dwrlm-orion

[dwrlm-orion]

「What Was Left to Bloom」 Caleb

       ↳ In which you were childhood friends. Lovers. But now as the grand hall glittering with banners, he announces his betrothal to a princess. He never looks in your way, not even once. Yet you still flinch when he says honor above desire.

The hall glittered like it had swallowed the stars.

The banners lined the high stone walls, royal blue and burnished gold, their threads shimmering with every movement of the chandeliers. Nobles filled the room in waves of silk and armor, murmuring in the language of politics, toast and hidden glances.

You stood at the far end of it all, tucked in the shadow of a carved pillar, half hidden behind a servant’s path. You hadn't meant to come, not really. But your feet had carried you here, anyway. Quietly. As you always did, when it came to him.

Caleb stood at the center, flanked by his knights and high councilors, his posture perfect as ever. The Duke of East. Commander of the Crown's Guard. Future husband of a foreign princess, sent from the West to end a war.

He looked every inch the man they needed him to be. He always had. And he didn't look at you. Not once. But you watched anyway.

Watched the way his hands stayed still even as the crowd erupted in cheer. Watched the way his jaw tightened, just barely, as the princess, elegant and unfamiliar, offered her hand. Watched the way he lowered his eyes only to the scroll as he read his vows aloud.

"By the grace of the Crown, and for the good of the realm, I pledge myself to this union. Not for desire, but for honor." That was the moment you flinched. No one saw it. Not really. But it happened. Like a pulse in your throat, sharp and deep and final.

You had always known this was how it would be. That Caleb would choose the path of righteousness, of sacrifice. That he would do what needed to be done, because someone had to. Because he'd spent his entire life protecting people from pain. Even if it meant becoming a vessel of it himself.

But it still hurt.

So you didn't cry. You didn't make a scene. You just stood there with your hands folded quietly in front of yo. Until one drifted, unconsciously, down to your stomach.

It was still early. No one else could tell. But you knew. And the weight of it made your spine feel too fragile to stand beneath the chandelier's gold.

You waited. Just a little longer. Hoping and praying that he would look. That he would find you. That some part of him would still search the crowd for the girl he once kissed under the tree. For the woman he would whispered promises to under breathless moonlight.

But his eyes never found you. So you left.

You slipped out before the final toast, through the servant halls and into the cold air outside the palace gates. You didn't stop until you reached the old cottage at the edge of the dukedom. The place he once brought you to feel free when you came with him into the duchy. Where you'd whispered about building a life. One without war. One without titles.

That night, you packed nothing but silence. But before you left, you wrote him a letter.

Caleb,

I heard what you said tonight. 'Not for desire, but for honor.'

You've always known the difference better than I have.

I know you didn't choose her. I know you chose peace. You chose your people. You always do.

But I need you to know something. I'm leaving not because I hate you. But because I love you too much to stay and become something else you have to carry.

I'm expecting. I wanted to tell you. I wanted you to look at me and just know. But you didn't.

Maybe it's better that way.

They'll be alright. They'll have my name, not yours. They don't need your title. Just your heart. And I'll tell them one day that you gave that to the world, even when it cost you everything.

I hope it's enough.

I love you. I always will.

But I won't let this be your undoing.

You'll be a good duke. A husband. A leader.

You always were meant to be.

Yours once, (Your Name)

You sealed it. Held it. Pressed your lips to the edge like you were kissing a goodbye. And then you dropped it into the fire.

The flames took it without hesitation. Just like the world took him.

You left that same night, before the snow could fall. No carriage. No escort. Just your hand at your stomach, and the memory of a boy who once told you that if duty were not real, he'd choose you every time.

You believed him. Which is why you never made him choose.

-

Caleb had never believed in love forged at court.

He'd seen too many alliances built on strategy, too many handfastings stitched from political desperation rather than any true desire. So when he was told, ordered, to marry the Western princess in exchange for peace, he didn't expect kindness.

But she surprised him. Not with softness. But with clarity.

"You know why I'm here." He said plainly, voice crisp like frost. "They're offering me to your kingdom because they believe I'm worthless." She answered and he didn't argue. She was right.

She lifted her chin and studied him. Not with challenge, but calculation. "Do you know what I want, Duke Xia?" Caleb leaned forward, hands folded atop the council chamber table. "Revenge."

That made her smile. Small. Sharp. Sad. "Yes." She replied. "I want justice for the disgrace they forced me to carry. For the man that was forced to watch me became a war trophy and do nothing about it because everyone deemed me unworthy of the throne."

Caleb met her gaze. Steady. Unflinching. "Then I will help you take it." The princess blinked. For a moment, she said nothing. "But in return." Caleb added, his voice low. "Do not expect my heart. It was given long ago and it still belongs to her."

"The commoner." She said, without hesitation. "The one the court whispers about." He inclined his head. "Yes."

She didn't sneer. Didn't scoff. Instead, she leaned back in her chair and folded her hands delicately in her lap. "Rest assured, Duke. I have no use for your heart. I have someone waiting for me too. If he's still alive by the end of this game, I'll return to him. That is the only vow I intend to keep."

Caleb nodded once. "There's one more thing." He said. "When the time comes, I will take her into the duchy. She will live safely, untouched by this farce. Any slander, any name. If it touches her, I will consider it an act of war."

The princess didn't blink. "Then I suggest you act fast. Because you have enemies who would rather see your world burn than watch you be happy."

So as the night of the engagement came, Caleb stood beneath the blinding lights of the grand hall, surrounded by the echo of clinking goblets and hollow applause. Everything smelled like flowers and polished metal and power.

It was supposed to be a victory. But all he could think about was you.

You in that sun drenched orchard where he first touched your wrist and thought of forever. You barefoot in the rain with mud on your hem, arguing with a merchant about fair prices while he watched, arms crossed, hopelessly taken. You who never asked anything of himm but who he would have given everything to, if the world had allowed it.

He had tried to send word. Tried to reach you before the ceremony. But something or perhaps someone, was keeping you from him. Every message sent returned unanswered. Every rider sent out reported only silence. And the longer the hours stretched, the more he felt the panic curl beneath his ribs.

As he said the ceremonial vows beside the princess, his voice didn't waver but something inside him cracked. The words tasted like ash. "I pledge myself to this union. Not for desire, but for honor."

When the final toast rang out and goblets clinked like bells of war, Caleb turned fast, desperate and scanned the crowd. But you weren't there. Not in the corner where you always stood, half behind a pillar. Not near the stairwell. Not by the doors. Not anywhere.

He'd hoped, even against reason, that you might come. That you'd let him find your eyes just once. That you'd see him, and know that this was all temporary. But you were gone. And for the first time in years, ever since becoming the duke, the commander, Caleb Xia felt fear press down against his lungs.

The moment the final guest turned their back, he summoned his closest aide. "Find her." He said. "Find her now." The man hesitated. "She's-" Caleb's eyes snapped to him, colder than winter steel. "Then look again. Burn the map if you must. I don't care how long it takes or what it costs. Bring her to the duchy. Quietly. Safely."

But it was already too late. By the time his riders reached your old cottage, it was empty. No footprints. No carriage prints in the dirt. No belongings. As if you had vanished from the world without a trace.

As if you knew he would come for you and made sure he never could.

Caleb stared out the window that night, long after the embers died in the hearth. The engagement had served its purpose. The world believed the lie. Peace had been signed. No war would come, at least not now.

But the only name on his lips was yours. He whispered it once, to the cold glass.

He would not marry the princess. That was never the plan. One year and a half. That was the deal. But the days stretched longer without you. The weeks colder.

And he began to wonder. If you had already chosen never to return.

-

You arrived just after dusk.

The lanterns had already been lit, casting a warm, honeyed glow over the village's narrow paths and stone worn homes. It looked almost exactly the same. Smaller than you remembered. Softer, maybe. But not forgotten by time.

The old mill still turned. The baker's window still fogged with morning flour. A few children ran barefoot through the puddles left by yesterday's rain and someone was singing down the road a lullaby that hadn't changed in twenty years.

You were home. Or at least, back where it all began.

The cottage at the edge of the forest had been abandoned but it didn't take much to settle in. A little cleaning. A few mended curtains. A garden patch revived from the dead.

The neighbors remembered you. Old faces with more lines around their eyes but still the same warmth in their smiles. They didn't ask questions when you said you were staying. Just brought fresh bread. Herbs. Cribs, though you hadn't said anything.

You thanked them anyway. And most days passed quietly just like that. The ache in your chest never fully left, but it dulled, worn into something familiar, like a stone smoothed by years of riverwater.

And sometimes, when the wind shifted just right, you could almost hear your own laughter echoing across the fields. Younger. Brighter. Back when your hands were calloused from climbing trees and your only worry was whether or not Caleb would beat you to the blackberry bushes again.

The tree was still there. The one you always went to. With roots that curled like old fingers and branches wide enough to shelter two young dreamers from the sun.

It was where you first kissed. Messy, surprised, and full of promises no child should make but did anyway. This us where you taught him how to string wildflowers into a crown. Where he sat there the night the knight came, cloaked in black and silver, to tell him the truth. That his blood was noble, that he belonged to a world of titles and things far too heavy for someone so good.

You held him through that. And later, he held you through worse. It had always been the two of you. Until it wasn't.

And now, you sat beneath that same tree, fingers brushing the bark, whispering stories you had no one left to tell. You didn't bring flowers. Just your memories. Because that was all this place needed. It didn't belong to the man he became. Not the duke. Not the commander.

This tree, this patch of sky belonged to you and Caleb, as you once were. And even if he would never sit beside you again, this place would always hold the shape of him.

Your stomach ached when you thought of him too long. Not just from the child, growing steady within you, but from grief. Because this time, when you looked back. You couldn't go with him. You could only carry the love with you. So you did.

One memory at a time. One breath at a time. One quiet, aching heartbeat after another.

-

It started like any other day.

The sun crept in through the cottage windows, warming the floorboards where the cat liked to nap. You were peeling fruit on the porch, legs tucked under a wool blanket, humming an old lullaby you didn't realize you still remembered.

The baby kicked once, hard enough to make you gasp. You smiled and pressed your hand to your belly. "Impatient, aren't you?"

You didn't expect it to happen so soon. But then the pain struck low and deep. A bolt through your spine that stole your breath. You doubled forward, the bowl falling from your lap, fruit scattering into the dirt. Another wave hit. This one sharper. More final.

The neighbors came running when they heard you cry out. They carried you inside, laid you on the old bed. You tried to stay calm. You had always been good at that but the truth was, you were terrified. Not of the pain. But of doing this alone.

The contractions came harder. Quicker. The midwife's hands were steady. The women around her whispered soft prayers. But all you could do was grip the edge of the headboard and wish.

Wish he was here. Wish his hand was in yours, like the first time he held it under the tree. Wish you could tell him it was okay. That you understood. That you still loved him.

You bit your lip hard enough to draw blood. But you didn't scream. You never did.

You pushed when they told you to. Breathed through the fire in your ribs. Gritted your teeth when the world tilted. And then. A cry. Sharp. Piercing. Alive.

The midwife laughed through her tears. "It's a boy." You were shaking when they laid him against your chest.

He was tiny. Warm. And quiet once he settled into your heartbeat like he knew it already. His fingers curled around the edge of your nightgown.

And something in you cracked open. You cried then. Not from pain, but from something older. Something deeper. He had Caleb's eyes.

You kissed his forehead and whispered his name. A name you chose long ago, before the world pulled you both apart.

You wished Caleb could see him. But when you looked outside, the world was still and golden. And the tree stood silent in the wind.

And you told yourself it was alright. Because this child, this love had bloomed. And it was alive.

-

The sky was bleeding.

Ash and smoke clung to every breath, thick enough to choke. Caleb's side burned where the blade had caught him. Shallow, but punishing. Still, he pushed forward.

There was no time for hesitation. Not when the lines were falling. Not when they had come sooner than expected. Not when peace had collapsed with a single arrow through a messenger's throat.

He ducked a strike, drove his blade into the gap in another knight's armor, and turned in time to catch his men regrouping. His second in command shouted something at him but Caleb didn't hear it.

All he heard was your voice.

All he saw, in flashes between the blood and dust, was the way you used to smile when he failed to catch fireflies. The way you leaned against the tree with dirt on your nose and laughed like you belonged to the wind.

He hadn't found you. He'd tried. Gods, he'd tried. But you'd vanished. As if the world swallowed you whole. And then the war came. He hadn't even had time to breathe.

But once this was over. Once this cursed border was sealed and the treaty rewritten in fire. He would find you. He would. Even if the world tried to hide you. Because wherever you were... That was home.

-

The mornings in the village always came softly.

The mist clung to the trees like a lullaby not yet finished and the dew caught sunlight just enough to make everything feel like it had paused, suspended in that golden hush between sleep and waking.

You were hanging laundry on the line when a tiny whirlwind of energy darted past your legs. "Mavius Caelum Asher!" You called out more fond than scolding.

A small laugh echoed through the garden as he ducked behind the old apple tree, barefoot and already covered in dirt despite it barely being past dawn.

You smiled. Every day, he reminded you of Caleb. The set of his purple eyes. The line of his shoulders. The way he furrowed his brow when he was thinking too hard about something. But it wasn't just the way he looked.

It was the way he moved. Purposeful, determined. How he already insisted on helping the other children. How he stood between the smaller ones when that older boy from the next town got too rough. How he offered you his last slice of fruit without a word, because 'Mama needed it more.'

He was almost three and already carrying the same kind of quiet nobility Caleb wore like armor.

You returned to the house just as Asher ran in before you, tugging at your skirt. "Mama, tell me again about the knight." You crouched beside him, brushing his windswept hair from his forehead. "The knight who fought dragons?" "No!" He giggled. "My knight. Papa."

You hesitated, just for a moment. Then smiled. "Ah, that one." You said, tapping his nose. "Let’s see... once, there was a knight so brave that even the other knights called him Commander. He had eyes like the sky at dawn and a heart so big he tried to protect the whole kingdom by himself."

"Did he win?" Asher asked, eyes wide. You nodded. "He always did. But not because he was the strongest. Because he believed that protecting others, even strangers was the most important thing in the world."

Asher's small hands curled into fists. "I'm gonna be like him." You ruffled his hair. "You already are."

He beamed at you, not knowing the weight behind your words. Not knowing that somewhere, far from this quiet house, his father was fighting a war that had stretched longer than anyone expected.

A war that you read about in town when you bought flour or heard whispered at the market. Hushed tones and trembling voices as wives and mothers clutched telegrams in their hands.

You didn't speak of it often. Not to Asher. Not even to yourself. But every night, after he fell asleep curled beside you, you stared at the ceiling and whispered the same silent wish. Please let him be safe.

Caleb didn't know about Asher. He didn't know about this cottage. But that didn't stop you from telling your son stories. From showing him what honor looked like. From planting a garden behind the house and naming the strongest sapling after Caleb.

Some nights, when the wind changed, you thought you heard his voice. Or maybe that was just the ache.

You stood by the sink as Asher played with a carved wooden sword just outside, chasing shadows and dreams. Then your hand slipped. Only for a second. A tremble. A dizziness that passed almost as quickly as it came.

You gripped the edge of the sink. Steady. But your breath didn't come right away. Not like it used to. You pressed a hand gently to your chest. Waited. Exhaled.

Just a fluke, you told yourself.

Then you looked outside, where Asher was still playing. He had his eyes and everything. His quiet strength, his resolve, the weight he carried even at three years old was his.

And just like that, you smiled again. Even if your days were beginning to slip shorter, this one… This one was enough.

-

The battlefield smelled of iron and rot.

Smoke clung to Caleb's armor like a second skin, thick and acrid, turning his breath into rasped curses as he pushed past the broken shield wall. The screams were dying down. The fight was nearly over. But his blade still shook in his hand. Not from fear, but from exhaustion.

Another kingdom subdued. Another treaty waiting to be inked in blood and ash.

He tore off his gauntlets, hands raw underneath. The war had dragged on longer than anyone predicted. Five years now, maybe more. Time blurred out here. Measured not in days, but in losses. In names.

He hadn't written in months. The letters stayed tucked in his saddlebag, untouched, half finished scraps meant for someone who never answered. He told himself you were safe. That you were somewhere quiet, far from the reach of title and crowns.

But the silence ate at him.

Each night, he dreamed of a place he never dared return to. A small cottage on the edge of a forest, a woman with tired eyes and ink stained fingers laughing as she stirred soup, the warmth of her touch as she reached for him in sleep. You.

He didn't even know if you were still alive. There had been no word. No name in the casualty lists but also no sign of you in the cities he passed. Every village he liberated, every province retaken, he looked for your face in the crowds. Never found it.

"Commander." Caleb blinked. One of his captains had approached, holding a bloodied helmet in one hand. "You're bleeding." The man said. Caleb glanced down. His side was torn, gash already seeping through his tunic.

He hadn't noticed. "Leave it." He muttered. "I'm fine." "Sir-" "I said leave it." The captain stepped back without another word.

Caleb sheathed his sword. Walked toward the ridge overlooking the valley below. The ground was scorched. The wind carried the distant cries of the wounded. But above it all, the sky stretched blue, painfully, impossibly blue.

Like your eyes when you were crying in his dreams. When you told him goodbye, even though you didn't say the word. A breeze passed. Caleb closed his eyes. Are you still out there?

He hadn't stopped thinking about you. Not once. Even when duty demanded all of him. Even when his betrothal turned to alliance and the alliance into war.

He remembered the day he gave you the necklace. The one his sister had left him. Remembered your laugh, your promise to keep it safe. He had given it to you before the title, before the world went quiet.

He wondered if you still wore it. If you ever told stories about him to someone else.

He never dared to wonder more than that. Because if he let himself think... If he allowed the truth in, the truth that maybe you had stopped waiting... He feared he would fall apart completely.

So he still fought. He still bled. Not for glory, not even for peace. This was no longer about that. But for a chance. A single chance that when all this ended, he could find you again.

And maybe, just maybe... He could finally come home.

-

It had been three weeks since the war ended.

The ink on the new treaty had barely dried when Caleb handed over the command sigil, set aside his title, and mounted his horse. No fanfare. No council meeting. Just quiet resolve.

He didn't stop for ceremonies. Didn't stop to say goodbye. Not even to the queen, formerly his betrothed who only offered him a knowing nod as he rode off. "Find her." She had said softly, her crown glinting in the sun. "While you still can."

And so he did. He crossed through forests scorched by battle. Through cities that barely remembered his face. Past the borders of the duchy, riding until the roads became narrow, familiar things. Roots of memory leading him back to the village that had raised him long before the title ever claimed him.

It was smaller than he remembered

The wind carried the scent of old bread and fresh rain. Lanterns hung from the windows like tired stars. A dog barked somewhere near the well. Nothing monumental. Just life.

But Caleb's chest tightened the moment he stepped onto the dirt path. Because this was where everything began.

The tree still stood near the rise. A little older. A little more bent. But it was there like it had been waiting.

He wore no armor now. Only a simple cloak, a travel stained tunic, boots scuffed by months of searching. He didn't want to be a duke here. Didn't want to be anything but a man looking for the person who once held his whole heart in two steady hands.

Some of the villagers glanced his way as he passed. But there was something in their eyes. Recognition, yes. But also something else. A hesitation. A flicker of pity. It unsettled him.

He pressed on, steps slower now. Almost reluctant. Like his body knew something his mind hadn't caught up to yet. Then... A jolt.

A small body crashed into him at the bend of the road. A child running too fast around the corner, stumbled backward and fell with a soft yelp.

Caleb instinctively crouched, reaching out. "Hey, are you-?" But the words died on his tongue. His eyes locked onto the necklace. It was simple. A silver necklace with a very familiar apple pendant. It had been his sister's. The one who died when they were children. Too young. Too soon.

The necklace he had worn for years in her memory until the day he pressed it into your hand, months before everything fell apart. "Keep it." He told you then, voice soft against your hair. "So you know that someone always carries you with them. Even if I'm not there."

His heart stuttered. "Where… where did you get that?" He asked, voice gone thin, too sharp. The child blinked up at him, wide eyed. Dirt smudged his cheeks. He looked no older than ten.

But it wasn't just the necklace. It was the eyes. Gods. His eyes. Dark, sharp and purple. Strangely gentle. The exact mirror of his own gaze in the mirror, years ago before grief and duty dulled the light.

Caleb's stomach dropped. His blood ran cold.

And all he could do was kneel there, frozen, watching this boy who looked like him, who wore the last gift he gave to the only person he ever loved and realize in a breathless instant. He wasn't too late. He had just lost more than he could ever take back.

-

Caleb barely got a word out.

He had reached forward, hand trembling toward the boy, the necklace, those eyes, that impossible familiarity when someone moved between them like a shield.

"Enough." A firm arm pushed the boy gently behind them. The older man stood tall despite his age, back straight, voice like a blade dulled by time but no less sharp. The village head.

Caleb remembered him as he stood up. His beard was grayer now, the limp more pronounced but his presence hadn't changed. This man had taught them how to mend traps when they were still children, taught Caleb how to tie fishing knots, watched over the village like a quiet sentinel.

And now, he stood like a wall between Caleb and the child. His child. "I need to speak with him." Caleb said, his voice soft but strained. "Please. I just-" "You need to leave."

"I came here looking for her." Caleb stepped forward again, heart hammering against his ribs. "I've searched every road, every town, every ruin. I've been looking since the day after the engagement ceremony. I know I was late, I know I should've found her sooner, but I-"

"Too late." The words snapped out of the village head's mouth like a whip. "You came too damn late, boy."

Caleb froze. The boy behind the man peeked around him, curiosity bright in his eyes. But there was something else in his stare too. Something quieter. Like he was studying him. Measuring him.

"I had no choice." Caleb said. "The war-" "And what about before the war?" The village head barked. "What about the months they spent waiting by the river? What about the letter they burned so you could keep your damn title clean of scandal?"

Caleb's breath caught. The village head's jaw clenched. "You should've been here when it mattered." "I'm here now." Caleb said, voice cracking. "I'm here now and I'm not leaving. You think I wouldn't recognize my own child?"

Silence. A heavy, suffocating stillness fell between them.

Caleb's eyes didn’t move from the boy. Not when his stomach twisted. Not when his pulse thundered. He saw it now, not just resemblance. Not just accident.

It was blood. His blood. And he had missed it. He had missed everything.

The village head opened his mouth. Then shut it. Regret flashed in his expression, quick and bitter. "Go." The man muttered, hoarse. "You don't belong here anymore." Caleb stepped forward again. "What do you mean by that? What do you mean-"

But before the old man could speak, a small hand tugged at his clothes. The boy. He slipped past the man's arm and stood in front of him and Caleb, tilting his head. "It's okay." The boy said softly like a secret. "You don't have to fight him anymore."

Caleb move forward without thinking then proceed to lower himself to the boy's eye level, chest tight with something he couldn’t name. The boy looked at him. Really looked. Long and slow and serious. Then asked. "Do you wanna come home with me?"

Caleb swallowed hard. The question shattered something in him. And suddenly, he couldn't speak.

-

The forest was quieter than Caleb remembered.

The old trail wound gently between the trees, dappled with late afternoon light. His boots crunched softly over fallen leaves and small twigs. Beside him, the boy walked in silence, his small figure steady as if he'd done this path a thousand times. Maybe he had.

Caleb kept glancing down at him. The boy's shoulders were squared, hands tucked into the frayed sleeves of his wool shirt. He looked forward the entire time, never once glancing up.

"What's your name?" Caleb finally asked, voice hushed. "Ash." His throat tightened at the name again. Ash. Our son. "How old are you?" "Eight. I'll be nine after the spring."

Caleb swallowed the ache that rose up. His jaw tensed. He almost asked if your birthday had passed, if Ash knew but bit it back. Instead, quieter, he asked. "Where’s your mother?" Ash didn't answer. He didn't even pause. Just kept walking.

They reached the edge of the woods. The cottage appeared just beyond the treeline. Small, sloped, half covered in vines but still there. Still standing.

A hundred memories surged all at once. The spring evenings spent on the porch. Your laughter echoing under a sky of fireflies. The time you argued over who could chop firewood faster. The way your body curled into his when the storms came. The softness in your voice when you first whispered I love you into his hair, like it scared you to even say it out loud.

Caleb slowed at the threshold, hand hovering just beside the door. But Ash reached forward and opened it first. The hinges creaked like they hadn't moved in weeks.

Inside, the air was still. Not stale, not foul. Just... Still.

The table was clean but dust settled in the corners. A few dried herbs hung from the rafters. There was a plate in the washbasin that hadn't been dried. A chair slightly off center from the hearth. A cup overturned near the window.

It looked lived in. And abandoned.

"Where is she?" Caleb asked again, his voice cracking slightly this time. "Ash- Where is your mother?" The boy didn't answer.

He walked deeper into the house. Past the kitchen, through the narrow hall. He didn’t look back but Caleb followed, heart thudding louder with every step.

The bedroom. The door creaked as Ash pushed it open. Everything in the room was familiar, too.

The quilt still had the same stitched pattern. The windowsill still held the cracked clay pot you insisted wasn’t worth throwing out. The wooden carving he made for you still hung crookedly above the bed.

But it was cold. Untouched.

The bed was neatly made. The fireplace empty. A thin layer of dust on the floorboards, just enough to tell him what he didn't want to know. "Ash-" He began. But the boy was already crouching beside the bed.

He reached under the wooden frame and pulled out a small box, smoothed by age and fingerprints. Then he stood and held it out.

"Mother left these." Ash said quietly. "They're letters. Mother wrote them before she died." Caleb blinked. The room spun. "What…?" "Mother said they were for you. In case you ever came back."

He didn't move. He couldn't. Ash stepped closer and pressed the box into his hands. Caleb took it with trembling fingers. The lid opened easily.

Inside were letters. Dozens of them. Some wrapped with string. Others sealed in wax. Your handwriting. His name scrawled again and again on folded parchment, in ink that looked faded from time, from tears, from waiting.

The air in his lungs vanished. "No." Caleb whispered, clutching the box tighter. "No, no, no-" He staggered backward until his legs gave out and he fell to his knees. "This! This can't be!" The box held to his chest like it could somehow undo what had already happened.

He tried to breathe. But he couldn't. He felt it hit all at once. The years you must've waited. The letters you wrote, not knowing if he'd ever return, look after you. The nights you sat by the fire, watching the window, holding onto hope that kept thinning with time.

He sobbed. Raw, broken. Ash stood silently nearby. His voice was soft, almost too calm.

