said seriously, expression void of any possible emotion. 

the three of you glance around the car. the other passengers seem oblivious, but there’s an undeniable tension in the air that you’re positive these civilians are ignoring. ignorance is bliss afterall, you think. a conductor enters, punching tickets as he moves down the aisle. his movements are stiff, mechanical, and his face gaunt, with dark circles under his eyes. like he hasn’t slept in days, weeks. 

the conductor then approaches your row. 

“tickets, please,” he says monotonously. yunho hands over your tickets and the tired man punches them with robotic precision, his hands trembling slightly. 

“you look exhausted,” you say, observing the conductor quietly. the man hesitates but doesn’t respond. he finishes punching the tickets and moves on, his shoulders sagging under an invisible weight. you watch him leave, a small frown tugging your lips.

“you ever feel like we’re the ones who need a break?” mingi asks, stretching and letting out a yawn a little too loudly. 

“maybe after we survive this,” you say, smiling faintly. 

mingi chuckles, leaning back in his seat. the train’s gentle rocking starts to lull you three into a drowsy state. 

“wake me if the demon shows up,” mingi says, stifling another yawn. you can’t help but also let out a small yawn, eyes feeling heavy and tired as you tilt your head back against the seat. eyes closing. 

muhan train – abandon passenger car – night

the conductor steps into a dim, smoke-filled room. a large mirror reflects distorted shapes of the cabin you and the others are in. yena stands before the mirror, draped in a dark, flowing outfit with theatrical accents of feathers and embroidered stars. her piercing, icy blue eyes gleam the words 아래하나 – lower one – read where her pupils should be, and her smile is predatory, exuding both elegance and malice. she’s clearly not human, not anymore at least.

“welcome back, my loyal friend~” she speaks softly, with a mock bow towards the conductor. 

“i did what you asked. can i… can i rest now? can i be with my family now?” he asks pleadingly. 

yena tilts her head, “of course. i always reward devotion,” she steps closer, placing her gloved hand over his chest. a strange light emanates from her hand as the conductor's body stiffens. his head tilts back, and his eyes close. 

“dream deeply,” she whispers. his body collapses like a marionette with its strings cut. 

yena turns to the mirror, which now shows glowing tendrils snaking into the train’s walls. she lets out a deep laugh, “let’s see what their hearts desire most!” she says to herself, throwing her hands in the air in a large theatrical movement. 

████ – beach – sunset

you let out a gasp, eyes snapping open and you find yourself standing on a beach. it’s peaceful and you can see the waves glittering under the warm sunset. san and seonghwa are beside you, both dressed casually and laughing. san reaches over, brushing sand off her arm with a grin. 

“you’re terrible at building sandcastles,” he says with a smirk. 

seonghwa lets out a chuckle, “more like demolishing them,” he says teasingly. 

you let out a laugh, your voice feeling light and free like you’ve been this way your entire life. the three of you sit together, looking out at the horizon. san wraps an arm around your shoulder, while seonghwa offers you a soda. 

“i’m glad we decided to take this vacation, get away from the city,” seonghwa says softly. 

san nods, “just us.” 

you feel your smile falter for a moment, a faint sense of wrongness creeps in. you look down at your hands, which are clean and unscarred – too perfect. 

“this… isn’t right.”

daegu district – the song residence – day 

mingi stands outside a small house, holding a certificate in one hand and dressed in his pristine hero uniform. when he walks inside he sees his parents sitting inside the cozy living room, their figures illuminated by warm light. 

“mom, dad, i did it! i’m a hero now!” he says to them excitedly before talking about everything he has done in order to be recognized by the hero association. they both glance up, faces unreadable. his mother gives him a small, distracted smile before returning to her knitting. 

“that’s nice, honey,” she says, voice flat and with no emotion. 

his father barely looks up from his newspaper, “don’t forget to take out the trash.” 

mingi’s expression falters, his face full of confusion and hurt which flickers in his eyes. 

seoul district – cherry blossom tree park – day

the seoul district was bustling with life, students, faculty, and regular civilians alike enjoying the warm spring breeze that carried the faint scent of flowers. but what captured everyone’s attention the most were the cherry blossom trees scattered across the park’s main road. their petals glowing faintly under the soft sunlight. 

it was the height of cherry blossom season – or so it appeared. 

yunho smiled as he glanced at you walking beside him, your gaze fixed on the pink and white blossoms overhead. you had always had a particular fondness for things like this, where the world seemed to pause just enough to let beauty shine through. 

“i told you this would be worth it,” yunho said, his voice tinged with pride. “i knew you’d like it.” 

you slowed your steps, eyes narrowing slightly as you studied the trees more closely. your lips quirked into a small, curious frown. “they’re… not real.” 

yunho looked at you with wide eyes, heart sinking at your words, “what?”

you gestured toward one of the branches, where the faint flicker of light betrayed its holographic nature. “they’re projections. pretty sure, but not real cherry blossoms.” 

yunho let out a soft groan, running a hand through his hair. “i’m sorry, y/n. i thought… i didn’t realize. i just wanted to—

“yunho, stop,” you say, turning to him and cutting him off with a gentle smile. “it’s okay. you went out of your way to do something sweet for me, and that means more than whether the blossoms are real or not.” 

your words lifted a weight off of yunho’s shoulders and warmed his heart and body like how you usually manage to do to him. yunho rubbed the back of his neck, ears turning bright red as he struggled to find the words to respond with. “i… i just thought you’d like it,” he mumbles, avoiding your gaze. 

“and i do,” you replied, “especially since i’m here with you,” your tone as sincere as the sparkle in your eyes. 

the two of you began walking along the path that curved beneath the cherry blossoms, their petals shimmering softly in the breeze. yunho couldn’t help but keep sneaking glances at you, his heart beating a little faster every time she laughed or pointed out something that caught her interest. 

as they passed a family sitting on a nearby bench, your attention was drawn to a child tugging at their parent’s sleeve. “i wish they were real,” the child said wistfully, staring up at the holographic blossoms. 

you slowed your pace, expression unreadable. yunho noticed but said nothing, assuming your silence was related to quiet disappointment. 

“ready to go?” he asked once you reached the far end of the path. 

“yeah, but i need to use the bathroom first,” you said quickly, darting off before he could respond. 

yunho chuckled, shaking his head as he made his way to a nearby bench beneath one of the holographic trees. 

but then the ground began to rumble. 

yunho immediately shot to his feet, instincts kicking in as he scanned the area for danger. the tremors grew stronger, causing people to cry out and scramble for safety. students began to murmur about a potential villain attack, and yunho was already calculating how to evacuate everyone if needed. 

but before panic could fully set in, something else happened. 

the holographic trees flickered out of existence, their light dimming until they vanished completely. in their place, real cherry blossom trees burst from the ground, their roots spreading as their branches stretched towards the sky. petals began to cascade like rain, painting the park in shades of pink and white. 

yunho was speechless, his breath catching as he took in the sight. the blossoms swayed gently in the breeze, their delicate scent filling the air. it was more beautiful than what he could have ever imagined, almost otherworldly in its perfection. 

“wow!” your voice broke through his trance, and he turned to see you approaching with a wide smile. “look at them!” you stopped beside him, your gaze fixated on the blossoms above. “beautiful, aren’t they, yunho?”

there was something in your tone, a quiet pride that made him look at you instead of the trees. your eyes sparkled with mischief, and he felt a pang of realization hit him. 

“you…” he started, voice trailing off. 

“hmm? what are you saying?” you asked innocently, tilting your head as if you hadn’t just performed a miracle. 

yunho opened his mouth to respond, but the words caught in his throat. instead, he shook his head with a soft laugh. “nothing. forget it.”

you grinned, clearly amused. “oh! before we leave, we should get ––––– a keychain. he’ll never let me hear the end of it if we don’t bring him something.” 

yunho looked at you with confusion written over his face as your voice began to become static. especially when you spoke of someone else’s name. 

“who?” he asked and you looked at him with equal confusion. 

“––––––”

yunho suddenly felt a pain rush through his head, he heard you let out a soft gasp as you touched his arm. his vision being overcomed with static as he saw flashes of different images. 

“yunho? are you okay?” your voice panicked as the pain slowly began to subside from his head.

he shook his head as he straightened up, “yeah, sure,” he replied with a tight lipped smile. you looked at him with wide, innocent eyes before nodding at him. you grabbed his arm in order to pull him towards the park gift shop. 

as you both walked through the park, now alive with real cherry blossoms, yunho couldn’t help but steal one last glance at you. you were radiant, laughter ringing out like music, and for a brief moment, he forgot about everything else. 

all he could think about was how much he wanted this moment to last forever.  

████ – beach – sunset

you feel a sense of unease grow as you stand up. you take a step away from san and seonghwa, your gaze sharpening. 

“this isn’t real.”

san grabs your arm, his grip firm. your eyes look from his hand to his eyes. “stay, please,” he says.

“don’t you want to stay here? with us?” seonghwa asks firmly. 

you hesitate for a moment, pain flickering across your face, but you push san away as you take off running down the beach. you need to wake up, who knew what the demon will do if you don’t do it soon. 

there has to be an end to this place, you conclude as you summon your sword. the red metal glittering in the setting sun as you run along the sand. you figure if you run in a straight line then you should hit the end eventually. right?

“y/n!” you freeze in your tracks at the sudden voice. you feel a chill run down your spine at the familiar voice. what? you feel your breath getting heavy as you hear the person’s footsteps coming closer to you. 

“where are you going? don’t you want to stay here? with me?” 

you hesitate for a moment before turning to see him standing not too far from you. you feel tears begin to well up in your eyes at the sight of him. you feel a part of you pulling towards him, to stay like he wants. like what you want.  

you shake your head, “i’m sorry. there’s people i have to protect.” 

he lets out a laugh as he tilts his head, “i’ll see you later then.” 

you nod your head, looking down at your sword before getting an idea. raising your sword, you plunge it into your chest. the dream shattering like glass.

muhan train – passenger car – night

you wake with a gasp, face pale and sweat-drenched. around you, the passengers are asleep, faces twisted in an unnatural serenity. you shake yunho and mingi in an attempt to wake them, but they remain unresponsive. 

“damnit! you bastards, wake up!” you hiss before summoning your sword and searching for the demon that was responsible for this. 

muhan train – train roof – night

you climb onto the roof, the cold wind biting at your skin. yena stands there, her dark cloak billowing out dramatically. she looks at you with surprise before it transforms into a menacing grin. 

“awake already? how rude of you to leave the dream i tailored so carefully.”

“let’s skip the theatrics,” you say, gripping your sword tightly. 

“oh, darling, i am the theatrics,” she says with a chuckle. yena strikes first, her movement fluid and almost dance-like. you block her attacks with your sword, red sparks flying with every clash. yena’s attacks are graceful but deadly, her nails cutting into your arm. 

“i could give you everything. no more blood, no more pain. just… bliss,” she tells you, tone playful. 

you grit your teeth, “i’ll take reality over your lies.” the fight grows more brutal, with blood spraying as yena’s claws grazes your cheek. you retaliate with a slash across yena’s torso, the villain staggering briefly before smiling. 

the battle intensifies, you pushing through your injuries. finally, you land your sword where her neck lies and sever her head. yena’s head rolls along the roof of the train, body falling to her knees. but yena smirks

“you think this ends here?” yena asks, smiling as blood pours everywhere. 

the train begins to twist and transform, metal screeching as it takes on a grotesque, almost living form. yena’s head attached itself to a flesh tendril as she laughs down at you. her body clapping at the scene before it. 

“what the hell?”

muhan train – train roof – night

the cold wind howls, whipping through your hair as you stand on the roof of the speeding train. you grip your sword tightly, blood dripping from a shallow cut on her arm. the moonlight casts an eerie glow on yena, whose cloak billows unnaturally, as if alive. her sharp features are accentuated by the shadows, and her sly smile reveals teeth too sharp to be human. 

“look at you. so determined. so angry. it’s almost… endearing,” yena speaks, mockingly towards you. you narrow your eyes, sword steady in your hands.

“you’re done terrorizing these people.”

“oh, darling, i’ve only just begun~” she replies with a smirk. 

yena lunges with inhuman speed, her hands slicing through the air like claws. you dodge, barely missing the lethal swipe, and retaliate with a quick slash of your sword. sparks fly as the blade connects with yena’s clock, but the fabric seems to absorb the impact, leaving her unharmed. 

you let out a quick cuss as yena spins, her movements fluid and unnervingly elegant, landing a kick to your side. you stumble but quickly regain your footing, slashing upward. this time, the blade grazes yena’s arm, drawing dark, ink-colored blood. 

“how rude,” yena hisses out, she attacks back. her claws slashing across your shoulder. blood sprays onto the roof, and you grit your teeth, refusing to show weakness. 

muhan train – passenger car – night

inside, yunho jerks awake, his vision blurry and disoriented. around him, the other passengers remain unconscious, their faces peaceful yet unsettling. he notices the grotesque, flesh-like tendrils snaking along the walls and ceiling – pulsing veins of flesh and metal intertwining. 

“what the hell…” he says to himself. a sudden groan shakes the train as the walls ripple, the train itself coming alive in the moment. yunho stumbles toward the back, his instincts and years of training kicking in. 

muhan train – train roof – night

the fight between you and yena escalates. the demon’s movements grow more erratic, her strikes faster and more lethal. you counter with calculated blocks, your sword glowing faintly as you channel your powers into it. you manage to land a deep slash across yena’s chest, causing the villain to stagger. 

but yena only laughs, her voice echoing unnaturally, “you’re strong~ i’ll give you that. but you’re still so… mortal.” 

she raises her arms, the train beneath you begins to twist and convulse. you stumble as the roof warps under your feet. yena’s body shifts, her legs melting into the train. 

“you’re on my turf now, nameless.” 

the train screeches as more of the flesh and metal tendrils burst from the sides, snaking towards you. you slash at them, severing a few, but more only take their place. 

“yunho! mingi! protect the passengers!” you shout, hoping that at one if not both of them are awake by now. hopefully, they found a way to wake up. 

you see movement behind you, and turn to see yunho now on the roof. “we’re not leaving you!” he shouts. 

“just do it!” 

yunho hesitates, but a sharp tendril lashes towards him. he ducks and retreats, heading inside to protect the passengers. 

muhan train – living nightmare train car – night

the interior of the train shifts and slowly becomes unrecognizable. walls pulsate with fleshy growths, and even grotesque eyes and mouths form sporadically, watching and whispering. mingi wakes up to this sudden nightmare, body stiff from the unnatural slumber. he shakes his head as he grabs a nearby pole for support to stand up. 

“what the hell is going on?” he asks, looking around completely horrified. “this really is a horror movie!”

yunho runs towards him, slamming a tendril aside with his fist. “mingi, help me! we need to protect the passengers!” 

mingi nods, steeling himself, and the two begin tearing tendrils away from the unconscious passengers. managing to destroy and burn away the grotesque flesh that covered the car walls. 

muhan train – train roof – night

you fight with everything you have. slashing through webs of tendrils, your body bleeding from multiple cuts. the train’s transformation has made the fight infinitely harder – yena is everywhere. 

“you can’t kill what’s become eternal, little villain,” yena sneers. 

you grit your teeth, sword glowing bright as you channel more energy into it. “watch me.” you then drive your blade into the train roof, sending a shockwave through the mutated structure. yena screams, momentarily destabilized, as parts of the train begin to reverie to normal.

muhan train – living nightmare train car – night

yunho and mingi manage to protect the last of the passengers, securing each of the passenger cars. 

yunho looked up, “do you think y/n is doing okay?” 

mingi looks up as well, “she’s stronger than all of us put together, yunho. she’s got this.” 

yunho licks his lips at mingi’s words, “i hope so, for her sake especially.”

muhan train – train roof – night

you continue to fight, your injuries mounting. yena, now more monstrous than human, laughs as her tendrils lash out. you dodge, though one catches your side, slamming you into the roof. you let out a couch, blood splattering onto the metal. 

yena leans closer to you, “you’re resilient, i’ll give you that. but you’re only delaying the inevitable.”

you grip your sword tightly, glaring at the demon, “inevitable? maybe, but i’ll still win.” 

with a roar, you lunge forward, slashing wildly. the blade glows brighter with each strike, curing through yena’s defenses. finally, you spot yena’s neck – embedded deep within the train’s core. you leap into the air, bringing your sword down in one final, desperate strike. 

“die already!” you scream out. the blade servers yena’s neck, and the demon lets out a bloodcurdling scream as her body begins to disintegrate. the train convulse violently, throwing you to side. 

the power behind your attack has the training derailing, lying on its side in a broken heap. passengers awaken slowly, groggy but alive. yunho helps some of them out while mingi finds you thrown on the other side of the tracks, bleeding heavily. 

derailment site – night

the area is silent except for the crackling of smoldering wreckage from the now derailed train. mingi crouches beside you, helping you sit up after having been thrown off the train, your blood-soaked clothes sticking to her skin. you wince as he carefully presses a piece of torn fabric against her side to staunch the bleeding. 

“stay still, y/n. you’ve lost too much blood already.” 

you grimace, “you’re one to talk… you’re just as banged up.”

“you’re way worse off. besides, someone’s gotta keep you alive.” 

the moment of tense peace between you both is shattered by the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps crunching on gravel. a figure emerges from the shadows – a man with a sharp, predatory grin and glowing crimson eyes that read 상위삼 – upper three. the demon from the villain alliance, you conclude, strolls forward. his movements are unnervingly casual, his aura radiating just as menacingly. 

“well, well. looks like i just missed the show, huh?”

mingi quickly stands, stepping protectively in front of you, “who are you?”

the demon lets out a mocking laugh, “aw, you don’t recognize me? i’m hurt. yeonjun, upper rank three of the villain alliance. and you… you’re mingi, right? the loud and flashy one.”

“if you’re looking for a fight, you’re got one.”

you struggle to push yourself up, your hand gripping your sword tightly. “mingi, don’t—

mingi turns to you, “stay down, y/n. you’re in no shape to fight.”

“you can’t take him on alone! don’t be stupid!”

“don’t worry. i’ve got this. after this, we’ll go get something good to eat, okay?” he says, smiling reassuringly to you. you hesitate, jaw tightening, but you finally nod, clutching your wound as you watch mingi step forward. 

“oh, this is gonna be fun,” yeonjun says with a grin. 

mingi charges first, throwing a heavy punch aimed at yeonjun’s face. the demon dodged effortlessly, countering with a kick to mingi’s stomach that sends him skidding back. 

“is that all you’ve got?” he laugh, “come on hero, show me some real power!”

mingi doesn’t respond, rushing back in with a flurry of punches and kicks. his fists land solid blows on yeonjun’s chest, but the demon barely flinches, his wounds healing almost instantly. 

“you’re strong, i’ll give you that. but you’re holding back. still clinging to your humanity.” yeonjun strikes back, his claws raking across mingi’s arm, leaving deep gashes. blood splatters onto the ground, but mingi doesn’t falter. he lands a powerful uppercut that sends yeonjun staggering. 

“humanity’s what makes me stronger than you,” mingi says proudly. 

“oh, please! don’t give me that righteous crap. you’d be unstoppable as a demon. think about it – we could fight like this forever! no limits, no consequences. just endless battles!” 

“not interested.”

the fight intensifies, with mingi and yeonjun exchanging brutal blows. mingi’s knuckles are raw and bleeding, and his breathing grows labored. yeonjun, meanwhile, remains eerily unscathed, his wounds closing as quickly as they open. you watch from the sidelines, clutching your side. your eyes dart between the two fighters, your frustration building as you realize mingi is starting to falter. 

“mingi, stop! you’re gonna get yourself killed!” you shout, panic running through your body and tone. yeonjun smirks, his claws glowing faintly with a dark energy. 

“she’s right, you know. you can’t win this.” the demon lunges, his claws piercing through mingi’s chest. blood pours from the wound as mingi gasps, his body jerking in shock. 

“no!” you scream, terror running through your body. you reach forward, wound shooting a sharp pain through your being and you fall forward. 

despite the mortal injury, mingi musters the last of his strength, his fist glows with energy. he slams it into yeonjun’s face, sending the demon flying backwards. the villain lands with a grunt, momentarily stunned, but his body begins to regenerate almost instantly. 

“you really are stubborn. i’ll give you that, but this? this is just sad,” he says disappointedly. 

mingi collapses to his knees, blood dripping from his lips as his strength finally gives out. you manage to stumble to your feet, sword in hand, vision swimming from blood loss. 

yeonjun notices the faint glow of the horizon as the sun begins to rise. his expression shifts from amusement to alarm. he then starts running back into the dense forest, you wobbling after him shouting. 

“you… you bastard! you coward! come back and finish this!” you say staggering forward and making it to the forest line. 

“you think i’m running from you? that’s cute,” he laughs as he gets further and further away. 

you, in a desperate move, throw your sword. the blade slices through the air and impales yeonjun’s chest. the demon falters, yanking the sword out with a grimace before fully disappearing into the shadows. 

“you coward!” you scream with as much strength as you could muster. 

derailment site – sunrise

you stumble back towards mingi, falling to your knees in front of him. his breathing is shallow, his face pale. you press your hands against his chest, trying to stop the bleeding. 

“st-stay with me, mingi. come on, you promised me food, remember? you can’t back out now,” you tell him panicking. 

mingi smiles faintly, his voice barely a whisper, “are… are the passengers safe?”

you feel tears begin to build up in your eyes, “yeah. they’re safe. you did it.”

yunho arrives, climbing over the other side of the tracks after having helped the passengers and contacted the association. what was a look of relief turns into sheer horror as he sees mingi’s condition. 

“mingi! no, no, no!” he drops to his knees in front of his friend and beside you, trying desperately to heal him, but it’s too late. 

“take care of her. and… don’t let each other skip any meals.” with one final breath, mingi goes still. 

yunho lets out a loud sob, screaming into the sky as he calls out to mingi, his best friend. “mingi! no! please!” 

you sit silently in front of mingi, tears streaming down your face as you stare at your blood-covered hands. you look up to see a lone crow circling above them, its caw echoing in the still morning air.

ACT III: WINTER IS COMING

daegu district – funeral hall - day

the room is quiet, filled with somber faces and the scent of white lilies. a framed photo of mingi rests at the front, surrounded by wreaths from both family, friends, the hero association, and mingi’s fans. yunho and hongjoong stand near the back, dressed in black suits, their expressions tense and heavy. 

yunho’s jaw is tight as he glances towards mingi’s parents at the front of the hall. his mother dabs a handkerchief at her eyes, while his father gaze stays locked on the floor, one hand around his wife’s shoulder and the other clenched into a fist at his side. 

“have you talked to them yet?” yunho asks, whispering to hongjoong.

“no,” hongjoong says flatly. yunho frowns but doesn’t press further.

daegu district – outside funeral hall – after the service

the crowd slowly began to thin, eventually leaving only yunho, hongjoong, and mingi’s parents. the four stand in the funeral home’s quiet garden. tension hangs thick in the air as mingi’s father finally speaks.

“you have some nerve showing your faces here,” mr. song spits out angrily at the two heroes. 

yunho steps forward, his voice steady but strained. “we’re here to pay our respects.” 

“respects?” mrs. song’s voice trembles with bitterness as she talks, “is that what you call this? he’s dead because of you.”

yunho flinches, but hongjoong doesn’t react, his expression unreadable. 

mr. song points an accusing finger towards yunho, “you dragged him into this – into being a hero. if it weren’t for you, he’d still be alive.” 

yunho’s hands ball into fists, but he keeps his tone measured. “mingi chose to become a hero because he wanted to make a difference. he believed in what we were doing.” 

“and look where it got him! he should have stayed here, with us, where he was safe. but no, he had to go off chasing some foolish dream and get himself killed!” his mother snarled. the words cut deep, but yunho refused to back down. 

“he wasn’t chasing a foolish dream. he was trying to protect people – people like you.”

mr. song steps forward, his face contorted with more rage than grief, “don’t you dare try to justify this to us. you think we care about your excuses? our son is gone, and it’s your fault!”

before yunho can respond, hongjoong bows deeply, his head low. “you’re right. this is our fault. we failed him, and for that, we’re sorry.”

the gesture catches everyone off guard, including yunho. 

mingi’s mother scoffs, her voice cold as she sneers at hongjoong and his action, “sorry? what good is sorry? it won’t bring him back. just leave. both of you.”

hongjoong straightens, his face blank, and nods. without another word, he turns and begins 

daegu district – outside funeral hall – late afternoon

the two walk in silence, the weight of the encounter pressing down on them. finally, yunho breaks the silence. 

“why did you do that?” he asks his captain angrily. 

hongjoong doesn’t look at him, his voice quiet but firm. “because it’s what they needed to hear.” 

“they needed to hear the truth! that mingi was a hero, that he died protecting people! not some empty apology that makes it sound like we didn’t care!” yunho says, feeling all his emotions about to explode out of him. 

hongjoong stops abruptly, turning to face yunho. “you think i don’t care?” he says, voice rising, “you think this doesn’t tear me apart, too?”

yunho glares at him, emotions continuing to boil over. “then why do you always act like nothing touches you? like you don’t feel anything?” 

“because someone has to keep it together. someone has to be the one to face people like them and take the blame if it means they get even a shred of peace.”

yunho’s anger falters, replaced by a flicker of understanding. “you don’t have to carry it all on your own, you know,” yunho says quietly. 

hongjoong exhales deeply, running a hand through his hair. “i know, but it’s easier this way.” they stand in silence for a moment, the tension easing slightly. 

“mingi wouldn’t want us to be like this. he’d want us to look out for each other,” yunho says softly. 

hongjoong nods, gaze distant, “you’re right.”

the two continue walking as the sun begins to set. side by side, the tension between them slowly fading along with an unspoken promise of healing lingering between them.

seoul district – living room – night 

a group of older adults sit around a fireplace, glasses of wine in hand. laughter fills the room as they exchange words and stories. one of them, a well-dressed man in 50s, leans back in his chair and takes a sip of his drink. 

“you know, our little girl’s been reading college-level texts since she was eight. smart as a whip, that one!” he says and his wife next to him smiles. 

“she’s going to take the hero association to new heights, i’m sure of it. honestly, we couldn’t be prouder – even if she isn’t… well, you know.”

“adopted or not, she’s clearly got your drive,” the other woman says. 

“yes, it's a shame that she suffers from a strange condition, not being able to go outside during the day though hasn’t killed her drive though,” the first man said. the group laughs and continues their chatter, their voices a warm hum against the crackling fire. 

seoul district – home library – night

upstairs, a young girl, no older than thirteen, stands in a room with the walls lined with towering bookshelves. the room is softly lit, casting shadows across the spines of ancient tomes and leather-bound books. the girl’s small hands flip through a dense book written in an unfamiliar language. 

her attention sharpens as she scans the pages, her lips forming silent words, able to follow along easily with the unfamiliar script. a faint breeze causes the sheer curtains on the balcony doors to sway, though the night outside is still. 

the balcony doors creak open, a tall figure steps inside, his movements measured and deliberate. yeonjun enters, bowing low as the curtains blow around him. 

“lady nicha,” yeonjun’s voice is low and respectful. the complete opposite of what it was during his fight with mingi. 

the girl turns slowly, her youthful face serene, yet unnervingly cold. her dark eyes flash a vivid, burning red, illuminating her face for an instant before fading back to normal. she tilts her head, studying him like he was a mere insect to her.

“you’re late,” her voice, mature and calm, is the complete opposite of her youthful and innocent appearance. 

“i came as quickly as i could,” he keeps his head low as he speaks. eyes staying towards the floor and not daring to look at the girl in front of him. 

nicha closes the book with soft thud, even so a ripple of air rushes through the room due to her single action. though her stature is small, the air around her is suffocating, charged with unlimited power. 

“report.”

yeonjun straightens but keeps his gaze averted, respectfully. “the train mission was… partially successful. the hero mingi is dead.”

nicha’s expression remains unchanged, her eyes unblinking as she continues to stare at yeonjun. waiting for him to continue with his report. 

he hesitates for a moment before continuing, “but the other hero and the female villain survived.” the room grows deathly silent at his words. 

“didn’t i tell you to kill all of them?” nicha’s voice is soft, yet menacing. the air ripples with an unseen force. the books on the shelves around them tremble. 

“the sun was rising soon. i couldn’t stay much longer. if i had—

a sudden deafening crack interrupts him as the windows behind him shatter. shards of glass explode and fly inward. yeonjun doesn’t flinch, though his shoulders tense. the glass hovers mid-air for a split second before raining down on the floor. 

the room itself seems to quake, the walls vibrating faintly under nicha’s silent fury. she steps towards yeonjun, her bare feet crunching softly against the scattered glass. she doesn’t flinch as the glass shards pierce her feet. 

“excuses,” she spits, voice low and full of venom. yeonjun swallows hard but remains rooted in place, his eyes fixed on the ground. unmoving. 

nicha then tilts her head, like a curious child, “do you think i care about the sun? or your limits?” her voice echoes unnaturally through the room. reverberating as if spoken by many voices at once. 

yeonjun struggles to maintain his composure, “it won’t happen again. i’ll finish the job.” nicha’s lips curve into a faint smile, though her eyes and the smile itself remains devoid of warmth. 

“no, it won’t.” the tension in the air snaps as quickly as it rose. nicha turns away from yeonjun, dismissing him with a flick of her hand. “leave.”

yeonjun hesitates for a fraction of a second before bowing deeply and retreating. he steps carefully through the broken glass, his movements eerily silent. the balcony doors close behind him, and nicha turns back to her book. she resumes where she left off, her expression as calm as if nothing had happened. 

ateez compound – common room – night

the compound is unusually quiet. the common room feels colder than usual, the air heavy with grief. jongho, wooyoung, and yeosang sit together on the couch. none of them speak for a while, each lost in their thoughts. 

“it doesn’t feel real,” wooyoung says softly, finally breaking the silence. 

jongho, sitting with his elbows on his knees, nods but doesn’t lift his head. “i keep thinking he’s going to walk through the door. make some dumb joke about how we’re all too serious,” he says quietly. 

yeosang leans back, staring at the ceiling, voice distant and solemn, “he always made it look so easy. like no matter how bad things got, he’d figure it out.” 

wooyoung lets out a shaky laugh, but it’s devoid of humor, “that’s because he was stubborn as hell. he hated giving up on anything.” 

there’s a brief silence as the three exchange a look. despite their different temperaments, the loss of mingi has brought them closer in their unfortunate shared grief. 

“we should’ve been there,” jongho says, voice full of regret. 

yeosang shakes his head at the youngest’s words, “we can’t think like that. it’s not what he’d want,” yeosang’s voice is soft but firm. 

wooyoung’s eyes glisten, but he blinks them away, refusing to let the tears fall. “he was family. all of us… we’re family, right?” he asks, staring at his hands. 

jongho and yeosang both nod, their faces set with quiet determination. yeosang looks at the both of them, “and family sticks together. no matter what.”

ateez compound – infirmary – night

the sterile, white walls of the infirmary feel suffocating. you sit on the edge of the bed, side bandaged, but face still pale from the results of the last mission. the faint sound of the compound’s hum buzzes in the background and slowly in your mind. you stare out the window, moonlight illuminating your face. 

your eyes are hollow, expression distant. one hand absentmindedly touches the bandages on your abdomen. “i should’ve done more,” you whisper to yourself. 

a single tear escapes, sliding down your cheek. suddenly, your nose begins to bleed. you wipe it quickly with the back of your hand, frowning. your eyes immediately snap to the infirmary door, watching as san steps into the room, carrying a small tray with supplies. 

