hwasflower

[hwasflower]

Taking a walk by the lake after having ice cream, you thought you would share some soft, romantic moments with your boyfriend only for Yunho to start rambling about his game

"And I was just about to shoot but that idiot he came from behind and," and what Yunho was saying was going over your head. Nodding along mindlessly, you stopped seeing how far he'll walk before he notices that you're gone.

Yunho had walked a few steps ahead, animatedly talking about something. "Then I−," he pauses, looking to find you're gone. "Y/n?" he looks around, finally seeing you stand a bit behind.

Running to you, he pouted, tilting his head. "I thought someone kidnapped—," he' smiled cutely. cut off before he could finish, your lips pressing against his.

Giggling, you ruffle his hair. "Puppy," you smile, hugging him.

"Oh to be young again," an older woman voiced, who was walking beside you two. "You never kiss me anymore!" She complained to her elderly husband.

The man shrugged. "I can kiss you right now," he pulled his wife closer by her wrist, wrinkled hands caressing her cheek.

"Oh stop it!" The woman smiled, blushing.

Watching the pair bicker like that, something warm filled Y/n's chest. And seems like Yunho had felt the same. Clasping their hands together, Yunho draped his arms over her shoulder, kissing the top of her head.

"I love you so much, Y/n," he said softly, the breeze dancing on his face.

"Mm," Y/n nodded, snuggling closer to him. "I love you too."

©yup-thats-me

⋆˚˖°reqs are openᝰ.ᐟ

[hwasflower]

attention on me, baby ୭.ᐟ.ᐟ +18

mingi sometimes gets easily jealous of you talking to someone else on the phone. what do you mean you're not paying attention to him, and him only? his heart swells with toxic thougths, his mouth twitching to bite back the words he wants to say when he sees you still talking on the phone with one of your friends. he also feels guilty for acting this way, because he knows sometimes you are talking to a long distance friend which you rarely see.

he thinks he's always been a good boyfriend to you, his attention always on you even when he's away on tour. when he comes home from work you're the first thing on his mind to be with, to entertain or talk with.

and now he has been home all day, his schedule finally letting him have a few days off which is slowly coming to an end.

it was late afternoon when he heard your phone ringing in the kitchen, warning you that somebody's looking for you. big mistake, he thinks. because that was three hours ago, and when he walks in on you twirling your hair and kicking your legs on the bed he has an idea.

you're laying on your stomach with your back facing him as he stands in the doorway, your constant laughing and giggling luring him inside the shared bedroom. mingi can't stop the groan when he sees your delicate body shake from how you giggle, your legs interwined in the air making your tighs press against each other. his hands are itching to touch you the longer he keeps his eyes on you.

without another second passing, he swiftly slips further into the room, walking towards the bed as you keep chatting on the phone. when you notice your boyfriend's prescence, you turn your head to look over your shoulder straight at him, seeing him inching towards you.

naively, you smile apologizing at him as you remember what you promised a few hours ago. turning the phone away from you, you whisper to him, 'm sorry baby, i swear i'm almost done,okay? then we can watch a movie or eat something. you smile, turning back to the phone when you see mingi nod reassuringly.

however, mingi has other plans in his mind.

you feel the bed dip as he kneels on the bed behind you, one of his big hands snaking around your naked ankles to force them down on the mattress. he slowly caresses your skin on your leg, his mind immedietly clouding with dirty thoughts.

sure thing sweets, he responds simply as you can feel his hands lowering to the back of your knees, smirking when he hears your breath hitch.

as your attention has visibly shifted to mingi now, he fully lays his much bigger body on top of yours, his fingers swiping your hair to one side. but i'm hungry now. he whispers in your ear, feeling his plump lips ghosting over your neck as he badly wants to bite down on it.

you can't help but clear your throat from going dry when you feel him subtly rutting against your clothed ass, his dick hard and very visible as he now pants into your ear. you want to slap him for doing this to you when you're on the phone with someone, although his bratty side always making you feel something.

baby, why are you still on the phone? don't you want to play with me?

he whispers again, now kissing your skin sloppily on your neck as you try to wriggle your way out from under him. he groans as you press more into him by your movements, wanting nothing more now then to tear your pants off and slide his cock inside you.

you can practically feel his body heat radiating off, filling the room and you, making sure to have a light blush on your cheeks when he presses against you more. mingi lets out a muffled, satisfied moan at feeling his cock leaking with anticipation and in return you lift your hips towards him. you just want to tease me huh? you can feel me throbbing for you, don’t you princess?

with a shameless nod, you slightly bury your head in the pillows in front of you while still holding the phone to your ear. at that, mingi can’t help but snake one of his hand into your hair and pull it towards him, seeing the way you gasp out and part your lips in slight pain. with measured movements, he slowly presses his wet lips on your neck once again, making you groan out into the phone.

is everything okay? you sound weird says someone in the phone, sounding worried and also suspicious. mingi knows you're not an idiot and could easily hang up the phone, cutting of the line in one swift motion. but you lay still, your throat free for his lips to kiss, body pressed against him and waiting to be fucked for teasing him so mercilessly.

as mingi thinks.

so he grinds into you with much force than before, making you now let out a small groan at the sensation. mingi smirks and bites down on your skin, letting it go slowly as he whispers you like this? like it when someone hears you getting fucked and teased like a slut? licking the spot with his tongue and working his way down towards the crook of your neck. when you want to answer somehow -- anyhow, he pries your your tightly closed legs up, settling between the small space and grind against your throbbing core.

the grey sweatpants of his can't hide the fact how much effect you have on him, a small wet patch forming just where his tip is trying to poke through the fabric. hell, if it would be enough, he'd fuck you then and there with all his clothes on, but he needs to feel you.

so he does.

he takes his hand and with one motion, pulls those tight gym short off of you, now your plump ass on display infront of him. he nearly chokes on his own words when he sees you wiggling your ass more towards him,now obviously wanting the same as mingi.

fuckk baby, he groans and slaps one of your cheeks almost immediately, bringing your hips impossibly close to his crotch. he can see the way his cock bumps into your clothed heat, already seeing your panties soaked through the fabric with arousal. i wish you could see us

with all the energy left you try to turn your head to the side, seeing his eyebrows furrowed and lips red from biting it so hard, his hands gripping you tightly against him so you can't slip away. it makes you want to moan at the sight, seeing him being so whipped just from you laying on the bed. as you scan his face he suddenly locks eyes with you, smirking at you as he grabs your phone and in no time -- throws it somewhere in the room on the floor. we don't fucking need that now he growls, pulling his sweatpants down enough so he can slap his heavy and red cock on one of your cheeks, groaning freely now as he can see his precum smearing on the skin.

it feels like there's not enough air in the room when you feel mingi slipping his tip under your panties,dragging it impossibly slow between your wet folds like he's trying to torture you too now. you both moan at the feeling, the warmness spreading in your chest and making your hips buckle up into his touch. mingi takes one of his hand and caresses your skin, his tip poking into your warm walls while try to prop yourself up by your elbows.

and then it feels like mingi's lost control -- he lets out a broken moan and thrusts between your folds in one motion. your panties sticking to his already wet cock as his hip stutters has him repeatedly moan into the thin air, feeling you pressing yourself back into his movements more and more. it feels like something is suffocating him when you hear him whimper and mumble somewhere behind you.

come on baby, come on.

it's desperate and whiny,like the words itself feels like a torture for mingi. he sounds so helpless that your body reacts on its own, butterflies swirling in your stomach and pussy so incredibly wet just for him that you want him to dip inside you and stay there forever. feeling your own body giving up the control over you, you wiggle your body in the way so you can feel his tip propped against your entrance again, and without another thought you slowly sink down on his length as he's lost in sensations.

mingi whimpers at the sudden change, his body leaning more into you as he slowly bottoms out inside you, his hands still gripping you and keeping you just where he wants you.

mingi thinks one squeeze and he's done -- but he's wrong, because he's on cloud nine the whole time, body and mind in different places as he ruts into you like a dog in heat. he pants and groans at the feeling of you uncontrollably spasming around him, the feeling of gripping him so tightly that he nevers wants to leave. you want nothing more than to milk me, right baby? he groans into your ear, now one of his hand gripping the back of your neck and repetedly pulling your body towards him. his filthy words makes you whimper and moan his name, you backside numb from the slaps and the way it collides with mingi's body. nodding shamelessly you let him take control over you too, feeling him smirking against your skin when he places kisses on the side of your neck once again.

yeah, that’s it baby fuck yourself on me.

he groaned as your body tensed up, knowing exactly what's following in line -- the way it hits you is sudden, the wave of pleasure going through your body,ending you in a moaning mess as your climax reached you. it crashes down on mingi too, it's sudden and intense, it feels like it's never ending. he comes, so hard that it immediately spills out from around his cock -- he throws his head back with a broken moan as he slightly shakes, coating your panties with thick white ropes of cum. mingi can't help but look down once his breathing finally catches up, seeing his tip leaking with never ending cum as he finally pulls out of you and fixes your panties in a way that his and your arousal doesn't come out. you didn’t even realize you were still leaking around him until he shifted his hips, still buried deep in your swollen, overstretched walls. mingi’s hand rubbed soothing circles on the lower of your back as he winced from the cold air hitting his still wet cock, grounding himself after realizing what you did to him.

you ruin him in every way.

a/n: mingi is my ult and i rarely write about him tf😭??? btw!! i have been working on a little surprise so i'm not working on the requests currently. but i really wanted to finish and post this bc i started writing this back in january hello

important!: this is pure fiction, the act in this story is by my imagination and not based off true events. please do not copy the work.

@ astrasng 2025

⋮ do not copy, translate, steal, or modify without permission! ⋮

[hwasflower]

You deserve to be loved

heads up: family issues, reader is insulted (not by San)

San never raises his voice at you

He'd rather lose his voice altogether than screaming at you. He'd rather lose the argument itself and, damn, that's a lot coming from him. It doesn't matter if he is obviously right, if the world has been trying his patience lately or if it's hurting his pride.

He will never raise his voice at you.

You have told him how your family treated you before. You didn't seem bitter about that, you barely seemed to notice the effects it had on you. But he's seen your family.

He has heard the way they scream at the minor inconvenience and how they always take it all on you. How they constantly seem to call you names just because they can. Stupid, slow, ugly, slut, undeserving. And they'd always laugh it off.

You hadn't noticed this isn't normal yet. You loved your family and they claimed to love you too. Maybe this is just how people work? Maybe they just struggle a little bit with affection, maybe they are just playing around, maybe you're the one who's too sensitive.

But San has seen it. The way you look up so you don't cry. The way you flinch when someone gets too close too fast. The way you don't give yourself the credit you deserved just because their words made roots in your being.

Well, he decided that he was not going to be like that. You chose him out of all people to be with you. You chose him to be with you for the rest of your life. He wanted to be your family from now on, and for that he would not be like your family until now.

He never screamed at you. He was never rough. It didn't matter how angry or how impatient he was. Never, in all those years you've known him, had San offended or actually hurt you. Nothing but compliments, praise and kindness left his lips when he was around you.

That's because if no one taught you what love really is supposed to be like, he had no problem showing you the truth.

Masterlist | you'll probably like: hold me

Daily click

Reminder this is just fiction!! I'm not trying to portray real life and you shouldn't believe that this is how the members actually are. This is just for the vibe and the delulu!

Taglist (open!): @yuyubeans @sheraayasherrecs @queenofdumbfuckery @lezleeferguson-120 @diarylogbook08

Dividers by @saradika-graphics | images 1, 2 and 3

[hwasflower]

Ateez members falling asleep on top of their S/O

Hongjoong

Hongjoong isn’t someone who falls asleep easily, especially when his mind is full of ideas, lyrics, or unfinished projects. But last night, exhaustion finally caught up with him. He had been lying with his head on your chest, talking about music, upcoming schedules, and the little things that had been occupying his mind. Your fingers lazily ran through his hair, massaging his scalp and gently scratching at the nape of his neck. He sighed contentedly, eyelids growing heavy as the sensation lulled him into a rare moment of complete relaxation.

When he stirs awake in the morning, his first instinct is to panic he never falls asleep like this. His eyes flutter open, still drowsy, and he finds himself curled up against you, cheek pressed to your chest, your warmth surrounding him. His arms are lazily wrapped around your waist, fingers twitching slightly as he adjusts to the reality of his position.

For a moment, he doesn’t move, just listening to your steady heartbeat beneath his ear. A soft smile tugs at his lips as he closes his eyes again, deciding that, just this once, he doesn’t need to rush out of bed.

Seonghwa

Seonghwa had been mumbling sleepily about his day, his voice growing softer with each word as your fingers combed through his silky hair. He sighed every now and then, melting into your touch while you continued to scratch at his scalp, his long eyelashes fluttering against your skin. Before you knew it, his words had faded into quiet breathing, his body fully relaxed as he slipped into slumber.

Now, in the early morning light, Seonghwa stirs slightly, nuzzling closer to your chest as he wakes. He’s warm, his body curled into yours like he belongs there because he does. He peeks up at you sleepily, blinking the sleep from his eyes before a slow, lazy smile spreads across his lips.

“Did I fall asleep on you?” he asks, his voice thick with drowsiness.

You hum in response, your fingers resuming their gentle motions through his hair. He closes his eyes again, sighing happily.

“Wake me up in ten more minutes,” he murmurs, though he knows you won’t. And neither of you mind.

Yunho

Yunho had been in the middle of telling you a funny story, his deep laughter vibrating against your chest as your fingers played with his soft hair. He had started to slow down mid-sentence, his voice trailing off as your nails traced gentle circles against his scalp.

Now, as he wakes up, he’s a little confused. He blinks a few times, his cheek still pressed to your chest, arms loosely draped around you. The realization dawns on him, and a grin stretches across his face as he tilts his head up to look at you.

“Did I seriously knock out on you?” he asks, his voice still raspy from sleep.

You nod, suppressing a laugh as he groans dramatically. “You put me under some kind of spell,” he teases, stretching slightly but making no effort to move away from you. Instead, he tightens his hold on your waist, burying his face against you again.

“Mmm, nope. I think I like it here too much,” he murmurs, clearly content to stay in your arms a little while longer.

Yeosang

Yeosang isn’t someone who lets his guard down easily, but something about your touch had completely unraveled him last night. The way your fingers gently scratched through his hair, soothing every ounce of tension in his body, had made his eyelids impossibly heavy. He had fought to keep them open, trying to keep the conversation going, but eventually, he had succumbed to the comfort.

Now, in the soft morning light, Yeosang stirs slightly, but instead of immediately pulling away, he stays still, taking in the warmth of your body beneath him. His arms are wrapped loosely around you, his body relaxed in a way that’s rare for him.

When he finally shifts to look up at you, his lips part slightly as if he’s about to speak, but then he stops. Instead, a small, content smile forms on his lips, and he simply nestles closer, letting his eyes drift shut again.

“Let’s stay like this a little longer,” he murmurs, voice still thick with sleep. And you’re more than happy to oblige.

San

San had been whispering sweet nothings to you the night before, his voice laced with affection as your hands worked their magic through his soft locks. He had sighed happily, his body molding into yours as you gently massaged his scalp, his words growing slower and softer until they faded altogether.

Now, as he wakes up, he doesn’t move immediately. Instead, he shifts just enough to wrap himself around you more, pressing his cheek against your chest and inhaling deeply. His arms are snug around your waist, fingers lazily tracing patterns against your skin.

When he finally peeks up at you, his expression is one of pure bliss. “Good morning,” he murmurs, voice husky. He grins, pressing a lazy kiss to your collarbone before burying his face in the crook of your neck.

“Can we stay like this forever?” he mumbles, his voice laced with sleep. And in that moment, it certainly feels like forever wouldn’t be long enough.

Mingi

Mingi had been rambling about something random before he fell asleep, his voice getting softer and softer as your hands worked through his hair. He had let out little hums of approval, shifting closer to you with each stroke of your fingers, until he finally dozed off completely.

When he wakes up, his first instinct is confusion. His cheek is pressed against something warm and steady, and his body feels completely at ease. It takes a moment before he realizes he’s lying on top of you, his arms wrapped securely around you.

Instead of pulling away, he lets out a content sigh, his grip tightening ever so slightly. “This is dangerous,” he mumbles against your skin. “Now I’m never gonna want to get up.”

You laugh softly, resuming your gentle strokes through his hair, and he practically melts all over again.

Wooyoung

Wooyoung had been mumbling about his day, his words slurring together as your fingers danced through his dark locks. He had fought sleep at first, but eventually, the warmth of your touch had won him over.

Now, as he wakes up, he groans softly, burying his face further into your chest before even opening his eyes. “I know I fell asleep on you,” he mutters, his voice muffled.

You hum in confirmation, and he groans dramatically. “Ugh, this is so embarrassing.” But despite his words, he doesn’t move away. In fact, he shifts even closer, nuzzling into you.

“You have to wake me up like this every day now,” he demands playfully. And honestly, you don’t mind one bit.

Jongho

Jongho had been talking in his soft voice, his words fading into quiet hums as your fingers played through his hair. He had tried to resist sleep, but the way you gently scratched at his scalp had made it impossible to fight.

Now, as he wakes up, he stays still for a moment, listening to your heartbeat beneath his ear. He sighs, adjusting his position slightly before tilting his head up to look at you.

“You’re too good at that,” he murmurs sleepily. “I never fall asleep like that.”

You smile, running your fingers through his hair again, and he lets out another content sigh.

“Guess I’m staying here a little longer,” he says, voice still drowsy. And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

[hwasflower]

What You Teach Me// Seonghwa x Black!Reader

Loving you is effortless—but being worthy of you means speaking up, learning more, and standing by you even when it’s uncomfortable.

tgs:Fluff, Slice of Life, Soft Protectiveness

Masterlist

⋆｡°✩₊˚.♡⋆｡°✩₊˚.♡

Being with Seonghwa feels like silence and understanding. Like someone pressing a hand to your back just to remind you they’re there. He’s soft, yes, but not passive. Loving you, he learned early, required more than flowers and forehead kisses. It meant showing up, even when things got uncomfortable.

And he does. Every time.

⋆｡°✩₊˚.♡⋆｡°✩₊˚.♡

The first time someone made a comment about your hair — an offhand, “Wow, you change it a lot, huh?” from one of the newer staff — your instinct was to smile it off. You’ve done it a hundred times before.

But before you could even laugh politely, Seonghwa looked up.

“It’s not a lot,” he said gently but firmly. “It’s beautiful. And you don’t have to understand it for it to be valid.”

The room went quiet. Awkward for maybe half a second, before someone changed the subject.

You hadn’t expected him to say anything. You certainly hadn’t asked. But he did. And he didn’t make it about him. He didn’t look at you for approval or praise.

Just moved on.

Later, when you were both walking back to the car, you said, “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know,” he said. “But I wanted to.”

⋆｡°✩₊˚.♡⋆｡°✩₊˚.♡

Seonghwa never treats you like a teaching moment. But he learns from you anyway.

He watches what you go through here — how stares last too long on the subway, how certain things are harder to find, how people touch your hair without asking, even if you don’t say anything in the moment.

He notices.

And he asks.

“Did that bother you?” “Do you want me to say something?” “Are you okay?”

And sometimes you are. Sometimes you’re not. But you never have to guess whether he’ll care.

⋆｡°✩₊˚.♡⋆｡°✩₊˚.♡

The boys love you. You knew they would. You’re funny, relaxed, easy to be around. You’re also careful. Because being in their world means learning how to read the room before you speak your truth.

But Seonghwa always makes space for it.

The few times someone’s asked a weird question — something well-meaning but clumsy — he’s stepped in without waiting for you to flinch.

“She doesn’t need to explain that.” “Let’s not joke about that.” “That’s not a compliment.”

Never rude. Just enough to shift the air.

He doesn’t do it to impress you. He does it because he gets it. Because he’s been listening. Because he’s made it clear you never have to be the only one correcting the room.

⋆｡°✩₊˚.♡⋆｡°✩₊˚.♡

At home, it’s quieter.

You’re wrapped in his hoodie, editing photos or half-watching a drama while he reads, feet tangled with yours under the blanket.

He leans over, brushing a hand gently through your curls, mindful not to pull too hard.

“You’re messing it up,” you mutter sleepily.

“I’ll fix it,” he says, without pause.

You laugh. “You can’t fix curls.”

“I can try.”

“And if you mess it up?”

He kisses your cheek. “Then I’ll learn how not to.”

⋆｡°✩₊˚.♡⋆｡°✩₊˚.♡

It’s not always easy being here — being you here. But with Seonghwa, it’s not hard.

He doesn’t just love you privately. He shows up for you out loud.

And that, you think, is the real love language.

⋆｡°✩₊˚.♡⋆｡°✩₊˚.♡

Should I make a tag list? Thoughts? also!!! my request are open!!

[hwasflower]

Hello!!! Congrats on 500 followers! 🥳 Can't wait to see you grow more and what the future has in store for you 💕💕💕 I'd like to request Yeosang prompt 22 with a time stamp of like 2 or 3AM thank you 🙇🏻‍♀️

500 followers event // m.list

prompt 22: “It’s a bit frustrating how oblivious you are.” // time stamp [2 AM]

warnings: none, reader being fresh to yeoyeo, reader gropes the bouncer (accidentally!!!), are we surprised that this is over 200 words lol…

notes: thank you so much for this request, i have to be honest, it took me a while to get a feel for this request, so i hope it turned out okay! also, i think i kind of left it on a cliff hanger? idk should i continue this?

“I said I don’t need your help,” You cross your arms, shivering against the cool breeze outside the door of the club- the steady beat of the incline towards the climax of the song before the drop vibrated through the brick wall you leaned against. “I can make it home by myself.”

“You’re drunk,” Yeosang said simply, his stance wide as if to keep you from darting around him. He wore a gray-washed jean jacket over a black turtleneck that was tucked into baggy black pants. If he was cold, he didn’t let it show. “And you grabbed the bouncer’s chest making honking noises.”

“I thought he was San!! Anyone can make that honest mistake!” You defended yourself, throwing your hands up. The silence between you lasted a few moments as you stared right back at him, boldly lifting your chin and unwilling to yield. Yeosang just sighed, closing his eyes and pinching his nose.

“You’re lucky she called me,” He frowned, his voice conveying his concern. “This could have ended very badly.”

“I don’t even know why you came,” You said bitterly, toeing the gravel underneath you. “You’re busy and this place is out of your way from your usual route home.”

“It’s a bit frustrating how oblivious you are.” Yeosang said under his breath, wondering how long he would have to keep making it obvious that he was in love with you. He didn’t hesitate and he didn’t question anything when your friend called to come get you because of your drunk shenanigans that could result in your friend group being kicked out. He would have come anyway, even if it was five thousand miles out of his way.

“What?” You asked, stepping closer to hear him better. To be honest, your vision was dancing from the alcohol and your hearing has been muffled from the loud music.

“Nothing,” He hummed, holding out an arm. “Let me take you home.”

Something in his eyes stopped you from protesting against him, something that you swore was just your imagination. Something like he cared for you, the kind of care that derives from love. It had to be all in your head, because what are the chances that he actually loved you back?

[hwasflower]

─── 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎, 𝒀𝑶𝑼.. ꕮ 004 ─ Pretty Boy.

SUMMARY / Yunho is overcome with emotions after killing yet another woman, and finally reveals his childhood to you. Despite the fear that he might hurt you, you feel an undeniable pull towards him.

WARNINGS ✩ SMUT, FLUFF, Sensitive Topics!! (death, murder, stalking), Yunho kills another girl when his urges become too overwhelming, he trauma dumps on reader (talks about his lore!! omg!!), dom!yunho, switch!reader, unprotected sex, slightly rough sex, choking, oral (f receiving, while bent over the sink!), overstimulation

WORD COUNT ✩ 6.0k

tags ✩ @desirehorizon @felixs-voice-makes-me-wanna @starillusion13 @mingitheskzstan @lezleeferguson-120 @hwallazia @hoe4yunho @prettylilack @lustfxq @shownumiss @hwxbibi@nneteyamss @joonhasjiminsjams @herpoetryprincess @napipope-ta @wyrated @leeseokiwi @trinityobsessesovatings @kittykat-25 @yourallaround-simp @ewsnup @kysstar @tunafishyfishylike @hwxbibi @hannieblue128 @piecessoull @heiswan

ATEEZ MASTERLIST / SERIES MASTERLIST / REQUEST ─── Next Chapter ౨ৎ 

NOTE !! okay, yess, in this chapter he's a little bit of rough dom.. but it wouldn't hurt to have JEONG YUNHOO throwing you around

Yunho told you he had some last minute work to do. You told him you understood, that you didn't mind waiting a few hours for him to come back.

You should've insisted he stayed.

Here he was, in an alleyway, the smell of stale beer and trash heavy in the air, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. He leaned against the cold brick wall, the neon lights from the nearby nightclub casting eerie shadows across his face.

Down at his feet lay the body of some random girl he met off the dating app. He had hoped she'd be different, that she'd be the one to save him from his own monstrous urges. But she was just like all the others—screaming, crying, and begging for her life. He had felt nothing but a cold detachment as he ended her. The guilt didn't come until later, when he was alone in the quiet of the night, surrounded by the echoes of his own rage.

He stared down at the body. The girl's wide, unseeing eyes seemed to look directly at him, as if questioning why she had to be the one to die. His hand trembled, the phone in his grip, and he swiped through the messages, finding yours, a beacon of light in the darkness. He had killed again, unable to resist the urge that had been gnawing at him ever since he met you. You had unknowingly become his obsession, and he feared you might be his next victim.

It was 12:04 am. The streets were deserted except for the occasional car passing by, casting a brief glow before swallowing the night back into darkness. Yunho's heart was racing, his palms slick with a mix of sweat and the girl's blood. He had promised himself that you would be the one to save him, that he wouldn't let the monster within him claim anyone else. But tonight, the hunger had been too strong. He had tried to resist, but she had just been too… convenient.

Yunho told you he had some last minute work to do. You told him you understood, that you didn't mind waiting a few hours for him to come back.

You should've insisted he stayed.

Here he was, in an alleyway, the smell of stale beer and trash heavy in the air, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. He leaned against the cold brick wall, the neon lights from the nearby nightclub casting eerie shadows across his face.

Yunho told you he had some last minute work to do. You told him you understood, that you didn't mind waiting a few hours for him to come back.

You should've insisted he stayed.

Here he was, in an alleyway, the smell of stale beer and trash heavy in the air, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. He leaned against the cold brick wall, the neon lights from the nearby nightclub casting eerie shadows across his face.

Down at his feet lay the body of some random girl he met off the dating app. He had hoped she'd be different, that she'd be the one to save him from his own monstrous urges. But she was just like all the others—screaming, crying, and begging for her life. He had felt nothing but a cold detachment as he ended her. The guilt didn't come until later, when he was alone in the quiet of the night, surrounded by the echoes of his own rage.

He stared down at the body. The girl's wide, unseeing eyes seemed to look directly at him, as if questioning why she had to be the one to die. His hand trembled, the phone in his grip, and he swiped through the messages, finding yours, a beacon of light in the darkness. He had killed again, unable to resist the urge that had been gnawing at him ever since he met you. You had unknowingly become his obsession, and he feared you might be his next victim.

It was 12:04 am. The streets were deserted except for the occasional car passing by, casting a brief glow before swallowing the night back into darkness. Yunho's heart was racing, his palms slick with a mix of sweat and the girl's blood. He had promised himself that you would be the one to save him, that he wouldn't let the monster within him claim anyone else. But tonight, the hunger had been too strong. He had tried to resist, but she had just been too… convenient.

He thought about calling you, but you were probably asleep, and he didn't want to wake you. Not like this. Not when you didn't know the truth. Yunho took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He had killed again, and he knew it was only a matter of time before you found out.

Get it together. He had to get it together.

He peeked over the wall. Nobody was around, meaning nobody heard or saw what happened. He had checked for cameras prior to strangling the girl, ensuring his secret remained buried beneath the layers of his flawless façade. The quietness of the alley was a stark contrast to the thumping bass and laughter of the nightclub just a block away. He had hoped the music would drown out her screams, but the sound of her life leaving her body had echoed in his ears long after the final gasp.

1:29 am.

Yunho pushed his keys into the door. He stepped inside, the quietness of the apartment a stark contrast to the chaos in his mind. He could see the light from your bedroom, a sliver under the door, indicating you were still up. His hands were shaking as he peeled off his blood-stained gloves and stuffed them into his pocket. He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, before making his way towards your room.

You stirred as he entered, the soft light of your bedside lamp casting a warm glow across your sleepy features. "You're back," you murmured, a hint of disappointment in your voice that he got back so late.

"I know, I know, I'm late." Yunho's voice was strained as he approached the bed, the weight of his confession heavy on his shoulders. "I had to… handle something."

"'s okay." you slurred, crawling to the edge of the bed and holding your hand out. "Come here."

Yunho's shoulders dropped, and he felt the burden of his secret slip away, if only for a moment. He kicked off his shoes and shuffled closer, climbing into bed with you. You curled into him, your warmth seeping into his cold skin. He took a deep breath, the scent of your shampoo grounding him.

"Why do you smell like weed and sweat?" you whispered into the silence, your eyes still closed.

"Some…co-workers were smoking and I was sweating because I rushed to get here," Yunho lied, his voice tight. He hadn't expected you to be so perceptive, and he certainly hadn't planned on telling you anything about his past tonight. But as you nuzzled closer, the exhaustion of maintaining his façade took hold of him, and the words spilled out.

"I missed you," you mumble into the crook of his neck, your arms wrapping around him tighter. Yunho's chest tightens, a mix of affection and guilt washing over him.

He hadn't planned on telling you about his past tonight, but the words seem to spill out of their own accord. "I had a rough day," he starts, his voice low and gruff, "but it's nothing compared to what I've been through."

"What does that mean?" you ask, propping yourself up on one elbow to look at him. Yunho sighs, his hand running through his hair, his eyes avoiding yours.

"It means I've done things," he says, his voice tight. "Things that people like us shouldn't have to go through."

You gently push his hair out of his face, your fingers caressing his cheek. "You can be honest with me. I'd never judge you or think…bad of you because of what you went through. It's not your fault." Yunho's eyes finally meet yours, and in them, you see a storm of pain and turmoil.

He starts to speak, his words slow and measured, as if each one is a confession pulled from the deepest, darkest part of his soul. "I grew up in a bad neighborhood. My mom did what she could, but she was never around. And my dad…" he trails off, his jaw clenching. "He was a… monster. He taught me how to fight, how to survive. But he also taught me how to-- how to hurt, I guess."

You listen, your heart breaking with every word. The warmth from your hand on his cheek feels like a lifeline, grounding him in the present, keeping him from slipping into the abyss of his past. "I don't remember much before the age of seven. That's when everything started to get…blurry." He swallows hard, his Adam's apple bobbing in the dim light. "Things got better when my mom remarried. But the damage was already done."

You can feel the tension in the room thicken, the air charged with his pain. "What happened?" you ask softly, not wanting to push, but needing to understand.

"He'd get drunk, and when he was drunk, he'd…he'd hurt us," Yunho's voice is barely above a whisper. "My mom did her best, but she was scared too. I had to protect her. And when she couldn't… I had to protect myself." His eyes are haunted, staring at a memory that wasn't in the room with us, but was all too real to him.

"What did you do?" you whisper, your voice filled with a mix of curiosity and concern. "To protect yourself, I mean."

Yunho takes a deep, shaky breath. "I learned to fight back. I learned to make sure he never laid a hand on either of us again." His eyes are distant, lost in the shadows of his memories.

"What- what does that mean, Yunho? Like, literally, what did you do?" you ask, your voice wavering slightly. You could feel the gravity of his confession, the weight of his secrets pressing down on him.

He looks at you, his expression a tumultuous mix of fear and hope. "I… I killed him," he says, his voice barely audible. The room seems to hold its breath, the air thick with the unspoken understanding that things have changed between you.

You stared at him, your eyes wide with shock. "Your dad? You killed your dad?"

Yunho nodded, his eyes never leaving yours. "It was the only way to stop him. After that, things got… complicated." He took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling heavily. "But that's not all of it."

"You…killed your dad." you blanked at the worst possible moment, your mind racing to catch up with what he had just said.

"It was an accident," he rushed to explain, his hands fidgeting nervously. "He was hurting my mom, and I… I just snapped. I didn't mean to, but it happened." The confession hung in the air, a stark contrast to the gentle rhythm of your breathing.

"What did you-- um, what did-- how did you do it?" your voice trembled slightly, the question barely leaving your lips.

Yunho's eyes searched yours for a moment before he spoke, his voice low and hollow. "I just… I didn't realize how strong I was. I pushed him away from her, and he stumbled back and hit his head on the corner of the table." He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "It was so fast. And he just… didn't get back up."

You sat up, your eyes never leaving Yunho's as he spoke. The room was silent except for the faint sound of the clock ticking in the hallway, each second echoing like a judgment. His story was like a dark tapestry, each thread weaving into the next, painting a picture of pain and survival that you hadn't expected to see. You felt your heart break for the little boy he had been, the one who had to become a man too soon.

Without warning, you pull him into a hug, your arms wrapping around his waist. "Oh, Yunho," you murmur into his chest, your voice thick with emotion. His body tenses for a moment before he relaxes into your embrace, his arms sliding around your shoulders. It's strange, how your hearts can be beating so close together while feeling so far apart in terms of what you've each experienced. But here you are, sharing the most intimate of moments.

"It wasn't your fault." You whispered the words against his shirt, feeling the warmth of his body against yours, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. He stiffens for a moment before his arms tighten around you. It was the first time you had seen him so vulnerable, so broken.

Yunho's breath hitched, and you felt his shoulders begin to shake. He was crying, silently sobbing. The strong, stoic man you knew was crumbling before your eyes, and all you could do was hold him. It was a stark reminder that everyone has a past, and some demons refuse to stay buried.

"Thank you," he choked out, his voice muffled by your shirt. "Nobody's ever said that to me before."

"Well, I love you. And I would never in a million years tell you that you deserved that. Because you didn't." You spoke softly, your voice a balm to his soul. The words were simple, but to him, they were a lifeline thrown into the stormy waters of his guilt.

Yunho's grip on you tightened, and he buried his face in your neck, his hot tears soaking through your shirt. He had never allowed himself to be this weak in front of anyone, especially not in the arms of someone who had the power to either save him or bring him down. But with you, he felt… safe. Like maybe, just maybe, you could understand.

"It hasn't gone away." Yunho's voice was a mere whisper in the stillness of the room. "The… the urge to hurt. To fight. It's always there." His confession was raw, a stark revelation of the monster that lurked beneath his charming exterior.

"The urge to…kill?" You ask tentatively, your voice trembling slightly. The word felt like a betrayal to the comfort you had been offering just moments ago.

Yunho nods, his face buried in your hair. "But I want to get better for you. I don't want to be this person anymore."

You stroke his back gently, the gravity of his words weighing heavily on your heart. "I believe in you," you whisper, unsure if the words are enough to banish the darkness within him.

Yunho pulls back, his eyes red and wet with unshed tears. "I don't deserve you."

"Yes you do." you smile gently, wiping the tears from his cheek. "And I'm here for you. We'll figure it out together."

Yunho looks at you, his eyes searching yours, looking for any sign of doubt or fear. But all he sees is compassion and understanding. It's a feeling he's not used to. "I'm so sorry," he whispers, his voice cracking.

"Sorry?" You ask, your voice filled with genuine confusion. "For what?"

Yunho sighs heavily, his eyes searching yours. "For everything. For being like this, for bringing you into my mess." His hands trace over your cheek, his thumb wiping away a stray tear.

"Oh god, Yunho, shut up. To be here comforting you is all I want to do," you chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. It works. His shoulders relax a little, and he manages a small smile.

"Have you eaten?" you ask, changing the subject, trying to give him a break from his confession. You can't help but worry about the weight of his words, the gravity of his past, but you know pushing him too hard would only make things worse.

Yunho nods, his expression still haunted. "Yeah, I grabbed something quick."

"Noodles?" You ask, your voice gentle, trying to keep the conversation light. Yunho nods, a small smile playing on his lips. "I bought a couple bowls from the corner store a few hours ago when you left."

Yunho sighs, his eyes searching yours as he sits up, his hand still resting on your cheek. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner."

"It's okay," you reply, your voice gentle. "I'm just here for you."

Yunho's eyes searched yours, looking for any signs of fear or judgment, but all he saw was acceptance. It was a feeling so foreign to him that it was almost overwhelming. He hadn't expected you to take the news so well, and a part of him wondered if this was all just a twisted fantasy, a brief reprieve from the harsh reality of his existence. But your touch was real, your warmth seeping into his bones and chasing away the chill that had taken residence in his soul.

You leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead, the gesture simple but filled with love and understanding. "Let's go get some noodles," you murmured.

The two of you left the bedroom, the hallway's light a stark contrast to the intimate darkness you'd shared moments ago. The apartment was quiet except for the occasional creak of the floorboards beneath your feet. In the kitchen, you filled two bowls with the steaming noodles, the aroma of the spicy broth filling the air. Yunho watched you, his eyes never leaving yours, as if you were the only thing keeping him anchored in the present.

"What are you starin' at?" you giggle, snapping him out of his trance.

"Just making sure you're real," Yunho smiles sadly, taking the bowl of noodles from your hand. "It's just… I've never had anyone understand me like you do."

You hand him a pair of chopsticks, your heart aching for the pain he's been carrying for so long. "I'm here, Yunho," you assure him, sitting down at the table across from him. "And I'm not going anywhere."

Yunho nods, a hint of a smile playing on his lips as he takes the chopsticks. The two of you dig into the noodles, the steam rising to mingle with the tension that still hung in the air.

"You know, these noodles are really good," Yunho said, slurping a mouthful, his eyes never leaving yours. "But I think I'd prefer to watch you eat."

You blushed, your cheeks warming at his flirty tone. "What makes you say that?"

Yunho smirked, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "You have a cute way of slurping them," he teased, taking another bite.

You rolled your eyes playfully. "You're one to talk," you said, slurping a mouthful of noodles. The sound echoed in the kitchen, making him chuckle.

"Maybe I just like watching you blush," he said, his eyes never leaving yours. The flirtatious banter was a welcome change from the heaviness of his confession. For a brief moment, you could almost pretend that the world outside didn't exist, that the only thing that mattered was the two of you sharing a simple meal in the quiet of the night.

"Well, you're not too bad at it yourself," you retorted, taking a playful bite of your noodles. Yunho's smirk grew wider, his eyes dancing with amusement. "But seriously, these are amazing. What's the secret?"

"I may trust you, but not with my secret recipe." You laugh, your eyes sparkling with mischief as you twirl a strand of noodle around your fork. The sound of your laughter is like a balm to his soul, a gentle reminder that there's more to life than the darkness he's been drowning in.

Yunho shakes his head, grinning. "I'll just have to steal it, then," he says, reaching over to swipe a noodle from your bowl with his chopsticks. You squeal playfully, slapping his hand away.

"Hey!" you protest, laughter bubbling up in your throat. "Those are mine!"

Yunho laughs, his eyes lighting up with genuine amusement. "You snooze, you lose," he says, popping the noodle into his mouth. You can't help but smile, the heaviness of his confession momentarily forgotten in the warmth of your shared laughter.

After you both finish eating, you collect the empty bowls and take them to the sink. The sound of the water running is soothing, a gentle reminder of the normalcy that still exists amidst the chaos of his life.

Yunho watches you wash the dishes, the way your hands glide through the soapy water, the soft curve of your back as you lean into the task. His gaze is intense, a silent confession of his thoughts.

"What's up?" you ask, catching him staring. You turn off the faucet and dry your hands, turning to face him.

"Nothing, you're just…" Yunho's voice trails off as he tries to find the right words. "You're just… you."