"Mother died three years ago." He said. "Just after winter." Caleb shook. "I'm sorry." He rasped. "I didn't know-" He hold back a scream "Gods, I didn't know-" "Mother said not to blame you." Ash added, voice still even. "But mother cried a lot. When mother thought I was asleep."

Caleb wiped at his face but the tears wouldn't stop. He looked at the boy, his boy, still standing there with too much pain behind his eyes for someone so young.

"Your necklace." Caleb said barely. "It was mine. My sister gave it to me. I gave it to your mother. I-" "You're my father." Ash said simply. The words felt like a dagger and a lifeline all at once.

"I… yes." Caleb reached out slowly, hands shaking as he never stopped crying. "Ash-" "You can go now." Ash said. Caleb froze, his heart dropped for God knows how many that day. "What"

"You found the letters." The boy said, unmoved. "You got what you came here for. I give you what my mother told me give you. You can leave." "I'm not leaving you-"

Ash's voice rose, sharp and fast. "Then you should have come years ago! Mother waited for you. Every day, every time the sun came up. Even when mother never showed! Mother thought maybe you'd come with the next rider, or the next merchant, or with the rain. Mother waited for you and you never came!"

Caleb flinched. "I didn't know-" "You could've tried harder!" His boy cried. "You could've come before the war. You could've written. You could’ve done something!" The pain in his voice cracked something in Caleb so deep he didn't even know it existed.

"I'm sorry." Caleb whispered. "I'm so- Ash, I'm so sorry." Ash took a step back. Caleb knelt closer in front of him, voice shaking. "I didn't know. I thought I could fix things. I thought there would still be time. I didn't… I never imagined…"

He looked at his son. Really looked. So small. So strong. So much like you. "I should've come sooner." Caleb said. "And I'll never forgive myself for that. But I'm here now. And I'm not going anywhere without you."

Ash's lip trembled, just for a second. Then he took a step forward and let Caleb wrap his arms around him. It wasn't forgiveness. Not yet. But it was something.

And in that room, where love once bloomed and then faded, something new took root. Even in the silence. Even through the tears.

[ⓒdark-night-hero] 2025°

: one down, four more to go. I'll also update Heartbeat Protocol tomorrow... probably. This is actually the first time, I think, that I specifically wrote the gender of the reader since I always wrote a neutral one. Hope you don't mind. I mean, there's a child XD

[dwrlm-orion]

Omg he looks like that dramatic uncle in Bollywood movies

made some minor improvements to riddle’s card

[dwrlm-orion]

A BITE THAT HEALS

STARRING: vampire physician!zayne x sick countess! reader

synopsis: you've fallen dangerously ill and now your position to be countess is threatened by your family that wants to sabotage your claim. with the outbreak of vampiric attackers going rampant, alongside the challenges that come with not being able to see the sun, you seek refuge in your physician's care. and eventually give in to your deepest desires at a a cost.

warnings: porn with plot. angst WITH COMFORT. mention of death, murder attempts, depictions of murder, death, you both want each other, eventual smut, dry humping, body worship, fingering, cunnilingus, hair pulling, vampire sex, multiple orgasms, creampies, you are NASTY FREAKS!

wc: 13,6k

an: Vampire Zayne. VAMPIRE ZAYNE!!!! I promise the angst won't make you cry. I think.

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!

The skies have lost their taste. Its colour is as mundane as the mushed texture of expired fruit. In any glimpse your eyes can catch, the clouds cast the sun aside as a salute to you — and your illness.

Your skin is pinched by a sliver of warmth before the curtains draw closed by the gloved hand of a handmaiden; one of many that relentlessly serve you. You gingerly scorn at the shadowed warmth emanating from the gaps between your sanctuary and the outer world.

As your eyes reluctantly draw away from the dull specs of light, your hands subconsciously reach for your arms, half covered by the gown being fitted onto your person. The day has barely begun, and yet your duties as regent countess come first and foremost above all.

Even when the world pities you. Even when you must enshroud yourself in the arms of darkness. Even your body betrays you, weakening faster than you can possibly grow old.

The days had blurred into months, dragging the old beauties of life to become mundane and distasteful. The only true source of exhilaration that remains is a particular practitioner who directly tends to your wellbeing.

“You must avoid attending the evening mass tonight, my lady.” One of your most trusted handmaidens says, wrapping the strings of your corset around her palms. “There have been rampant attacks reported over the last few nights.”

“The same ones as those from last week?” 

“Indeed, my lady.”

“Ensure that funds are sent to support the injured and sickly— mostly to the church and infirmaries.” You mutter, feeling your throat become irritated, again. Another illness to add to your agitations. “If I cannot help those in need directly, send my regards through this service. Ensure the reverends respond by tomorrow.” 

Your handmaidens nod and work effortlessly, ensuring your undergarments are secure before fitting you into your tea gown. It is the purest representation of elegance, your clothing. Designed to perfect and accentuate your figure, you have donned some of the best gowns and accessories the ton has seen yet. Your every appearance before society — both high and low born — have always left an influential mark.

Many suitors have bent the knee for your hand, many ladies have scorned your ‘theft of their gentlemen’ with your beauty, mystique, and charm. Mamas and patriarchs of the highest families have sent calling cards to request an audience— all of which went unanswered. You truly are the embodiment of divine beauty in mortal form.

And yet, you can barely muster looking at your reflection.

Despite the encouraging words of your handmaidens— granted to you as you grew in training to be secondary to your elder brother should he fail to inherit the title as Count— you struggle to see the person you used to be. Before the illness. Before the pain.

It had begun when your skin prickled and seared under the glare of the sun, an entity you once relished in dancing beneath. 

It was a leisurely promenade on horseback with your brother in the peak heat of the summer months. You had come down with an intensive fever after spending barely an hour outside. It appeared your brother suffered the same illness but not as intensely. Only after months of close observation was it confirmed that you had caught a strain of an illness. 

One that runs cold and deep within the blood of your ancestors. It rarely appears, which potentially was why your parents had neglected to inform you before their disappearance just months after you came of age and came out to society. That was eight years ago.

Your brother passed on two years after the discovery of your illness, leaving you as the sole heir of your family’s great fortune, and the title as Countess for the lack of a next of kin.

Or so you believed.

Once word had flooded into society that you would be the sole heir to the fortune in your family’s name, your aunt— sister of your father— returned after years of silence to retrieve what she claimed to be hers.

Your incentive, despite your weakened and vulnerable state as young as you were, was to protect what remained of your family’s legacy and to drive your cruel aunt as far away as possible. Unfortunately, your argument was considered weak, for you are an unmarried woman. 

She has a son, despite the rest of her children being girls, almost of age and accredited amongst the ton as a well-esteemed man. That public favour only goaded your aunt in her attempts to swipe your inheritance and leave you to rot.

Years of holding back tears and biding your time wore you down. The endless quarrels and battles withered your confidence. Word eventually came to your attention that the bodies of your parents were finally found, and gruesome a discovery it was.

It tore you apart to the point of you being bedridden for months. Your breath had grown hollow for some solemn dark years, your hands tightly gripped by your handmaidens and trusted attorneys begging you to stay strong just long enough to win.

As stubborn as you are, even to this day, you cursed your aunt with every fighting beat of your slowing heart. When your health finally stabilised after years of confinement and grief, your heart locked tight and grew colder. 

Your skin is almost as fragile as glass. Your eyes are still sharp regardless of the hollowed gaze you use to terrify that damned aunt of yours. Your fortitude hardened like steel over endless nights of gazing into the darkened night— the only time your eyes did not taunt you with pain just as sickeningly riveting as your grief and rancour.

“You must be careful in your steps, my lady.” Your handmaiden tuts as she pulls the strings, tightening your corset just enough not to harm you. “You’ll only harm your skin and deal great pain upon yourself should you overexert yourself.”

“Would it compare to what I have already suffered?” You ask, not tearing your eyes away from your reflection. Eventually you would have to face what remains of you in the mirror.

Your body took a great surplus of damage over those years of emotional and physical torment. Even the slightest pinch would feel like hundreds of blades piercing your flesh. The best physicians became useless in aiding you. Your hope had begun to diminish as quickly as your health did. Until a spark pushed you back to your graces.

He was the unconventional type, this physician. He held no discrimination between the classes that the hierarchy of your society stood upon— the physicians that failed to treat you often scorned at the alleged scars that cicatrised his flesh, or mocked his methods for his lack of “discernment” on the people he ought to treat.

That alone was more than enough for you to have him be the one to bring you back to greater health.

His attempts, while valiant, did little to bring you to be in a fit enough position to walk without an attendee by your side or a cane to support you in case your muscles give in to weakness. That being said, you praise him generously for trying. For believing that you are capable of healing, even if there are parts of your health that you’ll never see again.

The mere thought of him alone makes your lips curve up just a little.

Your handmaidens complete the rest of your gown in the midst of your reminiscence, and the bell from outside your chambers announces the arrival of your physician. He’s here.

The attendants have definitely noticed the rise in your mood ever since the arrival of your trusted doctor. Despite his unsocial tendencies and his especially dry sense of humour, they’ve taken note of how your body loses tension and relaxes so long as he is within close proximity.

Your hushed conversations mid-observation stretched on for prolonged hours— longer than any standard check up should be. Your smiles were always visible in his presence and only returned to being a rare treasure after he left. 

They definitely saw you smiling just a little bit right now. 

The doors to your chamber split open, gushing a scent of jasmine and lavender into the room. Your eyes flutter shut, letting the soft breeze greet you with a gentle kiss on your sensitive skin. By the time your eyes opened once more, you could see his gaze on you through the mirror.

“Good afternoon, Zayne.” You smiled. You had long forgone formalities over the stretching months of him treating you to better health. To be fair, you had developed quite a warm friendship.

“You seem to have more strength today,” He glances at your figure, nodding to himself. “You’ve managed to stand still for longer. That’s an improvement.”

“With your support, it is only fair to assume I’d regain my vigour quickly.” With a sharp look to the head of the maids at your stead, they scurry off with excited titters, likely on their way to report of your joy to the rest of the staff. They could all see the growing interest you had in Zayne, and they grew to enjoy his presence too.

Every trip made to your manor involved you pestering your butler to ask the chef to prepare sweet pastries, knowing he had a taste for them. Your handmaidens dressed you in some of your best gowns — which is technically all of them — giggling amongst each other for the little dates you would have with him, even if you wouldn’t refer to them as such. 

And yet you go on promenade with parasols in the afternoon together to stretch your legs. Any yet you share meals together. And yet you have been caught resting beside him by one of your handmaidens which she eventually swore not to tell a soul.

It was the happiest you had been in years. Of course, your servants would do anything to see you smile. The housemaids had even prepared a chamber for him in the event where he’d be needed overnight. 

“Is it not dangerous for you to roam to recklessly out there?” You ask, draping your shoulders with a shawl for more warmth. “There have been attacks all over the place.”

“It’s my duty to tend to the wounded and ill, my lady, even if I put myself at risk.” Despite your longstanding friendship, he still opts to be so formal. “What have you heard?”

“They call the attackers vampiric.” You sigh, taking Zayne’s extended hand to help you move to your bed. “Canines elongated and sharp, skin cold yet potent to deceive others with the illusion of warmth. Apparently some are still warm to the touch… I’ve heard they also have a great affinity for blood.”

Zayne only hums as his hands hover over your exposed neckline, awaiting your consent. You absentmindedly nod and glance to the covered window in longing. “Some say they hide in the shadows during the day, as the sun harms them.”

“Almost sounds like they are rather similar to you.” Zayne pokes your cheek with a subtle grin.

“Are you accusing me of consuming blood?” You gasp, holding your hand over your chest. Directly above his own. You swear to yourself that it was not intentional. 

“Perhaps you are,” His grin only widens, glad to see you entertained by his jibe. He extracts one of his tools from his bag, placing the cool metal on your chest, moving it around until he hears the soft drumming of your heart. “You might just stalk your way around the streets of town in the dark of night, finding your next victim to extract their very essence.”

Your ears are burning at such close contact. It’s not the first time his hands have been so close to you but it always leaves a lasting affect, sending flutters to your stomach and burning heat to your ears and cheeks.

The way his hazel tinted eyes always flicker between your chest and your gaze shoots shivers down your spine. Sometimes you wonder if his gaze ever lowers to the cleavage of your bosom— but you ought not assume he would be so bold.

“I would only want yours.” You whisper. His hands roam over the expanse of your chest, gently poking and pressing on your skin. It brings your breath to catch deep in your lungs, your pulse slowly jumping. 

“I beg your pardon?”

“I— I would…” You quickly blink yourself out of your trance, glancing around the room to gather your thoughts. “I would only want the purest blood! Blood seeped in alcohol must have a nasty taste, no?”

“Perhaps,” Zayne pouts and leans away to store his medical tools in his bag. It takes all your energy not to make a sound, mourning the absence of his touch. “Or maybe you have a taste for the best blood the world can provide.”

“If I did,” You slowly gather your words as you lean closer to him. The way he is seated on your bed prevents him from leaning back. “Would you get it for me?”

Was this dangerously inappropriate? Of course it was!

Did you care? Well…

It did take a lot of courage for you to move so subtly. His reaction only makes your efforts more fruitful. His ears have a slight red blush creeping closer to his face and his eyes— those ethereal eyes— have already glanced off in another direction to avoid your gaze.

“I ought to remind you that this is purely hypothetical.” Zayne gently pokes your forehead. “What occasion requires you to dress so formally?”

Your smile slowly fades. Your aunt had decided to grace you with her presence for luncheon with her eldest son and daughter. In her letter, she referred to it as a moment for you to all bond as a family. As 'true kin’ meaning to support one another.

You hadn’t heard from the woman in almost two years ever since she left you in such a damaged state. You laughed hysterically when your butler reported it to you. Letting bygones be bygones is beneath you.

The rejection letter was halfway through being written when you remembered that any sign of resistance, knowing your aunt and her devilish ways, would only be met with corrupted legal pushback— and you were not in the mental state to handle such strain again.

You had no choice. You have to protect what remains of your family, even if it kills you.

“Luncheon.” You stiffly respond, feeling the icy chill spread through your body. The warmth once shared between the two of you slowly becomes overpowered by pure resentment. “With my aunt.”

Zayne’s lips purse into a straight line. “I see.” He shares your sentiment against your aunt. After all, it was her consistent harassment over the years that drove you to your illness being dramatically exacerbated. It took him threatening her with summoning your attorneys to drive her away, but the damage had already been done.

“When is it?”

Like a sick joke, the bell rings overhead, indicating the arrival of a guest. But you don’t need your butler to tell you who it is.

“I suppose now.” You slowly push yourself to your feet, rejecting Zayne’s caring hands to support you. You return to the cold, resenting tone that held you before his arrival. “Am I to assume you shall remain in the manor until dinner?”

Zayne curtly nods. “I’ll right beside you during luncheon. I just need to clean up here.” 

His heart tugs as he watches you leave your chambers, supported by a wooden cane. He has no need to pity you, for he has seen your strength. But he burns to help you in any way he can just to see that cold scowl disappear once and for all.

The luncheon goes as you expect it to.

The formalities pass through smoothly, your aunt pulls you into her embrace and squeezes her grip on you with her knowledge of your physical weakness. Fortunately, it was brief. She still reeks of strong floral perfume, only this time it’s far more potent.

Your cousins were more stiff with their greetings, giving you sneers and subtle jabs about your appearance.

“You still look so sickly,” The younger cousin snickered. The frills on her gown made her look like a peacock. “Perhaps I should send you my stylist to create a new wardrobe for you. One that won’t make you seem so… rude.”

The elder cousin, although younger than you, was silent and devoted more of his energy observing the interior of your manor. Almost as though he was planning what he wished to do with it.

The meals were delectable, as expected of your chefs. They are the best of the best, after all. When you began to host again, once your heath improved just enough to interact with others, your guests— mostly being close family friends— often commended the food provided and asked for recipes so that their chefs could make something similar.

You have always taken great pride in your staff, and always extended your gratitude for them being by your side in the most difficult time in your life. They stood by your side, fed you, bathed you, spoke stories of the current affairs in society to keep you up to speed, and treated you and each other like family to substitute for the one you lost.

Without them, there would barely be anything left of you. Without them, your fortitude to fight would have shattered. 

“This is quite the mediocre meal you have provided, dearest.” Your aunt tuts as she waves for your butler. “Take this scrap away. Even a cow would eat better.”

Your jaw ticks but you keep your gaze on the plate beneath you. You finished your plate, and considered the main course rather divine. Perhaps your aunt’s palate was not yet accustomed to more exotic meat.

“I see you haven’t ventured out beyond our country’s bounds.” You comment, seething each word with long-brewing venom. “Your taste buds have likely dulled from all the pork you eat.” One of the things your aunt resents about you is your sharp tongue. It’s why she is so persistent on pinning you down hard enough to legally overwhelm you.

You could see her brows knit together from your peripheral. Just as you intended. The elder of your two cousins merely snickered while the younger scoffed.

“Who is to say this foreign meat is even good?” She sneers, despite having stuffed her mouth with the very meat she insults moments ago. 

“You have too much confidence for one who barely interacts with society. Not to mention how dark it is in here, there’s barely any direct light here. I feel sorry for your staff, especially that practitioner.” Her eyes flicker to Zayne, who stands beside your staff.

He occasionally joins you while you eat just to keep close in case your agitations harm you. It isn’t uncommon for your illness to strike you at random, so he must have attended to keep an eye on you.

“Honestly, with the way you brood, I doubt anyone would want to be in your presence.” That would have struck a nerve if it was the first time she had mentioned it.

Your eyes grew painfully delicate in the presence of the sun— constantly burning or drowning in tears or drying up completely if you were outside for too long. The same applied to your skin. It began to physically ache to feel its rays on you. The only solution was to reduce the light exposed to you as much as possible. 

“Such a shame, indeed. I truly am not like you, dearest cousin.” You taunt as your gaze strikes her with contempt. “I believe it is only fair you dance around the public grounds under the sun while you cozy up with all the lords of the land. You ought to give them a visit on a promenade. I am sure one will be mad enough to raise your skirts.”

Just as your butler coughs back a chuckle from your callousness, she slams her hand on the table with faux tears brimming in her eyes. “You foul—“

“Now, dearest,” Your aunt cuts in, tilting her head in that same condescending way as she did all those years ago. “You ought not be so cruel to your cousin. After all, she is the closest you’ll ever have to a sister.”

“She is not my sister.” You are quick to interject her, silently cursing yourself for reacting so quickly. That only seems to fuel your aunt more.

“She is your kin.” Those eyes of hers twinkle, making it known that she’s seen you break just enough to poke at your pride even more. “You are the last of your father’s legacy, and yet you are barely fit to claim a dowry.”

From the corner of your eye, you see your butler, footmen, and maids twitch in agitation. You subtly raise your hand beneath the table, keeping them at bay.

“You are just moments from breaching the territory of a spinster, my dear.” Her false concern is slowly shifting into jeers of spite. Almost as if she waited those eight years to pin you down. “You have no match, no suitor. You cannot possibly think you can claim what remains of the fortune. You are a woman and your brother is gone.”

Your eye twitches at the mention of your brother, but you force yourself to maintain composure. “As a woman, your duty is to get a husband so that he may take over the title. So that you may pass down your forefathers’ legacy. Though that may not be a present option. Not when you can barely walk on your own without a cane and a maid by your hand.”

Through gritted teeth, you force yourself to speak. “You have no privilege to discriminate me for a hereditary illness. I had no involvement in living this way.”

“Oh yes, dearest.” Your aunt coos in that damned sneer. “We have all been praying for you all these years for your speedy recovery. But it does not seem that you have fared any better.”

You can feel yourself getting stiff with agitation. Your chest squeezes in tight, your breaths constrain and become shallow enough for the rise and fall of your torso to be visible and quick. You can hear the snickers from your cousins but they drown out into a buzz of noise.

You can see your aunt’s lips move but you hear no words. Her eyes narrow, her brows raise in pity as her smile widens just enough to see her gums so harshly pink that it feels unnatural to see. Her hands follow her words, flicking with each intonation of her voice, all so condescending, all so vile.

The pounding in your chest grows louder and louder, thumping into your head so harshly that you can feel it. Pulses of pain spread through your mind as hot flashes surge beneath your skin. It’s too much. Your corset feels tight around you, your shawl sets your skin ablaze in discomfort with every breath you take. But you can’t move your hands to take it off.

You’re trapped to only listen to your aunt break you down to pieces, just as she had all those years ago. To embarrass you, to harm you, to shatter you again and again and again until she is sure there is nothing left but a hollow shell that she can steal from.

“You are the blood of your father’s blood. But your father was strong. Like your cousins are.” Mentioning him so crassly brings your hand to tighten around the sharp knife beneath you. She has no right to even utter his name. None. “Our blood gives us the powers to wield such a privilege of the title Count. And you ought to have the same too… if it weren’t for those sickly genes from your mother—“

Before you can comprehend it, your body moves for you in spite of the inferno of agony driving you to crumble. Your hand tightly grips the knife as you charge to your aunt, vision blurred with tears and her neck being the only clear sight before you. One single cleave will silence her torment forever.

Your tea gown flows as you glide to her like a vengeful ghost, arm raised just high enough for the blade to glimmer in the air. “You shall speak no word of my mother, you wretch!”

Everything from that moment happens so quickly. The screams from your cousins, your aunt and the staff reign chaos in the dining hall. Clamouring footsteps and scraping chairs thunder on the floor as hands reach out to you, desperate to hold you back from committing an act you may well regret.

Tears fall from your eyes as you draw closer to your aunt, whose face is completely distorted with absolute fear and terror. Her hands shield her face and turns away, granting you full access to the veins surging beneath her skin.

One cleave. 

Just one cleave and that crone is dead.

All of a sudden, air fills your chest and snaps you out of your homicidal daze. Your head is tucked securely into a broad chest, while strong arms wrap around you tightly engulfing you in his scent. Zayne’s hold on you does not hurt as much as your body does from the overexertion devoted to murdering that woman. 

You can just barely hear her cursing you, panting and screaming for the staff to call for her carriage. You can hear your cousins, one wailing for her mother while the other curses you to damnation. You couldn’t care less.

Those gulps of air shiver into sobs as more tears flow from your eyes, from the pain of your muscles constraining and the grief of your beloved family.

You hear your name whispered to you in a hushed voice. “Breathe. Breathe, my lady.” Zayne’s voice brings back the warmth you shared just hours earlier. Just enough to soothe you, but not enough to silence your fury.

“I’ll kill you.” You pulled your head from his embrace to face your aunt once more. “You vicious dog, I will kill you if it is the last thing I do in this mortal body!”

You watch your aunt and cousins scurry towards the doors leading to the entrance and follow them with as much strength as your weakened body can allow. You watch them trip over each other, ignoring the guiding hands of your butler and physician in case you lose your balance. They don’t try to stop you.

“I will tear you limb from limb and end the bloodline by this very hand, I swear it! You will never claim the title of Count, and you will never claim this manor so long as I live!” As they enter the carriage, your aunt turns to you with a scornful smile on her face. The luncheon may not have ended as she desired but there is at least satisfaction from rousing you to anger. 

You collapse into Zayne’s arms once the doors completely close, shielding you from the light and the eyes of your kin. Tears blind you in agony, the surging throbs of your body spread until you can barely feel him lift you into his arms.

Your sobs are the only thing you can hear until his voice calls out to you once more.

“I’m here, my lady.” Only then do you realise that you have been returned to your chambers, enveloped in his arms. His scarred hands, both rough in texture and gentle in touch, stroke your skin lightly just to soothe you.

“I need— I must—“

“You must do nothing.” Zayne hums, pressing his cheek on top of your head. Your handmaidens silently entered your chambers to leave a comfortable dress for you to wear instead of the tea gown constricting you and overstimulating you. Once they have settled your garments, they leave as quietly as they came.

“I acted out of turn—“ You turn to face him, only to be stricken with more agony from such a quick movement.

“You were provoked.” Zayne urges with an unusual strain to his voice. His attempt to suppress his anger somehow brought comfort to you. To see him care so immensely for you was heartwarming. “She had tapped into the most sensitive topics to harm you. Of course you responded that way. You were hurt.”

“The manor is bound to fall into her hands from that reckless act alone.” You shivered, almost seeing that smug look on her face should she stand victor in the battle that has lasted a decade. “I am only left to pray that those vampiric folk consume them, or worse.”

Zayne can only listen to you cry as he holds you. As much as it would satisfy him to handle them himself, you are his priority first and foremost. 

“My lady—“

“My clothes,” You murmur, feeling the discomfort of your flesh being tied up so uncomfortably in your garments. You were just fine earlier, why do you feel so constricted now? You tug your shawl off your shoulders and reach for the silk strings at your waist to tug out the knot. “I need to take it off, it’s too much.”

“I’ll call for a handmaiden.”

“No!” You shriek, harshly tugging away but it just won’t budge. Your body still aches with the need to free yourself from the constraints, bringing tears to your eyes once more. “You have touched most every part of me from my bosom to my ankles, you have seen it all. I need you Zayne, pray, I need your help.”

It is truly difficult to resist you when your eyes brim with tears and pure desperation scorns you. He has to help you. He has to. Even if it is ungentlemanly. He is a gentleman, don’t get him wrong, but you come first.

His hands rest on your shoulders and push your gown slowly until he reaches your waist where the knot is securely tied. He tries as best as he can not to listen to your frustrated pants and instead concentrate on the task at hand. 

He smoothly undoes the knot, eyes fluttering at the sound of your relief. He can only imagine how hard it was for you to sit through such a horrid luncheon like that. If it weren’t for his logic, he would have dealt with them before you lost your temper.

Zayne slides your gown further down your body until it reached your hips. “Stand for me, my lady.” You slide off your bed without question, allowing for your gown to slip off your form and pile on the floor.

Still too overstimulated to care, you turn around and gesture for Zayne to help you with your corset and the rest of your undergarments. Upon the glimpse of your back, he immediately feels a familiar rise of arousal burn within him. Damn it.

Something about how delicate yet strong your back looks just riles him up. Each muscle is so defined yet soft in the way you move, your posture is always so poised, even the way you’re turning to glare at him right now is attractive.

“If you cannot assist me further, please summon my hand—“ Nope, nope, nope, he won’t allow it.

“I can do it.” He clears his throat and adjusts his pants to conceal the tent.