“i figured you’d still be awake,” he says, sitting down beside her. 

“i can’t sleep,” you say in reply, softly. san places the tray on the side table, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. 

“no one blames you, y/n,” he says quietly.

your jaw tightens, and you look away, voice trembling, “that’s a lie. either way… i blame me.” 

san reaches out, hand hovering near yours before pulling back. “you fought harder than anyone else could’ve in your condition.” 

“it wasn’t enough! mingi’s gone because i wasn’t strong enough to stop that bastard!” your voice cracks, and a faint glow of your powers flickers around your fingers. the air in the room becomes momentarily heavy. san tenses but stays calm. 

“y/n,” he calls out to her, soft but firm. the sound of his voice pulls you back, and the glow dissipates. you exhale shakily, guilt washing over you.

“i’m sorry,” you say quietly. 

“you don’t have to apologize.” there’s a long silence before san gestures to the bandages on her abdomen. “let me change those for you.” 

you hesitate but eventually nod, lifting the hem of your shirt to reveal the bloodstained bandages underneath. san’s fingers brush against your skin as he helps you take your shirt off before he carefully unwraps the bandages, his touch gentle but precise. the intimacy isn’t lost for either of you. you watch him closely, the room growing quieter as the tension between you builds. 

“does it hurt?” he asks, glancing up at you. 

“not as much as it did before,” you tell him softly. 

san chuckles faintly, his voice low, “you’re tougher than you give yourself credit for.”

his fingers linger for a moment over your wound, his finger edging around the stitches some agent from the association had done when they arrived at the derailment site. you feel your breath caught in your chest when you feel him push down on the stitches. like he was testing the durability of your stitches. you feel your heart begin to pound in your chest the more he presses down. 

“san…” you manage out, his eyes flicker up to meet your own. 

“does that hurt?” he asks, eyes never yours, fingers pressing down into your wound. 

“a little…” you trail off, feeling the sting begin to build up. as the pain from his touch begins to spread, you feel a certain heat also begin to spread over you. the pain and heat mixing in your body making your heart jump in your chest, breath hitching. 

your hand comes up to grab a fistful of san’s shirt when you feel your stitches finally giving out. a gasp leaves your lips, but san muffles any remaining sounds that want to escape. his lips pressing to yours in an open mouth, tongue abusing yours as two of his fingers jab into your wound – into you. 

san’s mouth trails from your mouth and down your jaw, tongue leaving a wet trail over your skin. he trails his tongue over your jaw and down your throat where he meets your death collar. you hear grumbled over the collar before skipping over and continuing down. he meets your lips again when you pull him back up to kiss you, his fingers teasingly moving in and out of your wound. 

the pain making your moan and clench your eyes shut, jaw clenched, san is panting heavily in your ear like a dog in heat at the feeling of your insides. 

“f-fuck,” he pants out, you cringe at the lewd, wet sounds your wound and his fingers are making together. you feel a little embarrassed about it, but the way he reacts makes the heat from your core reappear – as if it even disappeared. you’re just as sick as he is, you think to yourself. your hand comes down to his crotch, palming the noticeable tent in his pants. san lets out a moan, lips crushing yours when your hands travels inside his pants and grabs his cock. 

your tongues do a wild dance, spit running down your chins as his free hand grips your hair and keeps your head in place. the sting from his grip mixed with penetration of your wound sends a pleasurable wave over your body. your hand gives san’s tip a squeeze making him thrust up into your hand. 

“fuckfuckfuck,” san pants out, as you feel him curl his fingers, “feels so good,” he adds, eyes glazed over with a look of lust. 

“s-san,” you moan out as you suddenly both his hands are moving, his left fingers covered in blood that he spreads over the expanse of your body as he moves you to lay down. you let go of his cock, eyes watching as it stands red and angry at being let go. precum beads at the top of his tip trailing down the length of it and the sight makes you even more hornier than you were. 

blood begins to run out of your newly open wound, but san effortlessly uses his powers to stop it. how convenient. you let out a small wince when he bends you in half, yanking your pants and underwear to your knees. “sorry– can’t wait,” he rushes out as you feel his tip rub between your folds that were already slick and easily helping him slip inside of you.  

the two of you let out a string of moans as san enters you, his cock stretching you out and there’s a slight sting to his stretch. only thanks to not having him inside you for the past several months. you honestly were starting to forget how good it felt to have him inside you. san immediately begins to thrusts inside of you, holding onto your legs as leverage. 

“fuck– i forgot how good this pussy is,” he hisses out as his cock hits your g-spot, over and over again. you feel your eyes roll into the back of your head at the feeling, mouth hanging open and moans spilling into the air. the lewd wet sounds from just moments ago, return as san continues to fuck your pussy. your wetness smearing up your thighs and over your ass as his pace doesn’t stop once he finally found a good pace. 

“damn infirmary beds… too fuckin’ small,” he spits out as one of his legs almost fall off the side from how he tries to spread you out more. you feel the head of his cock hitting your sweet spot, head thrown back you feel your climax continue to build up. 

“s-s-san-nie! i’m close!” you tell him, you feel his fingers digging into the backs of thighs as he begins to drill into you with his cock. if you weren’t getting your insides rearranged then you would have been worried about the infirmary bed. thankfully, san’s powers have to do with blood and not strength. 

however, his natural strength was nothing to laugh about. 

you let out a choked sob as you feel yourself coming. san sheathes himself deep inside of you as he also comes. his thick cum painting your walls and even dripping out as san tries to fuck it back into you. he pulls out, running the head and base of his cock between your creamy folds, watching with a daze expression. 

you let a hiss of pain out when your orgasm subsides and the pain from your open wound begins to overtake you. 

san seems to snap out of it as he’s quickly fixing himself and you. he looks at your wound, gently touching it, his fingers still coated in your now dried blood. 

“let me fix you up,” he says, grabbing what he needs and begins to patch up your wound. “there,” he says softly once your wound is closed once more. 

“san…” you say quietly as you sit up. his eyes meet yours, expression unreadable now, but filled with something. 

“does it still hurt?” he asks softly, reaching over to grab new bandages and you shake your head. “good,” he adds, wrapping the new bandages around your abdomen. 

“thanks,” you tell him when he’s done and finally help you put your shirt back on. the earlier mood seemingly settling back between the two of you. mind racing as you think back to how if you had been stronger than you won’t have suffered the wounds you did. you could’ve helped mingi and maybe he would still be here.

“you don’t have to carry this alone,” he tells you softly, snapping you out of your thoughts. you blink, tears welling up again. 

“i… i don’t know how to move forward,” you confess. san places a hand on your shoulder, his thumb brushing lightly against your collarbone. 

“one step at a time. me and seonghwa… we’ll be there with you. for you,” he says, your faces inches apart. the tension between you both is almost visible. neither of you move, the moment hanging in the air before you look away, breaking the spell. 

“thank you.”

san doesn’t respond, but his hand lingers on your shoulder for a moment longer before he pulls away. the two of you sit in silence, the weight of your grief and unspoken emotions filling the room.

ateez compound – common room – day

the compound has become quieter the last few days, somber stillness that reflected the weight of mingi’s death. you sat alone at the kitchen table, which was connected into the common room, staring at the half-empty cup of tea in front of you. the guilt you had been feeling was unbearable. a constant ache in your chest that refused to fade. you replayed the moment over and over again, mind torturing you with the what-ifs. 

wooyoung leaned against the wall nearby, his arms crossed as he stared out the window. every so often his sharp gaze would flicker over to you, who remained unmoving. the tension between them and the rest of the team had been simmering for days, about ready to boil over at any second. 

“you’re really just sitting there?” he finally asked, voice low but cutting. you chose not to respond to him. fingers tightening around the mug instead. “answer me!” wooyoung snapped, stepping closer. now in the kitchen area. “do you feel anything? mingi is dead! and you’re sitting here like it’s just another day!”

you flinched slightly at his words, guilt twisting even tighter, but before you could muster a reply, san stood abruptly from his spot by the other large window in the common room. “that’s enough, wooyoung,” he says, his voice full of warning and danger, not to mention laced with a certain coldness. 

“enough? are you kidding me?” wooyoung sounds offended by san’s words, his eyes blazing as he directs his attention to san. “mingi died because of her! if she hadn't been so–

“don’t you dare fucking finish that sentence,” san cuts him off, stepping close until they were just nearly nose-to-nose with each other. his fists clenched at his sides, just barely able to restrain himself from punching the hero. “you have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“i know exactly what i’m talking about,” wooyoung shot back. “she’s clearly a liability. always has been since day one, and now mingi’s gone because of it. i’m surprised yunho isn’t dead too because of her.”

“wooyoung, stop!” yeosang tries to step in, but he was immediately drowned out by the argument. 

san’s jaw tightened, “mingi’s death isn’t her fault. she risked her life to save those passengers and was injured because of that demon. how was she supposed to know an even stronger one was going to show up right after? huh? tell me that.”

wooyoung let out a bitter laugh, one full of anger and disbelief. “you always defend her, don’t you? no matter what she does, you’re always there to protect her. i thought she was one the world’s worst villains, can she not protect herself?”

“and you’re always looking for someone to blame,” san retorts, “mingi wouldn’t want this – wouldn’t want you tearing the team apart because you can’t deal with your grief and personal issues! you’ve been hostile since day one, wooyoung, don’t you have anything else better to do than be this petty?”

wooyoung’s hands balled into fists, elements of fire and ice sparking off both hands, “don’t you dare talk to me about grief! at least i actually cared about mingi. at least i–

“enough!” jongho’s voice echoes through the room as he steps between them, shoving them apart with a firm grip on each of their shoulders. “both of you stop this right now. fighting each other won’t bring him back.” 

san shrugs jongho’s hand off with a huff as he reluctantly steps back. wooyoung scowled but didn’t push further; however, the anger in his eyes didn’t fade. from across the room, seonghwa, who had been silent observing, finally spoke. 

“this isn’t helping anyone. least of all mingi.” 

wooyoung muttered something under his breath that no one caught before storming out of the common room. his footsteps echoing through the hallway. 

yeosang, who had also been watching quietly, approached you. he placed a gentle hand on your shoulder, his expression soft as you look up at him with tired eyes. “come on. let’s get out of here for a bit,” he says quietly. you hesitate for a moment before nodding, face pale and drawn from watching san and wooyoung as you let yeosang guide you out of the room. you both walked in silence down the corridor, tension still heavy in the air for everyone. 

“don’t let him get to you,” yeosang says eventually, his voice calm but firm. he does his best in trying to assure you. 

you stopped walking and leaned against the wall, hands trembling. “he’s right, though,” you whispered. “i failed. i couldn’t save mingi.” 

yeosang shook his head, his hands gently coming to support yours, “you did what you could. none of this is your fault, and if it wasn’t for you there would have been a lot more casualties. you did a good thing.” 

tears began to well up in your eyes as you listened to speak, despite trying to blink them away. “it feels like my fault. every time i close my eyes, i see him. he fought so hard, we were supposed to get something to eat after the mission. he promised.” 

yeosang leaned against the wall beside you, his presence steady and grounding. “we’ve all lost people, y/n. but you don’t have to carry this by yourself. you’ve got us to help you through this. we are all figuring this out, together.” 

you looked up at him, vision blurry with tears, yet you still managed a small, grateful smile, “thank you, yeosang.” 

before he could respond, jongho comes rushing down the corridor, expression tense. you don’t think you’ve seen jongho look like this, not since when you first met him a few months ago. “someone’s approaching the compound,” he says breathlessly. 

you and yeosang exchanged a look before you are following after jongho to the main entrance. wooyoung is already there, fists clenched and fire and ice seeping off his fingers. he’s ready just in case. 

then you see them. a long figure staggered closer, silhouette weak and unsteady. it was a young woman. as she came closer, you could tell the three heroes immediately recognized her. she had to be a fellow hero. 

“it’s winter,” yeosang says, eyes flickering over to meet yours. like he was filling you in on who this was. winter? you think you’ve heard that name being tossed around before when you were still in prison. some of the male villains idolizing her, having crushes on her despite her being a hero and them villains.

winter’s uniform was torn and soaked with blood, her face pale and bruised as she nearly collapsed at the entrance. you can’t help but notice how despite her torn uniform and injuries, the light pink shawl with stars on it remained… almost untouched as it draped around her arms. jongho and yeosang rushed over to support her, each of them taking an arm to help steady her as they carefully helped her inside. 

“my team…” winter began to say, her voice weak and trembling as she let out a small gasp, “we were attacked. a-a villain– demon, i don’t know what it was. they’re all dead! i’m– i’m the only one who made it out,” she tells you all, tears beginning to build up in her eyes. 

wooyoung frowned at the news, “you can stay here until hongjoong and yunho get back. they’ll know what to do.” 

you watch as winter’s gaze swept the room before she immediately caught her breath, eyes narrowing when they landed on you, san, and seonghwa. “i didn’t think the rumors were true. that the hero association made you work with villains,” she said, her tone in clear disdain at you and your two lovers. 

you looked away, eyes moving over your team. yeosang looked slightly surprised by her words while jongho, seonghwa, and wooyoung – surprisingly – remained neutral. san; however, looked at winter with a match of disdain, his eyes narrowing on her. like he was trying to figure her out. 

“especially her,” you heard winter say, you snapped your attention back to her, her eyes boring right into you, “everyone knows how dangerous she is.” 

“watch your fucking mouth,” san snapped, his voice sharp and glare icy as he stepped forward. 

“san,” wooyoung’s tone is one of warning, “don’t start.” 

“i’m not starting anything,” he shot back, “but i’m not going to stand here and listen to some crap nonsense.” 

“nonsense?” winter scoffed, “she’s a clear liability. i’m surprised the association even let her out.”

“enough!” san’s voice booms through the room, silencing winter who stares at the villain in shock, “you don’t know anything about her.” he hisses, pointing a finger at her in warning. 

but then wooyoung steps up, “and you don’t know what to back off,” he counters, stepping closer to san. “you’re so blinded by your feelings for her that you can’t see the truth. is her pussy really that good?”

before anyone could react, san punches wooyoung which in turn sends the hero stumbling back and falling to the ground. blood drips from wooyoung’s nose, jaw clenched as he turns to look back at san. 

“say that again, wooyoung. i fucking dare you,” san’s fist are still clenched, waiting for wooyoung to once again run his mouth. 

wooyoung stands up, blood smearing across his face as he attempts to wipe it away, but before he could do anything further with san, yeosang steps between them. “guys, stop!” his voice is sharper and more commanding than you have ever heard from the usually soft-spoken hero. “we have more important things to deal with right now, and none of them involve fighting each other.” 

seonghwa comes and places a calming hand on san’s shoulder, his voice low, “let’s go.” 

san hesitates, his gaze landing on wooyoung before turning and lingering on winter for a moment before turning away. “this isn’t over,” he mutters, allowing seonghwa to guide him and you out of the room. 

as you walked away, you notice san glancing over his shoulder, eyes narrowing once more. you know he was suspicious about winter, something clearly not sitting right with him about her. but he didn’t say anything to either you or seonghwa. keeping his thoughts to himself, you couldn’t deny the sense of unease settled around you three. 

ateez compound – common room – few days later

the atmosphere in the compound had grown overwhelmingly thick with tension over the past several days. winter, oblivious to the tension she was causing, settled into a room and easily integrated herself into the team’s space. her injuries healed surprisingly fast, and she often roamed the halls, stopping sometimes to exchange casual remarks with her fellow heroes. 

wooyoung, for one, didn’t seem to mind her presence. spending more time with her than anyone else has, sharing meals or discussing tactics. he calms he just wants her to feel welcomed, but yeosang tells you he thinks otherwise. winter’s willingness to integrate herself so quickly, barely mourning the grief of her teammates, made san’s suspicions grow with each passing day.

“she’s not who she says she is,” san muttered under his breath during a meeting in the common area. you had chosen to stay in your room, shutting yourself away from everyone. the absence of mingi and the growing tension making you unable to tolerate being in the same room as the others. wooyoung especially. 

wooyoung let out a dramatic sigh, slamming his cup down on the table. “for the last time, san, she’s a hero! she’s on our side!” 

“and you’re so sure of that?” san shoots back, voice low but clearly full of distrust. “she just shows up, conveniently alive after her entire team is killed, and we’re supposed to believe she’s fine?” 

“what’s your problem, huh?” wooyoung counters, standing up from his chair. “are you mad because someone else is able to see how much of a liability you two and y/n are? that you should’ve stayed in prison to rot?”

san’s eyes darkened, his collar digging into his skin, and his fists clenched at his sides, “don’t you dare bring seonghwa and y/n into this.” 

“oh, i’ll bring them into this,” wooyoung says, stepping closer and voice rising. “you’re so suspicious of winter, yet ever since the three of you joined, the number of demon attacks have also increased! and how convenient that when y/n is sent on a mission there’s not one, but two demons from the twelve moons that show up! how is that not suspicious!”

seonghwa, who had been silently observing from the corner, finally speaks up, “both of you, enough. arguing isn’t going to help anything, especially when we need to be a team more than ever.”

“she’s dangerous,” san says through gritted teeth, pointing towards the hallway where winter had disappeared moments ago. 

“and you’re paranoid,” wooyoung snaps back, brushing past san as he leaves the room. 

san exhaled sharply, jaw tight as he sat back down, his mind racing with uneasy thoughts. jongho who had stood at the front of the room let out an annoyed sigh, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“great meeting everybody, glad we got things accomplished,” he says sarcastically.

ateez compound – y/n’s room – ████

your room was shrouded in a heavy stillness, the air thick with the weight of your grief. the blinds were tightly shut, casting the space in darkness. you lay curled up in your bed, knees drawn to your chest, staring at the blank wall. your heart ached with the guilt that continuously gnawed at you, an endless replay of mingi’s final moments in your mind. it was fucking awful. 

a soft knock broke through the silence, but you didn’t respond. had you even heard the knock in the first place?

the door creaked open, and seonghwa stepped inside, carrying a tray of food. his footsteps are quiet as he nears you, as if he understood the weight of the room and how it demanded silence. 

“y/n,” seonghwa’s voice is soft, laced with concern, “you need to eat.”

“i’m not hungry,” you reply, voice hoarse and barely audible. 

seonghwa sighed, setting the tray down on the bedside table before making his way over to the blinds and turning them just a hair to where light was shining in. the room now shrouded in a form of twilight. seonghwa lowers himself onto the edge of your bed. his gaze gentle but insistent, even if you can’t see him. your back facing him, you remain unmoving. 

“you’ve been in here for days. yeosang is worried. we all are,” he tells you, but you know that’s not the case. wooyoung surely isn’t and jongho just chooses to remain… neutral. you know hongjoong would have already killed you if he was here. it felt like a countdown just waiting for him and yunho to return. 

you chose not to respond, gaze fixed on the same spot on the wall. the silence stretched between the two of you, heavy and unyielding. 

without a word, seonghwa shifted closer. he reached out, his hand tentative and slow as he carefully reached up to brush some hair away from your face. his touch was warm, grounding. you didn’t deserve it. “y/n,” he murmured, voice breaking slightly. “please, don’t shut me out,” you feel your heart clenched. 

you eventually turned your head to look at him, eyes glassy with unshed tears. “i failed him,” you whispered, voice trembling. “if i hadn’t been injured in that fight with yena then i could’ve saved him.” 

seonghwa’s heart twists at hearing the anguish in your voice. he lays down beside you, pulling you into his arms. you tried to resist for a moment before giving up, collapsing against him, burying your face in his chest. 

“you didn’t fail him,” he said softly, voice steady despite the emotions threatening to spill over. “you did everything you could.” 

“i could’ve stopped that bastard, seonghwa. i could’ve– 

you cut your own self off as the tears you had been holding back finally broke free. body shaking as the tears began to soak through seonghwa’s shirt. 

“no,” he says, tone firm but gentle. he titled your chin up, forcing you to look at him. “you couldn’t have known. you couldn’t have done anything differently. don’t let this guilt consume you, y/n. you saved all those people on that train from that demon. you did something.” 

you stared at him, tears spilling over as your lips quivered. “i feel like i’m drowning,” you confessed, voice barely a whisper. “i can’t breathe. i can’t… i can’t do this.”

seonghwa’s arms tighten around you, his forehead knocking gently against yours. “you’re not alone,” he said, voice shaking slightly. “you hear me? you’re not alone in this. i’m here, san’s here, yeosang even. and i’ll always be here.” 

your sobs grew louder, emotions spiralling out of control. the room around you both began to shift. the walls ripped like waves, furniture flickered in and out of existence, and the air seemed to hum with an unnatural energy. 

seonghwa noticed but didn’t falter. he held you tighter, attempting to ground you with his presence. “breathe with me,” he whispers, voice soothing. “in and out. just focus on me.” 

you clung to seonghwa as if he were your lifeline, your ragged breaths slowly matching his steady rhythm. gradually, the room settled. the walls returned to their solid state, the flickering ceased, and the unnatural energy faded away. 

you pulled away slightly, face streaked with tears. “i’m scared,” you confessed, voice unstable as you continued. “i’m scared of losing control and hurting people i care about.”

seonghwa cups your face with his hands, thumb gently wiping the tears away. “you’re stronger than you think,” he tells you, voice filled with a quiet sureness. “you’ve been through so much and you’re still here. still fighting. that’s what matters most.” 

you feel your lower lip tremble as you search his eyes, finding only unwavering support and affection. unwavering love. “i don’t know if i can continue doing this alone,” you admitted softly. 

“and you won’t,” he tells you, “you have us. you have me.” 

for the first time in days, you feel a flicker of something other than guilt and grief. hope, perhaps? you let out a shaky breath and rest your forehead against his once again. “thank you,” you whisper, voice full of raw emotions and eyes looking at him with sincerity. 

seonghwa smiles soft, his arms still wrapped around you, “always,” he tells you, leaning over to pressing a soft kiss to your lips. 

you felt your breathing steady and tears finally stop, you allowed yourself to lean into him, feeling the weight of your grief just ever so slightly begin to lift. it was good to be reminded that seonghwa was here – san too – and that you weren’t alone. 

ateez compound – winter’s room – night

winter walks down the quiet corridor, her footsteps light and measured as the compound has settled into its usual nightly rhythm. her expression remains neutral, composed – a perfect mask of calm that easily hid the storm beneath. each step brought her closer to her room, where she knew she could let her guard down for a moment. 

she pushed the door open with a soft creaked sound. her hand instinctively reaches for the light switch, but she immediately freezes. 

someone was sitting on her bed. 

the faint light from the hallway cast a silhouette that is both commanding and terrifying. lady nicha.

the door closes behind winter as she immediately drops to both knees, bowing deeply, her head pressed against the cold floor. her voice was steady as she spoke, “lady nicha, i wasn’t expecting you.”

the air in the room felt heavy, suffocating, as if the walls themselves bowed to nicha’s presence. she sat clearly relaxed on the edge of the bed, her posture deceptively casual, but her eyes shined with a predatory sharpness. she tapped her painted, burgundy fingers against her knee. each movement deliberate, echoing in the tense silence. 

“rise,” she then commands, voice smooth yet still laced with authority that left no room for discussion. 

winter raised her body off the ground, still kneeling with her head slightly bowed. her star-patterned shawl shimmering in the moonlight that peeked into the room. “such a disguise you have,” nicha says, voice tilted with fake amusement.

nicha’s lips curved into a slow, wicked smile. “you’ve done well, wonyoung,” she purred, her voice a mix of praise and menace. “to think, they’ve welcomed you so easily and trusted you. allowed you to even sow discord among them, but, ah, i guess that part wasn’t so hard considering their distrust among each other.”

wonyoung tilted her head, her expression one of pride, “it’s as you planned, my lady. the seeds of doubt and tension are starting to blossom. they’re starting to fray at the edges.” 

nicha stood, the air around her growing heavier still. she approached wonyoung, her presence overwhelming. each step she took seemed to dim the light in the room, shadows pooling at her feet and seemed to have a mind of their own. “good,” she said, voice low and deliberate, “but your work is far from over.” 

wonyoung met her gaze for a moment, unwavering despite the oppressive and powerful aura that surrounded nicha. “what would you have me do, my lady?”

“take them out,” she says, tone sharp as a blade. “one by one, if you must. but the female villain, y/n…” she pauses, her eyes narrowing, a cruel smile playing on her lips. “she must suffer. break her and her power will surely destroy the rest.” 

wonyoung nodded, her expression determined, “i won’t fail you.” 

nicha’s smile widened, though it held no warmth. she raised a hand, her fingers brushing wonyoung’s cheek in a mockery of affection. the action, nonetheless, still sent a chill down wonyoung’s spine. “see that you don’t. i have no use for failures.”

the room seemed to pulse with nicha’s presence, the walls vibrating faintly as if the very fabric of reality bent to her will. “remember, child,” she continued, her voice a whisper that felt like a scream to wonyoung. “my power is what allowed you to stand here. do not make me regret granting it to you.” 

wonyoung bowed her head again, voice firm, “i will not disappoint you, lady nicha.”

nicha laughed softly, a sound that sent more shivers down wonyoung’s spine. “good,” she said, her form beginning to dissolve into the shadows that slowly gathered around her. “then go, prove yourself worthy of the power i’ve bestowed upon you.”

with her final words echoing inside the room, nicha’s presence dissolved, leaving the room eerily still. the oppressive weight lifted, but her dominance remained a lingering sense. like a phantom hand clutched wonyoung’s throat, reminding her to not fail. 

then, as the last traces of  nicha’s aura faded, wonyoung straightened up, standing up from the ground as her face hardened. “y/n,” she mumbled, a flicker of something unreadable crossing her features. “let’s see if you’re as strong as they say you are.” 

with a resolute breath, she turned in order to begin preparing for the next phase of her plan. nicha’s commands echoing in her mind, a constant reminder for the price of failure. failure that wasn’t an option for her.

ateez compound – common room – the next afternoon 

the morning light streamed from the compound’s windows and into the common room where jongho and yeosang were. a faint buzz from jongho’s phone interrupted their conversation, which leads him to glancing at the device before quickled opening the message. 

“what is it?” yeosang asks, noticing the subtle tension in jongho’s shoulders. 

“it’s from hongjoong,” jongho replied, voice low. “i told him and yunho about winter being here and what she said happened to her team.”

yeosang frowns, “do you think it's about that?”

jongho didn’t respond immediately, his eyes fully focused on the message as he read it. yeosang notes his face slowly drain of color, hand tightening around the phone. yeosang is afraid the younger hero is going to crush the device if he doesn’t let up. 

“jongho?” yeosang says, his concern growing. “what does it say?”

jongho hesitates, swallowing the lump that forms in his throat, voice with an unusual tremble as he replies, “they found her team… what was left of the bodies were recovered.”

yeosang’s brows furrowed at the news, “that’s awful, but why do you–

“winter’s body was found with them,” jongho cuts him off, voice shaking. 

a chilling silence falls between them, the weight of jongho’s words sinking in. yeosang’s eyes widened in disbelief, “what?”

jongho hands him the phone, letting him read the message himself, “hongjoong says we need to be careful. whoever’s here with us isn’t winter.”

“we need to tell the others now,” yeosang says, despite his mind racing at the sudden thought of potential danger within their own compound. 

jongho nodded, his expression grim as they split up. 

ateez compound – outside training grounds – afternoon 

you sat outside of the compound, enjoying the quietness of nature, but still trying to process everything that has happened over the past few days. your eyes flickered up towards the sky where you saw several crows flying around in a circle. five crows to be exact. their cawing sends a chill down your spine for reasons you can’t quite explain.

odd, you think to yourself. the last time you saw a crow was right after mingi–

the door behind your flies open and you turn to see yeosang running outside towards you. his urgency cutting through the peaceful air. “y/n, we have a problem.”

you meet yeosang halfway, placing a hand on his shoulder, “what’s wrong?”

“winter isn’t who she says she is. her body was found with her team,” he says, not wasting any time

your eyes widened as you process his words, “you’re saying… she’s an imposter?” san was right then, his suspicions that something wasn’t right with winter were true. 

yeosang nods his head, “yes. hongjoong just sent the intel. whoever’s been with us all this time isn’t winter. we need to act now.”

you looked at yeosang, voice calm but urgent as you spoke, “then let’s move. we can’t let her make the first move. where are the others?”

ateez compound – training room – afternoon

in the training area, seonghwa stood next to winter on the sidelines as he watched san and wooyoung spar. jongho enters the room, heart pounding as he approaches wooyoung. 

“wooyoung,” jongho calls out, trying to keep his voice steady as he gives a cautious look to winter. “i need to talk to you. it’s important.”

wooyoung raised an eyebrow, pausing his sparring. after years of working with jongho, he realized that something was wrong with the youngest. he was nervous despite being able to mask it well for the others in the room. “what’s up?”

“let’s talk somewhere else,” jongho says, glancing at winter out of the corner of his eye. 

winter tilted her head, faint smile playing on her lips, “why can’t you say it here?”

jongho hesitated, but before he could answer, san stepped forward, having also picked up on the shift of jongho’s eyes. san’s own eyes narrowing that the female hero, “maybe he doesn’t want you to hear it.”

winter’s smile faltered, her expression sharpening, “i don’t see why that would be a problem? unless, of course, you’re trying to hide something.” 

san let out a dry laugh, the tension almost touchable at this point, “funny, i was about to say the same thing to you.”

wooyoung stepped between them, his own frustration boiling over, “can you stop? this isn’t the time–

“actually,” jongho interrupts him, voice slightly louder now, “this is the time.” he adds as he takes a deep breath, his eyes locked on his teammate. “winter’s team was found, and so was she. dead.” 

the room fell deathly silent. 

then the sound of an unsettling laughter broke it.

the longer the laugh went, the louder and unsettling it became. all eyes turned to winter, who straightened her entire demeanor. she no longer looked like the hero, but instead her platinum blonde hair turning a pitch black. eyes becoming sharper, more dangerous. what were once brown shifted into an unnatural green, her pupils also shifting to where 상위육 could be clearly read. her once delicate features twisted into a cruel smirk as she looked at the group. 

“well,” she says, her voice dripping with mockery and fake disappointment, “it seems the charade is up.”  

san stepped forward, fists clenched, while wooyoung could only stare in shock and betrayal. jongho then spoke up, voice steady and firm, “get ready! this isn’t over!”

wonyoung’s smirk widened, her confidence unshaken, “oh, i’m counting on it.”

wonyoung’s shawl, now wrapped around her waist appears with a snake-patterned, shoot out from her arms, snapping toward san. the sudden attack forces san to leap back, just narrowly avoiding being impaled. wooyoung stumbles back in shock as the ribbons carve into the wall, leaving deep gashes. 