You turn to face him, your smile fading slightly as you see the intensity in his gaze. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Yunho stands from his chair, walking over to you. He wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you close. "It means that you're… everything." His voice is low and earnest. "You're the first person who's ever accepted me for who I am, even with all the shit I've done."

You lean back against him, his warmth enveloping you as his hands roam over your body. He kisses the crook of your neck, his breath hot against your skin. "You're so beautiful," he murmurs, his fingers tracing the line of your collarbone.

"Really? You wanna kiss my neck while I'm elbow deep in the dishes?" you giggle, your voice playfully sarcastic, but the way your body responds to his touch betrays your true feelings. His hands are warm and firm, the gentle strokes sending shivers down your spine.

"I wanna kiss every inch of you," Yunho murmurs, his breath sending delicious shivers down your neck. You lean back into him, his arms wrapping around you from behind, pulling you closer. His hands glide over your waist, up to your chest, his hands move underneath your top, taking in handfuls of your breasts. "And I'm not just saying that because you're covered in noodle soup."

You giggle, feeling your cheeks flush at his bluntness. "Well, I'd hope not," you say, your voice teasing as his thumbs trace circles around your sensitive nipples. He nibbles on your earlobe, sending sparks through your body. "You're a hornball."

"Only for you," Yunho whispers, his voice a low rumble that makes your knees wobble. He kisses along the side of your neck, his teeth grazing the skin. "You have no idea how much I want you."

"You gonna bend me over the sink?" you tease, your voice breathy with arousal as you feel his growing hardness pressing against your back. Yunho chuckles, his hands continuing their journey over your skin.

"If that's what you want," he whispers into your ear, his breath sending goosebumps down your spine. "You know I don't mind."

You bite your lip, the thought of him taking you right here in the kitchen sending a thrill through your body. "What if I want something… a little more… intimate?" You lean back into him, your body arching slightly as his hands wander lower, slipping under the waistband of your sleep shorts.

"Intimate, huh?" Yunho's voice is a low purr as he unties your shorts and slides them down your legs. "No underwear… you planned this."

You step out of the pool of fabric around your ankles, the cool kitchen floor a stark contrast to the heat building between your thighs. Yunho's hands are everywhere, spreading your thighs apart as he gently pushes you against the sink. The cold porcelain sends a shiver through your body, making you gasp as he kisses along your shoulders, his hands skimming over your hips.

"Fuck," you moan softly, placing your hands on the wall in front of you so you didn't fall face first in the sink. The cold porcelain was a stark contrast to the heat building in your core as Yunho's mouth found yours, kissing you deeply. His hands slid down your body, caressing every curve, every inch of skin. He kissed down your neck, his teeth grazing your shoulder.

"Please," you murmur, your voice needy and desperate. "I need you, Yunho."

He nods, his eyes dark with desire as he knelt behind you. With surprising gentleness, he moved your legs apart, his warm breath ghosting over the back of your thighs. "You're so perfect," he murmurs, his voice thick with need.

You lean over the sink, your heart racing as you feel his hot breath between your legs. "Yunho…" you whisper, your voice shaking with anticipation. Feathered kisses fall across the backs of your thighs, moving closer to the juncture of your thighs. Your core clenches, eager for his touch.

"You're so wet," he murmurs against your skin, his voice a low growl that sends a tremor through your body. You bite back a whimper, your knees threatening to buckle as his tongue traces a line from your entrance to your clit. You've never been so exposed, so vulnerable, but with him, you feel… safe. Desired.

You pulled your sleeves over your hands, trying not to look into the sink as you were bent over. The kitchen light was harsh, but it was a stark reminder of the reality of the situation. Yet, as Yunho's tongue found your clit, you couldn't help but arch your back and moan. The sensation was overwhelming, and you had to bite your lip to keep from crying out too loudly.

"Mm, you taste so good," he murmured, his voice muffled against your skin. His hands gripped your hips, keeping you in place as his tongue danced over your folds. You could feel him smiling against you, his eyes watching your body twitch.

"Oh god, Yunho," you gasped, your hands curling into fists as you felt the beginnings of an orgasm build. He was relentless, his mouth working you like he had nothing else to do but make you come. And in that moment, maybe he didn't.

His tongue swirled around your clit, the pressure increasing until you thought you might pass out. "Please," you begged, your voice shaking. "I'm gonna…"

His fingers dug into your ass, spreading you open as he feasted on your wetness, his tongue flicking and stroking with expert precision. You moaned, your knuckles turning white as you gripped the edge of the sink, the cold metal pressing into your skin. The sensation of his mouth on you was heavenly, a stark contrast to the horror of his past and the fear of what might happen if anyone found out. But in this moment, all that mattered was the warmth of his tongue, the gentle scrape of his teeth, the way he knew exactly how to make you feel alive.

You placed your hand on the wall, bracing yourself as Yunho's tongue delved deeper, swirling and stroking with a hunger that made you quiver. His hands gripped your hips, holding you firmly in place as he feasted on you. The sound of his eager slurps filled the kitchen, mixing with your breathy moans. Your legs felt like jelly, but his firm grip kept you steady as he worked his magic.

"You're gonna make me come," you whispered, your voice shaky with need.

He chuckled against your skin, the vibration sending shockwaves through your body. "You like that, don't you?"

"Yeah," you say breathlessly, your voice trembling with anticipation. "L-Like it."

Yunho's chuckle turns into a groan of pleasure as he dives back in, his tongue lapping at your folds with renewed enthusiasm. You're so close, you can feel it. Your toes curl and your hips rock back, pushing into his face. His grip tightens, his fingers digging into your flesh as he takes you to the edge.

"F-Fuck! Fuck, oh my god!" you cry out as you feel the orgasm crash over you, your body shaking with the intensity of it. Yunho's tongue laps up your juices, his grip on your hips tightening as you come undone in front of him. Your legs are trembling, and your grip on the sink is the only thing keeping you upright. He pulls back, his mouth slick with your essence, a smug smile on his face as he looks up at you.

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" He says, his voice low and smug.

He flipped you around, the smugness in his eyes unmistakable. "Better?"

"Oh my god, it's all over your chin." you giggle, using your sleeves to wipe his face. Yunho smirks, his eyes never leaving yours as you clean him up. The moment is surprisingly intimate, a stark contrast to the raw passion that just played out between you.

"Can we fuck now?" You ask, your voice a mix of sass and need, your legs still wobbly from the orgasm that had just ripped through your body.

Yunho chuckles, standing up and wrapping his arms around your waist. "Always eager, aren't you?" He nuzzles into your neck, his breath tickling your ear.

"You know it," you murmur, your voice a seductive whisper. He lifts you effortlessly, carrying you over to the couch. He lays you down, his body pressing into yours, and you can feel his hardness through his pants.

He grabs your hand and places it on his bulge. "Feel that?" His voice is gruff, his eyes dark with need. "It's all for you."

You nod, your cheeks flushing as you stroke him through the fabric of his pants. "I want you," you murmur, your voice a soft invitation. Yunho's smile turns feral as he undoes the button of his jeans, sliding them down his hips to free his erection. He slides his jacket off, tossing it aside. His shirt follows, revealing the toned chest you had explored the night before.

He pushes you down onto the couch, his hands rougher than the gentle caresses from the previous night. You don't protest, instead arching your back and spreading your legs for him. He grabs your hips, aligning himself with your entrance, and without preamble, he slams into you. You gasp, the suddenness of his thrust taking you by surprise. It's rough, almost violent, but it's what you crave in this moment.

"Fuck, you're so tight," he groans, his teeth clenched as he starts to move. His strokes are deep and demanding, each one pushing you closer to the edge. You wrap your legs around his waist, urging him deeper, your nails digging into his back. "You're mine," he says, his voice a growl. "Mine to fuck, mine to protect, mine to love."

"F-Fuck, y-yes!" you gasped, your body stretching to accommodate his thickness. The pain was exquisite, a stark reminder of his dominance over you. His hips rocked into yours, setting a punishing rhythm that had you seeing stars.

"You like it, don't you?" he whispered, his breath hot against your neck. "You like it when I fuck you hard."

"Yeah," you panted, your voice a mix of pleasure and pain. "I f-fucking love it, oh my god."

Yunho smirked, his strokes becoming more aggressive. "You're so wet, baby," he murmured, his hips slapping against yours. "You want it, don't you?"

"Y-yeah, want it," you stuttered, your voice thick with lust. "Harder, please."

Yunho's eyes flashed with desire, his grip on your hips tightening. "You got it, baby," he growled, his hips pumping into yours with a ferocity that had your eyes rolling back into your head.

You grabbed onto the armrest behind you, your nails digging into the fabric as Yunho's thrusts grew more powerful. "F-fuck, y-you're so big," you stuttered, the pleasure bordering on pain.

"Mm, you're so tight," he murmured, his eyes never leaving yours. "So fucking tight." His voice was low, a deep rumble that vibrated through your core.

"Y-Yunho, please," you whimpered, your body writhing beneath him. "M-More,"

"More?" He smirks, his eyes gleaming with mischief as he slows down his pace. "You want more?"

You whimpered in response, your body begging for more as Yunho's grip tightened on your hips. "Y-yes," you panted.

"Tell me," he whispered, his teeth grazing your ear. "Tell me what you want."

His thrusts slowed as he whispered in your ear, his hands roaming your hips and ass, squeezing and caressing as he watched you squirm. "What do you want?" His voice was a mix of amusement and lust.

"Harder," you whimpered, your legs tightening around him. "More."

Yunho chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he leaned in closer. "You're so greedy," he murmured against your skin, his breath hot and tickling. His hands moved to cup your breasts, his thumbs flicking your nipples.

"But you love it," you shot back, your voice breathless with desire. He smirks, his hips rolling into yours in a slow, taunting grind. "Don't you?"

"Maybe," he says, his eyes never leaving yours as he adjusts his angle, hitting that spot deep inside you that makes you see stars. "But I want to hear you say it."

"Fuck," you gasped, your body arching off the couch as he hits that perfect spot inside you. "Yes, right there."

"Good girl," Yunho murmured, his strokes growing more deliberate. "Keep talking dirty to me."

You nodded, your cheeks burning with a mix of embarrassment and arousal. "Y-yes," you managed to get out, your voice trembling with every thrust. "I love it when you… w-when you talk like that."

Yunho's smirk grew wider, his eyes never leaving yours as he began to pick up the pace again. "Tell me," he whispered, his voice a seductive purr. "What do you love about it?"

You bit your lip, trying to form coherent thoughts as he rocked into you. "I-I love… how you make me feel," you stuttered, the words barely escaping your mouth as your body was wracked with pleasure. "How you take… take what you want. E-Even though you didn't do that before-"

"Felt like being in control," Yunho murmured, his eyes darkening with desire. "But you like it rough, don't you?"

"So do you," you panted out, your eyes locked onto his as you felt another orgasm building within you. "I like it when you're in charge."

"Yeah?" he tilts his head, a smug smirk playing on his lips.

"Y-Yes-" you tug on his arm, arching your back off of the couch and moaning. "F-Fuck, don't stop!"

Yunho chuckles, his lips grazing against your ear as he sped up his thrusts. "You're so fucking beautiful when you come," he murmurs, his voice a low rumble that sent shivers down your spine. You could feel your orgasm building, the tightness in your stomach unfurling into a warm, delicious ache. You bite your lip, trying not to scream as he hits that perfect spot again and again.

He holds the back of his head, his other hand digging into the couch cushion next to you, his breaths coming out in pants and grunts. You wrap your legs around him, your heels digging into his back, urging him on. His movements become erratic, his breath hot and ragged against your neck.

"Yeah, baby," he murmurs, his voice strained with effort. "Take it all."

"Oh my god," you murmur, your voice a mix of pleasure and disbelief as Yunho's strokes become more deliberate. The room falls silent except for the sound of your ragged breaths and the wet slap of your bodies coming together. You close your eyes, letting the sensations wash over you.

"You're so close," Yunho whispers, his voice a gentle rumble in your ear. His thumb finds your clit, stroking in time with his thrusts. "Come for me, baby."

You nod, unable to form words as the pleasure builds. You tighten around him, your body shaking with the intensity of your orgasm. Yunho's grip on your hips turns bruising, his strokes quickening. "Cmon, you got it." he whispers, his voice a gentle coax.

You bite your lip, nodding again, your eyes squeezed shut as the waves of pleasure crash over you. He's right there with you, his breathing shallow and fast, his hips stuttering as he nears his climax.

He continued rubbing your clit, his strokes matching the rhythm of his hips as he talked dirty in your ear. "So good, baby," he murmured, his voice low and rough. "You're gonna come so hard for me again, I know you can do it."

It was too much to handle, the pleasure building so fast and intense. You could feel it coiling in your stomach, reaching for that peak that seemed to elude you. Your nails dug into the couch cushions, your body taut as a bowstring.

As your second orgasm started to build, the overstimulation hit you like a truck, your body tightening around him like a vice. You could feel him swell inside you, his breaths becoming more ragged. His eyes never left yours, a silent communication passing between you. You both knew what was about to happen, and the anticipation was almost too much to bear.

You shut your eyes tightly, arching your back off of the cushions and clawing at the armrest behind you, your other hand grabbing his wrist, the wrist of the hand that was on your clit. Yunho's strokes grew faster, his breaths coming in hot, harsh pants against your neck. "Almost there," he whispers, his voice thick with desire.

You couldn't even speak anymore, the pleasure was too intense. Your eyes squeezed shut, and you nodded as best as you could, letting your body do the talking for you. Yunho's hips rocked into yours, the friction building with every thrust. "Good girl," he murmured, his thumb still working your clit. "You're so close."

You inhaled sharply, cursing his name as you came a second time, squirting around his cock, the warmth of your release coating him. His eyes widened, a groan escaping his lips. "Fuck, baby," he murmured, his strokes becoming erratic as he lost control, releasing deep inside of you.

You laid there, panting heavily, your legs trembling around his waist. Yunho leaned down, placing a gentle kiss on your forehead, his breaths matching yours in their desperation. "You okay?" he asked, his voice a soft rumble.

"Mmhmm," you murmured, your eyes still squeezed shut. "So… so good."

"I love you," Yunho whispers, his voice barely audible over the sound of your racing heart. You look up at him, the intensity in his eyes making your stomach flip.

You bite your lip, smiling dazedly. "I love you too.."

[hwasflower]

EP.20 to the room of truth

1.4M views | 84k likes | wc: 2.2k | 9th member WARNING: this episode contains alcohol, teasing, reader is a lightweight. yeosang focus.

in this tacit rule of republic of korea

Your face was bright red—almost perfectly matching San’s—as you quietly picked at the food in front of you. A smile lingered on your lips, the buzz setting in pleasantly. You didn’t even notice the driver had returned until the door clicked shut again.

Yeosang, leaning slightly against you, caused you to glance at him in confusion—until he shifted the other way just as Hongjoong stumbled and nearly fell back in his seat, drawing a burst of laughter from you.

More food was brought to the table, and you perked up instantly, grabbing your chopsticks with excitement. Yeosang, ever attentive, scooped a bit more into your bowl before pouring shots for both of you.

You looked up just in time to see Mingi standing, arms wide, swaying a little as he burst into song.

“I am! Alcohol free~ and I’m drunk~!” he sang proudly.

You couldn’t help but giggle, joining in with a cheerful, “I haven’t had a sip~!”

The boys all cheered, raising their glasses and clinking them together. You downed your shot in one go, barely even flinching this time.

“Are… YN and San okay?” Hongjoong asked after a beat, squinting across the table.

You looked up just as San took another shot, looking like he’d just finished running a marathon—hair tousled, cheeks flushed, eyes glassy but determined.

“They’re good drinkers,” Wooyoung said confidently, grinning as he leaned back in his chair.

“Are you crying right now?” Hongjoong asked, eyeing you with amusement as a soft giggle slipped out.

You quickly shook your head, lips twitching into a smile—though your eyes were definitely a little glassy. Across the table, San shut his eyes tightly, his face somehow turning an even deeper shade of red.

“I’m not crying!” he insisted, though his voice cracked just enough to make the others laugh.

Seonghwa leaned across Yeosang, his hand reaching out in mock comfort as he sang in a teasing tone, “Don’t cry, sillies~ I’m really okay~”

You snorted and tossed a plastic bottle cap at him, which bounced harmlessly off his arm. He just chuckled, clearly enjoying himself.

“Wanna play a drinking game?” Wooyoung asked, his hand casually resting on your leg now, fingers tracing small shapes.

Your eyes widened in alarm, head shaking before he even finished the sentence. “I’ll sit this one out,” you said quickly, clutching your glass like a lifeline.

“Smart choice,” Yeosang whispered, smirking as he nudged your side.

Wooyoung leaned toward Jongho, still relaxed. “Think about it, Jongho.”

But Jongho was already rolling up his sleeves with a spark in his eye. “Let’s fill a beer cup with soju and play rock, paper, scissors. Losing team shares the glass.”

The table exploded in mixed reactions—groans, laughter, and someone (probably San) whispering “death wish” under their breath.

team 1: Seonghwa, Yeosang, San, Mingi and Jongho team 2: Hongjoong, yn, Yunho, Wooyoung

“YN and San can go first,” Jongho announced with a smug grin, already anticipating the chaos.

You and San faced each other, both giggling under your breath as you shook out your hands in sync.

“Rock, paper, scissors—shoot!”

You both threw out rock.

San blinked. You blinked.

A beat of silence passed.

“Again!” Wooyoung called from behind you, already snickering.

You reset.

“Rock, paper, scissors—shoot!”

You went rock again… and San pulled out paper.

A loud chorus of “OHHHHH!” echoed from both teams.

Your jaw dropped. “You traitor!” you cried, pointing dramatically at San as he grinned triumphantly, cheeks still flushed from earlier.

“Sorry not sorry,” San laughed, leaning back into Yeosang, clearly riding the high of his win.

Wooyoung slid an arm around your shoulder, pulling you in close as he cooed, “It’s okay, baby. We’ll win the war.”

“Now it’s San hyung and Wooyoung hyung!” Jongho announced, already giggling to himself.

The two held out their hands.

Wooyoung: rock. San: paper.

A collective groan echoed around your team.

You let your head fall against Yeosang’s shoulder, whining softly. Wooyoung just stared blankly at the table, his soul clearly leaving his body.

“San hyung and Hongjoong hyung, you're up!”

Hongjoong: scissors. San: rock.

Another round of cheers from the opposing team. You sat up and glared at Wooyoung, who was still refusing to make eye contact with anyone—especially you.

“Yunho hyung and San hyung!” Jongho called, trying to contain his laughter.

Yunho: rock. San: scissors.

Your eyes widened as Yunho smiled confidently. “Let’s turn this around,” he said.

A glimmer of hope sparked in your chest... only to die instantly.

“Yunho hyung and Mingi hyung next!”

Yunho: rock. Mingi: paper.

You slumped back in your chair with a dramatic groan, covering your face with both hands.

Jongho, ever the chaos coordinator, clapped his hands together. “Now a game between the three of you—”

“A practice game!” Yunho interrupted quickly, straightening up with an innocent smile, trying his absolute best to dodge the incoming soju doom.

There was a beat of stunned silence before the entire table burst into loud protests.

“YAH!”

“No way!”

“Nice try,Yunho!”

Except for you.

You stayed quiet, arms crossed, simply watching Yunho with an amused tilt to your head.

Jongho stood firm, shaking his head with mock severity. “There are no practice rounds in drinking games!”

“There’s a silent rule in Korea,” Jongho explained confidently, waving his hand like a seasoned veteran. “You learn the games as you drink. It even has a melody!”

That earned a round of chuckles before the final showdown was declared:

Yunho vs. YN vs. Hongjoong vs. Wooyoung.

Hands raised, everyone got ready.

You: rock Yunho: scissors Hongjoong: scissors Wooyoung: paper

Wooyoung froze mid-motion, blinking in disbelief.

You jumped up in your seat, throwing your hands in the air. “YES! Finally!” you shouted, grinning like you’d just won the lottery.

“Rock supremacy!” you declared dramatically as everyone laughed.

Yunho and Hongjoong locked eyes, doing their own round to decide their fate—intense, silent, and hilariously serious—before a groan revealed Hongjoong’s second loss of the night.

But just as you were about to celebrate your victory fully, Jongho raised the cursed cup of soju and pointed directly at you.

“YN, you still have to drink.”

“Huh?!” you exclaimed, whipping your head toward him so fast your hair flew. “But I won!”

Jongho shrugged, far too smug. “No immunity. It’s a rite of passage.”

The boys howled with laughter as you stared at the cup in your hand like it had personally betrayed you.

“This feels targeted,” you muttered, holding the cup up dramatically like it was your final moment on Earth.

The lineup stood: You > Yunho > Hongjoong > Wooyoung

Jongho smirked, voice filled with teasing authority. “The fun thing about this is~ the first person—”

“Don’t worry about us,” Wooyoung cut in smoothly, waving a hand as if dismissing the rules entirely.

Jongho looked at him, tongue pushing against his cheek in disbelief, but eventually nodded. “Alright… suit yourselves.”

“We’ll do what we want,” Wooyoung said with a mischievous grin, turning to you. “Now drink up, Ynnie.”

You shot him a glare, shoving him lightly in the shoulder before raising the cup. Without a word, you tilted it back and took four large gulps, your throat burning with every swallow.

The table fell silent.

Then, without flinching, you stood up and handed the cup to Yunho like a queen passing down her crown.

The boys stared at you, wide-eyed.

“Holy sh—” San started, but cut himself off with a wheeze.

Yeosang blinked. “Did you… train for this?”

Even Jongho looked stunned. “That wasn’t four sips. That was four shots.”

You just wiped your lips, shrugged, and smiled. “Next.”

Wooyoung placed a hand over his heart, eyes dramatic and dreamy. “Someone hold me. I’m in love.”

Without missing a beat, you leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

His eyes flew open, stunned into silence as you pulled back with a playful smile and casually made your way back to Yeosang’s side. You slid in close, curling against him like nothing had happened.

Yeosang burst into laughter the moment he saw Wooyoung’s face—mouth slightly open, pupils wide, completely stuck.

“And YN is now cut!” Hongjoong announced like a referee, grinning as he pointed his chopsticks toward you. “Hurry, someone fill her bowl—keep her busy with food!”

“Yes, sir,” Yeosang said between laughs, already grabbing the nearest tongs and loading up your bowl with meat and banchan like he was on a mission.

“I second that,” Seonghwa added, sipping his drink calmly. “One more shot and she’s kissing me next.”

“Wouldn’t be the worst outcome,” you mumbled teasingly, earning a round of howls from the table.

San groaned, face still pink from alcohol. “I feel like I need to fight for my life at this dinner.”

Wooyoung finally snapped out of it, waving his hand dramatically. “She just stole my soul and you’re feeding her kimchi like that’s going to help?!”

Yeosang smirked, placing the chopsticks into your bowl with a flourish. “It might. She can’t kiss anyone if her mouth is full.”

“That hasn’t stopped her before,” Yunho murmured into his cup.

You choked on a laugh, smacking the table as the whole group roared again.

(THIS PART HAS BEEN CUT)

Your mouth watered the moment your eyes landed on the tteokgalbi and bibimbap. Yeosang was already ahead of you—bowl in hand, carefully piling a perfect balance of meat, rice, and veggies just the way you liked it.

“Here, baby,” he said, setting it in front of you.

“Thank you,” you murmured, your voice softer now, more grounded as the buzz started to fade.

Slowly, you were sobering up—your mind clearing, your limbs less loose. The light hum in your chest lingered, but the room had stopped spinning, and you felt deeply grateful that Hongjoong had stepped in earlier.

As you ate, you quietly admired the boys’ easy bickering and laughter, the way they bounced off each other so naturally.

“I wanted to do something while we’re all drinking,” Jongho announced suddenly. “All nine of us doing a drunk live.”

“Oh, a song?” Hongjoong asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Later,” Jongho replied with a mischievous grin.

Seonghwa smiled, shaking his head. “Let’s do it now! Why wait?”

Before anyone else could answer, San suddenly bellowed the opening lines of Wave at the top of his lungs.

You jumped, then laughed and quickly joined in.

“Just going on!” you sang along.

“On the way to the hot sun!” San shouted, voice cracking but full of energy.

Hongjoong looked around, a smile tugging at his lips. “Alright then—what song do you want to sing?”

Seonghwa, who had somehow managed to balance a spoon inside an empty soju bottle, spoke up with a grin, “Turbulence.”

Everyone nodded quickly, the choice unanimous.

You kept munching on your food, half-listening to Mingi’s voice as it carried through the room, but your eyes were drawn to Yunho who had already stood up. San practically shouted his part with full enthusiasm.

“By the rough wind, by the wounded heart,” Mingi sang softly, voice steady and clear.

You glanced at San and Wooyoung, now both fully engaged. Wooyoung had taken off his hoodie, sleeves rolled up, his voice soaring.

“As if the world only asks me to fall, only endless darkness!” Wooyoung sang, his voice raw, eyes closed like he was performing on a world stage.

You were still seated, chopsticks in hand mid-bite, when Seonghwa’s voice joined in, smooth and earnest. “At the end of this road, where should we be? What should we become, in what form?”

Jongho raised a spoon to his mouth like a mic, his face overly serious as he sang his part with mock intensity.

You just stared at them, overwhelmed by affection—by the pure joy and ridiculousness of it all. A smile slowly spread across your lips.

Then, suddenly, San grabbed your wrist and pulled you up with him. “Come on!” he laughed, dragging you to the front of the table.

You barely had time to react before he dropped to his knees, belting his lines with full dramatic flair. You burst into laughter, clapping your hands as he spun on the floor like a popstar in a music video.

Yunho’s voice cut in next, rich and steady. He stepped in behind you, gently turning you to face him as he placed a warm hand on your hip. With a soft smile, he began swaying you side to side with him in time to the music.

The room filled with off-key notes, laughter, clinking dishes, and warmth.

You looked around, your chest aching—in the best way—with how much you adored them.

The chaos felt like home. And your smile had never been wider.

“YN! Sing the high note!” someone shouted—probably San, but honestly, it could’ve been all of them at once.

You gasped, laughing as you grabbed the nearest “microphone” (a spoon, courtesy of Jongho), holding it dramatically in front of your mouth.

The boys fell silent, all eyes on you, and then—

You went for it.

The high note soared from your throat, not perfect but passionate—wobbly from the soju, steady from the joy. The second you hit it, the boys exploded in cheers and wild applause like you'd just won a singing competition.

“SHE DID IT!” Mingi shouted, practically jumping out of his chair.

“Main vocal, baby!” Yeosang laughed, clapping behind you.

“Forget the live—we’re debuting again with her in center!” Wooyoung yelled dramatically.

The rest of them joined in, voices overlapping as they belted out the final lines together, arms flung around each other and around you, no one quite on beat but absolutely in sync where it mattered.

The last note faded into the clatter of dishes and the soft buzz of laughter.

Your cheeks were flushed, your throat a little sore, but your heart—your heart was full.

taglist: @soso59love-blog | @misteez | @yeosionist | @bbokarismeow | @moonlitcelestial | @sunnysidesins

[hwasflower]

the softest kind of love | c.s (prologue)

pairing: choi san x f!reader

genre: cat hybrid!san, fluff

word count: 2k

next // series m.list

winter is here. the more chilling temperature in comparison to fall that makes your skin shivers as the blanket of snow drops from the sky and turn the ground you step on into nothing but layers of white.

you love winter. you love the morning coffees and the cozying up in bed as the frost covers your window, watching the snowfall show outside in the comfort of your own home.

you just wish you were able to enjoy it. school and work has kept you so busy, the cold and the piling of your favorite season at your doorstep now an annoyance more than anything.

before moving to seoul, you had done so much convincing against your parents wishes, telling them you were gonna be fine although they've pretty much predicted your current predicament: overworked, stressed, and barely making it through financially--all the reasons why they were skeptical about you moving to a new city and living alone in the first place.

but your rents are paid, assignments always on time, and your stomach full on most days if you don't forget to eat all your meals. it's the little things you're still grateful for.

as you trail up the stairs to your apartment on the second floor, you thought the 'meow' you had heard earlier was an illusion from the long day of work, but when you turn toward the bottom of the stairs and set your eyes on a fluffy white cat seated at the end of it, it's good to know you're still at least sane.

"meow."

it's more like a kitten, so small and cute glaring at you with its wide eyes, hurling out another 'meow' that tugs at your heartstrings because what is it doing all alone in the cold on such a night?

now, you're absolutely not a pet person, having always been afraid of dogs and all--coupled with the fact you can barely take care of yourself, but you're not heartless.

you make ways back down the stairs slowly and surely to not startle it, bending down to rub its fur gently and cooing under your breath, "hey kitty, what are you doing out here alone?" as if i can understand and speak to you in return.

you do a last once-over of the area just to be sure you're not mistaken and its owner or mother cat happens to be nearby. you don't wanna be a catnapper now.

"meow," it purrs again as you continuingly rub the soft fur of the kitten's head, a smile plastered on your face at the adorable sight.

maybe you can take it in for just one night, or at least until you can find another shelter.

"i'll be taking you now, kitty. hold tight," you assure, lifting the small animal with the utmost care into your arms, surprised by the little resistance it displays.

luckily, you've cleaned your apartment a few days prior so it's easier to find things to set up a makeshift litter box with one of the packages you haven't thrown away and stuffing a bunch of napkins in the middle.

it's too late to run to any stores and you don't have the convenience of cat foods laying around in your cabinets since you've never owned one, so you make a small portion of scrambled eggs for the adorable thing instead, having combed the web to learn regarding the few foods they can have.

you wash up for the meantime to get ready for bed, finding it sniffing the bottom of your couch when you return, unable to help but giggle at such cuteness before picking it back up into your arms and sitting yourself down.

"what should i name you? i mean, if you're gonna be here for a bit, you deserve a name, right?" you smile, immediately attempting to come up with something not generic.

it's a boy, you know that. you checked earlier.

"mochi?" you speak into thin air, shaking your head after. "no. something a little less cute."

"minho? but there's already too many minho's."

you rock the kitten in your arms as you try again, about ready to give up and get some ideas from your phone, when the painting hanging above your small dining table sparks an even better idea.

"san," you say at the same time you look down at the kitten who resonates a small purr in response. "it means mountain. my dad gave me that painting because he hoped it could comfort me in times of hardships."

you glance at the artwork again, a canvas painting of the snowy mountains behind the grassfield full of flowers. your father loves nature and incorporating elements of it. he always says that in the toughest of times, to find the beauty in the things around you--small or big.

that if the mountains are still there, birds are flying, and the sky still hangs above the swaying flowers, everything is gonna be okay because the world keeps moving. so you suppose in some ways, the painting does help.

"yeah, san... that'll work." you stroke the kitten's head one last time, his silent purring ringing against your chest as he snuggles into your arms.

and when you're finally ready for bed, you lay a small blanket on the other side for san to sleep on, singing him a good night before closing your eyes.

--

the invasion of your face wakes you up, your own eyes met with the doe ones of the kitten you took home yesterday as its tiny paws continues to press at your skin.

"good morning, kitty," you greet, giving him a few gentle strokes on the head before setting him aside to get up.

he fortunately woke you a good few minutes before your alarm so you take the time to run to the nearest convenience store to get a few kitten foods--that you'll take the time in between classes and work to get some more later.

you make sure he has everything he needs before you leave for classes, reminding yourself to bring it up to yeri since she seems to know just about everything and what your next step should be.

"you sure he didn't happen to wander away from his mother?" yeri says across from you, her chin resting on her hand as her head tilts, the headband on her hair so perfectly placed.

"i don't think so, but i'll keep in mind for tonight. keep a lookout."

she nods. "yeah, and if not then call the animal shelter for sure."

she pauses momentarily before going on, "have you given him a name?"

"yes. san," you tell her with such excitement that she hasn't seen in a while. the last time she saw you this happy was when you found out yunho was gonna be going to dinner with your friend group.

"san..." she repeats after you, "well that's a unique name."

"oh, right." you sit up from where you were leaning, turning on your phone. "i took a couple pictures of him. are you able to tell what kind of breed he is?"

she squints her eyes, slouching slightly forward before falling into awe at the few pictures you managed to snap of the kitten just right before you hopped into the shower.

"awww. but you know, he looks weirdly clean for a potentially stray cat."

"that's true," you agree, just grasping the fact yourself. "you don't think it ran away?"

yeri shrugs. "best to just call the shelter and let them take things from there. but to answer your initial question, i think it's a persian."

"ooh..." you hum, intrigued, though absolutely clueless regarding anything else but it's good to know more about the animal you took in.

"by the way," yeri not so subtly brings up, "are you still coming to see yunho's performance on tuesday?"

just hearing his name already making your cheeks glow a soft pink, yeri always has to be considerate of the time and place when mentioning him.

"i don't know," you answer, when in all honesty you really really want to. but it's just so anticlimactic when he didn't invite you himself. "it'd be weird if i just showed up."

your crush on jeong yunho started the day you sat in the seat next to him of your foreign language class, having pulled yourself into that corner (literally) with no one else but a choice between talking to him or the wall to your left.

he had looked so intimidating at first, too tall and broodingly handsome, you were a little afraid he was gonna be stuck-up. but you couldn't be more wrong when he finally spoke to you for the first time, kindly and too curiously wanting to know his awkward seatmate.

that was when you found out he's a dance major and his commitment to the art only made your admiration grow. you've never met someone with so much passion and fire in their eyes before.

he made you look forward to the class despite not even liking the professor that much, all because you loved the small talk you'd have with him every other day.

that was last semester. now, you only see him occasionally through mutual friends--and even mutual might be pushing it a bit considering they're really only yeri's friends.

"so? he'd appreciate it still. trust me."

"i'll have to think about it."

you get more kitten foods on the way home, usually taking the two hours to either study or finish assignments (sometimes a nap) before having to rush to work, but you want to spend some time with your newfound temporary pet because you'll be stuck at work for the next 8 hours.

you open the front door slowly just in case it happened to wander nearby, not at all expecting that the sight in front of you will have your heart thrumming in anxiety.

because your apartment is so small, you can practically see almost everything from this angle--the vase that sat on your coffee table now shattered on the floor and there's a light coming from the kitchen.

keeping the door opened just in case whoever or whatever that did this is still in here, you follow the light, doing exactly what a stupid character in a horror movie would and calling out, "hello?"

your survival instincts are telling you 'no', but your curiosity are telling you to keep walking, seeing the source of the light is from your fridge that's parted all the way.

any moment now, you almost expect for someone in a mask and dark clothings to come out of hiding and hold you hostage, until...

"san!"

you run to the bedroom so fast, afraid that they might have taken your little kitty or done something to it, when you trip on what feels like a pair of legs--yes, legs--the second you open the door to the room.

everything already feels like a very vivid dream with the possibility that someone has broken into your apartment, and now you're staring right into very human-like eyes when you live alone.

"ahhh!" you scream at the top of your lung, hitting this man's chest that you've landed on--your panicked reaction making him do the same in response as his much deeper pitched voice mix with yours.

"who the fuck are you and why are you in my house!" you don't stop hitting until suddenly, he manages to grab ahold of both your arms with quite the ease, blinking at you with such innocence unfitting for the scenario.

"san," he mumbles, his speaking voice much softer and mellow to your surprise. "san."

you can only blink in return before creasing your brows confusingly. "huh?"

"meow." he moves one of your arms toward his head, settling your hand on his hair and continues to motion it up and down, until it hits you what he might be trying to do.

relaxing your hand to slowly brush at it following his lead, the smile he sends you after just more so confirms it.

you don't wanna sound crazy, but you think this man you're currently laying on top of with his bare naked chest out might be your cat.

[hwasflower]

⋆.𐙚 ̊c/w; quickies, blowjob, light nail fetish(?)

Yunho usually doesn't like quickies. He says, "You're a goddess, and you should be treated as such."

But he can't help his dick growing hard when he sees you walk into the company building, dressed in a miniskirt, red lips smiling at him as your freshly done nails curves around the coffee cup you're holding.

"Yunho!" You beam, handing him the coffee with a peck on his cheek. "Thought I'd surprise my hubby," you giggle, unaware of the ache your lover was going through. The man did everything in his power to not get hard in front of his colleagues.

Somehow, Yunho manages a smile, pulling you by the wrist before you could even say anything. He's quick to shove you into a deserted room filled with costumes and makeup.

"Are you cray?" He finally manages, his hands pinching a handful of your plush thighs that are hardly covered by that godforsaken skirt.

You bat your lashes at the man, tilting your head in feign confusion. "What do you mean, baby? I just wanted to see you," you bite your lips innocently.

Yunho groans, placing your hand over his growing cock straining under the expensive fabric "You know what you're doing, love," he rasps in your ear. "I hope you take responsibility?"

And you don't need to be told twice. Smiling, you sink to your knees, undoing his pants. "Of course, baby," you grin, wrapping your fingers around his cock.

Yunho groans, his head tipping back. If he was being honest, he would've come the second your pretty nails round his cock, but he persists, desperate for a release.

"C'mon love," he hastes, his eyes flickering to the light pouring through the crack under the door. "I'll be all yours when I get back," he begs petting your head encouragingly. "Please?"

And how can you possibly resist such a sweet deal. Smirking, you quickly take him in your mouth, your cheeks puffing out at the mere girth. No matter how many times you blow him, his cock never misses to impress you.

Unable to hold back any further, Yunho thrusts into your mouth till he hits the back of your throat. You gag around him, the vibrations sending a shiver down his spine.

It does not take him long to spill in your mouth, coating you with white. Mind dizzy, you swallow, opening your mouth to prove you've drank him all in.

He quickly kneels before you, wiping the corner of your mouth. "You're so nasty, my love," he smirks, kissing you.

And Yunho cannot figure out for the life of him why the baby bear was giving him looks throughout the day.

Maybe he had missed the pair of shoes standing before the ajar door during their rendezvous.

®yup-thats-me

₊˚⊹ᰔreqs are open✧˖°.

[hwasflower]

★ title - asking ateez if they'd still love you as a worm ⋆·˚ ༘ *

★ genre - fluff, crack ⋆·˚ ༘ *

★ character - maknae line ⋆·˚ ༘ *

★ warnings - cursing, san being freaked out in a funny way, mingi being cute and a bit of a dummy, mentions of drowning, wooyo is a menace, mentions of feet/feet pics, bomb threat from jongho, name calling, jongho is scary...i think thats it! ⋆·˚ ༘ *

★ a/n - i was rereading hyung ver and why am i lowk funny... ⋆·˚ ༘ *

·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:··:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:··:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:··:*¨༺ ♱✮♱

★ san. c ⋆·˚ ༘ *

★ mingi. s ⋆·˚ ༘ *

★ wooyoung. j ⋆·˚ ༘ *

★ jongho. c ⋆·˚ ༘ *

·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:··:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:··:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:··:*¨༺ ♱✮♱

★ ateez m.list ⋆·˚ ༘ *

[hwasflower]

₊˚⊹c/w; blow job, name calling

omg this man has me on my knees fr

Imagine sucking him off after a dance practice. He's sweaty all over, his face flushed red.

His fingers tangles in your hair as you cut him off in the changing room. His head is tipped back as you take him in your warm, inviting mouth. Your knees hurt from the hard floor but it's dulls the ache in your twitching pussy.

"Fuck, angel," he rasps, gingerly grabbing your hair into a make-shift pony.

He uses it to guide your mouth up and down his cock, thrusting in till the tip touches the back of your throat. He groans, holding you in place, forcing you to take him all in.

Sweat dribbles down his toned abdomen, the saltiness mixing with his milky precum. "Take it, baby, so good," his loving voice contradicts the way he pinches your nose, blocking all airways effectively.

Your mind grows dizzy with the lack of oxygen, but it's feels so delicious, too. Rubbing your thighs together, you moan around him, batting your lashes at the man.