Zayne scoots closer to you, ensuring his growing erection remains hidden enough for him to undo the strings of your corset outside of your sight. He works quick and smooth, gently pulling at the knots to ensure you aren’t hurt. Piece by piece, he helps you remove your garments until you stand nude above him. He can only pray that his precum doesn’t leak into his slacks.

He reaches for your looser gown and swiftly slides it over your head. He watches the smooth fabric slide down your collarbones, down your breasts, covering your waist and hips until it reaches the ground with a gentle tap.

Only then can he exhale the air caught in his throat. Only then can he swallow the urges surging within him from your scent alone. A scent so rich that he had to clamp his tongue with his teeth.

“That should do it,” He grits, smoothing out the fabric around your waist. He can’t help but keep his hands on you there. It just feels right.

“Thank you.” Silence stretches between the two of you before you sigh. “I shall have to summon my attorney to make a plan. That woman will surely use that event against me.”

“I am sure you will be able to find your way to victory.” He assures you. “You’ve fought battles worse than one to claim a title.”

“I am a woman, Zayne.” You scoff. “Unless I am able to outlive them all, there is little I can do without entering criminal territory. It seems I have already acclimatised myself to that path.”

He hums in agreement, swallowing the laugh that almost escaped his lips. His thumbs gently massage your waist, ignoring how dangerously intimate the gesture is. You seem to ignore it too, fully engulfed in need to feel secure. To engulfed in the desire you have fruitlessly tried to keep at bay.

You are attracted to Zayne. How could you not be?

For a man so handsome, so respectful, so empathetic and devoted to seeing you return to better health, it is only fair that you have begun to dream of him. That you have begun to feel your core ache and burn for him, to leave you soaked in desire so much so that you’ve spent nights moaning his name into your pillow.

It is an impulse you do your best to ignore, but with the way he holds you so gently, with so much reverence, it truly is hard to ignore the growing heat in your core. You can only pray he doesn’t notice. 

“You ought to get some rest.” He advises, not as your companion but as your medical advisor. He glances out the covered windows to see the light filtering into your room. It’s much warmer. It must be dusk already. “I shall be leaving soon as well.”

You immediately step away from him touch, swiftly turning to show your shock and fear. But it’s always been that way. 

In daylight, he is yours. Confined with you in the manor so that he can ensure you are well. The only reason why he only arrived at noon today was because he had other patients to attend to. Once the sun sets beneath the horizon, the night claims him. And you can never understand why.

You hated that.

You were able to handle your time beyond dusk well, you had your own tasks to attend to as the regent of your household— the title being temporary due to the special nature of your case. You had a society to attend to, people to care for and fund. You had a life ahead of you.

But it was at risk of being taken from you. Your life nearly slipped from your hands if it wasn’t for his skilled assistance. Your motivation and discipline was dwindling before he gave you a reason to keep going. He reminded you of your compassion. He reminded you of how strong your bond with your staff was, and how that devotion extended to the people you were raised to uplift.

His presence in the daylight’s torture was your solace and his absence in the night’s embrace was your silence. But you want no more of that exchange. 

You want to be selfish. You want him. In both dawn and dusk.

“And if I suffer from any pain?” You spoke in a hushed tone, anointing your words with distaste. You understood his duties and his need for rest, but he could do it here. With you. “Where will I receive the help I need?”

Zayne merely gifted you a small smile as he took his bag. “The night is yours to claim, my lady. You can send for me.”

“The night is dangerous to roam these days.” You scowl at the growing distance between you. The shiver of ice hardens over your flesh once more. You hate how your comfort and warmth comes and goes with his presence. But without his service, his care, his companionship… what would you be then?

“Then I shall see you tomorrow morning.” He bows his head and turns to the hallway before him. Keeping his gaze ahead, Zayne’s voice drops an octave. “Don’t go outside tonight.”

Without another word, he stalks into the candlelit hallway leaving you alone once more.

The night is silent after he leaves. You’re antsy, brooding, on the verge of tears— not because he isn’t with you, no. Because the scandal of a luncheon you had is now plaguing your mind. You have been blaming yourself through tears, trying to find reason in your spur of madness. 

Your butler and handmaidens struggled to calm you and soothe you, but the teas they brewed and the stories they told of similar situations they had seen somewhat put your nerves at ease. Just enough to keep you out of harm’s way. 

Staring at the fire pit, you lounge in the sitting room. Your mind is racing with ways to cover up your sins. You know your aunt is losing grip on her finances and yet still splurges to satisfy the whims of your cousins. You could bribe her. But then she would blackmail you and demand more until she’s sucked your accounts dry.

You could actually kill her. But you cannot do it directly, you may not have the physical strength. To even out the hypothetical grounds, if you did, your persecution would drive your family name across the mud. And you’d be stripped of your assets regardless.

Each and every plan you concoct results in you ultimately losing or being forced to sacrifice something too vital to you. The only logical option would be to outlive at least the elder cousin. But since he is five years your junior you have your doubts, especially when you take your illness and physical weakness into account. 

The painting of you, your parents and your brother hands high above you. Their gazes were so warm back then. You would often see them in your dreams in your weakest hours, urging you to keep going. To fight. You have to keep going. You just have to.

You can’t let them win. You have to honour your family and claim what is yours.

The clock loudly chimes, indicating it is now midnight. Your butler swiftly collects your empty cup and bows. “I shall be taking my leave, as will the rest of the staff, my lady. Need I assist you to your chambers?”

“No, thank you.” You smile at the family portrait, gesturing to the cane beside you. “I have more than enough help right here.”

Glancing at the portrait, your butler smiles. “Rest well, my lady.”

You listen to his footsteps fade into the manor, and once there is complete silence once more, you rise to your feet. Your grip on your cane is tight from your body still being in shock. Your conviction, however, is stronger.

Your plan is both reckless and dangerous, you know. But you have no other choice.

You pace to the main entrance of the manor, sharply glancing at the footman by the door. 

“I trust that you will keep this to yourself?” You whisper and he nods affirmatively. He opens the large door, welcoming the nightly gust to kiss your skin in greeting. You can almost smell the eery musk in the air. The scent of danger. Regardless, you step out, tugging fiddling with the sleeve of your overcoat.

“Safe travels, my lady.” The footman mutters as the doors close once more. Your plan is unfolding perfectly.

What plan you ask?

Locating Zayne, of course.

Well, to be fair, it was not just that.

You intend to keep an eye on the process of your funds being sent off to infirmaries, churches, schools, and other places that require it. The transaction on your end has been successful from the report of your maids but there is something interfering with the receiving end in the town.

So you opted to investigate it yourself, outside of their knowledge. It puts you at a great and dangerous risk, but that is what you have Zayne for should you find him on time. You have also stored some of your medication in your purse as well, just in case things do end up going wrong but you plan to leave it in your carriage since the trip should be brief.

The carriage speeds into the town, illuminated by lanterns and candles radiating from the windows of the townhouses along the road. From what you recall during your occasional visits, it should be bustling with people, whether to attend festivals or for the more secretive ventures to the brothels.

The streets are empty and quiet. One thing you have never seen before in all your years.

Your carriage awaits your return outside the main church. You had letters sent to the reverend, informing him of your incoming presence so he would be expecting you. 

You push the arcane wooden doors open to be greeted with an eery quiet. Familiar to the holy silence you would hear whenever you visited to donate funds to support those in need, but far more disorienting.

“Reverend.” You call out, only to hear your voice echo through the walls. Your shoes click on the wooden floor with each step as you get closer to the altar. You had seen many of the ladies around your age marry here. You now scoff at the idea of ever getting married. You’re too old and you’ve lost the taste for entertaining suitors. 

“Reverend?” You call again to receive not silence, but a scream. 

A loud shriek that could be mistaken for one that a debutante would make if her dress were soiled. To your surprise, the very reverend you were waiting for stumbles into the hall both petrified and disheveled, doing what appeared to be adjusting his pants.

“I condemn you, devil!” He cries before he notices you. He pauses to catch his breath and straightens his robes. “Ah, my lady, now is truly not the time—“

“What is going on here?” You ask, scrutinising his panicked state. “What are you running from?”

“Vampire, my lady!” He shouts, gripping your shoulders to push you away. “There is a vampire that has breached these holy grounds, it just cannot be—“

In a flash his hands fall with him to the floor, pinned by what looks like a sharpened crucifix. He screams of agony make your ears ring. “Damn you, you demon!”

You turn to see who he curses, with slight fear rising up your spine. Adorned in black with specks of blood staining the fabric with eyes as green as an ember and as brown as the soil, the vampire stops in his tracks fully gazing on you.

“Zayne,” You exhale, unable to recognise the feeling behind your heart punching your bones. Your palms are getting clammy, your breath is growing more ragged, and yet your core burns with unsanctioned desire.

“My lady.” He sounds breathless, as if he was looking at you for the first time. Just as he parts his lips, his gaze averts to the reverend behind you. 

“So this is what’s gotten you so distracted.” You hear him chuckle before he clasps your wrist with his bloodied hands and drags you outside.

The cool winter wind sends shocks of ice cold shivers down your spine as snowflakes flutter onto your skin. You had almost forgotten it was the middle of winter. The harsh wind blows your overcoat open, exposing you loose gown to the freezing elements.

“Revered, unhand me!” You tug at his grip only to struggle as he pulls you down the stairs. A sharp jasmine scented gust rushes past you at the force dragging you away severs completely. You glance down to see his hand still on you but completely sliced from the rest of his body.

Utterly shocked, you shriek and fling your arm to force the hand off of you. A trail of blood drips into the snow, growing bigger and bigger until you see Zayne’s form hunched over the reverend, loud gnawing noises being the only thing you can hear.

“Zayne,” You whisper, only for your voice to fall upon deaf ears. “Zayne!”

His movements stiffen completely as he turns to face you. Blood is stricken across his face and dripping from his abnormally sharpened canines. His skin almost glistens in the cold dead of night, and those divine hazel eyes just look brighter.

Could it be?

Zayne always leaves the manor at night. He rarely eats when he’s with you and when he does, it is just barely enough to keep him satiated. He sometimes refers to himself as a vegetarian even though he consumes animal meat. He never sets foot outside without something to give him shade, almost like the sun harms him.

It could not possibly be. You’ve seen his ears turn red when he gets flustered. Although his hands are mostly cold, you’ve felt his warmth. But some vampires don’t become as cold as ice. It is rare but it’s possible.

The roads all lead to one answer. He is a vampire.

“My lady, it isn’t safe for you here.” Zayne wipes the blood off his lips onto his sleeve. He slowly reaches you, his steps crunching marks into the snow. You hadn’t realised how overpowering his height actually is until now. Until now, you didn’t realise how terrifying his gaze is, how almost obvious it was. 

You can hear the reverend gurgling behind you, clearly still clawing at what remains of his liveliness. Zayne did that much in just seconds. He could have consumed you at any given moment. Whenever he checked your pulse. Whenever he nursed you. When he drew blood from your flesh. Whenever he saw you bare before him. Whenever you shared the most intimate looks and touches.

And yet he never did.

“I—“ Your chest squeezes harshly, like hundreds of pins stabbing at your heart continuously. You gasp, watching your gaze reach the black moonlight sky as you fall to the ground. 

You can’t feel your body. You can barely hear Zayne calling your name. Your eyes dart around his face as he cradles you in his embrace, his blood stained canines glistening as his lips frantically move in a repetitive pattern.

Your vision slowly blurs and darkens, moment by moment. It’s almost peaceful. You can’t possibly allow it. You must fight on. But you feel so warm in his embrace. So safe.

With the waning remnants of strength left in you, your hand gently cups his cheek, staining your fingers with the blood that struck his face. 

“You…” The whisper is hoarse and thick with gratitude for him, fear for the future of your home, and resentment for all that could be taken from you. “So, so beautiful.”

“My lady, please.” Zayne’s voice cracks as he begs, his eyes welling up with tears. “You must stay strong. Maintain your strength. Overcome this shock, I beg of you!”

The pain only engulfs you more. “If I cannot avenge my family… if I cannot outlive them…” You worry as your grip tightens on his cheek. It takes only seconds before a perilous idea strikes his mind. 

It is risky, truly, it is. But he is running rather short for time. He knows of your ambitions and your deepest desires. He can give that to you. He can. But it would only give you something similar to the illness you already face. You may never be able to step into the graces of the sun again.

If your grit stays true and strong, Zayne may have no other choice.

“My lady, you can.” He whispers, canines revealing themselves with his deluded smile. So long as he restricts himself from taking too much, you will live. He just has to hold himself back just a bit longer. “You have to choice to live. Eternally. With me. We can outlive your relatives. Or kill them if it fancies you. You can keep your title. But only if you are willing. I don’t want to take your life from you.”

You slowly blink as his eyes become the only thing you can clearly see. Your heart drums against your chest as you weigh the options. You could live forever. But you’d never see the sun again. You may just outlive your staff too. But to protect your family name, to avenge yourself, and to have Zayne be yours eternally… to be like him would not be much different from how you are now. 

You were never going to truly recover. You’d always be a fraction of who you once were. Your aunt was right. But this? This is an opportunity. A chance to truly heal, even if your only connection to your family will be the legacy you live through. You had a shot and setting things right once and for all.

With a weakened smile your eyes fluttered as you whispered your final words as a mortal. “Give me the tools to avenge my blood.”

The following seconds are pure agony. The last thing you see is Zayne apologetically smiling with you. The last thing you feel are his lips gently pressing on your forehead. The last thing you hear, that gives your heart the sharpest twinge, “I love you.”

Once his teeth sink deep into your neck, your vision darkens completely. 

There is silence. And then there is pain.

Your body burns like it’s caught up in flames, white hot and striking your every nerve. Your lips tear open to scream but no voice or air comes out. Your nails claw at his flesh, to ground whatever sinking life is in you. It's endless, loud, and violent until it quiets down completely.

And then there is a new form of silence.

You can hear distant bells chime while they flow with the winter wind. You can see the smallest, most intricate details of a falling snowflake. You can smell the scent him. You can feel his grip on you tighten, gently shaking you to see if he didn’t go too far. You can hear his honeyed voice call your name in fear and worship.

You blink and see those hazel eyes, now more beautiful than before.

“My lady?” His voice is as clear as the morning serenade of the birds. He looks even more handsome now. It shoots pulses of need straight to your core. Along with that, comes a fresh sense of confidence like a coat of skin over your strengthened skin. You no longer feel pain with every movement.

Your hand squeezes his cheek to test your strength, pinching harder and harder until he yelps. “My lady, you must tell me if you’re alright—“

Ignoring your inhibitions, you pull Zayne down to your embrace, pressing your lips right onto his. His lips are soft like pillows and, if not for the taste of your blood, you’d assume he tastes sweet. It barely takes seconds for him to respond with equal fervour, wrapping his arms round your waist.

Your tongue pokes between his lips and he grants you access with a hushed moan, leaning forward to push you deeper into the snow. The cold is no longer as biting as it use to be. It doesn’t bother you at all now. The pain in your body has silenced. It’s been so long since you felt so at ease.

Is this what pleasure feels like? Is it the burning feeling in your chest? Is it the way that your hands rush to feel more of him like you won’t get the chance again? Is it the way you both move together in a lustful dance, sharing your hushed noises of pleasure and need together?

Perhaps it’s all of it. Perhaps there’s even more.

“Zayne.” You pant as you pull away, strings of saliva connect you to him. 

“My lady.” He whispers with reverence laced in his tone. His hands caress you with care. He must be in heaven. That kiss… not only did it send signals straight to his cock to rise harder than it has ever been before, leaving him near shaking. 

In the quiet cold, he can’t help but desire you now more than ever. To taste you, to feel you above him until you drive yourselves mad with pleasure. It’s an insatiable desire and yet he wants it. He needs you.

You can definitely feel his erection. And that only makes your arousal deepen for him. You were already grinding on him the moment your kiss had deepened. You press wet kisses all over his face, reaching for his jaw and neck as your hands explore the expanse of his clothed back. 

“My lady,” Zayne whines, but tilts his head just enough to give you the access you need to torment him with your affections. It seems his neck is rather sensitive to your ministrations. “You must contain yourself. We are still outside.”

You can feel your canines, now sharper than before, prodding your lower lip. It feels so unfamiliar yet so beautifully natural. You would grow accustomed to this change eventually, you’d go accustomed to this new strength that makes you feel so alive. You could do anything, be anything. Have anything. You starved for it. And now you can get it.

“The only person close enough to spread word of our misbehaviour is already dead.” You whisper in a tone all too erotic for Zayne not to moan at the sound of. “I cannot hear his pulse.” You are correct, the reverend had long taken his final breath before Zayne had bitten you. 

Before he had turned you into a stronger version of yourself. A vampire, if you will.

The scent of the reverend’s blood sets off a deep, voracious craving within you to hunt down any person you can find and consume them. You wanted to devour every damned member of society that wronged you. It cannot compare, however, to the ravenous desire for him. 

“I must return you to the manor,” Zayne tuts, bringing your lips to his for another lascivious kiss. Your tongues dance frantically, hands slowly reaching lower to your chest before he pulls away. “Your bloodlust will drive you to attack innocents.”

“But what about the reverend, I can—“

“You won’t consume something as tainted as that.” He cuts in, pressing a peck on your nose. “He has been manipulating people, and embezzling the very funds you so graciously donated. You don’t deserve something as vile as that.” 

He attacks your neck with kisses, pulling gentle sighs from you as his hands venture to your waist. “After all, I can only give you the purest blood. The most delectable, nourishing blood that world can provide. Come now, my lady, we must get you home.”

You’re surprised he remembered that little joke you shared earlier. You’re more surprised of how it unfolded to become your fate. Consuming the blood of others to satiate yourself. You can only hope that your staff will still keep you close and care for you and let you return the favour now that you’re stronger.

“The carriage is just nearby,” You eventually give in, pointing in the direction of where you should go. Zayne wastes no time in picking you up in his arms as if you are his bride and venturing to get you to safety. 

The trip is not long. It does not take long to return to the manor. It does not take long to sneak past your staffs chambers, all of them still being asleep. It does not take long for you to reach your chambers. It does not take long for his lips to be on yours once more.

The coats and shoes had long been abandoned on the floor. Your fireplace had been vigorously been prepared by him to keep you as warm as possible, still treating you with care and affection as he always has.

Hushed moans fill the crackling silence of your bedchambers with rustling clothing and wandering hands reaching to all the places that would be deemed scandalous to touch. But your concerns for poise are long gone.

You pull away from his embrace, gliding your tongue down his neck to suckle your mark onto his flesh and lean back only to see the mark fade as quickly as it got there. 

“We tend to heal rather quickly.” He sheepishly smiles. “For example,” He takes your wrist and suckles hard on your skin. You can feel his tongue glide over your skin as his eyes pierce yours, arousing you all the more. Once he pulls away, you can already see the bruise starting to fade.

“You strength has dramatically improved, along with your agility and endurance.” He explains as he presses hot kisses on your skin. “You can run faster, you can protect yourself in any situation of danger,” His hands squeeze your waist harder than before as he nuzzles his nose into your skin, inhaling your scent.

“You can last much longer in more intimate experiences too.”

Your eyes almost twinkle at the sound of that. You aren’t ignorant of what you’re about to do. You’re more than old enough to have invested in the tools necessary to give yourself pleasure in the absence of a person to do it for you. But now you wanted to get a taste of pleasure with him.

“I want to test that out.” Your voice comes out sultry and dripping with need. He can’t even resist you if he tried. You turn around, gesturing to the gentle knot tied at the back of your gown. “I may need your assistance.”

Zayne moans at the sight, his cock violently twitching and leaking in the confines of his pants. “Of course, my lady.” His patience draws painfully thin as his pulls the knot apart to allow your gown to flow, still accentuating your figure.

His hands gently pull at your neckline until your gown falls to the floor. He rushes to pull off his garments, piece by piece until you both stand nude together, warm and vibrating with need. His hands subconsciously reach to cover the scars running up both his arms, having forgotten they were there.

“Those scars,” You whisper, reaching for his hands. “May I?”

Zayne rarely allows anyone to look at his arms. But for you? He trusts you to be gentle.

Your fingers touch each and every one, grazing over the bumps and roughened skin and feeling the contrast between scar tissue and skin. There is no pity in your eyes, only wonder and care.

“You don’t think they’re unsightly?”

“No,” You shake your head, bringing his forearm to your lips. You press a gentle kiss onto one of his scars, ensuring his gaze holds yours. “I think they’re very beautiful. In fact, if we had met when we were younger, I would have drawn birds and leaves on them every single day just to show how pretty they are.”

That makes Zayne laugh, releasing the tension held tight in his shoulders. You always knew how to grace him with your charm when he least expected it. He would let you draw on his scars any moment you wanted to, kiss and admire them whenever you needed to. 

“You can draw on them if you’d like.” He offers, guiding you to your bed before he gently lays you down.

“Please, I’ve outgrown that passion.” You laugh, wrapping your arms around his neck. You peck his lips. “I’d like to try other things with you.”

“Oh?” He teases, returning your peck with a longer kiss. “Like what, my lady?”

“Perhaps this.” You gently pull him to your lips, grinding your hips against his erection. His moans softly muffle in your mouth as he moves in tandem with you. His tongue glides over your lips as his hands gently knead at your breasts, pulling sweet moans from your lips.

Your bodies fit so close together like puzzle pieces, it would be a crime to let go. Drops of precum drips and spreads around your skin, making you very much aware of how needy he is for you. He’s just so big, so hard, he’s dripping and twitching just desperate to feel you in every way he can.

“My lady, please.” Zayne sigh on your lips, eyes squeezing shut. You just appear so much more lively, he has never seen you smile so much before. He has never seen such serenity in your eyes. He wants to give you more, and ensure you never suffer again. 

“What’s wrong?” You grin, ghosting your fingers down his back. From the way his cock twitched again, more aggressively than the last time, he definitely enjoyed it. “You seem so flustered.”

“Don’t be a tease.” He rasps, averting his gaze from you. Perhaps he ought to give you the same sensation. He bares his fangs, sharp and glistening with drool from his hunger for you. 

His lips explore your neck, tasting your skin, whining at your taste. He licks a stripe of hot saliva down your collarbones right to your breasts. He latches to your hardened nipple, swirling his tongue around the bud while his hand massages the other.

“I want to show you how much pleasure you can have,” He nips your breasts with his canines, burying his face deep in your cleavage. “I want to give you everything I have. May I?”

Open mouth kisses trail your skin in a pattern down from your breasts right to your hips. His hands reach down to your thighs, caressing you gently. He must know just how much it riles you up from that smirk plastered on his face.

Your face feels hot. Perhaps it’s because of the fire burning on the other side of the room, maybe it’s your arousal spreading so far around your body you can barely think. You’re practically dripping, you can feel it start to soak the bedding beneath you.

Your desire for him only intensifies the further down he goes until he rests his head between your legs. His nose dips close to your entrance, slowly inhaling deep as if the most heavenly scent was within you. A soft moan escapes his lips as his hands stroke your thighs with unconditional adoration.

“May I pleasure you, my lady?” He asks again, eyes glistening from the shine of the flames illuminating the room. How could you deny yourself such joy? You deserve to give yourself everything.

Your hands find purchase in his soft black locks and push his head closer and closer to your soaked cunt. “Of course you may,” You sigh, leaning back on the silk pillows behind you. Just for a better view. “Don’t hold back.”

My, oh my, does he take that seriously.

Zayne’s tongue slides up both sides of your folds just to get a light shiver out of you. His fingers knead your thighs to soothe your nerves while he teases you. Is it to get you trembling with need? Of course not, he would never torment you that way. Yet. 

His tongue circles your entrance, gathering as much of your dripping slick as he can, relishing in his tastebuds awakening to savour you completely. “Goodness, my lady, you taste divine.” He groans from between your legs.

You can’t help but sink your teeth into your arm to withhold the noises threatening to come out. All that teasing is just so stimulating. He’s barely doing anything and yet it feels so good. 

“Is that so?” You huff. He nods frantically, swiping his tongue up and down, sliding gingerly over your throbbing clit, spreading your arousal all over you. It’s utterly riveting, your legs instinctively twitch in his grip and close in on him only to be pushed back open.

Zayne tuts to your legs, pressing hot, wet kisses on you, mouthing and spreading your slick all over your skin. “Don’t move, my love.” He murmurs, licking long lines up to your knees. The sight is so erotic that you can feel more of your arousal gush from within you. Has he always been this lewd?

“Continue teasing me and I might writhe.” You struggle to bite back, shivering and whimpering from his ministrations. His fingers circle your entrance like his tongue did, occasionally pushing inside bit by bit before pulling away. 

Those hazel eyes glance up to admire you, despite your disheveled state. So beautiful, so much more powerful now that you feel so much better. He’s most grateful that the made the call to turn you, consequences be damned.

His lips curl as he takes your clit in his mouth, gently flicking his tongue at your bud. His fingers tease and swirl over your entrance before pushing his fingers inside, slowly spreading them open to stretch you out.

“O-Oh, god,” Your eyes flutter shut as your fingers tug at his hair. That only fuels Zayne to do more. His fingers push in and out of you, moving faster in his pace. Your slick gushes out of you like a waterfall, overwhelmed by the pleasure being amplified by your newfound strength.

Zayne hums into your pussy, slurping away at your clit. As your thighs tremble, potentially indicating your climax, he pulls away with a soft kiss. He can feel your slick dripping down his chin. It’s all too good to be true. Devouring you, pleasing you, seeing you so healthy and well after years of bearing witness to your suffering.

To see you so joyful and pleased just gets him harder. He can’t help but grind his hips into the bedding, losing the last of his composure and discipline. 

“Does it feel good?” He already knows it does. He just wants to hear it from you. You nod, panting out soft moans, but that isn’t enough. 

You yelp from the pain of him nipping your inner thighs with his sharp fangs. “I need you to tell me, my lady. Does it feel good?”

He’s such a tease. You always knew he had a flirtatious streak but you never knew he’d be a tease like this. “Damn you, Zayne, it feels wonderful.”

“I’m glad.” He muses, pressing kisses onto your skin. He moves closer and closer to your weeping pussy, fingers still deep inside curling until he finds just what he’s looking for.

One push is all it takes to have your head thrown back with the loudest, most melodic moan he’s heard from you. You tug his hair hard, bringing his hips to buck right into the sheets. Electric currents shoot up his spine, just strong enough to make him so so close that he could cum on the spot.

But he can’t. He must get you to cum first. He has to bear witness to you unwinding to pure pleasure. 