“she’s a demon!” seonghwa says right as the room erupts into chaos with the ribbons coiling and striking with lethal precision. wonyoung whirls, her snake-like ribbons extending and retracting at her will, smashing training dummies and throwing debris into the air. san ducks under one ribbon and slashes another with his hardened blood. the severed ribbon falling lifelessly to the ground. 

seonghwa turns to both wooyoung and jongho, “go, we’ll handle her!” jongho nods his head, turning towards wooyoung who is clearly hesitating for a moment. jongho grabs the older by the arm pulling him out of the training room. 

“come on, wooyoung, we need to send a message to the association!” wooyoung snaps out of his daze and nods, the two males rushing out and leaving the two villains to take care of the demon. 

“not just any type of demon, too, but a part of the twelve moons,” san says with gritted teeth. “but her upper six status means she should just be child’s play.”

seonghwa moves in from the side, his strikes calculated, but wonyoung twirls gracefully, her ribbons creating a barrier that easily deflects his attacks. she laughs, her voice echoing eerily throughout the room. 

“you think you can defeat me? how adorable.”

one ribbon wraps around san’s arm, lifting him off the ground and slamming him into a wall. he lets out a groan but manages to twist free and lands on his feet just as seonghwa launches a flurry of attacks. his sheer strength blowing through several of wonyoung’s ribbons. the demon’s movements are fluid, almost dance-like, as she dodges and counters. 

���she’s toying with us,” seonghwa says to san. 

“not for long,” he replies before charging forward, his blood shaped into hardened weapons. he slices through one of the ribbons, which recoils with a hiss, but two more easily snap towards him. seonghwa intercepts, his fist catching the ribbon mid-strike and easily ripping it apart. 

“impressive, but let’s see how long you last,” wonyoung purrs. she then slams her hand into the ground, ribbons erupt in every direction, tearing through the floor. san and seonghwa are forced to separate, dodging the onslaught. san sprints along the edge of the room, dodge debris, while seonghwa rushes head on, leaping into the air for higher ground. 

“seonghwa, now!”

seonghwa drives his clawed fist downward towards wonyoung. she blocks with her ribbons, but san takes the opportunity to strike from the side, slicing through another ribbon and grazing her arm. wonyoung hisses in pain, her composure faltering for the first time. 

“you’ll pay for that!” she snaps, her ribbons lash out wildly, one catching seonghwa in the side and throwing him across the room. he crashes into a pile of rubble, groaning in pain. san dodges and weaves, landing another strike on wonyoung, but she quickly retaliates by wrapping a ribbon around his ankle and yanking him off his feet. 

“let… go, damnit!” san swipes his blood through the ribbon, slicing it and rolling to his feet. he and seonghwa regroup, their breathing heavy. “been awhile since we’ve been this out of breath together, huh?” san comments with a smirk making seonghwa roll his eyes. 

wonyoung glares at them, blood trickling from a wound on her forehead, “enough of this!” she extends her arms, ribbons converge into a massive, writing mass above her head. with a deafening crack, she sends it crashing down towards the two villains. they dive in opposite directions, the impact leaving a large crater in the floor. 

“we need to end this now,” seonghwa says, a frown drawn across his face. san nods, his expression grim. they continue to launch several attacks, san striking high while seonghwa goes low. wonyoung struggles to keep up, her movements becoming more erratic as the two villains close in. finally, san manages to land a deathly blow, his blood blade slicing through her neck in one clean cut. 

wonyoung’s head falls from her body and to the floor, her body slumping to the floor on her knees. seonghwa and san are left panting, their bodies fighting to keep up with the fight they just went through. they both look down at the demon’s body, and that’s when they notice that wonyoung’s head and body isn’t disintegrating. 

instead, wonyoung’s head rolls around, body jerking to life as she begins to wail like a child, her voice piercing and unsettling. the sight of her still being alive sends a chill down both villains’ spines. 

“what the–

“this isn’t fair! this isn’t fair!” she wails out, fisting slamming against the ground as fat crocodile tears run down her face. “i was supposed to kill you all! devour you all! oppa, help me! oppa!” 

seonghwa and san freeze, expressions a mix of confusion and horror as they watch wonyoung’s body begin to convulse. her body jerks forward as the sound of flesh tearing fills the air as wonyoung’s back splits open. san is quick to realize another figure was crawling out of her body and jumps straight into action. 

his blade striking down, dusting covers the room as wonyoung’s cries fall silent for a moment. and for a split second san and seonghwa both think he’s managed to kill the new demon. 

“shh, i’m here,” a voice speaks behind both of them. both seonghwa and san whirl around to see the new demon crouched in front of a still sobbing wonyoung. reattaching her head to her body like it was nothing. 

“sunghoon-oppa, it's not fair!” wonyoung cries out as the male demon gives his sister a crooked smile. 

“it’s okay now,” he says, patting her head before standing. his eyes matching wonyoung’s reading 상위육 – upper six – and his expression is hardened. “i’ll take care of them. go handle the others,” he says, addressing wonyoung. wonyoung nods, her ribbons snapping menacingly as she quickly teleports away. 

before either villain can react, sunghoon teleports behind them, his movements too fast to track. “shall we begin?”

san lets out a huff as he grabs seonghwa and rushes out of the training room and into the courtyard of the compound. sunghoon easily follows after them, his body emanating dark, almost snake-like energy. instead of ribbons like wonyoung, sunghoon has dangerous, fang-shaped blades coming out of his forearms.

“you gave up your humanity, was it worth it? becoming a puppet for the villains just to survive?” san asks, eyes narrowing as looks at sunghoon. 

“i didn’t do this for survival,” he replies back coldly, but there’s a faint undertone of pain almost, “i did it to protect my sister. everything i’ve done – every choice i’ve made was to keep her safe.” 

seonghwa steps forward, voice sharp, “and now you’re dragging her into the abyss with you.” 

sunghoon’s smirk falters at seonghwa’s words, “the abyss is kinder than the world that the hero’s call justice. the heroes and their association… they don’t protect anyone. you should know that better than anyone here.”

without warning, sunghoon attacks with his blades clashing against san’s blood. san manages to roll away, sending blood spikes towards the demon who easily dodges them. 

“you talk big, but i don’t see much strength,” san says. 

sunghoon chuckles at san, “you haven’t seen anything yet.” 

sunghoon continues to launch himself at the two villains, his blades clashing and creating sparks as seonghwa and san either parry his attack or dodge them. one of sunghoon’s blades manage to cut against seonghwa’s arm, the male hissing as he looks down at it. 

“his blades are poisonous,” seonghwa hisses out. 

“then we’ll need to hurry up and kill him before the poison kills us,” san says, jaw clenched as he used his blood to create two swords, tossing one to seonghwa who easily catches it with his uninjured arm. the fight only begins to escalate as sunghoon launches a flurry of attacks, twirling in the dance with his blades, glistening with venom, attempting to slice and cut at both san and seonghwa. 

seonghwa trembles, feeling the weight of his injury and battle getting to him. he knew he could never fully control himself when he transform, but seonghwa knew that his monstrous strength would help push them to win against this fight. 

the air around them began to grow colder with a creeping chill that seeped into the bones of both san and sunghoon. san attempted to reach out to seonghwa, but with one shove it sent san flying back and tumbling to the ground. 

“fuck,” he mumbles as he watches seonghwa. his body contorting with an unsettling and sickening sound of sounds cracking as his frame elongated. joints bending in grotesque and inhuman angles. his skin took on a deathly pale, almost translucent hue – it was the complete opposite of his usual sun-kissed skin – veins began to pulse dark and prominent beneath the surface. 

his once calm and calculating expression now twisted into something monstrous, a predator. his teeth sharpened, canines elongating like his body did into jagged points where the sole purpose was to tear at flesh. san felt his heart sink as he continued to watch as seonghwa’s eyes even turned into black voids that looked at every and anything with an unnatural and sick hunger. his fingers stretched, nails hardening into proper, monstrous claws that were just waiting to tear into its next target. 

sunghoon looked at seonghwa’s monstrous form, completely caught off guard and his usual strong facade faded for a moment. “what are you?” he hisses out, “what kind of demon are you?” 

seonghwa responded with a loud roar that sent shockwaves across the area and he lunged at the demon with his large, grotesque form. seonghwa was able to attack sunghoon with his bone-like antlers, slashing into the demon and sending him flying backwards and leaving a deep.

san is able to adjust quickly, using seonghwa’s sudden transformation and attacks as distractions to land more precise strikes.

ateez compound – control room – night 

yeosang lets out a shaky breath as he reached the control room. running over, he begins to type frantically on the condole, sweating beading down his forehead as he attempted to contact both hongjoong and yunho, but also the hero association. suddenly, the glow of the monitor flickers as a shadow looms behind him. he feels his ear twitch as the sound of a faint hiss, wonyoung’s ribbon snakes dart forward like some fanged vipers. 

you burst in, sword slashing through the first set of ribbons before wonyoung can even register that you are in the room. the severed ends writhe on the floor before quickly retracting. the ends you cut off, fell to the floor seemingly turning back into pieces of fabric. 

“go! send the message, yeosang!” you shout to him as you stand between him and wonyoung. hesitates for a moment, looking between you and wonyoung. “now, yeosang!” you shout louder. yeosang nods before quickly sending the message. 

you can hear his ragged breathing, clearly surprised and a little terrified by the demon in front of you both. you turn to look at him for a moment before gesturing towards the door. “be careful,” he whispers before making a bolt for the door. wonyoung’s head tilts as she watches him flee. 

“heroes are so predictable, always running,” she taunts with a hiss. 

you roll your shoulders, sword gripped tightly between your hands, “looks like it's just you and me.”

wonyoung lets out a tsk sound before lunging at you, her ribbons weaving in intricate patterns, each one snapping towards you like a striking snake. you manage to parry most of them with your sword, slicing through some as sparks fly with metal meeting energy. 

“you can’t keep this up forever,” wonyoung says with a smirk. 

“good thing i don’t need forever,” you told her, breathless and through gritted teeth. you roll to the side as a ribbon smashes into the console behind you, shattering the screen. you charge forward, slicing through multiple ribbons, but one catches your ankle, yanking you off balance. 

you land hard, coughing as the wind is knocked out of you. before you can recover, a ribbon snakes around your wrist, picks you up and slams you into the wall. blood trickles from your forehead, some of it running into your eye, but you quickly wipe it away. 

“what’s the matter? too weak to save yourself?” wonyoung asks mockingly, her ribboned snakes almost floating around her like extra arms. you grit your teeth, eyes glowing faintly as you feel your power begin to flare. you channel your energy into your sword, severing the ribbon holding your wrist. 

“you talk too much,” you say fiercely. you lunge again, blade igniting with light. wonyoung retreats, her ribbons forming a barrier around her. you leap, slashing downward with all your strength. the barrier shatters into pieces of limp fabric, and wonyoung stumbles back, clutching a deep wound across her shoulder. 

wonyoung scowls, her ribbons writhing wildly around her, “you’ll regret that!” 

wonyoung summons more ribbons, these even more thick and serpent-like that before, ones with glowing eyes and fangs. they hiss and dart towards you, and you just barely manage to dodge them. one snake grazes your side, tearing through your uniform and leaving a deep, bleeding gash. 

you press your hand against the wound, feeling that the snake had torn through the stitches of your wound and made it even deeper. blood pooling out and staining your clothes a deep burgundy. you let out a small hiss in pain, managing to steady yourself as you look towards wonyoung with narrowed eyes, “i’ve faced worse than you.”

“i can guarantee you’ve never faced someone like me.” 

the fight continues to become more intense, the control room becoming a battlefield of destroyed debris and shredded fabric everywhere. your sword blazes as you cut through the ribboned snakes, but wonyoung is relentless as her snakes continue to regenerate faster than you can destroy them 

jongho and wooyoung rush into the control room, when they arrive they find the place basically destroyed and you on one knee, blade digging into the ground for support. 

wooyoung immediately feels his rage build up, turning to wonyoung who looks at the three with a mocking smile, blood dripping from her wound you had given her earlier. “you lied to us! tricked us!” he says furiously, his fist catching on fire. 

“and you fell for it so easily. how pathetic,” she says, clearly amused by wooyoung’s anger. 

wooyoung begins to charge, but you reach out to grab his arm, stopping him. “don’t let her get in your head. it’s what she wants,” you say weakly. 

wooyoung simply glares at you, ripping his arm out of your grasp like you’re the one with fire powers, “she doesn’t deserve mercy!”

“wooyoung, focus! don’t let your anger get you killed,” jongho snaps.

“oh, how sweet,” wonyoung says with a laugh, “the little team trying so hard to hold it together.” 

you give both wooyoung and jongho a look as you steady yourself, sweat dripping from your forehead and mixing with blood. you can slowly start to feel the blood loss beginning to affect you, but you push forward and ignore it. the three of you quickly begin to attack in unison, combining abilities in order to overwhelm wonyoung. jongho slams his fists into the ground, sending shockwaves that manage to throw the demon off balance. wooyoung sends several fire and ice blasts towards her ribbons, even sending ice shards that pin them to the walls. 

you take advantage of the opening, rushing forward and delivering a deep slash across wonyoung’s abdomen. 

wonyoung lets out a snarl, “you think you’ve won?” her ribbons explode outward, throwing the three of you back. jongho grunts as he takes the brunt of the impact, shielding you and wooyoung. 

“thanks,” you say breathless to jongho.

“don’t thank me yet,” he says. 

wonyoung begins to unravel, her ribbons coming together to form a massive snake that towers over you guys. she sends the snake striking downward, its mouth opening up and ready to swallow you whole. wooyoung; however, leaps at the massive snake head, fist ablaze as he strikes it and easily catches it on fire. it screeches as it burns and dissolves, but another snake wraps around him and constricts him. 

“wooyoung!” you yell as jongho rushes up and grabs the snake, able to pry it off of wooyoung. his raw strength easily overpowering it. the three of you regroup, panting and bloodied. 

“keep your head in the fight. we need to end this,” you say, pointedly towards wooyoung who refuses to meet your eyes in the moment. 

jongho nods, “together.” 

you guys decide to combine your power, jongho creating another shockwave to destabilize the demon, wooyoung’s ice shards pinning her in place, and you channeling your remaining energy into your blade. 

“it’s over,” you say, leaping forward and delivering the killing blow, severing wonyoung’s head. she lets out a loud cry as her head goes flying, your powers being able to create a large crater in the wall that connects you all to the courtyard where you can see san and seonghwa’s monstrous form fighting sunghoon. 

in the courtyard, sunghoon falters for a second as wonyoung’s cry echoes through the compound. his distraction allows seonghwa to attack with feral blows. while san lands a devastating blow, driving his blade across sunghoon’s neck and sends his head flying. 

sunghoong’s head lands towards where wonyoung’s head had landed. wonyoung crying out for sunghoon, tears streaming down her face. 

“oppa… i’m scared,” she says weakly, the tears continuing to fall. 

“it’s okay, little one, i’m here,” sunghoon says back, voice breaking as he begins to watch as wonyoung’s body and head dissolve. seemingly not caring that his own is doing the same thing. finally, their bodies and head turn to ash, the wind blowing them away. 

seonghwa falls to his knees, having transformed back into his human self. you limp towards san and seonghwa, collapsing next to seonghwa, arms wrapping around him as the tension in the air remains heavy. 

“it’s okay,” you say quietly as you hold seonghwa in your arms, just like how he has done for you. 

ateez compound – courtyard – dawn

the team gathers, battered and bloodied, in the courtyard. the compound was completely destroyed by the two demons. hongjoong and yunho rush in, their expressions dark and grieve-stricken as they take in the scene before.

“what happened?” hongjoong asks, voice low and slightly commanding. 

“we stopped them,” jongho answered, exhaustion heavy in his voice as he leaned against a piece of debris. 

you lean against a wall, glancing down at your hands, yeosang doing his best to patch your wound up. san sitting next to seonghwa, still comforting the villain, calming hand running down his back. wooyoung stares blankly, fists clenched.

“i trusted her…” he says quietly.

“she fooled all of us. don’t put that on yourself,” jongho says firmly. he turns to hongjoong and yunho before quietly filling them in on everything that happened. otherwise, you and the rest of the team sit in silence, the weight of the destroyed compound heavy in the air.

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART II

[noorpersona]

just read part 6 of rivals w/ atsumu…. zoo wee mama 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨 ur just TEW good!!!!! jealous reader is always a fun read lol

ik u already posted an atsumu version for ur jealous series (?) but like… reverse situation where atsumu gets jealous when reader is seemingly cozying up with another guy that isn’t him in the context of rivals…. just throwin it out there hehehehehe

HEHEH THANK YOUU (i really went overboard cause UGHHHH)

I think I got what you're looking though 😩😙

Enjoy <333

--

Anon Asks: Atsumu (NSFW)

The afterparty wasn’t your scene. Not really.

The rooftop lounge glittered with low lighting and clinking glasses, soft music pulsing under conversation that ebbed and flowed like a tide. Some modern Tokyo bar—sleek and expensive, with panoramic views of the skyline and a dress code that required heels too high and smiles too sharp. It smelled like citrus spritz, fresh sweat, and ego.

You weren’t here to impress anyone. You were here for one reason only: to see him.

Atsumu had texted earlier. “Gotta wrap up post-game press, be there in a bit. Don’t let Sakusa talk shit about me too much before I arrive.”

You’d smiled at the message, slipped into your dress, and made your way to the party solo. The win had been solid—MSBY had taken it in four sets, with Atsumu playing one of his most controlled matches in recent memory. You’d seen it in his hands, the way he moved—calculated, sharp, barely restrained.

Now he was off doing damage control with a couple of reporters who liked to probe a little too far past what made it into the official soundbites. You didn’t mind. You knew the drill by now. After three years with Atsumu, patience wasn’t just a virtue—it was a requirement.

You were standing near the bar with a glass of sparkling wine when someone tapped your shoulder.

"Well damn. If it isn’t my fourth grade science partner.”

You turned, startled, before recognition settled into your chest like a stone dropping into still water.

He was taller now. Broader. The baby cheeks you remembered had been replaced by sharp cheekbones and a dimpled grin. His hair was dark and parted at the center, curling slightly at the ends, and he wore a lightweight sport coat like it was second nature.

“…Ryouta?” you asked, brows lifting.

“Bingo,” he grinned, gesturing between you both. “Still got the same face. Just—grown-up.”

You laughed before you could help it. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. What the hell are you doing here?”

“Work,” he said, leaning against the bar like he’d done it a hundred times. “I’m with the JVA now. Media and comms department. I’ve been helping with internal campaign stuff—athlete profiles, team outreach. It’s new, but… legit.”

“That’s wild. I haven’t seen you in—”

“Since we failed that volcano project because we couldn’t agree on what color lava actually was?” he finished, eyes twinkling.

Your smile widened. “Still think red is a cop-out.”

He laughed, the sound familiar and warm in a way that startled you. Nostalgia crept in gently, not overpowering but present enough to make the moment feel oddly suspended.

You moved off to the side together, drinks in hand, and the conversation flowed more easily than you expected. You talked about your shared elementary school, the time you got sent to detention for painting the school mascot purple, the fact that he used to cheat off your math tests until you started writing all your answers backwards just to mess with him.

He told you about how he fell into PR by accident after a marketing internship went well, how he never expected to end up in volleyball again, and how weird it was to be attending afterparties full of pro athletes he used to watch on TV.

“Can’t lie,” he said, glancing around, “you clean up scary well. I wouldn’t have recognized you if you didn’t still raise your eyebrows the same way.”

You snorted, sipping your drink. “That’s weirdly specific.”

“What can I say?” he teased. “Some things stick.”

You weren’t flirting. You knew that. And still—there was something easy about talking to someone who knew you before high school, before volleyball, before everything. Someone who saw you before you were who you were now.

You didn’t notice the way time was passing. But someone else did.

Atsumu arrived just under twenty minutes later, stepping into the lounge with the smooth confidence of someone who knew all eyes followed him when he moved. He wasn’t dressed to impress—just black slacks, an open collar, and the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled neatly to the elbow. He was flushed faintly from earlier exertion, hair still damp around the temples, and his gold eyes scanned the room with habitual sharpness.

They found you immediately.

He saw the guy. Saw how you were angled slightly toward him. Saw the way you laughed—small and genuine—and the way your drink was now halfway gone.

The look on Atsumu’s face was unreadable. His expression didn’t change, not really. But his jaw flexed once, and he didn’t walk toward you.

Not yet.

He stood off to the side, hands in his pockets, posture too casual to be natural. Watching. Measuring. Waiting.

Sakusa nudged him. “That your girlfriend talking to—whoever that is?”

Atsumu didn’t answer. Just narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Oh,” Sakusa said blandly. “You’re pissed.”

Atsumu gave him a look. “No shit.”

You didn’t notice the shift in the air until it was nearly too late.

Ryouta had just finished telling you about a disastrous campaign involving an accidentally misspelled slogan on a national team ad — something that went viral for all the wrong reasons — when you felt it. That creeping pressure, like someone watching too closely. Your back straightened slightly, instinct kicking in before your mind could catch up.

You turned your head.

And there he was.

Atsumu, maybe ten feet away. Staring.

Your breath hitched — not because you were doing anything wrong, but because of the look on his face. Tense. Composed. Gold eyes too steady. You knew that version of him. It meant a storm was brewing behind his tongue.

“Tsumu,” you called softly, lifting your hand.

He didn’t wave. Just approached, slow and deliberate, like a lion that had already caught the scent.

Ryouta followed your gaze and blinked. “Oh. That’s him, huh?”

You swallowed. “Yeah.”

Atsumu stopped beside you and tilted his head slightly at Ryouta, smile tight. “Don’t think we’ve met.”

Ryouta, oblivious or bold — maybe both — extended a hand. “Ryouta. Old friend. We were in the same class forever ago.”

Atsumu shook it. Too firmly. “Atsumu. Her boyfriend.”

The silence that followed stretched just long enough to sting.

Ryouta cleared his throat. “You played a great match tonight. Your control in the second set was impressive.”

Atsumu shrugged like he didn’t care. “Guess you’re real observant, then.”

You blinked at him. “Atsumu.”

He finally looked at you.

And that’s when you saw it — the tight coil in his shoulders, the barely-contained frustration just under his skin. Not fury. Not anger. But something older. Possessive. Dangerous. Familiar.

“I should let you two catch up,” Ryouta said, stepping back. “Good to see you again.”

You nodded, exhaling slowly as he walked away.

Atsumu didn’t say a word until Ryouta disappeared into the crowd.

Then:

“You flirt like that with every old classmate or was tonight a special fuckin’ occasion?”

Your mouth parted. “Excuse me?”

“You were hangin’ off him.”

“I was not.”

“You were laughing at everything he said like it was the funniest shit you’ve ever heard.”

“Because he was funny, Atsumu. I know him. We were just catching up.”

His jaw flexed again, but his voice didn’t raise. That was worse. “He was touchin’ your arm.”

“For like two seconds—”

“He was leanin’ in like he wanted to taste your breath.”

“God, you’re being so—”

“What?” he asked, stepping closer. “Jealous? Too fuckin’ bad.”

You stared up at him, your own pulse rising. “That’s not what this is about and you know it.”

“Oh really?”

“You’re pissed because you weren’t here when I walked in. Because I wasn’t waiting by the door like some show dog for you to collect.”

His eyes narrowed. “Watch it.”

“No,” you snapped, poking a finger into his chest. “You don’t get to make me feel guilty for talking to someone you’ve never even met.”

He laughed once, bitter. “I know exactly what I saw.”

“Yeah? Then maybe next time show up when you say you will.”

That landed. He didn’t move. Just stared, breathing slow and deliberate, hands curled into fists at his sides.

You held his gaze for a beat longer, then turned sharply. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

“Sure,” he said under his breath. “Run off.”

You didn’t answer. You didn’t have to. You stormed away, weaving through bodies and music until you reached the far hallway where the single-occupant restrooms were tucked behind a velvet rope.

You slipped inside, locked the door, and pressed your back to it, chest rising and falling in uneven beats.

Your heart thudded beneath your ribs — from the fight, from the tension, from something else. Your hands were shaking. Not out of fear. Out of the strange electric thrill that always came from standing toe to toe with him, matching him fire for fire.

You didn’t hear the knock.

You only heard the lock twist open.

And then he was there. Filling the doorway. Chest heaving. Eyes burning.

“I wasn’t done with you,” he said.

You swallowed. “You followed me.”

“I always follow you.”

You opened your mouth to argue, to fight again, but he was already stepping forward, pressing you back against the wall with nothing but the heat of his body.

His hand landed beside your head, palm flat against the door. His other hand found your waist.

“I didn’t like it,” he said, voice low. “The way he looked at you.”

“Tough,” you said, breath catching.

“You’re mine.”

“I know that.”

“Do you?”

Your lips parted—but then his mouth was already on yours.

You didn’t answer. Couldn’t.

Atsumu’s mouth was already moving against yours, hot and unrelenting. There was nothing gentle about it. It was claiming—raw and messy, built from jealousy and the way you argued like you wanted to be pinned. His teeth caught your bottom lip, and your hands flew up to grip his shirt, clutching tight, like that was the only way to stay grounded.

“Fuckin’ knew it,” he muttered against your mouth. “You like gettin’ me riled up.”

“You’re insane,” you whispered back, gasping when his hand dropped to your thigh, squeezing hard.

“Tell me to stop,” he growled, already bunching up the fabric of your dress, sliding it high enough to reveal your panties.

You didn’t. Wouldn’t.

The air between you throbbed with heat and unresolved anger, with the ache of being seen and wanted so completely.

He kissed you again, deeper this time, hand cupping the back of your neck as the other slipped between your thighs. His fingers grazed the edge of your underwear, dragging the thin fabric to the side with a kind of reverent disrespect that made your stomach drop.

“You’re soaked,” he said, voice dropping lower, teasing. “And here I thought you were mad at me.”

You could barely respond, breath fluttering out in a shaky half-laugh. “Shut up.”

“Yeah?” His fingers slid through your folds, spreading slick warmth across your skin. “Thought you might be drippin’ for him for a second.”

Your head thudded lightly against the door behind you. “Don’t start.”

He chuckled darkly, and then two fingers pressed into you in a single, smooth thrust.

You gasped—sharp and sudden—gripping his arm.

His palm settled against your mound, anchoring him as he pumped his fingers slowly, deliberately, curling them just enough to make your legs quake. His eyes never left your face, watching the way your expression crumbled with every stroke, every wet sound of him moving inside you.

“That's it,” he murmured, leaning close enough to kiss the corner of your mouth. “Let me hear you.”

“We’re in a bathroom—”

“So?” His thumb began to rub slow, tight circles around your clit. “You think anyone’s gonna say shit to me?”

Your reply melted into a moan, bitten off at the edge as you buried your face in his shoulder.

His rhythm never faltered. The fingers inside you curled and stroked with practiced ease, filling you just enough to ache for more. His thumb moved in time with your breath, coaxing you toward the edge with every flick, every grind.

You clenched around him without meaning to, the pressure building fast, too fast. Every nerve in your body felt lit from within, tethered to his hand and the molten heat of his mouth against your jaw.

“You gonna come?” he whispered. “Right here with my fingers in you?”

You nodded, desperate, thighs trembling.

“Then come, baby,” he said against your ear. “Let me feel it.”

You broke.

Your moan caught in your throat as your hips bucked forward, grinding down onto his hand. The orgasm rolled through you hard, your walls fluttering around his fingers, your breath ragged as you shook against him.

He didn’t stop until you physically twitched away from the overstimulation, gasping for air. He eased his fingers out slowly, eyes on your face the whole time, like he was cataloging every little tremor.

And then—without breaking eye contact—he brought his fingers to his mouth.

Sucked them clean.

You stared, stunned, pulse still pounding in your ears.

“You gonna behave now?” he asked, cocky and breathless.

“You’re an asshole,” you said, cheeks burning.

“Yeah,” he agreed, grinning as he reached to fix your underwear, then smoothed your dress down with slow, practiced hands. “But I’m your asshole.”

You glared, but your legs were still weak, your mouth still swollen from his kisses. He fixed your hair gently, ran his thumb under your eyes to smudge away anything left behind. It was intimate in a way that undid you more than the orgasm.

He kissed your temple, hand resting low on your waist. “You ready?”

You swallowed, nodded.

He opened the bathroom door with casual ease, and you stepped out together.

The party hadn’t changed—music still thumping softly, lights still low, voices still buzzing.

But your cheeks were flushed. Your lips slightly parted. Your hair just a little mussed.

And Ryouta was standing near the bar, talking to someone from his team.

He glanced up.

Saw you.

Saw Atsumu’s hand on your hip, the way he was guiding you out like he’d already won.

Ryouta blinked. Said nothing.

Atsumu didn’t even look his way. Just leaned down and murmured in your ear, “Let’s go home.”

You followed him without a word, legs still trembling with every step.

[darlingpeasant]

I’m on my 827382937292th rewatch of the carriage scene so here’s some things that are still driving me insane:

1. Penelope first of all, running her hand through his hair and then continuing to grip onto his scalp like her life depended on it

2. The way he lifts her up. That’s it, that’s the comment.

3. The way their kisses are soft and tender but also hungry and truly porny tbh

4. Colin being a boob guy. Slay

5. ✨ CONSENT KING ✨

6. His thumb tracing round her leg… oooft 😮‍💨 (also hands…)

7. The way he looks kinda concerned initially but she draws him in closer

8. Colin’s hair looking totally disheveled

9. Just the fact that she was sat and he was on his knees the entire time

10. The giggling and the sweet ‘we finally got here’ kiss after all the steaminess

11. Aftercare 🥹

12. The way he says “are you coming with me”… I can’t explain why but good god it makes me feel things

Anyways…

The 13th needs to get here quick or else I’m gonna start ripping clumps out my carpet with my bare hands

[acourtofthought]

Can we discuss how Lucien calls Elain “lady” - why? Does he use these kinds of manners with ANY other female/woman in the series? Is this him showing her extra respect because she’s his mate? Is he trying to appeal to her human sensibilities, is he waiting for her to offer her name?! I don’t think he calls Nesta “lady” so it doesn’t seem to be a human thing, unless it’s only a human + mate thing! Why lady and why not “Lady Elain” ?! I don’t remember him calling Feyre “lady” in ACOTAR when they first met?! WHY now?!?!

Don’t get me wrong, I do love it, but I can’t help but think it’s also making things a litttleeee awkward for them both, though it DOES set us up for the first time she tells him to call her Elain (hyperventilating just at the prospect of this scene over here 😮‍💨). Is THAT why???

I believe he called Feyre lady once at the start of ACOTAR though I don't put much stock into that as Sarah made major changes to Lucien's character after book 1 (who he was going to end up with, who his real father is). I think Lucien being slightly awkward around Elain might be the point though. Lucien was a rake with a clever way with words. Someone who is noted to easily make friends and who has no issues talking to others. Yet here is his mate and she's not just anybody, is she? She's something he's never experienced before, the way he feels around her is nothing he's experienced before, and he's kind of a mess, lol. He's super awkward, not knowing what to say when usually it comes easy to him. I think he's just so overwhelmed by being near her, with knowing she's got a fiance while also trying to control his instincts and act casual and I think he comes across as all out of sorts because of it. He can't tell her all the things he wants to tell her, all the things he's been thinking of her and the feelings for her that he's fighting so "lady" and politeness is what came out instead.