"Fucking hell," he thrusts, before finally release his hold on your nose, spilling in your mouth. Coughing, you try to swallow whatever you could, refusing to let all that precious delicacy go to waste.

Yunho grins when you show him your empty mouth, petting your head.

"Such a good cock-sucker, angel," he praises.

©yup-thats-me

I just wrote a diff. version of this. God forbid a girl has an addiction🙄🫠

[hwasflower]

I love to love you: J.W

I'm working on getting a posting schedule now that i have so many groups i wanna write for... sigh not enough time in the days

->Starring: WooyoungxReader ->Genre: Fluff ->Cw: Typical yapping Wooyoung, fluffy fluff fluff, this man has my entire heart... they all do... I'm a whore

Masterlist | Ateez Masterlist

Seonghwa | Hongjoong | Yunho | Yeosang | San | Mingi | Wooyoung | Jongho

“You know what I’ve never understood! How—” Wooyoung’s mouth was moving, his hands animated as he launched into another impromptu rant, this time about cereal mascots, or maybe it was weather apps, you weren’t entirely sure.

But your mind was somewhere else.

You blinked, watching the way his eyes lit up when he talked, the way his hands cut through the air with every word, and how he didn’t just speak, he performed. You weren’t really listening, and not because he was boring (he never was), but because you were so utterly overwhelmed by the love bubbling in your chest.

You didn’t know why you were feeling so sentimental today, but you couldn’t help it.

You love loving Jung Wooyoung.

No, he didn’t make it easy. He was a handful and a half, loud, dramatic, chaotic in the most endearing way. He made everything a competition, talked in his sleep, and danced at completely inappropriate times. He could be a little impatient, sometimes stubborn, and had a flair for being just a bit too honest.

But maybe that’s exactly why you loved it.

Because with Wooyoung, nothing was ever halfway. He loved with his whole heart. He felt things in all caps. He made life feel like a song stuck in your head, inconvenient at times, but you wouldn’t trade it for silence.

He’d surprise you with the smallest gestures: your favorite candy tucked into your bag, post-it notes on your mirror with dumb doodles and captions like “today’s outfit: 12/10 would date.” He’d shove socks onto your cold feet and whine, “Why are you always freezing? Are you a ghost?”

He’d talk your ear off one second, then fall asleep mid-sentence with his head in your lap the next. He’d show up to your workplace just to drop off coffee, but stay too long and make everyone laugh until your coworkers were all a little bit in love with him too.

Loving Wooyoung wasn’t always easy. But it was worth it. Because for all the fire and noise, he was also the softest soul you’d ever known.

Like the way he rubbed gentle circles on your back when he thought you were asleep. Or how he always saved the last bite of dessert for you—even if it was his favorite. Or how he said “I love you” like it was breathing, like the words were stitched into the rhythm of his heart.

You came back to the present just in time to see him pause, eyebrows raised.

“Wait! Are you even listening to me?” he asked, mock-offended, poking your cheek. “I was giving you my most passionate argument yet.”

You smiled, leaned in, and kissed him, right on the nose.

“I just love you,” you whispered.

He blinked. His smile faltered for just a second, like he’d been momentarily stunned. Then it came back, softer now. Slower. All the theatrics melted away, and it was just him.

“Yeah?” he murmured, voice low and full of something warm and steady. “Good because I love you too.”

He leaned forward and kissed you properly this time—no rush, no showmanship, just all the quiet ways he meant it. Then he pulled back, resting his forehead against yours, that signature crooked grin returning.

“Okay, now that we’re emotionally bonded for life,” he said, already perking back up, “can I please finish explaining why Tony the Tiger is a corporate lie?”

And you just laughed, letting your heart settle in that messy, beautiful, sugar-sweet place he’d made inside it.

Because loving Jung Wooyoung?

Loving him back was the easiest part of all.

Taglist: @e3ellie @jonghoslilstar @sugakooie @lemonkait00 @atztrsr

@honsans-atiny-24 @fairylover68 @ussewaaaaaaa @zaynsfl4m3s @life-is-a-game-of-thrones

@atzlordz @chuwips-atz @melanated-writersblock @hwasbabygirl @sunnysidesins

@felixs-voice-makes-me-wanna @seonghwaswifeuuuu @lezleeferguson-120 @mentalnerdgasms @yoongisgirl69

@lover-ofallthingspretty @reallysparklychaos @londonbridges01 @gigikubolong29 @herpoetryprincess

@staargirrl @yoonginorout @raicecakes-and-buldak @fyolovrr @clmstorm

@halesandy @flambychan @woosmaid

If you would like to be a part of the taglist please fill out this form

[hwasflower]

✗ blood in the clouds ✗ | KIM HONGJOONG

pairings ✃ mafia leader! hongjoong x flight attendant! fem! reader

genre ✃ mafia au, non-idol au, SLOW BURNN

synopsis ✃

it’s finally your last day as a flight attendant. you wanted nothing more than to laze on your couch and watch netflix - just to find out that one of your passengers blew out the brains of your pilot with a gun.

in which hongjoong hijacks a plane that his rival’s daughter is on.

w.c ✃ 10.5k (yes im a yapper im sorry)

c.w ✃ dark themes, vivid descriptions of gore, guns and knives, kiss scene but no smut, use of the nickname ‘brat’, ‘pretty’ and ONE TIME - ‘princess’, your dad’s a dick oops, vulgar language, reader is smart

not proofread!

masterlist

white clouds drifted by the airplane window as the sky turned from a soft blue to a deep orange.

it would’ve been a pretty sight if it weren’t for the gun to your head.

you’d called in sick or put in your two weeks notice earlier if this was how your last day of being a flight attendant would end - but apparently, life hates you too much to let you catch a break.

HOUR 1 OF 7 - TAKEOFF

‘god- i can’t take this anymore,’ you thought to yourself. you hated waiting, despised it actually. 

after today, no more jet lag, rushed goodbyes or missing celebrations. you can finally unpack that suitcase for good, find someplace quiet and actually live in it. the thought alone was enough to keep you excited, but something bothered you at the back of your mind.

this trip didn’t feel right.

it wasn’t the plane itself, but your passengers? only 2 showed up in a plane that could seat at least 50 people. 

not that you were complaining. fewer passengers meant less work - which was a good thing. 

but the uneasiness you felt kept rising in your chest, no matter the times you tried to push it down. 

‘just 6 more hours,’ you thought. ‘then this will all be behind me.’

HOUR 2 OF 7 - MEALTIME

meal service started like any other: boring. 

after handing out the trays, you pushed the trolley back to its place and returned with beverages. you plastered on your most professional smile as you walked over to your passengers. “would you like a drink?”

the man with sunglasses turned to you lazily, his eyes shifting from the trolley to your face. “what do you have?”

you sighed, quietly but deeply. you had that stupid list engraved into your mind by now. “water, coffee, tea, coke, spri-” 

“-do you have alcohol?” he cut you off. 

your eye twitched. this dickhead.

first of all, he interrupted you. and secondly, you didn’t mention the alcohol on purpose. it was stored at the back of the plane and you did not have the energy to drag it out. 

“uh hongjoong- i mean, boss-“ the guy next to him whispered hurriedly. “i don’t think that’s a good idea-“

“-i think it is,” hongjoong interrupted before turning back to you. “where’s the menu?”

you gave him a forced smile as you pushed the alcohol menu towards him. he took his time with it, flipping through the pages slowly before finally saying, “two shots of whiskey.”

“sure thing,” you snatched the menu back. with a swift turn, you fetched the whiskey and the glasses, returning back to his seat.

you poured and placed the two shots on his tray table. he took the glass and drank it in one go, setting it back down with a thud. 

hongjoong then turned his head towards you, eyebrows raised. “what?”

you blinked. ‘what’? just ‘what’? where's the ‘thank you’? 

you were losing your mind.

“nothing,” you muttered through clenched teeth, moving away before he could ask for anything else.

grade A asshole.

HOUR 4.5 OF 7 - POINT OF NO RETURN

the shitty in-flight wifi was a joke as always. why did you even try?

with an annoyed sigh, you shoved your phone into your back pocket when suddenly-

static.

its piercing sound followed by faint garbled voices on the intercom startled you. you frowned as the sound continued, getting louder and more distorted.

with a groan, you stood up, straightening your uniform. ‘what are they doing?’ you thought as you walked towards the cockpit.

but when you passed by the first-class cabin, you paused. the seats were empty. both passengers were gone. ‘weird…’

things only got weirder as you approached the unlocked cockpit door. 

concerned, you pushed it open.

the smell hit you first - a metallic tang that twisted your stomach.

then your eyes caught up.

blood splattered the walls and windows in chaotic streaks, dripping down to the controls and the carpeted floor. the pilot and co-pilot laid in a gruesome pile to the side, the jagged holes in their skulls grotesque. 

a guy sat at the controls, steering the plane as though he wasn’t surrounded by horrors. 

grade A asshole- no, hongjoong, sat cross-legged on the floor, his sunglasses shattered at his feet. a gun rested in his hand and his lips curled into a smirk as he watched you enter.

“you’ve got to be kidding me..” you breathed out. 

pieces of brain and organ matter clung to the control panel as a simple blinking green light above that indicated that everything was, somehow, still functioning.

hongjoong tilted his head, amused. the gun shifted to point at what you now noticed was the crumpled bodies  of your pilots, their faces mangled in unrecognisable masses of flesh and bone.

“these your friends?”

you shook your head as you stepped back, wiping your sweaty hands on your uniform. hongjoong seemed to enjoy your reaction, his grin widening into something sickening. 

he smirked. “don’t worry, i won’t spoil that pretty face of yours.”

you coughed at the wretched smell as the crimson-stained carpet squelched beneath your heels, your mind begging you to leave.

“well-” you said, turning to the door. “i’m sure you don’t need me here, i’ll just-”

an audible click cut you off.

you froze.

slowly, you turned back to see a gun aimed directly at you.

“leaving so soon?” he raised an eyebrow. “let’s talk.”

HOUR 5 OF 7 - SKYDIVING DOESN’T SEEM TOO BAD

hongjoong dragged you to the first-class section to ‘talk’. it was the first time you’ve ever sat there and to be completely honest, this was not how you imagined yourself ‘enjoying’ it.

well, not like it mattered. you had other issues - like handcuffs locking you to the chair.

he stood infront of you, one hand gripping the gun while the other held a file. “‘____’, am i right?” he asked. 

you nodded slowly. “..that’s me.”

“3.6 GPA in university..” he muttered. “flunked out of med school during your first year..”

..how the hell did he get that information?

“you ended up as a flight attendant because your father owns the airline.”

“..yeah,” you reluctantly admitted, your stomach churning. “uh- was the med school part necessary?”

hongjoong ignored you, flipping to the next page. you watched his eyebrows shoot up as his eyes narrowed. “how close are you with your father?”

you blinked, confused by the weird question. “i mean- he’s my dad,” you replied. “but i haven’t seen him in years.”

“hm,” the sound came from him. hongjoong studied you for a moment longer before he spoke again, but this time, his voice was cold.

“do you know what he’s been doing during those years?”

your brows furrowed. “no, i-”

“killing. my. men.”

you didn’t even have time to process his words because he leaned forward when he said them, the gun uncomfortably close to your face. 

you swallowed the lump in your throat. “...are you sure you have the right person?”

his smirk widened into something eerie. “i have a gun pointed to you, don’t i?”

your pulse quickened. you couldn’t decide which was worse: the possibility that he was telling the truth or the fact that he was clearly enjoying your reaction.

“i always wanted to get back at that pig..” he held the gun up to the bottom of your chin, forcing you to meet his eyes. “and look at how kind the world is- blessing me with his daughter.”

you struggled to breathe, to think. the handcuffs dug into your wrist as you unconsciously tried to break out of them, a clink against the metal arm of the chair.

your voice trembled. “..what do you want from me?”

hongjoong didn’t answer immediately. instead, he leaned in even closer, so close that you could feel your foreheads touching.

“what i want,” he said slowly, eyes locked onto yours. “is for your dad to suffer.”

HOUR 6 OF 7 - SURPRISINGLY ALIVE

the stuffiness of the plane did little to calm your nerves. you sat quietly in the seat, staring at the shattered remains of your phone on the floor.

hongjoong snatched it from your hands a few minutes ago, grumbling about how ‘you don’t need devices’. great. just great. 

the sound of the cockpit door creaking open drew your attention. the other guy - or ‘pilot’, stepped out, adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves. “boss.”

hongjoong raised an eyebrow. “what?”

the ‘pilot’ moved closer to hongjoong, lowering his voice. “air traffic control was notified of our path,” he said quietly. “they know something’s off with the plane, but i have no idea how.”

hongjoong’s eyes darkened as he processed the information. then, he glared at you, like he was accusing you.

you scoffed. “you shot my phone, how would i even contact anyone?”

for a moment, the two of you locked eyes and you swear that you could see him debating whether to believe you.

the ‘pilot’ cleared his throat. “what should we expect?” he asked nervously.

hongjoong leaned back in his seat, running a hand through his hair. “the police.”

HOUR 7 OF 7 - SHIT IS GETTING REAL

“what the hell…” you whispered to yourself as you peered out of the window.

SWAT teams and federal agents stood in rows, their weapons pointed directly at the plane. flashing lights of red and blue lit up the empty airport. 

you turned away from the window, watching hongjoong pull out a burner phone from his jacket. his fingers typed something out before he suddenly snapped the phone in half, tossing the remains on the floor. 

“…who are you?” you asked quietly.

he raised an eyebrow. “you don’t need to know, pretty.”

your survival instincts told you to move, to do something. but the second you tried to stand, hongjoong shoved you back down. 

“stay seated until we land,” he said before tilting his head. “isn’t that your job?”

you rolled your eyes, gripping the armrests as you tried to calm yourself down and steady your breathing. 

but that was when you heard it - gunshots. 

“they’re shooting us?” you panicked, flinching with each sound. 

no answer.

“hey-“ you tried again, but was cut off by the tires hitting the terrain. 

the landing was rough - harsher than anything you’ve experienced as a flight attendant. the plane rattled like never before.

your chest tightened when it rolled over something particularly large. “what was that?” your voice cracked. 

no answer. 

when the plane finally came to a halt, you barely had time to catch your breath when hongjoong moved. in a blink, he uncuffed you from the chair, only to secure the handcuffs on your wrists once more. 

he brought you to your feet, pulling you so close that you could feel his breath against your ear. “don’t do anything stupid,” he hissed. 

the cockpit door opened and the ‘pilot’ appeared. he quickly unlocked the emergency exit and you saw the makeshift ramp that had been attached to the side of the plane. 

a van rested just outside of it, hongjoong dragging you towards the vehicle. you descended the ramp, the cool air hitting your face as you looked around. 

but that was when you saw it. 

blood. 

on the wheels of the plane, the dark colour leaving a fresh trail on the ground.  

“did you..” you gulped, your voice barely above a whisper. “did you run over them?”

hongjoong glanced at you. “i didn’t,” he shrugged. “the plane did.”

you stopped in your tracks, your feet stuck rooted to the ground as you stared at him in horror. how could he say that like it was no big deal? just who was this man?

“move,” hongjoong ordered. but when you didn’t, he clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes. “god- you’re such a brat.”

before you knew it, you were shoved into the back of the van. the ‘pilot’ closed the door with a loud slam and sat in the driver’s seat while hongjoong took the passenger’s seat up front. 

you met hongjoong’s eyes through the rearview mirror. his glare was sharp, acting as a warning to keep your mouth shut. you didn’t need to be told twice.

the van drove forward and you caught glimpses of city lights in the distance, slowly growing closer. civilisation - maybe you could get help. 

but against your mind’s wishes, you felt your eyelids getting heavy - and you did something that no one should ever do when they’re in a car with armed strangers.

you fell asleep.

HOUR 14 OF 7 - HIP HIP HOORAY YOU’RE NOT DEAD

you heard a voice whine. “why can’t we kill her?” 

“do you want boss to kill us?” you heard another reply.

your eyes fluttered open. your head felt heavy as the room came into focus, your stomach twisting. 

the space was dingy, poorly lit by a bulb hanging from the ceiling and an unnecessarily tall lamp on the ground. the walls were stained and the air stunk of blood.

you tried to move, only to feel tight ropes against your wrists and ankles. you were tied to a chair.

“i can’t believe we have to babysit the pig’s daughter,” a man with a knife groaned.

“calm down, wooyoung,” the other one sighed.

“calm down?!” wooyoung exclaimed. “yeosang got to fly a plane! how is that fair?”

“he has a license,” the second man rolled his eyes. 

“it’s still a plane, jongho-”

“shut up,” jongho interrupted. “the girl’s awake.”

both men turned their heads to look at you, the sudden attention sending a shiver down your spine. wooyoung’s grin stretched across his face as he got to his feet, jongho following behind.

“aw look who’s finally awake,” wooyoung approached, his voice childish. “you slept like a baby- and we didn’t even drug you!”

your heartbeat quickened as he leaned in close, his grin widening as he studied your face.

“i read your file,” he began. “you’re smart…” wooyoung paused, his eyes inspecting you and your ridiculous uniform. “and hot.”

your throat tightened, but you forced yourself to respond. “thank you-?”

“-what’s your favourite feature about yourself?” he asked, twirling the knife in his hands.

“uh-” your mind scrambled for an answer as he got nearer, the knife glinting. “i- my eyes?”

“your eyes,” wooyoung repeated, the grin stuck to his face. “good choice.”

he brought the knife closer, the cold steel trailing down the side of your face. you flinched as the blade hovered near your eye, your breath hitching.

“you’re going to answer all our questions,” he stated, almost in a sing-songy way. “and if you dont-”

he tilted the knife, now directly above your eyeball. “-i’ll dig those lovely pearls out of your sockets.”

your chest tightened, terror paralyzing you from head to toe. you couldn’t even breathe, every cell in your body pleading you to stay still.

“hey-” jongho tapped wooyoung on the shoulder, whispering. “uh.. boss said we can’t scratch her..”

“are you serious?” wooyoung scoffed. “then what’s the point?”

jongho bit the inside of his cheek, avoiding eye contact with his friend.

wooyoung groaned, throwing the knife to the ground with a strength that made it bend. “fuck this- torture isn’t even fun anymore.”

he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

silence was in the air until jongho cleared his throat awkwardly. he turned to face you. “uh..” he hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“change of plans.”

HOUR 15 OF 7 - DAY DRINKING IS FUN

you never imagined yourself in a hideout, drinking vodka with one of your captors - yet here you were. 

the whole thing felt absurd: a shaky barstool beneath you and a scuffed counter separating you and jongho. he poured you a shot he claimed was ‘very expensive’, before proceeding to chug most of the vodka from the bottle in a long gulp. 

your legs were untied now, though your wrists were still bound, the rope loose enough for your hands to rest infront of you. “what are we waiting for?” you asked. “hongjoong?”

jongho froze, his eyes snapping to yours. “don’t say his name,” he whisper-shouted.

you raised your tied wrists in apology. “okay.. what should i call him?”

“call him boss.. or mr kim.. or anything that isn’t his first name,” jongho said, his words rushed. 

you nodded slowly, looking at the man infront of you with mild concern. he looked even more scared than you did. 

then suddenly, the door slammed open. 

both you and jongho flinched, watching two figures stumble in. 

the first was a tall man - storming into the room. the second was him, hongjoong, clutching his side in pain.

“mingi- boss!” jongho panicked instantly as he ran to help the injured man. “holy- you’re hurt!”

“the pig called for backup,” mingi sighed heavily. 

you blinked, stunned as the sound of hongjoong coughing violently brought your attention back to the injured man. 

blood seeped through his fingers, staining his sleeves and skin. you don’t know what took over you, but you pushed yourself off of the barstool and rushed towards him. 

“what do you think you’re doing?” mingi stepped infront of hongjooong, his hand resting on his gun protectively. 

you glared at him. “do you want your boss to bleed out?”

mingi studied you. after what felt like ages, he exhaled sharply and stepped aside. “fine,” he muttered, keeping a hand on his weapon. 

you knelt next to hongjoong, trying to make him face you as you grabbed his arm. though, he snatched himself away from you quickly. 

you rolled your eyes. “i’m trying to help you, asshole. let me see it.”

hongjoong’s eyes pierced your soul. you could see the cogs in his head turning on whether he could trust you. 

a few moments passed before he finally faced you with a sigh, revealing a large gash on the side of his stomach - a wound created by knife. 

“i need water.” 

jongho blinked, clearly thrown off. “what?”

“to clean his wound..?” you explained. “get me water. now.”

jongho hesitated before snatching a bottle of water from a mini fridge. he pushed it to you, the little amount of liquid sloshing inside. “you should stay still for this,” you said before slowly pouring the water over the wound. 

crap- a gash this big needed a stitch. 

“untie me,” you said, holding your wrists up to your captors. 

jongho glanced at his boss worriedly for permission. hongjoong gave a small nod and jongho quickly pulled out a small knife to cut the rope. 

once free, you quickly looked around for something to stitch his wound with. when nothing looked remotely useful, your eyes dropped to your uniform - a skirt with a yarn trim. it wasn’t ideal, but it would have to do.

you began to unravel the yarn from the hem.

“what are you doing?” mingi asked, frowning.

“stitching him,” you sighed as your fingers worked hurriedly. “or do you want him to get an infection?”

hongjoong let out a groan, shifting uncomfortably. “just hurry.”

you finished unravelling it, but now you needed a needle. your hand instinctively reached up to your hair - pulling out a small bobby pin. it was definitely not as sharp as a needle, but you’re sure that hongjoong can handle his pain.

“shit- i need to sterilise this,” you muttered, mostly to yourself.

“vodka,” jongho said instantly, grabbing the bottle and handing it to you.

you poured the small amount over the pin, letting it drip onto the floor. then, threading the yarn through the makeshift needle, you glanced at hongjoong.

“this will hurt,” you warned.

he looked at you with clenched teeth. “i don’t care.”

you placed a hand on his side to steady him, feeling the tension in his muscles as he tried to not flinch. carefully, you began to stitch the gash, each pull making him wince. 

when the stitching was complete, you tied the yarn and tore it off with your teeth - but the wound was still bleeding slightly.

you glanced down at your sleeves. without hesitation, you tore a strip of fabric free. you used it to dab away the excess blood, then folded the remaining fabric to wrap it around his side. 

“that should work. for now,” you sat back as you wiped your forehead with your arm.

“...you know how to treat people?” hongjoong asked, wincing slightly. 

you nodded slowly. “yeah.. i know the basics.”

“hm,” he tilted his head. “you’re more useful than i thought.”

you blinked. was a good thing or a bad thing?

“wooyoung,” he yelled out. 

a loud crash was heard in another room, followed by the muffled sounds of frantic movements. within seconds, wooyoung appeared in the doorway. 

“yes, boss?” wooyoung said out of breath, brushing off his shirt as he looked around the room. 

hongjoong didn’t respond immediately. instead, he looked you up and down, his lips twitching into what seemed like a smirk. “get her some actual clothes. we have an event to catch.”

HOUR 17 OF 7 - WORDS TALK BUT GUNS TALK LOUDER

“woah..” your eyes took in the building before you. glittering lights and an impressive exterior that was way more extravagant than anything you imagined hongjoong to be involved in.

he parked the car, the engine coming to a stop. before you could say anything, hongjoong stepped out of the car, closing the door shut. you scrambled to follow him, your heels clicking against the pavement as you caught up.

the two of you approached the man stationed at the door - a bouncer with a pen and clipboard.

without warning, hongjoong’s hand snaked around your waist, pulling you snugly against his side. you flinched at the sudden contact, but with how tight his grip was, there was no room for protests.

“ah, mr kim,” the bouncer greeted. “you made it.”

hongjoong offered a brief, fake smile before dropping it immediately. “let us in.”

“hold on now,” the bouncer said, flipping through the papers on the clipboard. “we can’t let her inside.”

hongjoong’s brows furrowed. “why?”

“new policy,” the man sighed, pretending to sound disappointed. “no more plus-ones.”

hongjoong rolled his eyes, not bothering to respond. instead, he reached into his blazer, about to pull out a-

“nevermind!” the bouncer’s face turned pale. he stepped aside with a nervous laugh. “you’re all set- enjoy the night.”

the interior was breathtaking - chandeliers hung from high ceilings and round tables were scattered across the venue, draped in pristine white table cloths. 

“don’t eat or drink anything here.”

you blinked, nodding slowly at hongjoong’s words. “okay.. but why-”

“-and if you really want to stay alive,” he interrupted, his lips brushing your ear. “don't leave my sight.”

his voice sent a chill down your spine. “okay,” you mumbled as he brought you further into the room.

he led you to a seating area - though it looked more like a conversation pit, where an old man sat waiting. 

hongjoong released his grip on you to sit across the man, gesturing for you to follow. you hesitated briefly before settling next to him.

“mr kim,” the old man greeted gruffly. his eyes shifted to you, studying your face. “i see you brought someone.”

hongjoong gave a nod, glancing at you. “introduce yourself, brat.”

“oh uh-” you put out your hand reluctantly, forcing a polite smile. “i’m ‘____’.”

the old man’s eyes narrowed before they widened in realisation. “her father-“

“-i’m glad you noticed,” hongjoong cut in. he slowly reached into his blazer again, but this time, he actually pulled out his pistol. 

your eyes widened as he aimed it to your waist, the cold metal brushing your side. “wha-“

“w-what are you doing?” the old man’s face drained of colour, panic flashing in his eyes. 

hongjoong tilted his head. “let’s negotiate.”

“mr kim-“ the old man began, his voice cracking. “as his friend, you do understand that i have to tell him she’s here.”

“do it,” hongjoong shrugged, leaning back. his arm returned to your waist, pulling you to him as he tapped the gun against your side. 

“let’s see if he values his money more than his own daughter.”

HOUR 18 OF 7 - LIFE ISN’T FAIR

a loud crash echoed through the venue, making you jump. the sound of heavy footsteps grew violent with every second.

hongjoong’s hand tightened around your waist as he stood, dragging you up with him. “move.”

“wait-!” the old man called after you, but hongjoong didn’t stop.

his grip on you was firm, the barrel of his gun pressing against your stomach. you tripped over your feet, struggling to keep up his pace.

“where are you taking me?” you panicked as you glanced over your shoulder at the armed men closing in.

“to your father, princess,” he sneered, his voice mockingly sweet. 

“mr kim! stop right there!” 

you froze, whipping your head around. standing at the far end of the room, infront of a small army of armed men, was your father. 

“let go of my daughter,” your father ordered. he pointed a gun directly at hongjoong, his men following suit. 

your eyes glanced around the room - seeing guests cowering against the walls, some injured and others dead.

“i’m not giving up the brat until i get what i want,” hongjoong demanded.

“what you want is an impossible amount of money!” your father yelled, his grip on his gun tightening.

“impossible?” hongjoong’s eyes widened with craze. “you have more than $500 million tied to your name! did you think i’ll forget who you killed to get here?”

your blood ran cold. “dad.. you killed people?” you asked, your voice trembling as you looked at him.

for a split second, your father’s eyes softened, though that quickly disappeared with a scoff.

“if i didn’t, you wouldn’t have a roof over your head,” your father spat. “you were too stubborn to do anything after you dropped med school.”

the world seemed to tilt, your father’s words more piercing than any bullet. “but i didn’t-”

“-you did,” your father interrupted you. “i spent all that money bribing them just for you to fuck up.”

your heart sank as tears welled in your eyes. hongjoong noticed your reaction, his grip on the gun loosening slightly. 

“i’d appreciate it if you didn’t make my hostage cry,” he said. “do you really want those to be your last words to her?”

“shut up,” your father snarled, his finger close to the trigger. “i’ll say what i want. she’s too stupid to argue back anyway.”

the tears you held back spilled over and all you could hear was your dad shouting, “get her!”

HOUR 18.5 OF 7 - THEY WANT YOU SOO BAD

gunshots were heard in every direction, completely deafening. 

the pungent smell of gunpowder burned your nose as you stumbled, your legs barely holding you up. hongjoong shoved you to the ground, his hand against your back. 

“stay down,” he ordered you, raising his gun and firing without hesitation.

you flinched with every shot, watching in horror as armed men fell one by one with his aim. the world felt like it was spinning too fast and you could barely keep up.

suddenly, a hand grabbed your arm.

“stop moving!” your father yelled, his grip painful as he dragged you towards the exit.

“no!” you choked out, your heels digging into the floor in an attempt to resist. panic ran through your veins as your eyes darted around desperately.

your eyes landed on a fallen gun near your feet. you quickly snatched it, hands trembling as you tried to point it towards him.

“don’t make me do this!” you cried.

your father didn’t stop and without thinking-

-you pulled the trigger.

a bang was heard, followed by his rough scream as he collapsed to the floor, clutching his bleeding thigh.

“oh my god,” you whispered, the gun slipping from your hands as tears flowed uncontrollably down your cheeks. you sank to the floor, staring at the blood pouring out of him.

“you bitch!” he shouted in pain.

out of the corner of your eye, you caught hongjoong watching you, something strange flashing across his face. was that.. surprise? pride? maybe he was impressed?

hongjoong fired a shot at an armed man without looking, moving to you quickly. 

“didn’t think you had it in you, pretty,” he looked over his shoulder. “but we need to leave.”

he led you to a small janitor’s closet near the exit. the narrow space smelled of bleach, but at least it was quiet.

hongjoong shut the door behind you and dusted off his blazer. without a word, his dark eyes inspected you, checking your shoulders and arms.

you stood motionless, too shocked to stop him as he gently tilted your chin up, his thumb wiping away the mascara-stained tears from your cheeks.

“nothing broken,” he muttered, more to himself than to you. “no scars either..”

he pulled out a burner phone, typing something quickly.

“i- i just shot my dad,” your shoulders shook as new tears welled up in your eyes.

hongjoong glanced up from the phone, meeting your eyes. “..are you bragging?” he asked bluntly.

“what? he’s my dad-”

“-and he’s a dick,” hongjoong cut you off. “you might share blood, but that man clearly hates you.”

you hiccuped, wiping your eyes with the back of your hand. “...am i going to hell?”

hongjoong scoffed. “come on-“ he began, but stopped himself when he looked at you and the tears spilling from your eyes. “you didn’t kill him… you’re fine.” 

you opened your mouth to protest but he silenced you as he continued typing. “and even if you did,” he added. “you’re doing the world a favour.”

he smashed the burner phone onto the ground, discarding the pieces. he reloaded his pistol before turning back to you, wrapping his arm around your shoulders as he led you through bodies and debris.

outside, a black van waited by the curb. hongjoong pushed you inside before climbing in after you, slamming the door shut behind him.

“drive,” he ordered.

as the street lights went past you, you slumped in your seat, completely exhausted. “where are we going?” you asked softly.

hongjoong studied you for a moment, watching your eyelids go heavy. “...go to sleep, brat.”

DAY 2 - OH HONEY I'M HOME

you woke up with a jolt. you sat up from the couch you laid down on, completely disoriented. your eyes darted around the dimly lit room. the hideout. 

relief and fear spread within you. you were safe - for now.

just then, a knock from the doorway made you jump. “didn’t mean to scare you,” a man said, leaning against the frame. “boss wanted me to check on you.”

you blinked. “i- okay,” you coughed to clear your throat, wincing at how dry it felt.

“i’ll let him know you’re awake.”

and with that, he disappeared down the hall, leaving you alone once more.

though that didn’t last long. moments later, hongjoong entered. he carried a stool over, setting it down across from you before sitting. 

“how long did i sleep?” you asked hoarsely.

“a day,” he replied with a shrug.

your eyes widened. it was only then you noticed your attire - a baggy t-shirt replacing the outfit you were wearing before.

“who changed me?” you blurted out, heat rising to your cheeks.

“i did,” hongjoong answered. he noticed your flustered expression, tilting his head. “what?”

“did you-” you cleared your throat. “did you see anything?”

“i’m not a pervert,” he scoffed. “if it makes you feel better, you were changed in the dark.”

you fell into an awkward, heavy silence as you sat across each other. for the first time, there was no danger, no gunfire or anyone yelling out orders. just silence.

“your dad..” hongjoong began, speaking up. “wants you dead.”

“...what?”

he held up a cassette tape, tossing it onto the table between you, your hands trembling as you picked it up. hongjoong then brought out a cassette tape player, allowing you to hear your father’s voice.

‘mr kim, we’ve had our ups and downs, but i’m sure that we can agree on one thing - that bitch who shot my thigh is a liability. an idiot that made it this far because of me. she’s no longer my responsibility or family, so expect to find her head on a stick when you turn your back. have fun.’

“what the fuck..” you whispered shakily as it came to an end. 

“to be honest, your only purpose was to be a hostage.” hongjoong’s fingers drummed the edge of the stool. “and now that he doesn’t want you.. you’re useless-”

the world around you crumbled, his words making you feel worse. 

“-to him.”

your eyes widened, looking at him in confusion.

“you’re smart,” he shrugged. “and you stitched me.”

you blinked. “…where are you going with this?” 

“i want you to be an addition to my team,” he replied.

“do i have to kill people?” you blurted out. “or steal, or-”

“no,” hongjoong raised a hand to cut you off. “all you’ll be doing is treating my injured men. quite the opposite of killing.”

you frowned, furrowing your eyebrows. “why would you trust me with that?”

“because,” he said, leaning forward. “you have nowhere else to go.”

“that’s not true-”

“really?” hongjoong smirked. “do you know how many businesses your dad owns?”

you shook your head.

“more than 80% in the country,” his eyes sparkled with something dark. “now that you’ve shot him, you’ve burnt every bridge he’s built for you.”

your jaw dropped. “but-”

“no job, no family, nowhere to live either since he owns most of the real estate here.”

you stared at him, struggling to process his words.

“here’s my offer,” hongjoong continued. “you get a decent amount of money, a place to live and protection...”

“...just to treat people?” you asked in disbelief.

he nodded. 

you bit your lip, staring at the floor as you picked at your nails. how could your dad do this to you? abandoning you just like that? and now he wanted you dead? you could feel yourself getting angry just thinking about him.

after a long moment, you lifted your head, meeting his gaze. “deal.” 

MONTH 1 - FAMILY BONDING 

that evening, you sat on the floor with san, wooyoung and yeosang, eating a batch of cheap instant noodles. it was a little awkward - mostly because you just joined, but you were silently appreciating their efforts to make small talk with you. 

suddenly, a loud bang was heard through the hideout. the three men jumped up immediately, pulling guns and knives from who knows where. 

“back entrance?” wooyoung asked as he sharpened his knives. 

your heart raced as you watched the three of them shift into combat mode - and you caught yourself lagging behind. you hurriedly stood up and grabbed the medical kit you kept close. 

“stay here,” san said firmly. 

you shook your head. “if someone’s injured, i’m coming.”

the three of them shared a look before yeosang gave you a reluctant nod. “…just stay behind us. we’ll get in trouble if you get hurt.”

they moved swiftly and silently through the narrow halls of the hideout, weapons in hand. you trailed closely, your heart pounding as you gripped the medical kit tightly. 

when you reached the back entrance, san motioned you to stay back while they checked the door. 

the signs of forced entry were obvious - the lock was broken and scuff marks lined the floor. 

wooyoung scoffed, speaking under his breath. “stupid piglets.”

yeosang sighed. “looks like they took a few weapons and left.”

“are they testing us?” san asked, inspecting a footprint on the ground. 

before anyone could respond, the door slammed open making all of you jump. you turned to see mingi, his chest heaving as he leaned against the door frame. 

“meeting. now.”

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

the hideout’s ‘meeting room’ was more of a cramped closet with mismatched chairs and a comically large table in the middle. hongjoong paced at the end of the room, his jaw clenched. 

“we can’t stay here any longer,” he began. “it’s only a matter of time before they come back in full force.”

hongjoong stopped pacing and crossed his arms. “we need to move back to our old apartments. they’re scattered enough to keep us hidden until we figure out our next move.”

you shifted uncomfortably. 

hongjoong noticed this. “what?” he asked, his sharp eyes landing on you. 

“i uh-“ you hesitated. “i don’t have a home..” you said sheepishly. 

hongjoong raised an eyebrow. 

“my dad owns the house,” you admitted. “and that’s not really an option anymore.”

“right,” hongjoong sighed, running a hand through his hair. “shit..”

“alright, who has space?” he clapped, glancing around the room. 

everyone exchanged uneasy looks. 

“we don’t,” yeosang said, gesturing to himself, san, wooyoung and jongho. “the four of us are already crammed into one place.”

“same here,” yunho spoke up. “mingi and i barely fit in ours.”

hongjoong turned to seonghwa, his face hopeful. 

“no,” seonghwa said without hesitation. 

a heavy sigh escaped hongjoong as he pinched the bridge of his nose. he leaned against the table, deep in thought. 

minutes stretched into what felt like hours before hongjoong finally spoke up. “you’re coming with me,” he said, looking directly at you. 

your eyes widened in surprise. “..what?”

“you’re staying at my place.”

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

the car sped down the (somewhat) empty highway, the faint smell of vanilla from the air freshener mixing with the lingering scent of old fast food. 

you gripped the edge of your seat as the streetlights ran by the window in a blur. “are we in a rush?” you nervously glanced at hongjoong. 

“no,” he replied flatly. 

there was a black car beside you that had been keeping pace for the past few minutes - and just as you shifted in your seat, it suddenly swerved infront of your car and slammed the brakes. 

“what the-” you barely managed to say before the impact. the car jolted violently as it hit the one ahead, the sound of metal crunching loud. 

hongjoong let out a low string of curses under his breath. his face was weirdly calm as he unbuckled his seatbelt, stepping out of the car without a word. 

“wait-” you scrambled to undo your own seatbelt. 

from your seat, you saw him approaching the car. the moment he glanced inside, his eyes widened. he reached for his gun and pulled the trigger instantly. 

the loud gunshot made you flinch and your stomach twisted as you saw the slumped figure in the driver’s seat, blood splattered across the windshield. 

your heart pounded as you stumbled out of the car, rushing towards him. “why did you do that?!”

hongjoong turned to you, his jaw clenched. “it was a piglet.”

“wha-“ your eyes drifted to the body, a shiver going down your spine as you saw the bullet hole clean through the skull. 

hongjoong, completely unfazed, went back to the car. you stared at the lifeless body for a moment longer before hurriedly following him. 

once you were back inside, you swallowed the lump in your throat, attempting to break the suffocating silence. “….how did you know he was a piglet?”

hongjoong didn’t respond immediately. his fingers flexed against the steering wheel as he glanced at you. 

“they have a bullet tattoo..” he said finally, pulling down his collar to point to his collarbone. “..right here.”

you blinked. “oh.”

“if you ever come across one,” he continued. “kill them on sight.”

your eyes widened, your throat tightening. “what about the police?”

he fell silent for a second, his eyes fixed on the road. then, a faint smirk crossed his face. “you don’t need to worry about them.”

his answer left you unsettled, but before you could question him further, the apartment building came into view. it was modern - standing tall with the city skyline. 

hongjoong smoothly pulled into the parking lot. the abruptness of the stop sent you forward, but his hand shot out instinctively, pressing against you to keep you steady. 

“sorry,” he muttered, his voice soft - though he didn’t look at you as he retracted his arm. 

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

some might describe hongjoong’s apartment as ‘minimalistic’, but to you, it’s just an excuse for a grown man to avoid decorating. 

the walls were devoid of any art or family photos, the kitchen was spotless - though it was definitely untouched with how there was almost no food in the fridge. and from what you saw, the only source of entertainment was a lone TV. 

“do you..” you began, looking around the bare space. “do you even live here?”

hongjoong ignored your comment and walked towards the big couch and began to pull it into a makeshift bed. the springs creaked slightly as he unfolded it. “this is where you’ll be sleeping,” he said, dusting himself off. 

“cool.”

“don’t complain-“ he stopped himself mid-sentence and narrowed his eyes when he realised what you said. “wait, you’re okay with this?”

you blinked. “…yeah?”