His fingers slip out of you to be replaced by his tongue. He just has to taste the source. His tongue curves just right, slurping up your juices as if it is holy water, licking up whatever falls down his chin and attacking your cunt like a man starved.

He would rather consume you like this on his knees for eternity. Your taste alone satiates him more than blood ever would. 

His fangs gently prod your swollen folds, only adding on to the relentless stimulation from his tongue fucking your hole and his fingers rubbing calloused circles on your clit. The bed rocks from his body working to please his own desperate needs, his moans go straight into you relentless and desperate to give you more.

“Zayne!” Your cries bounce of the walls of your bedchambers as you tug and pull him closer, so much closer. It just feels so divine. Just as divine as all the stories you’d read if not better. A tight coil stretches within you, growing hotter and tighter by the second. “It feels so good, I’m about to—“

“Cum?” His honeyed voice is literally seeped in arousal in such a lustful rasp.”By all means, my lady, give in to your desires.”

He just keeps moving so fast and so intensely you can barely think. Switching between his tongue and fingers, the overwhelming pleasure pulls your back into a feline arch as your climax rushes over you like a storm.

Despite your cries, Zayne takes it as a signal to give you more. He does not stop his relentless ministrations, slurping all your juices, nuzzling his face as deeply as your body will allow him to.

It’s too much. Your clit just stings from the overabundance of pleasure and yet you keep pushing him closer to you to get more. You tug and pull at his hair, moaning his name like a prayer and it might as well be if it means this satisfaction is eternal.

Still, you want more.

You pull him away from you reluctantly, empathising with his whines to continue. “Come to me.” You don’t have to tel him twice.

Zayne crawls atop your form, dropping wet, cum-slick kisses along your skin. He stops at your neck, where the bite marks have almost healed completely, and licks his way up slowly, slowly, until he locks onto your lips once more.

You can taste your essence fall onto your tongue, exploring his taste and inhaling his scent like air. You’re still vibrating from the aftershocks of your climax, so warm and open to receive much more.

Your hand reaches for his cock, hard and throbbing from his neglect to satiate himself. It’s so hot to the touch, so large in your hands that you wonder if you’d ever be able to take him in your mouth, let alone your pussy despite how much it soaks for him.

“My lady, you don’t have to worry about my needs.” Zayne whimpers right into your ear as your grip on his shaft tightens. With the movement your position will allow, you stroke his length and memorise each detail you encounter with your fingers.

You count two veins running from his base and joining before they kiss his reddened tip. His thickness alone makes your mouth water and your cunt soak with even more arousal as if you hadn’t just cum moments ago. You press your lips on his cheek as you stroke him, grinding your hips against his cock, soaking him in your desire.

“I want to.” You whisper, licking his lower lip. “We ought to please each other, no?”

Your eyes, damn you, your eyes draw him in and hold him captive in your embrace. If not for your charm and luring voice, your eyes alone would bring him to his knees and have him willingly deliver the world to your hands.

Zayne is utterly spellbound and he would not want to be anywhere else.

“Are you sure, my lady?” He cautions, taking your hand in his to kiss. “If you say yes, I am not sure if I’ll be able to stop.”

That alone makes your walls clench. “Good. I’m very sure.” You find new comfort in his lips. The manner in which he moves in tandem with you seems as though you were made for each other, like two pieces fitting into one. It’s hot, it’s passionate, it’s perfection seeped in desire.

He aligns his tip with your pussy, gently tapping it to tease you once more. Your cunt almost sucks him in completely, grabbing at his length upon him pushing himself in just until you swallow his cockhead completely.

You both sharply inhale from how tight and warm you feel together. Zayne’s head falls into the junction between your neck and shoulder, mouthing your flesh with kisses and moans. Your arms wrap around his back, fingers digging into his muscles.

You spend seconds like that. Suspended, just barely beginning to experience such divine pleasure. Just absorbing how good it feels before it gets much better. 

“So beautiful,” His muffled voice whines into your skin as if he’s inscribing his affirmations deep into your soul. “So intelligent. So generous, so kind, so divine, my lady.”

Before you can muster a response, his hips push deeper into your cunt with impatient speed until he’s completely bottomed out inside. The silence in your room is disturbed with your joint moans and the slick squelch of his hips beginning to move in a pattern, in and out and in and out, until your skin claps from his thrusts.

You grind your hips into his, following his growing speed as the pleasure between you builds like pressure boiling over. Still overstimulated from his tongue and fingers, your walls clench and squeeze on his girth, sucking him deeper and deeper inside with the sole intention to milk him of all he has.

Your moans sounds like a symphony to him. To hear you so profane and relishing in your own needs, clawing his back with your nails, digging your heels into his hips while your legs wrap tight around him… he’s so grateful to be the one to grant you this pleasure. 

Loud clap clap claps echo and bounce off the walls, accompanied by the obscene squelches and plaps of his hips pounding into yours. Your lips travel around his neck, biting deep into his muscles to channel the orgasmic pleasure building up from the penetration and friction driving you up the wall.

“S-So good— harder, Zayne!” You whine in his ear, clawing his scalp as you tug his head back. His cock twitches inside you from the ravenous ache, which urges him to pound his hips harder and harder until his tip pokes your most sensitive spot, pulling pleasure cries from your kiss-swollen lips.

“So tight, my lady,” He moans into your ear, so graphic with his words. “It feels— fuck— I’m so close.”

His grip on your hip tightens as he coils his arms around you to keep you close, so tightly bound together that you become one in your pursuit to drown in this satisfaction. He has to get you to cum again. He must. To feel you squeeze and clamp down so tightly on his cock may just bring him to see stars. He must bring you to your climax more strongly than before.

You can feel your edge teetering by with even more intensity than the last. You can barely concentrate from how his relentless ruts drive your eyes right into your skull. You’re both slick with a coat of sweat making you move smooth and wet together. 

You his face up in your hands, kissing him to taste him once more. You’re addicted. You are the way he feels inside, the way he tastes, how his devotion knows no bounds. It’s just too good. Tongues overlap, spilling and mixing your spit together while your teeth clash recklessly as your core screams for release, so tight that one more thrust will make it snap.

Zayne quickly pulls himself out, leaving your cunt pulsating and dripping from his unexpected absence. Before you can react, he sits on his knees and pulls you closer by the hips. Those muscular arms gently push your legs back just enough to hook them on his shoulders.

His hair lays drenched on his forehead as he pants on your skin, licking lines as far as your ankles while keeping his gaze on you. His cock gently rubs up and down along your folds, teasing his tip in just a bit only to pull out and rubs against you again. 

The stimulation from his cockhead kissing your clit brings you to claw the sheets beneath you, tears brimming in your eyes from how good it all feels. 

“What game are you playing?” You keen, both intrigued and irritated by his teasing.

“You must be so hasty, my love.” That grin of his is soaked with titillation, fangs glistening over your skin to graze and nip. “I want you to come undone from my cock as you did with my tongue. The only way to do that is to heighten your senses as best I can.”

His tongue slithers a trail of spit around every part of you he bites. His head nuzzles your legs, watching your gaze glaze over from how turned on he’s making you. He has no shame in sounding how good it feels to tease you like this, even if it drives him insane to withhold both your climaxes just a bit longer.

“Zayne,” You whine, thrashing your head into the pillow. “Zayne, I beg of you, cease your teasing!”

As much as he loves to tease, he cannot bear seeing you struggle so much. “Of course, my love,” He pushes your legs further back until they meet your chest. “I would never deny you of such a pleasure.”

He slides in smooth and fast, his cockhead instantly hitting your sensitive gummy spot in a better, more intensive angle. Your vision goes completely white for a fraction of a second, almost, almost enough to make you cum there and then.

You sink your teeth into his flesh from the intensive stimulation. It’s all so deliciously good. You can barely think. You can barely perceive anything outside of his face scrunching from the pleasure of you squeezing around his cock, of his eyes rolling back, of his moans and profane praises slipping through his lips right into your ever listening ears.

“So fucking divine,” He blabbers, completely losing all rational thought. There is only you. Only your desires. Only your pleasure. His mind is going completely numb and his only thought is you. You. You. “So tight. You feel absolutely perfect, my lady, I want to please you, make you feel so good.”

And that just does it.

Your eyes roll and cross completely, your toes curl and your nails claw at his scalp as that string finally snaps and tips you over the edge. Your throat goes hoarse from your cries as waves of your climax hit you like waves, pulsating and squeezing so tight that it brings Zayne to his climax as well.

Hot, thick ropes of cum shoot into you, coating your walls completely white as he fucks his seed deep inside. His voice cracks between each moan, singing your praises for the night to hear. His hips keep moving, pushing his cum in as deeply into you as possible, plugging it inside with his throbbing length regardless of the sting of overstimulation.

It takes just moments from you to cool down from the pleasure burning deep within you. Your moans fade to breathless gasps for air, your ministrations finally halt until you rest in each other’s arms with the crackles of the fire pit being your ambiance.

Zayne slowly presses soft pecks on your cheeks, your forehead, your temple, worshipping you in the afterglow of your unwinding, whispering words of affection to you as exhaustion starts to overcome you.

“Are you alright?” His voice is hoarse and raspy, yet as soft as a whisper. Barely able to move, considering you are both still very much snug in your mating press, you hum with a smile. He swiftly eases your legs, turning you both over so that you may rest more comfortably.

“Very much so.” You could be like this forever. Comfortable and safe in his arms. But when daybreak arrives, you will have to deal with your newfound fate.

Zayne can tell you’re deep in thought. He nuzzles his nose on your cheek to grab your attention. You rather enjoy his act of affection. “What is plaguing your mind, my love?”

“We have to find a way to disarm the tension.” You grumble. “I can outlive them all now, but that would dwindle my aunt’s persistence. And the staff… how will they respond to seeing me in this state?” Your recent act of devotion shared with him slowly dawns upon you. “What will my handmaidens think when they find us in the morning?” 

A twinge of doubtful worry pokes Zayne. His lips curve into a pout as his eyes widen like small balls of light. “Do you want me to leave?”

“Absolutely not.” You cut him off. How preposterous of him to even think that way. “My concern is not their opinion. I would be more than happy to have you by my side for eternity. It’s the giggles and teasing looks they will give me that I worry about.”

“I think I can handle that,” He laughs, nuzzling you again to ease your tension. Let your servants tease you, he thinks. It’s an open signal that you have found joy again. He assumes there will be initial concern and shock considering he never informed them that he is a vampire, but they will soon grow accustomed to it.

If not for the sake of acceptance, then they would for the sake of their Countess. Which you will soon be, by all means necessary.

“Worry yourself with it when the sun rises.” Zayne pecks your lips once more. His cock slowly rises between you as you snake your arms around him.

“The night still has pleasures for us to indulge in.”

[dwrlm-orion]

two souls

"lilia, do you think we were lovers in a past life?"

your voice rang through the much colder walls of diasomnia, the slightest chill from his dorm's window contrasting the warmth of your body resting against his. he sat above you with a gentle but longing expression as your head leaned across his lap under the covers of his bedsheets. the familiar touch of his hand through your hair aided you in a soft and quiet haze, leaving you idly rambling as you fought against your own growing tiredness.

"what makes you say that, my dove?"

lilia whispered down, his voice feigning innocence as a flash of unknown emotions came undone within his eyes at the mention of the past. emotions of unadulterated yearning, devotion, and devastation. a glance that told both everything and nothing at all with hidden stories of broken pasts, unfortunate fates, and a fleeting sense of romance. vulnerability. no matter how much he denied it, his eyes told centuries of stories he could never have the time to tell you this late into the night.

so instead, a simple question was all you got in reply.

but in that one simple question, a multitude of memories flooded through lilia's clouded mind. storms upon storms clashed against his heart as images cascaded into his memories. images of a peculilar human—bright and troublesome—sneaking into palace grounds for a taste of a snack. images of him catching that same human and strangely falling in love as their game of chase went on. images of him holding the human he learned to love as they breathed their last, an inevitable price of war.

but then other memories began to infect his mind directly after. a fleeting touch during a neighboring kingdom's ball. a skirmish between two sides on an afternoon horseback ride. a shared glance at a town's marketplace. one filled with unspoken tension and longing. each encounter he pursued blindly. and each encounter together led from one thing to the next... until him and his human both succumbed to the pull of their emotions.

he loved and loved until his human's time was up. and then he would find them again. he would find you again. that's just how it was.

different name. different eyes. but the same soul.

is this what it meant to have a soulmate? to see the human soul he grew to love repeatedly live and die while his life remained stagnant? lilia was not entirely sure. or maybe... he simply did not wish to cling onto the hopes that you would always find your way to him in your every lifetime. he may continue to love you in his lifetime, but what guaranteed that you would love him in each of yours? lilia did not want to even think about it.

yet he did. always.

so when he hears a lazy and mumbled reply coming from your tired figure, his gaze softens along with a profound pain in the depths of his heart. he feels as your hand subconciously curls against the hem of his shirt. a deep sigh escapes his chest as he gently holds your cheek against the palm of his hand, an action that he has done since the first life he had found you in. his eyes trace your face and peer into your soul.

"don't worry. even if you do not find me in each of your lifetimes..." lilia leans down his forehead against yours, pushing back the tears in his eyes as if it were second nature with a small, vulnerable whisper.

"i'll forever love you in mine."

— fin.

[dwrlm-orion]

PLEASEEEE platonic Malleus x reader where he just judges your taste in men

Basically calling u out bc *gasp* you like THEM?!

If I could REALLY ask about who are THEM pls pls PLS make them Ace, Riddle, Leona, Vil and Kalim (I'm a slut okay)

Malleus and Reader

Where he complains about the boys you like

How would Malleus complain when you told him about the boy you like?

With Ace, Riddle, Leona, Vil and Kalim.

APPROVED ONES EDITION

SECOND PART HERE

I BUSTED MY ASS WRITING THIS. PLEASE, SOMEONE MAKE A REQUEST WITH OTHER CHARACTERS. I’M DOWN TO DO ALL OF NRC.

"I think Ace is kinda cute, actually.” Malleus, blinking slowly: “…You think who is what?”

He turns his head toward you like he’s just spotted a crack in the very fabric of reality. There’s silence. You swear the air gets colder.

“Ace Trappola. The one who argued with Professor Trein over homework formatting. The one who once attempted to cheat on a pop quiz and still failed. The one who slapped Rosehearts's face. That Ace Trappola?”

You nod.

“You are aware that, last week, he mooned the enchanted armor in the hall and declared it ‘a win for man over machine,’ correct?”

“Okay but—”

“And this is the person you've found appealing.”

He stares ahead, hands folded behind his back, voice unnervingly calm

“He treats life as a game he does not know the rules to, nor does he care to learn them. He teases you daily, refers to you as ‘bro’ and once called you ‘mid.’ And this endeared him to you?”

“...Maybe?? He’s fun! And kinda smart—when he wants to be.”

Malleus places a hand over his heart.

“You must never let Lilia hear of this. He will not survive it.”

Malleus Draconia does not approve!

“I think Riddle’s really admirable. I like him, Like, he’s passionate and smart and—”

"Interesting."

Malleus, 0.02 seconds later: "Concerning, but interesting."

He tilts his head like an owl and stares directly into your soul.

“You speak of someone who nearly sentenced you to public decapitation for wearing the wrong socks.”

“That was a month ago! He’s mellowed out—”

“The same Riddle who recites bylaws at breakfast? Who lectures you for yawning during study hall, claiming it disrespects the sanctity of ‘scholarly hour’?”

“Okay, yes, but he’s also really driven. Like, I respect his work ethic—”

“He once corrected Silver’s grammar in the middle of a fire drill. The building was actively burning.”

You open your mouth. Close it again.

“You are attracted to a man whose idea of romance is likely organizing your schedule to the minute and berating you lovingly when you are sixty-two seconds late.”

He sighs, deeply, as if bearing the weight of your poor judgment alone.

“...You deserve flowers. Not spreadsheets.”

Malleus Draconia does not approve!

“I dunno, I think Kalim’s kind of sweet…”

“Sweet?” he echoes, tone vaguely offended. “You once nearly perished because he brought exploding fireworks into a dining hall.”

“But he apologized! And then he bought everyone cake!”

“He bought seventy cakes. Half of which were flan. You were comatose from sugar consumption for two days.”

"He meant well!! He just wanted people to be happy!”

Malleus pinches the bridge of his nose like you’ve just announced your intent to marry a hurricane.

“He does not understand the concept of ‘danger,’ nor ‘budget.’ Nor the line between ‘generosity’ and ‘bankruptcy." Even if he's rich.’”

He looks at you very seriously.

“If you confessed your feelings to him, he would likely throw a parade. During a thunderstorm. On carpeted floors. With live tigers.”

"That sounds kinda romantic though.”

“That sounds like a liability.”

He sighs, turning his face to the heavens as though begging some greater power for strength.

“It is not love, it is survival. You are enamored with chaos dressed in gold.”

Malleus Draconia does not approve!

"I think Leona’s really… alluring.”

“Ah.”

Malleus, slowly turning to face you.

“You enjoy being insulted, then.”

“What—no?! I mean, he’s confident! And smart! And he has that whole… brooding bad boy vibe—”

Malleus raises one elegant brow, his tone somehow both dry and royally disappointed.

“You are referring to the man who skipped an entire midterm because he was ‘emotionally allergic to mornings.’”

“He just needs someone to believe in him, y’know?”

“Believe in him? He kicked you off a sand dune because he ‘felt like it.’ He naps in alchemy. He once said, and I quote: ‘If it looks like effort, I’m not doing it.’”

“He’s just… misunderstood!”

“He is perfectly understood. He is chaos made of ego and nap schedules.”

“You would become his favorite pillow, his errand assistant, and—if you are lucky—his designated ‘person he smirks at when bored.’”

He puts a hand on your shoulder, face solemn.

“You do not need a man with a superiority complex. You need one who knows the day of the week.”

Malleus Draconia does not approve!

“Okay but… Vil is gorgeous. Like. Undeniably.”

“And tyrannical.”

“He’s disciplined! He has standards!”

“He once threatened to replace your entire wardrobe because your color palette was ‘offensively autumn.’ You were wearing beige.”

“He just wants me to shine!”

“He wants you to be a doll. A well-dressed, properly postured, kale-eating doll who never slouches and only drinks water with lemon slices.”

“And you think that’s bad?”

“I think if you gained three pounds he’d try to ban sodium from your life.”

Malleus looks at you like you’ve brought home a sentient blender and called it your soulmate.

“You would never have peace. Only toning creams and judgment. He once insulted Lilia’s eyeliner.”

“Okay but—he’s driven and elegant and talented and—”

“And ruthless, dramatic, and convinced that only he knows what beauty is. If you had a bad skin day, he’d schedule an intervention. With a PowerPoint.”

He exhales, softly. Almost kindly.

“You are lovely as you are. Do not let him convince you that loveliness must be earned.”

Malleus Draconia does not approve!

[dwrlm-orion]

𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘗𝘨. 2

hi my lovelies welcome to my pg.2 masterlist! (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) my first masterlist wouldn't let me add anymore links so i moved a couple of them here! if you're new or haven't finished reading any of my works here's pg.1 Love And DeepSpace Masterlist Pg.1 enjoy reading! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ more coming so soon! recently updated: 6/16/ 2025

✎ = angst ❀ = fluff ☾= comfort ✧= silly ღ = suggestive content/ smut

Headcanons/ Scenarios: When You Look Mean And Introverted ❀ When You Slap His Ass ღ✧ Kissing His Scars ❀☾ Pasta Back Crack Prank ✧ Boyfriend Headcanons + Scenarios/ Imagine Pt.2 ❀ When You're A Gamer ❀✧ Roleplay With Them ღ Walking Around Naked ღ❀ Spending Halloween With Them ❀ Swapping Bodies With Them ღ✧ Sending Them Baby Videos When They're Away ❀ When They're The Mc ❀✧ღ Cat Hybrids In Heat ღ Making Their Child Cry ❀✧ Baby's First Vaccine ❀ Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe ( Christmas Special ) ❀ Comforting Him During A Nightmare ❀☾ Santa Baby ( Christmas Special Smut ) ღ I Saw Mommy Kiss Santa! ( Christmas Special ) ❀✧ "Where Do Babies Come From?" ✧ Caught White Handed! ღ New Years Kisses ( New Year Special ) ❀ Kisses From The Past ❀ Catching Baby Fever! ❀ How They Treat You When You're Pregnant ❀

Headcanons/ Scenarios ( All 5 ):

Husband/Father Headcanons ❀ P☆RN STA-A-A-A-AR ღ When You're Short ❀✧ Picking Out Baby Clothes With Them ❀ Caught Wet Handed! ღ Valentine's Day ❀ AH-AH-APHRODISIAC?! ღ Flashing Them During An Argument ✧ღ Period Stains + Period Comfort ❀ ☾ S/O With ADHD ❀ ☾ Caught You Staring! ❀ S/O That Wears Glasses ❀ ✧ When They're The MC Pt. 2 ❀ ✧ Break Up Prank ✎☾ Need Some Comfort? ❀ ☾ Sending Him A Cleavage Photocard Pic ღ How They Get Your Ring Size ❀ ✧ "My Water Broke!" ❀ Cuteness Aggression! ❀ How They Fart! ( April Fools Special ) ✧ Incoming Baby Call! ❀ S/O With Depression ☾ Game Over! ღ The Condom Broke ღ Papa Don't Go! ❀ "Pretend I'm A Random Woman!" ❀ ✧ Teasing Them In Public ღ The Sweetest Pie! ღ Holding Their Newborn Baby ❀ Mornings With Them ❀

[dwrlm-orion]

∧,,,∧ (  ̳• · • ̳) /    づ♡ 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘚𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵

hi my lovelies here is all my works so far if you would like to check them out! <3 i'll update it as much as i can! recently updated: 1/11/2025 MDNI. my works contain smut and suggestive content as tagged below. Finished reading? Here's the link to pg. 2 of my masterlist! Love And DeepSpace Masterlist Pg. 2

✎ = angst ❀= fluff ☾= comfort ✧= silly ღ= suggestive content/ smut

Headcanons/ Scenarios When You're Pregnant ❀ When You Have A Baby ❀ When You're Sick ❀ After Care With Them ❀ ღ When You Give Them AfterCare ❀ ღ If They Were Vampires ❀ ღ When You Cry During Sex ❀ ღ When You're Insecure About Your Body After Birth ❀ Attending Your Daughter's Recital ❀ Boyfriend Headcanons ❀ When They Hear You Singing A Lullaby ❀ Taking Care Of Their Chronically Sick S/O ❀ ☾ When You're Introverted ❀ Comforting You During A Panic Attack ☾ When You're Stressed From School ❀ ☾ Where They Like To Leave Marks ღ When You're Self Conscious About Stretch Marks ❀ ☾ Comforting You From A Nightmare ❀ ☾ Their Favorite Positions + Kinks ღ When You're On Your Period ❀ ☾ Sitting On Their Face ღ Flinching During An Argument ✎☾ When They Finish First ღ When You're An Idol ❀✧ Using Handcuffs ღ Consoling You While You Grieve ☾ When They Turn Into Cats ❀✧ Papa's Little Princess ❀ When You're A Streamer ❀✧ When You Don't Come Back From A Mission ✎ When You Randomly Turn Into A Cat ❀✧ Sending Them A Boob Pic ღ Sending Them A Dirty Video When Their Away ღ If You Had A High Libido ღ S/O Who Faces Mental Illness ☾ Showering With Them ❀ღ Giving Them Head + Small Fic ღ

Full Fics °˖➴♡⃛ currently editing/ revising it again (•̀ᴗ•́ )و

Xavier ꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱₊˚⊹ : Coming Soon

Zayne ദ്ദി(⎚_⎚) Pushing Him Away In Your Sleep ❀ Picture You ღ lightweight ღ Whispers Of Reunions ღ

Rafayel 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 A Slow Night ღ teacher's pet ღ

Sylus (ง'̀-'́)ง Drive Around The City ღ General Headcanons ❀ Pushing Him Away In Your Sleep ❀ Amusement Park Date ❀ his necklace ღ his treasure ღ hold on tight ღ Milk Him Dry! ღ

[dwrlm-orion]

Imagine Being Isekai'ed into KPOP DEMON HUNTERS. (part 3)

This chapter is mainly Baby (Beom) oriented!) THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT! I think this ones a little longer!(my tag list IS closed but you can follow the post in order to receive updates on when i make edits!! So sorry!)

Part 1 Part 2

To Y/N’s surprise, the Saja Boys were actually a talented bunch. Although, she wasn’t sure how much of it was raw talent or made by demonic power. 

The tired girl had finished up the lyrics, allowing Baby and Romance to write with her. She had ingrained into them that, if they used their fake charm on her, she would withdraw her offer and leave them to rot. Y/N despised flattery, it was a candy trail for those, foolish enough to pick up a piece of poisoned candy.

‘Huh, you really make it obvious. “Gotta drink every drop.”? I might as well tell them I'm a demon.’ Jinu sneered, with his hand over one headphone as he listened to the demo Y/N had drafted. His words, however sharp, bounced off Y/N as she noticed a small detail in Jinu’s behaviour.

‘Your shoulders are dancing.’ Y/N grinned cheekily, her chin resting on her balled fist.

‘I didn’t say it was bad.’ Jinu grumped, bopping his head to the beat. ‘Abel was right, you do have talent.’

‘Why thank you Jinu.’

‘Y/N?’ A voice called out, ‘For the rap, can you help me with some of my lyrics?’ Baby grasped Y/N’s hand delicately, as if unsure.

‘Hm? Yeah.’ Y/N slipped out of her chair, inconspicuously removing her fingers from Baby’s grip. She wasn’t sure how much of him was actually shy, and the other just a sarcastic mock of the industry’s infantilisation of idols.

‘Let me know if you want anything changed, Jinu.’ Y/N patted the older man on the shoulder quickly before moving over to sit with the youngest of the bunch. 

Jinu watched on with a familiar feeling in his chest.

Envy.

Greed.

Jinu blinked, quickly jerking his gaze away from Y/N and his youngest friend. Was he jealous? What for? His eyes narrowed, sneaking a glance at the pair again.

Y/N and Baby, were leaned over Y/N’s notebook, chattering animatedly. Baby, actually seemed to be enjoying the conversation.

‘Hey, wait, these are actually really good, kid!’ Y/N laughed, ruffling the hair of the youngest. The boy in return grumbled, red cheeked, battering Y/N’s hand away.

‘I’m over two hundred years old.’ He slumped over, laying his head on the cool marble table.

‘Huh, y’know sometimes I forget.’ She mused, looking at Baby’s now messy hair. 