[congratufuckyoulations]

i LOVE my 2 boyfriends~🤍

SORRY FOR GRAMMAR ERRORS

Sanji x reader, zoro x reader, zosan duh. Zosan x reader idek if thats a things tbh but like thats basically accurate so idek. Sanji is lowkey a switch? , Zoro! Top as always,but lowkey he soft, the reader is a switch idk lowkey. kinda slow start srry

a/n: I was scrolling on TikTok and saw these pics. It makes perfect sense honestly. You can see the watermark on the pics too so yeah. Anyway love u TikTok, thank u for this random idea lol. writing this in my notes rn I honestly only know how I’m gonna start this. Praying for an ending to appear at the end of this. hopefully i post this. I also only know how to write decently long fanfics sorry bout that.....Also kinda took inspo from challengers. With zendaya making the two guys kiss in the movie. It was so real, so iconic. The scene was deadass great thank yewwww and I will be putting a scene like that IN HERE 😮‍💨😏😇

Warning- HEAVY SMUT??! , girl idk it gets freaky??! PORN WITH PLOT BASICALLY . deadass don’t know what people consider SUSSY help. Just read with an open mind!?? ANAL!!! sanji and reader. yeah ik sounds crazy. Just be very open minded i know anal isnt taken lightly💔 not that ive done it. Thats me having an open mind

THEY ARE BOYFRIENDS. 

Zosan truther🙌👏

-ofc I gotta add sum with the outfits, so here it is. I know the shoes are impractical. But let’s just look at Namis and Robin's shoes. Right ,okay , so yeah enjoy. The heels are just too cute. they are like a more stable heel too i love them. im broke.

  You sway along in the breeze of the evening. Your feet dragging against the stone path. Feeling every small rock you step on with your heels.  Some even cause you to lose balance here and there. But never enough to fall over, only losing balance for a quick second. The people of the town your crew saved dance into the next day. You never knew so many people could keep up the fun for so long. I mean a party longer than a day let alone going on the second one already.

Forgetting about all your responsibilities for a second. You smile feeling great with all the new memories being created. Forgetting about the unstable path for a second feeling a strong breeze pick up. Making you realize this little brown cover-up wasn't gonna cut it. This trip back to the boat needs to go by faster. You thought to yourself as you picked up the pace. The cool breeze nipping at your exposed legs. Your heels click against the stone path. Echoing through the empty spaces between the townhouses you pass by. You can see the silhouette of the sunny as the sunsets past the horizon out of sight. As you hurry away from all the loud music and laughter. The sunny growing bigger the closer you get.

Previously this morning when waking up and changing into shorts and the halter top. It never passed your mind how easily the weather would drop as the sunset.

"I should've asked Nami about the weather today" you grumble to yourself. Nami was great not only being an excellent friend. But overall she was a girl with a strong head on top of her shoulders. The weather never made much sense to you. Thunderstorms didn't scare you into a panic, but it was a little unsettling at the loud strikes of thunder. Weather never passed your mind as much of an interest. When Nami talked about it though you could listen for hours. It was all second nature to Nami. (Nami x reader??) Soon gaining a pep in your step at the thought of your ginger friend who you loved dearly. Your mind wanders off easily making the trip back to the boat seem more quick than you remember

Walking back to the sunny letting your body take control. Only a few feet away from the ramp leading to the sunny. Putting full trust in your body to get you onto the boat.  Going to the sunny not only meant changing into warmer clothes to party with through the rest of the night, but you knew two particular guys would be there too. Or at least you hoped that was the case.

Now that your thinking about it throughout today's party events the two were nowhere to be seen. The excuse of going back to the sunny to change into warmer clothes was an opportunity to break away from Luffy which wasn't hard at all, not when meat was involved. You felt bad leaving Luffy, but knowing the boy he was bound to make a new friend in seconds. But now you could go and confirm your suspicions. Knowing the two probably snuck off to enjoy time with each other. And the FOMO was real. 

Since the three of you had some weird alliance. You were all comfortable with each other and cared for each other a little more deeply than most crewmates. Mostly because most crewmates don't sleep around with each other….. was it a relationship? or a situationship? None of you knew the answer.

 It started with just you and Sanji making out here and there. After the first exchange, you both covered up this “fling” as both adults using each other for pleasure and nothing more. You both agreed that the two of you were just pirates who often spent many days at sea. Who needs some stress relief during those times? Both the others type. Not because you like each other or anything. And it was consensual, so who was it harming? Soon Zoro found out the situation between you two. Coincidentally catching the two of you in the act of the heated exchange.

Flashback onto a random day 

 One day when Sanji was stressed out over how he was gonna portion out servings with such a low food supply. (Due to Luffy…) you decided to be there to support him. Somehow that ended up in an intense make-out session in the kitchen where you were consoling him. If this even is consider consoling. Soon the kissing takes a turn for the better.  With Sanji lifting you on the counter. Your Back to the door.

With Sanji between your legs. His body spreads them further apart. His left hand is on your hip. Rubbing his hand back and forth in a soothing motion. You don’t realize the key detail in the heat of the moment. But your body shows Sanji a reaction you're unaware of when his hands rub against you. Your lips always curled up whenever his hands grabbed your hips or waist. Your body always seems to relax into putty at this action.

 Sanjis hand traveled up your torso, to your neck. Soon finding its way to cup your cheek. As his hand traveled into your hair pulling you deeper into the kiss. Teeth clashing. Tongues deep in the other's mouth. Trying to savor every drop of each other's salvia. It had been around a month since the last session. Both never being able to catch a moment alone. Now finally getting a quick chance together. On the kitchen counter. Not the ideal spot but it was better than going even longer without something.

Your hands explore the cook's body as well. Your hands find his chest and glide them down his dark blue suit. Your arms grasping at the waist trying to pull him closer. Your legs soon follow suit. Lifting them to wrap around the blonde's waist. Feeling like he couldn't get any closer. You both need this. Both of you relentlessly grinding on one another. Your arms come back up to wrap around his neck. You felt so desperate for a release.

God Sanji's cock felt so good against your shorts. You couldn't help but glance down between the two of your bodies. Your chests rise up and down as you pant from the small workout. Admiring the bulge rutting against you. Stomach filled with warmth at how great Sanji looked as his pants grew tighter. Your mouth salivated at the outline of the bulge and the way Sanji slide perfectly against your clothed clit. Causing your body to jolt and tighten your thighs around Sanji.

“Mon amour, you feel so great I cannot get enough~” Sanji coos down into your ear. 

“G-god Sanji, just keep doing that~” You whine back. Feeling like an amateur who just found out about dry humping for the first time. Chasing the amazing feeling of the fabric between you. Rubbing together against your most sensitive areas. The two of you rutting against each other trying to get as much friction as possible. Sanji softly laughs before leaning back in to capture your lips in another passionate kiss.

He loved how you often told him what to do. Your simple and small demands he could so easily fulfill. Knowing at the end he would be rewarded with the sight of your face with pure bliss. How your skin becomes damp and how your cheeks puff out from every orgasm. You often were very serious and liked taking control when with Sanji. But you had to admit he does know how to make a girl feel good. And you couldn’t complain about that.

As the kiss deepens and the room grows hotter. You hear the fridge door open from the left of you. The way Sanji freezes mid-kiss lets you know he also heard the fridge door opening. Both your bodies coming to a complete halt.

Both your heads snap to see Zoro leaning over halfway looking into the fridge, grabbing something from inside. Soon standing up straight. His hand swung the fridge door shut. A cold sake bottle in hand. Staring blankly at the two of you. Taking in the sight of you on the counter with Sanji between your legs. A full display of the cook's erection. Both of your hair messy from letting your hands roam freely. Your top pushed up showing your stomach slightly. With Sanjis suit jacket on the floor. You're pretty sure you pushed that off in the heat of the moment.

“You forgot to lock the door”

Zoro speak up. His face never changing, looking completely serious while you and Sanji stare back in total terror. You could see Sanji's face turn red with anger and you knew a handful of insults were about to come from the blonde's mouth.

“IDIOT YOU THINK I DON’T KNOW THAT NOW!” Sanji yells at Zoro who is already walking back to the kitchen door. Getting ready to take his leave. Looking back to the two of you

“Next time I’ll show the shitty cook how to treat you,” Zoro says as he walks out the door. Leaving you with a grumpy sanji grumbling about how that "moss head is the last person to know how to any girl." Especially you, out of all people.

Let's just say there did end up being a next time only a day later. And ever since the three of y’all used each other to fulfill any sexual desires. There was supposed to be “no feeling involved” but deep down you all knew you did. You all did have feelings for each other but you all had yet to figure something out.

Back to the present

Now as you reached the top of the ramp, slowly steeping onto the deck of the sunny. You notice how the sunny seems so much more calm without your crazy captain running around. Or a skeleton bugging you about your panties. You frown missing your crew members already. Even though you know they aren’t too far away throwing another one of their super parties. 

This trip to the boat to change would be over soon and you would be back with your group. But your stomach brewed with warmth at the sight of light peeping through the bottom of the door leading to the kitchen. If both guys weren’t here. You at least knew one of the guys was. And that was Sanji. You could always rely on Sanji when you wanted somebody who would listen to what you say right away. Sanji listened to you.

Zoro not so much both of you often butting heads and getting into small little arguments. Both of you have very dominating personalities humor and love-wise. Even though you and Zoro were both dominant. The two of you learned to open up with each other throughout this whole situation. It was most common for you and Zoro to overpower the chef. It was like good cop and bad cop. You treated Sanji the way he deserved making sure to pamper to his every need. While Zoro played the bad cop. Often being rougher with Sanji and throwing insults around casually.

The combination was overwhelming for Sanji. Getting controlled by a beautiful lady and a decent swordsman. The three of y’all experimented in many different ways. Sometimes the two boys team up to pleasure you as much as possible. Making sure you feel appreciated. You especially liked it when both of the boys just wanted to be taken care of by you. Letting you do whatever you want to them. The trio using up their free will as much as possible to discover new things

Your feet move on their own at the thought of the two guys passing through your mind. Your legs pick up speed as you approach the door turning the knob. Letting your body be greeted by the warmth of the kitchen. (erm why are we always in the kitchen) As the door swings out of the way. You see two familiar figures to your left. You knew them all too well. Of course, this is where they would be. Seeing the two in a very scandalous position leads your smile to grow as you turn to lock the kitchen door.

Seeing Zoro pressing into Sanji as he was sat on the counter. This position was all too familiar to you. Having been caught in the same one with Sanji the day Zoro decided to join this...…situation. Except Sanji saw as you entered with Zoros back to you. Sanjis right leg wrapped around the swordsman's waist. While the other was in between Zoro's legs.

The scene itself sent heat straight from your face down to your core. The two guys using each other to get off. Zoros hands tightly on the blonde's waist. Sanjis's face is flushed red. It was amusing seeing Sanji in the position you once were in. Only a couple of counters away from where the two of you were caught by Zoro.

Sanjis hips slowing down against his was enough to catch Zoro's attention. Following the cook's eye line he turns his head behind him to see you standing there with your cheeks flushed. You begin to walk closer, making your way to the right of Zoro. As you approach the pair your hand slides along Zoro's back. Feeling the muscles underneath your fingertip through his green kimono. Letting your hip rest against the counter. Now with your body facing them. Both boys turn their heads to look at you.

"I think you forgot to lock the door~" you tease the two guys.

"You can blame Moss Head for that this time" Sanji replies. His voice shaking a little at the actions that took place not long ago

"oh shut it cook. Y/N are you gonna join or not" Zoro mutters looking back to the boy in front of him.

As Zoro looked away, you watched as he began picking his pace back up. Zoro continued to grind up against the cook in a desperate chase of relief. His cheeks were well flushed. His eyes started dropping making him look delicious. Sweat forming on his neck. You could eat him up right now if he let you. Your hands coming up to cup his face. Turning his head to you as he leaned down to kiss you.

Your hand finds its way into his green hair. The other finds his neck resting around it. Nothing intense though, just a light hold on his neck not wanting to hurt the swordsman. Not like you really could hurt the brute of a man.

While making out with Zoro he held onto Sanji keeping up his thrust against their clothed bulges. Sanji felt so good already and the sight of the two of you making out right in front of him. It was enough for him to almost come undone right there. He could feel his orgasm creeping closer. As you and Zoro pull away. A string of salvia connects the two of you. Zoro and your lips curved into a slight smiles at the lewd sight

Sanji was entranced with how well you and Zoro looked together. He might’ve said he hated the swordsman. But he couldn't deny the guy's good looks. The two of you together looked amazing. It was a dream for Sanji. Sanji was broken out of his trance as you and Zoro turned your heads to look at the blonde. As he sat on the counter with Zoro's pace slowing down against him.

You spoke up

“Sanji has been working extra hard lately. Don't you agree, Marimo?”

“You think so, huh? If you’re so sure then you must be correct~” zoro replies

“I think that deserves a reward~” you coo

You and Zoro glance at one another quickly before locking back onto Sanji

“How does that sound sanji~” you purr

As your right hand travels up his arm, going up to the nape of his neck. Your fingers twisting his blonde hair at the back of his neck

“My love that sounds more than delightful~” Sanji whisper out.

That’s all you and Zoro needed before beginning to work the cook. Zoro began undressing himself between the cook's legs. As you and Sanji leaned in sharing a kiss. It was slow and loving. Zoro watched intensely watching how you and Sanji worked each other's mouths.

Your body leans down a bit to meet the cook halfway. You slightly overpowered the cook. One of Sanjis's hands holding your waist while the other is placed behind him to keep him upright. After a while of being consumed by the sight of you two.

Zoro begins helping the chef out of his shirt. Then turning his attention to you. Leaning over slightly to kiss your neck from behind. His hands traveled up the small of your back to your shoulders pulling off the small brown cover-up you wore.

Throwing it off somewhere. His hands travel down your back. Once halfway down your back, you felt his bigger hands wrap around your front side. His hand finds the button of the shorts. His fingers worked to undo the button of the small shorts you wore. Allowing you and Sanji to continue your turn making out

Zoro was dominant, yes but he still cared. Even though his introvert personality made him always seem grumpy. The guy was a complete idiot and often cracked small jokes here and there. It would be a shock to many to see how the man cared for Sanji and you.

With the small act of helping you two out of your clothes. Zoro always enjoyed watching even though he wouldn't admit it. Zoro felt himself grow even more hard at the sight of the pair growing more relaxed. As they let Zoro take control of them. Allowing him to undress the two of you.

You smile into the kiss feeling Zoro's rough hands against your legs as he slides your shorts down. Feeling his hand travel up the back of your legs, tracing your body from your thighs, up the spine of your back coming back up to your shoulders. His fingers quickly undo the top tied around your neck. Pulling away from Sanji feeling the support from your shirt disappear. You glance down and then right back up to Sanji.

His face flushed. A lazy smile across his face. His eyes were glazed over with lust. Looking back down getting ready to remove to the top yourself. You felt both the boy's hands at the bottom of your halter top. Pulling the shirt up and over your head. The two doing all the work for you.

You giggle as you lean up kissing Zoro. Before pulling away and turning your head to make out with Sanji. It wasn't too long before you pulled your head away from Sanji. Your left hand finds the back of Zoros's neck and your right hand finds its way to Sanjis as well. The three of your faces burning up. You slowly pull away, leaving only the boys face-to-face. The two caught the message. Your hand only rested on their necks as they leaned in to kiss each other. You would be lying if you said this didn't make you hot.

As your eyes dropped lower you realized the two men were both only in their boxers now. Looking at yourself you stand only in your underwear and well your heels. Looking down at your shorts now pooled around your heels. Stepping out of your heels leaving them in between the shorts. Pushing the pile of clothes to the side with your foot.

As you looked up from moving your shoes and shorts out of the way. You caught the eyes of Zoro and Sanji looking at you. While undressing yourself the two at one point realized you were no longer touching them. Or even paying attention to them.

"Oi, I thought you were joining in?" Zoro says with a smirk

"Does it not look like it" You reply, as you give him an, Are you serious? Look. you stood there naked. It was obvious the two of you were just joking around. Zoro may have a bad sense of direction, but that didn't mean the man was stupid

Zoro reaches his arm out to grab you. Pulling you closer to the pair you've grown very fond of. Sanjis hand reaches out hooking his finger around the side of your underwear

"My sweet these might get in the way" Sanji coos in your right ear

"The cooks right, I thought I removed those with the shorts" Zoro agrees, his smirk growing. His hands find their way to the sides of your body. Pulling your underwear down letting them fall onto the floor. While Zoro helped you out of your underwear, Sanji was quick to get rid of his boxers. The two of you are now completely naked in the kitchen. Thankfully you locked the door and there was a huge party going on at the moment. Otherwise none of this would be able to get past the crew.

Zoro had stepped out a little from between Sanjis legs. His hands guide you to stand in his spot. With Sanjis sitting on the counter leaning back on his right hand. His head tilts back due to the pleasure his other hand is giving him. You were right in front of Sanjis exposed legs, his hardened cock on display. Lewd moans flow out from between the cook's lips as his gaze settles on you.

"You get top," Zoro says in your ear, as he lifts you by the waist helping you onto the blonde's lap. Sanji arms stretched invitingly. His arms pulling you close as you settle down.

You never liked dominant guys, but Zoro was so different. He was soft when it came to intercourse. His demands come out softly never raising his voice at you. He was firm with what he wanted. The gesture of him easily lifting you was impressive. Lifting you on the counter to straddle the cook sitting on it. Zoro casually shows off his natural strength to you and Sanji.

As you are now straddling Sanji on the counter with Zoro behind you. You get a little shy with your bare back end exposed to somebody. But you remind yourself that these are the guys you've seen naked a couple of times already. The feeling of Sanjis's hard cock on your clit helps you easily get distracted

The two of you locking lips again as you slowly start to rock on his cock. Feeling his length slide easily between your lips. Your slick provides a natural lubricant allowing you to slide back and forth easier. You pull away looking down admiring the way his cock glides perfectly against your clit.

"Sanji, my love, I can feel how hard you are with no clothes between us," you say

"M-Mon Amour, keep moving like that" Sanji whines, as you grind down harder onto the blonde. It was way too hot for you and Sanji to handle. Your minds are both fuzzy at the sight of his hardened cock almost entering you. Only to hump into your folds with the tip of his cock hitting your sensitive clit perfectly

Behind you, zoro watches for a while enjoying the show once again. His cock throbbing brought him back to reality as his hand pumped up and down his shaft. His hardened cock grew in size at the sight of you grinding slowly against the chef's cock.

Not allowing him to enter you just yet. Zoro opened his mouth allowing himself to spit down onto his hardened cock. Feeling a quick cooling sensation on his cock from the spit before it disappeared. As he rubbed the spit onto his aching cock. Zoros's left-hand finds its way to your thigh from behind. The sight of you grinding on Sanji from behind made the swordsman go crazy.

His left hand moved to your ass grabbing some in his hand before moving over to your wet folds. Inserting one finger slowly pumping it in and out before adding a second in. Seeing the way your back arched at the feeling of his fingers inside you. Your chest going forward as you arch, pressing against Sanji. Whose hands came up, happily cupping your breast. Immediately massaging them while peppering kissing along your chest and up

"God Y/N your dripping all over the place" Zoro says from beind you.

Turning your head over your shoulder. Pulling your attention away from Sanji who is kissing all over your neck. Glancing back at Zoro raising an eyebrow at him.

There he was in all his glory. His tan looked great in this lighting. With his green hair messed up. Pieces of his hair sticking up in the air here and there. Zoro was a sight for sore eyes truly. And here he was behind you stroking himself in one hand, while the other fingers in and out of you. You back arching trying to take more of the swordsman. Fingers were not gonna be enough, you thought to yourself as you moved back and forth on his fingers.

"Could y-you blame me?" you say looking straight back at Zoro. Turning your head back to face Sanji. The cook holding you up in his lap. His arms wrap around your back. Your right tit in his mouth. The blonde hugging you closer to his naked frame. Soon feeling Zoros fingers leave you. Disappointment washes over you but knowing you're about to have way more fun.

You began to rock your hips against Sanji again teasing him as his cock slides past your entrance. Both let moans fall from your lips. Until Sanji lets out a louder moan as he whines "IDIOT, at least tell me when your gonna put a finger in!"

"You knew this would end up happening you idiot!" Zoro fires back

You glance back to see Zoro inserting his fingers into Sanji's hole. Pumping his fingers very slowly in and out. Noticing he using the same finger he used for you. You felt yourself dripping even more against Sanji at the thought of your slick being used as lube for Sanji.

Your perverted mind grows hazy as you keep rocking against his bare cock. Watching him lean back. His shoulders hit the wall as he was slouched on the counter. You leaned further down taking Sanjis left nipple in your mouth sucking on the area. Your right-hand finds the other one, pinching and teasing the nub

Sanji was in pure bliss having you grind against him coating you with his slick. Getting pampered all over by you and Zoro. Now with Zoros two fingers dipping in and out of him. Moans flowing from the three of your mouths.

Zoro soon entered himself into Sanji who took some time to get adjusted to the feeling of Zoros hardened cock inside of him. You helped the cook by comforting him with kisses all over and you whispered how good he was. Mentioning how good boys get good rewards. Which was him being allowed inside of you. You never held it above Sanji's head though. Since you had a big soft spot for the chef and often gave in. Always wanting to be able to pleasure the hard-working blonde.

When Sanji got comfortable, he felt your hand grab the base of his cock slowly aligning yourself right above it.

"Enjoy your reward for being so hard-working, chef~" you coo into his ear as you lower yourself onto his hardened length. Letting out a moan adjusting to the size of Sanji. Your hands wrapping around his neck trying to find comfort from the passing pain. Sanjis's hands lift to cup your face as he kisses you slowly. Like he's trying to distract you from the pain like you did for him

You can feel zoros large hands on your thighs drawing small circles with his thumbs hoping to comfort you. While kissing Sanji you felt one of his hands drop settling on your hip. Helping you sink further down onto him. Feeling your warmth spread open around him. Feeling the shape of his length inside of you. You moan as Sanjis's body begins rocking back and forth due to Zoro starting to thrust into the chef. The movement of Sanji's body caused you to also move back and forth on Sanji.

"Oh f-fuck you both feel amazing" sanji moans from underneath you.

You could hear Zoro let out a soft chuckle. And in this moment it was one of the sexiest things Zoro could've done at a time like this. Everything was a turn-on to you. Your pace begins to pick up as you ride Sanji. Using what strength you have to lift yourself up and down. Your hands planted on Sanji's waist dragging them up his stomach to plant on his chest. Your nails slightly dug into his skin as you use his chest to stabilize yourself and you lazily bounced on his dripping cock.

From behind you feel Zoros arms wrap around you. As he plunges in and out of Sanji's aching hole. He needed something to ground him as well. And you were perfect as his hands wrapped around your torso. Zoro lets you lean back onto him not needing to dig into Sanji's chest no more. Zoros hands at your waist lifting you up and down. Doing all the work for you. Allowing you to gain your energy back slowly. Zoro lifted you up and down on Sanji as he fucked into the blonde on his own.

From Zoro's point of view, he got a clear view of you bouncing up and down onto the cook's cock. Your moans grow loud, mixing in with Sanji's whines and the sounds of your juices mixing. It reeked of sex in the kitchen. As the three of you hump against one another. Your sex crazed minds are taking over completely forgetting about everything.

Zoro's hands leave your waist allowing you to slowly grind back and forth on Sanji's cock. Zoro watches his hand travel up across your body to your right breast As his other hand dips down between your legs. Coming in contact with your wet folds His two fingers find the bundles of nerves. Drawing slow circles. Zoro gaze slowly lifts to look at Sanji who’s watching intensely.

“S-shit guys I'm getting close~” Sanji whimpers out slouching further back into the counter. Sanjis body couldn’t concentrate with Zoro filling him up and you wrapped around him

“You’re doing so good for us, Sanji” you praise as you watch from above

“Zoro, why don’t you tell Sanji how good he’s being” You turn your head to your left. Zoros's head was right above your shoulder. Being very close due to his arms wrapping around your body.

“Yeah cook, I think you’ve been real good. Working hard to pleasure our princess~”

Zoro says in that dam teasing tone of his. The one that drove both you and Sanji to the edge. Zoros' voice was affecting you two. And as you feel Sanji's cock pulse inside you. You were sure about your previous statement

“You like being praised, right? f-fuck you just got so tight~” Zoro hisses into your ear at Sanji. Not knowing you had the same reaction to his tone of voice as you clenched around Sanji's cock hearing it

“O-oh im getting close Sanji” you whine to the guy below you. Sanji was on cloud 9. The view of you bouncing on his length looking down at him. Your head falling back onto Zoro's shoulder as you feel your orgasm coming closer. Zoro is behind you with his fingers picking up speed on your clit. His hand moves away from your breast. The hand grabs your face. Turning it to the left, making you look directly at him as he was quick to take your lips.

As you lean back onto Zoro your head turned to the side making out with the male that was behind you. You can feel zoros pace pick up from behind as he pumps into Sanji. His chest knocks into your back as you lean onto him. Your hips thrusting upwards taking full advantage of the support you were getting from Zoro's frame.

You and Zoro pulled away from the kiss turning your gaze down to the guy beneath both of them. Sanji felt like prey under you eyes. The two of you had hunger written all over your faces. As you both fucked Sanji relentlessly. One of Sanji's arms came up to cover his eyes. Avoiding the gaze of the two who were running him like nothing.

“Sanji, my love, don’t hide~” you pur

Your hand moves his arm away from his eyes as you lean over him. Your hand on his left cheek as you kiss along his jaw on the right side. Leaning back slightly to look him in the eyes

“I want you to see how good you make us feel~” you coo as you sit back up leaning up against Zoro again. The two of you taking full control of the cook. Sanjis whines were loud. Zoros groans about getting close. You moaned praises to the two boys as you reached your high

“Y-Y/N im nngh cumming~” Sanji whines loudly as his hands on your waist tighten. Releasing his load inside of you. His head tilts back with his mouth wide open. Thrusting up trying to ride through his high His legs try to close together but are blocked by Zoros's body.

“You two are doing so well, I’m g-gonna cum too” you moaned, feeling your walls clench around his length. as your head flies back onto Zoro's shoulder. Your body shudders from the high of the orgasm. Soon slowly leaning forward onto Sanji. Leaning in to kiss him. Giving him comfort as he settles down from his first orgasm. Knowing Zoro is close and with the way Sanji was moaning you knew he was too.

You smile as Sanji moans into your mouth while you make out. Your right hand slowly slides down his torso testing to see if he's not too sensitive. As you touch his length gently. His hips thrusting up into your hand and a head nod from Sanji as you kiss was more than enough confirmation to continue.

As your hand wraps around Sanji's hardening length you pump your hand up and down his cock. Drawing more moans out of him as you pick up the pace. The blonde's lips find their way to your breast alternating between the two. Moaning between him sucking and kissing all over you.

"S-shit Im gonna cum a-again-" Sanji was cut off by his orgasm. Head falling back again as he reaches his second high as you pump his member and Zoro soon releasing his load not too long after.

"S-hit i'm c-close" Zoro groans out as he reaches his high

His body leans forward onto yours as you lean on Sanji. You sandwiched between the two. The three of you panting in silence. Trying to catch your breath

“This counter is gonna need some intense cleaning” you speak up in the middle of silence. Pushing your body up signaling to Zoro to get off you. He stands up straight now feeling whole after the intense orgasm.

You sit up slowly pulling yourself off Sanji. Standing back on the floor in front of the counter. Standing between Sanji's legs like earlier. You smile as you pat the cook's thigh

“Come on there's a party to attend,” you say to Sanji turning around to walk away but Zoro was standing in your way.

"I think we have time for one more don't you think, curly brows?" Zoros eyes looking behind you meeting with Sanjis

"I think you might finally be right about something, moss head" Sanji chimes from behind you. Zoro leans down to capture your lips. His hand goes into your hair, finding the back of your neck. Deeping the kiss his hands lifted you once more but now instead of straddling his Sanjis lap. Your back is towards him. Sanji lined himself up with your back entrance slowly inserting himself. You wince adjusting to his size. As Zoro pulls away from the kiss, you both look down as he inserts himself into you. Watching his hardened cock disappear back and forth into you.

"i-I don't think I'm gonna l-last long this round" you whine out, which soon turns to loud moans mixed with curses being thrown around. Shit, fuck, you name it.

The three are completely captivated by the feeling of another orgasm forming. The two guys thrusting up into you. As you now lean back onto Sanji who holds your waist with one hand the other teasing your clit. Your legs spread wide open in the air. Zoros arms are hooked at your knees. Your hands clawed at Zoros's body trying to find something to hold with how intense this orgasm was already feeling.

One after the other you, Zoro, and Sanji ended up finishing around the same time. This time taking an even longer break before standing up. Feeling extra worn out this time. The 3 of you slowly gather yourself and get dressed. You all take turns washing your hands, Sanji even getting a cup out of the cabinet for some water. The first to break the silence was Zoro

"Does the party still have booze?" he questions

"uhm. Well earlier they seemed to still be serving drinks so I don't see why not" you reply looking up at the moss head while drying off your hands

"yeah i might take a nap before i go to the party" zoro mentions

"I could go for a nap right now, what about you sanji?" you say, as you turn your head to look at the cook.

"With you, my love? of course" Sanji coos while smiling down at you

"Don't try to cuddle with me you pervert cook" Zoro teases while making his way out of the kitchen. Most likely leading you three to the men's quarters for the nap. Which might just turn into a whole night's rest, to be honest

"AS IF YOU IDIOT" Sanji yells chasing Zoro out the door to argue over something silly. The arguing often turns to normal conversations after time. You follow behind the two watching the way they walk down the stairs.

You stand at the top as they descend watching Sanji leaning over while walking holding his stomach. Zoros's head shakes from side to side, his shoulders going up and down. Watching the two reach the bottom of the step as they laughed about some joke you didn't catch. You never knew what you were with the two.

Eventually, you wanted to figure it out. All you knew was that at this moment, this was the closest thing to happiness. Seeing two of your favorite people laughing together. Joking through it all as if they don't argue constantly.

Picking up your pace you feel your body bloom with warmth at night tucked together with Sanji and Zoro

The end. Sorry i write a lot. I cant just end my stories short or without detail. THANK U SO MUCH FOR THE LIKES. I only posted because i thought maybe one or two people would like my idea. But so far 30 of you liked it. I knew yall were freaky (i forget tumblr people lowkey freaky.. me asff) While writing this i found out i cant write smut lowkey ermm. this was stressful but im glad i found out about tumblr drafts this shit handy.

me rn-

[bisexualiteaa]

Sugar, Oh Honey Honey

AN: OKAY HEAR ME OUT! HEAR ME OUT! I was scrolling through here and stumbled this wonderful gif posted by @the-casual-cat of Barry Sloane and it got me and @expirednukacola thinking…what if that scene, but with Cooper or Hancock? 👀 I started with Hancock, but if y’all would like, I will absolutely do a version with Cooper next! Hope y’all enjoy!