“hm,” he said, slightly surprised. he looked you up and down before turning to the long hallway. “get some rest, we’re getting you a phone tomorrow.”

MONTH 2 - LIVE LAUGH LOVE GUNS

you should’ve known it wouldn’t be long before the piglets attacked you again. 

hongjoong sent you on a simple supply run - nothing unusual. but as you stood in the small pharmacy, you felt the air shift when the cashier’s demeanour turned cold. 

it all happened so fast. 

the moment you saw the gun aimed at your chest, your eyes fell to the faint outline of a bullet tattoo peeking out from his collarbone. great. 

your breath hitched as your body moved on impulse. you barely avoided the first shot as you ducked behind the display rack. 

the pharmacy was strangely empty, no one else to intervene. your heart pounded as the sounds of footsteps and gunshots echoed. 

fumbling with your phone, you dialed every number you could think of. yet, no one answered. 

your hands trembled as you typed hongjoong’s number, your last resort. 

he picked up after one ring. 

“this better be important, brat,” he grumbled, groggy like he just woke up. 

“i need help-” you semi-yelled as you narrowly dodged another shot, darting behind the counter. “i’m getting attacked-”

“-send your location,” hongjoong interrupted. “i’m on my way.”

the line went dead before you could respond. 

you sent your location and shoved the phone back into your pocket. the cashier reloaded the gun, his footsteps growing louder. and just as you moved, he charged. 

he grabbed you, trying to pin you down. you barely managed to fight back, until you made an educated attack - kicking him in the groin. 

he groaned, stumbling back. you took the opportunity to snatch the gun from his hands. 

you pointed it at him, your hands shaking. “stay back,” your voice cracked. 

the man scoffed. “over my dead body,” he lunged at you again. 

your finger moved instinctively, pulling the trigger. 

once. 

twice. 

again and again and again. 

the sound of gunfire rang in your ears, the recoil sending waves through your arms. you didn’t stop until you heard a clicking noise that meant that the gun was empty. 

when you opened your eyes, he was no longer standing. 

you looked down, the cashier laying sprawled on the ground, the concrete dark with blood. bullet holes littered his body, evidence of your frantic shots. 

you dropped to your knees, your chest heaving. you reached out to check his pulse. nothing.

you just took someone’s life. 

your eyes fell to your hands, bloody and shaking. from young, you always wanted to save lives - not take them. tears fell from your eyes, blurring your vision. 

the door slammed open. 

hongjoong stood in the doorway. he took in the body on the floor and your frozen form in a single glance. he sighed, stepping in. 

“come on, let’s go,” he crouched to grab your arm. 

you couldn’t move, your eyes fixed on the lifeless body. 

“hey,” his fingers gripped your jaw, tilting your face to meet his. his eyes were intense, his touch warm against your cold skin. “we need to leave before more show up. you don’t want to kill anyone else, do you?”

you shook your head quickly. 

he pulled you to your feet, wrapping his arm around yours as he guided you to his car. the ride back was silent as you stared out of the window. 

and before you knew it, you were back at his apartment. 

you hesitated at the door, unable to bring yourself to step inside. 

hongjoong sighed, grabbing your wrist as he tugged you in. he tossed his gun and his keys in the kitchen counter before turning to you. 

“go take a long shower. i’ll be in the living room.”

you nodded, moving to the bathroom in a daze. 

the water was scalding as it hit your skin. no amount of soap or scrubbing would ever make you feel clean from the bloodied-stains. every part of your body felt foreign - even your puffy eyes and lips.

once you were done, you dressed in the softest clothes you had, hoping that it would provide you with some form of comfort (it didn’t).

the pull-out couch was prepared with brand-new pillows and fluffy blankets when you returned to the living room. hongjoong sat on the edge, gesturing for you to sit. you sank down beside him. 

the silence stretched on until it became unbearable. 

you spoke up, your voice barely audible. “…i killed someone.”

“you did,” he nodded. “good job.”

your head snapped up, your eyes wide. “i killed someone.”

“and so have i,” hongjoong leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “does that bother you?”

“i…”

he leaned back. “it should. the first time always does.”

“i don’t think i can do this,” you breathed out shakily. “i don’t want to hurt people..”

the two of you locked eyes for what felt like ages. you could see hongjoong’s adam's apple bob up and down, his jaw tightening slightly. “no one wants to hurt people,” he replied softly. 

you blinked. 

“i shouldn’t have sent you out alone, especially with your dad targeting you,” he sighed. “that’s on me.”

“but-”

“-though i do have to say, this made me realise how.. unprepared you are,” he continued.

your eyebrows furrowed. 

“if you want to survive, you need to know how to defend yourself,” he drummed his fingers against the couch. “...you’re off supply runs. from now on, you’re training with the others.”

you stared at him. “what?”

“the rest have some ‘schedule’ for training. i’m sure you can join without any problems.”

you hesitated. the thought of the blood, the body, the gun in your hands made you nauseous. the idea of training scared you. 

he noticed this, his eyes softening slightly. “you won’t be a killer, just someone capable of self-defense.”

you swallowed the lump in your throat. finally, you nodded, your voice small. “okay.”

MONTH 3 - LET’S GO GAMBLING!

the casino was glitzy and loud with copyright-free music, its neon lights casting eerie shadows on the dark streets outside. 

“you three, cover left. you two, check the vault. the rest of you will stay near the exit,” hongjoong ordered.

you waited for your assignment, expecting to be grouped with someone. instead, hongjoong said, “you’re with me.”

you sighed. “alright.”

you followed hongjoong to the right side of the casino, the sounds of laughter and clinking glasses filling the space. he moved silently, keeping his gun concealed but ready. you tried to mimic his focus, clutching the knife wooyoung lent you earlier.

the first sign of trouble came when the alarms blared.

armed men swarmed into the casino. piglets.

hongjoong moved first, taking them down in a single shot. you ducked behind a pillar, your heart pounding.

the fight moved fast. hongjoong was precise - he wasn’t even touchable, killing the men easily.

but that was when you saw it before he did: a piglet creeping up behind him, raising and aiming the gun to his head.

“boss!”

without hesitation, you hurled wooyoung’s knife to the piglet.

the knife pierced and plunged into his neck, causing the man to fall, his gun clattering to the ground. 

hongjoong whipped his head around with wide eyes, shooting the man infront of him before spinning to kill the piglet you just hit.

the silence that followed was deafening.

hongjoong’s breathing was heavy as he lowered his weapon. he dusted his clothes off, looking at you with an unreadable expression.

he gulped, finally speaking up. “...good job, pretty.” 

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

slowly, everyone regrouped in the corner, collapsing onto the floor in a circle. bottles of water were passed around as everyone caught their breaths.

for a while, no one spoke, the only sounds being an occasional groan.

“hey,” wooyoung hiccuped, breaking the silence as he turned to you. “give me my knife back.”

you looked at him awkwardly before handing him his completely bloody and dented knife - basically ruined.

“what the hell!” he exclaimed. “that was one of my favourites!”

you shrugged. “you shouldn’t have given it to me then.”

“i didn’t know you were actually gonna use it,” wooyoung complained. “i thought you would just watch.”

“you’re such a dick,” you rolled your eyes.

wooyoung leaned in closer - his voice annoyingly sweet. “aw, don’t be mad, sweetheart. i’ll get you a better knife- one that won’t bend in your delicate fucking hands.”

“shut up,” you groaned, shoving him lightly as the others chuckled.

hongjoong leaned against the wall, his arm crossed over his chest. his eyes shifted from wooyoung to you. 

his chest tightened in a now-familiar way: you’re fitting in too well.

it wasn’t jealousy - at least, that’s what he told himself. it was about control. your presence was a distraction he didn’t account for. but the others took you in so easily, which was technically a good thing, right?

and yet...

why did his stomach twist every time one of them smiled at you?

hongjoong blinked, realising how his leg was bouncing restlessly. he forced himself to stop, sighing deeply.

“you good, boss?” yunho asked.

hongjoong paused. “...i’m fine.”

yunho raised an eyebrow but didn’t question it, turning away.

hongjoong’s eyes returned to you. you were leaning a little too close to yeosang now, laughing at some joke wooyoung said - sending a strange pang through his chest.

why did this bother him so much?

you weren’t doing anything wrong. you were building trust, meshing with the group - just like he expected.

but this wasn’t about the group, was it?

he frowned, thinking. you stitched him right after he kidnapped you, you saved him from getting shot even though you were definitely not ready to fight.

what has he ever done for you?

introduced you to a world of crime? to a world of killing, stealing and hatred? accidentally ruined the relationship between you and your dad?

hongjoong closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

shit.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

without bothering to change, you sank into the pull-out couch - exhaustion pulling you to it like gravity.

you heard hongjoong locking the door behind him, the soft click sounding loud in the quiet apartment. his footsteps shuffled toward the kitchen, the sounds of cabinets opening and closing reaching your ears. you were way too tired to look.

you didn’t realise you drifted off until you were awoken by something heavy on your body.

your eyes fluttered open groggily. for a moment, you thought you were dreaming. hongjoong was in the middle of draping a large blanket on you.

“what are you doing?” you mumbled, your voice thick with sleep.

his eyes darted to yours briefly. “nothing.”

you frowned, shifting to sit up - but he placed a hand on your shoulder, pressing you gently back down. “sleep.”

you let out a quiet sigh. “shouldn’t you be sleeping?” you muttered.

he paused, his jaw tensing. “....tomorrow onwards, you’re training with me.”

you stared at him, stunned. before you could even say anything, he turned and walked away without a word.

…did your boss just tuck you in?

MONTH 3.5 -  PUNCH, KICK, SNARE

“again,” hongjoong said, slightly out of breath. 

the living room felt smaller than usual with the two of you moving around. the coffee table and couch was pushed aside, leaving just enough space to practice your punches without tripping over the furniture. he claimed training here would teach you how to ‘fight in tight quarters’.

he sighed. “your moves are sloppy.”

you groaned, shaking your aching wrists. “i’m trying.”

“that’s not enough when someone’s aiming a gun at your head,” he replied, stepping back and raising hands. “your punches are too weak and your balance is all over the place. reset your stance.”

you rolled your eyes but obeyed, repositioning your feet. it wasn’t the first time you’ve heard those words from him.

hongjoong moved closer, tapping your wrist. “keep your guard up. always.”

you threw another punch, but it barely made his hands move. he lowered them, sighing. “that’s not going to hurt anyone-“

“-i’m doing my best, okay?” you snapped. “i’m not a fast learner.”

his eyes softened for a moment before narrowing again. “that’s not an excuse when your life is on the line.”

you tsked. he was right of course, but that didn’t make it easier to hear.

“again.”

you tried once more, throwing a combination of punches that he blocked with ease. when you attempted a kick, you stumbled, nearly losing your footing.

he caught you instinctively, his hands steadying you.

“watch your balance,” he said automatically, going on a tangent on how training is important and blahblahblah. 

you tried to focus on your surroundings, on the words he was saying, but it was hard to ignore the proximity between you. the smell of his cologne mixed with the faint smell of sweat in the room. his touch wasn’t rough or aggressive like you’d expect - it was gentle.

your eyes drifted to his face, catching the faint scars along his cheekbones and jawline. were those always there? or was this the first time you really noticed?

his brows furrowed, likely in frustration at your lack of response, but the concern in his eyes snapped you back into reality, making you realise that you were staring the whole time.

“i don’t think i’m cut out for this,” the words spilled out before you could stop them.

hongjoong paused, his lips parting slightly - he wasn’t  expecting you to say that. for a moment, he was silent. he then leaned in, his eyes piercing. 

“you don’t get to quit.”

the intensity of his voice made you forget about the aches in your muscles and the sweat dripping down your back. his words weren’t angry - they were commanding. 

“why do you even care?” you whispered, barely audible.

his grip on your arms loosened slightly, his eyes searching yours for what felt like eternity. then out of nowhere, he stepped back, clearing his throat as he avoided your gaze. “take five,” he mumbled, walking to the kitchen.

MONTH 5 - BLOOD, BLOOD AND MORE BLOOD

the office building looked ordinary. if you didn’t know any better, you’d think it was just another corporate HQ. but you knew better.

and so did hongjoong.

you held up the new knife wooyoung gave you, one that wasn’t as pretty as the last. it was finally the day you ambushed your dad, the man that’s been wanting you dead for months.

you looked up to face hongjoong. “i don’t want to see it,” you said suddenly.

he raised an eyebrow. “see what?”

“when you kill him. my dad,” you clarified, your throat tightening. “i’m.. okay with it, but i don’t want to see it.”

his eyes studied you. after a moment, he nodded. “make sure to stay close to me,” he said before turning to the building.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

the group slipped into the building through the side. hongjoong led the way, gripping his pistol tightly as you stayed close behind him.

“elevators are too risky,” hongjoong looked back at the group. “we’ll take the stairs.”

the group nodded, their weapons drawn as they moved quietly through the halls. the fluorescent lights did nothing to mask the sinister aura that was buried in the walls.

when you reached the stairwell, the sound of footsteps echoing above sent everyone into high alert.

the first shot rang out.

gunfire filled the stairwell. the air was thick with smoke and gunfire. you pressed yourself against the wall, trying to avoid all of the attacks happening around you. you tried to go in to fight but-

-someone grabbed you.

you struggled, twisting out of their grasp. but before you could scream, a hand clamped over your mouth, dragging you away. “stay still.”

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

the stench forced your eyes open - a horrid mix of stale cigar smoke and alcohol. the office was dimly lit and your father crouched infront of you, his face smug as he cornered you.

“you think you’re better than me, don’t you?” he sneered.

you glared at him, your heart pounding. “fuck off.”

a bitter laugh escaped his lips. “you’ve gotten worse since you joined that boy,” he spat. “should i cut off your tongue? unhinge your jaw? or maybe i’ll be basic and shoot you.”

“you’re insane,” your stomach twisted. “it’s hard to believe we’re related, especially with how ugly you are.”

“you-”

before he could finish, you jammed wooyoung’s knife into his other thigh, dragging it down to create a large gash. he let out a guttural scream, stumbling into a desk as blood gushed out of his thigh like a fountain.

you moved quickly, scrambling out of the corner, but two piglets grabbed you before you could get far.

“stupid bitch,” your father hissed, forcing himself up as he took out the knife in his thigh, looking directly at you. “you’re going to regret that.”

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

as hongjoong shot another piglet with his pistol, he looked around the haze, searching for a certain someone. “where’s ‘____’?” he asked.

the group stayed silent.

“shit- we don’t know,” wooyoung said nervously.

hongjoong’s face darkened - and without hesitation, he grabbed a nearby piglet by the collar, slamming him against the wall. “where’s your boss?” he snarled.

the piglet squirmed. “i- i have a family!”

hongjoong’s grip on his collar tightened, his eyes widening scarily. “then bring me to him.”

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

“your mother should’ve gotten the abortion,” your father said before settling down infront of you, the bloody knife close to your face.

“i’m surprised that a woman like her fucked you,” you breathed out shakily as the blade hit your skin. 

“shut up-“

the door burst open as the knife grazed your skin. hongjoong stepped in, his gun raised. “let go of her,” he ordered.

the piglets hesitated, glancing between your father and hongjoong. your father’s hand didn’t move, a scar forming on your face. 

“you want her that badly?” your father asked mockingly. “you’re becoming soft.”

hongjoong didn’t answer. instead, he moved faster than you thought was possible, shooting the two piglets that held you with ease.

the bodies hit the ground - causing your father to shove you harshly against the wall. pain shot through your body as you heard something crack.

hongjoong froze, his pistol trained on your dad. 

“stay back,” your father warned, hovering the blade near your temple.

hongjoong’s jaw clenched. he dropped his gun slightly, making your father relax.

but then hongjoong lunged.

the fight was brutal, all punches and grunts. you slumped against the wall, your cheek bleeding uncontrollably as every part of your body ached.

after what felt like ages, hongjoong finally gained the upper hand, pinning your dad down as he pointed the gun to his head. but then his eyes landed on yours, wide and terrified - making him freeze.

“shit,” he cursed under his breath, lowering the gun. he turned and rushed to you, pulling you into his arms.

your father tried to crawl away, but hongjoong didn’t let him go far. with you in his embrace, he covered your eyes and ears tightly as the sound of a singular gunshot echoed in the room.

you clung to him, your tears soaking into his shirt. his hand cradled the back of your head, his touch soft. “it’s over,” he whispered as you sobbed.

you shook your head against his chest, the salt in your tears stinging the cut on your cheek. “i almost died.”

“i know,” he said softly. “but i wouldn’t let that happen.”

his words settled over you like a warm blanket. you pulled back slightly, your eyes searching his face. you could feel the heat of his body as he kept you close.

hongjoong shifted, his hands moving to your shoulders as he looked at you carefully. his thumb brushed over your scar, wiping away the trail of blood on your face.

“you’re shaking,” his eyebrows furrowed. “you need to breathe.”

“i’m trying.”

he reached for a nearby chair and pulled it over, guiding you to sit. hongjoong crouched infront of you, your hands trembling in his.

“you’re safe,” his eyes locked onto yours. “i’ve got you.”

something inside you cracked at his words - and tears spilled once more. hongjoong didn’t say anything, but his presence was enough. he stayed crouched infront of you, letting you take all the time you needed.

when you finally looked up, there was something unspoken in his eyes - a mix of guilt and relief that made your heart ache. “...thank you,” you whispered.

his lips parted like he wanted to say something, but the words never came. instead, he nodded slowly, his grip on your hands tightening for a moment before letting go.

at that moment, you leaned forward, closing the small distance between you. your lips brushed against his, just enough to make his entire body stiffen.

for a second, you thought you made a mistake. his hands paused midair and his breathing hitched.

but then, he moved. to you. 

his hands cupped your face gently, pulling you closer into a kiss. it was slow at first, but when you gripped his shirt tightly - the feelings he’d been keeping were let loose.

his lips pressed against yours with urgency. his fingers tangled in your hair, holding you like you might disappear if he let go. 

you responded instinctively. your hands found his neck, his jaw - brushing over them softly in a way that made him groan. “fuck- you’re so pretty.”

the world around you spun in swirls of blood, smoke and cologne, overwhelming you in a way that made you lose your breath.

hongjoong broke away for a moment, panting slightly. his lips curled into a smirk, before he kissed you again, softer this time but no less intense. it was grounding, reassuring and impossibly warm.

when the two of you pulled back, his thumb traced your scar. “this..” he began quietly. “..this isn’t what i expected tonight.”

you let out a soft, shaky laugh. “me neither.”

he pecked your forehead as he stood up, his legs slightly wobbly from the kiss. hongjoong held out a hand, helping you to your feet. “...let’s go home.”

series taglist - @hanoishere @scuzmunkie @sinfullygay @arusio @midnightrebel1028 @neemaxx @seungminsrighthand @arilevenatz @ateezswonderland @beabatiny @lemirabitur @sunnyhokyu @frzzenfrxg @cylovesmg @txtsoobean @seonghwasslytherin @sundaybossanova @sweetinsaniiity @cybrnaya @choisanchwego @mrskill2

author’s note: this is the first oneshot of my mafia series! yes it is long but i promise you that it does eat and that you’ll enjoy it. remember to reblog and comment if you enjoyed, any and all feedback helps!

BONUS SCENE - MINE

the apartment was quiet as you laid on the pull-out couch, staring at the ceiling. sleep wasn’t coming - your mind was too busy replacing the events earlier.

the memory of hongjoong’s arms around you stayed, along with the feeling of his lips on yours. how could a man as dangerous as him bring you such comfort?

a soft knock against the wall broke the silence.

you sat up slowly, seeing hongjoong standing in the hallway. his hair was slightly damp and he wore a loose black hoodie, the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. he hesitated before walking to you, his movements weirdly awkward.

“...you okay?” you asked the nervous man.

he shrugged, trying to play it off as he sat next to you. “i’m fine. you?”

“i’ve been better.”

there was a pause as the two of you stared at each other, the silence heavy. finally, he cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably.

“i’ve been thinking..” hongjoong trailed off.

“uh-oh.”

“i-it’s not a bad thing-” he said hurriedly. “it’s just that.. tonight made me think about a lot of things.”

you tilted your head, confused.

his voice softened as he continued. “but this isn’t just about tonight. it’s about.. everything. i don’t want you to feel.. unsafe all the time.”

“i don’t,” you said instantly, but you’re not sure how much you believed yourself.

he leaned back slightly, reaching into his hoodie pocket. when his hand reappeared, it was holding a pistol - his pistol.

“take this,” he held it out to you.

you blinked, staring at the weapon. “what? why?”

“because it’s mine,” he replied simply leaving no room for argument. “and now, it’s ours.”

you hesitated, your hand hovering over the gun. “i.. i barely know how to use this.”

“then i’ll teach you.”

you looked up at him, searching his face for answers. “...why are you giving this to me?”

you noticed the way his eyes darted down as you looked at him, his fingers tightening around the pistol as he pushed it to you. 

“because,” hongjoong began quietly. “i trust you.”

your fingers paused before finally closing around the gun. the cold metal felt deadly in your grasp, but the way his eyes lit up made your heart swell.

“you trust me..?” you asked softly, a faint smile on your face. “hongjoong..”

his usual composure faltered as you said his name, a blush dusting his face. he swallowed the lump in his throat, gathering himself. “you’re not just a part of the group,” he said. “you’re more than that. to me.”

your eyebrows shot up, completely stunned. “...i don’t know what to say.”

“say yes.”

you blinked. “yes to what?”

“to being mine,” hongjoong’s hands fidgeted slightly.

your heart raced as you heard his words. a wide smile spread across your face as you realised what he was really asking.

“are you..” you paused. “are you asking me to be your girlfriend?”

his breath got caught in his throat as he nodded. “yeah.”

the man that was the literal leader of an entire gang, was sitting nervous infront of you. it was a funny sight to see, but you brought yourself back to reality, answering his question.

“yes.”

a wave of relief washed over his face as he let out the breath he seemed to be holding. he reached out, his fingers brushing yours briefly as he leaned closer. “wanna sleep in my bed tonight?”

deleted scenes | other fics

[hwasflower]

Makeshift Chemistry

► 𝙿𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 - obsessive!mafia!Seonghwa x fem!reader◄ ► 𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎/𝙰𝚄 - mafia au, yandere trope, power imbalance, suspense, thriller, crime, Seonghwa is extremely !obsessed and !possessive, dark romance, depictions of Seonghwa's slow descend to madness, so he's kinda !psychotic, true insanity (like, I made him pretty mentally deranged here), kidnapping, imprisonment, escape from captivity, toxic form of love, emotional and mental torment, restraint (via handcuffs), forced love, angst, plot twist (stay away from the comments to avoid spoilers!) ◄ ► 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐/𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 - PG-18+ so MDNI!!!, murder and extreme violence (semi-graphic) but not towards reader, drugged (non-graphic), consensual-hate sex, dom!Hwa, but whiny!Hwa, mommy kink, hard-fast-rough, standing sex, handjob, degradation, gunplay, fear play, oral, cum eating, missionary, overstimulation, multiple orgasms, forced orgasms (on Seonghwa's end), multiple creampies, baby trapping implications, no protection (DO NOT DO THIS!!!!), just super kinky lol◄ ► 𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝 - 28.7K words (this had to be this long sorry) ◄ ► 𝚂𝚢𝚗𝚘𝚙𝚜𝚒𝚜 - You loved Park Seonghwa, until you found out that he was a Mafia Lord, and you didn't want to get involved, so you left him. But Seonghwa wasn't going to let you go that easily, because his unhealthy obsession with you knew no bounds. Soon enough, this obsession is marked by violence and manipulation when he kidnaps and imprisons you just so you could love him back. You barely escape with your life, but what about the feelings in your heart that were trapping you? How were you supposed to love Seonghwa when he’s slowly losing his mind and sanity in the guise of loving you too much? ◄ ► 𝙽𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜 - PLEASE READ AT YOUR DISCRETION. There will be extreme instances of how mental instability affects love, and Y/N isn't clean. Do not read if you're uncomfortable, it's not mandatory even if you enjoy my work. Prioritize your mental stability, and I'll see you in my next work. If you do choose to read it, enjoy! Fic inspired by Chappell Roan's Coffee.◄ ► 𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 - @0rangemilk @ginger-mingi @ruubyrubes @oddracha @jaytheatiny @roxannecos @juicy-red @cheolliehugs @sunnysidesins @jjongbearshoney @midnightrebel1028 @xomakara @lovetaroandtaemin◄

‘Coffee?' -Park Seonghwa

You bit your lip apprehensively, the phone in your hands almost slipping with how lax your grip on it had become. What was once your lifeline to the world - the window to what was beyond your walls - was now the bane of your existence.

A loud shrill cuts you off of your thoughts. The phone was now ringing. You practically jumped out of your skin at the sound, and in a panic, you unwittingly pressed the red button.

"Fuck," you hissed, not fully intending to reject the call. Well, not entirely, anyway. You didn't mean to immediately do it, your nerves always failed you at the last minute. 

You were back to biting your bottom lip, but this time, you bit on them with twice the anxiety and twice the strength since they were actively bleeding out in between your teeth. You jumped out once more when your phone dinged.

‘Do not ignore me. Get dressed. We’re getting coffee.’ -Park Seonghwa

Ignoring his incessant calls and messages shouldn't have been this difficult and stressful. You could feel your sanity slowly slipping away from you every single time you'd leave another text from Seonghwa unanswered.

This prick, you thought, gritting your teeth so hard, the grating sound of it made your head hurt. You haphazardly threw your phone on your desk, not caring if it gets smashed or not. It would be better if it did, honestly. That way, you’d have no contact with him left, and his control over you would vanish. 

And in that way, you wouldn’t be tempted to see him over and over again. 

It wasn’t a fault of his own sometimes. There was always this urge in you to see how he was, what he’s doing, and if he was the same man you left a couple of months ago. 

You bit your lip, looking down on your outfit. It was a simple white button-up shirt, some jeans, and a pair of heels. It wasn’t a choice of yours, either; Seonghwa loved elegance. He would make you change, anyway, and waste your time. 

You’ll meet up with him one more time, and tell him that it would be the last time. You’ll meet up with him one more time, and tell yourself that it would be the last time. 

The cafe was empty when you got there, unsurprisingly. You scoffed as you sat down, it was such a Seonghwa thing to do. A barista even escorted you to your seat, it was slightly embarrassing. This was a cafe, for God’s sake, not a fine dining restaurant. You shook your head as you knew this was one of his games. He loved seeing you embarrass yourself, especially since he was the one embarrassing you because even in that aspect, he wanted control over you. 

God forbid someone else did it for you, however. They’d be dead by deadlight. You swallowed those thoughts away, they weren’t metaphorical at all. 

Seconds passed by, minutes ticked by, and almost an hour into arriving, Seonghwa still hadn’t shown himself. You gave the poor barista a nervous smile of your own, but inside, you were seething. You tentatively looked outside from the glass walls, you knew he was here. You could feel it. 

And yet, he was nowhere to be seen at the same time. You began to feel uncomfortable, tugging at your collar, playing with your nails, sighing every five minutes, the likes. But the worst part of it was that you knew he was enjoying this. He got off on your discomfort.

You wouldn’t be surprised if he was hiding in plain sight, his eyes never leaving yours as he savoured all the most miniscule of your expressions that told him exactly what you were thinking without him even opening his mouth to ask you. 

Just as you were about to stand up and leave, the door opened, a light trinkle resounding from the charm attached on top of it to signify someone’s entrance. He did this all the time - reel you back in when you’re about to pull away. You hated it, mostly because you let him treat you like this. 

Two men entered first, both of which you are very familiar with. They greeted you with a subtle nod of their head, avoiding eye contact, before choosing to sit in the farthest part of the quaint café. 

And there he was in all his majestic glory. His strides were sure, eyes trained on you like a hawk, pausing to tilt his head at you as if he was examining you, but you knew better - he was challenging you to move. 

That was how Park Seonghwa - he demanded attention. The way he would swallow the entire room with just his shadow, alone, never failed to stun you into silence. He was a siren’s song, beckoning anyone around him to look and listen with just one word from his mouth. Hell, most of the time, he didn’t even have to say anything. 

But the siren’s song was just that; a siren. A subtle smirk graces upon his lips, and the next thing you knew, he was making his way to you. You watched his hands pull the chair in front of you, those sinful hands once held you, bought you comfort as they caressed you. Now, all they did was strangle you into suffocating, squeezing your soul, stealing your essence drop by drop. 

“I don’t think meeting out here is wise, Mr. Park,” you said, cutting straight to the point. It was more so for yourself, the longer you stayed with him, the weaker your resolve gets. 

You refused to break eye contact with him, and perhaps, that was the worst part of all of this. He was still breathtaking. That face once made you kneel, and it still can. 

“Seonghwa, my love,” he corrected, tutting at you like he was endearingly scolding you. It made you sick. “You know my name, why won’t you say it?”

You bit your lip as you weighed your options down. There was always that choice to disobey him, it wasn’t difficult, but the mafia lord had never made anything easy for you. “I don’t think meeting out here is wise, Seonghwa.”

You watched as his bottom lip quivered, the way he attempted to hold his grin was nothing new to you. He loved it when you played his little games, he was more than pleased with it. Seonghwa raised his hand, snapping it to signal the nervous barista who was just waiting. 

“Nothing has ever been wiser,” he replied, staring the barista down as they shakily placed Seonghwa’s coffee in front of him as well as yours, except that you got a strawberry shortcake on the side, your favourite. 

You didn’t have any appetite, and he knew it, you never did every time you went out to meet him, yet he didn’t care. You mustered up the courage to ask him, anyway. “What is it that you want, Seonghwa?”

He watched you push your plate away with a small frown on his lips. “Why aren’t you wearing the ring I gave you?” Seonghwa questioned, ignoring yours. 

“Why should I? I’m not yours,” you took a deep breath, whispering your next words. “Not anymore, at least.”

“Nonsense,” he brushed off, pausing to take a sip from his cup before looking you dead in the eye. “You were always mine. You just don’t want to accept it.”

Indeed, he was a siren. He never stopped until the words he sang rang true even though you both knew it wasn’t the case. Seonghwa was once your siren, and now you regret ever being enthralled by his songs.

“I want to see you wearing it the next time we go out,” he declared, referring to the ring. He paused, a thought crossing his mind. “Do you not like it, though? Is that why? Would you like me to get another one?”

You tried not to flinch when he held your hand, lifting it to give it a small kiss. It burned, yet you couldn’t pull away. “Such delicate fingers,” he chuckled. “No jewelry can compare to its beauty, my dove.”

“Seonghwa,” you sighed tiredly, pulling away. His words still affect you, it was hard not to let them get to you, but it has to stop.

“It’s fine,” he interjected. He poked his tongue on his inner cheek, displeased at how averse you were to his touch.  “No spherical metal will bind you to me. We both know you’re mine, anyway.”

You sighed once more, this time, with a tremble. “There will be no next time,” you mumbled, clearing your throat from the nerves clogging it. “I came here to tell you that I-I can’t do this anymore with you, we have to stop meeting so we could both move on…”

It was the most difficult thing you had to say, minus when you told him you were leaving him, but you had to for your own sake. He didn’t say anything, his face had no emotion, except for his twitching left eye. You gulped, that was not a good sign. He did not like that at all. 

No words were said for a while. You almost broke down and took it back, but no, it was better to end this now than suffer the consequences later, because you might not end up leaving him at all. 

“It’s funny,” he began, voice leveled and calm. They were too calm. “Most people give out everything and anything just to have a five minute conversation with me.”

He took another sip of coffee, his long tongue darting out from his mouth slowly swiping his upper teeth as he looked on. “But you,” he continued. “You push me away when I make a point to crawl down to you unlike the others who have to climb up to me. You are a tough nut to crack, Y/N.”

You gripped the table in front of you, your knuckles pale and white. Anger rolled off of him like waves and for a second, you were terrified that he was going to explode on the spot. The way he uttered your name was a threat in itself.  He sets the cup down without a sound, letting out a small chuckle. 

“You’re hungry, aren’t you?” Seonghwa asked softly, all traces of anger gone from his tone. “Here, dove.”

You shut your eyes tight. His change in attitude scared you out of anything he has ever done, and Seonghwa was a violent man. Not towards you, never towards you, but he was a destructive person to be with. He was a psychopath. 

“I-I don’t want to eat, I’m good,” you squeaked, shaking your head when he took a piece of the cake and tried to push the fork into your mouth to feed you. 

“Come on, doveling, eat this. It’s very yummy,” he gently coaxed, pushing the fork slightly until it was touching your lips. “Say ah, baby, I’ll feed you,” he smiled.

It was a sweet gesture, and if the situation was different, you would’ve cooed at how cute Seonghwa looked. In your peripheral vision, even his bodyguards looked appalled at their mafia lord’s gesture. Seonghwa ruled everything, he owned this city, and everybody licked the soles of his shoes and worshiped the ground he walked on. 

But here he was, feeding you with cake. 

You turned your head again like a petulant child, refusing to eat anything that came from his hands. “I really don’t want to.”

He frowned. You watched as his hand started to shake, but you knew it wasn’t because he was tired of holding the fork up. “One bite? I know you’ll like it.”

“No, please—-“

“Open your fucking mouth.”

There it was. The way he demanded was anything but, his eyes were half-lidded with malice, the monotonous tone in which he spoke terrifying you more than if he raised his voice or grabbed your hair to force the cake down on your throat. His despondent stare penetrated through you, combusting your insides on the spot with how fiery it was. He was angry, you made him angry. Seonghwa cannot be angry. 

You gulped, parting your lips slightly. It was all it took for him to forcefully part them with the fork and roughly shoved the cake in your mouth. You choked when the tip of the fork almost hit the back of your throat, coughing a bit before you decided to swallow. Tears collected on the sides of your eyes, but you forced yourself to smile and nod at him. 

“You’re right,” you coughed again. “I-It’s yummy.”

His arm retracted, his eyes not once leaving your trembling form. “One more,” he ordered, tone clipped. It had a veil of threat looming over the words as they left his tongue.

You flinched when he cut another piece, the clank of the fork when it hit the plate, echoing in your head. It was reminiscent of what you hear in your head before  Seonghwa’s patience snapped. He was a time-bomb; you never knew what made him tick, but you knew that he was destined to explode somehow. 

He grabbed a napkin then wiped the sides of your lips. “You should be more careful, dove,” he chided, voice lowered, clouded with sinister intent. “Wouldn’t want you messy now, would we?”

You quickly shook your head in response. “That’s a good girl,” he smiled, his words kind and gentle as if nothing had happened, but you knew better. He lies through his teeth. 

If you didn’t love him, it would have been fine. 

The sigh that escaped his deceitful lips was long and slow as if his brain needed to process what just happened. The screeching sound of his chair hit your ears, and he was sitting beside you before you knew it. 

“I sincerely apologize, doveling,” he whispered, his voice breaking and cracking halfway. He lifted a hand to touch you, only for the same hand to fall back down neatly on his lap. “I-I just missed you a lot.”

You felt your heart split in half inside your chest, you didn’t want him anymore, but it didn’t mean you liked seeing him like this. However, deep in your gut, you knew that something was inherently wrong. You just didn’t know what. 

“Think about what I said, please,” you appealed, scooting your behind away from him to create a gap between the two of you.  For a split second, his lip twitches.

He looks up at you, hurt coating his entire features. “I implore you to think about it. I don’t want to completely lose you,” he pleaded. He jutted his lips out, doing everything he can for you to look at him with pity. 

You were weak. You were a weak, weak person. Seonghwa pulled you to him, enveloping his arms all over your form as your chin laid on top of his shoulder to hug him back. To your left, was the glass panel that separated the cafe from the outside. It reflected both you and Seonghwa’s embrace. 

The hug looked serene, intimate, to the unassuming eye. Your heart dropped to your feet as you watched Seonghwa’s expression morph from loving, apologetic, and sincere, to something that can only be described as demonic and corrupted. His eyes grew wide with madness, rolling at the back of his head as he tried not to crush in his arms then and there, his lips stretched towards his ears like a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“Are you going to force me to forgive you?” You asked,  tears falling from your eyes before you could stop them. “Are you going to take me?”

He smirked, still looking forward, not knowing that you could see his expressions. “No, well, I could,” he whispered, biting his bottom lip to stop himself from cackling out loud at your stupidity. “But I won’t.”

You were a fool to believe that he would actually be sincere for once. This was his true colour. “You know me well enough where you know what my answer would be, and it’s no.”

It was terrifying how his expressions could change in the blink of an eye. His eyes slowly lost that mirth and instead dropped into the most dangerous glare, “So it seems,” he monotoned, grinding his teeth. “I won’t take you for myself by force, not until you want me to.”

Lies. Lies. Lies. Lies. Lies. 

You need to get out of here. “And what if I never want you to? Tell me,” you breathed out. 

Your heart leapt out of your chest when his eyes met yours through the reflection of the glass, the grin on his face expanding malevolently. He pulled away, making a point to demean you further by tapping your cheek. 

“And so my manipulation tactics begin,” he smirked, his sharp jawline finding rest above his slender fingers. “Though I don’t think I have to make much effort, you seem to be doing most of the work for me, dove.”

It was true, he got you there. You didn’t have to show up, you didn’t have to answer to his every beck and call, and you didn’t have to stay and wait for him when he humiliated you earlier, but you were still here. Seonghwa wasn’t pointing a gun to your head. 

Not yet, at least. 

“You’re mine,” Seonghwa murmured. “The sooner you accept that, the sooner you’d feel better.”

“But for now,” he stood up, all the grace and elegance in his body oozing out of him. He moved so regal, you had no idea why he even liked you. He offers his hand out. “You should go home. I reckon this meeting took a toll on you.”

You refused his hand and he scoffed, and just like that, he left. Completely alone to your thoughts now, you couldn’t help but breathe out the air you didn’t realize you were holding.

It was that tense, things with Seonghwa were always very intense. He always invoked emotions out of you that you always kept buried inside you, yet you always came back for more. Again, the fault wasn’t fully his own.

You were the one who left him, yet you couldn’t fully leave him. 

As usual, that night was spent with you just thinking about all the things that could’ve been with him. In the end, you weren’t strong enough to tell him that enough was enough with all these games you played with each other. 

He resented you, you knew as much. Seonghwa was a very, very vindictive person - he wasn’t the type to ever let go once crossed. You just never thought that the day would come when all that resentment was directed towards you because he was playing with you, that you knew as much.

It took another two weeks before he contacted you again, and this time, he called you directly. You stared at the number on your phone. You had deleted his number, but that was pretty pointless because you memorized it by heart, anyway. “Hello?”

“Hello, love,” you could hear the smirk in his cocky tone. “Care to have another coffee with me?”

The automatic response you had in your head was, of course, no. Seonghwa was an asshole; he was manipulative, and he was arguably the most toxic person you’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting, but goddamn, does your heart always pull you towards him even when you try very hard to guard it. “I don’t know,” you told him truthfully in the end even though his voice broke down your walls bit by bit. “I told you that we have to stop doing this, aren’t you sick of it?”

He doesn’t say anything for a moment. “You’re right,” he mumbled, surprising you with how genuinely amiable he sounded. “Coffee is overrated. Let’s go to dinner, instead. How about that Italian place downtown?”

You didn’t have high expectations, in fact, you had zero expectations, but you weren’t expecting that at all. “S-Seonghwa,” you sputtered. “T-That’s not what I mean.” “I know,” he chuckled. If you didn’t know him, it would sound like he was genuinely amused by this, but no. It already had a dark undertone to it. “So how about it, love dove? That or we hit the bar next to it, instead. Pick your poison because I’m not asking for your permission.”

It was your turn to stay silent. The last place you wanted to go to was the Italian restaurant. Why?

Because it was where you met Seonghwa - the end of your beginning and the beginning of your end.