‘Is this actually you writing or you guys using your powers.’

‘I was a poet before I took a deal with Gwi-ma. My name was Beom.’ He hummed, looking at the notebook, tapping the pen on his cheek.

‘I see! It really shows. You have really good flow as well.’ Y/N smiled, leaning back, forgetting that the stool had no backing.

‘Watch it.’ Jinu’s arm wrapped around her waist securely. His gaze was… conflicted? When did he move from the set up to the kitchen table?

Jinu was stuck between wanting her to fall and wanting to wrap her up to keep her safe. He could feel the heat of her skin through her thin shirt.

‘Holy crap, thanks Jinu. I forgot about these chairs. I don’t usually sit here, I don’t really have people over a lot.’ Y/N’s sentence drifted off, as she realised how sad that sentence sounded.

‘I mean, you’ll be stuck with us for a while.’ Beom smiled nervously, looking at the girl with hopeful eyes.

‘Yeah, this song will take me less than three days. I mean, look at your writing! It’s been less than two hours and you’re already almost done with your lyrics!’ Y/N praised, forgetting for a split moment that she was talking to a demon.

‘Thanks Y/N.’ Beom beamed, standing up and gathering his notes. ‘I’m going to go practice with the music!’

‘Alrighty kid, let me know if you need anything.’ Y/N called, watching the man’s blue hair bounce slightly as he ran over to join Romance, Mystery, and Abel.

‘Why are you pretending to be nice to them?’ Jinu sounded irritated, his voice was filled with aggression. 

‘Huh? I’m not pretending to be nice. In fact, I actively claim to be a rude and disagreeable person.’ Y/N crossed her arms, at his accusatory tone. Why was he being so rude to her? He was at least somewhat nice to Rumi in the movie. Maybe, even kind.

‘Yeah well, I can see that.’ Jinu bit back, staring at her with a similar stance.

‘Look Jinu, I don’t know what your problem is, but I'm helping you at the moment so the least you can do is be nice to me. Or in the least, be agreeable.’ She spun around, picking up her note book and standing. ‘I get that I’m not pretty like the rest of Huntr/x but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel bad when you treat me differently.’

‘Who said I thought you weren’t pretty?’ He frowned, looking confused. ‘I’m an asshole, not blind.’ 

Y/N  waved him off, seemingly seeing through his lie.

‘Flattery won’t get you anywhere. I’m not stupid Jinu. All I’m saying is, you don’t have to hate me.’

‘But I-’ 

‘Let's go over the lyrics. Is there anything you want me to change? Do you want line distribution done by you or by me?’ Y/N picked up a pen, changing the topic so quickly it almost gave Jinu whiplash.

‘Uh…’

‘Well, Jinu was a singer before we became like this. He should have the most lines.’ Abel hummed, leaning over Y/N’s shoulder. 

‘I think we can take care of line distribution. Did you wanna change anything?’ Abel smiled as he continued. ‘I think we’re ready to record!’

Y/N nodded at the taller man before turning to look back at Jinu.

‘Is there anything you wanted me to look at Jinu? Or did you wanna start recording?’ Y/N tilted her head, a habit she had picked up from leaning to listen to Bobby ramble during loud Huntr/x concerts.

‘No, they look good. Let's start recording.’ Jinu looked at the hand that Abel had placed on the small of Y/N’s back, guiding her towards her set up. Why did he feel heat spreading through his chest? An uncomfortable burning that set him aflame with this... resentment. 

--

The recording lasted only two other hours, but the mixing and mastering lasted the rest of the night. Y/N ended up with eyebags and heavy eyelids as she finished up using her pitch corrector and adjusting the mixer levels to be within industry standards. She slumped down the back of her chair as she pressed export, sending it to be downloaded onto her desktop.

‘ ‘m done.’ She mumbled, closing her eyes as she slid off her noise cancelling headphones. The boys had decided to stay in her apartment to figure out the choreography. Of course, being demons meant they didn’t have to sleep so they actually could spend hours upon hours doing whatever suited them.

Honestly though, Y/N was surprised that they actually came up with their own choreography. She had thought it was just some spell the demons had cast to make it easier. 

‘Wow, that was fast!’ Romance commented.

‘Can we hear it?’ Mystery asked, leaning to rest his forearms on Y/N’s seat from above.

‘Mm.’ Y/N mumbled laying her head on her crossed arms and ignored the boys. She was getting too old for these all-nighters. She could feel the youth drain out of her body as she closed her eyes. 

‘Oh oh! Me first!’ She could hear the boys squabbling over who got to hear the finalised version first. The voices began to drown out, as Y/N drifted into a silent sleep. Blocking out the noise from the conscious world. Whenever she overworked, she tended to pass out completely rendering her useless to the rest of the world. Not even alarm clocks would wake her up. Several times, Bobby had to come into her apartment and rouse her from sleep. It was why he had a spare key card. He wanted to make sure Y/N was alive during the weeks where they were preparing for a new album.

‘Be quiet.’ Jinu hushed the group, looking at Y/N, hearing her slowed, steady breaths. 

‘She’s asleep. Y/N’s been working on this the whole night.’ He said slowly, eyes tracing over her slowly rising shoulders.

‘Right. Should we leave her here or?’ Beom kneeled down to look up at Y/N’s sleeping face. He made a mental note of how Y/N’s eyelashes fluttered when her eyes moved behind her closed lids.

‘I’ll carry her back to her room. Keep practicing the choreo, just make sure you’re quiet.’  Jinu kneeled, delicately slipping his hands under Y/N’s knees and wrapping a protective arm around her neck. He stood with little effort, his demon strength aiding him in carrying Y/N.

He nudged a door open, decorated with sound proofing foam with his foot, peeking around to see if it were her room. He hummed in amusement, spotting pages of writing on the floor, scattered in a semi readable pattern.

‘So you’re a work-aholic, huh?’ He whispered, laying Y/N down on her back. The room was relatively clean despite the lyric sheets scattered on the floor. It looked like she spent more time in her set up than in her room.

Y/N groaned, as she rolled over in the bed, hunching over.

‘Cold?’ Jinu mumbled, shifting Y/N’s legs so he could grab the comforter and lay it over the sleeping girl. He watched as Y/N’s face smoothed, relaxing under the light pressure of her blanket. 

A rush of warmth.

What? Since when did he feel anything but rage and shame. He had feelings, but none of them ever felt so…

So tranquil, as if it were lulling him into a gentle embrace.

No.

He didn’t have time for that. Jinu needed his memories gone so he could move on with his life. He was sure that he could find a way to leave Gwi-ma’s hold, he just had to get past his first hurdle. 

‘Who cares if you’re pretty or not. I’m not shallow enough to think that’s what matters.’ He muttered, turning around before pausing. 

‘And I never said you weren’t pretty.’ He added, before stepping quietly out of the room. Jinu returned to the living room after closing Y/N’s door, watching his friends practice their new choreography.

‘Is she asleep?’ Mystery asked, pausing the music as he spotted Jinu stalking back towards them with a sour face.

‘Yeah, let’s get to work.’ Jinu nodded, taking his position in the formation. ‘Abel did you figure out the entire dance?’

‘That's right.’ Abel looked proud, his thumb pointing toward his chest. ‘Y’think Y/N will like it?’ 

‘She doesn’t have to like it. It’s about whether or not the people will. We’re stealing the fans.’

‘I think it would be nice if Y/N also liked the dance.’ Beom rolled his eyes, sassing the leader.

‘She isn’t important. We’re just using her to make sure we can steal Huntr/x’s fans and get Gwi-ma his souls.’ Jinu stated firmly, As if trying to convince himself of his own statement. He pressed play, resuming the music on the computer.

‘There's no need to be mean about it.’ The purple haired man hummed, before falling into position with the rest of the group.

‘Enough. We have two days left to have this choreo down. Let's start rehearsing.’

A soft melody of whistling, and popfunk synth filled the night, accompanied by shuffling footsteps and quiet singing. Y/N remained fast asleep as the boys practiced well into the morning, each man making sure to be as quiet as possible to keep from waking their new producer and writer. 

-

Y/N winced as she stretched her complaining joints, creaking in protest. She sat up, rubbing her sleep filled eyes, looking around at the new scenery. Huh, she was in her room. Last she remembered, she was laying her head down on her desk after finishing Soda Pop. The tired girl roused herself from the bed, shrugged on a random jumper and opened her door.

A soft whump as the boys landed on their feet into their ending pose.

‘Huh, that's lookin’ good!’ Y/N cocked her head, an approving smile lighting up her face. ‘Wanna show me the number from the top?’ 

Pressing play, Y/N watched the boys easily slide into their beginning poses and begin their song from the top. It was extremely impressive, the way Jinu’s voice was almost an exact one to one of the recording. His stage presence was evident, even in her very own living room. Mystery had an incredibly sweet voice, whilst Romance had a round, upbeat one. Coupled with Beom’s deep voice and Abel’s boyish charm, the group meshed into a force to be reckoned with.

Huntr/x really did have some competition. But Y/N was sure that she would be able to figure out a way to stop Gwi-ma from slipping through the Honmoon. 

She’d find a way.

‘Thoughts?’ Jinu grinned, his chest heaving from exertion. 

‘If you guys weren’t trying to take over the world, I’d actually consider taking you on as personal clients.’ Y/N smirked, turning around to switch off the music. 

‘A couple more times and I think you guys have it down to perfection.’ She laughed, turning her chair to open up her browser.

‘Watcha doing?’ Beom walked over, dragging another gaming chair with him. Y/N kept several of those for whenever she had HUntr/x over.

‘I’m gonna send you guys the file so you can upload it. That way you can also have it in your respective phones.’ Y/N hummed, logging into her email.

‘What's your email?’ 

A pause.

‘Do you guys even have phones?’ Y/N blinked, turning back to face the boys.

‘Yeah, here I’ll give you mine, Beom nodded enthusiastically, putting his phone on the table in front of Y/N. 

‘Alrighty Beom, I’ll send it over to you. After this, I’m going to get breakfast. Are you guys gonna go home?’ Y/N clicked away on her screen, typing in the details of Beom’s email.

‘We’ll get breakfast for you.’ Mystery called out, already walking away towards the elevator. The rest of the boys besides Beom walked towards the door.

‘Beom will stay here with you.’ Jinu clarified, walking towards the door that led to the stairs.

‘Hey Abel, do you think you could out run me on the stairs while I took the elevator?’ Jinu struck up a challenge in a prodding tone.

A challenge that Abel jumped on.

‘Oh, you’re on.’ Abel flung open the door and rushed down the stairs. The pattering off feet on stairs diminished slowly, echoing off the stairwell.

Jinu however, strolled leisurely back to the elevator door and pushed the button. He met Y/N’s confused stare with a confident smile and said, 

‘He's the biggest one and I wanted more space. Y’know how it goes.’ He walked into the elevator doors as they opened, whilst Romance and Mystery gave small chuckles, shaking their heads.

‘We’ll see you soon Y/N.’ Romance waved as the doors closed.

The girl slowly side-eye'd Beom and pressed send on the email she had written.

‘So, is there anything else you wanted me to do?’ Y/N spun around in her chair lazily, allowing the inertia of her spinning chair to keep her entertained.

‘No not really. Although, I do want to say that, I saw another song in your notebook.’ Beom’s eyes followed Y/N’s spinning figure.

‘Wait what?’ Y/N slammed her hands on the table, grasping at her notebook.

‘Did you write that for us?’ Beom’s tone was inquisitive.

And there it was. The back bone of ‘Your Idol’ written out in the notebook. When had she written this?

‘I… It’s not finished.’ She gazed into the book, as if in a trance. 

‘It looks pretty cool! I hope that I can hear it one day.’ Beom shrugged, leaning back on his chair.

‘So, a poet huh? What made you choose that path?’ Y/N closed her notebook, setting it aside. She wanted to change the subject, and fast. ‘Your Idol’ wasn’t meant to be written already and if she were being honest, she wanted to avoid the story plot advancing to that stage.

‘Yeah, my father was a court official in the palace. They wanted me to become a scholar and follow his footsteps.’ His eyes were glazed over, staring out the glass window.

‘Yet, all I wanted to do was write. I wanted to make words flow into a beautiful stream, to be read and understood by all.’ He continued, smiling slightly before his eyes came back into focus.

‘But my father disapproved.’ Beom's gaze hardened and his jaw was set.

‘He wanted me to be just like him. A cunning, snivelling leach who kissed the feet of the emperor. So I took a deal with Gwi-ma. That I’d give him my soul and in return, I would be a well known writer, famous enough to sustain myself and my mother.’ Beom’s hands were clutched in tight fists.

‘And so?’ Y/N prompted cautiously, leaning over, elbows on her knees, resting her head on her open palms.

‘It was amazing at first. People paid to hear my poems, they came from all over the country. But then the patterns started. And they kept spreading until Gwi-ma took me into the underworld.’ Beom’s patterns flashed, his form glitching for a split second into his true image.

‘He took you?’ 

‘Yes. Just like he took Jinu and the rest of the boys. I guess he wanted to use us somehow. Gwi-ma always takes back the favours he’s owed. It’s part of the reason we’re here.’ Beom sighed, shaking his head as if to clear away thoughts, clouding his mind.

‘But even here, we can still hear him. Telling us we aren’t enough. That we deserve nothing and that without him, we’d be rotting in the dirt.’ Beom smiled bitterly, looking up at Y/N through his lashes.

‘Well that's simply untrue.’ Y/N laughed, sliding her chair closer to Beom’s side.

‘I think you would have been successful, even if you didn’t take that deal. I mean look at your own writing! I’m a harsh critic, trust me. But you wrote these lyrics in such little time and they’re actually good!’ Y/N gently placed a hand over Beom’s shoulder, in a comforting motion. 

A spark. 

Just like before.

A jolt of white blue electricity, emanating from her fingertips into Beom’s skin, Illuminating his patterns. Y/N slowly took her hand away, watching the boy’s patterns rippled, amalgamating with the white blue light.

‘How did you…’ Beom stood abruptly, splaying his hands, flexing his fingers. ‘My patterns, they… You made them shine.’ He looked utterly stunned.

‘Um… I don’t know?-’

‘My head!’ Beom raised a shaky hand toward his forehead. ‘I can’t hear him. I can’t hear Gwi-ma. How is that possible?’ His eyes snapped to Y/N, yet there was not an ounce of malice in his gaze.

‘I’m still me, but I can’t hear him! Do you think he could still call me back? Does he still have control over me? I have GOT to tell the others.’ Beom hurriedly pulled out his phone, typing away a message possibly to a groupchat of the Saja Boys.

‘No, wait. Don’t’ Y/N grasped at Beom’s wrist. ‘You can’t tell them. If Jinu finds out, he won’t be happy.’ She reasoned, whilst lowering Beom’s hand.

‘That's true… He still wants his memories erased. You’re right.’ Beom nodded, sitting back down, placing his phone back in his pocket.

‘But how did you do it? Is it permanent?!’ He rambled on eagerly, like a puppy that had just found a new toy.

‘I’m not sure honestly. I mean, I was meant to be a hunter but… I can’t manifest a weapon. Maybe it has something to do with that?’ Y/N raised one eyebrow, turning her hands to splay her palms. She scrutinized each line on her palm, wondering if she could control whatever it was.

‘Well whatever, I’ll keep your secret Y/N.’ Beom softly wrapped his hands around Y/N’s and lifted her left hand. ‘Just promise me you won’t think too badly about Jinu?’

Y/N looked up, bewildered at the sudden mention of Jinu.

‘He’s not actually a bad person. He just… He wants to forget his mistakes. I know it seems selfish but it’s been four hundred years. Jinu barely talks to us about it. I think that's what’s slowly eating away at him.’ Beom explained, releasing Y/N’s hand and leaning back on his chair.

‘I think he just has to accept his actions. But it’s easier said than done. His mistake cost him his family. The rest of us didn’t actually leave anything behind, so we don’t understand how he feels.’ Beom continued, shrugging his shoulders. ‘It doesn’t help that he hears Gwi-ma the most. He’s been with Gwi-ma the longest so Jinu’s already so heavily under that old man's influence.’ 

‘I see.’ Y/N let out a short snort. ‘But I don’t think he’s going to talk about it with me to be honest. He very clearly hates me.’

‘What makes you think that?’ Beom looked floored, as if this were a new revelation.

‘Um, hello? He insults me whenever he sees an opportunity? He never smiles around me and lets not mention that he accused me of being fake.’ Y/N rolled her eyes, slumping down in her chair.

‘Jinu’s just like that. He’s blunt and prickly, but that's how he protects himself, and us. But, Y/N I think, he doesn’t hate you. He genuinely thinks you're talented! And, he was the first one by your side when you collapsed last night on the street.’

‘Huh..’ 

‘Yep! Jinu doesn’t hate you.’

Y/N was about to retort as the elevator dinged happily, the doors revealing three of the boys, the same ones as before.

‘Huh, where’s-’

‘AH HAH.’ Abel cried out, flinging the stairwell door open. ‘See? I can make it up the stairs at the same time. I'M A BEAST.’ 

‘Oh honey…’ Y/N stifled a chuckle behind her fist.

Tag list: @ajunoiseee @silverklaus @thesimppotato11 @devilchicc @imlost-sendhelp @tumblblob @arieslucy @maybeethan69 @t4naiis @6demonica9 @suzieq1948374 @katzline @justyourlocalfriendlydinosaur @1950schick @myjerseygirlblog @sky2lar @itsjustkhaos @nevermorekisses @valeriele3 @yoongi-tunes @reibelhearts @satansdaughter123 @iheartyourgrandpa @justanindiangirl12 @uniquecutie-puffs @xyndyn @akiqvq @brightestflame @vivian-555 @oscars-wifeyyy @maybeethan69 @violetraccoon-4 @kanaes-world @chaos-inperson @ermespop @hisashifrey @venommie @booakaisha @lyunsafebubble @mimiu3usoft @doodle-with-rhy @lycemagee @sightofaghost @polinazavialova @singlepringle4you @reallynotsoconfident @confusedparticle @blackstar-gazer @gl00muraaii @latisthegenderfluidwannabealone @marley1773 @poem-bee @girlypopmymelody @deyshayk14 @mysticalpandora @crescent-z @mothraantics @baby-bread-in @bubbabobabubbles @needsleep3000 @strayharmony943 @frootloopscos @briceericeee @n1ght5h4d3-24 @portrait-ninja @yucanbmylxdy @tatsuri-zomushiki @zoeyella1-4 @tanspostsblog @pixiedustaddictsblog @smoophie @leaheclipse @st3f13ily @odessa-is-my-queen @kyouzki @truth-snake @centavosmisteryoso11cent1 @dragongirl642 @moonymoo1 @cocastyle

[dwrlm-orion]

𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐜 || 𝐉𝐢𝐧𝐮 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

summary_ Jinu left behind the woman he was supposed to marry, centuries later, he finds her again, learning that she was cursed to reincarnate until she was able to find real love (+ she was helping the demon hunters)

warnings_ cursed!reader, canon divergence, lovers to enemies to lovers, magical realism, fluff, angst, tension, reader implied to be foreigner but not actual descriptions, perhaps cringe, lengthy fic, no proofread (editing later)

notes_this is the second time i fall for an animated character, first time was miguel o’hara and i still love him very much, im 21 and not ashamed to write about this lol

♫ ♪ jinu playlist

✰ Index (+ fics here)

୨ৎ───୨ৎ───୨ৎ───୨ৎ───୨ৎ

The wind was blowing so hard that your hair was a mess, flowing freely and getting tangled.

With a big smile on your face, you could only feel the adrenaline of running towards the end of the village, where the wild meadows awaited. And so did your lover too.

Men were going home after spending the whole day fishing, and women were carrying baskets of freshly made silk and linen too. Children were already gone, probably taking a bath in a big warm pot.

Women your age were already in bed but you couldn’t wait.

Not when Jinu was waiting for you at the meadows, even less when you had news to share with him.

Two weeks ago, your lover asked your father for your hand in marriage. At first, your old man said Jinu had nothing to offer you, that it wouldn’t work out. But the more you convinced him of how much you loved him, that you didn’t need to live in a palace to be happy, he started thinking differently.

And that night, as you ignored your quiet grandmother’s scary eyes, your father approved and allowed you to marry Jinu.

Your father’s mother was a mystery, she couldn’t speak, she was quite intimidating and you swore you could hear her sing in the middle of the night. Even your own mother seemed displeased by her presence, but didn’t say anything.

It was at the beginning of the meadows, when your running pace quickened. The beating in your heart mixed with joy and anticipation to get to Jinu.

When your head turned to look at the undergrowth nearby, your heart nearly stopped.

There was your grandmother, with her long grey hair and a beige gown. The sight was like a ghostly encounter, it sent shivers down your spine. It felt like a bad omen. Your stomach turned but you only ran faster. Thinking it was your mind playing tricks with you, you only kept running. Only that filled with fear.

Until you spotted a tall figure, you knew it was your home. Upon hearing the crack of branches, Jinu turned to look at you, and when he saw the many scratches in your face and arms, he grew worried.

“What happened to you?” He asked while inspecting your face.

“I guess I shouldn’t run like that again…” you answered with an attempted chuckle, opting to ignore the encounter with your grandmother.

His warm hands traced every scratch and while it burned, you would never move away from his touch.

“I have wonderful news, Jinu…” With a big sigh, you collapsed in his arms before speaking again. “My father said yes. We can marry now…”

You couldn’t see, but his face dropped, he remained quiet and when you felt he wasn’t hugging you back, you knew something was wrong.

“Jinu?…” you asked letting him go.

He stared at you in silence. You could see his perfect skin shining under the moonlight, his soft black hair that always smelled like tea, and the clothes you offered to wash for him and his family every week at the river nearby.

He was the only person you could imagine sharing the rest of your life with. But…

“We are not going to marry…” the words sounded unsure, even scared to say them out loud.

You stood there speechless, in shock. Suddenly the moonlight and Jinu himself weren’t enough, you started feeling the cool air hit against your body, making you shiver.

“Why?”

“I- Look… I found a better opportunity at…” you looked down at his hands and you saw a golden bracelet in his hand. Your face turns into one of disgust. Only people allowed into the palace wore that bracelet.

“Why would you do this to me?” Your hand dropped to your stomach, feeling the anxious feeling creeping all over. You couldn’t feel worse. And when Jinu remained still, in silence, your eyes grew teary.

“So you don’t love your family enough?” You asked and he looked down, ashamed.

“You don’t love me enough to marry me and find a better opportunity together?” When he still didn’t look up, you grew mad.

“Look at me when I’m speaking!” In a rush, you grabbed his chin and pushed it between your thumb and index finger, forcing Jinu to look at you.

“I’m sorry…” he attempted to say.

For the first time, you couldn’t feel the peace and comfort through his eyes. You could only see greed.

He gave up on you to pursue a better life; alone.

“You’re not sorry. You’re selfish and a bad man…” you spit out, letting go of his chin with anger. “Just know that every pain we cause comes with some karma to pay...”

You turned to run away, hearing Jinu calling your name, but you didn’t look back. You came back home running just as you left. Only that tears came as well.

Quietly, you opened the door of your humble home. There wasn’t a single candle illuminating the place, meaning that it was very late.

“That boy made a deal with a demon…” you nearly jump and died right there after hearing that voice.

When you turned to the corner of the chimney, there was your grandmother in her rocking chair.

Suddenly she could speak.

“You’re a witch?” You asked with terror when she stood up.

Her grey hair and almond eyes matched the aura of a witch who kidnapped children and made unimaginable things.

“I was disappointed when I gave birth to a man instead of a woman…” she revealed, making you feel beyond uneasy. “Imagine my surprise when I had a granddaughter who grew up with a fiery need to find love instead of keeping the lineage she comes from”

“I am not a witch” you firmly stated.

“No, you should’ve trained to be a huntress and that’s your biggest mistake” the more the old woman stepped closer, the more you wanted to run away. It was already enough pain to have Jinu’s words in your head repeating over and over.

“That boy preferred to follow a demon so his wishes could be granted, excluding you”

“Enough!” Your parents could be awake at any moment, and that would be worse, but you couldn’t hide your anger towards your said grandmother.

“May your soul be doomed until your heart beats with blood again” she started repeating in slow whispers, making you cry and yell back at her to stop.

“I said enough!”

Your left arm started burning, you cried in pain, until you ended up on your knees.

When you urgently inspected the skin, a trail of symbols appeared like magic ink. And when you looked up, the old woman was gone.

Nobody heard you, and nobody questioned your tattoo the following morning. When you knocked at Jinu’s mother's house, she told you through tears that he had actually left for the palace. That day your grandmother was found dead and within days, you and your parents were gone, back to the occident to finish your first life.

[Actually centuries later…]

A summer opportunity turned into an undefined job. When you left home to go to Korea and be a makeup brand creative director, you weren’t prepared to be gone for more than a month. But as the weeks passed, you found yourself accustomed to a new life. You started getting into the entertainment industry, with K-pop idols to be more specific.

Until you got the chance to make a collaboration between the makeup brand you were directing and Huntr/x or Huntrix. You had just met them and the three girls were nice, friendly, and were curious about the concept you were offering to them.

“And this is a cyber glam concept for the photo shoot…” you said while passing the three girls a bundle of pictures and collages.

“I love this, I think it’ll fit us perfectly” Rumi replied with a wide smile.

“Yep, agreed. This might be the one” Mira added, winking an eye at you.

“What do you say Zoey?” You finally asked the black haired girl who looked with detail at the concept.

“l-o-v-e it!” She yelled with excitement, hugging the papers against her chest.

“Sounds like we have a deal then…” the girls nodded at you and you excused yourself to have a little break.

After they picked the theme for the campaign and the break, the girls would have to try on costumes and pick the makeup for each one of them. But in the meantime, you would eat.

Outside the building, there was a little park with benches and lots of trees. You spotted an empty picnic table and you decided to have your salad and chicken katsu there.

It was nearly empty, not even the sound of the hatred city could be heard. Perfect place to feel pure peacefulness.

You ate in silence, a man in a business suit passed by and you heard the click of his formal shoes. He was hot, perhaps early thirties but very good looking.

And you remembered it had been so long since you had a boyfriend, the last relationship you had was back at home during middle school. It lasted years and took away a lot of the joy you were supposed to experience as a teenager.

When would you find real love?

An online palm reader said that it seemed hard for you to find a partner and that you were cursed. You asked if you could have your sixty dollars back but she blocked you.