CW: FLUFF! Slight OOC Hancock, established relationship, slight deviation from the game, cursing, kissing, make out, slight suggestive theme, implied seggs, briefly proofread, possible spelling/grammar errors.

The gif in question 😮‍💨🥵🤤

You and Hancock were off exploring the commonwealth, out to gather some supplies for your next trip and maybe some goods to sell in trade for ammo and chems. It was a rather successful trip, didn’t stumble across anything too crazy, but you gathered enough food, stimpacks, ammo, and other useful items to bring with you to keep you stocked when the time came that you would both hit the road again. As the sun began to set along the wastes, you looked to the sky, feeling the damp humidity hang within the air as dark clouds started to accumulate in the sky. A radstorm was coming, and coming quick with the way the wind started to pick up. Unfortunately that meant your return to Goodneighbor for the night would likely be too dangerous. So instead, you both set on the look out for a place with a good roof, or as good as they get anymore anyway, and not holed up by any raiders. You both did the best you could to try and find something as fast as you could, but unfortunately you couldn’t quite beat the rain before it began to drizzle. Hancock offered you his signature tri-corn hat to keep your head and your hair protected from the harsh, radiated rain water. You smiled, accepting his offer and placing it on your head, thanking him for it as you both continued your search.

“Ya look pretty cute like that, sunshine. Might just have to let you steal it from me more often” he complimented, almost unable to take his eyes off of you, making you giggle softly. It had been a while since the last time he really got to spend any quality time with you, so he couldn’t help himself in the way he drank you in like the tallest glass of water this side of the desert. He was snapped from his thoughts when you stopped in place, finally stumbling across a house that looked like it would be sturdy enough to hold out in as the storm passed. One that had a nice roof that wasn’t too terribly beat up compared to the rest, had no fire or light of any kind coming from it to indicate anyone was using it for shelter. It was perfect, just what you both had been looking for. You grabbed his hand before quickly leading him inside the house.

There was a routine you both had when you scavenge places for supplies and find somewhere to hole up for the night out in the commonwealth. You would both split up, one person inspecting one half of the house, and one person taking the other. Inspecting every room, behind every door, every nook and cranny you could think of to ensure there were no traps, and no people here that would be angry to find unknowing trespassers. Once the house was thoroughly swept to ensure there was no threat, you made your way into the kitchen. A taller, yellow box resting on the counter caught your eye. You gasped excitedly, finding it to be a well intact box of your favorite cereal from before the bombs fell. Sugar Bombs, ironically enough. “Holy shit! I didn’t know there were any of these that were still around!” You said in shock, picking up the box to inspect it. You knew it was well past its sell by date by now, but in that moment the state of the actual contents inside didn’t matter to you, seeing the box was enough to bring you back to that nostalgic place of a time before the war. Hancock was still off in another room, collecting what things he could manage to find before he heard you, wondering what it was you were going on about. “What’d you find that’s got you so excited, sunshine?” Hancock asked, genuinely curious as he came back into the kitchen, seeing a box clutched in your hands. “Only my favorite cereal of ALL time!” You said, smiling excitedly as you turned around to face him, holding out the box of cereal to show him what you had been so ecstatic about. He loved the way that some of the smallest things brought you joy, even in hard times like these. In the wasteland there wasn’t much to be happy about, between the awful creatures and people trying to kill and maim you around every corner, to the stifling heat and radiation ready to bake you the moment you stepped outside. Not much made people happy to be alive anymore. It was nice to see you find happiness in something, and he had to admit, the fact that it was over something as simple and small as a box of your once favorite cereal, was even cuter. He couldn’t help the smile that stretched to his thin, irradiated lips as you looked so overjoyed.

“Sugar Bombs! 100% of your daily value of sugar” you quoted the slogan everyone knew, from the box and the commercials they used to advertise on TV about them. “These things were the shit back then. Best way to get a shit ton of sugar in your diet to start the morning off right” you said through a laugh, recalling some good memories of spending weekends and mornings before school on the couch enjoying a bowl as you watched whatever was on the TV at the time. How you would happily kick your feet with every bite. “Did you ever try them, John?” You asked him, genuinely curious but he was far too entertained by the way that the box was still clutched in your hand like you’d found a long lost treasure. “Yeah, I tried ‘em once. I remember them being stale but it was the only thing around I could get my hands on” he said with a chuckle. “I used to eat the fuck out of these as a kid. Good and stale. Not sure I’d do the same now but it’s at least cool to see and reminisce on” you said. He loved learning new things about you, especially about your past. He always felt like he talked too much about himself and his own past, so it was nice to get bits and pieces of yours now and again. It’s why he loved moments like this where it was just the two of you, it felt almost intimate in a way. “Yeah, they’re good and all but…I’m already lookin’ at 100% of my daily value of sugar right here” Hancock said with a sly grin, making a bashful blush rise to your cheeks before you smiled. “Speaking of, that reminds me…” he spoke, slipping his arms around your waist to pull you close to him as you still held onto the box of cereal in one hand. You smiled up at him dreamily, charmed by his smooth moves and charming words as he looked down at you, absolutely love struck. He adored the sight of you in his hat, he really did need to lend it to you more often, but more so than that, he adored being here with you. “I haven’t had my daily value of sugar from you yet. What’dya say we fix that?” He asked, his low, gravelly tone dipping even lower at the prospect of his question.

You bit your lip as you looked up at him, a soft giggle escaping you before looping your arms around his neck. His free hand came to rest on your cheek gently as he leaned in, pulling you to him and into a sweet kiss. You smiled and hummed into it in delight, always loving the feel of his rough skin against your own, the way just a kiss from him could ignite a fire in your core. Your body acted on pure instinct and need, as your free hand moved to rest just beneath his jaw, both of you doing all you could to keep the other close. When you had time alone like this, distance was the last thing you wanted between you. Soon your once soft and innocent kiss took a more intimate turn. Your hand slid down from his jaw, gently cascading down the front of his frilly white undershirt before looping around his waist, pulling him against you to effectively rid of any space standing between you. If there was one thing he loved about you that made you different from most, was that you were a woman who made it known what she wanted. He was honored to know that in this moment, and in all other moments down the road, that he was what you wanted. That out of all the people who populate the surface, it was him you chose. He’ll never truly understand why or what you see, but it made him happy and he considered himself a lucky ghoul nonetheless. You felt his larger hands begin to do the same to you, one resting on your back, keeping you to him, and the other trailing down your side before pulling you against him by the fabric of your shirt. There was need laced in the kiss, evident by the way your hands roamed each other’s bodies. It was heated, passionate, and something you normally didn’t get to share outside of the safety of his room at the old state house. Out here, there was a sort of thrill to it. You both smiled into your deepened kiss as you dropped the box of cereal to the ground, in favor of allowing your hands to properly roam underneath the fabric of his red coat. Hancock tapped the back of your thigh, a signal that he wanted to pick you up. As he did, his hands rested on your ass, holding you up before placing you down on the kitchen counter behind you without breaking the kiss. It was skillful almost, and you were always surprised by his strength, how he lifted you so effortlessly as if you weighed nothing in his hands. The position you were now in made it quite evident where the night was going to be leading, but you certainly didn’t mind. A night of passion with Hancock was always wonderful, and he couldn’t be happier that it was with the woman he loved most in this wasteland existence.

[nalyra-dreaming]

It's so frustrating trying to have a conversation about Louis' narration. The last time I tried, someone accused me of being 'ship-brained' because they believe Loustat has nothing romantic about it and that there's no tenderness between them.I simply pointed out,as neutrally as possible,that we can’t fully trust what Louis has said about their relationship so far because he’s altered a lot of details,and that Armand is also a suspicious figure in Louis’ memories of Lestat. That’s it.But immediately, I got attacked for calling Louis an unreliable narrator and for trying to demonize Armand. Which is insane, because I never said Louis was completely unreliable, just that when it comes to his relationship with Lestat, things are complicated, and we can’t take his words at face value when assessing their love.It’s exhausting. You can’t have a nuanced discussion anywhere without people jumping down your throat.I have never said Loustat had a perfect marriage or was a perfect couple,just that things are more nuanced that what Louis narrated,I'm not waiting for Lestat to be the only truth and if i understand Rolin doesn't want another revisit and s3 will be modte likely Lestat' background + maybe some plot in modern story,I never believed that he would refute everything and Louis is a liar Iand Armand a big bad moustache curling villain.😮‍💨

I'm accepting to be wrong and we can discuss anything without being always at each other throat

*sighs*

You know, the fact that people cannot see what a disservice they do Louis by making him into this one-dimensional, flat caricature of himself by removing all the problematic bits.... And I call that "problematic" - because JACOB called him/them monsters, and that it's good that they can be problematic...

And so I sat down, and listed a few things JACOB said - with sources!

Louis does lie (he literally says “not everything Louis says is a lie“ in this video)

Louis is problematic

Louis was very repressed

Louis is a snob

Louis has many guises (and Jacob looks forward to s3, TVL!)

Louis is the problem (I saw the tweet (here is one referring to the Taylor Swift song), but it's referred to in this comment as well, as well as other things, too)

Louis knows deep down some things are not true

Louis presents Lestat as a monster bc he‘s angry

The way some people want to remove eeeeeeeeverything that makes Louis in the slightest bit problematic or even an active participant of his own story, and thereby reduce him to this victim only ... this shell is beyond me. I get where it comes from(!), namely from bad stereotypes and racist inflections that have unfortunately been employed again and again at other points - but heaven help, this show is NOT that, and JACOB has already stated all these already - and this need to scream anyone down who dares to point these out is preventing any possibility of real discussion in this fandom - and honestly, THAT is actually the true shame.

Also, re Loustat - ALSO Jacob:

"They are in a romantic relationship in the books. They’re married by the end. Maybe Anne Rice didn’t fully know what their relationship was at first – the style is very different in the first book. Lestat is this kind of goblin monster torturing Louis. But when you look back with the context from further books, you see this man was just very repressed and so hurt by what happened between him and Lestat that he couldn’t acknowledge him as his lover, as his partner, as his great love. But by the second book, they’re absolutely a couple. And because we’re adapting the whole of The Vampire Chronicles and taking things from later books and repurposing them, the idea of telling this story and them not being a couple… well, there’s no show! Their love story, as messed up as it is, is the heart of it."

And:

"Well, scenes from a divorce is probably Armand, and then scenes from a marriage feels more fitting to Louis and Lestat."

What else is there to say....

Our cast gets their characters. Jacob gets Louis.

Now if only the fandom could accept that, too...

[kyokutsu-sama]

Just a bad day

Plot: Sanemi is not having a good day and the only thing he wanted at that moment was to return to the arms of his beloved to be cuddle.

A/n: Where I live, it's raining and the rain gives me ideas to write fluff/comfort scenarios like this one. How I wish I could hold Sanemi in my arms to cuddle him😮‍💨

His smile on the picture too🤏🥹

Tw: Suggestive (a make out scene and Sanemi got a little excited)

Sanemi was finishing another one of his missions. For him it was just another Thursday, all those days always repeated themselves. Everything revolved around killing demons to protect people, but sometimes it all seemed so tiring and boring that the only thing he wanted to do was go back home to the arms of his beloved.

"Damn! These bastards seem to never end."He said as he cut them in every possible direction

After a long moment of fighting those creatures and realizing that he had already exterminated them all, not letting a single one escape, he wiped the drops of sweat that were falling down his face with the back of his hand and sighed tiredly.

"Finally."He sit down for a moment to catch his breath

Your image came to his head, you were probably already asleep at that time while he was still there in that cold and old ruin, reeking of demon blood. He sometimes lived a duality between wanting to show his true emotions and living inside that hard shell that he was. However, when he imagined your smile and your gaze, his heart softened. He simply couldn't help it. He didn't want to admit it, but he missed your fingers caressing his hair, it was a feeling too good for him and one he never got tired of.

~~

The wind hashira opened the front door and closed it slowly so as not to wake you if you were sleeping. He took off his haori and put his sword aside before taking a shower to get rid of that demon blood smell.

He came into the bedroom right after the shower and saw you lying down, but you squirmed a little when you heard the door. It was as if your body felt his presence coming, a habit that you ended up developing over time since he spent a lot of time on missions and sometimes arrived in the middle of the night.

"Sanemi?" You mumbled half asleep, supporting one hand on the mattress, spotting him standing by the door after he had gotten out of the shower

"You didn't have to wake up, I was going to sleep now too." He said, approaching the bed

"Coming back from another boring mission?"

"Yes, another boring mission." He sighed."I'm tired of all this, so tired." He crawled onto the mattress, laying his head on your chest, hugging you like a pillow

"Oh babe..." You lay down again, hugging your boyfriend and running your fingers through his fluffy white hair. "I'm right here, forget your worries now, you deserve a rest. Sleep well, my love." You whispered, running a hand over his face, caressing his cheek with your thumb

"I'll always be here, taking care of you." You declared, placing kisses on the top of his head, watching him drift off to sleep

"I love... you." He whispered softly as sleep took over him

"Me too." You smiled

He couldn't deny that the soft touch of his beloved was everything he needed after a hard day. Your soft fingers, unlike his calloused ones, were a source of comfort for him. The way the tips caressed his scalp sent shivers down his strong, bare back. He didn't usually sleep dressed, even on colder days. His body simply didn't seem to cool down which ended up being a source of heat for you.

He didn't ask for your affection with words, but you already knew that every time he laid his head on your breasts, it was because he wasn't having a good day and needed you.

That was also a way for him to remember his mother's touch; the soft touch he will never forget but also the one he will never feel again.

Seeing him so quiet and vulnerable made you want to tease him a little, even though he was already asleep... At least you thought he was.

"You look like a baby right now...a little baby, sleeping so deeply." You whispered and it was then that you felt your heart flutter in a little fright when he lifted his head and looked at you

"What did you say?"He frowned

"Oh, looks like I woke you up."

"Of course, you keep yapping. I look like a what?"

"A baby, an adorable baby." You chuckled

"Shut up." He grumbled even though he would have liked to hear you say that.

Your voice sounded so cute and tender. Another reason why he fell in love with you. Your cute and sweet personality was the contrast he needed, since he has a tough and stubborn personality that sometimes needed to be melted.

After his mother passed away, he never knew what it was like to have fingers gently run through his hair or cheeks, wiping the tears when he cried after having to witness the abuse and violence that took place at home. Namely against her, who always defended him and his siblings from a man who wasn't a father but a monster.

He always gave in to your softness, your kindness, to your affection. He needed that, even if he sometimes acted tough.

"I love you Sanemi, even if you tell me to shut up for giving you cute names. I love you so much." You placed a kiss on his forehead and smiled

The wind hashira looked at you, his eyes shining at yours from the action and it was then that he put his face closer to yours and gave you a deep kiss, showing his love for you.

When he pulled away the only thing he cloud do was admire how beautiful you looked now. Your sleepy eyes stared into his, your cheeks flushed and your lips begging for another kiss.

His lips met yours again with passion and intensity. He wasn't usually very given to romance and sometimes he struggle with expressing his feelings but he was definitely a man of action and every kiss he gave you, you understood, you knew what he meant.

You ran your hand from his face to his white hair, deepening the kiss. He was sleepy, his body was asking for a good night's sleep but the way you touched him, how your lips felt so good at that moment, made him want to take it to another place where you had been many times before, without ever getting tired.

"Nemi..." You mumbled against his lips, pulling away from the kiss. "You need to sleep."

"Why are you saying these things now if you were the one who woke me up, calling me those cute names, huh?"He whispered, brushing his lips against yours

"Oh, so it seems you actually like it when I call you cute pet names." You smiled before kissing him again

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep now." He growled, sliding his lips from yours to your ear."It was all your fault."

"Sanemi, please don't--" You giggled but he cut you off. "Quiet!"

"Nemi." You called and he exhaled after you called him again

"What now?"

"You need to sleep, you know that, don't you?" You said, running a hand over his arm. "You've had a hard day."

"No I don't, I'm feeling really good, what are you talking about?"He frowned, before leaning forward to kiss your neck

"I know, and besides feeling good, you also seem a little...excited." You ran your knee over his covered bulge and he closed his eyes, sighing

"Maybe if you had stayed quiet, you wouldn't have woken him up too." He said through clenched teeth and you laughed at his words

"I'm sorry about that, love. I just wanted you to relax a little. Not give you a reason to stay awake."

"Looks like you failed."

"Yeah, but I think we'll have to leave that for another time. I'm also dying of sleep."

Seeing that you wanted to sleep and his tiredness was already making him overstimulated with all that, he just gave in to your order. Even though a part of him only wanted five minutes of that.

"Okay, fine, I'll sleep..." He rested his forehead against yours and breathed heavily causing a shiver to run through your body. "But tomorrow morning your legs will pay for this, got that?" He gave you one last kiss on the lips and put his head back on your chest and you let out a chuckle

"An adorable baby when he sleeps and an untamable hurricane when he's awake." You thought, hugging him close to you

[hoejosatoru]

HIHI !! i saw you were looking for smut winbre requests and i decided to slide mine through 👀👀 what abouttttt, i don’t know if you’ve seen bridgerton, there’s this scene where a guy takes his girl infront of a mirror and explains how much he loves her by describing her body and how it drives him crazy 😮‍💨 it’s more of an erotic view, so i’d like to request something along those lines with Umemiya please!!! it’d make my day if you decided to write for it 🤍 thank you so much in advance!!! ✨

Wait I love this. I have never seen brudgerton (need to though!) but this is perfect for Umemiya. Suggestive/NSWFish under the cut

"Can we keep the lights off?" you asked your boyfriend. He was hovering over you, shirtless and as perfect looking as ever.

Umemiya's brows furrowed. "Why, my love? Wanna see you."

A blush crept up your cheeks. You were embarrassed about feeling self conscious and having to admit it to Umemiya, who could have been sculpted by a god for all you knew. "I just... I don't think I look that good."

Umemiya was incredulous. "Baby you're beautiful. And I'm gonna prove it." Before your could respond. Umemiya tugged you up and stood you in front of the mirror in his bedroom. Your back was flushed against his front, his eyes raking over your form in the mirror. You wanted to turn away, but he kept you there with a gentle, but firm grip. "You have no idea what you do to me, do you?"

You shook your head, catching his eye in the mirror. The way he looked at you caused your insides to pool. You were equally turned on and enamored. His touch was reverent, making his words so believable even when that mean little voice in your head tried to deny it.

Umemiya's hands trailed up your thighs. "These thighs, so soft and warm. Love when you have 'em wrapped around head." He spoke close to your ear, making you shiver. He squeezed your butt and you instinctively ground back against him. "And your ass? Love how you're always teasing me with it. Yeah, just like that. You feel what you're doing to me, don't you angel?"

"Ume," you gasped, feeling his hard on press against you. Your self consciousness was slowly starting to melt into blind desire.

He pulled your shirt off you, squeezing your tits. "Your tits are just perfect. Drives me crazy when you don’t wear a bra, just wanna bury my face in them. And you'd like that? They're so sensitive aren't they baby?" He punctuated his state by squeezing your nipples and making you gasp. He smirked. "Thought so."

He buried his face into your neck, lightly sucking on the skin. "Don't get me started on how good you smell. Could eat you up. Love when you've been in my sheets and all I smell is you." He continued to kiss at you, toying gently with your tits. Your knees felt weak, but Umemiya kept you firmly upright.

One hand snaked down to your pussy, the only thing still covered by underwear. "And nothing in the world I want more than this," he cooed, tracing circles over your aching clit. "Nothing feels better than having you wrapped around me, squeezing me. You look so fucking beautiful on my cock angel."

"Please, Ume, want that," you whimpered, forgetting all about what you were worried about in the first place.

Umemiya smiled, turning your around so he could look you straight in the eye. "And my beautiful girl will get it."

[anitabrassi]

Do you have any favourite fics? I’m on the hunt for new recs, please help 🙏

Happy to serve! Sorry it took me few days, this is one hell of a week work-wise for me right from Monday 😮‍💨 Oh you don't know how much I love talking about all the amazing fics out there. I picked up some of my faves, but also the ones that I feel are not so well-known and didn't see them making it to other fic rec lists.

Most of them are locked, so you'll need an AO3 account.

Little Birds by CoolPaisley This one is detective AU. Be warned, because I LOVE AUs, so they will make appearance several other times in this list. This one is Miles as a detective and Alex as a failed drunkard novelist. The plot goes little bit over the top at the end, but I still love the premise and the way it's written; when reading it, I was really smitten by how much it's different from other fics in Milex fandom. I also enjoy when they're portrayed as faulty people doing regrettable things and acting foul (and human).

All These Twenty Years on a Vacation by affectiontorend Great oneshot in a form of voice message that'll leave you with bitter taste in your mouth.

Factory Settings by Lizz_88 Where should I start… I think Lizz_88 is the best writer out there, the literal level of this one is touching high heavens; it's brilliant, every sentence, every metaphor in its right place, and it's not overdone. Just beware, because the story itself is very dark and brutal and the subject of extreme masochism/self-destruction is touched. Also the only story I cried to (party because I didn't want it to end, partly because it really is tragically touching. Ouch my heart.)

Drown My Secrets in the Thames by Lizz_88 The newest story by Lizz_88. Read it, because she truly is a terrific writer and since it is kinda recent, I think not enough people have give it love (and kudos and comments).

The Italian Job by stereobone Perfect mixture of small, slow-rolling plot, tension between Alex and Miles, domesticity and sexy times. Oh and I've got soft spot for all the fics set in Italy and Sicily ❤︎

Come Closer by KattyLashes Stand-alone little AU in which teacher Alex goes on a blind date and meets Miles. Katty has huge portfolio of Milex fics, but I especially like to come back to this one. And what I like about Katty is you can really feel how much she enjoys writing these two.

Good for It by ReconciledViolence An AU scene--a vignette--set in crimi and noir tone. It's nothing but a steamy snippet, but I love it. I love both Miles and Alex are painted as a characters with somehow dark background and you can fantasize what was before or what might come next.

The Reinvention of Amerlie Jonquille by LaNaturalBreezeOf_Book A must-read. It's an amazing saga of 'what could possibly be' and a take on creating TLSP3. I won't say anything else, just go and read it. Read everything by LaNaturalBreeze by the way.

edit: I'll probably make part 2, just have to dig around a bit in my memory and gather up another round of stories.

[greg-montgomery]

heyyy just a thought i’d like to share with you: what if r and aaron had a jokey flirty relationship like morgan and garcia (with r being the flirt ofc and aaron being the blushy feller he is) and someone on the team is like “all jokes aside you guys would be cute together. 😚”

“we are together. 🤨”

“we’ve been dating for 2 years. 😐”

LMFAOOOOOO I LOVE THIS SM

like when aaron gives you an order you’re like “yes sir 😫😮‍💨💦” and he’s just 🧍🏻 with cute blushy cheeks 🤭🤭

you ofc openly call him a dilf!! when you notice someone staring at him or flirting with him you playfully make a scene like “ohhh they wanna fight me huh 😃” you always answer the phone like garcia 😭 “who’s the answer to all your dreams” along with “anything for you king” “do i get a kiss for finding our suspect” and “the way you yelled at that guy…i need a shower 😮‍💨”

he’s soooo shy 🤭🤭 and the team always giggles at that bc they can tell your words affect him a lot 🤭🤭🤭 and they can see his cute little smile even if he tries to hide it!!

one night you’re out with the team celebrating the happy ending of a hard case. aaron lifts up the sleeves of his shirt exposing his forearms and you DROOL over it. “hotch, next time please warn me before you make a move like that 😫😮‍💨” aaron is like 🙄🤭

so jj says “okay but all jokes aside you guys would be cute together. it’s endearing watching y/n making you blush” and penny goes “oh my gosh yes!!! in my dreams you’re married already!!” morgan also joins, saying you should be dating bc he sick of aaron trying to fight off the smiles you cause 🤭🤭🤭 so you’re like “?????? we literally are? 🤨” and the team is like ????????????

hotch takes a sip from his drink and is like “we’ve been dating for 2 years 🧍🏻😐”

and they’re all so confused and you’re confused too bc you’re like “how the fuck did you not know” 😭😭😭 and they all tell you they thought the whole flirting thing was a joke 😭😭

so you tell them it absolutely isn’t and you just love teasing your boyfriend and making him feel special 🤭🤭🤭

aaron wraps his arm around your waist and pulls you close the rest of the night to make it clear 🤭 and the team watches you like you’re two animals in the wild starring in a documentary 😭😭😭

[thelargefrye]

BECAUSE I'M HIM ... mature one - shot (21+) | PART II

pairing : supe!ateez x supe!villain!f!reader ( ft. supe!villain!sanhwa x supe!villain!f!reader )

genre : dark, mature, heroes and villains, demon slayer x mha inspired, angst

word count : 17k

warnings : language, a lot... a LOT of fight scenes 😮‍💨, death / murder, blood / body gore, suicide, choking, attempted murder, the government wouldn't do that to you - oh yes they would, mass killing (a whole island gets wiped out – not in detail and only mentioned), MAJOR character deaths, cannibalism (kind of), mention human sacrifice, any korean that appears might be inaccurate

smut warnings : unprotected sex, threesome, mxm, noncon voyuerism, double v penetration, slight cum play

listen to the official soundtrack here

note : for topaz's @sanjoongie YOTV collab – had so much fun planning this and writing it, thank you for allowing me to be apart of this collab and i hope you enjoy it! please make sure to check out the other fics for this collab with the masterlist!

also thank you to @anyamaris for letting me word vomit this to you!

with the hero association struggling to take down the villain alliance, they and the government force death row villains to team up with some of the world's greatest heroes in order to hunt down and defeat them. you are one of those villains.

READ PART I HERE

ACT IV: THE DRAGON GOD

new ateez compound – members’ private rooms corridor – night

yunho walked through the corridors of the new compound. his footsteps soft against the polished floor. the air was heavy, thick with the tension of their recent losses and the faint, fragile peace that had come in the aftermath. if he could even call it an aftermath, everything happening all at once made yunho feel like this was just the catalyst for something bigger to come. 

this new compound gave off that same feeling, it was nearly identical to the one they’d lost, yet it felt foreign – a remainder of everything that had been torn away. from him, the team. the memories of their original compound were the only thing that kept him grounded. it was his home after all, and now… he was expected to call this new compound home. it made yunho feel uneasy. 

as he approached the row of private quarters, something stopped him in his tracks. a voice. hushed, soft, and unmistakably familiar. 

you. 

his heart stuttered in his chest as he turned towards your door, which was slightly ajar. light spilled into the hallway, warm and flickering, and yunho could just faintly hear the hum of a conversation – no, it wasn’t a conversation. your voice sounded different, breathy and tinged with something he couldn’t place at first. 

they say curiosity killed the cat, and perhaps it was that, or something deep, the pulled yunho towards your door. he should stop. whatever was happening inside your room wasn’t his business, yet his feet betrayed him. carefully, he leaned closer, peering through the crack in the door. 

the sight he saw made his breath stop and heat travel all over his body.

you bent over the edge of your bed, naked, with san on top of you. his hips creating powerful thrusts as he pounds away into your pussy. yunho can see how san’s cock easily stretches your pussy, filling you up and causing you to let out breathy wines. san’s thick hands dig into the meat of your hips, holding you up as the vigor sounds of skin meeting skin fills the room. 

yunho couldn’t tear his eyes away, from the sight of you and san. san’s balls smacking lewdly against your ass had san tossing his head back slightly, never once stopping his unrelenting pace. 

“s-sannie–” your nails claw at the messy sheets, yunho’s surprised you don’t rip them from the vice grip you have on them. you let out a ramble of words that don’t make any sense and san can only laugh at how fucked out you are. 

“she’s so fucked out, her pussy might as well be talking,” a new voice says, but yunho recognizes the deepness of it. seonghwa appears right next to san, just as naked. one of his graceful, yet lethal hands run down the expanse of san’s back. 

“s–so fuckin’ tight,” san pants out as he bends over to press his chest against back. his thick arms wrap underneath your legs and yunho can hear a wet smack! smack! smack! sound throughout the room, followed by a cry leaving your lips. 

you’re making a mess, juices drooling from your pussy, around san’s cock, and onto the bed and floor. san has completely mounted you at this point and yunho would be surprised if san didn’t break the bed from how hard he was going. one of his hands pressing your face into the mattress as san turned to look at seonghwa. his face just as fucked out as you sounded as he reaches out for the older male. 

“hy–h–hyung~” san calls out, causing seonghwa to laugh as he walks closer. stepping up on the bed, san’s eyes lit up as seonghwa’s cock was at eye-level with him. his mouth dropping open without seonghwa having to say a word. 

“you’re just as fucked out as her,” seonghwa teases, the head of his fat cock tracing the lip of san’s lips. his tongue swirled around seonghwa’s tip, eyes rolling into the back of his head as his cock was shoved into his mouth. san let out a gagged groan of some sorts as seonghwa fucked his throat. yunho was surprised that san never once stop fucking you. 

“s–so good,” seonghwa moaned out, eyes closing and eyebrows drawn together as his head tilted back. seonghwa pulled out of san’s mouth with a sick, wet pop! seonghwa fisted his cock a few times so san’s tongue was covered in his precum. “go ahead, share.” 

san tangled his fingers within your hair, dragging you up like you were nothing. yunho couldn’t see your face, nor what san was doing, but he assumed the blood user was kissing you. the image of the two of you doing a nasty french kiss while swapping spit and precum made his own dick hard. 

yunho felt a wave of heat and coldness wash over his body as his hand trailed down to where his own cock was. an obvious tent growing and he was trying to resist the urge to touch himself, here in the middle of the hallway. his eyes remained glued to how san pulled out of you and manhandled you onto further on the bed. 

seonghwa kneels on the bed as both him and yunho watch san tug you into full nelson. your body on full display, pussy leaking and creamy as san wastes no time in shoving his cock back into you. the two of you moaning and yunho swears he can see the bulge of san’s cock appear underneath your belly button. fuck, that’s hot. yunho feels his dick twitch at the sight of seonghwa running the tip of his cock along your stuffed pussy. the mixture of your and san’s sticky seed and juices easily coating his cock. 

his head teases your clit that’s red and swollen and yunho figures san smacked it earlier. you let out a cry, fat tears running down your cheeks as you try to close your legs. but san’s arms and legs keep your pried open for both his and seonghwa’s pleasure. 

“‘s too much!” you cry, but both males laugh at your words. san pulls out slightly open to immediately thrust back into you. his hold on you, keeping you place, breasts bouncing at impact. san repeats the action a few more times as seonghwa lazily nudges his cock against your clit. 

“you can take both of us, can’t you, doll?” san questions, pulling out slightly as seonghwa began to slowly enter you. 