“Let’s just do coffee, then. Just like you originally wanted,” you murmured in submission, but he was not pleased with your response.

“That ship has sailed when you couldn’t make up your damn mind,” he said. “The bar, then—”

“N-No! I mean, no, please,” you denied, a bit more defensive than what you would’ve liked to sound. “Dinner, Seonghwa, please, I’ll go to dinner with you…”

“Splendid, I’ll pick you up in an hour,” he agreed. “Why are you avoiding the bar?”

“Because we know where that leads,” you lamented, your voice almost desperate and pleading. “I’ll see you.”

You sighed, hanging up the phone and not bothering to hear what he had to say. You were pretty much terrified of going to the bar with Seonghwa, because then he’ll get you a drink, and that would always lead you in his arms.

The hour was a blur. A year prior, it was your favourite part of the day - getting ready and dolled up for the love of your life, but now, you just wanted to get everything over with. 

You’d also be excited for the car ride, but now, it was just so awkward to be in the car with Seonghwa. Neither of you talked, nor were you interested to spark up a conversation to begin with. The only time you did was when he asked you to hold onto him as you made your way inside the restaurant.

It was impossibly lavish, as expected of Seonghwa’s finer taste in life. It wasn’t for the regular everyday people since everywhere you looked dripped in money, both clean and dirty. However, all this elegance felt oppressive to you

Seonghwa sat across you, his presence filling the entire space. You cowered at his stare, focusing on the food that was being laid out in front of you. His stare never left you even when the waiter asked if their services were still needed. You could feel your hands gripping the stem of the complimentary champagne flute.

Suddenly, he started to laugh softly. You tilted your head to look at him curiously. “You’re very stubborn, dove,” he shook his head. “It would be endearing if I didn’t want to strangle it out of you sometimes.”

Against your better judgment, you took a huge swig out of the champagne, letting the sweetness of it coat your throat. Lord knows you needed a lot of them if you were about to spend time with Seonghwa. “Unluckily for you, I’m not looking for you to change my mind. I’m happy being independent right now.”

It wasn’t the entire truth. You wanted nothing but to lay in his arms like you used to and let him whisper all the sweet nothings in your ear. You grabbed the wine bottle from the ice bucket that was placed near you and poured a hefty amount on its respective wine glass.

In your peripheral vision, it wasn’t hard to see Seonghwa’s irritation - he wasn’t used to being met with resistance  - but even he raised a brow at how much red wine you were planning to drink. He smirked, looks like he didn’t need the bar, after all.

But his smirk dropped when he realized that you had already finished a whole glass and you were on your way to another one. “Alright, that’s enough,” he snatched the glass from you, drinking the whole thing in one go. “I’m not a good person, but don’t insult me like this. I have standards, I don’t want you face-planting on the floor.”

You blinked, the alcohol in your system already hitting you head-on in a possible collision that will be difficult to recover. You couldn’t look away from Seonghwa, and for once, maybe you just wanted to let go and be happy. “Do you want to know why I don’t want to go to a bar, specifically?”

He looked at you expectantly. “It was pointless since I got this,” you giggled, holding up the wine bottle, which was already halfway empty. The glasses were massive, and you were lightweight. “Because we’ll have a drink together, and then you’ll say you want me and that you’re sorry,” you hiccupped. “I know it’ll be a lie.” 

He stood up, rendering you speechless. Whether it was from all the stress culminating inside you or his audacity, you didn’t know. He offered a hand to you. “Come,” Seonghwa softly commanded. 

You finally looked up at him, confused. “W-Where?”

“Home, you silly goose,” he chuckled. He raised a brow when it still didn’t click. “I’m taking you home, little dove.”

Alarm bells started to ring in your head. You were about to shake your head when he stopped you. “I meant your…apartment,” he spat the word with such venom. “I do not approve of it since we have our old house, but I’ll play along for now. Come along before I change my mind.”

It was how you found yourself back in Seonghwa’s car, the food long forgotten, your mind buzzing. You sighed, staring out through the window, just gazing upon the passing distance. A scoff was tickling behind your throat, this was one of those instances where you actually had no choice. Whatever Seonghwa says, goes. 

However, contrary to what he was thinking, you weren’t necessarily afraid of him just snatching you up and forcing you to be with him, not today at least, but you were concerned about something else - something else entirely intimate.

When he insisted that he walk you up to your door, you couldn’t refute it. How could you when he was already walking at the apartment entrance ahead of you as if he knew where he was going?

Little did you know that he actually did. You blanched when he situated himself in front of your door. “Seonghwa,” you gulped, your hands shaking as you tried to open the door. “H-How did you know it was this door?”

When you left him, you tried everything you could to erase his track. It was almost impossible since the mafia owns the entire region, and you couldn’t go far since you had no money. You knew that he knew where you lived but you at least thought that you were safe since you thought you had the upper hand. You cursed under your breath, you shouldn’t have put his obsession with you past him. 

He snatched the keys from your hands, taking the liberty to unlock the door, himself, but when he was about to push it so he could walk in, you quickly held on to his arm tightly. 

“It’s late,” you reasoned out, heart pounding in your chest. This. This was what you were afraid of. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

He rolled his eyes, taking the keys out from the keyhole and tossing them to you. “Is this the way you treat your guests, love?” Seonghwa scoffed, crossing his arms. He sneered. “I thought I taught you better than that.”

You fisted your hands so tightly, your nails left deep indents on your palms. “You made me entertain thieves and murderers,” you gritted your teeth, not relishing in the memory of the many times Seonghwa would make you sit on his lap while he planned his operations in front of the other mafia leaders. 

“Hoshposh, little one, I would’ve shot anybody who looked at you wrong straight to the head,” he said. “Seriously, though, I’m quite thirsty.”

He pulled on his sleeves slightly and set his eyes on the luxurious watch that was wrapped on his wrist. “A glass of water would be great, then I’ll be on my way.”

You frowned, hesitation rolling off of you in waves. Of course, you didn’t want to let Seonghwa in your apartment, but you weren’t exactly heartless. You bit your lip, the sting of it snapping you out of the lies swirling in your own head. Heartlessness had nothing to do with it. 

You looked up at Seonghwa, heat pooling in your lower tummy, regret churning above it. You opened the door wide, resigning to your desires, leaving the remorse for tomorrow. 

Seonghwa smirked, closing the door behind him before pulling you by the arm, his lips smashing against yours in a heated fervor. Kissing him back wasn’t lost on you, this was what he was truly thirsty for, after all - you. 

And the worst of it all, you’d let him drink on no matter how much your head told you ‘no’. Seonghwa wasn’t someone who you could deny, because you can’t. 

The point was to meet him for coffee, his usual excuse, and only for coffee, but alas, nowhere else is safe because every place always led back to him.

A low, breathy moan escapes your throat as he lifts you up in the air, quickly wrapping your legs around his torso. His lips found salvation on your neck and jawline, planting sweet kisses on your skin that set them on fire with every touch. 

“I missed you,” he groaned against your chest as he laid you down on your bed and loomed on top of you, trapping you in between his arms. “God, I fucking missed you, dove…”

Of all the things he’s said tonight, you knew this to be the one where he wasn’t telling lies. You couldn’t even complain when he tore your top to shreds in his impatience to have it off, your bra stood no chance either. A wanton moan slips out of you when he grabs the small dagger that he always kept and cuts it off from the middle, the cool metal tip sending shivers all over your skin. 

“S-Seonghwa,” you mewled when his lips wrapped themselves on your puckered nipples, his tongue swirling all over it, leaving trails of spit that you always found incredibly erotic. 

He wasted no time taking the rest of his clothes off along with yours until there was no barrier left between the two of you and the hot surface of Seonghwa’s skin seared in contact with yours. You wanted this more than anything, and it was why you were terrified of letting him in. 

“How do you want it?” Seonghwa placed a tender kiss on the area below your ear, tickling you, making your cunt clamp down on his invading fingers as he massaged that sweet spot inside you. “How do you want me to fuck you?”

It was when you looked up at him that had your mind completely reeling. No, you never really doubted that he loved you, but sometimes, love simply wasn’t enough. 

And in Seonghwa’s case, he was offering a little too much. And too much of anything never did anybody favours.

When you raised your hand to cup his face, he didn’t hesitate to close his eyes and kiss your palm. There were no words that needed to be said. 

That night, as you were curled up on Seonghwa’s naked chest when things were said and done, it was the first time you wished that things were different. You wished you were strong enough to stop loving this man, but that was impossible because you knew he would never stop chasing you until all that were left of him were bones and ashes. 

And when you woke the next day to a completely empty bed, tears cascading down towards your pillows as you stared at the empty space. You could still feel the ghost of his lips on your forehead, the reluctance to leave clear in the gesture. But he had to, you’d kick him out, anyway.

However, it wasn’t out of a broken heart - it was relief. Pure, unadulterated relief that he was gone.

Leaving Seonghwa a couple of months before you moved back to your current place was simply the hardest thing you had to do. It wasn’t a decision that you mustered up out of thin air, it was days - months - of decision-making that either broke your heart or killed you.

You carefully adjusted your dress, shimmying your hips to make sure you weren’t exposed. You slipped among the crowd, squeezing your body in between the drunken state of the people on the dance floor as you made a beeline straight to the bar.

Clubbing became a part of your routine. It was an unhealthy coping mechanism to remind you that before Seonghwa, you were your own person. A drink or two later, your hands were in the air, your inhibitions lowering at the quick shot of adrenaline the alcohol provided you.

But it could only do so much. You sat at the corner of the club, just staring into the crowd. Melancholy seeped in your heart, it was pathetic that you had to go to places like these to get that cheap thrill of forgetting Seonghwa for a moment, only for his face to haunt you the moment you stepped out.

You swallowed the nostalgia that threatened to embrace you. When you closed your eyes, you could still picture the moment when you met Seonghwa for the first time. It was last year, you were so naive back then.

Or maybe not. He was just good at hiding his true colours.

A heavy sigh left your lips, your head nodding in resignation at the realization that your date had just ditched you.

Embarrassment clawed in your chest as you curled in on yourself at your seat, your fingers fiddling with the straps of the dress you’d carefully picked out for tonight uncomfortably. It was a waste since you had nobody to show up for it.

“You shouldn’t waste your tears on this beautiful night, pretty dove.”

Surprise covers your features. You hadn’t realized that you were crying. You feel somebody from behind you, probably another patron of the restaurant. You were even more embarrassed that someone has seen you get emotional.

“T-Thank you, kind Sir,” you politely accepted the handkerchief he offered you, dabbing your tears with it. “I’m afraid I soiled what’s yours…”

You were caught off guard when you glanced at its owner. He was hauntingly beautiful. His features were so forward and defined, and yet, there was a type of softness to it that reminded you of a gentle lamb.

”Do not fret, I have more where that came from,” he chuckled. 

“Ah,” you trailed off. “I will replace it for you soon.”

He smiled, his face transforming into something even more breathtaking. A blush creeps onto your cheeks.

”Might I be presumptuous to ask for something else in return? I don’t need it back,” he pointed to the kerchief. 

You blinked, waiting for his response. He gestured to the empty chair in front of you. “I’d like to accompany you for tonight, if that’s alright,” he said.

Your brows shot up in surprise. You supposed that the universe hasn’t completely abandoned you. You nodded, gesturing towards the chair. You had absolutely nothing to lose. 

“O-Of course. I’d be honoured,” you cleared your throat, gazing at him expectantly as he helped himself. “I’m Y/N.”

He gracefully extends his hand to capture yours, a subtle smirk plastered on his face. “Park Seonghwa.”

He was the best thing that ever happened to you. Seonghwa took you to multiple dates after that, taking you to places he said you deserved to be taken to, experiencing things you’ve never done before, and just spending time with him in general.

The next thing you knew, you were falling in love with him, and you were falling hard and fast. Luckily for you, Seonghwa was, too.

You bit your lips, remembering the way his glimmering eyes that reminded you of a baby doe as he stared at you with all the love he could muster in those beautiful eyes. The Seonghwa you knew was kind and gentle, he could never hurt a fly.

”Excuse me?” 

The bartender you got your drinks from earlier interrupts your thoughts. They had a tray with a single drink. It was a daiquiri. You frowned, shaking your head towards them. “I haven’t ordered anything.”

They proceeded to shake their head at you, instead. “It’s from that guy over there,” they pointed at a table a couple of metres away from you. 

As they placed the cocktail right in front of you, you took the liberty of inspecting the man that had the audacity to assume that you were lonely. A year back, you would’ve been flattered, but this reminded you of the way Seonghwa approached you for the first time in that restaurant.

Your sweet, sweet boy. Or so you thought. 

“Can you please return it? I’m not interested,” you pushed the drink back, much to the bartender’s chagrin and hesitation.

Your heart felt like a knife was being stabbed into it. You couldn’t go through this again.

Something changed along with your relationship. Seonghwa was the most patient man you knew. He was the type to cook breakfast in bed for you, tuck you in and give you a goodnight kiss for absolutely no reason. Seonghwa would hold you in his arms, cuddling with you for hours, just laughing along with your corny jokes even though they weren’t funny.

”Whenever you’re sad, just look at the stars for me,” Seonghwa would say. He would give your forehead a tender kiss as he would whisper. “You are my forever star, Y/N. I want the stars to be a witness to our eternal love.”

The club started to feel suffocating for you. Standing up, your wobbling legs took you to the restroom. You didn’t even spare a second glance on the daiquiri that you had purposefully left behind.

Luckily, the restroom was empty. You splashed cold water on your face, hoping it would wake you up and knock some sense into you. This was a mistake, you thought, your hands gripping the marbled sink. You were a mess.

Your feelings for Seonghwa were a mess. He started to change slowly. It wasn’t noticeable at first, but you knew him. He started getting angry fast, he had random bouts of periods where he would disappear, he’d come home with bruises on his face. He would cover it with makeup, but they’d still peek through.

When he told you he was in the mafia was a breaking point for you. You immediately left him after because you didn’t want to involve yourself in that lifestyle.

”My love, please,” Seonghwa begged at that time, tears falling from his beautiful eyes as he held your arm back weakly from leaving the house with your luggages. “P-Please, don’t go, I-I don’t think I can live without you, please.”

You couldn’t believe it back then, that your sweet Seonghwa was pleading for you to keep your love alive while his heart shattered with the weight of your decision in his chest. It pained you to see the love of your life losing it like this, but you had no choice. You wanted a normal life, you wanted to live your life safely, and Seonghwa being in the mafia can’t provide that for you.

It pained you to remember how Seonghwa desperately kneeled on the floor, crawling forward on his knees, broken, his eyes wild with fear. “Y/N, I am begging you,” Seonghwa’s voice cracked back then, struggling to breathe as tears spilled down his face. “I need you, dove, I can’t go on without you…”

His chest heaved with sobs he couldn’t control. “Don’t leave me, please. I don’t care what I have to do, dove, I-I can’t lose you, y-you’re everything to me. Please, don’t go.”

Sometimes, love just wasn’t worth it. You swallowed the tears that threatened to fall from your eyes, and you powered through, turning your back on him for the last time as his fiance, pulling on your luggages to leave him for good. It was difficult to ignore the guttural cries that left his lips as he screamed his lungs out for you to come back to him, but you had to go.

The little coffee breaks he’d ask of you were your little reprieve. Call it a guilty conscience for breaking his heart.  

But the truth was, you still loved him just the same, if not more. God, you still loved him.

Something had changed, though. During the months you were apart, he became maddened - more unhinged, to say the least. He scared you most of the time, it strengthened your cause of leaving because it was a side of him you’ve never seen before. He wasn’t the person you loved, not anymore. 

Your Seonghwa was mellow and gentle. Whoever this maniac was, this psycho, you didn’t know who. 

The bathroom doors opened with a bang, the rickety wooden structure hitting the walls that shook the entire expanse from where you stood. Danger signals spiked fear in you, instead of the usual women who belonged in the restroom, two wannabe thugs entered and set their eyes on you. 

One of them gave you a gnarly grin. You squinted your eyes, you knew of them. Disgust curls on your lips at the sight of the two men who were at the table who sent you the overly sweet cocktail you indifferently left at the table. 

“You shouldn’t be here,” you said, trying to level the situation out. Them barging in meant no good. And there was no one to save you. What is it with men and their inability to accept rejection?

“Who the hell do you think you are?” One of them growled audaciously, spit flying out from his filthy mouth emphasized by the dingy lighting the restroom provided. He marches towards you, pushing your arms rather roughly. You reckon it will bruise.

“Now, now, there’s no need for this,” the other one gestured for his companion to tone it down, leering as he raked his eyes from your head to your toes. His slimy tongue licks his dry lips as he slowly approaches you, or rather, stalks you like a predator.

The moment he grabs your shoulders, your instincts snapped you out. With a scream, you swiftly ran across the room towards the door, but not before giving one of them a good kick in the groin. 

“You fucking bitch! Ow, fuck, wait until I get my hands on you—”

Your heart pounded heavily against your ribcage, pure adrenaline fueling you as more vile words could be heard from the distance the more you walked away. You had no care for the sweaty bodies that you had to go through, all you knew was that you had to run, and you had to run fast.

This was the only time you cursed at how small the club was. You had no idea how far you were walking away from the bathroom, but the blinding lights, the deafening music, they were starting to get to you. You were terrified that they had managed to follow you. You didn’t dare look back.

You had to get out of here. Luckily, you were near the back door where you could exit and get away, so that’s exactly what you did. You couldn’t even regret forgetting your jacket the moment you got out and was embraced in the bitter cold of the night.

“Once again, I don’t have to do anything. You keep running into me.”

A startled scream escapes your mouth, the loudness of your own voice scaring you. Panic surged through your bloodstream. You looked around, and there was darkness everywhere, but no matter how blinded you were, you will always find that voice. 

Seonghwa was enveloped in the quiet corner of the cobblestoned alleyway. His back was leaning against the wall, his hand in his pants pocket while the other held a cigarette in between his nimble fingers. The only thing illuminating him was the faint glow of its lighted tip, its smoke swirling in the air mixed with the cold exhale of his breath.

Your breath caught into your throat. The horrifying clarity of running straight towards another danger was harrowing. Being alone with Seonghwa was far, far more dangerous than anything, however, you’d rather be in his mercy than those thugs inside. 

“You just couldn’t wait to see me again, don’t you, doveling?” Seonghwa mocked, his voice almost low, and frankly, delicious to your ears.

But you weren’t in the mood for his games. “Go fuck yourself,” you hissed, gritting your teeth in annoyance.

“I’d rather fuck you,” he grinned.

His pants tightened as he stared at you clad in the tiniest dress known to mankind, his cock jumping out at a certain memory of you underneath him just the prior week before he left your sleeping form. 

He could take you where you stood, right here, right now. And he would. However, when he noticed the way your hands trembled as you wrapped a protective arm all over yourself, his inhibitions died down. His brow rose when your form shook at the sudden boom of a voice from the door where you exited.

Paleness rendered you frozen. You could hear the same voice from the bathroom shouting, the sound of their voice growing closer and closer as they searched for you. Your eyes fleeted to Seonghwa once more.

He was already staring at you, his sharp, calculating eyes boring into you in realization. He poked his tongue on his inner cheeks, dropping the cigarette on the dirty floor, crushing it underneath his feet. You smiled to yourself ruefully, he was definitely different from the Seonghwa in your memory.

This was his true nature. Your sweet Seonghwa was a fraud.

The door busted open, and the same guy that held your shoulders looked around like an angry bull until he set his eyes on you. At that moment, you knew that Seonghwa understood what was happening. He stayed unmoving, unbreathing in his dark corner as the guy marched towards you.

“You,” the guy seethed, shoving you hard on the same shoulder. “You think you’re hot shit, bitch?”

You gasped when he spit at your feet, his saliva coating your slightly exposed feet due to your shoes. You inhaled, exhaled, repeating the gesture to reel in the anger you were feeling. You subtly waved your hand in Seonghwa’s direction, telling him to back the hell off and let you handle this, yourself.

“I’ll pay you for the drink, if that’s what you’re mad about,” you murmured, trying to sidestep him, but he swayed to the same direction, blocking your way. “Move,” you gritted your teeth.

He gripped your arm tight, his fingers digging into your skin in an alarming pressure where you were sure it would leave bruises. “No, no, you’re coming with me,” he pulled on your arm, causing you to lose your footing a bit.

“N-No, let go of me,” you pulled once more, forcefully this time, but his grip was loosening. Tension gripped your chest, the feeling of being cornered filling your mind with fear.

“Just come with me, you’ll have a good time,” he laughed lasciviously, his arm moving to grip your waist, until it freezes in the air.

You didn’t know whether you should feel alarmed or cry in relief when you watched Seonghwa appear from behind your captor. “Not so fast,” he said. You gulped when you saw him pull something familiar, using it to point at the man who held your arm at the back of his head.

The sound of a pistol cocking was louder than it should’ve been at the empty alleway. Your eyes widened in surprise and fear. This wasn’t supposed to be shocking to you anymore, but the sight of Seonghwa easily pulling a gun towards someone’s head never failed to instill terror in you.

“Back off, bastard,” the man snarled, though it didn’t have a real bite to it. “I saw her first, you can use this bitch when I’m done with her.”

Seonghwa hummed, leaning forward to the man’s ear, his tone dripping with unveiled threat. “Or I could plant a bullet in your head first. That sounds better to me.”

The man let out a nervous laugh, his grip on you tightening further, making you whine in slight pain. “You wouldn’t dare,” he laughed sarcastically, pushing his luck. “Not in a public place.”

Seonghwa’s eyes never left your shaking form. Your captor’s lips curled in dissatisfaction at Seonghwa’s lack of response. The thick silence in the air, yet your eyes never left Seonghwa as well. 

“What else did he do to you, love?” Seonghwa’s soft voice asked after a while, though his eyes held another thing - rage.

He pushes the gun on the man’s scalp, the latter groaning in pain in response to the rough action. “Look, man. I didn’t know she was taken,” the guy defended himself. “W-We can talk about this—”

“Did he hurt you before this?” Seonghwa gave you a pointed look, impatience coating his features.

“Seonghwa, please,” you responded, voice weary and exhausted. “Let’s just—”

“Answer the question, Y/N. Did he, or did he not?”

You gulped. You hated when he used your name. “Just let him go, please, I want to go home,” you begged. You felt filthy being touched, but you didn’t want blood in your hands.

But it was too late, Seonghwa hated his properties getting defiled. He shoots the guy point blank, his eyes still never leaving yours. Shock electrifies your system, unwilling you to move even when your face splatters with blood. The grip on your arms disappears as the man’s body crumples to the ground with a sickening thud.

Seonghwa tutted, clicking his tongue in mock disappointment and disgust at the body laying down in front of him. “Pathetic fool,” he sneered, spitting violently at the corpse’s face, his foot connecting to the now-dead man’s face. “Pathetic fool.”

Another gunshot resounds in the air, and then another, and then another one, until the clicking of Seonghwa’s trigger signifies that he was out of bullets. “Well, fuck,” he murmured before his maniacal laughter fills the night. There was something primal about it, something animalistic.

You turned away, at the risk of throwing up all over the concrete floor, afraid to look at the man’s, mangled, bullet-riddled face. Your vision started to blur, like your surroundings were spinning, as your breathing became laboured and shallow. You tried to back away to try and lean on something, but your legs felt weak.

“A ‘thank you’ would be nice, little dove,” Seonghwa scoffed, side-eyeing you as he put his phone up his ear. “Get in here. I need someone to scrub the floor.”

You knew exactly what that meant. Someone was coming to get rid of Seonghwa’s crime. Your stomach churns with nausea, until you can't take it anymore. You turn around, emptying your stomach of its contents, the regurgitating, gagging sounds from your hoarse throat sickening, the smell of your own vomit making you even more sick.

The more you tried to breathe in calmly, the more out of control you felt. It was as if your body was deliberately going against you. Seonghwa never hid his brutality, but this was the first time you had witnessed it first hand.

You gasped when you were pinned against the nearby wall, your eyes rolling in the back of your head, but still making a point to look at Seonghwa. “Shut the hell up,” he hissed, wildly looking around. “We’re going to get caught if you don’t toughen up.”

You sneered, wiping your lips with the back of your hand. “Are you fucking kidding me? You’re delusional, you monster—”

Something cold and unforgiving wrapped itself around your throat. You gasped, your hands coming up for defense to pry Seonghwa’s hand away from your neck, but all he did was squeeze, effectively cutting your air supply off. “S-Seonghwa…”

A low, throaty laugh reaches your ears before he lets go. Your body automatically lunges forward, the suffocating weight on your neck finally lifting for you to gulp in a large amount of air. Yes, Seonghwa thought, this was what he wanted. He was the only one who had rights to your pain, not some slimy bastard.

“Why do you always have to misbehave, dove?” Seonghwa grabs your face gently in his hands, leaning in to plant a firm kiss on your forehead. “It would do you a favour if you shut your trap.”

“I–I’m well-behaved, actually,” you choked out, your fingers digging on his arms for support. “You always get what you want, anyway. What was the point?”

It was the truth, and you weren’t wrong. Whether that was by determination, force, or sheer luck, Seonghwa always got what he wanted.

Footsteps began to approach, the heavy thud of boots echoing through the night. Panic seizes you at first, but when you are approached by familiar faces. Seonghwa curses under his breath, pulling you close to him to cover your scantily clad body from prying eyes.

Not that he needed to do it, anyone who looked at you wrongly would have faced his wrath, anyway.

“Clean that rubbish up,” Seonghwa ordered gruffly, pointing his gun at the corpse he further abused after taking its life. “Leave traces of it, and you’re next. Where’s the car?”

Before anyone could respond, he threw said gun in the air for someone to catch. “Dispose of this, Yunho, and dispose of it well,” he wrapped a possessive arm around you, gesturing to the tall man who stared at you in pity. “We’re leaving.”

“Boss, hold on,” another person, one that you knew to be Jongho from his voice, alone, stopped Seonghwa from walking. He raised an irritated brow in expectation. “Wouldn’t it be smarter to pin this on someone else, instead?”

You knew of Seonghwa’s brothers, the people who he led and followed him for his wisdom and criminally intelligent guise, and you liked them. Jongho drove you back to your apartment that day when you left Seonghwa, causing him to be severely punished when he came back, and Yunho provided you a crying shoulder, but sometimes, you forgot that they were just as depraved as their boss.

Seonghwa laughed, baring his teeth maliciously. “Brilliant. On with it, then.”

The car was thick with unspoken tension, at least for you, anyway. Seonghwa was as relaxed as ever as he sat with you at the back of the car; his legs were crossed gracefully, and he even held a champagne flute for him to drink as if he was celebrating a job well done.

“Are you going to get rid of me too?” You asked, filling in the awkward silence. One more second of silence and you were going to lose your mind.

“I should,” he answered. Your body twitched with the unexpected response. “Which is why you should be more thankful. Nobody gets out of Halazia alive, not without my consent.”

Halazia was their base where all the operations ensued. You wanted to scoff, were you supposed to be grateful that you weren’t killed in your sleep after you broke up with him? 

“The only thing I should thank you for is absolute nothing,” you replied, your voice inhospitable and unwelcoming.

You turned away, trying to ignore him and cut the conversation, but you gasped when he grabbed your arm harshly, hissing in pain when he coincidentally dug his fingers on the spot where you were pushed by the other man in the bathroom.

“Where the hell did you get this?” Seonghwa barked, glaring at the swollen area of your arm. If it wasn’t a bruise from him, then you’re not supposed to have it. Only he can give you those.

“Get your hands off of me,” you snarled, pulling your arm away to rub on the hurting spot. You avoided eye contact with him, not willing to divulge more information. One man was already dead, you didn’t want another one in your hands. You haven’t even properly internalized what happened, it was too soon.

“I just had a nasty fall and hit something while I was running away from that creep, it’s no big deal.”

His stiffened, his eyes narrowed with unbridled, towering hostility. Seonghwa made no point to reply, but you could feel his temper rolling off in waves from where you sat. You decided not to push it. Technically, he lets you get away with a lot of things. You gulped, remembering how he callously shot someone in the head just by messing with you.

And that was fine, until you realized you weren’t getting driven to the place where you thought you’d be. You picture the familiar buildings that lead to your apartment, the roads that you walked to and fro everyday. You dare not breathe as you slowly approach the belly of the beast.

Seonghwa’s house, your old house with him.

“W-What are we doing here? Seonghwa,” you panicked, gripping the leather seats underneath your palms. “Why are you taking me here—”

“Relax, dove, it’s only for one night,” he scoffed. 

The car lurched to a stop, the brakes screeching with no warning, and a cold gust of air hit your face when Seonghwa opened his own door to get out, but not without turning his head in your direction. “Unless you want to stay with me,” he grinned maliciously.

You angrily stepped out, having no choice but to comply just for a night. Your heels clacked against the wet concrete, not even caring that you splashed into a small puddle, as you marched towards the house without even waiting for Seonghwa. You hesitated for a little, nostalgia was a dangerous thing to feel. 

The last time you were in this house, Seonghwa was kneeling by the doorway, pleading for you to stay and not leave him, begging that he’ll change. Your chest felt hollow with misplaced intentions, but you decided to ignore it for now.

All you knew right now was that you need to wash off all the blood that marred your face; to wash off all the indirect sins that you knew you had no hand in, but still felt guilty about. When you went to the guest room’s bathroom, your heart dropped when you saw that nothing had changed. 

The water felt invigorating against your skin, but peace never came to you. That man, you were the reason why he was dead. You might as well have pulled the trigger on him. As your mind raced with frantic thoughts, you heard a soft knock on the bathroom door, and then the telltale jingle of the doorknob.

“Don’t even think about it,” you snapped, still covering your naked body with your hands even though you knew he wouldn’t be able to get in.

You heard Seonghwa’s dark chuckle on the other side of the door. “I’ll be back immediately, I have business to attend to. Hongjoong is here to address your needs, shall you need something.”

You murmured in agreement just to get rid of him. You would take this opportunity to slip away and go back to your apartment. You just hoped that Seonghwa wouldn’t be one step ahead of you like he always was. He could do whatever he wanted, you didn’t care.

At least that’s what you told yourself when you dressed up using your clothes that Seonghwa didn’t bother to throw away. A scoff leaves your lips, was he really hoping that you’d come back to him? Still, you couldn’t help but wonder what it is that he was doing this late in the night. Back then, you disliked when Seonghwa worked late as it worried you to no end.

“Y/N? May I come in?”

The family butler, Hongjoong, stood at the far end of the room. You greeted him with a warm smile, genuinely happy to see somebody that you knew wasn’t going to take advantage of your presence. He carried a small cup with him with what you assumed was tea. “Hey, Joong, long time no see.”

“Likewise, Y/N. The mansion wasn’t ever the same without you,” he smiled. He paused, hesitation coating his features as he set the cup down in front of you. “I wish you never came back, though.”

You sighed. It might sound harsh, but you knew he meant well. He saw how suffocating Seonghwa was as a fiance. “You can thank your boss for this fiasco. Ask him later, but I’m leaving right now.”

“I still value my life, thank you,” he chuckled, shaking his head. He bowed slightly before he started to walk away. “Call me when you need anything.”

You cursed mentally, swiping your hair up in frustration as you stared at the steaming cup of goodness. You wanted to leave before Seonghwa came back, but if you were being honest with yourself, you felt beat up. Your arms had started to bruise in some areas while you showered, patches of unsightly purples and greens spread all across your skin.

It wasn’t a good idea, and you were setting yourself up for failure, but you decided to drink the tea quickly and then vanish. You sighed, sitting down on the leather sofa, grabbing the remote control to the TV to raise the volume as it was already on, anyway. Seonghwa had a habit of leaving them on even when he’s not around so he’d have easy access to the news whenever he needed it.

Relaxation seeped into you as you took a good sip. Earl Grey, you realized. It made you smile a bit, it was your favourite. Seonghwa bought an entire land just to plant the trees that made them all for you one time. The memory suddenly made the tea taste bitter.

Suddenly, the distinct voice of the newscaster on the television made you freeze mid-sip. “For our breaking news,” they began. “A man was found brutally beaten north of downtown a quarter before midnight. It said that they passed away shortly after their sustained injuries.”

That in itself wouldn’t have been too bad, but when they showed the man’s face pre-crime, the cup wavered in your hand, drops of the tea spilling from the sides. It was the man that pushed you in the bathroom, the one that gave you the nasty bruise on your arm. 

The more the reporter recounted the injuries, the more your grip on the cup tightened. You struggled to process the words, but more so how grizzly the attack was - missing teeth, broken jaw and ribs, face beyond recognition and repair. The words began to blur as you sat staring at the screen, frozen in your place.

 A small chuckle sounded from the doorway, breaking you out of your thoughts. It was followed by a tut, the mocking kind. You closed your eyes to calm your nerves, you knew your chances of leaving were slim to none at this point. Even at a distance, his presence was so overwhelming and suffocating.

“What a shame. Such a handsome fellow.”

You didn’t turn right away, not wanting to give Seonghwa the satisfaction of seeing you falter. If he looked closer, he would’ve noticed how badly your hands shook. ”Yes, it is,” you said flatly, setting the cup down before you shattered it towards the floor. “What did you do?”

You were afraid of the answer, terrified, even. “Whatever do you mean, my love?” Seonghwa replied from where he stood. You could practically hear the smirk from his voice. He was so sure of himself and a bit too close for comfort. “I would never associate myself with the likes of that man.”

That much was true. As lethal as he was, he held an air of grandeur to him that always starstruck you. He could have been royalty in his past life. Everyone was beneath him. 

“Oh?” You worded out, your tone more aggressive than you’d like. “What did you think happened, then?”

Your gaze flickered towards the door, and you wished you didn’t. He leaned on the door frame, arms folded, posture as relaxed as ever. “He must have had a pretty bad fall,” he shrugged nonchalantly. He said it so smoothly, so calmly, that it sent a shiver down your spine. “It’s no big deal.”

You didn’t know what it was. Something passed through his eyes, but it was gone in an instant before you could read it. The way he stood by and stared wasn’t imposing either, but there was something about the way he parroted your words in the car earlier, the way he knew that you knew, that made Seonghwa truly the terrifying man that he was.

You looked at him in disgust. “You’re a psychopath.”

“I prefer creative,” he started walking towards you, his eyes never leaving yours. He stops directly in front of you, his torso in your line of vision. His index finger tilts your chin up until your eyes are meeting his.

For a while, he didn’t say anything, the rest of his fingers brushing your skin tenderly in a way that should’ve calmed you down, but all it did was terrorize you. His gaze was calm, yet it unsettled you to your bones. “My, my, little dove, you are quite ungrateful,” he remarked softly, almost soothingly. “I don’t like ungrateful people.”

He gripped your chin firmly, not enough for it to hurt, but enough for him to make his point. “I don’t know what you want from me,” you cut the undeniable tension in the air.

“It’s not what I want from you,” his thumb pressing lightly over your skin. “It’s what you need from me.”

You frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Watch your tone,” his eyes narrowed as he dug his sharp nails on your chin. You had to suppress a groan until he calmed down. He sighed, his thumb carressing the area he hurt. “Did you honestly think I enjoyed you seeing me like this after hiding it for so long when you were with me?”

The question hung in the air, what were you supposed to say to that? His eyes darkened. “I do everything for you, dove. Can’t you see that everything I do is for your enjoyment and glory?”

This man was delusional. His hands lowered down to your neck, his fingers not squeezing, but the command was there. “I could kill anyone for you without blinking. I’m the only one who will do this for you, because I’m the only one who knows what you truly want,” he took a deep breath. 

His voice became gentler, but that served to scare you even more. The words coming out of his mouth weren’t normal. “You think someone would care for you like I do?” Seonghwa asked affectionately. “You owe me, Y/N. Ask me why.”

“W-Why?” You asked, your words cracking halfway.

“Because,” he answered, eerily calm than it should be. “You’re the only one I care enough to hurt about.” Seonghwa kneels down, his hand unwrapping itself from your neck to hold your thighs. “I’m different now, I won’t let you down, baby.”

Your breath hitched, wanting to pull away, to scream, but the fear had you frozen in place. "I know how you are, Park Seonghwa,” you gulped. “You can't fool me."

"Once. I made that mistake once,” the mask had slipped and the true chaos inside him, referring to when he had hidden things from you. “And I already paid that price, little dove. You left me. Won't you spare me a bit of your love? I learned my lesson."

"You haven't learned your lesson. It's impossible. We are what we are," you stood your ground regardless of what Seonghwa would do to you.

He smirked. "You know I love you," Seonghwa said. "I could wait for you for as long as you need me to."

You frowned, your eyes widening slightly in horror. The confession wasn't something you haven't heard before, but it terrified you just the same. "You shouldn't. I don't love you like that," you rasped weakly. "We've talked about this before."

Seonghwa tilted his head, his face not giving out what his thoughts truly were. You had no idea how utterly smitten he was with you; how depraved he truly was. But the truth was, you could see it on his face. Instead of the rejection stunting his attempts, it made him want you more.

"How long are you going to pretend you don't want me, little dove?" Seonghwa held your hand. He planted a slow kiss, his dark eyes looking up at you as he did so. "How long are you going to deny me?"

It wasn’t difficult to see how his words, no matter how sweet or manipulative they were, hinted at his unstable mindset. “Anyway, I digress,” he pulled away, “Stay the night. You’ve been through a lot today.”

Anger is an indulgence, and it’s something you weren’t willing to feel at the moment. You weren’t angry at him, no - you were angry at yourself. You should have just left earlier.

“I have to go,” you whispered so softly it was almost unheard in the wide expanse of the room. “You weren’t even supposed to bring me here.” Your tone was accusatory. Clearly, you’ve had plenty of blunders today.

“Hmm,” he hummed. “Has it never crossed your mind that all the things you’ve been doing lately have all led you to me?”

You narrowed your eyes at him, but he continued. “Think about it,” he shrugged. “The odds of you stumbling upon me, through the backdoor, nonetheless, on a bar that we had just purchased the same night is astounding.”

You grit your teeth, not having any idea that he owned the property. Had you known, you wouldn’t even have bothered at all.

You rolled your eyes, resisting the urge to scream at him and fight him until you were out of this suffocating house. He tilted his head in response. “You’re not a prisoner, dove,” he declared with disturbing softness. “You are free to leave anytime, but you have to behave and you have to trust me.”

“I don’t trust you,” you bit back, baring your teeth at him like an animal. “I never will.”

Something flashed in his eyes - something inhuman. He chuckled, as if he was expecting your answer all along. “Not yet,” his eyes, once again, glimmered with something foreboding. “But you will, if you know what’s good for you.”

You flipped him off, jumping off of the sofa to tread towards the door to leave, ready to shove him out of the way should Seonghwa resist, if need be. You were done playing his games, you were done being his plaything.

Seonghwa laughed, low and manic, as he watched your petite form stalk towards your goal like a cat who has set his eyes on its prize. Your jerked back, heart pounding in your throat, when he grabbed your wrist to halt you from moving forward. 

His eyes were predatory, and you were pretty sure that he could smell your fear. “Behave, Y/N. It’s quite late, and I’m looking forward to retiring to my bed,” he smirked. He leaned closer to your ear to whisper. “Or are you looking forward to finding out how I’ll punish you if you misbehave?”

You grit your teeth, the audacity of this man! You fists clenched to your sides, the ache of rage and frustration bubbling inside you.

“No need to be afraid,” he whispered, leaning in close. “I told you, you’ll learn to trust me. I always get what I want.”

He lets go of your wrist to walk away, but not before he turns his head to side-you. “And I want you.”

A day or two was fine, to be fair, you really did need to rest and recuperate all the energy you had lost from all the adrenaline-fueled chase in the nightclub.

But you’ve been in Seonghwa’s territory, Halazia, for almost a week now. True to his words, you really weren’t being treated as a prisoner. Hongjoong did his best to accommodate all your needs, but it didn’t erase the fact that you were just a glorified captive that he dressed in silk and bound by the chains of his obsession.