You wanted a man who could be your best friend. To have a thing where souls seemed to be connected.

Distant sounds made you snap out of your delusions. Awkwardly, you stood up, looking around to find the source of the sounds.

Stepping into the bushes, you heard a growl. You froze.

A demon was taking the soul of the businessman you saw earlier.

Your loud gasp made the creature jump and try to attack you, tackling your body.

You tried to push the demon away, its touch hot and burning your skin, claws digging into your forearms, and saliva sliding down your neck.

You had always seen demons since you were a kid, but never interacted with them.

“Y/N!” Far away you saw Mira running towards you with Rumi and Zoey behind, carrying weapons. “Catch this!”

The woman threw you a fan and even in the middle of chaos, you sent Mira a displeased look.

“That’s all I had!” She yelled coming closer.

You tried to open the fan and noticed it was a regular item, not enough to kill a demon. With the demon trying to get your soul, you tried to set free the arm grabbing the fan.

Somehow, you managed to push the demon and before it could literally destroy your face, you felt your hand sliding the fan against the throat of the creature. And in a second, the creature vanished, leaving sparkles behind.

You frowned and gasped in horror.

“You’re a demon huntress like us!” Zoey yelled once the girls made it to your side.

“What?” You asked in confusion. “I’m a normal human being. I’m not-“

“Yes, you are! Look at the fan Mira gave you!”

But you weren’t exactly normal. Normal human beings couldn’t see demons so often, and they didn’t feel the constant sensation of déjà vu. At that moment you wondered if the palm reader was right. Were you cursed?

Mira and Rumi helped you to stand up.

When the four of you looked at the fan, it didn’t look the same, it looked like… a weapon. Similar to the ones the girls carried

“This is so weird” you whispered while shaking your head.

Rumi came closer and touched your shoulder with comfort.

“It’s okay, you might be confused but we can help” she said with a little smile.

“In fact, we’d actually also need you as well” Mira added with crossed arms while Zoey picked up the fan.

You sighed. Was there any other option?

“I don’t have much of many options… Right?”

“Nope” said the three girls with mischievous smiles.

…

Everything changed so drastically in a week. You moved into the same place with the Huntr/x girls and started moving away from the makeup brand creative director and more to be the biggest girl band creative director.

You designed their newest costumes and you couldn’t stop listening to their newest release “Golden”. In terms of demon hunting, you had assimilated the situation and you started helping them. The more you heard them talk about the hideous Gwi-Ma and types of demons, you got to be able to see the world as they did. With blue, but with growing red spots.

In your room, you've got to write and ramble as you used to do before. Only that you forgot to lock the door, even to close it.

“Are you singing ‘Golden’?” Startled, you looked at Rumi in horror.

“Yes, I told you I loved the song…”

“You can sing!”

“No I don’t” you say with a little smile.

“YES, YOU CAN!” Mira and Zoey screamed from the living room.

Rumi and you burst into laughter and you shrugged.

“I like singing. But.. I don’t know…”

“You could be an idol one day” Rumi said with enthusiasm.

“God no!”

“Yes! You can sing, we know you can dance and you have tons of creativity to do something cool”

“I don’t know, Rumi…”

Through the door frame, Mira appeared, looking uninterested in her phone.

“The doctor said he’s having us look at Rumi” she said.

Both of you nodded and when Mira disappeared, Rumi grabbed your arm before you could stand up from the bed.

“You can count on me that I won’t tell them about your patterns” you assure her after seeing her worried face.

You had seen her arms by accident. And you weren’t scared, but confused and curious.

“Thank you, y/n” she said with a smile.

“Sure. But you have to tell them…”

Rumi nodded, as she watched you changing into a jumpsuit.

…

The Huntr/x girls forgot about one extra box of medicines for Rumi. You went back inside the clinic and when you got out, you could hear a crowd and music. And then you spot your friends at the end of the hallway.

Confused and irritated by the sudden change of plans, you jog towards the girls who decided to walk closer, getting lost in the crowd.

“What is going on?” You asked.

“We bumped into some hot guys and turns out they are a new boy band” Zoey turns to tell you with fake disgust.

“Yeah and these two were drooling for the one with abs” Rumi joked, making fun of them.

“We were not drooling” Mira said while rolling her eyes, trying to convince you. You only chuckled.

“Look at them, they dance perfectly in sync” Zoey commented.

Saja Boys; sure what the hell.

♫ ♪ You’re all I can think of

Every drop I drink up

You’re my soda pop

My little soda pop ♫ ♪

What a lame and silly song; you thought.

And then you found yourself mumbling at the melody. So you were finally able to see the group of apparently perfect men. It was such a catchy song; you then thought.

Pastel hairs, colorful clothes, cute faces, and… That face.

As if you had entered into a noise-canceling bubble. You locked your eyes with the leader and an indescribable sensation started covering all of yourself.

He was tall, with perfect skin, perfect features, black hair and… he seemed so familiar.

“Look at me when I’m speaking!”

“I’m sorry…”

“You’re not sorry. You’re selfish and a bad man…”

Voices started to fill your head. Then images, of you in an ancient village, coming from the occident with your family. Meeting a man who became your best friend. He asked your father to marry you. And then… he left you.

Jinu…

Then the woman who cursed you.

“May your soul be doomed until your heart beats with blood again”

You nearly fainted when you heard the music again.

“Are you alright?” Mira asked and you started shaking your head.

“I want to leave” you managed to say with a broken voice.

And then you felt it, his eyes on you.

“What?” Rumi asked once she looked at you so distressed and anxious.

“Don’t ask, just help me take her out of this!” Mira told her.

The girls hurried to move through the crowds and when the Saja Boys' music started to sound distant, you sighed in relief.

The worst part? You knew he had seen you.

…

The smell of herbs filled the wide living room. At the table in the middle rested your smelly cup of tea. Rumi, Zoey, and Mira looked at you with wide eyes and expectant faces at your marked arm.

That night you four had followed the Saja Boys and tried to fight them. You helped Rumi to slip away from Jinu and you seemed to be his weakness, since he let go of your friend easily before you two disappeared from his sight.

“So you are cursed to reincarnate until you find love?” Zoey asked.

“I guess so… Things can’t stop getting weirder” you admitted in a low voice.

The trio of girls exchanged looks.

“And Jinu was the man you were going to marry?” Rumi asks politely, then you nod.

“We were poor, and I never wanted more but he… disposed me. Like we never meant anything…”

You bent to grab your cup of tea under the curious look of the girls.

“My paternal grandmother hated me for pursuing love instead of listening to her to become a witch, sorceress… Now I think she was a demon huntress. So she was pissed at me for not continuing the linage. And she cursed me…”

“Wow, this is… A lot of info” Zoey commented, throwing herself on the couch.

“Huntrix is strong and will manage just fine. But… I don’t think I can kill him” you admitted with a slight blush appearing in your cheeks.

“I can’t believe what I’m gonna say but… Maybe Juno didn’t mean to hurt you and his family” Mira said, earning shocked faces from everyone. “What? I mean, the whole story sounds like a folktale but it’s real. They must be soulmates”

Soulmates… Jinu was a demon. And you hadn’t talked to him in 400 years.

“I promise I will try my best to focus on the Honmoon and not on him” you add before drinking the tea in one single shot. “Now, this tea will make my memories a little blurry for some days. So… let’s not talk about this again, okay?”

The girls looked at you with a little bit of pity. But they nodded back at you.

…

The effects lasted two days. You spent locked in your room writing a few songs for Huntr/x, as well as making a collage for their upcoming performance at the Idol Awards.

Soft music played as you went in and out of your balcony. The heat was starting to become unbearable and you decided to work outside since the mosquitoes didn’t reach the height of your home.

You sang fully relaxed as you moved across the room. Printed images of ideas of the graphics and everything are scattered and a sudden blow of wind made a slight mess of the work you had already done.

“Oh no…” you whisper, kneeling to collect all of the images.

One was missing and you couldn’t find it until a hand offered it. You jumped right there, literally crawling backwards.

When you looked up, there you had it.

The reason why you were cursed and recently developed mixed feelings for.

Jinu was eyeing you with attention.

Both of you stared for what felt like an hour. Your palms were sweating and still holding the images as if they depended on your life.

“You remember me” he stated, the sound of his voice only confirming every flashback you had, every feeling you felt. It was real… You actually loved that man centuries ago.

“The moment I saw you I remembered everything…” you knew he started eyeing you up and down the moment you looked away from his eyes. Just like he used to do when he watched and got all wet when you washed clothes in the river. You blushed, just like you used to do as well.

“How?” He seemed to not be able to believe it. That he had his great love right upon his eyes. You looked the same but… so different. Your soul had changed, from a bright blue, it was shining in green. Meaning that your soul had been overworked. And then, you showed him your arm with the odd symbols.

“When you left, my grandmother cursed me for choosing you above the lineage of my family” you revealed while accommodating the pictures like you had them before the wind came.

“I reincarnate. I can’t remember how many times I’ve lived, but I’m pretty sure I always die young. And I will continue to do so until I find real love”

Jinu kneels across you, the images and papers being the only barrier between you two. You looked up to meet his gorgeous gaze again only to find him looking at you in awe.

“What we had was real love” he placed his hand on top of yours and it left you speechless for a second. A strong feeling of nostalgia hit you. His touch was cold now, but even there you felt the warmth you used to feel.

But you could also see his faint patterns, making you remember he was a demon. And you, an unofficial demon huntress.

“You treated me like I was nothing” you spat out with anger.

He sighed, looking at his fingers with yours before you could move your hand away.

“Yes, and the moment I tasted the luxuries of the palace I regretted it. I couldn’t leave anymore, I made a deal with Gwi-Ma and I was forced to face the consequences of my acts” he says with desperation and a hint of pain. “I wanted to give you and my family the world. And when I knew you weren’t included, I was still selfish. And for four hundred years, I’ve been consumed by the guilt”

“Good, because you deserve it. You’re a demon and that’s the least you could feel as such a thing” you said with lots of venom as you yanked from his hand.

“And now you’re a demon huntress…”

“I just help my friends…”

“I never meant to hurt you. I’ve spent all this time lounging to have you right in front of me and tell you how much I’m sorry. That I need you and I don’t think I’ll ever want someone as bad as I want you”

You stood up, turning around, doing your best to ignore the pang in your heart and the pulsing of your arm, right where the tattoo was.

Was it rightfully fair to be mean? Maybe not… but you were scared after all. Having Zoey, Rumi, and Mira right at the other side of the door, and a demon with you wasn’t ideal.

And you started remembering how much you loved him. And how happy he made you.

“If you truly want it. I can help you break the curse. I’d do anything for you, y/n…”

You stared at the wall in silence, feeling the wind come again. And when you turned around, Jinu was gone.

…

You should’ve known it was a trap orchestrated by Rumi and Jinu. When Rumi convinced you to go on a mission to a random rooftop to help her rehearse, you had no problems. Until you spotted him at said rooftop already.

“It’s none of my business but I think it’s quite worth it to make you two talk…” Rumi said with a nervous smile as the Derpy tiger and bird in a hat followed your friend away.

You sighed loudly, throwing your head back and putting your hands on your hips.

“I- I don’t know why Rumi is doing this. It’s dangerous…” you admitted out loud.

Jinu steps closer, eyeing you up and down, this time, catching his gaze on you.

“What are you looking at?” You asked suddenly feeling nervous.

“Your body, face, every mole and birthmark you had are in the same place…” you didn’t think he would remember. But he was proving you wrong.

And his comment affected you so much that you didn’t notice the moment he stepped beyond your personal space. You tried to step back, but he grabbed your waist with his big hands and the gesture made your legs feel wobbly. Slowly, you started to remember the exact shade of his eyes, the pink of his lips, and the size of his hands.

“You really missed me that much?…” you dared to ask with a sultry tone of voice.

Jinu blushed. His cheeks turned pink and his lips formed a nervous line, which made you chuckle.

Unable to resist the proximity, you placed both of your palms on his chest and immediately transported both of you to those summer nights at the village. Midnight sighs and soft touches, eager to wait till marriage but unable to ignore the curiosity hidden under the robes.

“I don’t even know why you’re here. What do you intend to do. But-“

“I feel it too…” Jinu finished for you.

Even when you knew that under that perfect skin, eyes, and lips you used to kiss every day, there was a demon. But deep down, you knew you’d love him despite all.

You stepped closer, hands pressing tightly against him. He leaned forward, holding your hips and you closed your eyes already knowing you’d be able to taste his lips again.

“We gotta go… Zoey and Mira are wondering where we are” Rumi said appearing in the middle of the scene, shocked to see you and Jinu tangled together. “OH! Uh- I’m sorry…”

“It’s not what you think so!” You hurry to tell your friend.

“It is what you are thinking but uh- yeah…” Jinu awkwardly said.

Shame invaded you and you don’t even look back at Jinu. You caressed the cat’s head and the tip of the bird’s hat before smiling to yourself as you started following Rumi.

“What was that?’ She asked while teasing.

“Nothing” you say, your smile growing bigger.

…

“No, no, no. Don’t wake up…” you heard a distant voice, but you eventually woke up.

In your bed was Derpy and the bird were sleeping. When you looked to the right, at the edge of the bed, there was Jinu. In pajama-striped pants and a hoodie.

“I didn’t want to wake you up…” he admitted with shyness.

“You just wanted to stare at me sleeping like a creep?” You asked with sarcasm, rolling onto your side and yawning.

“What? No! I just-, I wanted to see you…” Jinu said, combing his hair, a sign of nervousness.

“Where is your gang?”

“Sleeping… As we should, I guess”

“Are they your friends or did you just recruited them?”

“A little bit of both” Jinu confessed with a smile.

“If things were different. I’d ask you if I could meet them, I don’t know why but I’m curious…”

“Fair point, half of the world is too” you knew he wanted to hold your hand. So you just moved it closer to him.

“So you’re now an idol? Singing you’re my little soda pop?” Your question filled with teasing made him blush and it earned you a playful punch on your hip.

“It’s catchy…” Jinu attempted to defend himself and the band.

“It is… I’ve started singing it with Zoey”

He held your hand and it made your stomach flip. Then traced invisible patterns across your face.

“This is how I remember your skin. But I also really like how you look with makeup…” slowly, you smiled at his words.

“The modern look also fits you well. You look hot…” it was his time to blush, and it made you cackle.

Jinu loved making you laugh, he loved everything that involved you but being able to make you laugh again, made him feel less demonic and more… human.

“I’m gonna miss it” he said gently tapping at your cheek.

“What thing?” You asked in confusion.

“Everything about you…” he admitted. “That was the deal with Gwi-Ma, I stop Huntr/x and I get all my memories erased”

You frowned.

“But I don’t want you to forget me…”

His heart stopped. His throat tightened and he had to hold your hand more firmly.

“Sleep, beautiful” he said as he started to brush your hair with the tip of his fingers.

In seconds, the gesture made you go back to sleep.

…

Jinu was going insane.

You almost kissed him, and he appeared in your bed to tell you that he wanted to forget everything. Only for you to tell him that you didn’t want him to forget you. It nearly made him cry.

You asked him about the things that made him happy and you told him you wished things were different.

Then the Idol Awards happened. And you yelled at him when he and the rest of the Saja Boys ruined the Huntr/x performance. Zoey and Mira grew mad at you for helping Rumi keep her patterns secret. And as Jinu used his voice to attract people, he realized how unfair he was being to you once again.

The woman he loved was cursed because of him. And he couldn’t actually help you. Or so he thought.

You still loved him, he knew.

Jinu didn’t think twice before jumping from the stage to help you when he saw a demon scratching your face.

He saw you using your fan but it only attracted more creatures.

It was still a mystery to him to know how you learned to fight and for how long you trained. There were a lot of unanswered questions. Immediately forgotten when he got rid of the demons and offered you a hand to stand up.

He could at least try to save you. To stop you from reincarnating once again and living a memorable life.

“I love you!” he screamed.

“What?” You screamed back.

“I love you! And I will always do” Jinu said and you couldn’t help but fear and grab his arm. “We’ll meet again, my dear…”

“What are you doing?” He sighed and gave you a smile filled with joy and sadness at the same time.

You looked back at Rumi, fighting against Gwi-Ma himself on the stage and you understood Jinu’s plan.

“Jinu, don’t you dare…”

“It’s the only way to end this!”

“No, don’t leave me alone again!” It broke his heart. Seeing you with tears in your eyes and begging him.

He kissed you and this time you couldn’t do anything but focus on the way his lips moved against yours, carefully trying to remember every detail. Promising to remember that kiss for the rest of your life.

You looked at his real form. His demon glowy eyes, the lilac skin, and darker patterns covering him. His fangs and pointed fingers. You couldn’t give a fuck.

“I love you” he repeated making you accept that he had made up his mind.

“I love you too” you admitted between sobs.

Even when he started running back towards the stage, you tried to pull him back, to keep him with you. But he went ahead. The only thing you did was to pull a rusty bracelet from him, the gold bracelet he got to get into the palace back then. You sobbed harder, getting rid of demons that still attempted to get your soul. And as you watched Gwi-Ma disappear as every demon and Saja Boy, the bracelet turned into ashes. Your tattooed arm pulsated and when you looked at the skin, you gasped in shock. The symbols had disappeared, and the skin was free from any mark.

…

For the whole world, it was the biggest performance in the history of K-pop, to Huntr/x and you, more than just a performance.

Your friendship with the girls only strengthened and they convinced you to do he craziest thing you’d done so far. Debuting as a soloist…

Using Y2K and sequined themes, you built a concept and soon, with Zoey’s help, you were able to create songs. Mira trained you to be a great dancer and Rumi vocalized with you every night. Even before your first song was released, you already had many fans. At the same time, haters disliked you for allegedly using Huntr/x to gain fame of your own but most of the people seemed to be loving you and your debut song “Karmic”.

And of course, it was related to him. The song being about shining despite being bound to face karma for trying to get back a man you loved and who was gone.

It had been two months to be exact. Your debut happening only three weeks later after everything happened. It was your only escape to not focusing on the scar his departure left.

Maybe you were free from the curse. Your skin free from any proof of said curse. But completely scarred by Jinu’s memory.

In a dream, everything was darkness. And the only thing you were able to see, was that old lady who centuries ago was your grandmother, the woman who cursed you.

“Curse begone, make a wish…” she said.

You froze, then she showed you the rusty bracelet you pulled off from Jinu.

“I want him back. I want him to be happy and have everything that made him happy. I want him by my side and to be happy for the rest of my life with him” you yelled with tears in your eyes.

And then you woke up, tears actually came and you wiped them away.

It was the day of your debut album and first mini-concert. Rumi, Mira, and Zoey literally threw open your door and came to sit by the feet of your bed.

“Are you ready for today?” Zoey asked.

“Yeah, I think so…” the three girls smiled at you and started rambling about the busy schedule you had for the day.

“We’ll be by your side the whole day, don’t worry” Rumi assured you.

“Thanks, Rumi”

You stood up to look at your balcony and the sky was full of small clouds that made it look so dreamy. The skyscrapers shone with the sun’s reflection and a Saja Boys comeback giant poster was hanging from one of them.

A SAJA BOYS COMEBACK GIANT POSTER WAS HANGING FROM ONE OF THE SKYSCRAPERS!!!!!!!!!

“Uh… girls, Are you looking at the same thing as me?” They stood by your side and gasped in shock.

“No way” Rumi whispered.

“No. It might be a song they recorded before and the people who managed them are desperate to keep making some money” you assured them, also assuring yourself.

“Yeah, y/n is right” Mira agreed with you, arm around your shoulders.

You looked at Jinu, smiling in the poster.

How badly I miss you, my love; you thought.

“Are you okay with seeing… him?” Mira asked.

You nodded, smiling. Unable to feel sad, because that day was all about you.

“Yeah, let’s go to have some breakfast” you replied, hugging the girls.

“Bobby is here” Mira revealed.

“BOBBY!” He became your manager as well and you liked the man. He was a great guy and even a friend.

You had so many questions about the upcoming concert and presentations.

But you were excited, so you decided to enjoy the day with your friends as well.

…

If the public could describe you in two words, that would be: sultry and cutting-edge.

Half of your songs being dance/club hymns and the other half being crude, strong lyrics with unusual sounds that created an artistic sense.

Singing full songs glued to a microphone covered in rhinestones and then dancing while singing was a little bit more ingenious than you thought. But you were having so much fun. Changing into different attires in less than a minute and having sips of water in between was exciting.

Mira was cheering, satisfied with how good you danced.

“Look at the piece of art I created” she joked with Zoey and Rumi.

“I love that part of the choreography” Rumi added as they watched you.

“Yeah but let’s calm Bobby. He’s on the verge of collapse after seeing how sensual the song and dance are” the trio of girls started cackling, looking at their manager who looked nervous at the public and sponsors.

But everything was in order.

Until you got to the after party. A club a few blocks away from your place with the girls. A lot of magazines and artists wanted to be at your party. As unbelievable as it sounded, you were officially a celebrity and idol. Far from being tired, you danced with Mira all night, and couldn’t stop laughing along with Zoey and Rumi.

But you needed to take a break. To savor happiness alone for a moment. You stepped out to the empty terrace of the place and the distant music was the only sound. The sky was almost completely dark and you sighed in disbelief. You turned around, leaning backwards against the railing, and saw a man approaching.

You thought it was Bobby. But no…

You stopped breathing and for a second you thought you had died.

How was it possible that Jinu was standing, looking like a human and very much alive in front of you?

You threw yourself into his arms, and he was actually there. Tears prickled in your eyes and you heard him chuckling as he hugged you back.

“Is this real? I’m not drunk and making all of this in my head?”

“No, you actually brought me back…” he whispered in your ear, then kissing your temple over and over again. “You smell a lot like alcohol actually. But it’s real…”

He was joking, Jinu was joking. But there you had the love of your many lives in your arms.

“You re-appear after I saw you dying and you decide to joke right now?”

So the dream was real…

“I woke up and I was here. My mom and sister live, and the Saja Boys too. A call from our manager telling us that our comeback was scheduled woke me up” he said. “I thought I was dreaming but no. Then my mom asked me if I wanted to have breakfast and there was my sister looking at you in the tv. You were singing a song and… I just knew it was real”

“I had a wish in a dream and I begged to have you back” you revealed. “So your soul. Is finally yours again?”

“I got trapped in Rumi’s sword. But your wish set me free… thank you” Jinu grabbed your cheeks and smiled fondly at you.

“For the man that I’ve been in love with for centuries? Everything….”

“Even after all the pain I caused you, you save me and willingly keep loving me?” you shrugged with a smile.

“You’re worth it. You were since the moment I met you, Jinu” you accepted, placing his hands on your waist and pushing him down to kiss him.

His cheeks felt hot under your palms and you knew he was blushing once again.

Amidst the kiss, you smiled. And he felt that pure joy again. He could finally live with you just like it was ment to be the first time. He could be a man his age and breathe knowing he would age and fill his purpose along you.

“We both are idols now” he commented with a little smirk.

“Are you ready for all the scandal we’ll cause when our fans learn that we’re together?” You asked him, still in his arms, not daring to move away as Jinu chuckled.

“The sooner the better. I didn’t like many of the looks people would throw at you at the concert…” he revealed with a disgusted face and your eyes went wide.

“You saw me?”

“Of course I did… And I have to admit I’m quite surprised” his teasing tone made you laugh nervously but also nudge him playfully.

“Why? Did you like my outfits? And the way I danced?” Making him nervous, you cackled.

“I’m not used to this modern you yet” he said.

“Well, buckle up, honey. Cause I’m hardly letting you slip off of me and I’m not changing” you threatened before kissing him again.

“Good for me” he assured you while gasping for air and returning to passionately kiss you.

In the modern times you were leaving, Jinu and you didn’t have to wait till marriage. And thank goodness, because you wouldn’t have to explain much to Mira, Rumi, and Zoey the following morning as to why Jinu was in your bed and why the rest of the Saja Boys rested with a hangover at your place with them.

୨ৎ───୨ৎ───୨ৎ───୨ৎ───୨ৎ

Taglist: @nina-from-317 @gloriousqueen101 @birbtweettweet @akariis4snowball @nekee-lilac02 @yourtypicalhuman09 @ffcfffr @ilovemuhusbandnanami @foxxbee-2963 @hara23 @akeaaan @kaorisakamotofan @kyuki07 @siasoup @vvidka @bitchpleaseeeeeeeeee @oreeowe @anakinsrilgirlfriend @thecordelialetters @vixyvlo @iviorienne @loonalockley @bre99 @ateezswonderland @crescent-z @gina239 @aerrz3 @theblackestbitch

♫ ♪ reader’s inspired debut setlist:

•Karmic is similar to Zen from JENNIE in my mind

1. Spark - WINTER AESPA solo

2. Me Against The Music - Britney Spears, Madonna

3. Lifestyle - LISA

4. So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings - Caroline Polachek

5. earthquake- JISOO

6. Sober II (Melodrama) - Lorde

7. THAT’S A NO NO - ITZY

8. Fetish - Selena Gomez, Gucci Mane

[dwrlm-orion]

Claiming Something That's Not Yours

NotMC_F!reader x Zayne

May be OOC. Reader is isekai'd into L&Ds, following her heart, she studies medicine to get closer to Zayne. Suggestive. MDNI. 18+ just in case.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Part 5 | Part 6 | Alt Part 6

Part 7 | Alt Part 7 | Part 8

Alt Part 8 | Part 9

-------------------------------

Part 1

You glance towards the side where he sits, still in disbelief after finding yourself in an otoge for the past 10 years. You sigh and he glances up from his tablet at you.

Zayne. A love interest in Love and Deepspace. Who's live in the flesh in front of you right now. The two of you were sitting on a couch in your apartment.

"Having trouble with something?" Zayne asks you in his regular monotone.

You had worked up the courage 7 years into being isekai'd to talk to Zayne. The person you possessed looked like you from your world and your family was pretty much also an exact copy. So, with renewed determination, you had decided to pursue your dream of becoming a psychiatrist. All for the chance to meet Zayne. Stupid, you know. But to you, it was worth it. And now, you've been dating Zayne for 2 years.

You remembered when you first approached him. You were shy and nervous of course. But you hid it behind a request to study together since you both attended the same med school and happened to both be taking neurology as an elective. You half expected him to refuse, knowing he only focused on school and did not seem to welcome any romantic advances from any of the students. But surprisingly, he agreed. You assumed it was because he happened to be very good at all the subjects and you had mentioned you were struggling. The professor had even recommended you ask Zayne for help, which was in your favour, making your request more credible and less like an attempt to flirt.