“please–” you beg, head thrown back, panting and a layer of sweat beginning to cover you. seonghwa reaches between the two of you, the head of his cock slowly nedging itself into your dripping pussy. your glossy juices coating his fingers “p–please, too–too–” 

“if you can take san’s fat cock all at once then you can take mine with it,” seonghwa cuts you off, his hands gripping your thighs, nails digging into your thighs leaving crescent shapes in your skin as he inches his cock further inside of you. 

then, with a rough grunt, seonghwa eventually shoves himself further into you. both his and san’s cocks pressed against each other surrounded by your gummy walls that clench around the both of them. moans leaving both males as san starts thrusting up into you. his cock rubbing against seonghwa’s cock, which makes the older male groan in pleasure. 

“t–two cocks an–and you’re still this tight,” he pants out as he also starts moving his hips, him and san establishing a nice rhythm that is the opposite of when san was just inside you. 

you’re rendered to just a moan, babbling mess as your lovers continue to fuck you. your orgasm building up more and more. the head of their cocks take turns abusing your g-spot and filling you up even more with their hot precum. san’s sturdy hands come to grope your breast, squeezing them, along with pinching and pulling at your nipples causing you to let out a cry. your cry is quickly swallowed by seonghwa’s tongue shoving itself into your mouth. 

“fuck– fuckfuckfuck ‘s good,” san moans as he watches you and seonghwa. his thrusts causing his balls to smack against seonghwa’s as he feels himself grow closer to his own orgasm the more you clench around him as he continues to ram into your melty insides. he can’t deny how good seonghwa’s cock feels up against his, he loves when seonghwa or himself force their cock inside of you while the other one is already taking up so much space. 

stuffing you even more than what you claim to take makes him just want to never stop fucking you. and the thought alone is what makes him finally cum. he lets out a string of cussing as his cock paints your insides white. his seed immediately starts dripping out of you and onto the sheets below you all. san pulls out, even more of his seed dripping out, but seonghwa wastes no time in fucking it back into you. 

san holds you in the position he’s had you in as seonghwa drills into you with the full purpose of both him and you coming next. you cry out seonghwa’s name the harder he fucks you. 

“gonna fill you u–up with s-so-so much. stuff my pretty girl with a–all the cum,” seonghwa murmurs in a fucked daze. with one finally thrust you both are coming. seonghwa stills inside of you as he also paints your insides white. 

seonghwa pulls out, eyes locked on how your pussy overflows with the mixture of his and san’s cum. you let out a whine when seonghwa runs a finger through your creamy folds just as san finally releases you from the position he had you in. you watch seonghwa bring his cum-coated fingers to his lips to lick them clean. san presses a kiss to your shoulder as he moves to sit you both up. 

yunho feels his chest tightened, eyes focused as he watches you three. he knew he should leave, he already stayed and watched more than he should have. enjoyed more than he should have. 

what kind of teammate was he to intrude on such a private moment, but damn did it not turn him on watching the three of you. yunho feels a rush of emotions – guilt and jealousy being the main two that he felt. he took one last look inside your room; you, san, and seonghwa sharing light kisses between each other, before he’s turning on his heels and walking down the corridor. 

once yunho is in the safety of his room, he closes his door and finally lets out the breath he had been holding the entire time. every time he blinks, all he can see is the image of san or seonghwa pounding into you. the noises you made echoing in his mind and his hand absentmindedly finds his crotch. he winces when he feels a wet patch on his pants. fuck. when did he come in his pants? 

he feels heat rush to his face as once again thinks about the three of you. his own cock taking no time in getting hard again. 

his ears burn as he lets out a huff, unzipping his pants and pulling his cock out. his other hand comes up to rest against his face, “you’re better than this,” he mumbles to himself. 

yet he can’t help but touch himself, coming all over his hand at the thought of san, seonghwa, and you. 

jeju island – forest path – day

jeju island was a lot denser than you expected it to be. you’ve heard about how this island usually kept to themselves, isolated themselves from the mainland. so officially, they wouldn’t make it easy to get to their village. a boat dropping the two of you off on the island made the dense and thick forest the first thing you see. the dirt path also winding as you both began walking through the forest. you could still hear the sound of distant waves crashing against the shore fills your ears and mixes with the crunching of leaves under your boots. 

hongjoong told you and wooyoung that jeju island refused to have any relations with the hero association. the only reason you both are here is because the association they sent to the island over two weeks ago has been m.i.a. 

speaking of wooyoung, you’re eyes drifted ahead of you where wooyoung is. shoulders stiff and his expression dark. the tension between the two of you is colder than the island’s breeze.

wooyoung throws a glance over his shoulder, gaze sharper than ever. you know he can’t stand you. still bitter about you, san, and seonghwa joining the team. letting himself even be tricked by wonyoung – a demon. he hated you, that much was obvious. 

you remain calm, despite his hostile gaze, hands tucked into your jacket pockets. wooyoung suddenly stops in his tracks, causing you to halt a few steps behind him. 

“i can’t do this,” he says, voice sharp, back still facing you.

“do what?”

“this!” wooyoung finally turns, gesturing between and around you both. “pretend like everything’s fine, like you’re one of us, like you belong on this team!” 

you remain silent, but your silence only fuels his frustrations. 

“i don’t get you,” he snaps, stepping closer. “you’re not suppose to be helping people – saving lives! you’ve fucking killed people, destroyed lives. and yet, here you are, playing pretend hero because the association told you too. you act like you care about the team; yeosang, mingi – grieving him even. but how do we know you mean it, that you aren’t just pretending!”

even if you won’t admit it outloud, his words cut deep. saying you don’t care about yeosang or even mingi. that your grief wasn’t real. you didn’t say anything back, once again remaining silent. showing him any emotions wouldn’t change anything at this point. 

“say something!” he yells, voice echoing throughout the empty path. “anything!” 

but you still wouldn’t say anything to him. wooyoung’s fist clenched tightly, knuckles surely turning white from the force. and before he could stop himself, he lunged at you. 

your eyes widened but you didn’t fight back as he tackled you to the ground. you hit the dirt with a grunt, wooyoung straddling you as his hands wrapped around your throat. despite the death collar, wooyoung dug his fingers into your skin. attempting to cut off your airways. 

“do you even feel anything?” he growls, grip tightening even more. you could feel both bitter heat and coldness seeping from his hands and into your skin. burning you with both fire and ice. “do you even care about anyone? about mingi? about us?”

your expression remained unchanged, eyes staring up at him with a certain emptiness. your face turning unnatural colors from the lack of oxygen. you weren’t fighting back, wasn’t struggling – you were simply… accepting it. 

the sight truly unsettled wooyoung. his breathing coming through in ragged gasps as he stared down at you. then the realization hit him. you weren’t resisting because you didn’t care. you weren’t resisting because in that moment, you truly didn’t mind if you died. 

a sharp pain suddenly shoots through wooyoung’s head, making him release your throat and clutch at his temples. the throbbing pain seared through him as his vision blurred, static buzzing in his vision and ears. wooyoung felt an overwhelming sense of unease flood through him as disjointed and static images flashed through his mind. 

the figure below him shifted in the static, face unrecognizable as he hovered above them. lips moving but no sound coming out. he stumbled off of you, falling to the ground, clutching his head as he tried to make sense of what just happened. “what the hell…” he mutters, voice barely audible.

you sat up slowly, rubbing your throat but choosing to say nothing. you watched him with an unreadable expression, your gaze calm despite the red and purple marks now blooming above your collar. 

for a long moment, neither of you spoke as wooyoung slowly felt the pain subside. the only sound was the wind rustling through the trees. finally, you stood, brushing dirt off your clothes. you took a step towards wooyoung and extended a hand. 

wooyoung’s eyes looked up to meet your calm ones before they flickered down to your outstretched hand. he hesitated, just staring at your hand. then, with a scoff, he pushed himself to his feet on his own, completely ignoring you. 

you weren’t surprised. you nodded your head before turning and continuing down the path towards the town. “let’s keep moving.”

wooyoung now followed a few steps behind, tension between you two thick and palpable. his mind racing, images he’d seen – your empty eyes – still haunting him. he glanced at your back, his frustrations mingling with a strange, yet unfamiliar feeling he couldn’t quite register.

by the time you two reached the outskirts of the town, the silence between you both was deafening. the air heavy and full of unspoken words, unresolved emotions, and something seemingly darker – a tension you couldn’t deny. 

jeju island – town – day

cobblestone streets making winding paths that led the small town as you wandered through it. the ocean breeze carrying a salty tang that mixed with the earthy scent of wet dirt. you could also smell something more… unnatural. like something had been burnt not too long ago and the scent still lingers in the air of the town. you brushed it, after taking several glances around your walk and not able to find anything to support the smell. weird. 

the townspeople were friendly enough on the surface, but you could tell that your appearance in their town made them uncomfortable. not because you were a villain, or had a blink, metal collar around your throat, but the fact that you were just… an outsider. whenever you asked them about the missing hero they were tight-lipped, saying they didn't know anything. faces turned wary, and voices hushed as they avoided your questions.

“excuse me,” you say softly, approaching an older woman, “i’m looking for information about a hero who was here recently. do you know anything?”

you notice the older woman’s face stiffens at the mention of the word ‘hero’. she shakes her head quickly, “we don’t meddle in the hero business here.”

“why not?” you couldn’t help but be curious on why they separated themselves from the rest of the country. 

the woman looked nervously towards the town’s center, you followed her eyes only to find nothing too out of the ordinary. “this is a place of peace,” she begins, speaking lowly so you could only just barely hear her, “heroes bring chaos. you should leave before the dragon god grows angry.”

the woman mutters something else under breath and inaudible to your ears, turning away and leaving before you could ask her anything else. 

“dragon god?”

after that encounter, any other encounters you would be met with cryptic talks of a “dragon god” but the locals refused to explain what, or who, this dragon god. you also heard mentions of a priestess, but again the townspeople would become tight-lipped and turn away when you try to ask them more. it was honestly starting to piss you off.

you approach a younger man, who offers more details as he gathers firewood. but his details only give you more questions than answers. 

“the dragon god protects us… or punches us when we stray.” 

“and what about the priestess?”

the young man pauses for a moment, glances around nervously before speaking in a hushed tone, “she serves the god. keeps the balance. don’t ask too many questions.” before you could press further, he then hurries off back down the path he came from. 

caw! you look over to see a crow sitting on top of a stack of firewood. tilting your head you make eye contact with the bird who seems to mimic your movements. the crow let out one more loud caw before taking off, heading towards the mountains.

“what are you doing here?” you say to yourself before turning and making your way towards the town inn.

jeju island – town inn – evening 

you’re surprised by how warm and small the inn is, with creaky wooden floors and flickering lanterns lighting the inside of the room you and wooyoung booked. you enter the room to find wooyoung sitting by the window, staring out into the night. 

“you’re late,” he says rather flatly, but you ignore his tone. 

“i was asking questions.”

he lets out something that was a mix between a huff and a laugh. “let me guess – no answers?” you don’t need to look at him to see he’s smirking at you, trying to rile you up. 

“they kept talking about a dragon god,” you tell him as you go to sit down on one of the beds in the room. your weight making the mattress slightly sink. 

wooyoung turned to look at you, eyebrow raised, “a dragon god? that’s original.”

“and a priestess, but no one would tell me more about either of them.” 

wooyoung moves from the window to lean against the wall, crossing his arms, “i found out more than you, apparently.”

it was your turn to raise an eyebrow at him, “oh? enlighten me then.”

“the town’s been dealing with a lot of weird stuff. illness spreading for no reason, crops dying out of season, farm animals losing their minds.” 

“sounds like they think their dragon god is punishing them,” you say quietly. 

“or,” wooyoung says, interrupting your thoughts, “it's a villain. or worse – a demon.” a beat of silence passes between the two of you as you exchange a look thanks to his words. seems like he was thinking the same thing you were. 

“if its a demon, the town wouldn’t even realize it. they’d just… worship it.” 

“exactly,” he agrees, “which means that if we find the villain then…” he hesitates for a moment before continuing, “then we’ll probably find our missing hero.”

“or we’ll find his body,” you finish for him. he grimaces a little before nodding. this mission just got a lot more complicated, you think to yourself.

after the discussion, you find yourself settling into a rather tense room. the tension from earlier in the day with wooyoung is still heavy and thick between you. the flickering of the lanterns is the only warmth in comfort in the otherwise cold room. you sit on the edge of the bed, fingers running along the pages of the book you had brought with you. face impassive, but your eyes clearly hold a storm within. 

wooyoung leans against the wall, arms crossed, his gaze burning into you. the silence between you both is thick, but his patience wearing thin. like he can tell that you aren’t fully invested into the book that sits in your lap. 

“does the guilt get to you at all?” wooyoung says, finally breaking the silence. you don’t bother to look up at him, continuing to – at least – attempt to read your book. “does it bother you? eat you alive?”

“i don’t have to answer you, wooyoung,” you say, turning the page of your book, “i don’t owe you anything.” your tone is calm as you speak. 

wooyoung pushes himself off the wall, voice rising slightly as he speaks, “that’s your problem. you don’t owe anyone anything, do you? not an apology, not an explanation – nothing,” with each sentence he moves closer to you. “you think you can just breeze through all this, leaving chaos in your wake.” 

you stood, dropping your book onto the bed, “and you think yelling at me is going to fix anything? you think your anger gives you some kind of moral high ground? grow up.”

wooyoung’s eyes narrowed, fist clenching at his sides, “my anger gives me more moral high ground than you! at least i haven’t killed people out of my anger! how can anyone like you feel anything? or maybe that’s the point – you don’t.”

you feel your jaw tightened, but you refuse to let his words fully penetrate you, “believe what you want. i don’t have to prove myself to you, i’ve done enough already for you and the others.”

“then why are you still here if you’ve proven yourself?” he demands, voice rising. “why don’t you just go back to prison? why pretend to give a damn about any of this?”

your eyes flash with frustration, “you’re the one who keeps pushing, wooyoung. you hate me so much, yet you’re always the first to pick a fight. what do you want from me?”

“i want you to admit it!” he yells, stepping so close that your faces were mere inches apart. “admit that you don’t care, that you’re just waiting for the moment to stab us all in the back!”

you stared at him, you chest heaving from the restrained emotions. don’t lash out, don’t lash out, don’t lash out. “if that’s what you really think,” you say quietly, quieter than what wooyoung would have expected. “then why haven’t you done something about it?”

wooyoung froze, breathing ragged. for a moment, the room was silent except for the sound of your breaths. then, as if something inside him snapped, he surged forwards, hands gripping your face as his lips crashed into yours. 

the kiss was feral, a mixture and collision of anger, tension, and even need that sent a jolt of heat through your body. your initial shock by his sudden action melted into raw desire as you kissed him back just as fiercely. your hands clutching at his shirt and pulling him closer. 

wooyoung let out a low growl from his throat, lips moving hungrily against yours. his hands sliding down to your waist and pulling you flush against him. the heat of his body seeping through the material of your shirt, warming your own body. he pushed you back until your knees hit the edge of the bed, you fell onto the mattress, dragging him down with you. 

the weight of him against you sent a shiver through your body. his heat and ice powers send waves of heat and ice through you. his lips left yours, trailing along your jaw and down your neck, his teeth grazing your skin before he sucked hard enough to leave a mark. you gasped, nails digging into his shoulders as your hips bucked up against his instinctively. 

“damn it,” he muttered against your skin, voice rough and filled with frustration. “you drive me insane.” 

“good,” you say back, voice breathless and laced with slight defiance against him. 

his hand slipped under your shirt, his fingers both lithe and calloused, veins bulging from his forearms as he brushed them against your bare skin. he traces the curve of your waist, his touch firm yet somewhat teasing as he pushes the fabric of your shirt higher. a familiar heat pools in your stomach, your body almost aching for more as he leans up to kiss you again. his tongue tangling with yours in a battle for dominance. 

your mouths moved against each other, tongues tangling and teeth grazing as you both sought to dominate the other even if for a moment. your hands slid under his shirt, nails raking down the expanse of his back. wooyoung let out a groan that your lips hungrily swallowed as his hips pressed into yours. you let out a soft moan, legs shifting to wrap around his waist, pulling him even closer than what you thought was possible. 

“y/n,” he moans out, voice filled with a mixture of desire and restraint. he pulls back slightly, lips trailing over your jaw as you both try to catch your breath for a moment. his hands lingered on your bare skin, his fingers trailing dangerously close to your bra before settling on drawing lazy circles just below.

the moment was broken by a sharp noise coming from outside. the two of you froze, breathes heavy and mingling together as you strained to listen. the muffle sound of voices and footsteps filtered in through the window. wooyoung seemed reluctant to push himself off of you, but did so chest heaving. 

“someone’s out there,” he says, voice still thick with the remnants of your heated exchange. you sat up, face feeling flushed and lips swollen. 

you shake your head in an attempt to clear it as you stand up from the bed, “we should check it out then.”

wooyoung nods, jaw tight as he watches you make your way over to the window. eyes lingering on you for a little longer than he probably should have. he snaps out of it after a moment and comes to join you over by the window. 

outside, you see a group of townspeople moving down the street, their lanterns casting an eerie glow. at the center of the group was a young woman dressed in head to toe ceremonial attire, her expression solemn. 

“that must be the priestess,” wooyoung says quietly, almost calmer than it was moments ago. you watch with narrowed eyes, mind racing in an attempt to try and piece all of this together. what in the world could they be doing this late at night with the priestess. why did they all look so solemn and… mournful even.

“this doesn’t feel right.”

“no kidding,” wooyoung says before the two of you are exchanging a glance. then without another word, you two slip out of the inn and into the shadows, following the line of townspeople.  

jeju island – mountain base – night

you managed to follow the townspeople from a distance, careful to stay hidden in the shadows. eventually, the people reached the base of the large mountain, where a cave entrance stood. the entrance was set up like some type of shrine or altar. the villagers then begin chanting, preparing the young woman for what you can only assume to be a sacrifice. 

an unease chill runs down your spine as you watch, “we have to stop this,” you hastily whisper to wooyoung, moving to try and stop them, but he stops you by grabbing your arm. 

“not yet,” he replies quietly. 

“they’re going to kill her– or– or sacrifice her, wooyoung.”

“and we don’t even know what we’re up against yet,” he says harshly. “we need to draw back and come up with a plan. haven’t you said before not to act on anger or emotions?”

you bite your lip, reluctantly going along with his words, fist clenched as the two of you made your way back to the end. once back at the inn, you find yourself sitting on the bed, book in your lap. 

“tomorrow,” you say, turning to look at wooyoung, “we’re going to kill their dragon god.”

“tomorrow.” 

jeju island – town inn – dawn

the glow of dawn seeps through the curtains, lighting up the room in warm tones. you sit on the edge of the bed, tying your boots together. your fingers move like they are on autopilot, your mind going through what feels like ten-million other things all at once. across the room, wooyoung is once again leaning against the doorframe. his gaze heavy as he watches you, clearly conflicted. 

for a long moment, the only sounds in the room are the faint rustle of fabric and the occasional creak of the floorboards as the building settles. 

“so you’re just going to pretend like nothing happened?” he asks, voice almost uncharacteristically soft. 

you freeze for a brief second, fingers halting mid-motion. you swallow hard, tongue wetting your lips before you continue as though he hadn’t said anything. 

he moves forward, voice a little louder, “y/n.”

you finish typing your boots, standing up from the bed to dust some invisible dust off, but you refuse to look at him. “we’ll talk about it later.”

wooyoung lets out a dry laugh, clearly not buying what you said, “later? and when is that? after we deal with this so-called dragon god or maybe if one of us dies then we won’t have to talk about it at all,” his tone is sharp, sharper than what he intended and he notices when you stiffen slightly. 

“we have a mission, wooyoung. personal issues afterwards,” you say still not looking at him. 

wooyoung frowns, stepping closer, “did it not mean anything?” 

you finally turn to him, your eyes meeting his, and for a moment he falters. there’s something almost raw in your gaze, like for the first time since joining the team he’s showing you a clear vulnerability. it only lasts for a split second though before you are trying to cover it. 

“it’s not that it didn’t mean anything. we can’t afford to lose focus right now. not when the townspeople here are in danger.”

“y/n…” 

you look away, jaw tightening as you feel a jumble of words caught in your throat. you feel like you have so many things you want to say to wooyoung, but you can’t find it in yourself to say them. the feeling of his body pressed against yours had lingered in your mind longer than you would have liked to admit. 

you finally let out a sigh, shaking your head as you spoke, “don’t make this harder than it already is.”

your words hang in the air for a moment, cutting through the room like a knife. wooyoung steps back slightly, hand running through his hair as he exhales deeply. before he could say anything; however, you speak up once more. 

“back on the train… mingi promised we would go eat some good food. after we kill this demon…” you pause for a second, wondering if you should continue. “let’s go get something good to eat. and then– and then we can talk like you want.”

the vulnerability in your voice catches wooyoung off guard for a moment, making him pause. his earlier frustrations slowly fade away as he looks at you. its weird, he thinks, in this moment you don’t look like the monstrous villain the hero association has made you out to be, but instead… just a young woman. 

it makes his stomach churn as this mind tells him that maybe this is just a trap, that you are so monstrous that you are faking everything. your true emotions hidden underneath a facade. 

“whatever,” he says with a huff and you turn to him with narrowed eyes, ready to say something, but he cuts you off, “i get to pick though – don’t trust you to know what good food is.” 

he makes his way back over to the door and his words catch you a little off guard. you nod your head and follow after wooyoung who waits at the door. he gets close to you, face inches away from yours. heated eyes looking into yours, “don’t think that one of us dying will stop this conversation, you hear?”

you nod your head once more, before the two of you are stepping out of the room and inn altogether. the situation of last night will remain unresolved for the moment. after all, you had a dragon god to kill.

jeju island – mountain base – morning

the path leading you to the mountain reminds you of the path you took that led you to town. dense with trees, but the air was… colder and heavy fog surrounded the area that you didn’t quite notice last night. you and wooyoung eventually stand at the base, staring at the dark opening of the cave at the base of the mountain. 

“this is definitely the kind of place you’d find something messed up in,” wooyoung mutters, referring to the shrine that stood in front of the cave’s opening. you remember seeing the priestess walking up to it last night. 

“sure is creepy,” you say, looking as an eerie chill running down your spine. 

wooyoung can’t help the smirk that paints his lips at your response. without another word, the two of you move forward, stepping into the shadowy mouth of the cave’s entrance.

the echoing of your footsteps inside the cave gave the place almost a haunting feel. wooyoung’s fire sweeps across the area, illuminating the strange markings on the stone walls – scratches and streaks blood. you both round a corner, flickers of fire catching a horrific sight – a pile of corpse, young women all torn apart and half eating, missing limbs as they drap lifelessly over the rocks. their faces frozen in terror, everything about them was unnatural. 

“oh my god,” you gasped out, stepping back. you press a hand over your mouth, eyes wide. wooyoung grabs your arm gently but firmly, pulling you away from the grotesque scene. this is what was happening to their priestesses? did the townspeople knowingly sacrifice the young women knowing their fate?

“don’t look, just keep moving,” wooyoung says, grip firm. you feel your chest rising and falling rapidly, but you nod and allow him to guide you away from the scene. you both press on deeper into the cave. the haunting chill in the air grows heavier with every step.

jeju island – cave chamber – morning

eventually, you and wooyoung enter a part of the cave that opens up into a vast, dimly lit chamber. at the center of the chamber was a woman who perched lazily atop a group of jagged rocks. from a first glance she appears just as human as you and wooyoung; however, the black smoke that coils around her from her mouth says otherwise. her aura is something that is both dangerous and alluring. 

she opens her eyes and tilts her head to lazily look over at you both who remain rooted in place at the chamber entrance. her eyes are a cloudy white color and you can just faintly read the 상위네 – upper four – in her eyes, like the words were faded and no longer held any meaning. 

she looks at the two of you with an amused face, “well~ what do we~ have here?” her words are droopy and slurred almost, dragging some of the syllables out. she blows a ring of smoke out of her mouth and you watch it change colors before turning to black.  

“she has to be it,” wooyoung says quietly to you, but you refuse to look away from the humanoid looking woman. the woman stretches gracefully like a predator sizing her prey up. 

“i wasn’t expecting guests~ especially~ not from the hero association. you’re far from home, aren’t you?” she speaks like she’s talking to two friends and not her enemy. 

“are you the one they call the dragon god?” you ask steadily, taking a step forward. 

the woman tapes a clawed finger to her chin as if thinking, “dragon god~ is that what they call me? humans are so interesting~ no, the name i was given is soojin,” she then descends from her perch with unnatural fluidity, circling closer to the two of you slowly. “i suppose i can’t blame them~ after all, i do keep them rather… entertained~ sacrifices, prayers, reverence… it’s all very flattering,” she added, voice soft yet dripping in mockery. 

“and the dead woman? was that your idea of some sick entertainment too?” wooyoung asks snapping at soojin. 

she stops, tilting her head before letting out a dry laugh, “oh them~ a necessary inconvenience, i say, power requires fuel, after all~” 

“you’re killing them to sustain yourself,” you say, voice trembling with disgust. 

“of course~” she replies back with a smirk, “isn’t that what survival is? you take, consume, and live.”

“what about the hero? the one who went missing her?” wooyoung asks, that’s right the missing hero was the whole reason you came to this damn island to begin with. 

soojin tapes her chin thoughtfully, “oh, right. him.” she grins, her sharp canine teeth glinting in the dim light. “got a little too nosy for his own good~ the townspeople didn’t like that much, so they dealt with him in their… own way. i could still smell his flesh burning whenever i close my eyes.” 

she spoke so casually it was like a slap in the face, especially to wooyoung whose fists clench at her words. his body trembling with just barely contained fury. soojin’s gaze flickers to wooyoung, smiling slyly, “you’re angry. i can feel it, go ahead, hero boy. give in to it.”

her words are like a spark, igniting his fire. with a growl, wooyoung lunges forward, his fist ablaze as he aims to strike her. 

“wooyoung, wait––

suddenly, soojin stops wooyoung’s fist as if it wasn’t on fire and in turn burning her own hand. both you and wooyoung are in shock, but don't have time to think about it as she grabs wooyoung and flings him across the room like he weighed nothing. wooyoung lands beside you, dusting himself off as he stands. 

her eyes locked onto the two of you, a sharp, predatory smile gleams with a mixture of amusement and malice. “did you think you’d come here and leave unscathed? let me show you why the villagers worship me.”

the air in the chamber thickens, charged with an almost suffocating, oppressive energy. she raises her hands, her claw-like fingers curling unnaturally. her eyes glow – the cloudy white color sends a chill down your spine as you watch the glow slowly begin to burn. black veins crawl across her skin, her body pulsating even more with power. 

the sound of cracking bones echoes through the chamber as her spine arches unnaturally, her body twisting and elongating. a sickening rip accompanies her shoulders expanding outward, massive, jagged wings covered in scales sprout from her shoulder blades. the scales are so light that they seem to absorb what little light there is in the cavern. 

she continues to transform, skin splitting open and instead of revealing flesh, reveals armored scales beneath. horns spiral from her temples, curling upward and her face takes on more dragon-like features. 

the transformation reminds you of when seonghwa turns into his wendigo-form. terrifying and something out of nightmares. 

suddenly, her neck splits with a grotesque tearing sound, forming a second head, then a third. it continued and continued until she was a massive dragon, towering over you and wooyoung with seven vicious heads snapping with power and looking down at you both. her tails lashes violently against the walls of the cavern, shattering several jagged rocks with ease. her wings unfurl and span the width of the cavern, their movements creating powerful gusts of wind.

soojin lets out a roar, her voice amplified as all seven heads speak at once, “kneel before your god!”

the two of you stand frozen for a moment, the monstrous sight before you far worse than what you originally thought. the cavern shakes once more due to her presence alone. debris crashing to the ground as her claws dig into the stone. 

“we’re so screwed,” wooyoung mutters breathlessly and under his breath. 

soojin lashes out with her multiple heads, each one targeting a different area. you and wooyoung are just barely dodging the attacks that come at you one right after the other. 

“wooyoung, we need to take out the heads one by one!” you shout, summoning your sword and easily having one manifest next to wooyoung who tears it out of the ground. 

“great idea,” he says sarcastically, and you stop the roll of your eyes, “which one first, genius?”

before you can respond, one of the heads fire a blinding beam, forcing you to cover your eyes. another head follows with a powerful gust, slamming the both of you into the cavern wall. 

you struggle to your feet, “damnit, we don’t have time for this. why did it have to be seven!? hey, follow my lead.”

you raise your hand, energy flaring as roots and vines erupt from the ground and snake around one of the heads that spits purple smoke. at the same time, wooyoung hurls a torrent of fire at the head that breathes ice, easily melting and stopping its attack. 

“wooyoung! your fire!” you shout through gritted teeth. 

wooyoung nods before channeling a massive flame and you manipulate the roots, turning them into blazing whips that lash at the poison head, severing it with a deafening roar. black blood spills onto the ground, sizzling against the stone. 

“you’ll pay for that!” soojin roars. one head surges forward, lightning and electricity sparking from its mouth which hits wooyoung square in the chest. he collapses to the ground, clutching his chest as smoke rises off his body. 

“wooyoung!” you shout, panic overtaking you and you rush over to him, deflecting another bolt with your sword. 

“i’m fine. i’m fine, just… keep going,” he says grimacing as he attempts to stand. 

another head lunges for them, but you raise your hand, bending the shadows that roll off that head to instead hold it back. 

that’s when you notice the head you severed regenerates. a new head sprouting from the stump and you watch in disbelief as it shakes around, knocking into the two on either side of the regrown head. the other two heads hiss at the newly grown one before turning their attention back to you and wooyoung. 

“are you fucking kidding me?” you pant out. 

“looks like our job just got a little harder,” wooyoung says from next to you. the two of you continue to press on, targeting the heads. wooyoung using his fire and ice powers in rapid succession while you counter and slash at the elemental attacks. 

the chamber is in complete chaos as the battle rages on. the rocky debris rains down, the air thick with smoke and the stench of sulfur that comes from soojin’s fiery breath. you and wooyoung are beginning to feel the effects of the battle weighing down on you both. your uniforms are torn and blood seeping from your wounds leaves the both of you panting and even struggling to stay on your feet.

soojin looms above you, her seven heads rearing back in unison. each head pulses with its own power. her laughter, layered and distorted, echoes through the cavern. 

“is this all the hero association has to offer? you’re weak, pitiful. just like the ones who came before you,” she mocks, voice filled with venom. you grip your sword tightly, knuckles white and your body trembles, not from fear but from exhaustion. you feel your energy pulse through you as you begin to channel what energy you have left. 

“we need to hit her together… y/n?” wooyoung begins to say weakly before glancing over to you. 

but you don’t respond, gaze locked on soojin. your eyes narrowing with unrelenting focus. the air around the cavern begins to shift, distorting like heatwaves. suddenly, the ground beneath you all cracks as a pulse of energy surges outward. your sword begins to flow, vines and roots snaking up from everywhere and even around your blade – as if coming to life. you start to feel weightless, hair lifting slightly like it was caught in an unseen breeze. your eyes glowing faintly with an otherworldly light. 