Seonghwa always had an excuse, his latest one being that he wanted to see you out since he knew you weren’t going to show your face to him for a while. Well, that was three days ago. It pissed you off to no end, you weren’t completely stupid - it was his way of manipulating you to stay.

All you did was stay in the guest room. Seonghwa has tried to coax you once or twice, but you always ignored him, and you weren’t ready to see the people you used to know that you had gotten close with before you left.

Fine, you thought. If he wasn’t going to let you leave, you were just going to get out, yourself, without anybody knowing. You had no idea how you’ll do it, Halazia was well-guarded, but damn, if you didn’t try. You had to escape.

You carefully opened the door that led out to the currently empty hallway, looking left and right to see if Seonghwa assigned somebody to watch you. There wasn’t any, but you didn’t trust what you see - it was what you didn’t see that you didn’t trust.

The only good thing about this house was that it had a lot of secret entrances and exits just in case Seonghwa needed to escape if the operation got compromised. You had memorized them just in case you needed to escape from Seonghwa, ironically, like right now. 

The nearest one to you was locked, of course. You cursed under your breath, quickly moving on to the next one. It was a gamble, unlike the other secret exits, this one was disguised as a small aesthetic dresser that Seonghwa had cleverly displayed at the end of the hallway. When opened, you would be greeted by random coats for diversion.

You silently moved them aside, revealing a hidden door knob behind them that led to the underground garage. Luckily, you were small enough to fit through without making the wooden structure of it creak. You were so close, and now, you had this one chance.

“Y/N?”

You reached for the door knob, but before your hands could wrap around it, your breath hitched, every muscle on your back stiffening. You rigidly turned your head, meeting Yunho’s widened eyes as they went back and forth between your face and where your hand was headed.

“Y-Yunho,” you pleaded, gulping on your nerves. You were thoroughly fucked. “Please…”

But before you could both react, low murmurs of voice started to echo down the hallway as well as thudding footsteps that signalled a couple of people just around the other hallway.

One of which was Seonghwa’s.

You couldn’t even lament. You knew this was going to happen. Every single time you found an opportunity to seek your way out, he would always come for you. He was always one step ahead, always waiting for you to screw up so he could whatever it is that he wanted.

Your breath got caught in your throat. Seonghwa’s presence loomed close like his footsteps, his voice muffled, yet smooth and cold, as he talked to whoever he was with. When his shadow was outlined at the end of the hallway, you knew you were done for.

And when you heard Hongjoong’s voice from the distance looking for you in panic, you knew you were found out.

Without thinking, you stepped in the dresser, closing the door before you slid in the corner behind all the thick coats. You swallowed, forcing yourself to still your breathing and manage your panic, but the truth was, you felt like you were going to faint. You stayed hidden, holding your breath and waited.

Footsteps approached until they directly stopped in front of the dresser. Your stomach twisted in fear, your breath coming fast and shallow. One wrong move, and all of this would be over.

“Yun,” Hongjoong’s panted tiredly. “Have you seen Y/N, by any chance?”

You inhaled a sharp breath. You had totally forgotten about Yunho. You said a quick prayer in your head, squeezing your body even tighter against the corner. Light passed in between the small crack of the door, allowing you to see Seonghwa along with two people you couldn’t really see finally joining Hongjoong and Yunho.

“No. I thought she was still in the guest room?” Yunho sounded thoroughly confused when he answered, his voice leaving no room for doubt as he covered for you. 

Relief washed over you. You would never forget this favour from Yunho as he stepped in for you without a second thought. Through the crack, you could see Seonghwa close his eyes to reel in his anger, his fingers massaging his temple in nuisance, staring at Yunho, who squirmed at the attention, intently.

“She couldn’t have gotten far. Find her,” he ordered in eerie stillness.

Seonghwa remained in the hallway directly in your line of vision through the small space in between the wooden doors. This time, you weren’t breathing at all, your mind racing. Why wasn’t he leaving?

“Y/N,” he sighed exasperatedly. “Oh, my little doveling.”

Your chest exploded, pain spreading through your lungs as your breath got knocked out of you. His possessive way of calling you out shook you. You couldn’t risk getting caught, so you didn’t say anything.

You flinched when the doors rattled with his touch, creaking slightly as he opened it ever so slightly. “I know you’re in here,” he chuckled, teasing and soft, and so mocking. “Did you honestly think you could hide from me?”

Your stomach churned when the doors opened violently, its hinges almost coming undone. You wanted to cry, but you forced yourself to be still. You were still hidden behind the thick, wool coats. You just hoped your heavy breathing didn’t give you away.

You watched as his dark eyes scanned the dresser and for a moment, he didn’t move, just standing there as if disbelieving that he wasn’t seeing you. He hummed, finally closing the doors. A chill sparked up your spine, it couldn’t be that easy—

It all happened within a split second. You screamed when the doors opened again, a hand grabbing you and dragging you out of the dresser to be forcibly pinned against it. Somehow, Seonghwa still knew you were in there as if he had always known from the start - as if he anticipated you hiding in it.

“You think me stupid, don’t you?” Seonghwa murmured with false pretense. “I own you. That also means I know how your mind functions.”

You fixed your stare on the floor, not daring to lift your head to look at him. He held the areas on your arm that were still bruised, they hurt, but you were wishing that you could just disappear on the spot. But there he was, standing before you as his hands pinned yours tightly against the wall. His stare was intense, his demeanor more so.

“Look at me,” he commanded. He wasn’t playing around this time, that much you could tell. 

You looked into his eyes with equal intent. A glint of surprise passes through them for a split second before it disappears and something akin to proudness appears on them. It was certainly twisted, especially because you just don’t understand just why he was so obsessed with you. Had you known it was going to be like this, you would never have left him the way you did.

In some ways, you felt like you were responsible for his unnecessary fixation towards you, and knowing Seonghwa, he was never going to stop until you were completely in his possession.

“You know what I think?” Seonghwa began, his voice tethering the line between amusement and controlled rage. “I think you think that you know me.”

One of your hands fell to your sides as he let go, only for him to grab you by the hair, bunching them up in his wrists tightly as he yanked your head backwards. Pain bloomed in your scalp, but Seonghwa didn’t care. It was this moment where you actually feared him,  the real depth of his madness were finally starting to come to head as his patience was slowly thinning.

“I don't know whether to kill you or kiss you all over. Tell me, doveling, what do you think I should do?” Seonghwa said. His movement became frenzied in the simmering rage that was surfacing on his face. “There is no point in escaping when the cage has no door.”

You groaned when he jerked your head forward, then pushed it backwards, the back of your head hitting the wall. “Maybe this ought to help you, maybe this will wake you up, because clearly, nothing I do is worth your time,” he sneered, savouring the pain that registered in your eyes. “I give you everything, I feed you, dress you, love you, and this is what you repay me?”

“Hiding isn’t going to do anything for you, because I will always find you,” he continued, his words slow, deliberate, and threatening. “You think you can outsmart me, that if you stayed holed up in your room I won’t notice that you’re missing. Get this in your head.”

He leaned forward, his entire body closing in on you, wrapping you in the same darkness that swallowed the sentient part of his soul a long time ago.  "I love when people think they’re smarter than me,” his lips curled into a sick grin. “It makes the chase so much worth it.”

Something in his words sobers you up immediately. With all the strength left in you, you twisted away completely from his hold, pushing him away with a scream. You breathe in and out, just watching Seonghwa’s unimpressed gait, his fists still up. They held chunks of your hair, but you didn’t care.

“What the fuck is wrong with you? You need help, Seonghwa,” you yelled in frustration, lifting your hand to tap aggressively on your head. “You are sick in the head, you delusional fuck, y-you’re…”

You trailed off, your emotions getting the best of you as they clogged up your throat. It might be wrong to talk back to him like this since it will make your situation worse, but you knew Seonghwa was done playing with you. He was slipping deeper and deeper in his delusions and there was no telling how far he’d go just to keep you.

Your heart bled, the pain in your scalp and the back of your head pounding, begging for attention. He has never been physical with you just to get what he wanted, he has gone too far now.

“You want to leave, don’t you?” Seonghwa asked softly, uncharacteristically soft compared to the crazed look in his eyes. He stepped forward, and at first, you thought he was going to corner you again, but instead, he leaned his back on the wall beside you, his head tilted upwards to stare at the ceiling. He turned his head to meet your eyes. “But you won’t. I won’t allow it. Now that I have you, I am not letting you go. Not now, not ever.”

You scoffed, but in truth, the way he said it posed fear in you. “That is not up to you. You cannot just imprison me and expect me to like you after this.”

“Oh, but I can,” he chuckled. “You’re here, aren’t you?”

He started to scoot closer, so close that you can smell his cologne that was mixed with the delusions that came along with it. It unsettled you, the only time you got close to him after you left him was when he was spreading your legs to bury himself in you whenever he’d ask you to go out for either coffee or drinks.

“You’re mine,” he said, more forceful than before. “Come on, say it. Say you’re mine. The sooner you understand that, the sooner you’ll feel better about it.”

“No,” you denied strongly with a hint of desperation in it. “I’m not yours anymore, Seonghwa, please. I just want to go home, let me go.”

He didn’t seem to hear you, that or he chose not to. A light laugh bubbled from his chest, but it wasn’t joyous - it was empty, like he was trying to convince himself that he was right and you weren’t. The two of you must’ve looked odd in the hallways, just leaning against the wall. However, to you, it felt like the hallways were crushing in on you.

“That’s the problem isn’t it? You don’t understand,” he said almost sympathetically, like he was telling these deranged things to you for your own good. You felt like you were going to get sick, it sounded more like an omen than anything else.

He was right - you didn’t. You didn’t want to understand, he could rot in hell for all you care. “Why me?” You whispered, hoarse and broken. It was the only genuine thing you wanted to know.

“Because,” he began, his hand reaching for you. His touch was cold. “When people see me, they think I’m this monster, they don’t understand,” he shook his head. “But you? You are the only one who knows what I’m truly capable of, the only one strong enough to take me as is. The only one who knows that I am actually a monster.”

It wasn’t the entire truth. Seonghwa stared at the fear in your eyes at his statement, he wanted to tell you the truth - that as messed up as it is, he just really genuinely loved you. Nothing about this was normal, but he was never going to tell you because he knew that you were never going to believe him.

The gaping hole you carved out of his heart was still there even though you were right in front of him, he would have loved you forever, and you didn’t understand that.

But that’s fine. He’ll make you, one way or another.

Your throat tightened, and despite everything in you screaming to run, you felt a tear slip down your cheek. His smile softened, and he wiped it away with a tenderness that was almost cruel.

“Seonghwa, this isn’t what you’re making it out to be, you are really unwell,” you pleaded. You hesitated, having no choice but to say the one thing that’s been weighing on you. “You have to move on, we are not meant to be. If you really loved me, you’d let me find another man to love, a normal one—-”

“I love you,” Seonghwa interrupted, the words coming out almost too quickly, exploding with the anger he was trying to repress. He glared at your face with an intensity that was borderline obsessive. “Is that not enough for you? How dare you mention another man in my presence?”

“That’s not what I said, and you know it,” you gasped, thick with terror, trying to remedy the situation.

He forced you to look at him. “So say it,” he hissed. His face twisted into something terrifying than anything you’ve seen. It was hurt, as though your refusal was the worst kind of betrayal for him.  “Say you’re mine, because I will never leave you alone if you don’t.”

It was a threat, his certainty in it wrapping like noose around your neck, but the answer was still the same. “N-No,” you shook your head in defiance, more firmly this time. “I never will be.”

It was what set him off, the calmness he faked shattering before your very eyes. His hand shot out to bang his fists on the wall beside you. The sudden bout of violence made you gasp in surprise. “Fuck, you’re really testing me here,” he seethed, no longer soft, just harsh and detrimental. “God, I know you still love me, you don’t get to pretend when I know.”

He leaned closer, his face twisted with fury. He was dangerous, and you had no way out. “I’ve let you run free for a while now, my patience is waning down. I only stretched it for you and even then there’s not much I can provide you. I even let you go when you told me that bullshit about breaking up, enough is enough now,” he spat bitterly. “Come back to me.”

His words felt like a slap to your face.The sickening feeling of his warm breath against your skin felt overwhelming and your body was rendered paralyzed. You didn’t say anything, you couldn’t, not when his words echoed in your head like a broken soundtrack.

“I’m not letting you go, you hear me?” Seonghwa continued, not caring if it sounded torturous to your ears, and certainly not caring that he was basically admitting that he will completely hold you against your will. “You’re going to take what I give you, and you’re going to like it.”

But you weren’t broken yet. You stared at him blankly, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing you break down no matter how furious he got. 

Seonghwa leaned in, pressing his forehead against yours. "I’m doing this for you. For us. But if you push me too far, I’m not going down alone," his voice hardened, just a little, enough to remind you of what lay beneath the surface. "It’ll hurt you, too."

The veins on his neck bulged as he held himself back when he realized you weren’t going to say anything. He really was controlling his anger, but barely.

“You will learn how to love me again,” his words were clipped as he uttered them, jaw tight and just on the edge of breaking. The air between the two of you cracked with tense energy. “No one else will love you like I do. I can’t live without you, but I will make sure that you cannot live without me, either. I’m not asking anymore.”

You didn’t understand what he was trying to tell you, but you were about to. His hands flexed slowly, his fingers stretching as if the need to reel in his rage was physically painful. He snapped them, his eyes not once leaving yours. “Get her,” he deadpanned.

Footsteps began to approach from behind you. It was, then, when hands started to restrain your form, completely immobilizing you. Rapid thoughts spun in your head, the weight of their hands oppressive. You tried to pull away in an attempt to break free, but their grip was just too strong. You stared wildly at Seonghwa, eyes widened as you screamed on the inside.

“You can’t leave,” he muttered, his voice cold and detached, full with promise. “I will do everything in my power to find you, because I will. And when I do, I will make sure you never, ever leave me again.”

He turned around, his back facing you with finality, the true madness of his love setting in your bones. “Take her away and lock the doors.”

“N-No, wait, you can’t do this,” you clenched your jaw, resisting the arms that gripped tight on yours as they tried to drag you away. “Seonghwa! No, please, Park Seonghwa, let me go!”

But you were dragged, anyway, from your tormentor. There was a sharp tug in your arm, the force of it so strong that it made you stumble. They didn’t even wait until you got your balance back, resorting to dragging your limp body.

Each step forward felt like you were walking towards a nightmare you had no control over, and when you reached the guest room, you realized that you knew one of the people who was leading you to your personal hell. You were pushed forward, and before the door shut, possibly forever, you called out to them.

“Wait, Wooyoung, please, wait,” you begged, quickly dashing towards the door to hold it open. “I really need to talk to you, please…”

His eyes held hesitation, but probably after seeing how distressed you were, he closed his eyes and let out the heaviest sigh known to mankind. He turns his head on the other person that dragged you, the rougher one. “Get lost,” he ordered, his face contorted into something intimidating.

But when he closed the door to lean on it, his eyes were the softest you have ever seen. It held sympathy and understanding for your situation, but you weren’t a fool - you knew his loyalties would always lie with Seonghwa.

“The majority of us were betting on your escape, you know?” Wooyoung looked up as he leaned against the doorframe, his hands on his back. “Seonghwa and you were perfect for each other, but that came with a price.”

“Wooyoung,” you sighed.

“Let me finish since I can’t be seen here,” his eyes were hooded as he put a finger on his lips to indicate the decrease of his voice. “Keep it down.“

He pointed at the earpiece he wore, one that everyone wore since Halazia was massive.  His face turned rigid with worry before he turned back to you. “Seonghwa just sent Yunho to the brig for a week.”

You paled, your jaw hanging low in shock. The brig. It was basically a glorified underground cell where they kept whomever they pleased. You wanted to tear up, Yunho went to your defense at the risk of being punished, but as always, Seonghwa knew everything.

The fact that he sent one of his closest friends from his personal team said a lot.

“You’re not going to get far in escape, not like before,” his voice was low, almost soothing like he was trying to calm you down and not make you feel trapped. “You are never going to make it far.” Wooyoung’s eyes turned sadder even further. “I-I can’t do anything to help you, I’m sorry.” You wanted badly to escape, you know he could see it in your eyes, but there was nothing he could do. You swallowed all the emotions that threatened to break you on the surface. “I can’t stay here,” you tried to convince him. “I don’t belong here, Wooyoung.”

“You don’t want to mess with Seonghwa,” he shook his head with equal conviction. “He’s my liege, and I cannot forsake him. He’s the greatest, most notorious criminal known yet, however, I think you underestimate how far he’ll go just to keep you,” he paused, hesitating. “I would very much like you to stay alive, Y/N.”

 Shivers traveled from the base of your spine to the tips of your scalp. “I don’t know what to do,” you squeaked, the defeat weighing down your body. “I don’t want to be his prisoner, I-I can’t live like this…”

He formed his lips into a thin line, his eyes softening as he started to walk towards you in small, careful steps. “I’m not going to pretend it’s alright, because it’s not,” he sat beside you on the bed, his weight dipping on the mattress. He had always been a friend to you. “It takes someone strong to be with Seonghwa, let alone deny him. This is the man that got whatever he wanted no matter how immoral it got. This isn’t the way, Y/N.”

You shook your head frantically, grabbing his hand to squeeze it. “Belonging to him, relinquishing my soul to him, you might as well gag me at that point.”

He put his other hand on top of yours, enveloping it with a much needed warmth that comforted you even though his eyes held pity. “You don’t have to belong to him,” he whispered, voice barely audible. “I’m asking you to stop fighting him.”

Your head snapped up to counteract his ridiculous claim, but he shook his head and continued. “Don’t you get it? There is no escaping him. He will find you even if you’re in the middle of God-knows-where,” he let out a sigh that seemed to carry a lot of burden in it. “I’m saying this for you, because there is no way out where he doesn’t hurt you.”

The finality of what’s been boggling your mind was crushing. You knew that there was no easy way out, but it still hurt to hear. “I’m not going to give up, even if it kills me,” you gritted your teeth, your determination setting fire in your guts.

“Y/N, please,” Wooyoung begged, squeezing your hand tighter. “For what is Yunho in the brig? For what did Jongho drive you away from here back then? And for what did I take Seonghwa’s punch when he realized I was distracting him? He’s not going to let you go, not now, especially not after everything.”

You shut your eyes tightly to reign in your oncoming migraine. “So, what? I’m just supposed to surrender and let him do anything to me? This isn’t love, it’s possession.”

“If you accept this,” he gulped with reluctance. “If you stop fighting, Seonghwa will go easy on you. It’s easier if you stop running.”

Wooyoung searched your eyes, hoping that he conveyed all the sincerity he could possibly offer you given the situation, but all you could see was the sadness and resignation - he didn’t believe in what he was saying, but he had no choice but to.

“Let it go, please,” he whispered, hoarse and defeated. “I’m not saying this for his sake, it’s for you. This will break you, Y/N.”

You shook your head once more. “I can’t give this up, I’m sorry. If I want the easy way out, I would stay here and just take it.”

His eyes sharpened, his brows furrowing into what resembled annoyance, but it still held the pity that Yunho had before you went inside the dresser. “I’m not asking you to give up,” he begged, anger and affection mixed into one. “I’m asking you to stop a battle you know you can’t win.”

You didn’t say anything after that, and his eyes dropped into accepting that you weren’t going to listen to anything he was saying. You’ve made up your mind. Heavy silence stretched between the two of you until, finally, Wooyoung got up to walk to the door. You can see him manually working on his well-crafted mask, but when he turned back to look at you, there was that softness underneath.

“You didn’t hear me say that three days from now, there will be a bust where Seonghwa has to be present, and you certainly didn’t hear from me that underneath your bed is a trapdoor that leads directly to the outdoor garden, one that Seonghwa doesn’t know,” he murmured. There were escape routes Seonghwa purposefully had no knowledge of in case he gets held as a hostage.

He opened the door to let himself out. “And I’m not telling you that Jongho will be waiting for you.”

You couldn’t wait for Seonghwa to leave, it was killing you to wait this long. He hasn’t bothered you at all, presumably because he was very angry at you, but more so since he was planning with the rest of his team, Ateez, about the so-called bust that they will do away from Halazia. In the meantime, you tried the door again. It wasn’t that you didn’t trust Wooyoung, but you didn’t want to risk it. It might either be a trap, or he might get in trouble and accompany Yunho in the brig if Seonghwa finds out.

You jumped away from the door, your heart skipping a beat, when the doorknob you were tinkering with suddenly twisted and turned. You backed yourself back on the bed as your door creaked open to reveal someone you weren’t pleased to see.

Mingi stood by the doorway, staring at you in amusement, his eyes flickering between you and the doorknob. You internally cursed, you knew you had been caught. He was most likely outside guarding the door when you tried it. “Just when I thought you couldn’t be stupid enough,” he smirked, mildly annoyed. “Why are you trying to run away again? You just never learn, do you?”

You weren’t expecting to see him, in fact, you were surprised that he was put on guard duty. That was probably why he was pissed. Frankly, Mingi terrified you. He was just one of those members that openly showed his dislike towards you. His presence constantly reminded you of your captivity.

“Don’t project yourself on me,” you scoffed, riling him up. You weren’t going to give him the satisfaction of seeing you nervous. “Seonghwa put you on babysit duty. You must hate that.”

He laughed. “I suppose I see the appeal of why Seonghwa has been obsessed with you,” he mockingly tilted his head. “Stop trying, you have zero chance of leaving. Not while I’m here.”

“I’m not your prisoner,” you shot back, clenching your fists to your side. “He can claim me all he wants or force me, but I’m never going to belong to him like a doll. And you are, too.”

His eyes twitched in annoyance, stalking towards you, his arms still crossed. He leaned forward, making you back up in apprehension. “That may be so,” he chuckled darkly. “But I’m not the one who is caged like a fucking bird right now.” "You think you can just run off like this?" Mingi continued, his voice low, his eyes glinting with amusement. "You really believe you have a chance?" 

Mingi leaned away with a satisfied smirk, his arrogance and cruel enjoyment of your struggle really coming through. He was trying to break your resolve with his words, trying to make you believe that escaping is futile, when in reality, it couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Your hands clenched to your sides, controlling your urge to sock Mingi directly in the face not because you were scared to hurt him, but because you were scared that he’ll hit back. “That’s not going to stop me from trying, you brute.”

“Oh, I’m sure you will,” he waved off, backing away towards the door again. “But the thing is,” he paused to taunt you. “You’re not as clever as you think you are. Even if you get past me, you’ll have to get past Yeosang after.”

You paled, your nerves setting your insides on fire. Yeosang wasn’t nearly as infuriating as Mingi, but he was equally as loyal and cruel.

You had to leave now.

“Anyway,” Mingi turned the doorknob to leave, but not without glancing back at you with a sneer. “I will admit, you have balls for leaving him the first time, but Seonghwa already made up his mind this time. He won’t let you go, so I suggest you accept that now.”

And then he left. You glanced at the spot where Wooyoung told you that there would be a door. Truth be told, you haven’t checked yet; you were terrified that Seonghwa was going to walk in any minute and decide to put you somewhere else. 

But there was no time to waste. You waited half an hour to make sure that Mingi wasn’t hanging around before you grabbed a blanket to slide under the feet of the bed to prevent any sounds before pushing it away enough for you to crawl underneath it with ease, and lo and behold. Your mouth felt dry as you stared at the handle of the trapdoor that could potentially lead you to your freedom.

You closed your eyes, praying that there truly was freedom on the other side, that Wooyoung would be safe, and that Yunho wouldn’t stay in the brig for too long. And after this, you will be gone forever.

Waiting until midnight would be the best option for you. Granted, it would also be the time where Seonghwa’s guards would be more alert, but it was a safer bet than somebody potentially walking in the room and chasing you down the trapdoor. Shivers crept up your spine at the thought of getting dragged back.

The silence was killing you, but your thoughts completely annihilated your sanity. You could just picture Seonghwa’s face etched with fury as he realized that you had, once more, escaped under his nose. But you also couldn’t help but think of the hurt that shone in his eyes. All he wanted was you, and you couldn’t fully fault his deranged mind, but you wanted to be free.

As you knelt to grasp the handle the moment that midnight striked, your breaths turned shallow and laboured. You gulped, willing the tremors from your fingertips to go away. You couldn’t falter, not now. With a jolt of adrenaline, you pulled it open, wincing as it creaked, which was a telltale sign of prolonged unuse. You just hoped no one heard it.

You released a breath you were holding when it revealed a ladder that led down, and that there was a dim light illuminating bits of the wooden ladder. That meant that you were nearer the exit than you thought you were.

A faint noise outside your door makes you freeze. You swiftly glanced at the direction, waiting for the moment that Seonghwa would burst in and see you holding a halfway opened trapdoor, but nothing. 

Without another thought, you quickly jumped into action, going down the ladder, your foot hitting the first step as your hand slowly closed the tradoor above you. The moment you did, there was slight relief that coated your chest, it was one step to freedom after all.

It wasn’t fully dark in the damp passageway, the concrete was still visible from where you were walking as that faint light from the exit shone on it as if it was guiding you to your freedom. 

When you were sure you were far from where you came from, you broke into a sprint, running literally for your life. Your legs screamed in protest, not used to exerting energy from the weeks that Seonghwa held you captive, but you didn’t stop. You were scared that he’ll catch and snatch you from behind.

But that didn’t happen. After what felt like an eternity, the passageway began to narrow until you hit a deadend with another ladder, only this time, it led above. Your desperation was hitting you at an all time high - you climbed the ladder without any hesitation, not even stopping to think if there was someone potentially dangerous waiting for you on the other side.

Before you were even fully out, hands were already pulling you out from your armpits until you hit a hard chest. When you looked up, a sigh of relief escaped from your chest. 

“Jongho,” you whispered, your voice cracking at the solace that his presence had brought you. Wooyoung had not been lying. 

Your heart pounded in your chest. It wasn’t like Seonghwa wasn’t going to find out, because he will, but you hoped that Wooyoung and Jongho will be able to buy themselves sometime before then.

“We have to hurry, there’s not much time left,” he hastily pulled you in a run, his voice strained with panic as he kept looking behind him. “There will be guards stationed here in less than five minutes, we have to get to the car by then.”

Your face paled, but you forced yourself to nod, anyway, working your muscles to pick the pace to match Jongho’s, but it was getting difficult. “Are you going to be okay?” You asked, panting hard.

Jongho’s hand held your arm as he practically pushed you forward, shaking his head. “I told San that I was going to check the other side of the property and station on it for a while. It should be enough for me to drive you to your place, but it will be tight.”

“We’re not going to make it,” you panicked, calculating everything in your head and visualizing the outcome.

His jaw set into a hard line and before you could say anything else, he stopped, shoved you behind him, and squatted down. “Hurry,” he barked a command. “Climb on my back, it’ll be faster.”

You hesitated, your nerves getting the best of you, and he could tell. “Climb! Hurry, please!” Jongho hissed, eyes widened in pure panic, as he flailed his arms to gesture for you. 

It was the best course of action. Whether it was the adrenaline or the sheer terror of the situation, Jongho had a burst of strength that allowed him to reach the car faster than it would’ve taken both of you had it not been for his fast thinking. He quickly opens the door to practically shove you inside it before slamming it close, and before you knew it, you were driving away.

The drive back to your apartment was tense. Jongho instructed you to pack as little as possible. Yunho had suggested that they take you to the motel that was on the enemy’s territory. It wasn’t foolproof, but it would lessen the odds of Seonghwa finding you faster before you could fully get away. Even Seonghwa didn’t mess with another mafia’s territory.

“I can’t check you in,” Jongho said as he parked in front of the said motel. “They will recognize me. Use cash from now on, Seonghwa will be able to trace your cards.”

You felt a rush of emotions, a mixture of gratitude and regret. Seonghwa will punish him when he goes back, you could see the small fear behind Jongho’s eyes. You bit your lips, leaning in on his space before pulling him into a tight embrace. “I don’t know what I would’ve done without you,” you sniffled, tears pooling in your eyes. 

He pulled you away to stare at you. “I had a promise to you back then,” he said, softness in his eyes. You were the one who got Jongho a ‘job’ at Seonghwa’s manor after you found him homeless one day. He promised you his life then and there. You didn’t know he’d be a ruthless killer one day.

He held you by the shoulders, pushing you away slightly. “Now go, and please, do not let me see you again.”

With one more grateful nod, you walked away without looking back. Jongho sighed, he really hoped you made the most out of tonight. It was basically a suicide mission for him.

The drive back to the manor was the most tense he has ever felt. By now, he was sure that Seonghwa knew that you were gone by now, the only reason why he was still breathing was because he wouldn’t find out yet that he helped you do the impossible. Time was the enemy. 

And he was right. The moment he got out of the car, voices in his in-ear comms were calling everyone to Seonghwa’s office for an emergency meeting. Jongho took deep, calculated breaths, practicing the mask that he was taught before going in to face everybody as if nothing had happened. 

Wooyoung hastily approached him, grabbing his arm to lag behind everybody as he leaned his body towards him. “Success?” He asked tentatively as quietly as possible. Jongho raised a brow in confirmation, not wanting to move anything else for the fear of someone listening in.

The air in the office was thick, everyone piled in one by one in random spots. Personally for Jongho, he always preferred being near the exit, but he had to stick with Wooyoung this time.

Seonghwa was just standing in front of his desk, arms crossed as he watched everyone with his sharp eyes. That was the thing with him; he never needed to shout nor demand, he was just naturally intimidating. His presence was suffocating, his eyes eerily calm.

He’d be a fool if he said he wasn’t expecting this, like Seonghwa had said once, you were the only one strong enough to match his flame. He knew that there would be a time that you’d escape again, but he wasn’t expecting it to come sooner. 

“Someone messed up,” he said softly, too softly. He gazes at them one by one, none of them meeting his eye. “One of you fucked up.”

Jongho tentatively watched as everyone shifted with unease. Mingi and Yeosang shared a tense glance, but he resisted the urge to jump back when he saw that San was already staring at him with suspicion. He gulped, holding eye contact, anyway.

Hongjoong, ever the calm one, steps forward, the edge of his voice betraying his unease. “I’m sure she hasn’t gotten far—”

“Stop,” Seonghwa’s voice was even quieter this time, but it was the type of quiet that made everyone’s back stiffen. He tilted his head, his eyes narrowing as he leaned away from the table to walk past everyone. His expression was unreadable, but Jongho didn’t want to guess what he was thinking.

For a while, he doesn’t say anything. The silence in the room screamed louder than any rage could, and for once, everyone wished he would just burst out. This calm, quiet fury was more petrifying. Seonghwa wasn’t angry - not yet. 

San looks away from Jongho, sensing the shift, and speaks up with Hongjoong. “We’ve already checked the perimeter…”

San faltered when Seonghwa cut him off with a single glance, shifting uncomfortably when his boss didn't even acknowledge him, lest you count the slow nodding of his head. It was the only indicator of his thoughts, minus the tight clenching of his fists on his chest. 

“Find her,” Seonghwa murmured, his words clipped and deliberate. “And find her quickly.”

Jongho felt Wooyoung shift forward. He wanted to stop him, but that would raise suspicion so he just bit his lip. “We might not be able to this time,” Wooyoung cleared his throat. “We might fail.”

“Your incompetence doesn’t constitute understanding on my end,” Seonghwa said, stepping in front of them so his back was turned towards everybody else. “So don’t fail me.”

Jongho’s heart dropped to his foot when Seonghwa passed him a fleeting glance, a small smirk painted on his lips before he turned back around again. Seonghwa knew, he fucking knew.

“Boss,” Mingi called out. “Don’t you think maybe this is a sign to not let Y/N back?”

The room suddenly turned cold, the silence of his statement almost deafening to everyone’s ears. Seonghwa raised a brow in challenge. “And why is that, my dear Mingi?”

“My loyalties lie with you, my liege,” Mingi spoke, his tone cautious since he knew he was treading on thin ice. “Y/N is a distraction to the operation.”

Everyone held their breath, the tension was undeniable. Seonghwa’s eyes narrow, his pupils dilating ever so slightly as his lips form into a tight, thin line. “I had no idea you’ve gone senile,” he said. “But I respect the audacity.”

In a split second, Seonghwa’s fist connects with Mingi’s guts. The taller groan in surprise, coughing in agony as he clutched his stomach in pain. “Now, now Mingi, you can’t just dish out something and not learn how to take it,” Seonghwa chuckled darkly, tapping the latter on his cheek mockingly.

“You said you respected it,” Mingi coughed out some more.

“I do, as a matter of fact, I do respect you a lot now. But I didn’t say I wouldn’t harm any of you.”

The threat hangs around the air, looming heavily upon them. ”We’ll find her,” Yeosang spoke for the first time, his tone full of promise.

They were used to this side of Seonghwa, but tonight, there was something slightly different about the rage that brewed in his eyes. His patience was what truly made him terrifying, this was true power; something you had never seen since Seonghwa made sure not to. 

“You better,” he simply said. “Or your loyalty won’t be enough to save any of you. One more word about Y/N, I will put the fear of God in all of you. Now, get out.”

No one wasted any time scurrying out the room as if it was on fire. The moment the door shuts behind them, Seonghwa’s calm shatters. 

His rage boils over, and with a single swipe of his hand, papers that were neatly placed on his desk all fall on the floor, shattering the nearby picture frame that held your face. The sound of crashing glass rings through his office.

Seonghwa bangs his hands on the desk, his breaths coming in rugged and raw. When he saw the broken picture frame, like a man possessed, he smashes it further with a solid step of his foot over and over again. The glass shatters completely, it rains down like the shards of his crumbling control. 

“You fucking,” he forcefully brings his fists down on the picture frame, not caring for the glass shards that punctured his skin. “Bitch.” 

“Fuck,” he hissed, the walls shaking as he kicked the nearby cabinet that contained some of his whiskey bottles. He doesn’t care as the slew of expensive bottles came crashing towards the floor. “Fuck!”

The sound of it made everybody freeze from outside the door. Wooyoung’s knuckles turned white behind his hands as he winced at the loud bang from inside the room. “Should we, uhm,” he started, not daring to finish his sentence.

Yeosang’s eyes widened. “We have to stop him before he—”

“No,” Hongjoong snapped sharply. “Are you crazy? You do not want to go in there.”

Another crash sounds, and Jongho’s jaw tightens. He was glad you weren’t here, because this was the worst Seonghwa has ever been with his rage. He watched MIngi’s eyes tick at the next serieses of growls and roars from Seonghwa.

The stay at the motel was the most peaceful yet tense four days of your life. You couldn’t sleep properly at night, half expecting someone in the middle of the day to burst in and just drag you back to Halazia where Seonghwa would be waiting to imprison you again.

You couldn’t stay there anymore, and that’s why you were on your way to the bus station to finally get away. You already talked to one of your sisters, Jinhee, who called you in a panic the other morning when someone was apparently inconspicuously looking for you. You both decided to stay at your other sister’s place, but Jinah wasn’t answering when you tried to call.

The bus stop was quiet, something you appreciated for once given your hectic life track as of late. Your thoughts were a mess, but you were hopeful for peace the moment you got on the bus.

You tried to look for somewhere to sit while you waited, but the nearest one had somebody seated on it. He wore a dark hat that obscured his face, not that it mattered since the newspaper he held and read covered his entire face, anyway.

You hesitated, strange unease settling in the pit of your stomach. You shook it off, choosing to sit at the far corner of the bench to avoid interaction, convincing yourself that it was probably just the nerves making you paranoid.

“Chilly day,” the man started casually all of a sudden. His voice was rich in timbre, and it sounded familiar. “Autumn’s slowly catching up now, isn’t it?”

Your heart rate picked up a notch, taken aback by the unwarranted small talk. You glanced in his direction briefly, that dread spreading through your veins, and now that you thought about it, he sounded oddly familiar.

“Yeah,” you forced out a reply, not willing to engage, trying your best to calm down. After all this, you just couldn’t shake the bad feeling in your chest.

“Traveling far? I’d say it’s dangerous for a young lady like you,” he commented, adjusting himself to scoot closer to you.

Alarm bells went off your head as you felt your skin prickle with the attention. You wanted to say that it was none of his business, and now that you listened closer, he didn’t even sound that old, either. “Sure,” you said quickly. “Just want to get away from this city.”

“Good idea,” he chuckled, shuffling the newspaper and folding it away from his face. “I mean, if people were chasing me from hell under, I would run far, far away as well, but you see…”

Your breath was completely snuffed out of your lungs when the man took the hat off of his face, his head turning towards you with a slow, amused smile. “Like we all said, there was no point in running, Y/N,” San’s voice dropped into a whisper. “I like you, Y/N, I really do, but you are one stubborn girl. He does care for you, you know? It’s sick and obsessive, but he does. And now all he wants to do is hurt you.”

Your froze, your blood hardening into ice. The panic hit you like a tidal wave, where had you gone wrong? You made sure to do everything that Jongho told you to do, made sure that you left no traces of yourself, so how? You felt so stupid for not recognizing San so fast.

You shoved yourself up from the bench, but before you could take a step, his hand shot out, grabbing your wrist with a vice-like grip. “Not so fast,” he murmured, his voice cold now, his earlier casualness gone.

You yanked your arm, but he only tightened his hold. “We’re going back,” he said, his tone final. “And you’re not getting away this time. Unless, you want all the people in here jeopardized,” he gestured his hand all over the station. “Look closer.”

Every instinct screaming at you to run, to fight, to do something, but when you looked around, something didn’t feel right, and then you saw them.

Shivers went up your spine as you recognized some of Seonghwa’s men blended into the crowd like normal people. They were planted, hidden in plain sight, like the briefest flash of the gun tucked in their pants that you knew by now how to spot. They were willing to endanger the people around you just to take you.

It was over. You had no choice but to follow San as he escorted you to the car, the door shutting with a sickening finality. This was the worst case scenario, you’d rather have Mingi because as much of a brute he was, you could predict his actions, with San, you never knew what he was thinking.

Angry tears of shame and sorrow began flowing from your eyes. You knew that this was it for you, your second chance had flown away. Seonghwa and his men had no mercy, and now you’re learning that the hard way.

San wasted no time dragging you out of the car towards your apartment, to your surprise,, but you no longer cared about him, it was Seonghwa that you feared - always had. You could feel it even before you saw him; Seonghwa’s constricting presence was always controlled but deadly.

You were shoved inside the familiar space of your living room, and you didn’t even have to look up to know that he was there, you could just feel him. His power, his rage, hung in the air like thick smoke.

Seonghwa was at the other side of the room, his gaze meeting yours, steady and unwavering. You swallowed your nerves, but there was no point. He just stared at you without any anger or frustration in his face, and perhaps, that was the worst part in all of this. You knew him well enough to see through his well-crafted mask.

You opened your mouth to say something - anything - but what would you say? There was no way you were going to apologize or make any excuses, but the silence was unbearable. Seonghwa wasn’t going to break it anytime soon, but he had no need to. His judging eyes were enough to make you weak in the knees.

He began to walk forward, the clacking of his shoes beneath his feet loud enough to make you wince, and when he reached you, he made no move to touch you like he always did. He did nothing.

Nothing, except hand you a lighter for you to take. “Light it up,” he spoke.

His words were quiet, but there was no mistaking that command in it. Your hands were shaking, having difficulty flicking the lighter open, and it certainly didn’t help that Seonghwa was staring you down. Though you currently hated him, you were careful not to burn his face as your hand neared the cigarette trapped between his lips.

“Open.”

He wasn’t asking, he was instructing. You froze at the implication and everything instinct in you screamed for you to run and resist, but you leaned in as he inhaled deeply before taking the stick out of his mouth and blowing the smoke into yours. The taste of it was raw and bitter, it curled into your lungs along with something else; something that sent a rush of heat towards your chest at the intimacy.