You guys became friends after that. Chatting about things you found interesting in your respective fields and finding parallels. A year passed and you found yourself nonchalantly asking him out. And again, surprisingly, he'd agreed. You assumed it's because you guys had good rapport as friends and you guys were at an age where most people would've had a date already and parents were starting to nag you about getting married.

The two of you were not particularly intimate, your affections towards each other not straying from the odd kisses and hugs, cuddling on a movie night, and sometimes sleeping in the same bed. Your first kiss (on the lips) with Zayne had your heart palpitating non-stop you thought you might have a heart attack. But one look at Zayne's face had you knowing he wasn't affected at all. Of course, this had disappointed you, but you were on a one-way track that leads to a break up, so even if he did not feel attracted to you sexually or anything, you cherished all the memories you made with him. Because you love him.

You shake your head and smile, "No. The hospital has already been hiring some more psychiatrists, so I've been feeling a bit more free as of late."

Zayne nods, "I've heard."

You lie your head down on his lap as he continues to review his documents on this tablet. He is used to you doing this by now, only occasionally glancing down at you and giving you a small smile. You smile back in response, content to just lie there and admire him. Again, he did not seem flustered to have you staring at him, though you had gradually built up to this, so maybe he got used to it too.

"Zayne," you whispered.

"Hmm?" He absentmindedly hummed.

"Would you go on a date with me this Saturday?" You asked.

He looks at you now, raising an eyebrow at your formality. Normally, you would just say you'd like to go on a date, not ask with such a formal tone. "Okay, where would you like to go?"

"I don't know..." You pretend to think, "Let's have lunch. Maybe stop by somewhere for dessert before going to see a movie, grab dinner, and finally a walk along the beach?" You smile at him.

"Sounds like you already have the whole day planned," He chuckles. "Alright, let's do that."

"What do you feel like eating?" You ask.

He thinks for a moment, "I'm fine with whatever you want to eat." He gives you a small smile again and you feel a blush rise on your face.

"Come on, pick something." You can't help the smile that crawls onto your face.

"Then... How about bibimbap and japchae? You enjoyed eating that last time." He suggests.

You nod, "Alright. That's for lunch then because I want pasta for dinner."

"No objections." He agrees.

"Then it's decided. The dessert place near the pasta restaurant I want to try is the one that sells carrot cake by the way."

He wrinkles his nose. "Just don't order it."

You giggle at his reaction. You've always found his aversion to carrots funny. It wasn't your favourite vegetable, but it tasted good to you. A lot of soups you made tended to have carrots in them and Zayne would end up piling all his into your bowl. At least he would still drink the soups even though it had been 'contaminated by those dreadful roots' as he so likes to word it.

You pulled up the place on your phone and showed him the menu. "Everything besides the carrot cake should suit your tastes." You also scrolled through the places that sold bibimbap and japchae as well as the pasta restaurant you were looking to try for him to check out the menus.

He glances through the menus quickly and nods in approval, "Looks good."

"Then I'll make the reservation." You sit up and head to your home office to make the call. Mainly, a reservation would be needed for the pasta restaurant. It would be fine to just walk in for the other places.

After making the reservation, you return to the living room and Zayne was nowhere to be found. You glance at the clock, finally realizing how late it was. He wouldn't have left without letting you know so he's probably taking a shower and getting ready for bed. Sure enough, you hear the sound of the water as you walk past the bathroom. You head to your room to grab your own pajamas and wait for Zayne to come out so you can shower.

He comes out after 30 minutes in a bathrobe, his chiseled pecs peaking out of the open robe.

Your eyes widen when you see him step out in the bathrobe. "Are you sleeping over?" You can't stop your eyes from dropping down to look at his chest.

He subtly smirks at your reaction. "Yes, where did you put my pajamas?"

"I-I'll grab them for you." You stand up in a hurry and rush past him to the bedroom again but he pulls you to him. The force sends you flying into him and you end up bracing your hands on the very chest you were just admiring. Your hands tense in shock and you freeze. "Z-Zayne?" You stutter, looking up at him.

His eyes roamed your face, studying your reaction. His face was serious, searching for something. You tilt your head in confusion.

"Nevermind, I'll try to find them myself. Go ahead and take a shower." He lets you go and heads toward your room.

You frown but grab your clothes and head into the bathroom anyway. When you finish showering, you find him sitting in your room with the pajamas you bought him on.

He smiles at you and pats the spot beside him on your bed. You shake your head and climb in beside him. You look at him with a smile, "Goodnight." He's staring at you again. You smile falters due to your nervousness. "You're staring..."

His hand lightly caresses the side of your face and then his fingers pinch your chin, gently tilting your head up. Then his lips were on yours in a slow, sensual kiss. One that the two of you had never shared before. It was a bit clumsy, since both of you were not experienced sexually.

He pulls back, leaving you winded and desperately trying to get air back into your lungs. You were sure your eyes had darkened and once again, Zayne seemed to be studying how you react. You felt the twinge of annoyance from how unaffected he was, not even a sign he was out of breath except the slightly quicker rise and fall of his chest. He leaned in again for another kiss and this time, it was more confident, the feeling of his lips pressed on yours and the slight tonguing against your lips brought a moan out of you, giving him access to your mouth. Your arms had wrapped around his neck and he was pressing you against him. You weren't sure what had brought this sudden bout of kisses on, but you felt it filling up a part of the hole in your heart.

However, you knew you would not go further than this. You are both virgins, and to you, that was a sacred thing. As much as you had fought with yourself in your own world about this as many seemed to prefer experienced sexual partners, your view was that it was a precious first time to be shared with the one you love (even if they were not the end all be all). That's why you knew you would not take that moment from Zayne and MC, if they were to get together. Rationally, you knew there are 4 other love interests in the game. Who's to say MC will definitely end up with Zayne or share her first time with him? But you couldn't bring yourself to do it. You already took his first kiss. His other firsts should be saved for the one he loves.

When he dropped his head to plant kisses on your neck, you pulled away. He pauses and his eyes search yours. You finally understood, he was searching for permission, for you to give in to that physical attraction that he could probably see you had for him. You shake your head and he understands that you don't wish to continue. He nods and pulls you in for a hug instead.

"I understand if you're not ready to take this further..." His deep voice comes out as a whisper. He cuddles you and turns both of you on your sides, making sure you're comfortable.

Turned away from him, you feel a familiar yet foreign prick in your eyes. Tears slowly swelled up, but you did not let them fall. You didn't deserve to cry. This wasn't even supposed to be your moment. As you hear his breathing even out behind you, you turn to face him. Gently your hand caresses his face.

"I'm sorry," You mouthed, scared to wake him up. Then you turn back onto your other side, your back once again facing him.

Saturday rolls around and you stare at your closet, trying to pick out the perfect outfit. Not that there could ever be a perfect outfit to break up with someone, you darkly chuckled. Yes, this date will be your final one with Zayne. You intended to break up with him once the night was over. It was approaching the date when he'll reunite with MC and you didn't want to be a thorn in his side when that happens. With your relationship with each other, perhaps you could still be friends. Your laugh is humourless as the thought passes your mind. Your feelings have probably grown too strong for you to continue being friends with Zayne. So, as a contingency, you had already applied for a transfer to Skyhaven. This way, you'll be far from Zayne and the MC. Unfortunately though, the transfer only takes effect in 3 months so you'll still have 3 months time to be witness to their love story. Though you already know what will happen.

You finally pick out a simple carnation pink dress that reaches your knees which you pair with a navy blue cardigan and sneakers.

Right on time, meaning 5 minutes before your scheduled meet up time, the doorbell rings. You smile and brush away the sad thoughts as you answer the door.

"Ready to go?" Zayne's eyes scan over your outfit.

You nod as you loop your arm through your off shoulder bag, "Let's go."

He steps aside to give you room to step out of your apartment. You turn back to lock the door before taking the hand he offers you and walk together towards the elevator. The two of you take his car to the restaurant you picked for lunch, enjoying each other's company along with good food. After lunch, you guys head to the dessert shop, picking out several desserts (skipping over the carrot cake) to enjoy before the movie.

You laugh and point to the corner of your mouth, "You've got some cream here."

Zayne picks up his napkin and wipes at his mouth, "Did I get it?"

You shake your head and hold out your hand. He passes his napkin to you and leans forward. You lightly dab at the corner of his mouth where the cream is.

"There, all gone." You hand him back his napkin to find him staring at you with a small smile. You flush under his stare.

"Thank you."

You avoid his gaze, "No problem."

Then it was time for the movie. The two of you scanned the options before opting for this romance movie that takes place in a hospital. You weren't a medical drama person, but romance in the hospital seemed quite rare. As you kind of expected, the movie ended on a bitter note, almost pulling tears out of you once again. Zayne took notice and gave your hand a squeeze. You gave him a reassuring smile in return.

After the movie, the two of you decided to take a stroll because the two of you weren't quite hungry yet and there was still time until the reservation.

"Zayne, what do you think you'll be doing 10 years from now?" You suddenly ask.

He furrows his brow in thought, indulging your rare quirky questions as always, "Well, still doing my job, maybe with a couple kids to take care of," He sways his arm, swinging yours in the process since he was holding your hand, "married, probably." Your breath hitches as he glances at you as he says that, his hand warm as it squeezes yours.

You just smile softly, "That sounds like you." You glance away off into the distance. "I think that's probably the same for me as well."

You continue walking in silence until it was time for your reservation. You heart was starting to feel heavy and you felt like you couldn't enjoy the food as much as you wanted to. The weight of what you're about to do stabbing at you. Because before you'd even realized it, Zayne was already committed to you. Perhaps he felt responsible, seeing how strong your feelings are for him, but you couldn't allow that. This was the man who fell in love with sweets because a little girl promised him a popsicle. The man who'd been entrusted with taking care of that girl. Of course, that didn't have to mean romantically, but as you thought of the game, of the way Zayne acted around MC, of the way he looks at MC... He didn't look at you like that. You knew you had to step aside for them.

After dinner, the two of you walk along the shore, feeling the refreshing sea breeze and taking in the view of the vast ocean at night. Once you reach a fairly deserted spot on the beach, you pause. Zayne stops with you and turns to face you as you turn to face him.

His eyes are searching yours again, as if he had found something in your gaze and needed to reconfirm it.

"Whatever you're about to do, don't do it." He says with conviction.

You feel the tears well up, "You... Nothing gets past you does it?"

He looks at you with furrowed brows. "Of course things do. I still haven't figured out why you're doing this. I don't understand at all."

You take a deep breath, "I just don't have feelings for you anymore. At some point, I just felt like we didn't have a spark." Your eyes are blurred with tears.

"You're lying," Zayne says softly, bringing a hand up to your cheek.

You shake your head, moving your head away from his touch, "I'm not. It's been hard for me to keep up this façade when I know we don't have romantic feelings towards each other."

Zayne shakes his head, "That's not true. I—"

You cut him off, "Don't." You smile at him through your tears, "Let's break up, Zayne."

"No, I refuse." Zayne grabs your hand. "You can't tell me you felt nothing. That there's no spark. I felt the way your lips moved against mine, the way your body reacted to my kiss that night. You can't deny that." He moves in for a kiss just like that night. You let him, but you remain unresponsive to him. He frowns, pressing you closer. You tremble from the strain of holding back. You push at his chest, and he lets you push him away. He stares at you again with narrowed eyes.

"What can I do to change your mind?" He finally sighs, keeping his gaze locked on yours.

"You can't. I've already made up my mind." You step back.

"Fine. Let's call it a break. For one month. Let's stop seeing each other for a month. If your decision is still the same after that, I'll let you go." Zayne's eyes had a strange glint in them. You'd never seen him look like that.

You nod, "Fine, deal."

His expression had returned to his usual stoicism. "I'll take you home." He walks ahead in front of you.

You slowly follow after him. It was an uncomfortable silence back home.

"Thank you for the ride." You mumbled as you stepped out. But he got out after you. "You don't have to walk me up."

His steps stagnate, "Right. Then I'll see you at work on Monday."

"Yes, have a good night." You bow and take off in a flurry, wanting to escape the suffocating air.

------------------------------------------------

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Part 5 | Part 6 | Alt Part 6

Part 7 | Alt Part 7 | Part 8

Alt Part 8 | Part 9

[dwrlm-orion]

even when there was rain, sunshine came

pairing. caleb x fem! childhood friend! non mc! reader (x childhood bsf! zayne)

synopsis. caleb planted a seed in your heart when you were both young, nurturing it without meaning to until it sprouted and blossomed. it shouldn't have grown this much, not when you knew you could never have him.

genres/aus. angst, fluff, f2l, unrequited love, childhood f2l

warnings. slight ooc caleb (i have not read homecoming or wtv that chapter is called BC BLUESTACKS DOES NOT WANT ME TO FINISH LONG AWAITED REVELRY OR WTV THAT CHAPTER IS CALLED IM STUCK ON CH12...), NOT canon compliant oops (no higher being placing a curse on zayne, no experimentation done on mc and caleb bc josephine is a good person this time BYEEEE), reader has neglectful parent(s) in the beginning kind of, mentions/descriptions of crying, mc is female (she doesn't have a name in here either), some mentions of violence and death, mature language (someone develops a sailor's mouth). warnings will be specified in chapters !

rating. pg-13 but make it very angsty n fluffy ish at the same time.

status. updates every weekend (saturday or sunday)

start. 042725

end. ???

a/n. live love laugh angst (but with a happy ending... for two people...) makes the masterlist after posting the first chapter bc i forgot that i didn't make the masterlist WHOOPS

chapters

(1) summer yellows and autumn reds | (2) winter blues | (3) a colorless spring for many years, but the sun soon came back in summer | (4) the other sun has appeared in the sky once more

INTERLUDE: CALEB

chapter six | chapter seven | chapter eight | chapter nine

EVEN WHEN THERE WAS RAIN, SUNSHINE CAME

[dwrlm-orion]

Love and Deepspace Non MC Reader Fics

(list inspired by: @erisnxxi )

made this collection for myself and to keep track of everything I've read so far. some are crossposted on tumblr and ao3 so I'll try to add both links (though i might miss some so let me know).

Status: Unedited & Incomplete tags; More fics to be added soon

symbols (will use soon):

✧ - smut

♡ - yandere/possessive/obsessive

☆ - angst

✴︎ - isekai/reincarnation/transmigration/reverse isekai

☁︎ - fluff

𖥔 - self aware au (technically counts as nonmc)

Caleb:

Rotten Apples by hcntrcss: (ao3) (tumblr)

Echoes in Space by feralaffection: (ao3)

Live, for Me by kat_the_cat: (ao3)

Psychosomatic by minamidwinter: (ao3)

The Colonel's Keeper by saintobio: (tumblr)

Weightless Paradise by luvl3ss: (ao3) (tumblr)

The Engineer's Gravity by mephisto-reporting: (tumblr)

back to friends by hxlxnaaa: (tumblr) (ao3)

keeper by "anonymous": (ao3)

mine by captivating-flavors: (tumblr)

best friend's brother au by mandalhoerian7: (tumblr)

Caleb's Spitfire - MC Twin AU by lily-jaxk: (tumblr)

fake dating by militaryapple: (tumblr)

Caleb becomes a wet rat (and gets unpixelated?!) by 4-the-l0ve-0f-art : (tumblr) (ao3)

Sylus:

Rewriting Fate by feralaffection: (ao3)

when love arrives-- and when she leaves. by cainis: (ao3)

Inside an Otoge: Mister Dragon, Let Me Love You by writerclaire: (ao3) (tumblr)

A Second Life for Strays! by stupidboy: (ao3)

Error 404 by ittybittyfanblog: (tumblr)

Impartial Hearts by ladsonlads: (tumblr)

surprise encounter by kitimeq: (tumblr)

calm and serenity by blueivyy99: (tumblr)

breaking my heart, 'tis the season, i guess by cainis: (ao3)

the sin & the sinner by saintobio: (tumblr: 1, 2, 3)

heartbreak anniversary with sylus by mephisto-reporting: (tumblr)

hurts so good by comatosebunny09: (tumblr)

merry christmas, mr. sylus by comatosebunny09: (tumblr: 1, 2, 3)

sensitive by comatosebunny09: (tumblr: 1, 2)

a curse between us by eelliotss: (tumblr: 1, 2)

Fourth Wall by always-just-red: (tumblr)

Onychinus' Finest by always-just-red: (tumblr)

Emptiness by antaresr: (ao3)

ikigai by lighting_and_shadow: (ao3)

maybe by captivating-flavors: (tumblr)

enough by captivating-flavors: (tumblr: 1, 2)

Sylus' Darling - MC Twin AU by lily-jaxk: (tumblr)

out of bounds by novthirty: (tumblr)

Zayne:

Nocturne of Twilight by chuloyi: (ao3) (tumblr: 1, 2, 3, 4)

My Wedding Vow Is To Divorce You by kira-loves0905: (tumblr)

lost among the pages by lazylattedgleam: (tumblr)

just give me your forever by shaiyasstuff: (tumblr: 1, 2)

heartbreak anniversary with zayne by mephisto-reporting: (tumblr)

Gymnopédie no. 1 by deltachye: (ao3)

giliw ko (my dear) bybarefootindecember (ao3: 1, 2) (tumblr: 1, 2)

date by captivating-flavors: (tumblr)

Rafayel:

jealousy in the game by melkar: (ao3)

Intimations of Immortality by thyrd_pardie: (ao3)

When you suddenly wake up in Linkon City by irandial: (ao3) (tumblr)

heartbreak anniversary with rafayel by mephisto-reporting: (tumblr)

Fourth Wall by always-just-red: (tumblr)

Rafayel's Muse - MC Twin AU by lily-jaxk: (tumblr)

a blessed bond, broken by time by yuansie: (tumblr: 1, 2)

ocean memories by yuansie: (tumblr)

burning hearts by maddamoiselle: (tumblr)

Xavier:

Meet Me at the Edge of Time by oeggchi: (ao3)

three hours past midnight by savouringmidnights: (tumblr)

glass half full by shaiyasstuff: (tumblr)

we can't be friends by kitimeq: (ao3) (tumblr)

Multi

Insatiable by Aceecee: (ao3) (tumblr)

Fake by urlulugululueverythinggoessmoothulu: (a03)

Wildest dreams by tactfulao3: (ao3)

Cats & Deepspace by thxforthemmrs: (ao3)

on the sideline by rqyup: (tumblr)

they forget your anniversary by yeosatinyngz: (tumblr)

Hugs are Mandatory by whosashan: (tumblr)

Sneakyyy by whosashan: (tumblr)

Bitter by whosashan: (tumblr)

Borrowed Time by eelliotss: (tumblr: 1, 2, 3, 4)

I am in love and deepshit by amethystheartsx: (tumblr: 1, 2)

tempatio by morningstarfirstsin: (tumblr) (ao3)

A Hymn to You by lapetitecafe: (ao3)

[dwrlm-orion]

CRUEL REUNION

pairing: jinu saja (ft: the other saja boys) x (reincarnated! huntrix manager) female reader

summary: as the huntrix's manager, you have a lot things you need to handle but never imagined that you needed to confront a past lover you never knew about with how he's reminding you of your past together.

warning: harassment (from a drunk man), mentions of a physically painful memory flashback, mild obsessive behavior from the saja boys, a lot of dialogue, a couple of curse words, slight angst, and not proofread word count: 4k author's note: hi crystal, i hope you enjoy reading this fic and that i did your idea some justice (:

This was the big moment everyone had been waiting for. Your adrenaline was running wild– you could probably even hear your own heart at this point. But as anxious as you were, your excitement was at its peak. There’s no turning back now, not with all the work you, Bobby, and the girls had put in for their fans.  

Bright stage lights shimmered vibrantly across the stage. Speakers, microphones, and other technological equipment were being retested. Staff members ran around hurryingly as they put the last finishing touches of decoration for this concert's theme. And here you were, on stage watching all of this unfold before your very eyes.  

It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen the stage come to life; it still amazes you. It’s something magical that you can’t describe.  

As you continued supervising what everyone was doing, your attention soon turned to your co-manager, Bobby. He seemed frantic, not in a good way either.  

“What’s wrong, Bobby?” You paced over quickly with your mic pushed to the side and clipboard held tightly to your hip.  

“The girls? I don’t know where they are?!” He shouted at the last bit as he tried to calm himself down with some breathing exercises.  

“Calm down, I’m pretty sure they’ll be arriving any minute.” He nods and pulls his phone out, his eyes widened. “What?”  

“T-Their plane is diverting its course!” He was breathing heavily as he took a bag out of his pocket to breathe in and out of it.  

“I’ll call them. Don’t worry, for now just make sure everything else is ready before they get here.” He saluted you as he ran off with his group of staff to check the preparations.  

You had poor signal from where you stood, so you headed to the back of the stage where you finally got a good bar.  

Your phone rang once or twice before Rumi finally answered. They all smiled and waved before asking you what’s up.  

“Girls, your plane is off course.” You simply explained and their faces grew stiff.  

“We’ll call you back.” Rumi nervously said as she handed the phone to Zoey.  

“Just give us five minutes and we’ll be there.” Mira cooly remarked as she followed Rumi off camera.  

“Bye Y/N! LOVE YOU!” Zoey cheered as the face time abruptly ended.  

You couldn’t help letting out an amused sigh, shaking your head side to side. 

“Welp, I better get back to helping Bobby before he gets another anxiety attack.” You sprint back to the front of the stage to see everything is set.  

Now all you had to do was wait for the girls. And just like they promised, they got there just in time.  

“There you girls are! Hurry! Come on, the doors are about to be open!” You announced as the trio rushed to get their mics.  

The familiar screams of joy, pressure, and anticipation grew louder with every passing second. The floor even started shaking as they rushed to get the best view which was always the front of course. This was when you held your breath.  

You were on the side of the stage where the curtains blocked you from being seen. Bobby stood next to you, his hands clutched onto one another.  

“Breathe, Bobby, just breathe.” You remind him but also a good reminder for yourself.  

Then the music started playing, the special effects team allowed the smoke machine to run their magic, and the girls' silhouettes could then be seen on the main stage wall.  

Their fans went crazy! They cheered for them as they heard them speak.  

“What’s up, Huntrix fans!” Mira boldly greeted.  

The fans erupted in delighted praises as the suspense of waiting was killing them slowly.  

“Hello, hello! Zoey here!” The same thing happened once more.  

“Who's ready to get this concert started?” Rumi gave the final blow as they all hopped onto the stage through a concealed passageway.  

Good, you can finally breathe normally again. Bobby and you shared a fist bump before you moved along to aid the other staff members with whatever they needed help with. As much as you liked watching your friends perform, you care about their fans just as much. Every concert must be perfect, the previous few were, and this one won’t falter either.  

Song after song, the fans sang along. Their fans watch in pure admiration to see your talented friends fly across the stage as they show off their amazing vocals.  

Hours flew by before you knew it. And eventually the concert came to a beautiful close.  

Rumi, Mira, and Zoey all bid their fans goodbye. Their fans did the same through their screams and tears.  

“Until next time everyone!” They all rejoiced as they slowly walked off the stage.  

“You girls were fantastic!” Bobby excitedly applauded as the girls were given their robes and snacks.  

“Thanks Bobby!” Mira said as she stretched her aching muscles.  

“I can’t wait to relax!” Zoey chimed with Mira sharing the same look.  

“GIRLS!” You shouted, and immediately the trio halted.  

“Y/N!” They shouted back before putting their snacks aside to hug you.  

“Great performance out there!” You said in a whisper as their grip around you was far too tight to even breathe.  

Luckily, they noticed and made their release.  

“It’s all thanks to you.” Rumi patted your back to help you ease your back muscles.  

“We couldn’t have done this without you.” Zoey jumped as she held your hands.  

“Ummm guys?” Mira then pointed at your pouting co-manager.  

“And you too Bobby. You’ve also helped make this happen.” You complimented; his smile quickly made its return.  

After chatting for a bit, you let them go their merry way. They needed the rest. They’ve worked tirelessly so this is the time where they get their time off. Bobby also suggested you take some time off too but there were still some things you needed to work on.  

“It’s okay Bobby. I just need to finish editing a couple of posts and then I’ll go on break.” Sounds like a plan to him.  

Getting back home was always a pain since you needed to take transit. However, your lack of energy is the least of your worries. As one of the Huntrix’s managers, you’ve also gained a fanbase of your own. A lot of fans have given you gifts, cute nicknames, and lots of appreciation letters about the work you do. You love them all for their consideration but after working for that many hours, you’d rather be left alone and wait till the rush was over.  

That meant you would have to be walking around, hat and mask on to avoid people noticing you. Most of the time it worked, but for true observing fans, they can spot you right away. Thankfully, not tonight.  

You did your typical circling routine around a couple of blocks waiting for the crowd to slowly die down. The wait was killing your feet as it’s already been two hours. The crowds were still massive and lively.  

“Damn, do I really want to call a taxi?” You wanted to but what you had in your wallet wasn’t nearly enough to pay the fair to get home.  

So, you're stuck in your current predicament. It’s annoying, yes, but not everything is as jolly as you hoped it would be.  

Exhausted and irritated, you decided to head to a bar. At least you’ll be able to sit and eat something to recuperate your strength.  

While you order a drink and some food, you couldn’t help looking around. There weren’t a lot of people there which meant you could eat in peace. Maybe it was because you skipped lunch or your body desperately needed to refuel, but the food served was extra tasty. You finished eating everything in minutes as you paid what was owed.  

Looking back at the clock, it is nearly midnight, hopefully you can finally take this moment to get on the train. To your relief, there was barely anyone in the streets near the train station. You started walking when you suddenly felt an unwanted hand gripping on your upper arm.  

“Hey there, pretty thing? Aren’t you cute?” A drunk older man asked.  

His breath stank of alcohol. He tried moving closer, though you moved back in time. You tried shaking your arm out of his grip, but he wouldn’t budge.  

“Oh, come on. Why are you playing hard to get?” The man continued his pathetic attempts.  

Disgusting. You were ready to use whatever force was necessary when the man was suddenly knocked down.  

“WHAT THE HELL!” He shouted angrily, as you were dragged behind someone. “Who the hell are you?”  

“That doesn’t fuckin matter. Get away from her.” The man who is protecting you spoke.  

“Or what?” The drunken man stood up, rolling his sleeves.  

Worried, you tried to deescalate the situation. Your hands tugged on your defender's arm. He didn’t turn around; in fact, his eyes were trained on the man in case he decided to move any closer.  