“what… is this?” soojin snarls, noticing the shift in energy. 

you lift your sword and the cavern seems to respond. jagged stones on the floor rumble, cracks spider webbing outwards. roots erupt from the ground weaving together in haunting patterns, twisting and coiling like serpents, growing rapidly and snurging towards soojin’s monstrous form. 

wooyoung can only watch you as the realization hits him slowly, “she’s… bending reality.”  

soojin’s heads lash out, each one attacking with its unique element. lightning strikes towards you, but a wall of twisting roots rises and absorbs the impact. fire rains down, but vines erupt from the ground and smother the flames. one of the heads lunges for you, only to be impaled by a massive jagged root that bursts upward like a spear. 

you take deliberate steps forward, glowing eyes fixed on soojin. the dragon thrashing against the relentless assault of roots and vines, but they continue to grow, binding her limbs and even snapping her heads back. immobilizing them and her body all together. 

“no more,” you speak, voice otherworldly and with a sudden roar, you thrust your sword into the ground. the entire cavern trembles violently as an enormous tree begins to grow. its trunk spirals upward, thick branches erupting outward and becoming one with soojin’s massive body, legs and wings included. 

the tree branches impale several of soojin’s heads, red energy surging through your body. the demon screams, her monstrous form convulsing, but the roots tighten their grip and drags her body down. 

“what are you–– no! this can’t––

with one final surge of energy, you raise your sword high before slashing downward in one fluid motion. a massive surge of energy courses through the tree and the roots, and ends with a blinding burst of light. 

when the light fades, soojin’s massive dragon form is no longer a threat. in her place is a massive wooden statue, the shape of a seven-headed dragon captured in a grotesque, writhing pose. the statute shines with an unnatural yet intricate patterns – as if the tree itself had absorbed soojin’s essence. 

you collapse to your knees, body trembling from the sheer full force use of power that you haven’t done in a while. the glow in your eyes fades, leaving you looking drained. 

as your vision begins to blur, you feel strong arms catch you before you can fully hit the ground. “y/n… hey, stay with me,” wooyoung says softly. 

you try to speak, but your body refuses to respond. all you can hear is wooyoung’s voice, filled with an uncharacteristic concern as he holds you closely. 

“you scared the hell out of me, you know that?” he whispers, voice shaking slightly. you can only manage out a faint hum as your consciousness fades, but not before you feel the faint warmth of wooyoung’s hand brushing against your face. you hear his voice before you officially pass out, “i’ve got you. good job.”

██████ – inn – morning 

the room was dimly lit, the soft glow of the morning light shining in through the curtains. you stir, body feeling heavy, every muscle aching as if you had been thrown against a wall repeatedly. which wasn’t far from the truth honestly. your eyelids fluttered open, and for a moment you wondered where you were. 

as the haze cleared, the events from the mountain and jeju island flooded back. soojin. dragon god. the battle. and wooyoung…

you attempt to sit up, a sharp pain shooting through your body – your ribs – and you let out a quiet groan. your hand brushes against the coarse sheets of the unfamiliar bed as you glance around. the room was small and sparse with a singular chair pushed against the wall and a small table covered in what looked like rather hastily gathered medical supplies. 

the door creaked open, and wooyoung stepped inside, his presence filling the room in an instant. he froze when he saw you awake, eyes widening slightly before his lips curled into a familiar smirk. 

“well, look who finally decided to stop being a lazy ass,” he says, voice light in a teasing tone. 

“you try fighting… a seven-headed dragon and see how you feel after,” you says hoarse, voice still showing your exhaustion. 

wooyoung’s smirk softened as he shut the door behind him, “fair enough. you’ve been out for three days, had me thinking your were just starting to milk it at this point.”

“yeah, because i love waking up feeling like i got hit by a truck,” you say dryly. wooyoung chuckled, stepping closer and there was something in his expression, though – something softer than usual. he set a glass of water on the table next to your bed, movements slower and more deliberate than what they usually are. 

“where are we?” 

“mainland, some small town with a port. the jeju townspeople weren’t exactly thrilled to see us coming back from the mountain.”

“why not?” you ask frowning. 

wooyoung hesitated, his jaw tightening, “your… power caused a bit of a scene. let’s just say they thought we pissed off their dragon god.”

“of course they do,” you say with a groan, rubbing your hands over your face.

wooyoung chuckled again, voice low and rough, and the sound sent a ripple of something through you. he sat down on the edge of the bed, his weight causing a dip in the mattress. his closeness made the air feel heavier. 

for a moment, neither of you spoke. wooyoung was close enough that you could see a faint bruise on his neck and dried blood on his knuckles. you swallowed hard, the memory of you both fighting together flashing through your mind. 

“can we…” he pauses, voice soft, “talk now?”

“yeah, i guess we should,” you sigh, shifting slightly to face him. 

wooyoung’s gaze dropped to his hands, his fingers fidgeting as if suddenly nervous to speak, “back at the inn… when i kissed you…” he trails off.

you raise an eyebrow at him, lips twitching into a faint smirk despite the bubbling tension that is slowly beginning to resurface. “what, you think it was a ghost or something that made you kiss me?”

wooyoung’s head shot up, startled and for a second you saw the faintest hint of vulnerability in his eyes. then, he laughed – a short breath sound as he shook his head. 

“i’m serious, y/n,” yet there’s a grin on his face. 

“so am i, people do things in the moment. maybe it wasn’t that deep.”

his brows furrowed as he looked at you, voice dropping to an almost whisper, “it felt deeper. like… like something i couldn’t control.” 

you felt your chest tightened, the weight of his words sinking in. you studied him, your teasing energy completely gone now. 

“why are you telling me this? i thought you hated me?” you ask quietly.

wooyoung’s eyes meet yours, the intensity in them making your stomach flip, “because i can’t stop thinking about it. about you, you really do drive me crazy.”

the air between you both thickened, the tension that had been building up between the two of you now fully at the surface. wooyoung leaned in slightly, his hand brushing against yours where it rested on the bed. the touch sent a jolt through you, but you didn’t pull away. 

“wooyoung…” you say breathlessly.

“tell me to stop, and i will,” he says softly, but you don’t. instead, you close the distance between the two of you, lips crashing into his in a way that stole your breath away. wooyoung responded instantly, his hands cupping the back of your head as he pulled you closer. the kiss felt intense as a series of emotions spilled out from the both of you at once. 

wooyoung’s free hand slides down to your waist, his fingers gripping you as if you would disappear at any moment. your hands fisted his shirt, pulling him closer, basically needing him closer.

when you finally broke apart, gasping for air, wooyoung rested his forehead against your. breathes mingling in the, for the first time, comfortable silence. 

“so… about that food you promised me?” you asked breathless, faint smirk painting your lips. 

wooyoung let out a soft laugh, as you separate a little bit, “later. definitely later.” 

“at least the jeju people are safe now,” you say, leaning back against the headboard, looking at wooyoung. you notice how the hero has a sudden grime look on his face. “wooyoung… what’s wrong?” 

he doesn’t say anything for a moment and it has to be the longest moment of silence as you wait for him to speak up. a hand runs through his hair as he lets out a stuttered sigh, “about that…”

“wooyoung?” 

“the hero association sent out an order two days ago,” he begins to explain, standing up from the edge of the bed. “i think… it's better for you to come see it for yourself.” he says, holding a hand out for you to take. 

you look between his hand and his eyes, which avoid yours like the plague, and back down to his hand before taking it. 

██████ – dock – morning 

“what the fuck,” you say, voice trembling as you look out at the sea before you. wooyoung stands next to you also looking straight ahead. “wh– what, what did the association do?”

in the distance where jeju island use to be instead housed a large crater in the center of the sea. jeju island was completely gone, no trace of the island left. 

“they made the order to wipe the island out,” he says grimly, “in order to… stop any of the evil from the island to escape. they said the whole island was a liability and we couldn’t take the chance.”

“and you just let them do it!” you turn, rage boiling over as you look at wooyoung with a heated glare. “we stopped the evil that was on the island! those townspeople weren’t the evil, wooyoung! that fucking demon was!” 

the ground beneath the both of you and the dock shook with your anger. the people on the dock screamed and ran for safety away from the water. wooyoung looked to see a large wall of water building up in the distance, panic set in as he looked back at you. 

“y/n! stop it, i understand you’re upset but please!” he says, grabbing your hand, eyes shaking in fear at the large wave coming towards the dock. it would surely wipe the dock – if not the town – out in one swoop. 

suddenly, a pain shoots through wooyoung’s head, “not… now,” he hisses out as his vision is clouded with static. wooyoung then falls to his knees, his nails digging into your hand as images of a faceless figure – covered in blood, stood in front of him. 

“...young! woo… wooyoung! wooyoung, hey, are you alright?” your voice breaks through the static as it begins to fade away. wooyoung lets out a sharp gasp, eyes wide as he meets your concerned ones. in a panic he looks around the two of you to see…

everything is calm around you both. no one running and screaming and no large wall of water rushing towards the docks. he must have imagined it, he thinks as he looks to meet your eyes. 

“you okay? scared me there for a second,” you say standing up, wooyoung didn’t even realize he was still clutching onto your hand as tightly as he was. 

“sorry,” he says, shaking his head. he tries to stand but notices you holding your hand out for him. wooyoung hesitates for a moment before taking it and letting you help him up. ���we should head back, an agent should be meeting us here soon.” 

“okay,” you say, softly, following next to wooyoung. the hero looks behind him one last time, the large water crater being a haunting reminder of your mission together.

ACT V: SUNRISE COUNTDOWN

██████ compound – outside area – night 

the forest around you was eerily still, the crunch of boots on gravel and the occasional crackle of the a comm unit the only sounds breaking said silence. you and the other seven members of ateez had fanned out, moving carefully through the dense brush towards the perimeter of a hero compound that had become radio silent about a week or two ago. 

“i bet i can make it to the compound first,” you hear san’s voice through the comm, and you knew he had a smirk on his face. 

“in your dreams. i’m already halfway there,” wooyoung snickers. 

“focus,” jongho says, he tries but fails to hide his amusement. 

“enough,” hongjoong’s commanding tone comes through next, “we’re not here to play games. stay vigilant.” 

“relax, captain,” you say teasingly. “i’ll beat them all there and scope it out for you.” 

“y/n, don’t rush in alone—

your comm went silent as you crossed the final stretch to the compound’s perimeter. quirking an eyebrow, you stepped through the broken gate and into the seemingly abandoned facility. 

“victory is mine,” you say smugly over the comms. you hear the other’s voices crackled in protest, but then hongjoong’s voice cuts through. 

“y/n, be careful. something’s off,” he says sternly. you can’t help but roll your eyes, brushing his concerns aside. 

“relax, i’ve got this,” you say casually. you enter the compound, and can immediately feel the atmosphere shift. the air was thick, oppressive, and carried a faint metallic tang that sent a chill down your spine and churn to your stomach. you knew that smell a little too well. the hallways were bathed in a dull, pulsing red glow of the emergency lights. casting ominous shadows that moved and danced with every step you took. 

quietly, you spoke into your comms, feeling as if you weren’t alone, “something happened here.” your voice crackled through the comm, but before anyone could respond, the connection distorted and faded. 

“y/n–– what’s—- on?” san’s voice is faint, cutting in and out. 

“y/n, get — there. — for backup,” hongjoong’s voice is next, coming in just as distorted and urgent. 

their voices dissolved into static. alone in the red, dim corridors, you pressed on. the destruction became more evident with each step: walls scarred by scorch marks, debris littering the floor, and even deep gouges in the metal that you knew were the results from a violent fight. 

you’re starting to think the heroes at the compound didn’t make it out of this fight alive. 

when you finally reached the commons room, you couldn’t help but freeze, breath hitching. the sight before you was nothing short of a nightmare. 

a woman sat on the couch, her posture relaxed, a faint, chilling smile on her lips. you couldn’t deny how extremely beautiful she was. almost inhumanly so. what was around was not as beautiful though, the heroes who once inhabited the compound lay sprawled on the floor, their bodies mauled and lifeless. blood pool beneath them, limbs separated from their original bodies and scattered about. the metallic scent now suffocating at the source. 

“ah~ you must be y/n,” the woman asks smoothly. you feel your throat going dry, heart pounding in your ears. 

“who… who are you?” you asked. 

the woman rises gracefully, when she speaks, you can tell she is mocking you, “i’ve been dying to meet you. nicha yontararak. at your service.” 

that name… you feel a chill go down your spine. “you’re the leader of the villain alliance,” you say firmly, trying to mask your previous shock, “why are you here?” 

nicha stepped closer, her movements deliberate, almost predatory. “why~ to offer you a place among us, of course.”

“i thought you wanted me dead,” you say, sending a glare her way.

nicha laughed, the sound cold and detached, like she never learned how to properly laugh. “oh, i did. but then i realized… killing you would be such a waste. you’re powerful, y/n. more powerful than you even realize. more powerful than those weak heroes you have been forced to work for. let me help you unlock that potential. join me, i can turn you into a demon. imagine the strength you could wield.” 

you could only stare at her, mind racing before you decided to speak, “i’d rather die than become a demon.”

you watched the smile fade from her lips, expression hardening as she spoke. “what a shame.”

without warning, the air around them rippled with intense energy. nicha raised a hand, and a deafening explosion ripped through the compound. fire and debris consuming everything around you and for a moment it all felt like it was going in slow motion. 

until it suddenly wasn’t.

the rest of the team were closing in around the compound when the explosion shook the ground beneath them. shockwaves of energy and debris on fire flew around them, catching the trees around the compound on fire. 

“y/n!” san shouted, eyes wide as he felt his heart begin to pound in his chest. legs carrying him and the rest of the team faster towards the blown up compound. debris raining down as fire roared into the sky. 

yeosang was the first to reach the heart of the wreckage. his eyes scanning the devastation before landing on two grotesque figures amidst the rubble. 

“no…” he says horrified, “no! no! no!” he screams as he sees you lay motionless, body burned and disfigured from the explosion. yeosang felt bile build up in his throat as he slowly begins to register that you’re dead. 

beside you, nicha’s body was regenerating, the grotesque and gory process of bones reconstructing with muscle wrapping around it, and flesh and skin slowly knitting it together in an unnatural display of power. 

san appears next to yeosang, when he appeared yeosang wasn’t sure, but the hero could easily feel the rage rolling off of san in waves. 

“YOU’LL PAY FOR THIS!” he roars, charging towards nicha, blood particles wrapping around his fist, but before he could land a blow, the villain leader snapped her fingers. 

hanok doors appeared beneath their feet, the doors sliding open and engulf each of the members of team ateez into the infinity castle. 

“i’d like to see you try!” she said laughing. her laugh echoing throughout the area and even deeper into the infinity castle as it swallows the team whole and sucks them deeper and deeper into the endless dimension. 

infinity castle – all members

the team was descending through the endless void of the castle. their bodies suspended in an endless descent. around them, walls of the castle stretched and twisted, a labyrinth of shift platforms, endless staircases, and hanok doors that lead to both nowhere and anywhere at once. the air shimmers around them with an unnatural, oppressive energy that seemingly pressed against their chests and dulled their senses. 

from the holes in the walls, demons and villains alike peered out, their faces illuminated by the faint, mockingly warm glow from the castle. some of the demons had glowing eyes that followed the falling heroes and villains with predatory curiosity, while the villains whispered to one another, voices echoing eerily. 

“what is this place?” yeosang whispers to himself as he can’t even begin to take in everything around him. 

“nicha! face us!” san yells, his voice angry and bouncing off the labyrinth walls of the castle. eventually, being swallowed by the ever-shifting platforms. 

as yunho fell past a platform, his eyes meet with a familiar figure, breath suddenly caught in his throat. from one of the millions of platforms, yeonjun stood watching, his eyes burning. their gazes locked for a brief moment, enough for yeonjun’s lips to curve into a cruel smile before yunho could no longer see him. 

“yeonjun…” he whispers, remembering the name you told him and the file that the association had on yeonjun before he joined the villain alliance. before yunho could even dwell on it further, the falling abruptly ended. 

the team separated within the castle’s labyrinth as they landed on different platforms. the ground solid but unnervingly warm beneath their feet. some of the platforms floated in the air, connected by narrow bridges or staircases that seemed to shift and move on their own accord. no group could see or hear the others, the vast emptiness of the castle stretching endlessly. 

infinity castle – yeosang and jongho

the air was heavy and stagnant as yeosang and jongho stood back to back. the infinity castle’s unnatural energy sending a faint hum through the otherwise silent area. 

“what even is this place?” yeosang asks, looking around.

jongho didn’t answer immediately, his eyes scanning the area. they soon began walking cautiously across one of the only few usable bridges. yeosang pointed ahead of the two of them, jongho following the older’s finger and gaze. 

“look, a crow,” yeosang says quietly. the black crow perched on a railing ahead, beady eyes fixed on them. watching them. “how does a bird end up here?” 

“probably a spy. let’s be careful around it,” jongho says and yeosang nods, not fully able to take his eyes off the animal. 

the bird then let out a loud caw, flapping its wings before disappearing into a hole in the wall. the two of them continued forward until they reached a large platform. 

the sound of someone walking, their footsteps echoing around the area, has both heroes snapping their heads to the sound. that’s when they see a figure emerging from the shadows – a young man with silver hair and a lopsided smile. his unnatural, bright blue eyes clearly show off the fact that he is a twelve moon. his eyes reading 상위다섯 – upper five – and the fact sends a chill down both jongho and yeosang’s spines. 

the demon lets out a deep laugh, “well, well,” he says cheerfully, “look who’s wandered into my little corner! welcome to my domain!” the lighthearted tone of the silver demon caught the two of them off guard.  

“who are you?” yeosang asks, immediately on the guard. the demon was too relaxed, but then again him and jongho were technically the intruders. 

the demon lets out another laugh, running a hand through his hair to brush it out of his face, “felix, upper five, and i’ll be your entertainment for tonight.” 

infinity castle – yunho

yunho printed down a corridor, watching as it shifted and changed with every turn. the walls around him twisted and contorted with doors appearing and vanishing as he continued to run. his sword cutting through weaker demons with such ease that he didn’t even need to blink twice. yunho was so focused that he didn’t even hear the shrieks filling the air from the demons as they dissolved into nothing. the infinity castle swallowing them up.

his focus was so narrow it was a surprise that he could even still see what’s ahead of him. his fists clenching the hilt of his sword tightly. he remembers when the hero association delivered swords to everyone – at the time he didn’t think he would ever need to use it. demons weren’t something anyone saw, a myth. 

how wrong he turned out to be. 

“yeonjun…” he says quietly. the name sounds like a curse, but yunho is determined to find the demon.

as he rounded another corner, the corridor opened into a vast hall. he paused, chest heaving, knuckles white around the hilt of his sword. yunho could feel the presence of something stronger. something waiting for him deeper within the castle’s labyrinth.

infinity castle – seonghwa, san, and wooyoung

the three moved as a unit, their fighting instincts clearly taking over as they cut through and battled hordes of demons. wooyoung’s fire and ice burning through the weaker ones, while seonghwa’s brute strength and san’s precision strikes with his blood made for quick work with the rest. 

the platform they fought on was massive, platforms above platforms along with stairs and bridges stacked high above them and stretched into the void. from the shadows of one of the platforms, a figure watched them, unmoving. their multi-colored eyes watching them with almost peaked interest. 

“stronger than i expected…” they said, none of the three noticed the figure, focus locked on clearing the enemies around them.

infinity castle – hongjoong

hongjoong landed in a vast, open space, the air seemingly cracking with energy. the platform beneath him was circular… different from all the other platforms and structures he passed when he was original falling. he took cautious steps forward, his senses on high alert. 

he needed to find the others; hopefully, they were okay. at least as okay as anyone could be in the hellish place. 

a voice cut through the silence, smooth and almost familiar. 

“looking for someone?” 

hongjoong spun around, eyes narrowing as they landed on…

“no way… hyunjin? the– the hero association reported you as k.i.a almost a year ago?” hongjoong took in the sight of hyunjin before him, he was clearly no longer the high ranking hero, but instead a demon dressed in deep crimson robes. his unnatural yellow eyes burning with the words 상위하나 – upper one – sent an agonizing chill down his body, and his stomach twisted with the slow realization of what hyunjin has done. 

hyunjin smirked at hongjoong’s reaction, eyes glowing faintly as he spoke, “the hero association only makes reports for their own convenience. you out of everyone should know that.” 

the tension between the hero and former hero was thick as they sized each other up, the faint hum of the infinity castle’s energy glowing louder and louder. 

infinity castle – yeosang and jongho

the platform trembled beneath jongho and yeosang’s feet, the vast endlessness of the infinity castle stretched around them. felix stood a few feet away, his silver hair catching the faint orange glow that illuminated the castle. the demon’s demeanor was relaxed, almost amused, as he spun his blade in lazy circles.

“you two look tense. don’t worry,” he says with a sick grin, “i promise to make this fun.”

jongho steps forward, voice hard as he speaks, “we’re not here to play.”

“you’re not walking out of here, demon,” yeosang says just as firmly. 

felix chuckled, his posture unchanging, “big words for little heroes. let’s see if you can back them up.” 

without warning, felix thrust his hand forward, water surging from the ground in a massive wave, crashing towards jongho and yeosang. jongho braced himself, planting his feet as the water slammed into him. his indestructible body held firm, though the sheer force pushed him back slightly. 

“yeosang!” jongho yells through gritted teeth. 

yeosang raised his arms, eyes glowing as the ground beneath them cracked and split. skeletal soldiers clawed their way to the surface, jagged weapons gleaming against the lanterns of the castle. they surged forward, intercepting felix’s second wave of water. 

felix lets out a hearty laugh, “oh, that’s adorable. you brought friends!” felix twirled his blade, water surrounding him forming into sharp tentacles. with a flick of his wrist, the tentacles lashed out, slicing through the skeletons like paper. 

“he’s faster than i thought,” yeosang says with a frown, eyes watching the upper fifth rank demon closely. jongho charges forward, his fist glowing with raw energy as he aimed a punch at felix. the demon sidestepped effortlessly, his movements fluid as water. 

“nice try, but you’ll need more than brute strength to touch me,” he says with a grin. felix countered with a spinning kick, a blade of water slicing through the air and catching jongho across the chest. the force sent him stumbling back, blood seeping from the wound. 

“i’ve taken worse,” the younger hero says through gritted teeth. 

yeosang unleaded another wave of skeletal warriors, their bone weapons clashing with felix’s water tentacles. he darts around the chaos, focus sharp as he tries to find an opening. felix moved like a dancer, weaving through the attacks with a grace that bordered on supernatural. well… he was a demon after all. 

“is this really the best the heroes have to offer? no wonder you all are killed so easily,” felix says with a mixture of teasing and mocking tone. 

the taunt hit a nerve, making yeosang clench his fists, summon a massive skeletal knight that charged felix with a thunderous roar. felix narrows his eyes, smile fading for the first time. he spins his blade, a torrent of water swirling around him like a shield. the knight’s sword struck the barrier, shattering it but losing momentum because of the attack. felix lunged forward, driving his blade through the knight’s chest and having it crumble into ash. 

“you won’t take us down that easily!” yeosang says, voice trembling with determination as he raised his hands higher. the glow in his eyes intensifying. the ground erupted again and even more skeletal soldiers clawed their way up. they immediately charged at the demon in coordinated assaults, giving jongho the opening he needed for his own attack. 

jongho surged forward, ignoring the pain in his chest, and landed a solid punch to felix’s side. the demon’s body jerked from the impact, and he let out a grunt in surprise. 

“not bad,” he said breathlessly and with a smirk, “but not good enough.” felix retaliated with a surge of water that struck jongho square in the chest and sent him flying into one of the main moving walls. the crack of impact echoed in the empty space. 

“jongho!” yeosang called out with worry for his teammate. he then sprinted towards the younger hero, throwing up a barrier of skeletons to block felix’s next attack. he knelt beside jongho, who was bleeding heavily but still conscious.

“don’t… stop…” jongho says weakly. felix approached, his blade dripping with water. 

“how touching,” he said mockingly, “but you’re only delaying the inevitable.”

yeosang stood, his jaw clenched. “the only person delaying the inevitable is you,” he says before drawing on every ounce of power he had, his body trembling with strain. the skeletal soldiers around him grew larger, their weapons sharper. the air around them all seemed to darken as yeosang unleashed his full strength. 

jongho attempted to stand up, to help his teammate, but yeosang stopped him. “stay down. i’ll handle this.” 

he charged felix, a skeletal army following close behind. the demon’s expression shifted to one of focus as he met the attacks head-on. the platform trembled under the intensity of all the power and fighting. jongho, despite his injuries and what yeosang said, still pushed himself to his feet. 

“i’m not letting you do this alone.”

he joined the fray, fists glowing as he struck felix with everything he had. together, jongho and yeosang managed to push felix back, their combined strength surprising the demon 

“you’re persistent, you bastards… i’ll give you that.”

felix unleashed a devastating wave, catching both heroes off guard. jongho shielded yeosang, taking the brunt of the attack, the force left him barely standing. felix, seeing this, took advantage of their weakened states, driving his blade through yeosang’s side. blood sprayed the ground as yeosang let out gasp, collapsing to his knees. 

“jongho…” yeosang called out weakly. jongho let out a thunderous roar of his own, connecting his fist with felix’s jaw in a final, desperate attack. the impact cracked the demon’s neck, making felix stumble back, blood dripping from his mouth. in an effort to make sure he stayed dead, jongho took felix’s sword and made a clean cut through, serving the demon’s head from his body. 

felix’s head rolled along the ground, “not bad… heroes…” his body then dissolved into ash. 

jongho staggered over to yeosang, collapsing beside him. both of them were covered in blood, breaths shallow. 

“hyung… you did it,” jongho says softly, placing a trembling hand on yeosang’s shoulder. 

“we did it,” he replied back weakly. 

“rest now, hyung, you’ve done well,” his voice breaking in the process.

yeosang’s eyes fluttered closed, his breathing stopping. jongho let out a shuddering breath, tears running down his cheeks, his own body finally giving out as he slumped beside his teammate. the platform fell silent, the glow of the castle dimming around them. 

infinity castle – yunho

yunho moved through the ever shifting halls of the infinity castle. his boots pounded against the floor, each step echoing with determination. the castle seemed alive, walls writing and corridors twisting as if purposely trying to confuse him. weaker demons emerged from the hidden shadow filled nooks, their grotesque forms screeching and attacking him. 

they didn’t last long. 

with every swing of his sword, yunho craved through them effortlessly. his indestructible body easily ignoring their claws and teeth. blood splattered across the walls as he tore through all the creatures, his breath steady but his heart still pounding wilding in his chest.

his mind felt like a whirlwind of memories and emotions, each step driving him deeper into the castle – deeper into his own grief. 

memories of mingi – the two of them becoming heroes together and fighting together. he remembers first meeting mingi. it was back at vanguard college, right after–

right after you were arrested by the association. 

he regrets not living a better life with either mingi or you. the two of you deserved better. mingi deserved better parents that accepted his hero status and you… you deserved to have been treated better by everyone else. 

he was the top hero and yet he couldn’t protect either of you. he regrets it a lot, he felt like he hadn't even gotten over griefing mingi before you were killed by nicha. 

suddenly, yunho was ripped out of his thoughts as he stumbled into a large chamber. he took a deep breath in an attempt to steady himself, grief still clawing at his throat. not now. he barely noticed the faint sound of something – someone – landing behind him until they spoke. 

“lost in thought, golden hero?” 

yunho turned around, eyes narrowing as he faced yeonjun. the demon was lounging against a pillar, his lithe form cloaked in a faint red, dangerous glow. his smirk is sharp and predatory. 

“yeonjun,” yunho hisses his name out angrily. yeonjun pushes off the pillar, clapping his hands mockingly

“you made it further than i thought, you’re strong. i’ll give you that, but strength doesn’t bring back the dead, does it?” he says mockingly and even tops it off with a laugh. 

yunho’s fists clenched, his anger flaring around him, “you killed mingi,” he says coldly. the grip on his sword tightened the longer he looked at yeonjun. his crimson eyes that read 상위삼 seemingly mocking yunho’s very existence. 

yeonjun tilted his head, mimicking like he was in thought, “he put up a good fight – too bad he died so easily.”

that was the final straw for yunho. he charged, ground cracking beneath his feet. his blade collided with yeonjun’s outstretched arm. the impact sending a shockwave through the chamber. yeonjun grinned, his own strength pushing yunho back.

the two of them clashed, each strike reverberating through the infinity castle itself. yunho’s punches and slashes of his sword were fast and relentless, easily switching between the two attack types thanks to his high combat skills. his indestructible body also allowed him to take yeonjun’s brutal counters without faltering. 

yeonjun was like a blur as he moved, his demon-enhanced speed and skill making his a vicious opponent against yunho. the hero has honestly never gone up against someone who matched his strength. he watched at the demon dodged and weaved, landing precise hits that would have shattered bones if it was anyone else. 

“you’re good,” yeonjun teased, grin never fading, like he was enjoying the fight, “better than i expected, but you’re not unstoppable.”

yunho didn’t respond, his focus razor-sharp. he had to kill yeonjun. he had to avenge mingi. he landed a blow to yeonjun’s ribs, the crack audible. yeonjun barely even winced as he quickly countered it with a roundhouse kick, the force sending yunho skidding back a few feet. 

blood dripped from both of them as the fight dragged on, neither one refusing to give up. yeonjun smirked, bloody fangs being proudly shown off. 

“you’re burning out, aren’t you? heroes always do.”

yunho’s chest heaved, he could feel his energy flicker slightly. he gritted his teeth; however, forcing himself to stand tall. 

“you don’t get to win, not after what you’ve done,” yunho says through clenched teeth. 

yeonjun laughed, circling the hero like a predator. “and what are you going to do? die like your friend?”

the mention of mingi seemed to reignite yunho’s fury. he drove forward, his movements fueled by determination. he managed to catch yeonjun off guard, landing a devastating punch that sent the demon crashing into a wall. an outline of his body appearing in the wall, showing off the sheer strength yunho used in that punch. yeonjun pushed himself up, wiping the blood that seeped from his lips. 

“not bad,” he was still grinning, but more weakly now. 

yunho held his sword, blade shining against the lanterns of the castle. he lunged, aiming for yeonjun’s neck. the demon dodged, yunho’s blade and yeonjun’s fist clashing together. as the fight continued to rage on, yunho felt his strength slowly begin to leave him. his vision blurring a little, muscles screaming in protest. 

yeonjun clearly noticed, smirk widening, “looks like you’re out of time.” a crow’s caw echoed through the chamber, drawing yeonjun’s attention for a fraction of a second. 

it was all yunho needed. 

with a roar, he drove his sword down through yeonjun’s neck, the blade covered in blood that splattered across the floor as he severed the demon’s head from his body. 

yeonjun’s eyes widened in shock, blood running out of the corner of his lips. “impossible…” 

the demon’s body began to disintegrate, head and body fading into ash. yunho collapsed to his knees, sword clattering to the ground next to him. blood poured from his wounds, breathing shallow. he smiled faintly, vision growing dim. 