For a while, he didn’t say anything, and you wished that it remained that way even though you were scared that the control he held of himself was going to shatter. “You think you can walk away from me?” Seonghwa finally spoke again, his voice low, still calm, but it cut through the silence like a blade. “Open.”

It was difficult, but you managed not to cough your lungs out at the heavy puff of smoke that almost made you want to gag. But Seonghwa didn’t care. “Keep your trap open until I tell you to close them,” he ordered with a low snarl.

You did as told, the fear completely paralyzing you. His voice was still controlled, his rage was held so tightly within him that it was like the room was vibrating with the power of it. Tears pooled from the corners of your eyes as Seonghwa still blew, and finally, he threw the cigarette butt away somewhere in the middle of the destruction.

“That’s a good girl,” he chuckled darkly. You yelped when he held your jaw tightly in his hand. “Why can’t you be this obedient all the fucking time?”

His grip tightened, not with the frantic violence of someone losing control, but with the calm, methodical pressure of someone who knew exactly how far they could push before breaking someone completely. "Why can’t you behave, huh? Why?"

You faltered, absolutely not liking the way that sounded in your head. You crossed your arms, the fear you had for him completely fizzing out and dying in your chest. “Now, hold on just a second,” you seethed, all the stress of running away and getting caught chasing your filter away.

Seonghwa’s brow raised. It certainly made him curious, so he let you continue. “Seonghwa, you practically kidnapped me with the notion of letting me go afterwards, and when I try to get away from this hell, you drag me down with you. Did you honestly think that I'm a possession you can cling to?”

You were definitely digging your grave deeper and deeper the more you opened your mouth, but you couldn’t take it anymore. All the hurt, the anxiety, the waiting for when Seongha will finally snap was driving you to the wall. You didn’t know how to carry all of this burden alone.

You took a step forward in a burst of confidence, jutting your finger on his chest and prodding him with it like a child. “Enough is enough, Seonghwa,” you said, your voice low and firm. “We were through, we aren’t together anymore. I don’t belong to you, and I sure as hell don’t want to belong to you anymore.”

He clenched his fists, a flicker of hurt crossing his face. Seonghwa opened his mouth to argue like you knew he would, but you cut him off, your voice stronger than you’ve ever heard it before as you finally stood up to him and stood your ground. “I’ve had enough of you trying to cage me like an animal, you sick fuck. You don’t get to suffocate me with your obsession, you don’t get to decide how I fucking live, breath, and exist.”

Tears stung your eyes. They were a mixture of rage and betrayal. The weight of it all was finally breaking through. “You don’t get to guilt me for wanting to live my life, especially without you, why can’t you understand?”

For a moment, Seonghwa’s gaze softened, as if he was finally looking through you for the first time in a while in a different light. He tentatively raised a hand to hold onto you, and his intentions were pure this time as his hand hovered in the air,  but he flinched when you yanked your arm away sharply.

It was too late, you didn’t need that. There was guilt written all over his face, had he really gone too far this time?

“You were never really here for me,” you continued, shaking your head bitterly.

You were done. Done being scared of him, done of losing yourself because of him. Done loving him. “You want to keep a convoluted version of me that you formed in your head, that one that would just stay and follow your every whim, but that’s not who I am, Seonghwa.”

He stood frozen in his spot, his chest caving in as guilt made its way to his heart. He had never intended to fully hurt you, to make you feel that way you did, and for that, he was sorry to a certain extent. Seonghwa’s hand trembled, his palms slick with sweat as angry tears flew down your pretty face. He almost felt bad for you.

Almost.

“The thing I regret the most is you, Seonghwa,” you whispered firmly, but thick with emotion. “I regret ever meeting you and what happened after, but most of all, I regret not leaving you sooner.”

His eyes dropped, the weight of your words crushing his form. “Don’t say that,” he muttered, his voice shaky. His shoulders were slumped, a far cry from his angry and straight they were when you arrived. “I just,” he paused, closing his eyes to take a deep breath. “As fucked up as this is, I do love you, I still do.”

Your breath hitched at your words. “No, Seonghwa. You don’t know what love is, and even if you do, you love me a bit too much that you’re not allowing me to leave a little for myself because you want it all.”

“But, don’t say that you regret everything,” he said exasperatedly. “I loved you with all that I have, I will continue that until I cease to exist. Remember when we went on that trip where you told me you finally loved me, too? Or when we both would stay up all night to watch the stars while we talked about our future?”

He held your hands, almost desperately, as his words  just spilled out from him without thinking. “Those were real, that was us, and you might not believe me, but I swear on Ateez those were all true. You can’t deny them.”

It was true that you and Seonghwa had good moments where you wanted them to last forever, but they felt distant, like a fleeting dream that never happened. “I don’t regret our moments,” you pulled your hands away. “I regret that you twisted them into something dark.”

You wanted to deny what he said to make him feel a fraction of all the hardships he had brought upon you, but you couldn’t. Just like his actions, you could never take back your words. I did the right thing, you thought, your heart aching as you stared at the lone tear that fell from Seonghwa’s eye. 

He wasn’t the only one. You weren’t ready to let go either, but this was a start. It was a truth you weren’t going to admit to his face. You were in love with Park Seonghwa, and you couldn’t breathe because you always will be, but love wasn’t supposed to hurt like this. Love can never be designed.

Seonghwa stiffened, his mind reeling with all the things you’ve finally let out for him to hear. I regret everything. It echoed like a broken record in his head, and yet, a part of him couldn’t let go. He shook his head, trying to reel in his thoughts before they no longer became his, trying to pull in the beast that was threatening to break free from his mind.

But your words reverberated in his skull, the pressure building on it from the suffocating guilt that covered his head. He didn’t want to hurt you anymore, but it was too late.The realization was like a punch to his gut, and he had no one to blame but himself.

You watched him fight his demons, slight fear coming back into your chest, but you waited to see what he’s going to do. 

Seonghwa’s breathing became ragged and laboured as he tried to massage his temples into coherency. Why didn’t he just let you the first time? No, he was doing what he thought was right, because his all-consuming love needed you so much. His mind grew darker and before he could lash out, he walked away from you and turned around.

For a long moment, silence filled the room. You watched Seonghwa try and compose himself, his hands shaking repeatedly while his head shook back and forth. It was like Seonghwa was actively trying to cast out and fight the demons that tried to possess his soul before it could completely take over him.

But when he turned around, the look in his eyes told you that it was too late. Seonghwa knew it was too late, he had done too much, the only way to move was forward.

“I want to kill you,” he softly admitted. “To finally stop your ghost from haunting me. But I can’t live without you.”

The confession left a painful tightness in your throat, but you remained strong and steadfast. You weren’t even angry anymore, you were just tired of him walking over you. “You’ve gone mad,” you stated. “Scaring me isn’t the way to go about this.”

“It is better to be feared than loved, if I cannot have both,” he replied rhetorically, digging into the waist of his pants to pull out a pistol. He stood there, not lifting it yet, but the way he gripped the cold metal of the gun had you trembling in your spot.

You didn’t move - you couldn’t move. Seonghwa’s guilt mixed with his anger, twisting his mind into something else. He never lost control like this, but he had also never felt his heart break into a million pieces like this.

The gun shook in his hand, the barrel still aimed at the floor. It was wrong and he knew it, but you were his everything, and now, not only were you walking away from him, but you were completely disintegrating in his head into nothing but somebody that he used to know. 

“Seonghwa,” you whispered, barely audible from the demons that screamed in your own head. “Don’t make me leave like this, please, put the gun down.”

He didn’t move, didn’t say anything. It was worse than you thought, his mind was far more gone than you thought possible. You continued, swallowing your nerves down, more than ready to plead for your life. “Please, Seonghwa. I’m no one, just L/N Y/N, a 27-year old nobody,” your voice cracked.

Your legs finally gave out and you chose to sit on the floor. You looked up at him, putting your hands up like some sort of Hail Mary. “I was a nobody you stumbled upon in that restaurant, I was born in a dinky little town you had no idea existed. My parents are both teachers, and I have two sisters. Please Seonghwa, I haven’t done anything at all in this life, I haven’t lived, I’ve barely just begun, please, I haven’t finished anything at all.”

You sniffled, trying to keep your tears at bay. “D-Don’t kill me,” you pleaded. “I don’t want to die.”

Seonghwa contemplates. You practically watched the gears in Seonghwa’s head turn, his mind racing in a frantic spiral. You were surprised when he gave you the gun, grabbing your hand ro wrap it around the handle, kneeling down to your level on the floor, and pointed the barrel at himself, the tip pressing on his forehead.

“If you shoot me, what will you leave behind?” Seonghwa asked.

Your heart twisted violently at the odd question. It was more cruel than pointing the gun at you, because you knew that your answer would be dependent on whether you will live or not.

“A world without you,” you answered without hesitation.

You couldn't take Seonghwa's unnecessary obsession with you anymore. Seonghwa stared at you, his brows furrowing as he internalized the answer that you gave him.

"Go ahead and shoot, dove," Seonghwa said. "It's the only way you'll ever be free of me."

You stood frozen in your spot, the gun feeling cold in your hands. You've dreamt of this for so long, about completely ridding yourself of Seonghwa so you could get back the freedom he had stolen from you a long time ago. He looked vulnerable and open, while you were given a chance to make that dream come true.

And yet, you couldn't do it.

And Seonghwa knew you couldn't do it. He smirked. You screamed, a pitiful attempt at it, as he dismantled you and grabbed the gun back, only this time, it was pointing at you, instead. "You could have pulled the trigger and painted the walls with my brain," he taunted, cocking the safety lever. "Let's play a game of Russian Roulette."

"What's that going to accomplish?"

"If you give me a minute, I could change your mind," he shrugged. "But if you give me a bullet, I could change your life."

Seonghwa points a gun at your face, point blank, the nozzle pressing down your forehead. "What say you, Y/N?"

He was crazy. You closed your eyes, resigning to your fate. Seonghwa pulls the trigger, and then nothing. You couldn’t believe it, but still, you heaved a sigh of relief. You should have known that the gun was empty.

When you opened your eyes again, Seonghwa was livid. You release a cry that you've been holding. He grabbed your head, furious. "The love I'm willing to give you terrifies you, but death doesn't?”

This was it. It was this moment that will forever haunt you, because this was the moment that you knew something in Seonghwa had snapped.

Your breath got caught in your throat, the reality of the situation sinking in on you. His eyes gleamed with insanity, his pupils dilated with something wild and manic, and the feverish look in them twisted with madness that made your blood run cold. There was nothing human about it. Seonghwa was beyond saving.

“You’re scaring me, Seonghwa, please, let go,” you trembled in his grip, but he didn’t even notice. He was so lost.

“You think love is supposed to be sweet, gentle, or some other bullshit that’s supposed to feel good?” Seonghwa gnarled with unsettling fervor, nails digging into your skin. He shook his head violently. “No, it’s supposed to be consuming, something that takes everything. Just like what you’ve taken from me.”

“I didn’t take anything from you,” you thrashed around from his grip when his other hand held your hips to settle you, not caring if he scratched you at this point with the other. “S-Seonghwa, stop it!”

At the height of your desperation, you collapsed onto the floor with him, it was how hard he was gripping your waist as he tried to run away. His hands slam onto the ground when he ended up underneath him, but what truly horrified you was when he threw his head back and started laughing out loud. It was no longer the laugh of a regular person, the sound of it was shrill, hollow, and maddened. “Let me explain something to you,” he gritted his teeth, leaning down. “Love can be nurtured and rebuilt. It’s a pathetic attempt to construct something out of nothing, and I will dismantle and reshape yours until you look at me with the same love you used to look at me with before you—”

Your hand flew to his face before you could think, slapping his cheek with such force the crack of it was so loud against the room. You were horrified, you didn’t mean to hurt him, but the idea of what he was saying just sickened you because love can’t be molded from blood and pain. Seonghwa’s eyes darted towards yours, and for a split second, he looked betrayed.

That is, until his face contorted into something grotesque, and he grabbed your hands. You paled, because he started banging his head on your fists violently as he screamed, a horrible primal sound that came from within his guts.

“No, no, no!” Seonghwa bellowed like a madman. “I just want you to love me—”

“Seonghwa, stop it, stop!” You screamed, trying to pry your hands back from him because you were genuinely scared now, not even caring that your hands were hurting really bad from the hardness of his head.

“Stop!”

He paused, eyes bulged with fury. He lets go of your hands and you let them fall to your sides as you watch him get off of you to drop on his knees and bang his fists on your wooden floor. “I can’t take this anymore,” his breath came in jagged rasps. “I”m not crazy, fuck. Fucking hell, Y/N. I just want you.”

He broke down. You sat down, completely scooting away from him, watching as his tears fell down. His sobs, you were terrified of how guttural and broken they sounded. It was the image of a man who had lost his mind so long ago. “How can you do this to me?” Seonghwa growled through his tears. “This is the second time you left me, how can you fucking do this to me?”

His forehead was pressed against the unforgiving surface of the floor. His sobs were quiet at first, and it did hurt to hear. You clearly weren’t the only one suffering whether it was wrong or right. Soon enough, his cries became louder, more devastatingly raw, and more desperate.

Against your better judgment, you not only felt fear for yourself, but for Seonghwa as well. A split second of thought passes through you, had you made him like this? You knew that wasn’t the case, but as you stared at the tremors that shook his entire frame, you couldn’t help but think that you had some sort of part in this.

This wasn’t Seonghwa, what had become of the man you used to love?

Your heart pounded in your chest when his gaze met yours. You didn’t even have time to scream as he charged towards you to grip your shoulders. “Love me,” Seonghwa grinned, teeth bared, eyes widened with insanity. “That should fix this, love me once more, pretty dove. Be mine again.”

“You don’t know what you want,” you back up, terror seeping in your bones. 

“No, you don’t understand,” he grabbed your shoulders tighter and a yelp slipped your lips. He tightened his hold, his eyes widening a bit more that he resembled a mental asylum patient. ”Love me.”

Tears fall down your eyes in sheer horror. Seonghwa bites his lips, groaning in pleasure at your scared display. You flinched when the back of his shaking hands tried to caress your cheeks. 

It was a mistake. His eyes squint dangerously, yet his lips still remained in that disturbed smile, frozen in his face perpetually. “Seonghwa, please, you’re scaring me—-“

“I love you so much, dove,” he cooed mockingly. His fists bunched up your hair in a tight bun and pulled on your head. “Why is it so fucking difficult for you to love me back?”

Pitiful screams erupt from your mouth as Seonghwa rattled your head around, as if doing so would make you change your mind. Your hands tried to pry his hands, the pain on your scalp blooming bigger. “Seonghwa, s-stop, please! Please!”

To your utter surprise, amidst your dizziness, he does stop. Your eyes were nearly rolling behind your head and if he didn’t stop, you might have thrown up. His tear-streaked, bloodshot eyes emphasized the current state of his mind as he cradles your face in between his hands almost lovingly,

Almost. It felt infantilizing. It made you sick.

“Are you going to love me now?” Seonghwa asked one more time, his eyes flicking between tenderness and madness. “Do you fucking love me now?”

A strained whimper escapes your throat, a choked out cry accompanying it. It was a sick symphony; a travesty made worse when Seonghwa leaned in until his lips were touching the shell of your ear.

"Tell me you love me," he ordered, his voice deceptively soft.  "I might do something you and I will both regret if you don't."

You swallowed, quivering with intense dread. Your knees threatened to buckle under all the weight of what Seonghwa was demanding of you at this very moment. "I-I love you, please..."

You held your breath when Seonghwa put his fingers on either side of your mouth, stretching them sideways to give the illusion that you were actually smiling. It was something straight out of a horror film, your tears wouldn't stop falling as he literally forced a smile out of you.

"That wasn't so hard, wasn't it? You did it," he praised, stroking your hair gently like he wasn't doing anything wrong. To be fair, in his mind, he wasn't doing anything wrong.

You jumped when he suddenly grabbed your chin and squeezed your cheeks together. It was slightly painful, and it elicited a pained groan from you. "But, I don’t believe you."

He pushed your face away with such a force, your head snapped to the side. It was when your legs lost their strength and you crumpled to the ground in one heap of a mess. And you knew deep in your heart, Seonghwa’s show of cruelty wasn’t what was truly crushing you.

The most painful thing about all of this was that despite all of this insanity, despite all the chaos and madness, was that you weren’t lying - you still loved Seonghwa. You still loved him with every fiber of your being.

True imprisonment wasn’t him forcing you into a room and locking you in and not letting you go until he was satisfied, it was all these feelings trapped in your heart even if it threatened to tear you apart. Seonghwa was not a good person, he was a monster, yet the love still lingered, clinging to you like a disease.

This pain in your heart, it was the proof that you still loved him. And that is the worst of it, you knew better than this.

Finally, something in Seonghwa’s chest began to lift as he stared at your pitiful form. When he closed his eyes, for what felt like an eternity, images of your smile filled his head. For a moment, he was filled with the love he felt for you for the first time, that pureness before it got tainted with something dark.

“I’ll let you go,” he whispered brokenly. His eyes filled with a broken kind of longing, eyes searching your face to read your expression. “I love you, Y/N. God, I love you. But I’m letting you go. I can’t live like this, either. I have an organization waiting for me.”

He hesitated, his voice hoarse with resignation. “One last time. Before you go. One last night, together. No more pain, no more bitterness. Just us.”

You almost didn’t want to believe it, was Seonghwa really going to let you go? Surely, it couldn’t be this easy. You highly doubted what he said, just staring at him with suspicion. He sighed frustratedly, his hands combing his hair in a mess and letting them hang over his face. You frowned, the state of his hair was the state of his mind. He hated it getting messed up.

His words came out strained. For a second, you felt bad for him. He was giving up, Seonghwa never gave up, but this was it, your ticket to freedom. “I would never stop wanting you, and needing you, Y/N. You have to get away from me.”

“Okay,” you whispered, trying to summon the courage to feel what you had in your heart even if it was for tonight. “One last time.”

“Prove it,” he suddenly blurted out. His eyes locked with yours, and your chest almost exploded with the urgent need in them. “I want to believe you, dove, I really do. I can see it in your eyes. Come with me.”

Here come the excuses that fuel the illusions, but you’d rather feel something, than nothing at all. 

You should have felt repulsed, but here you were, grabbing the hand that he offered until he pulled you to the other room, one that you knew all too well. Seonghwa’s lips were on yours before you could think of anything else. 

A groan sounds from the back of his throat as he pins you to the wall, his kisses frantic and desperate as if he was trying to feed his own illusions. You opened your mouth to take his intruding tongue, the wet muscle exploring the crevices of your mouth like he’s never done it before.

You wanted to cry, how could you still give him all of you when he was a far cry from the person you used to know? You suddenly didn’t know who was truly insane here, the roots of his madness had slowly uprooted themselves in you and it was difficult to pluck them away at this point.

You hated this, even as his mouth was hot and bruising against yours, because despite the danger in his eyes and the way his hands shook with the need to possess you, your heart still ached to reach for him.

“H-Hwa,” you gasped when he pulled your head backwards by your head, exposing your beck to his desires.”

“Shhh,” he hushed you, burying his head on the crook of your neck, wasting no time planting his love bites to mark you, the one he knew that drove you crazy. Stars aligned your vision as he sucked the delicate skin of your neck, taking his time to graze his teeth on them and alternating between the two.

You’d really rather feel something, than nothing at all.

He grabbed your hand, firmly guiding it to his crotch, using his other hand to unzip his pants and lower them. He wraps your hand on his aching cock, gasping softly as you feel it hard and pulsing in your hand. “F-Fuck, baby,” he hissed. “Touch me, please, I-I need it.”

Your breathing grew faster as you closed your hand around it and began stroking it. His moans of pleasure hit your ear followed by the sensual calling of your name that slipped from his tongue and you couldn’t help but squeeze him. You cried out in surprise when both his hands quickly slipped under your shirt and grabbed your breasts, his fingers digging in deep.

“Seonghwa! H-Hwa,” you breathed out, not caring for the consequences. You forgot the fear, just focusing on his lips that still attacked your neck.

“Take your panties off, dove,” he panted, his ragged breaths against your ear turning the last coherent parts of your brain into mush. “Now, love dove, please.”

You didn’t let his cock go - you didn’t want to - turning your head a bit to whisper in his ear, “Yes, mommy,” in the most sensual voice you’ve ever mustered, surprising even yourself. You obeyed, your panties hitting the floor.

“Oh, fuck, my love, y-you can’t just do that,” he growled, shuddering against your skin.

“W-Why? I like the way you touch me,” you breathed out as his fingers adeptly plucked your nipples with his fingers, rolling them in between to stimulate pleasure out of you in the best way possible.

He chuckled, planting a soft kiss on your temple. “Let go.”

You pouted in dissatisfaction when his hands stopped fondling your breasts and pulling yours away from his cock, but your eyes widened when he lifted one of your legs up and held it up, pressing onto your body impossibly closer. “Look at me,” he grunted. “Look at me.”

You’ve never been fucked standing up before. You kept your eyes on him, almost exploding at how hooded and lidded they were as sweat trailed down from his temples to his lashes. “Hwa, o-oh my God, mmm,” you moaned out when he positioned his cock in between your pussy lips.

He gives you a lazy smile as he rubs the head on your clit, satisfaction rolling through him at the ecstasy written on your face. “You want it?” Seonghwa softly asked even though he was aching to plunge inside you immediately.

You found yourself questioning the reality of what was happening, doubting, but your body had other plans. You haven’t seen Seonghwa smile without any malice in a long, long time. You lifted your head, you had to lean it against Seonghwa’s own forehead since he was basically towering over you. You heard his gulp hard, watched him close his eyes. It was all he needed to know.

“Seonghwa,” you cried out when he started to enter you, his hand snaking on your behind to push you towards his intruding cock, completely filling you to the brim with his throbbing thickness. The both of you still had your tops on, but it didn’t stop his heat from migrating towards you. “S-So good.”

“Oh, fuck,” he growled under his breath, burying his head on your shoulders once more to savour the sensation of your pussy clenching around him as he began thrusting into you with a brutal pace of his hips. “Hold on tight, sweetie, I’m going to fuck you harder, yeah?”

“M-Mhhm—Hwa, mmm, Hwa!” Your cries were loud and grating against your throat, the pleasure overtaking all of your senses. You were pretty sure his men heard it from outside the house. You didn’t care, all you felt was Seonghwa’s hot breath against your ear as he nibbled on it.

You gasped when he pulled out momentarily to peel you off the wall. He turned you around before he pushed you again, growling as his cock entered you from behind this time. You couldn’t stop the blush forming on your cheeks as you faced the floor-length mirror you had in your room, Seonghwa’s dark eyes watching your tits sway back and forth from his thrusts.

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” he taunted, his hand groping one of your tits. “Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? Look at you, fucking yourself back on my cock.”

You cried as he hit a particular spot inside you as your hips buckled to meet his. He points at somewhere in particular. “Why don’t you be a sweetheart and give that gun back to me?”

You didn’t care anymore, you were drowning in pleasure, far too gone to think about what he was asking you. You scrambled, getting his pistol from the nightstand where he put it earlier and handed it to him. “S-Seonghwa—”

“I love you so fucking much, you don’t even understand,” he groaned amidst the slapping of skin on skin echoing through the walls of your bedroom. Your hips stilled momentarily when he pointed the gun on the back of your head. “Relax,” he chuckled. “It’s not loaded, remember?”

You licked your lips, actually ashamed at the arousal that coated your inner walls, subconsciously clenching on Seonghwa’s cock at the image you saw on the mirror in front of you. “Fuck me,” he mouthed, digging the gun into your hair.

“Fuck, Seonghwa,” you choked out, moving your hips once more to feel his thick length move inside you. This wasn’t supposed to be hot, it wasn’t supposed to be this much of a turn on for you, but it was.

“You wanna know something, baby?” Seonghwa leaned towards your ear, his grunts spurring your hips to move backwards and forward. “You’re just as sick as I am. You really should be ashamed of yourself for getting turned on about this.”

You moaned impossibly louder as you shoved your behind faster on him over and over again, his full length stretching you out with each thrust. This image will be ingrained in Seonghwa’s brain forever, and he wasn’t going to last another second longer. “G-Gonna come, baby—fuck.”

You gasped, clamping around his length as you felt his warmth fill up your insides. Seonghwa growled loudly, his breathing strained and laboured as he thrust in a couple more times before suddenly pulling out and kneeling down. “H-Hwa, what are you—”

Your eyes rolled at the back of your head at his tongue’s onslaught, your arousal mixed with his sticky cum dripping down from your hole all the way down his tongue as he lapped on it, some of the excess trailing down from your thighs all the way down to your feet. Your hands planted themselves on Seonghwa’s hair, unconsciously pulling on it as you continued to cream in his mouth.

The way his tongue rolled on your sensitive bud had your knees buckling, but Seonghwa made sure to keep you up, not even bothering to pause, and just like a hurricane, the force of your orgasm knocked the wind out of your lungs as the hot, searing flash of white blinded you for a couple of second.

It set you on fire, and he dove at your pussy with enthusiasm. Seonghwa took long, broad licks of your pussy, pausing every so often to push his whole tongue into you, wiggle it around, and then focus on your clit.

He repeated this pattern a dozen times, you had your hands in his hair, and as you approached orgasm, your grip got tighter and tighter. Seonghwa groaned at the sensation, and finally, you let loose with another loud moan, forcing his face into you even further as you reached your second climax. “Seonghwa…”

“Just like that, baby, come on my tongue, mmm,” Seonghwa coaxed you through the wild shaking of your body until you let out the deepest sigh accompanied with a small whine of overstimulation. His licks slowed down, his hands caressing your soft thighs, before finally stopping to stand back up.

“Get on the bed,” he held your arm and slightly pushed you towards it without even waiting for your response.

You blinked repeatedly at him. “W-What?”

“You heard me,” he deadpanned, unbuttoning his crisp, white shirt before tossing it randomly somewhere along with the gun. “On your back. I’m not done fucking you.”

You weren’t supposed to be turned on by that, but you were. You swallowed when you looked down and realized he was still fully hard even after coming inside you. You did as told, trying hard not to stutter in your steps as you laid on your bed, letting Seonghwa spread your legs to position himself in between them.

“Arms up,” he whispered. You did as told without hesitation, letting him also take your shirt off along with your bra until you were completely bare beneath him. He groaned at the sight of you, especially your glistening pussy, still half-full with his cum. “Stubborn as you are, you’re so fucking beautiful,” he murmured, leaning down to capture your lips.

“I want you inside me," you whispered to his mouth and his eyes closed in bliss as you guided his hard cock to your wet, slick pussy.

For a moment, you forgot how deranged he was. Seonghwa poured all the love, no matter how crazed it was, his affection, and his passion in the kiss. You quickly accommodated him, kissing him back just as passionately, immediately tasting yourself and him on your tongue. “Mhhm,” you whimpered as you felt his cock slowly slide into you.

He pulled away to whisper against your mouth. “Wrap your legs around me, love.”

You did as told, moaning in his mouth as he pushed himself more until he was, once again, all the way inside you as deeply as he could. You swallowed Seonghwa’s moans, his thrusts shallow. He would pull in just enough for the tip to remain before slowly thrusting back into you. 

He was as gentle as possible, but it wasn’t going to last long. You hoped it didn’t last.

“Fuck, Y/N, this pussy is mine,” Seonghwa growled, giving it to you exactly as you wanted - hard, fast, rough -  not caring if you were a screaming mess. He just kept pounding you down the mattress and it shook the bed with how forceful he was.

“Tell me you love me, even if it’s just for tonight,” he begged, eyes filled with unshed tears as he stared down at you. “Even if it’s a lie, tell me you love me.”

But that was the thing. It wasn’t going to be a lie. His eyes widened a bit when he realized that you weren’t going to be lying. 

“I love you, Hwa. I love you,” you sniffled with tears of your own. 

He smiled. He smiled. “I love you, too, my dear,” he whispered. “I really do.”

“Hwa, Hwa, H-Hwa, f-fuck,” you clenched at the sight of him on top of you, the usual prim and proper look on him long gone, replaced by someone primal who devoured you whole. 

“Louder, baby,” he groaned out loudly, his eyes dropping heavily with lust, his hips slamming onto your ass obscenely. “I want the entire neighbourhood to know who you belong to, f-fuck.”

His groans were just as loud as yours, it was honestly such a turn on. He smirked at your fucked out expression. “Look at you, baby,” he chuckled darkly, leaning down to press lightly on your neck. “Fuck, look at you going dumb around my cock, yes, squeeze me, love, squeeze my fucking cock.”

You didn’t want to be fucked anymore, you needed to be destroyed. “Fuck, yes, just like that, my love, feel my fucking cock deep in you,” he panted out, slamming into you even harder.

He was going deeper in you with all his might, sweat dripping down from his forehead to your chest. His arms rippled as he supported his own weight and you felt his back muscles moving as he continued with his assault on your poor pussy. 

“D-Don’t stop, Hwa, please, keep f-fucking,” you begged, stars lighting up your vision everytime you felt the tip of his cock hit the back of your pussy.

You could hear Seonghwa groan and curse earnestly, barely audible over the hard smacks of your hips against the solid wall of his thighs. You could barely keep yourself together as he used you like a toy. “My only purpose is to fuck you over and over again,” he gritted out, holding your head in his hands as your body went back and forth on his cock. “You ready to take my cum again?”

You nodded, eyes wide in anticipation. “Y-Yes, mommy, give me your cum, please.”

His hips stuttered, his mouth dropping down, roughly pounding into you. “You, fuck,” he moaned out, his voice roaring loudly in the air. “Y-You will never, ever be satisfied with someone else once I’m through with you.”

Seonghwa’s face twisted in concentration, his teeth gritting as his thrusts slowed down, and you gasped audibly when you felt another round of his seed warm the walls of your pussy. “Y/N, dove, a-ah, fuck,” he whimpered, his voice high pitched with all the pleasure he felt as he pulsated inside you.

You were delirious at this point, but when he gripped your legs tightly once more to hoist them up his shoulders, you sobered up really quick. You squealed pathetically, his reinsertion setting your nerves on fire. “H-Hwa, f-fuck–”

“That’s it, baby,” Seonghwa moaned, his eyes fluttering close, biting his bottom lip at the quivering sensation that ruled his body. Overstimulation threatened to snap his cock into two, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted all of you.

“Baby, fuck, ngh,” he whined, his deep voice absolutely nowhere to be found and, God, it absolutely did something to you. His eyes closed shut, his hips stuttering in the cadence of his never-ending thrusts. You didn’t have time to be surprised, Seonghwa was insane. Surely, it didn’t just stop there. 

Your lips crashed together once more in a hungry kiss, Seonghwa’s hips pistoning into you in and out, grunts of pain reaching your ears. “I’m g-gonna keep fucking you,” he gritted his teeth, pain blooming on his groin, pleasure just right behind it. “I’m not gonna stop…”

He completely engulfed you in his arms as your legs dropped down to his waist to tighten your grip on him, pulling him impossibly closer to you, grinding onto his body with a delicious friction.

If it was possible, the overstimulating pain made Seonghwa rougher, more intense, and more desperate than ever before. The bed squeaked beneath you but you could barely hear it over Seonghwa’s roars. “You’re mine, Y/N, you’re all mine, fuck,” he growled, his teeth sinking into your shoulder. “Mine.”

“Seonghwa, a-ah, S-Seonghwa, wanna c-come,” you whined at the pain, but it just made him bite deeper. It was all you needed to feel that familiar tickle in your groin, and your heat began to wrap around him even tighter at the sensation. “O-Oh, S-Seonghwa, come inside me—”

It was all he needed to come undone. You gasped audibly when he put his hands behind your head to forcibly make you look him in the eye. His eyes blazed with fury and determination amidst the pain of his cock driving in and out of you. The insanity was back, and he made sure you saw it. 

“I’ll breed you. Put my babies in you so you’d never leave me again,” he panted, hilting himself with one final thrust before yelling out on your shoulders, barely muffling the sound. 

You weren’t completely drowning in that much pleasure to agree. “H-Hwa, baby, t-this isn’t right,” you whimpered, mouth dropped open at the tingling sensation another orgasm wanted to bring. 

You felt his seed shoot inside you one final time and it was all you needed. “Come, baby, come on my cock, please, please, please, come on my fucking cock,” he gasped as the pleasure become to much for him. 

Your body began to seize against his hold. Seonghwa covered your lips with his with a kiss that spoke volumes. He let you moan onto his tongue as your cunt pulsed all around his cock, reaching a euphoria your mind couldn’t comprehend. You both stayed locked together, savouring the comedown, but not really ready to let go as of yet.

And when Seonghwa finally pulled out, he couldn’t help the growl that emitted from the back of his throat as his cum began spilling out of you in copious amounts. Even he was surprised at how much cum was spilling out of your used, puffy cunt. His cock was numb. 

He smirked, it was all worth it.

“So, this is it, I suppose,” you breathed out, laying down in bed tiredly, carefully lifting the blankets to cover yourself. Not that you needed to keep decency. “I hope you know that I do care for you, but I also want you to know that we both need time away to heal from each other.”

You looked at him, searching his face for any sign of manipulation or desperation, but all you saw was raw, unguarded emotion. The kind you hadn’t seen from him in months. He sighed, turning to his side and facing you. “Can I ask you something?” Seonghwa muttered.

You nodded your head, awaiting his question. “Have you ever wondered what we could have been if I was just Park Seonghwa? Not the mafia lord, not the criminal, not the murderer. Just Seonghwa.”

What he was asking of you hit you harder than you thought. It made sense that he’d ask, it was the main reason you left, after all. “Every single day,” you admitted. “I would imagine we’d be married by now, maybe we’d have had our first child, too.”

Seonghwa let out a laugh that sounded more self-deprecating than anything. It was soft, but full of pain - the pain of recognizing that the what-ifs would remain just that. “When you walked out on me,” he exhaled slowly. “I could’ve stopped you, I could’ve tried harder, maybe made more false promises. Believe it or not, I did give you space.”

“You did,” you stated, rather than asked, your voice cracking. You weren’t ready to talk about these, but this might be the last time you’d ever see Seonghwa.

“I did,” he confirmed. “Would you have come back to me if I didn’t chase you around?”

You swallowed the lump in your throat. You let the question linger in the air, because this was something you’d never asked yourself before. “I don’t know,” you answered. “And we’ll both never know. We can’t change what happened, and we can’t rewrite the past.”

Seonghwa met your gaze again, and this time, there was no anger and no regret, just the aching kind of understanding as his stare was fixed towards you. There was something in the intensity of his stare that made you catch your breath. He didn’t blink, nor did he look away. He just stared at you.

“In a perfect world, you’d want me, need me, as much I do,” he whispered, jutting his hand out to caress your cheek. “I knew you’d never want this, but I also know because you’d have come running back to me anyway because you love me. You’d have surrendered to me and if you did, I wouldn’t chase you like a fool. I would be letting you go.”

“I’m tired of thinking, Seonghwa. I really am. There’s not much I can think of but the reality where we’re in right now,” you said.

“And I really wish that you didn’t think. I wish that you knew for certain. But unfortunately, this world is not perfect. Tell me what you want, Y/N. Right here, right now.”

You opened your mouth, but the words didn’t come right away. The way his eyes reflected all the hope, albeit only a little, crushed you. “I want to be free,” you finally said, the words strange in your mouth. “We both need to stop living in a lie, Seonghwa. I’m not the same, and neither are you.”

It hurt for you to say these things out loud, but it needed to be done. He didn’t say anything for a while, and you could tell he was hurting, as well. This man was once your world, but not anymore. You can’t carry him and the weight of his pain on your shoulders anymore. “Will you set me free? Can you let me go once and for all?”

It takes Seonghwa several seconds to fully understand your request, but when he finally does, a nauseating sensation overwhelms him, a sickness settling in his stomach, twisting around his insides. He always believed there was nothing he wouldn’t do for you, that’s how much he loved you, yet you just managed to find something. “One more question,” he insisted softly.

“What?”

“I know you still love me. Might be more than I love you, might be less. Will you ever stop loving me?”

The question was simple, but the way it knocked all the air out of your lungs made you think otherwise. You wanted to lie, wanted to look Seonghwa in the eye and tell him the opposite of what you truly felt for him. In fact, it would be very easy to lie to his face because this was your freedom.

Seonghwa’s gaze was steady, like he already knew the answer, but needed to hear it from you. He held his breath, still waiting for you to say something, but you were too frozen to do so.

You avoided eye contact. “Does it matter?”

“Yes,” he answered a bit too quickly for your liking.

“No, I don’t think I will,” you admitted, finally at peace with the truth, because deep down, you knew that this was the last time you’d ever say it out loud. Even though you still loved Seonghwa dearly, you had to let go for good.

For the first time, the truth didn’t hurt you. 

Something resolute passes through his eyes before he finally breaks eye contact with you, repositioning himself on the bed to lay down on his back to stare at the ceiling. “I’m moving to New York next week. Permanently. We all are,” he said. “Operations there are far more beneficial for me since the crime rate will help a lot.”

As much as that statement felt like a punch to the gut for you, a small part of your brain was telling you that this was a good thing because the finality of you and Seonghwa not seeing each other again was coming into place. 

This was why you couldn’t be with Seonghwa no matter how much you loved each other. His ties to the mafia and illicit dealings was the least of your concern - it was the danger that will forever lurk with him. You were never ready for the emotional and psychological toll it will inflict you. You didn’t want Seonghwa to come home with a bullet between his eyes or have to visit him in jail. Never mind the constant target for retaliation should something go wrong with an enemy group.

“I see,” you replied, not knowing what else to say.

“Let’s have coffee one last time before I leave,” he pleaded. “Would you grant me that right even though you owe me nothing but ignorance?”

It was innocent enough, but it wasn’t that simple. You wanted to establish that line between the two of you as early as now, yet there was that longing that always reared its ugly head whenever you tried to push it down.

Why was it that when you were this close to pulling away, Seonghwa makes your heart flutter again? What is it about him that kept pulling you back?

The walk to the cafe was nerve-wracking for you, to say the least. The last time you were here, you didn’t know where you stood with Seonghwa. It hasn’t even been four months since then and yet, it felt like it was a lifetime ago.

You hesitated, your foot rooted to the ground directly outside the entrance. The closer you got to going in, the wider the hole in your gut got. You figured it was just the nerves, you were finally saying goodbye to your tormentor - as fucked as that sounded - after all the days you were trapped in confusion and pain.

You took a deep breath, choosing to leave your nerves behind and making your choice, something you haven’t made for yourself in a while.

You weren’t ready, not in the slightest, but there he was. Seonghwa sat in the same corner where you were the last time, and for once, he wasn’t purposefully late, or rather, he chose not to humiliate you this time and made you wait to no end. 

You couldn’t help but stare at him. He was staring out to the world in deep thought, his hands shoved deep in his  pockets. He wasn’t even doing anything, yet his quiet elegance still commanded respect. Seonghwa leaned casually against his chair, his dark, tailored coat hugging his body just right and his hair neatly combed up - far from the hot mess of a man who was on top of you the other week.

Your heart thudded in your chest. He looked like he was leaving for good.

And then, he was suddenly looking at you. “Hey,” he whispered, almost unsure. It was a type of voice you haven’t heard from him in so long. The last time you heard it was when he was asking you to marry him one cool, summer night a year and a half back.

“Hey,” you smiled tightly, putting your lips in a thin line as you tentatively approached the table. Truth be told, you wanted to walk away. Something was gnawing in your chest. But the part that loved him so, the part that wanted to let go, didn’t.

“I didn’t think you’d actually come,” Seonghwa gestured to your seat, even going as far as pulling your chair for you and pushing it back for you to sit on like a gentleman. He had a serene smile on his face when he went back to his. “But, I’m glad you’re here.”