“The fuck is his problem?” A different voice chimed in.  

Turning around, your heart dropped. Great, now a whole group of guys were getting involved.  

Intimidated by being outnumbered, the man surrendered as he retreated into the bar.  

“T-Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.” You thanked as you got to see the man’s face for the first time.  

“It’s not a– problem?” His tone confused you for a bit.  

That look? His face? Have you seen him before? Where would you have even seen him?  

“And you all as well.” You softly spoke as the other guys all seemed to share the same shocked, flustered reaction.  

What is going on here? 

“Well… thank you all once again, but I have to go.” You needed to get out of there as soon as possible.  

“Hey wait!” The one who saved you called out.  

Making a rough stop, you turn to hear what he had to say.  

“What is your name?” Why is he even asking? But then again, he did save you so this is the least you can do.  

“It’s Y/N.” You smiled and gave a little nod as you then ran off to the train station.  

There was no way you would miss the last train! 

Once you were gone, the guys just stood there contemplating.  

“You guys heard that right?” Jinu mumbled as they nodded.  

“Her face, her voice, her personality, her smile– there’s nothing about her that has changed.” Romance plainly stated.  

“Should we go after her?” Abby suggested.  

“No, let’s leave her be.” Jinu spoke up.  

His head says one thing, but his heart says another.  

“Come on, let’s just go back to the hotel. I’m tired.” Baby whined.  

With nothing else to do and full from feasting on the many souls they had that night, they decided to return to their hotel as Baby suggested.  

You made it in the nick of time to catch up to the last train. The door instantly closed when you ran in crazily. Your fellow commuters seemed worried but nevertheless minded their own business.  

Panting, you took the closest seat available. You let your lungs rest as you pulled your phone out. There you had a few notifications from the girls and Bobby, and a few business emails you needed to attend to. But other than that, you can rest easy.  

Or so you thought.  

The universe must be torturing you because you can’t get that image of that man or his friends out of your head. Something in your mind is telling you directly that you know them. Though no matter how much you think about it, it leads you nowhere. You swear you’ve never seen them before until that very night. And yet there is that sense of familiarity you can’t brush off.  

Just where have you seen this man and his friends before?  

Burned out, you quickly tossed your shoes to the side of the entrance. Your door lock was secured. And so, you made your way to the living room where you swiftly crashed onto your couch. Sleep quickly gets a hold of your consciousness.  

Maybe you can have some sweet dreams to forget about tonight? Or not.  

As quick as you were knocked out, you found yourself awake again. But not in your physical body, more like in your consciousness.  

“Where am I? Where is this place?” Your eyes scanned around, you're currently floating in a white liminal space of nothingness. “What kind of dream is this?”  

Instead of expecting a jump scare of some kind or some odd event to occur, it seems like your mind started playing a scene. The hologram-like figures were blurry but still visible enough for you to make out a couple of features.  

“Hey stop that! I said stop that! NO WAIT! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” That voice– it was your voice?! 

“Why am I laughing?” The hologram then showed a version of you dressed in traditional attire. “Huh?”  

“No! This is what you get for eating the last songpyeon!” Why does this person sound familiar? Hang on a second, it’s that man’s voice from before!  

Your curiosity increases ten folds when you watch intently.  

The image of that version of you and that man got clearer and clearer the longer you watched.  

“Is this a hidden memory of some kind?” You wondered as more memories poured in.  

It felt like you were watching for hours when you finally woke up to the sound of your annoying alarm. Groaning, you got up miserably, alarm turned off and phone tossed to the side.  

“What was that?” You rest your head in your hands as you reflect what you saw.  

Those guys that you saw yesterday, were the spitting image of the people you saw in your dreams.  

Maybe you needed more rest than you originally thought?  

This had to be a one-time occurrence… except it wasn’t. Nope, your brain kept on replaying these memories for the next couple of weeks. There was no rest. Even when you tried sleeping for a shorter period, your brain decided that this was going to be a daily issue as flashbacks emerged.  

“Woah! What happened to you?” Mira asked concerningly as she moved out of the way for you to enter through the doorway.  

“It’s nothing.” You’re not fooling anyone with how you look.  

“It can’t be nothing if it’s taking a toll on your body?” Rumi said while fetching you some pillows so you can get comfortable on their couch.  

“Really it’s nothing.” The girls just shake their heads and sigh.  

“You’re overworking yourself again.” Zoey reminded.  

“I’m not.” You defended quickly though you knew this argument was a losing battle.  

“Say how about we go to this clinic. The doctor there is known to help people ease their minds and make their exhaustion go away. What do you say?” Zoey’s eyes brightened with anticipation.  

“Sure? I guess?” You replied before yawning.  

Yup, that sealed your fate, you're going.  

“Is this the right direction?” Mira questioned, looking around the streets.  

“Trust me you guys, the doctor is a well-known healer!” Zoey gleefully informed.  

You and Rumi could only walk alongside each other listening to the banter Mira and Zoey had going on.  

“Spa treatment after this?” Rumi quietly proposed.  

“Please.” You murmured as you four then arrived.  

“Here it is!” Zoey called out as her arms shot up into the air.  

“Yay?” You gave your best enthusiastic cheer as you stepped in.  

The more you look around in the waiting room, the more you're suspicious of the bold claims the doctor made about his so-called “healing treatments.” Nevertheless, you stayed, not wanting to hurt Zoey for her considerate attempt to make you feel better.  

“Alright, now where is my next patient?” The doctor said calmly as all gazes were pointed at you.  

You sat there wondering what on earth he was going to do. He walked a few steps closer before you see his eyes bulging out. What a strange form of treatment?  

“Hmmm I see the issue, you’re exhausted.” Way to go to point out the obvious.  

“So, what are you going to prescribe?” Rumi politely asked, feeling as uncomfortable as you were.  

“Oh simple! I suggest she just take my tonics and that’ll solve all her solutions!” Such sweet words with no real solution.  

“Great.” You said sarcastically.  

“Yeah, we’ll take your entire stock!” Zoey eagerly shouted before you can even object.  

With a box full of tonics, the four of you make it out the door. You're trying to cheer yourself up by convincing yourself that the tonics might work.  

“Shoot, I forgot my cap! You guys go ahead; I’ll catch up with you.” You quickly sprinted back to not waste any more time around this weird clinic.  

While you were gone, you would have never imagined stumbling across those guys again. Only this time, instead of being relieved to see them, anger poured into you.  

Rumi was on the ground and judging by how Mira and Zoey were staring at them, they were the cause of it.  

“Rumi! Are you okay?” You frantically ran over to help her.  

As your back was turned, the girls couldn’t help noticing how all their eyes laid directly onto you. And that’s when they also saw those familiar dreaded marks. Demons.  

“Yeah, I’m fine, no worries.” Rumi tried acting like her usual self while brushing off the dirt and dust off her clothes.  

“Y/N? Do you know these girls?” This was a little worrying for the girls to hear.  

How in the world do they know your name?  

“Last time I checked I don’t tell–” You couldn’t even finish your sentence as your head started to pang.  

The pain was so unbearable that your hands pressed harshly against your temples.  

“Ughh!” You shook your head to make the images and voices go away. “Shut up! Shut up! Enough about Jinu!”  

Your voice was low, but all the guys heard it as clear as day.  

“Come on, let’s get out of here.” Mira grumpily said as she helped you up.  

Mira and Zoey stand protectively by your side as Rumi stood behind to carry the box of tonics. They’ll let them off the hook for now as your well-being is their main concern.  

“Stay away from her.” Rumi warned as she walked away.  

“She said it. She said my name?” Jinu asked himself, almost believing that this had to be some cruel dream.  

“It seems like her encounters with you have brought her memories back.” Mystery concluded.  

Neither Jinu nor the rest of the guy's heeded Rumi’s warnings. Instead, they amped up their encounters with you. Every time you see them, they trigger more flashbacks. It was like you were reliving a previous past life of yours.  

However, you were still in the dark about the whole hunter and demon situation between the two bands. You simply see the Saja boys as a rival band, nothing more than that. Rumi, Mira, and Zoey did not have the same sentiment. They seem to be extra clingy lately by staying over at your house for a very long overstayed sleep over.  

“Okay– spill it! What are you guys hiding from me?” You're at your breaking point.  

“What? What are you talking about?” Rumi, Mira, and Zoey all smiled suspiciously.  

“You girls have been acting all strange since the Saja boys made their debut.” You had your arms folded as you sat crisscrossed.  

“Should we tell her?” Zoey’s eyes pleaded with Rumi and Mira.  

With a heavy sigh let out, Rumi told you everything. They expected you to freak out, but you didn’t say anything or moved anywhere. It was like you froze.  

“Y/N? Are you mad at us?” Rumi asked as she sat next to you.  

“I can’t believe you girls kept this all from me.” Your gaze was glued to your lap.  

“We’re sorry but we had to.” Mira tried explaining.  

“But I understand why you did it. I’ll keep your secret safe.” To hear this coming from you was a massive breath of fresh air for the girls.  

“AHHHHH, WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!” Zoey busted out crying.  

Hugs for everyone!  

Just like you promised, you kept your mouth shut. You even took extra caution whenever you see any of the Saja boys. They were quick to pick up on how you acted differently. So now that you knew what they were, they might as well make an official introduction.  

“Hey!” Chills run down your spine as you turn around to find Jinu standing a couple of feet away from your doorway. “Can we talk?”  

Seems like a no since you quickly twisted your key in and shut the door behind you.  

“How cute?” He thought but no mere door was going to stop him from having this talk with you.  

He easily teleported inside, cool but freaky.  

“Listen, I’m not going to hurt you.” He put his hands up. “I’m just here to talk.”  

You want to believe him but after hearing what demons are capable of, you keep your guard up.  

“How do I know that I can trust you?” You backed away further.  

Each step you moved back, he moved forward.  

“You just can. Please.” His pleas were painful to hear. “Just give me a chance.”  

His voice echoed in your head as it caused another flashback.  

“Fine! Fine, but after this, y-you better leave me alone! Or else I’ll call the hunters on you!” You tried threatening him even though you were trembling like a leaf blown by the wind.  

“Take my hand.” You look at his outstretched hand, contemplating about it for a few seconds before placing your hand in his.  

As soon as you did that, your mind was filled with the clearest images of the two of you together.  

You were friends? No. It’s got to be something more than that? Not with how he looked at you then and now. Lovers? But that can’t be? Rumi said demons don’t have emotions. Yet the very demon in front of you has no problem showing his most vulnerable side to you.  

“So, we were lovers in the past?” You hesitantly said, hand dropping out of his grasp.  

“Yes.” Jinu watched you closely.  

“Why did you become a demon?” You started crying, not because you wanted to, it was just something that your body did on its own.  

The overwhelming sadness you felt wasn’t yours. It had to be from the past version of you.  

“I was consumed by greed, and I left you…” He admitted, unable to keep the truth away from you. “But I won’t make the same mistake twice. You don’t need to love me. You can even hate me. But please—” It shocked you to see him kneel before you, hands desperately clinging onto yours.  

“At least let me be by your side.” Tears ran down his face as he held onto you.  

He was crying as if you were the last pillar of hope he could cling onto.  

“I-I…” You couldn’t get your words through as you can hear the girls heading your way. “Go now! You need to go!”  

“Will you allow me to stay by your side?” He needed an answer right then and there.  

He’d much rather die than having to wait another minute to hear your response.  

“Fine! Okay you can be by my side! Now go!” He did as you commanded, vanishing into thin air.  

“Y/N! Are you okay? We sensed that a demon was near you!” Zoey violently pushed the door open.  

“Where is it? Where’s the demon?” Mira angrily shouted.  

“Girls, I'm fine. Not a single scratch. See?” You wave them off.  

Not fully convinced that the coast was clear, they stormed off to check the other rooms.  

“What am I going to do now?” You grumbled to yourself as you sat back down on your couch.

tagging 💌: @crystalrose36

[dwrlm-orion]

☆Soda Pop☆

A/N: I couldn't help myself PLEASE-😭🖐🏽 This is rlly short too💔 I just wanted to write for him

Warnings: None

Fluff☁⭐

Jinu x reader!

“You know, staring at me isn't gonna make me talk” You say as your eyes stay focused on your phone. The balcony, usually a place of solo relaxation, turned into a non scheduled interview. You're sat on a blanket, taking a sip from your soda can

Jinu blinks, his head dipping to the side. He hops down to the balcony from his crouching position on the railings. “Maybe I'm trying to read your mind”

“And how's that going? ”

“You're not funny,” Jinu huffed despite the grin forming on his face. You finally decide to look at him. He was bothering you all week. Asking you questions. Following you around. Simply because he discovered you were a close friend of Rumi's

You were childhood friends. And you were the only person, besides Celine, who knew about her other half. So of course you were aware of the Saja Boys not really being a boy group. She trusted you. You'd never let's anything or anyone break that trust

“If she isn't coming to meet you, ” You speak again “She clearly doesn't want anything to do with you” You continue scrolling hoping he'll take the hint. Obviously not. You have to admit, he is stubborn. “Are you a demon as well? Is that why you're so closed off?” He asks. You roll your eyes “No I'm not. And Rumi being one isn't your business” You snap back

Jinu chuckles. A silence sits between you both. He plopped down right next to you. “What're you watching?” He tries to peek but you turn the phone off. He stares at the black screen for a moment “You are almost as secretive as your friend” He hums, thoughtful. You shrug, picking up the soda can again

Jinu snatched the drink from your hand. He finished it in one go, throwing the can back at you. “What the-! “ You punch his arm. The force is aggressive and he whimpers. “Ouch! Seriously? “ He pouts. “Yeah, seriously!” You respond “Can't you go away! Gosh, you're so annoying!”

“Says the one who punched me!” He snaps back

“And I'll throw another one right at your pretty face”

Jinu opened his mouth to fight back but closed it again. His lips quirk up “You think I'm pretty?” The smug look on his face makes you growl. You stand, your fists clenched to your sides. You stomp back into your room, slamming the balcony door. He looks at you through the transparent barrier.

Jinu lifts his hand to forming an ‘L’ with his fingers on his forehead and sticks out his tongue. “How dare you-” You reach to pry the door open but he was gone the moment you looked away. You stepped out into the balcony again, leaning against the railing

You looked below for any sign of him but there was no one. You smiled in relief. You can finally relax now that he's left you alone. Before you make your way back inside, a soda can falls from your ceiling. You quickly catch it. You stare at the drink, realizing it's that dumb Saja Boys one. You look up

Jinu stood on your ceiling, his hands shoved into his pockets. “You're welcome” He says.

“I'm not drinking this” You retort

“So biased” Jinu jokes. He disappears before you can say anything more. The can feels heavy in your hand. You take one last look at it then head back into your room. “Whatever” You shrug, opening the drink and taking a sip. He was definitely the nuisance of the century

But, It's the thought that counts.

[dwrlm-orion]

Love and Deepspace Non-Mc Fic Recommendations

Sylus

☆ Angel of Her Own Making - by bwennie (link here)

☆ Mister Dragon, Let Me Love You - by clairewritesfanfics (link here)

☆ Heartbreak Anniversary with Sylus - by mephisto-reporting (link here)

☆ Sylus with non!mc reader - by yukithestar (one, two, three, four)

☆ enough - by captivating-flavors (link here)

☆ away (loosely part 2 of enough) - by captivating-flavors (link here)

☆ wilted promises - by shaiyasstuff (one, two, finale)

☆ delayed beginnings - by shaiyasstuff (one-shot, sequel, epilogue, bonus)

☆ The Great (Unnecessary) Divorce Incident - by mangooes (link here)

☆ The Winner Takes it All - by misshuntereevee (one, two)

☆ one in the head, two in the chest - by comatosebunny09 (link here)

☆ hurst so good - by comatosebunny09 (link here)

☆ The Sin & The Sinner - by saintobio (link here)

☆ Calm and Serenity - by blueivyy99 (masterlist)

☆ Impartial Hearts - by ladsonlads (link here)

☆ A Blooming Predicament - by subliminalwish (link here)

☆ merry christmas, mr. sylus - by comatosebunny09 (link here)

☆ merry christmas, mr. sylus (aftermath) - by comatosebunny09 (link here)

☆ sylus x non mc reader - by comatosebunny09 (link here)

☆ Lonely Birthday - Sylus - by i-messed-up-big-time (link here)

☆ BY NAME, ON PAPER - by ryusjwks (link here)

☆ OUT OF BOUNDS - by novthirty - (masterlist)

☆ unspoken - by vellihor (link here)

☆ second best - by comatosebunny09 (link here)

☆ Ikigai - by lighting-and-shadow (link here)

☆ ever, ever after - by kannady (link here)

Zayne

☆ Nocturne of Twilight - by chuluoyi (part one)

☆ Dawn's First Light - by chuluoyi (part two)

☆ pit-a-pat - by shaiyasstuff (one-shot)

☆ Heartbreak Anniversary with Zayne - by mephisto-reporting (link here)

☆ Heart of Glass - by szarina (masterlist)

☆ My Wedding Vow Is To Divorce You - by kira-loves0905 (link here)

☆ Claiming Something That's Not Yours - by authorssmc (link here)

☆ evermore - by shaiyasstuff (link here)

☆ Lonely Birthday - Zayne - by i-messed-up-big-time (link here)

☆ You Will Never Be Her - by mischivousvoid (link here)

☆ Imagine being Zayne's non-mc significant other - by dark-night-hero (link here, part two, part three)

☆ Evermore - by orphicmeliora (link here)

☆ THIRD PLACE TO A TWO-PERSON HOME - by a-casxandra (link here, part two)

Caleb

☆ Rotten Apples - by rcvcgers (masterlist)

☆ mine - by captivating-flavors (link here)

☆ The Colonel's Keeper - by saintobio (link here)

☆ The Colonel's Saint - by saintobio (part two)

☆ The Terminator's Curse (spinoff of The Colonel Series) - by saintobio (link here)

☆ weightless paradise - by huxhsz (masterlist)

☆ back to friends - by hxlxnaaa (link here)

☆ Heartbreak Anniversary with Caleb - by mephisto-reporting (link here)

☆ Lonely Birthday - Caleb - by i-messed-up-big-time (link here)

☆ even when there was rain, sunshine came - by yuansie (masterlist)

☆ seven years - by cosmoszyn (link here)

☆ eighth year (part two of seven years) - by cosmoszyn (link here)

☆ a decade (part three of seven years) - by cosmoszyn (link here)

☆ LETTERS UNSENT - by orphicmeliora (link here)

☆ Backburner - by a-casxandra (link here, part two, part three, last part)

☆ Imagine being Caleb's non-mc significant other - by dark-night-hero (link here, part two, part three)

Xavier

☆ glass half full - by shaiyasstuff (drabble)

☆ 3:07 a.m. - by shaiyasstuff (one-shot, sequel)

☆ we can't be friends - by kitimeq (link here)

☆ Duty's Cruel Embrace - rcvcgers (masterlist)

☆ Lonely Birthday - Xavier - by i-messed-up-big-time (link here)

☆ Realizing Something You Shouldn't Have - by authorssmc (link here)

☆ Imagine being Xavier's non-mc significant other - by dark-night-hero (link here, part two)

Rafayel

☆ Heartbreak Anniversary with Rafayel - by mephisto-reporting (link here)

☆ Ocean Memories - by yuansie (masterlist)

☆ fate - by shaiyasstuff (one-shot, sequel)

☆ Loathe To Paint You - by rcvcgers (masterlist)

☆ You Were Meant For The Ocean - by sapphirexsolarium (link here)

☆ Lonely Birthday - Rafayel - by i-messed-up-big-time (link here)

☆ You're losing Me - by a-casxandra (link here, part two, part three, last part)

☆ Imagine being Rafayel's non-mc significant other - by dark-night-hero (link here, part two, part three)

Multi

☆ to you - by calebsluvr (link here)

☆ Bitter - by whosashan (part one)

☆ Sour - by whosashan (part two)

◇ There's probably a lot of non-mc fics out there that i haven't seen BUT these are the ones that I'm currently reading/already read!

◇ To the authors mentioned THANK YOU FOR YOUR AMAZING WRITING/WORKS AND I LOVE YA'LL 🙈💗

◇ All links are up to date / will be updated!

◇ This list will be updated as well!

Last Edited June 24, 2025 08:01 am

♥ dividers used is made by enchanthings ♥

[dwrlm-orion]

Names for the other Saja Boys:

Beomseok (범석) - Abs Saja

Daeun (다은) - Baby Saja

Jae-Hyun “Jae” (재현) - Romance Saja

Garam (가람) - Mystery Saja

A few headcanons:

Jinu presents himself as the leader of the group in an attempt to shield the others from Gwi-ma’s wrath. He views the other Saja Boys as his family. He is a bit of a sassy bastard (that one moment of him dusting off his shoulder after making eye contact with Rumi and being all smug was a great moment to me) (I need more of him just subtly sassing people like that).

Beomseok tends to snore when he’s in a deep sleep, and his friends will lightheartedly joke about it. He will go for early morning runs because he likes the quiet, it helps him clear his head. He tends to be a bit of a goofball at times, but he is usually the one who eases the tension amongst the group.

Daeun loves spicy food and has the highest spice tolerance out of all of them (feels canon since he easily won that hot sauce contest). He adds so much spicy sauce to his food that if anyone else tried it, it would completely scorch their tastebuds. He has a very big vocal range, being able to go from a more high-pitched voice to his deeper rapping voice. He sometimes likes to prank people with it.

Jae-Hyun goes by “Jae” with his friends. He wears a face mask to sleep, and he is the one who has a 13-step hair care/skin care routine. He has more of a sweet tooth than a love of spicy food (medium level spicy will KO him easily) (it was his suggestion to name their first debuted song “Soda Pop”).

Garam rarely speaks when he isn’t singing and that fact that his hair covers most of his face can make him hard to read. Though, it’s not because he’s shy. Though, the other sajas always seem to understand him anyway. Will send oddly specific memes that he finds on social media to his friends.

[dwrlm-orion]

Held in the Hollowed Fragments 1: My Emcumbarce Pragma

Pairing: LADs x non-mc (You)

Genre: Angst (not proofread)

Series' inspiration

Writer's note: I've decided to start a series of some sort, as my mind is brewing with ideas. However, to get started, I need a catalyst to trigger my momentum, so please forgive me for the angst I'm bringing. (Yes, I lovingly kissed all the bricks beforehand for this and the future posts.)

Word count: +1K

Next

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Life had always been cruel to me for as long as I could remember. The dull to sharp unbearable ache of watching the love of my life fall deeply in love with someone else, to fall for her, Mc unconditionally and wholeheartedly, that I had to continuously endure the sight of him falling to his demise, whether by the sacriface of his life for hers or lose of his sanity and will to live after her untimely demise, time and time again. A constant tragedy, yet, I have always been there by his side during his weakest and most vulnerable, to hold him in my warm embrace, whispering soothing words of comfort and encouragement to restore him to his best self, only for him to continue his pursuit of her while I watched on in the distance.

To him, I was a mundane necessity that was always around but never truly desired, like an ordinary harbour with a small lighthouse in the distance, a place for him to rest for a time before becoming forgotten once again, for the great horizon beyond my shores represents her. There were times when I tried to stop him and desperately keep him within the bay, in the safety of my warm embrace as the paths before him were not worth disregarding and sacrificing his life for a love that will end up killing him long before the love he desires comes to fruition, and yet, he and the new twisted plans that Astra had in store for him says otherwise.

She's worth the pain.

She's everything to me.

I can't live with the idea of not being by her side.

I'll do whatever it takes to protect her and make her happy.

I would rather die in her arms than not save her.

You don't understand what I'm going through.

He pushed me away, as to him I was just in the way of keeping her safe in his own embrace, even if it meant meeting his tragic end by her own hands or to forever be cursed to not being able to love her nor live a long life together.

If only he knew that I did understand, far more than he could ever imagine, but yet... He doesn't see it that way. To him, I'm not as special as her. I'm not the person who makes his heart race; the one who was never a constant thing in his mind. I'm someone who he'll drop everything that he's doing, just to be near to like she could, to have her eyes on him and him alone.

I'm not, nor will I ever be, the sun, his sun that lights up his world. The sun that he willingly orbits around while craving more of her warmth and care, as I was just a tiny moon that sticks around him during the nights and early mornings. The same small moon that reflects his sun's shine when she is gone for a time, and then pales in the sky as the sun takes back her rightful place. A moon that is always there but never greatly appreciated as much.

I hate it.

I hate how he always gives his life away so easily for her.

I hate the times where would he screams, shouts and grows cold towards me time and time again whenever I try to protect him from the inevitable, only to then hold his cold, lifeless body in my arms, or watch the man I love becomes the empty unrepairable shell of what he once was after she was gone.

I hate how in some lifetimes, I also end up sacrificing myself just for him to have a chance to be with her as I slowly fade away like a long forgotten memory.

Most of all... I hate that I was never enough for him to love instead.

But yet... In the end, he and I were no different. We're both willing to risk our lives to be with the love of our lives, even if the moments together were short and fleeting. In the end, we both never once regretted our decisions, even during this twisted game with fate. However, there will always be one consistent thing that makes our destinies different.

For him, it was the fact that he and the love of his life would meet each other again in another life. That their hearts and souls will always belong to each other, and there will be another chance to be together. As for me? What was even there for me to hold on to?

Where is the reassurance that I'll have a chance to be loved and cherished by him? To be the one who is constantly having his loving gaze on them, and to be in his boundless embrace of devotion.

...

Maybe there won't be another next time.

Maybe there won't ever be a chance for me to love him so openly, as his and Mc's love was already set in stone, and I was just destined to fade into the cold, lifeless void like always.

Maybe it was for the best that we'll never see each other again, my love. To live our lives from now on and in the many lives after as strangers. To never recall the times we shared, the moments and memories that I'd once loved and cherished with all my heart and soul. To live in different timelines, dimensions, worlds, or even universes.

Maybe it's for the best that Astra lets a different cosmic god take my soul to somewhere far away...but not without taking your cursed, tragic fate with me in exchange for my compliance, so that you can finally live a life full of love and happiness with her. For her to love you with just as much love as I did for you in all those lifetimes.

To give you my last and final act of love and wishes for you.

Goodbye, my love... my all in all...

My snowman

My dragon

My starlight

My fishie

My candy apple

My Emcumbrace Pragma... I hope we never meet again.

...

..

.

NO! COME BACK! I'M SORRY! DON'T LEAVE ME ALL ALONE, PLEASE!!!