“i’ll… see you guys soon,” he says softly as he falls to the ground, eyes closing.

infinity castle – seonghwa, san, and wooyoung

the walls of the infinity castle pulsed and shifted once more, again and again, as seonghwa, san, and wooyoung pressed forward, their steps heavy with determination. san’s fists were clenched, using his blood powers to tear through any demon that got in their way. his way. 

“i’ll kill her. i’ll kill that bitch nicha for what she did,” he says through gritted teeth. 

seonghwa placed a comforting hand on san’s shoulder, his voice calm but laced with sorrow, “we’ll make her pay, but don’t let your anger consume you. y/n wouldn’t want that.”

san’s jaw tightens as he turned to seonghwa, his red-rimmed eyes filled with anguish. “i just… i can’t believe she’s gone. she was stronger than the both of us, of all of us,” he says, quietly. 

seonghwa’s expression softened as look at his lover, “she wouldn’t want us to give up,” he says softly, yet firmly at the same time. 

the three of them continued deeper into the castle until the air suddenly grew heavy, colder. a figure emerged from the shadows – a young man with surprisingly soft features and an unsettlingly carefree grin. his multi-colored eyes shined bright with 상위둘 – upper two – was written across his eyes. 

“oh,” he began to say amused, “i’ve been waiting for you three. not every day the upper ranks get so many visitors. i’m beomgyu, upper rank two~” 

san’s eyes narrowed as blood covered his fist, “get out of our way,” he spits angrily. 

the demon tilted his head, grin widening, “and miss out on the fun? not a chance.”

san didn’t wait for another word, lunging forward with a surge of crimson energy. his blood whip lashed out, aiming for the beomgyu’s throat, but he sidestepped effortlessly. 

“is that all you’ve got?” he said, laughing.

san, seonghwa, and wooyoung began to fight with coordinated attacks. san’s blood weapons slashed through the air, seonghwa shapeshifting his fist into clawed weapons and enhancing his speed and strength, while wooyoung unleashed blasts of fire and ice that alternated. 

beomgyu was a blur of motion, evading their strikes with almost playful ease. like he wasn’t taking this fight seriously at all. like the three were just entertainment for him. when wooyoung landed a fiery punch that scorched a large hole into beomgyu’s side, the demon laughed as his skin regenerated almost instantly. 

“you’ll have to try harder than that,” he teased. 

san sent a wave of blood spikes towards beomgyu. the demon’s hand transformed into a ice blade, slicing through the spikes as if they were paper. beomgyu retaliated, slashing at san’s arm with blinding speed. blood sprayed as san’s arm was severed at the elbow, coating the ground beneath him with blood. 

“san!” seonghwa yelled panicked. 

san staggered for a moment before using the blood pouring from his wound to form a massive spear. “i’m not done yet!” he hissed, fiercely. 

he then hurled the spear with all his strength, the attack forcing beomgyu to dodge. seonghwa and wooyoung seized the moment, striking at the same time in almost complete unison. seonghwa’s claws raked across beomgyu’s torso and wooyoung’s icy fist froze a portion of the demon’s chest. 

for a moment, it seemed like they had the upper hand. 

but beomgyu’s grin turned vicious as his body adapted and easily regenerated. his movements became even faster, his strikes more precise. icy tendrils erupted from his back, one of them impaling seonghwa through the shoulder. 

“damnit…” seonghwa grunted out. 

wooyoung then notice san swaying, his face pale. “san, you’re losing too much blood,” he says alarmed. 

san clenched his teeth, shaking his head, “i can’t… i can’t die here. not before nicha– 

wooyoung cuts him off, “rest. both of you.” wooyoung steps forward, his flames flaring brighter than they ever had. 

wooyoung launched himself at beomgyu, whole body ablaze as each punch a wrapped in a deadly combination of fire and ice that seemed completely impossible to achieve. beomgyu grinned, dodging and taunting him. spurring wooyoung on with each attack. 

“you’re persistent, i’ll give you that~ but you’re really starting to bore me,” he says mockingly.

with blinding speed, beomgyu slashes through wooyoung’s defenses, his icy blade carving deep, deadly wounds into the hero. 

“this was fun~ but it looks like our time is over,” he says with a bored expression as he throws his ice blade against the floor, letting it shatter into a million ice shards that go flying around the area.

he turned, leaving the three behind as his laughter echoed against the halls.

the air was thick with the stench of blood. the once vivid flames of battle that engulfed the area was now reduced to faint embers. the fire being quickly and unexpectedly put out by an icy blade. seonghwa’s trembling hand reached for san, his body dragging across the blood-slicked floor. his vision was blurry, strength fading with every breath. 

“san…” he trailed off weakly, voice cracking as he calls out to his lover. 

san stirred, his remaining arm twitching as he forced himself to look at the seonghwa. blood dripped from his mouth, his face pale and somber. tears streaked through the grime and sweat on his cheeks as he looked towards the silver-haired villain – the ends of his hair dyed with blood. 

“hwa… i couldn’t… i couldn’t protect you… or y/n…” he chokes out, voice hoarse. 

seonghwa coughed violently, crimson staining his lips as he mustered the last of his strength to reach san’s hand. he intertwined their fingers, his touch weak but grounding to the both of them. 

“you did your best… you always do,” he says softly, a faint smile painting his lips. 

san shook his head, tears continuing to fall freely. “don’t say that,” he pleads, “don’t give up! we– we can still fight. i just… fuck– i need to get up. i need to… kill nicha. we can’t let her win!”

seonghwa’s thumb brushed over san’s knuckles, a slow and deliberate motion. “sannie… it’s okay. you don’t have to fight anymore,” seonghwa says soothingly. 

san’s sobs wracked through his body as he leaned forward in order to rest his forehead against seonghwa’s. “hwa… do you think we’ll see her again? do you think… y/n will be waiting for us?”

seonghwa’s smile wavered, his voice just barely steady as he spoke softly, “i know she will. she’s probably scolding us already for taking so long.”

san let out a weak, tearful laugh that quickly changed into a choked sob. seonghwa coughed again, breaths shallow and uneven, but he still managed to lift his free hand to san’s face. caressing him softly as he wiped the tears away with his thumb, his own eyes beginning to close. 

“i’ll find you, both of you,” he whispers to san, “in the next life… we’ll be together again.”

san’s cries grew quieter as seonghwa’s hand fell limp, his head resting against san’s shoulder. 

“don’t leave me… please hwa…” he pleads with a whisper. his tears slowed as his breathing weakened. his head tilted back against the wall, eyes gazing into the shifting void of the infinity castle. 

“wait for me, hwa… y/n.. i’ll find you too,” his voice soft, yet fading. his final breath escaped in the a faint sigh, his body slumping beside seonghwa, their hands still clasped tightly together.

a short distance away, wooyoung laid sprawled on the cold, blood-covered floor. his chest rose and fell with labored breaths. blood pooling beneath him. the fiery determination that once burned in his eyes has dimmed. instead replaced by a deep, aching sorrow. 

through his hazy vision, a figure appeared above him, like an angel bath in an ethereal light. what is an angel doing in this hellscape? his heart clenched as he recognized her. 

“y/n…? is it really you?” he asks weakly, voice trembling. you smile was soft and warm, eyes filled with a kindness that felt… almost familiar and something he hasn’t seen in years. you knelt beside him, your hands gently cradling his face. 

“it’s me, woo,” you say softly. tears slid down wooyoung’s face, mixing with blood and grime. 

“i’m sorry… i couldn’t save them… couldn’t save you,” he says brokenly. 

you shake your head, thumbs brushing over his cheeks gently. wiping his tears away as you spoke, “you did everything you could. you were so brave, wooyoung. i’m so proud of you.” 

he let out a shaky breath, as static suddenly filled his vision. seeing images from a time he doesn’t remember. are these memories? no, they can’t be, yet… why do they involve him? involve you? 

unless…

“y/n…” he calls out softly, lips trembling into a faint smile as more tears run down his face. “i… i’m so sorry,” he wanted to reach up and touch you, but he knows you aren’t real. “i’ve… i’ve missed you.” 

you smiled down at him, leaning to press a featherlight kiss to his forehead, “i’ve missed you too, but it's time to rest now. you’ve done enough, woo.”

wooyoung’s tears continue to fall as he closed his eyes, your presence comforting, “i’ll see you soon,” he says before he body grew still, the tension melting away as peace finally claimed wooyoung.

the infinity castle seemed to hum with a strange, mournful silence. the three bodies lay motionless, their sacrifices imprinted onto the wood of the castle’s many, many platforms. somewhere in the ever-shifting corridors, a faint echo of laughter sounded, a grim reminder that their sacrifice and battle was just one of many that have happened. 

infinity castle – hongjoong

hongjoong’s chest heaved as he face hyunjin, the former hero cloaked in an eerie calm was the complete opposite of hongjoong. hyunjin stood a short distance away, blade gleaming even in the dim, shifting light of the infinity castle. 

“hyunjin… you were declared dead! what happened to you?” hongjoong asks, voice trembling with disbelief. 

hyung tilted his head, his face void of any emotion and his voice calm as he spoke, “i needed more. more power, more recognition. i was tired of being overshadowed by you and yunho.”

hongjoong’s brows furrow, anger bubbling under his shock. “so you threw everything away!? betrayed the association – the people who trusted you?”

hyunjin looked at hongjoong, expression remaining neutral. “the association doesn’t trust any of us. lady nicha showed me the truth, offered me power beyond anything i could achieve as a hero.”

the confession struck hongjoong like a physical blow, his heart clenching at the words. hyunjin… so easily becoming a demon, giving up his humanity… it went against everything hongjoong thought heroes stood for. only villains were able to become demons – not heroes! 

he looked at the demon with clenched fist, “you’re nothing but a coward. power without purpose is meaningless.” 

hyunjin’s grip on his sword tightened, “i think you’ll change your mind when you’re lying at my feet,” he says menacingly. 

hyunjin striked first, his blade slicing through the air with unnatural speed, propelled by gusts of razor-sharp wind. hongjoong just barely had any time to react, diving into the shadow – body disappearing in the darkness as hyunjin’s attack shattered the floor where hongjoong once stood. 

hongjoong re-emerged behind him, shadows born from the light of the castle lantern’s lashed out like whips, aiming to bind hyunjin in place. the demon however was faster, blade transforming in a scythe as he slashed through the shadows with ease. 

“so you can reshape your weapon now…” hongjoong said, voice grime. 

hyunjin smirked, twirling the scythe in a graceful turn before it retracted back into a sleek katana. “ impressive, isn’t it? becoming a demon has greatly enhanced my powers to lengths you wouldn’t believe.” 

the battle soon continued on, sound of clashing steel and shadows echoing through the castle’s endless corridors. hongjoong conjured a sword entirely forged from shadows, blade sleek and black which glinted against the orange glow of the castle. he charged, movements swift and deliberate, striking at hyunjin with calculated precision. 

hyunjin parried the strikes with ease, his blade cutting through hongjoong’s defenses like he was cutting paper. a particularly vicious slash caught hongjoong’s side, drawing blood that quickly soaked his uniform. hongjoong gritted his teeth, refusing to show weakness in front of hyunjin who seemed to thrive off of wanting to see him fall. 

the fight only grew more brutal, the hero and ex-hero exchanging blow after blow. at one point, hyunjin’s sword shifted into a massive broadsword, its force cleaving through hongjoong’s shadow blade with ease. the momentum carried through the giant sword cleaning slicing through hongjoong’s arm. 

a scream tore from hongjoong’s throat as he stumbled back, clutching the bloody stump continuing to drip with blood – where his arm had been. 

“still standing? impressive, but it’s time you stay down,” hyunjin says. the hero’s vision blurred from the pain, but he forced it away as he made himself stand upright. 

“i can’t… i won’t. i have people to protect – my team, my family,” he says through gritted teeth, “you wouldn’t understand.”

for the first time, hyunjin hesitated, a flicked of an emotion crossing his face. “family? that’s why you’re still fight?”

hongjoong nodded, breathed labored, “that’s why i’ll never stop.” 

hyunjin’s expression only hardened as he adjusted his grip on his sword, “just as i thought… so weak fighting for others. let us end this.” 

the two charged at each other, their weapons raised. shadows and wind collided in a flurry of darkness and light – a juxtaposition of good and evil competing with each other. the sheer force of their clashes sends shockwaves through the castle. 

hyunjin’s blade found its mark, piercing through hongjoong’s chest in a devastating blow. the hero’s shadow blade clattered to the ground, dissolving back in the shadows below them. hongjoong staggered, blood pouring from the fatal wound. hyunjin withdrew his blade, taking a step back. 

“it was an honor to fight you, hongjoong.” 

without another word, he disappeared into the depths of the infinity castle, his figure swallowed by the ever-shifting doors and shadows that surrounded them. 

hongjoong collapsed onto his back, weight of his injuries finally overwhelming him. he stared up at the shifting ceiling, hanok doors coming and going in ways he could comprehend in the moment. his chest rising and falling with deep, ragged breaths. 

a soft caw drew his attention. hongjoong turned his head slightly to see a crow perched beside him, its beady eyes fixed on his bloodied form. 

“so… are you my guide to the afterlife?” he asked it weakly, a faint smile painting his bloody mouth. 

the crow cawed again, tilting its head as if answering the hero. hongjoong chuckled weakly, a single tear sliding down his cheek. “i did my best… i hope the others are okay.” he says quietly to himself, as if trying to comfort him. the others are strong, they will make it out of the battles alive. he knows he can leave it in their hands. 

he turned back to the ceiling, his breathing beginning to slow. “do well… everyone.” his eyes fluttered closed, body going still, the faintest trace of a smile on his lips. the crow cawed one last time before spreading its wings and disappearing into the endless corridors of the infinity castle, leaving hongjoong to rest. 

infinity castle – the inner chamber 

the dark corridors of the infinity castle twisted endlessly as a crow flew through them, its wings cutting through the deadly silence. it passed shattered platforms, blood-soaked remnants of battles, and the unnatural shadows clinging in every corner. at last, it finally reached the most secluded part of the castle – whether on purpose or accident that remains unknown. 

lady nicha’s chamber was vast a illuminated by the same lanterns that light the rest of the dimension. in the center, nicha sits in a chair – a surprisingly simple chair considering her powerful status – her legs crossed in a relaxed pose. a low chuckle escaped her lips as she watched the final moments of hongjoong’s battle with hyunjin. 

“so~ the heroes have all fallen… how delightful. with him gone, the hero association is crumbling. soon, the world will bow before me, its last hope finally extinguished.” she glanced to her left, where karina sat on a low cushion, plucking delicate, mournful notes on his bipa. “karina, summon the remaining upper ranks. a new era is about to happen.”

karina nodded, her fingers trailing over the strings of her instruments – plucking a certain note that immediately had to two upper moons arriving: hyunjin and beomgyu. the two appeared in the chamber, expressions neutral as the awaited nicha’s orders.

nicha couldn’t help the wicked smile that graced her lips, “you’ve done well to survive this far, my moons. with the last of the great heroes gone, nothing stands in our–

her words are cut off as an unsettling silence fills the room. nicha turned to look behind her, karina sitting motionless, her bipa laying untouched in her lap. 

“karina, why have you stopped playing?” nicha asks, a frown now settling upon her lips. 

instead of saying anything, karina slowly rose, turning towards nicha to reveal that it wasn’t the female demon sitting on the cushion. the figure looked that nicha with a calm, confident expression. no, instead dressed in a flowing hanbok identical to the demon’s was you, your presence commanding and cold.

for the first time nicha was caught off guard, shocked to see you standing before her and her upper moons, “you… how are you alive!? i killed you– i saw you die!” 

you took a step forward, expression unchanging. “did you kill me? or did you just believe what i wanted you to?” you asked her quietly, voice hiding a hidden edge to it. 

nicha’s eyes widened in realization, breaking slowly becoming uneven, “you… you bent reality… our memories.” 

“smart girl,” you say cooly, “it wasn’t hard really. you wanted so badly to believe you’d won that you didn’t notice the cracks in your own memory.” 

nicha stumbled back as you drew closer to her, clutching her chest in both realization and disbelief, “this is amazing! what is the true extent of your power? not even the hero association could comprehend it! you truly are––

before she could finish, you moved with blinding speed, hand plunging into nicha’s chest. blood sprayed along your face and clothes as you ripped the demon’s heart out. your expression remains unchanged yet deadly. nicha collapses to her knees, her hands trembling as she pressed them to the gaping wound in her chest. panic begins to settle in when she notices how she’s not regenerating like she’s supposed to. 

“w–what ha–have you done t–to me?” 

you studied the still-beating heart your hand, tilting your head slightly. “oh, nothing much. just taking back the power i gave you. you didn’t think someone like you would’ve been created by the hero association and allowed to live past an hour, did you?” you say casually, bending down to look at nicha in her eyes. 

her eyes widened, face pale. “c–created by the he–hero association?” 

“did you think anyone’s powers came naturally? that your powers came naturally? the association has always created its superhumans. none of us were ever ‘born special’ like how they advertised.” nicha gasped, blood pooling beneath her. “and you? you were just my little pupper, a figurehead to distract the world. a convenient excuse for the association to let me out of prison. i had thought – well, if they can create superhumans… why can’t i, so i did. amazing isn’t it.” 

the reality of your words hit nicha like a physical blow, and with one final shuddering breath, she collapses to the floor, lifeless. you looked down at her lifeless body, expression devoid of sympathy. more of disappoint – surely as the strongest demon she would have put up more of fight. guess not. you stood up and with a flick of your wrist, tossed the demon’s heart aside, blood splattering against the chamber floor. you turned to the remaining upper moons, beomgyu and hyunjin, who remained frozen in place at your display of power and knowledge. 

as the silence stretched, they eventually dropped to one knee, bowing their heads in submission. “...master,” hyunjin says, both unsure and sure of calling someone other than nicha that title. but… weren’t you lady nicha if you had created her? 

your lips curved into a faint smile as a crow fluttered into the room, landing next to the demon’s heart. the bird picked at it a few times before flying up and landing gracefully on your shoulder. you reached up to stroke its feathers, “i guess you done well too,” you say to the small creature.

the crow cawed softly, head tilting as if acknowledging your praise. you turned to face the vast, pulsating walls of the infinity castle, smiling coldly. “the hero association needs to be destroyed and now… nothing stands in my way.” 

you couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled from your chest, laughter that echoes through the chamber. the crown spread its wings and took off, disappearing back into the endless maze. the two upper moons rose, standing at attention behind you as you began to walk towards the castle’s exit. your hanbok trailing behind you like a shadow.

END.

[frownyalfred]

I finished re-reading your Borderline fic! I can’t get enough of it lol 😍 I had some questions, if that’s alright!

What are ur hc for the batfam/jl interactions post everything? Who gets to find out? Chap 9&10 are my fav bc of how protective Bruce’s kids are of him during the whole thing, esp when Jason tells Oliver to back off 😮‍💨 are there anymore interactions like that? Also, just thinking about the outside POV’s of that whole sequence always makes me laugh lol post meeting gossip must have sent the rumor mill on fire

I really really love how you write the protectiveness/possessiveness/attentive the kids are of Bruce. Like the silent running fic? One of my absolute favorites of yours!! Jason being protective about Bruce just isn’t done a lot by the rest of the fandom, or I just haven’t been able to find any of it. I wish there were more 😫 Jason’s ability to hate/glaze Bruce is honestly commendable lmao

Anyways, just wanted to get ur thoughts on it! Hope you have a good night 😊

Thank you so much!! That was one of my favorite scenes to write in that fic, I think for exactly the reason you identified — seeing Jason do a 180 on being angry with Bruce and suddenly turning on anyone who dares to get near his father. The strangeness of seeing Red Hood himself playing bodyguard to the Bat. Nightwing on his other side, doing the same thing — all of those things, all at once in one JL meeting.

I think the sequel to borderline will be full of more of those interactions as Bruce’s promises to the JL come into conflict with his bond and his children. I hope to show more of those awkward moments as the bond turns inwards and those left outside are lost and confused. Worried. And maybe even a little jealous.

I agree that rumors spread like wildfire through the JL and most people will know something is wrong. But the biggest one in my mind is Clark — feeling betrayed by his best friend who didn’t tell him a word about this while it was going on right in front of him.

J’onn gave Bruce the chance to tell Clark himself, but I suspect that time will run out quickly. In my mind, J’onn respects the sanctity of those mental bonds and wants to give Bruce time, but the risk it poses to the JL isn’t something he can ignore forever. A handful of people have access to the JL’s mastermind and strategist’s brain and body at all times…

[kazutora-kurokawa]

Heyy! I hope you have a nice day :)

So it's my first time requesting something and im a bit embarrassed about my kink. So my kink is spanking so maybe poly hanmy x fem reader x kisaki where the reader has also a spanking kink but is too shy to tell them so on a random day she ask them to talk but cant really find the words and just maybe grab a hairbrush and lays themself over kisakis lap and gives him the hairbrush but hanma knew what she wanned and make her say it like "oh honey what do ya want hmm~~" and than kisaki start spanking her until her ass is deep red. (aftercare ofc with a bath and putting cream on her sore ass) 🫶

HanKisa x Shy!Reader w/ Spanking Kink

♡ NSFW, fem reader, reader wears a skirt, Hanma is a tease, lowkey service dom!Kisaki, this happens in your living room if you even care lol, spanking with a hair brush (plastic or wood, it's not specified), husbands!HanKisa, pet names (bunny, darling), fluffy aftercare ♡

note: thanks for requesting anon 🩷 love me some HanKisa 😮‍💨

❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

Some things were hard to put into words, so you decided to not say anything and let your actions speak for you. And that would've worked fine, if your husbands weren't absolute tools sometimes. As you laid across Kisaki's lap and handed him your hairbrush, he had a perplexed look on his face.

"What's the matter darling? Need something?"

All you could do was nod shyly, thinking that he'd pick up on what you wanted. But he was honestly twice as confused as before.

"Do you need me to brush your hair? Why do I need a brush?...Am I supposed to be brushing my hair? Shuji's hair?"

Per usual, Kisaki was overthinking things. He tended to do this a lot, but it was a good thing that Hanma was around to figure out your little game of charades. He let out a deep chuckle at the scene in front of him, running his fingers through his hair. He knew exactly what you wanted, but he wanted to hear you say it first.

"Aww bunny, what d'ya need from us, huh? Be a big girl and use your words."

You could feel your face heating up as you mumbled an incoherent sentence.

"Speak up darling, we can't hear you."

"I..I want you to spank me.."

Hanma's face lit up, his smirk growing wide as he looked at the brush in Kisaki's hand.

"Well Kisaki, go on. Give bunny what she wants ♡"

Kisaki pulled your skirt up and gripped the brush handle tighter before bringing the flat back of the brush down on your behind, the loud smacks of the brush hitting your skin echoing in the room. Your skin was a deep shade of red by the time he was done, your ass sore and aching.

"Aww, you did so good for us bunny, pretty ass is so red~"

Hanma's hand glided gently over the curve of your ass, making sure not to put too much pressure on it.

"You did real good darling," Kisaki sits his hand on your back, running his thumb over your spine. "Shuji, go run our pretty wife a bath."

Hanma nods and makes his way to the bathroom, running you a nice warm bath and pouring some bubble bath into the water along with some essential oils. He comes back into the living room and lifts you up from Kisaki's lap, carefully carrying you into the bathroom and sitting you in the tub. The two of them spent the rest of the night pampering you, smothering you in kisses and soft touches. As you laid between the both of them, they took turns massaging your ass until you fell asleep, feeling extra grateful for you and your little kink.

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Taglist

@arlerts-angel @i-literally-cant-with-this @trevengersprincess @giugiette @katkusuo @happy-trenchcoated-impala @drunkcheesecake @darkstarlight82 @reiners-milkbiddies @manji-hoe @southside-otaku @xxchthonicreaturexx

[jeonbunnie]

love is gone

pairing: reader x jeon jeongguk

anon suggested: “I had this idea for a fic it's angst with a lot of heartbreak with soft smut based on love is gone by Slander ft. Dylan Matthew, basically the oc and jungkook have been in a relationship for two years but recently she's felt him drifting away from her and things aren't the way it used to be so she plans a super cute date night in hopes of saving their relationship which he agrees too but he doesn't come home that evening....when he does come home the next day and mentions they have to talk she knows what he's going to say but she thinks if she can show him one more time he'll feel how much she loves him...but in the end his love is gone.”

summary: Jeongguk tries to let you down easy.

genre: angst; smut; 18+;

content/warnings: POV shifts; boyfriend!jeongguk; established relationship;break up!au; hurt/comfort; make up sex (kinda lol); fingering,unprotected sex

soundtrack: love is gone— by slander ft.Dylan Matthew (highly recommend listening to the acoustic ver)

a/n: writing this made me… 😮‍💨 mark me down as sad and horny byeeeeeeeee. Also reader has brown eyes bc of reasons. Brown eyed girl supremacy, mwah!

word count: 1.4K

♪ It tears me up when you turn me down. I'm begging please, just stick around♪

"Baby, let's talk."

Something about the way he said it made your heart crack. The tone of his voice, the softness of Jeongguk's words, there's a finality to it all that made you anxious for what came next.

"Can you come with me for a minute?"

You didn't want to have this conversation. You already knew where it would lead.

Everything in you wants to say no. But it's the first time you've seen Jeongguk in 24 hours and the first time he's held your hand in weeks, so you let him lead you outside, helpless against his touch.

You couldn't face him when you sat down on the park bench, and you're sure the words you've been avoiding will be written all over his expression, so instead, you look out at the horizon.

It was hurting you. Sitting at the bench with Jeongguk so close but so far away, the distance between you verging on strangers.

You had half a mind to lash out and accuse him of breaking up with you in public so you could accept it quietly and not cause a scene. But you know him.

You know your boyfriend was kind and gentle-hearted. He probably brought you out here because you loved sunsets, and he wanted to give you a nice memory even as he said goodbye.

In the distance, the sunset was a red-orangey glow, casting everything the light touched in golden warmth—but you can't feel it. All you feel is ice-cold dread for what's about to happen.

So you beat him to the punch. "You're breaking up with me, aren't you?"

All the air rushed out of Jeongguk in a sigh. "Am I that obvious?"

You would have laughed at his question if it hadn't hurt you so much. "You've been avoiding me all week. Last night, you asked me for space, and now you want to 'talk.' We haven't talked in days. I might be blindly in love with you, but I'm not an idiot," you said, trying hard to keep the words from coming out bitter.

Jeongguk ran a hand through his hair, nerves on edge. Masked behind your anger, he could hear the hurt in your voice, and he hated being the cause of it. This wasn't easy for him, letting you go. But he couldn't keep you either.

"I think," he started. "I think we should start seeing other people."

At his confirmation, a hot tear slid down your cheek. Before you could wipe the tear yourself, Jeongguk reached out, closing the distance between you, and brushed the tear away with his thumb. He never could stand seeing you cry.

"Did I do something wrong?" You asked, barely keeping yourself together.

"No. Of course not. It's not you—"

"—It's me?" You finished, offering him a wobbly smile. "You don't have to say that just to be nice."

The look on your face made Jeongguk's chest ache so much he could barely breathe. "I don't wanna hurt you. . ."

"But you don't want to stay either?"

He doesn't answer that question; somehow, the silence between you only makes you feel worse.

"I see. . . "you said, nodding your head. "So that's why you didn't come home last night."

You fell asleep on the couch, waiting for him to find his way back to you so the picnic basket you packed remained untouched on the counter. You thought you could remind him of how great things used to be by recreating your first date at the park.

It involved fairy lights, wine, and homemade sweets filled with the love you hoped to remind him of. The love you hoped was still there.

Now you realize Jeongguk was never going to come back home to you. Not last night or any night after.

In a way, you're grateful. Considering the surprise you had planned, it would have been embarrassing if he had come home the night before.

Of course, you still made it to the park, but the situation was dramatically different now. But instead of making up, you were breaking apart.

"I'm sure you noticed how different things are between us now," said Jeonggguk. "Last night, I needed time alone to think. I tried to imagine myself without you. And the thing is, I could….and it all felt so."

You bit your lip, holding back more tears. "Is there anything I can do to convince you to stay?"

Jeongguk was quiet for a moment, and hope built in your chest, but it died just as quickly when you saw him shake his head no.

Jeongguk forced his face to stay neutral. "I will always love you, but just not in the way I wish I still could."

"So this is it then? We're over? Just like that?"

You want to cry, scream, and beg, but Jeongguk is still and calm beside you. So calm you know he's already decided to end things, and you know him well enough to know how stubborn he is that he won't change his mind now that he's made it up.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I understand if you don't want to be around me, I've already made plans to stay at Joons tonight if you prefer me gone."

That was the last thing you wanted. "No," You said, pushing down the sobs that threatened to come from your mouth. "Can you stay, please?"

Jeongguk hesitated, looking away from the face of the setting sun. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea…" He didn't want to give you the wrong impression that there was any way to salvage your relationship. And more than that, he didn't want to lose his resolve because a night with you would make it that much harder to walk away.

"Just for tonight? I don't wanna be alone." It felt stupid to want him there now when he was the cause of your pain, but Jeongguk was one of the few people in your life who knew how to comfort you. You wanted him close, even at the most inopportune moment.

The word 'no' was at the tip of his tongue, but he turned to look at you, and the hurt he found there in your big brown eyes had him saying 'yes.'

And he knows he shouldn't, but Jeongguk can't help but comfort you like he always has. Even though you broke up, it didn't change the fact that he still cared for you, still had love for you. He told himself it was just a reflex that had him reaching for your hand on the walk back home.

It's reflex that has him curling up next to you in bed and wrapping his arms around your waist to be the big spoon, as always.

Reflex that has him kissing away your tears, neck, and shoulder.

Reflex that has his hands sliding underneath your clothes to rub you through your underwear, desperate to make you feel good.

At least, that's what he tells himself.

And before he knows it, he's sinking into you with a groan, getting lost in the familiar warmth of your body.

You're so wet it was easy to slip inside, and even though he's already inside you, so close, naked body flush against yours—it's not enough.

Jeongguk still wanted more.

He couldn't help but grip your thigh, lifting your leg to push in deeper, to feel more of you as his cock slid in and out of your heat.

It has to be a reflex because it can't be love that has his hips driving into you, over and over and over again.

It can't be love that has him moaning into your mouth, kissing you until you are both out of breath, till you clench around him and he spills inside you, filling you up so perfectly.

Because if it is love and not the memory of loving you that makes it so hard to pull away hours later when your tears have dried, and your heart beats steady as you sleep dreamless on the side of the bed that used to be his—then Jeongguk is making a mistake. It was possibly the biggest mistake of his life.

Jeongguk isn't sure he can live with being the one to break both of your hearts. But he'd rather end it all before your relationship's indifference could turn to something cruel. He'd finish it now before you could hurt each other further.

If he had thought about it more, Jeongguk might have seen the love hidden in his actions. That there was something here worth saving, worth fighting for.

But that wasn't what he wanted. Jeonguk didn't want to think of everything he was giving up walking away from you.

It was much easier to pretend his love for you was gone.