He, once again, gestures his slender hands, but this time, at the table in front of you. He already took the liberty to order some food. It was one of the rarer things that you didn’t take offense to when it came to him; as warped as his mind was, he did cater to your needs very well, and that included the type of food you liked to eat and how you liked your coffee.

“Thank you,” you murmured, taking a small sip of your vanilla iced coffee, pleased to find that Seonghwa had already requested extra syrup. It was extra sweet this time, though, but you weren’t complaining. “When are you leaving?”

His sharp eyes calculated your every move, lingering on your lips a little too long before his own lips twitched ever so slightly. “In two hours,” he replied. “Most of our stuff is already in transit. I just have to be physically there. I really just wanted us to end on a decent note.”

You blinked, not totally processing his words at first. It hit you like stone when it did. You smiled back, though it didn’t quite reach your eyes. “It can’t get more decent than this,” you murmured. It was true, this was the first time that the strain between the two of you wasn’t crackling in the air.

You took another sip of your coffee, just so you weren’t sitting so awkwardly and so stiffly. The aftereffects of the months of unresolved tension were making you dizzy, an almost surreal sensation clouding your vision. Huh, you thought, you underestimated how stressed you actually were.

“You okay?” Seonghwa asked, brows furrowed together, his lips strung in a deep frown. There was an imperceptible shift in his expression, but the haze was too much for you to calculate what it really meant.

“Yeah,” you said,  taking a deep breath and hoping that the dizziness would pass. “I’m just a little tired.”

You booked a little vacation on the seaside for tomorrow, something you didn’t tell Seonghwa. You had no need to. You were looking forward to that as you were seated, thanking your lucky stars that you actually booked it at the last minute. You needed to unwind after all of this.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You’re pale, love,” Seonghwa raised his hand to touch you, something you rejected with a wave of your hand, and something he surprisingly respected.

He sounded a little more insistent now, but he still held that calmness he was known for in the criminal world, but in the end, all he could do was sigh in resignation. “If you insist,” he said, even though he looked like he wanted to say more.

The air felt cold, heavier, and now thicker with all the unspoken things between the two of you that would remain just that - unspoken. Seonghwa resembled a man who had carried the weight of regret for far too long, but even he knew that it was too late.

“I won’t keep you too long,” he said, his words slow as if he was dragging them out. They were raw, nonetheless. “I just wanted to say goodbye properly. The right way.”

He paused to smile thinly. “I just…had to see you before we went. I’m not going to ask for your forgiveness, Y/N, and I suppose that’s the only real thing I will always be sorry for because I can’t control the way my heart yearned for you, no matter how wrong it got.”

“It’s okay,” you almost scoffed. “I don’t know if I can forgive you, anyway.”

“Touché,” he chuckled.

You swallowed hard, a little disappointed, but to be honest, you were fine with that. You can respect honesty and self-awareness. “But, you think this would be enough, Seonghwa? I don’t mean that in a bad way.”

The room began to tilt as you swayed only a bit, nothing too noticeable, but it was enough nausea to concern you. His lips curled as he stared at you, but the hesitation in which he ran his hand through his hair in frustration distracted you.

“I don’t know, little dove, I don’t expect it to be enough. I guess I just needed you to know that I never meant to hurt you like I did, and maybe that’s not enough, but it’s all I have left,” he stared at you. “ I wish things had been different. I really did. But now, I have to go.” 

You set the coffee down, your hands clammy and your mouth went dry, the dizziness getting too detrimental for you to concentrate. Seonghwa’s eyes narrowed as he watched you carefully. Too carefully.

“Good luck, Seonghwa,” you said, quiet and sincere. You got up and stepped back from the table, from him. You had to go, you were starting to feel really unwell. “I’m sorry I can’t support you with the path you’re taking. I wish you happiness you couldn’t have with me, I really do.” 

“Sweetheart, wait…”

He stood up as well, his eyes searching yours like he was waiting for something more, but there was something else underneath it, something you couldn’t quite put your finger on. Before he could say something, you turned around towards the door and began to briskly walk away.

Walking away from Seonghwa felt wrong, but what was worse was the growing unease you felt - the same one you did before you even entered the cafe. Your legs were unsteady, you couldn’t even take a step away from the entrance. Black spots began to dance from your vision, it was getting more difficult to stay upright.

You gave in, your body feeling lighter as you felt yourself begin to tumble down the floor, but before you could, steady hands guided you upwards until your head pressed onto a firm chest. You didn’t have to look up to know who it was. 

“S-Seonghwa,” you slurred, leaning further into him against your will just so you couldn’t fall. “W-What’s going on…”

You felt him dig his fingers firmly on your shoulders, not enough to hurt, but enough for him to hold you to your place. He pushes you gently against the wall, tilting your lolling head to his face. 

Your blood ran cold. The look in his face told you everything you needed to know. His thumb forcibly opened your lips and the realization hit you so hard it left you reeling - the coffee. You weren’t supposed to feel like this, it wasn’t the anxiety. He smirked, almost smug.

“You were always so wary of me,” he chuckled darkly, leaning in to give you a small peck on the side of your lips before licking the small trail of saliva that pooled outside of your mouth. “I’m surprised it took you this long, I thought you’d see it coming, at least.”

“You…spiked m-my,” you managed to choke out, your breath coming in short gasps.

He didn’t seem alarmed. In fact, there was a calmness to him, as though he had expected this reaction, as though this was all part of his plan. You tried to push him away even though you could barely stand. “Seonghwa, I-I don’t f-feel well,” you admitted.

His smirk fell, genuine concern bleeding onto it as he cursed under his breath. “I’m sorry, love, you were probably just sensitive to it,” he frowned. You hated that you knew what he meant. “Let’s get you to the car—”

“N-No, let go,” your body swayed, until your legs had finally given out on you, your eyes fluttering close.

“Hey, hey, stay with me,” his voice was sharp, laced with panic. You felt yourself being lifted bridal-style. You could hear him calling your name over and over. “Come on, baby, don’t give out on me now,” he urged, the desperation in his voice betraying his calm facade.

“Please, I can’t do this alone,” he continued, his voice quieter now, almost fragile. “This is the only way. I’ll take care of you, yeah? I want to do right by you. I need you to believe me…”

He was scared. He actually hadn’t meant to go this far. 

Everything went black. The last thing you remembered was the sudden pressure of his desperate hands gripping you as if he was afraid that if he let you go that you'd suddenly disappear. His eyes shone with plea, full of panic, as his lips trembled with unspoken words.

When you came to, a dull headache throbbed in the back of your eyes. A sense of disorientation weighed heavily in your chest. The first thing you noticed was that you were sitting upright, your head leaning against a hard, bony surface. A shoulder.

You groaned, trying to remember how you got here, and everything came to you all at once; walking somewhere, the coffee, the nausea, Seonghwa—

Seonghwa.

You groaned, immediately sitting straight and trying to rub your eyes and your head to remove the bleary sleepiness remaining in you, but that wasn’t what caught you off-guard. In fact, fainting in Seonghwa’s arms seemed to be the least of your problems for today.

You froze, your heart leaping to your throat when you saw the cold metal of the handcuff around your wrist. Your hand instinctively tried to pull it away, even going as far as to prying it away with your other hand, but all that did was hurt you, your skin automatically reddening at the friction all the pulling was causing you.

Things just got worse from here then on. You figured that you’d try to pull the source of where your handcuffs were connected to, but to your horror, you realized that the other end was connected to Seonghwa’s own wrist, effectively tying you two together.

He stared at you panicking, his face drawn with exhaustion, but he was watching you closely as everything started to dawn on you. Something cloudy seizes his chest as you look up at him, tears reddening your eyes. His gaze softens, but relief shines through it, nonetheless.

“You’re awake,” he tenderly notes, like he was afraid that you’d get startled and lash out. He leans forward, his hand gingerly holding onto your face to wipe your unfallen tears with his thumb. “Are you okay? Is there anything that hurts? Listen, I know this looks bad, and I get it, but please, give me the chance to explain everything.”

You were stunned speechless, not being able to render opening your mouth to even refute his excuses. Everything was overwhelming, and truth be told, your head still wasn’t fully there. You couldn’t even lean away from Seonghwa’s touch even though you wanted nothing but to spit on his face.

It was one thing to be infuriated with Seonghwa, but more so, you were mad at yourself. How could you be so naïve? How could you be so blatantly stupid as to even meet up with him in the first place and let your guard down? 

Your breathing became ragged despite Seonghwa’s gentle attempts to calm you down. You had basically signed your life to him the moment you agreed to meet up with him in the cafe, because this was his plan all along, and you went along with it like a puppet in his sick version of a show.

Trusting Seonghwa was the equivalent of jumping off of a cliff willingly. You had a first-hand taste of how manipulative, how insane, he actually was, and you still went. You couldn’t even afford to feel bad for yourself since you knew that the fault wasn’t fully his own.

You pulled on your wrist, even though it was pointless, but his hand reached across the small space, gently touching your arm. “I never meant for things to go this far,” he explained, his voice strained. “But I need you to understand—”

“Understand what, Seonghwa? You lied to me,” you gritted your teeth, your heart thudding painfully against your chest as you tried to keep more of your tears at bay. “You lied to me, you sick son of a bitch! You said you were going to let me go! I thought the mafia had honour—”

“I know, dove, I know, but honour be damned if I can’t be with you,” he exasperatedly explained, but you weren’t having it.

“What the hell does that even mean? You kidnapped me! I’ve lost count, Seonghwa,” you seethed, pulling on the handcuffs again, but to no avail. That was when you looked around and realized you didn’t know where you were. “Where even are we?”

Seonghwa’s eyes softened and he leaned back in his seat, letting out a slow breath as he tried to gather his thoughts, the handcuffs connected to him slightly pulling on your wrists. “I’m sorry. I don’t expect you to forgive me right away, and I’m not trying to make excuses. But I couldn’t just let you go. I couldn’t let you walk away and forget everything we had. I’m sorry, Y/N. I really am.”

“Seonghwa,” you trailed off, not liking where this was going, your lips quivering as you spoke. “You said you were going to let me go.”

“I know what I said,” he said. His voice dropped lower, a touch of vulnerability seeping in. “I can’t let you throw it all away, love. The other week, you said you still loved me, and that you were never going to stop loving me. Tell me, how am I supposed to just leave and forget all about that?”

He sighed, long and heavy, looking you straight in the eye. “How am I supposed to leave my heart, knowing that it still beats for the both of us?”

Your mind raced, thoughts tangled in a whirlwind. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening. You’d made your choice. You’d walked away from, finally accepted that you just weren’t meant to be, and that you needed to let go to move on.

He shifted, his gaze never leaving yours, and for the first time, you saw a glimmer of something in him—hope.

“We can start over, leave everything once and for all,” he said, his voice almost pleading. “No more games. No more lies. We could just be together with a new life.”

You stopped breathing for a second. “W-What do you mean?”

Seonghwa paused, looking genuinely confused for a second. He was taken aback, it hit him that you actually didn’t know where you were. The silence was what prompted you to actually look at your surroundings. You blinked, finally realizing the real reason why you were sitting down when you woke up.

There is a smooth, unnatural hum of an engine beneath you, vibration so low that you wouldn’t even have noticed it.The plush leather seats you were on and in front of you, the overhead area where carry-on luggages usually went to if they were too big to put on the floor, and the stale smell of uncirculated air around the small space.

You were on a plane. Specifically, Seonghwa’s private jet.

“S-Seonghwa,” you yelped, true fear and panic settling in your chest at the prospect of  being trapped here with him.

“You were asleep for half the flight. We’ll be landing in New York in six more hours,” he said quietly. 

You repeatedly shook your head in denial, hoping to wake up from this nightmare. Seonghwa just watched you, his expression a mixture of hurt and concern. “I know you’re scared,” he whispered. “I know I hurt you, but I promise I’ll never hurt you again. “

You looked at him, his eyes full of conviction, full of hope. He was sincere. But that only made it harder.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” you whispered, your voice breaking as you pulled away slightly, the weight of the handcuff pulling you back.

His face shifted, pain flashing across his features, but he didn’t let go. “Please,” he said, his voice trembling. “Don’t make me lose you again.”

Your hands tugged at the cuffs again, the metal biting into your wrist, but all that did was make him wrap his big hands around yours. “I’m not asking for a second chance,” he said quietly, his voice hoarse. “I’m asking for a real chance. A chance to prove that we can make this work. That we can make us work. I’ll take care of you. I’ll protect you. And we’ll get through this together.”

You didn’t want to break down in front of him. You  didn’t want to show him this vulnerability, this weakness. But you couldn’t stop.

Through your blurry eyes, you saw him with his gaze soft but filled with something else. Pity. It also had helplessness and guilt, as if seeing you break down before him was a painful reminder of how far he had pushed you.

With that, you hunched over your seat and buried your face in your hands as the tears streamed down your face in hot torrents. The sobs came in uncontrollable waves, violent and loud, your chest heaving as if you might suffocate.

You felt Seonghwa’s hand rub your back soothingly, but you didn’t care to push him anymore. It was over. All the fighting you did for your freedom was for absolutely nothing. The weight of that truth pressed down on your chest, suffocating. 

You didn’t even try to stop Seonghwa from pulling you from your chair to make you sit on his lap as he hugged you tight, burying your face on the crook of his shoulder as your tears came hard, relentless, spilling down your cheeks as your chest heaved with sobs you couldn’t contain anymore. Your hands trembled as you clutched at his clothes, trying to steady yourself.

“You don’t have to do this alone,” he said softly as he hushed you with comfort that you didn’t want. “I’ll take care of you. We’ll start over, fall in love with each other all over again. You won’t be a part of the organization if you don’t want it, just please, stay with me.”

Your hysterical cries didn’t stop and all Seonghwa did was comfort you with words - words that he actually meant - but what you didn’t see was the pride and satisfaction written on his face as he stared at your crying form. In his own quiet way, he savored every single moment of it.

And he smiled because he knew - and you knew - that you had nowhere else to go. He won.

You belonged to him now.

𝙽𝚎𝚝s - @keopihaus @dove-net @othersideoutlawsnetwork @hiraya-m @illusionnet @pirateeznet

Dividers by: @cafekitsune and @bernardsbendystraws

[hwasflower]

we chose the world over you

pairing: seonghwa x reader au: non idol | super hero | genre: angst word count: 4.3 k synopsis: The group had to make a decision between saving you or completing their mission to save thousands. warning(s):

It was supposed to be a normal mission.

You being paired with Seonghwa should’ve been smooth—comforting, even. He was your constant, your calm. You two had worked side-by-side more times than you could count, trusting each other with the unspoken.

There had been worse assignments.

Tighter deadlines. Deadlier enemies.

This one was routine. Just recon. Just in-and-out.

At least, it was supposed to be.

But something was off.

Alarms were blaring—not on the comms, not in the facility. In you. That crawling feeling up your spine. The weight in your chest. Something wrong.

“Seonghwa,” you started, turning slightly, “something’s not—”

You didn’t get to finish.

There was a snap. A sharp shift in the pressure around you.

You saw it before he did.

The rigged beam above. The way the floor gave out in pieces. The chain reaction starting before either of you could stop it.

So you moved.

You didn’t think. You just moved.

Pushed Seonghwa back with all your strength, hard enough that he stumbled, just as the explosion cracked through the floor.

He yelled your name—but you were already gone.

Swallowed by the collapse. Steel and fire closing in like a coffin.

Pain bloomed fast and hot—your side crushed beneath debris, air thick with smoke and dust. Your ears rang. Your vision blurred. But you heard him—

“YN!”

You blinked up through the rubble, barely able to lift your head, and saw Seonghwa—fighting to get to you.

Blood down the side of his face. Cuts on his arms. But none of that mattered. He was trying.

But you already knew.

The countdown had started. The structural integrity was shot. If he stayed—

“You need to go,” you choked out, voice barely audible over the sound of metal groaning. “Now.”

“I’m not leaving you!” he shouted, wild and desperate.

“Hongjoong!” he barked into his earpiece, voice cracking. “YN is pinned down—we need backup! I repeat, we need backup!”

Static.

More static. Then a voice—distorted, garbled through interference. “—compromised—exit blocked—Seonghwa, you need to evacuate—”

“No! She’s still in here!” he screamed, rising to his feet, shoving debris aside with burning hands. He winced—cuts splitting deeper, bruises blooming—but he didn’t stop.

The air was thick, choking. The timer on the detonator blinked red: 2:14.

You coughed, blood coating your lips, your throat raw from smoke.

“You have to go.”

“No,” he said again, more broken this time. “I can’t—” His voice cracked, like something inside him was already splintering.

Your hand, trembling and bloodied, found his. Weak but certain. You squeezed what little strength you had left into your fingers.

You were terrified—God, you were terrified—but you looked at him like it would be okay. Like he deserved a better goodbye than screams.

Your eyes locked onto his—burning through the smoke, still so full of love it hurt.

“Seonghwa…” you whispered, your voice faltering, a sound more heart-wrenching than any alarm, any warning, any countdown.

“You have to go.”

His grip tightened. Just for a second. His eyes widened like he couldn’t believe you were saying it. Like he was waiting for you to take it back.

But you didn’t.

Because someone had to live.

And you would rather it be him.

Seonghwa shook his head again, jaw clenched like he could hold the world together with sheer force of will. “I won’t forgive myself.”

“I’ll forgive you.” A beat. A breath. “And that has to be enough.”

The timer flashed: 1:23.

A tear slid down his cheek. You smiled through yours.

And then—he kissed your forehead, his touch featherlight, reverent, like he was saying goodbye to a ghost already.

But he didn’t pull away.

His lips hovered there for a second longer than they should have. Like he could imprint his soul onto yours. Like maybe that would be enough to anchor you both.

When he finally looked at you, something inside him cracked open completely.

“I’m not leaving you,” he whispered.

You blinked up at him, stunned. “Seonghwa—”

“I don’t care what command says,” he said fiercely, eyes glistening. “I don’t care about the mission or the building or what anyone else would do. I’m not walking out of here if you’re not next to me.”

A piece of ceiling cracked and thundered down nearby, shaking the ground. Smoke thickened. The timer blinked: 1:09.

Still, he stayed.

Your heart broke open in a new, sharper way. “Hwa, please—”

“I can’t lose you,” he said. “Not again. Not like this.”

He tore off his comm and tossed it aside. Pulled off his vest and shoved it under the beam crushing your leg. His hands bled. His breath came in shallow bursts. But he didn’t stop.

You could see it on his face—he had already made his choice.

And that broke you more than anything.

Because you weren’t going to let him die for you.

Your fingers shook as you shifted just enough to glance behind him—where your teammate stood, silent, waiting. Mingi’s jaw was clenched, eyes glossed with emotion, like he already knew what you were asking him to do.

You gave a single nod.

Seonghwa followed your gaze, confused—until he saw him. Until he understood.

“No.” Seonghwa’s voice was sharp, panicked. “Don’t you fucking dare, Min—”

But it was already done.

In a split-second flash of blue light, the room emptied.

The smoke, the metal groaning above you, the rubble—all of it stayed. But he was gone.

And all that was left was the echo of Seonghwa’s scream—

“Mingi, NO!”

Seonghwa stumbled as he reappeared just outside the blast radius, Mingi gripping his arm tightly, still glowing faintly from the teleport.

The shock hit him first—then fury.

His hand shot out, grabbing Mingi by the collar and slamming him into the wall.

“WHAT DID YOU DO?” Seonghwa’s voice cracked, broken with grief and rage.

“You told me you wouldn’t leave them!”

Mingi didn’t fight back. He just looked at Seonghwa with guilt eating through his expression.

“I saved you,” he said quietly.

“I didn’t want to be saved!” Seonghwa roared, fists trembling, heart shattering.

Then, as the sirens wailed in the distance and the shockwave rippled through the air— the ground trembled.

Seonghwa fell to his knees.

Tears streamed down his face, silent at first. His chest rose and fell in sharp, broken stutters as the plume of fire rose in the distance. A violent bloom where your last words still echoed.

Where you still were.

“No…”

The word tumbled from his lips like a prayer already too late. His fingers clawed into the dirt beneath him, fists shaking as if he could dig through it, reach you, rewind it all.

“Mingi,” he whispered, voice strangled, “what did you do…”

But Mingi said nothing. He stood behind Seonghwa, fists clenched, his own eyes glassy. Because he knew. He knew what it cost to make that choice.

And Seonghwa—

Seonghwa couldn’t breathe.

He stared at the flames, at the smoke twisting into the sky like a funeral veil, and something inside him broke.

You were gone. You had to be. No one survived that.

And the worst part?

You asked for it. You chose it.

You knew he wouldn’t leave on his own, so you made sure he was forced to.

And now all he had left was the memory of your voice. The way you said his name like it was a goodbye. The feel of your bloodied hand wrapped around his.

“I’ll forgive you,” you said.

But Seonghwa didn’t.

He never would.

When Seonghwa entered the control room, he didn’t pause.

He didn’t speak.

He didn’t breathe.

His eyes locked on Hongjoong like a target, rage pulsing off of him in waves.

Hongjoong stepped forward cautiously, hands raised. “Before you say anything—”

But Seonghwa didn’t let him finish.

His fist slammed into Hongjoong’s jaw with a crack that echoed through the room.

Hongjoong stumbled back, colliding with the console behind him. Blood pooled at the corner of his lip as he caught himself, blinking up at Seonghwa, stunned.

No one moved. Yeosang’s mouth parted, frozen mid-step. Jongho looked away, jaw tight. Wooyoung closed his eyes, shoulders trembling.

None of them said a word. Because none of them blamed him.

Seonghwa stood there, chest heaving, hands clenched into trembling fists at his sides.

“You knew I wouldn’t leave them,” he growled, voice laced with venom and something deeper—devastation.

“You gave Mingi the order behind my back.”

Hongjoong wiped the blood from his mouth, his voice low. “I had no choice.”

“Bullshit.”

“I had to make a call. We didn’t have time—”

“You didn’t even try.”

Seonghwa stepped closer, eyes gleaming. “They were alive. I was getting them out. And you took that from me.”

Hongjoong didn’t argue. He just stood there and took it—like a man who’d already sentenced someone to death.

“Don’t you dare speak to me about protocol,” Seonghwa spat. “You left them to die.”

Silence rang out.

Hongjoong wiped the blood from his mouth, his jaw clenched. He straightened slowly, no longer flinching beneath Seonghwa’s fury.

He met Seonghwa’s gaze head-on.

“We would’ve lost you too.”

The words cut like a blade—not defensive, not cold. Just true. And final.

Seonghwa's chest rose and fell, rapid and unsteady. The fight in him didn’t leave—it just trembled, no longer anger, but the edge of a sob that refused to come out.

“You think that matters?” he whispered, voice shaking.

Hongjoong’s brows drew together. “Of course it matters.”

“They didn’t.” Seonghwa's voice cracked. “They made peace with dying, Joong. They smiled when they told me to go.” His throat bobbed, eyes glossy. “And you made that choice for both of us.”

Hongjoong’s shoulders dropped slightly, as if the weight of the decision had never really left him either.

“You wouldn’t have let them go,” he said. “I know you. You’d rather die with them than survive without.”

“I still would,” Seonghwa breathed.

And that, more than anything, broke the room again.

Yeosang finally sat down, head in his hands. Mingi couldn’t even look up. Jongho moved toward the window, his back turned so no one could see the tears quietly spilling down his cheeks.

And Hongjoong— He didn’t argue anymore.

Because he knew.

Seonghwa was right.

He had saved his body. But not his heart.

Hongjoong stood still, unmoving, as the soft beeping of machines filled the sterile room.

Behind the glass, your body lay motionless in the intensive care unit—wrapped in gauze, skin bruised, pale, barely alive. Tubes traced along your arms and up through your nose, a lifeline hanging in limbo.

He stared at you, hands folded behind his back, jaw tight. His expression unreadable. Too neutral to be calm, too composed to be honest.

Yeosang approached quietly, his voice low.

“We should tell Seonghwa…”

Hongjoong’s eyes didn’t leave your form. Not even for a second.

“He needs to calm down a little more.”

Yeosang hesitated.

Then, “Is this you speaking… or the company?”

There was a beat. One, two, three seconds of silence too long.

And that was an answer.

Yeosang’s jaw tightened. “He thinks they’re dead, hyung. He’s grieving someone who’s still breathing.”

Hongjoong finally blinked. “He’s unstable. If we tell him now, he’ll go to them. He’ll never leave their side. He’ll ignore orders, protocol, everything. You know how he gets when it comes to—” He stopped himself. Corrected: “When it comes to people he loves.”

Yeosang’s voice hardened. “They love him back.”

“I know,” Hongjoong snapped, louder than he meant to. His shoulders sagged. “I know.”

They both turned back to you—your chest rising and falling slow, shallow.

“But if we lose him too… I don’t know if this team survives.”

Yeosang looked at the figure through the glass. You looked so small. So unlike yourself. And yet—alive.

Barely. But alive.

“I’m not lying for much longer,” Yeosang said quietly.

“I’m not asking you to,” Hongjoong replied. “Just… not yet.”

Yeosang sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. His fingers trembled slightly, the toll of sleepless nights catching up to him. “Mingi’s a wreck. This is eating him alive.”

Hongjoong didn’t respond immediately. His eyes remained locked on the rise and fall of your chest, shallow and uneven. Monitored by machines. Held together by wires.

"He's blaming himself, Joong. Keeps saying he should’ve waited one more second. Keeps wondering if you would've changed your mind if you'd seen what Seonghwa looked like when—"

Hongjoong turned to him sharply, eyes narrowed. “What Mingi did was an order.”

Yeosang stilled.

“The fact that he was able to teleport them both out with that much interference and building collapse is a miracle,” Hongjoong continued, his voice firmer now. “Seonghwa was seconds away from dying with them.”

“But he didn’t,” Yeosang shot back. “Because they made that call for him.”

Silence hung thick between them.

The weight of it, unbearable.

“We chose,” Yeosang said quietly. “We all chose. The mission. The survival of one over the other. We let him think he lost them forever. And we keep letting him.”

Hongjoong’s jaw twitched. “Because we don’t know if they’ll wake up. Or walk. Or even remember him.” His voice cracked, barely. “What if we give him hope and it breaks him worse than the grief?”

Yeosang turned toward him, anger and heartbreak warring in his eyes.

But Hongjoong wasn’t finished.

“Yeosang,” he said, quieter now, more deliberate. “They walked into a trap.”

Yeosang froze.

“Until we find the mole—until we know who gave up their location—this silence… it’s not just about emotions anymore.” Hongjoong met his eyes. “This is for YN’s safety. And Seonghwa’s.”

Yeosang stared at him, every piece clicking into place. The flawed intel. The ambush. The exact timing of the detonation sequence.

“You think someone on the inside set them up.”

“I know someone did,” Hongjoong said grimly. “And if they find out YN survived—”

“They’ll try again,” Yeosang breathed.

A silence settled, darker than before.

“Which means,” Hongjoong added, stepping closer to the glass, his gaze hardened now, “until I know who we’re bleeding from, no one breathes a word to Seonghwa.”

Yeosang clenched his jaw, his hands curling into fists. “I don’t like lying to him.”

“Neither do I.” Hongjoong’s eyes didn’t leave your still form. “But I’d rather have him hate me than bury you.”

Hongjoong threw the file down in front of Seonghwa, the man slumped at his desk like he hadn’t moved in days.

Seonghwa didn’t even look up. He pushed the file farther away with the back of his hand, like it was tainted.

“That’s a new mission,” Hongjoong said stiffly. “You’ll go with Yeosang.”

“Go with him yourself,” Seonghwa snapped, voice like ice.

Hongjoong’s jaw ticked. “This isn’t optional.”

“I’m not your fucking soldier right now.”

Seonghwa finally looked up, eyes bloodshot, expression hollow and sharp at the same time. Something in him had wilted since that day. Like he was moving through the world just enough to keep his body breathing—but his mind was still in the fire. Still with you.

“I gave you everything,” Seonghwa said lowly. “Every damn ounce of trust. And you didn’t even hesitate.”

“You were going to die.”

“I should’ve.”

That shut Hongjoong up for a beat. Long enough that the air in the room shifted—cracked between them.

“I don’t care about the file,” Seonghwa muttered, leaning back in his chair. “I don’t care about the mission. None of it matters.”

“I need you to care,” Hongjoong bit out. “Because there’s still a team that needs you.”

“Then give the team someone who hasn’t already buried the person they love.”

A silence settled. Heavy. Absolute.

Hongjoong exhaled slowly, trying to keep his voice level. “Seonghwa… they wouldn’t want you to become this.”

Seonghwa’s eyes snapped to him, something dangerous sparking in them. “Don’t you dare use them against me.”

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then Hongjoong, quieter now, said, “Fine. Take the night. But you’re on that plane tomorrow.”

He turned to leave.

Seonghwa didn’t look at him again.

And neither saw Yeosang standing down the hall—watching it all from just outside the door, holding the truth like it was burning a hole through his chest.

The low hum of the engines filled the silence.

Seonghwa sat rigid in his seat, eyes locked on the mission file like it held something worth caring about. His brows were slightly furrowed, the crease between them deeper than usual, and he hadn’t spoken a word since they boarded.

Yeosang sat across from him, shifting uncomfortably, fidgeting with the zipper on his tactical bag. His foot bounced. His hands wouldn’t stay still. He’d tried three times to make small talk, but each attempt died before it left his throat.

The tension between them wasn’t just awkward—it was grief-shaped.

Heavy and sharp and coiled with guilt.

“You can stop looking at me like I’m going to break,” Seonghwa muttered, eyes never leaving the page.

Yeosang blinked. “I’m not—”

“You are.” He flipped to the next page, his tone unreadable. “You all are. Every time I walk into a room, someone stops talking or starts looking away.”

Yeosang stayed quiet.

“I’m grieving, not fragile.”

Still no response.

“Unless there’s something I should be fragile about.” That got Seonghwa’s gaze—cool and direct, cutting across the small cabin. “Anything you want to share, Yeosang?”

Yeosang froze.

He opened his mouth, then closed it. Swallowed. Looked away.

“…No.”

Seonghwa studied him for a moment longer before leaning back in his seat with a tired sigh. “Thought so.”

But the seed was planted now.

And the unease in Yeosang’s silence wrapped around Seonghwa like a thread waiting to be pulled.

When they landed, something in Yeosang shifted—the rigid tension easing for a moment as Seonghwa continued walking ahead. His eyes furrowed, lips parted as if to finally speak, when—

A loud gunshot ripped through the air.

Seonghwa froze. Instinct flared.

He spun around, eyes wide, searching.

Yeosang was already moving—dropping low, pulling out his weapon in one smooth motion.

“Get down!” Yeosang barked, voice sharp and urgent.

Seonghwa dropped beside him, heart pounding. Around them, shadows stretched and shifted. The mission had turned hostile faster than either of them expected.

Another shot rang out, this time closer.

“Ambush,” Yeosang hissed.

Seonghwa’s mind raced—not just with the immediate threat, but with the cold realization that whatever was waiting for them here was tied to the trap that had shattered his world.

This wasn’t random.

This was planned.

And it was personal.

Yeosang’s hands moved swiftly, fingers tracing glowing patterns in the air. A shimmering barrier erupted around them, crackling as the gunshots bounced harmlessly off its surface.

Seonghwa’s jaw clenched, eyes narrowing. His breath was steady, controlled—but beneath it was a storm of anger and pain.

“They’re hunting us,” he muttered, voice low but fierce.

Yeosang didn’t look away from the attackers just beyond the barrier. “They want to finish what they started.”

Seonghwa’s fists curled into tight balls at his sides. “We won’t let them.”

“Then let’s move. We can’t hold this forever.”

Without hesitation, Seonghwa stepped forward, ready to break through the ambush—not just fighting for survival, but for answers. For justice. For you.

The fire in his eyes burned brighter than the bullets flying around them.

Yeosang and Seonghwa stumbled through the company doors, both covered in blood—streaks dark and glistening across their clothes and skin. Their breaths were ragged, heavy with exhaustion and pain.

Hongjoong’s eyes widened in horror as he rushed toward them, voice sharp and panicked.

“What the fuck happened?!”

Seonghwa didn’t answer at first. His eyes flicked to Yeosang, whose face was grim but steady.

“We walked into a trap,” Yeosang said quietly. “There were hostiles waiting for us. More than we expected.”

Hongjoong’s gaze shifted to Seonghwa.

“Are you—” he began.

Seonghwa cut him off, voice low but fierce. “I’m not broken. Not yet.”

Hongjoong’s shoulders tightened, and for a moment the team’s weight pressed down on all of them.

“Get them patched up. Now. And find out who set this up.” His voice was cold, but inside, the fury burned hotter than ever.

Wooyoung and San nodded and quickly moved toward Seonghwa and Yeosang, steady hands and calm urgency in their eyes.

Hongjoong let out a heavy sigh, rubbing the back of his neck as his gaze lingered on Seonghwa—whose jaw was clenched tight, eyes still blazing with unspent fire.

“Seonghwa... meet me after you finish cleaning up.”

There was no question in his tone, only an unspoken warning. This wasn’t just about the mission anymore. It was about everything that had been left unsaid.

Seonghwa’s eyes flicked up, meeting Hongjoong’s for a brief, sharp moment.

“I’ll be there.”

Hongjoong nodded once and turned away, leaving the weight of what was to come hanging thick in the air.

Seonghwa followed Hongjoong down the hallway, his steps heavy but steady. He barely registered how stiff Hongjoong was beside him until they turned a corner.

Hongjoong’s voice broke the silence, low and rough. “Don’t freak the fuck out when I take you here. Punch me if you need to—but for fuck’s sake, let me explain once we enter. Understood?”

Seonghwa’s lips twitched into a bitter half-smile. “Got it.”

Hongjoong glanced at him, eyes sharp but guarded.

They stopped in front of a nondescript door—metal, reinforced, no markings.

Hongjoong’s hand hovered over the keypad, fingers trembling slightly before he punched in the code.

The door hissed open, revealing a small, dimly lit room.

Inside, screens flickered, showing maps, files, and a handful of photos pinned to a board. Most of them were blurred or marked classified, but one picture caught Seonghwa’s eye.

Your face.

“What the fuck is this?” Seonghwa hissed, stepping closer to the board, eyes scanning the images and notes pinned around your photo.

Hongjoong’s jaw clenched, voice low but fierce. “Mingi and Jongho set this up once they informed me that we have a mole.” He swallowed hard, the weight of it pressing down. “They want us dead. And you and YN are first on their list.”

Seonghwa’s breath hitched, heart pounding. The betrayal sliced through him deeper than any wound.

“They?” he repeated, voice thick with disbelief.

Hongjoong’s gaze didn’t waver. “The company. It’s why they forced that odd mission on you. It’s why you and Yeosang were ambushed.”

Seonghwa’s heart hammered painfully against his ribs. “Why would the company want to kill their own team?”

Hongjoong’s voice dropped to a harsh whisper. “Because someone inside wants control. Someone who thinks you and YN are threats.”

Seonghwa swallowed hard, fury and fear mixing into a cold resolve. “So it’s not just about survival anymore.”

“No,” Hongjoong said quietly. “It’s war.”

He let out another heavy sigh, his hand hovering hesitantly over a small button on the console.

“I need you to promise me you won’t punch me,” he said, voice rough but almost pleading.

Seonghwa raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. “...Can I ask why?”

Hongjoong glanced away for a split second, then back with a weary, almost defeated look. “Because what I’m about to show you... it’s not just bad. It’s going to make everything worse.”

Seonghwa’s lips pressed into a thin line. He didn’t promise.

He just waited.

Hongjoong pressed the button.

Another door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a hidden observation room bathed in dim light.

Seonghwa’s knees buckled as the image came into focus.

There you were—alive.

Not just alive, but moving, breathing, laughing.

Wooyoung was beside you, flexing his fingers animatedly, making you laugh so freely it tugged at something deep inside him.

San hovered nearby, hands glowing softly as symbols swirled around you—healing, protecting.

The sight slammed into Seonghwa like a thunderclap.

His heart seized, a thousand emotions crashing through him all at once.

Relief. Joy. Confusion. And beneath it all—an ache, sharp and raw—because you were here, but hidden. Silent.

And he’d been left in the dark.

“I’m going to fucking kill you,” Seonghwa snarled, his hand shooting out, fingers curling toward Hongjoong’s collar like a vice.

Hongjoong moved quickly, stepping back just in time, hands raised in defense but his eyes steady.

“Seonghwa, wait,” he said, voice rough but firm. “Listen—before you do something you’ll regret.”

Seonghwa’s chest heaved, rage and betrayal burning hot in his veins. “You knew she was alive this whole time and you didn’t tell me?”

Hongjoong swallowed hard. “I was trying to protect you. Protect them.”

“By lying to me?” Seonghwa spat. “By letting me think she was dead?”

“No.” Hongjoong’s voice cracked with something close to pain. “By buying time. We had no idea who to trust. The mole was still in our ranks. If word got out that YN was alive, it would have put all of you in immediate danger.”

Seonghwa’s eyes burned. “I was in danger anyway, wasn’t I?”

Hongjoong didn’t answer.

For a long moment, silence swallowed the room.

Then Seonghwa pulled back, voice low but trembling. “I need to see her.”

Hongjoong nodded, pressing his hand against the pad. A soft beep echoed, and the door hissed open.

Seonghwa stepped inside quickly, heart pounding so loud he thought you might hear it.

Your eyes met his.

For a moment, everything else—the years lost, the pain, the silence—disappeared.

You just stared at each other.

His breath caught in his throat. Your lips trembled. Neither of you could move.

Then, slowly, hesitantly, he stepped forward.

“YN…” His voice was barely a whisper, thick with everything he couldn’t say.

You blinked, fighting back tears, your hands trembling at your sides.

“I’m here,” you finally said, voice breaking. “I’m still here.”

Seonghwa looked at San who nodded and he was quick to hugg you tightly. Tears streaming down both of your faces before he leaned back and cupped your face.

Seonghwa’s lips brushed softly against your forehead, then your cheeks, his touch tender but desperate—as if trying to memorize every inch of you.

Your laughter, light and shaky, broke through the heaviness of the moment, filling the room with a fragile warmth.

He smiled, a mix of relief and disbelief, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

“You’re really here,” he whispered again, voice thick with emotion.

He pulled you closer once more, burying his face in your hair, holding on like he never wanted to let go.

For now, nothing else mattered—just the two of you, finally together again.

[hwasflower]

When you give them kiss without asking - Ateez

thank you love💜

Ateez reaction when you give them kiss without asking

Pairing: Ateez x fem!reader

Genre: Fluff, Slight Comedy, Domestic Romance

Word Count: 2,600 words

Warnings: None

Disclaimer: this blog is a fanfiction haven, and everything posted here is purely a work of fiction. The characters, settings, and worlds belong to their respective creators unless otherwise stated. No copyright infringement is intended.

Hongjoong

You were sitting beside him as he tinkered with his laptop, headphones perched haphazardly over his bleached hair, bobbing slightly to the beat only he could hear. His glasses slid down his nose as he squinted at the screen, brows furrowed in focus.

Your eyes drifted to his lips—slightly parted, mouthing along to lyrics—and you didn’t think much before leaning in and planting a quick, warm kiss right there.

He froze.

Literally paused mid-keystroke.

Then he slowly turned his head to you, pulling one side of the headphones off.

“…Did you just kiss me?” he asked, voice way too serious for someone whose ears were turning crimson.

You grinned. “Yep.”

“No warning? No ‘Hey babe, I’m about to ambush you with affection’?”

“Didn’t think you’d mind.”

A beat.

Then he let out a sharp little laugh and closed the laptop.

“I didn’t mind,” he said, voice low and amused. “But if you're gonna keep kissing me like that in the studio, I might have to lock the door.”

Seonghwa

You were reorganizing his skincare drawer with him, which meant he was doing all the work while you mostly admired how handsome he looked even in sweatpants and a hoodie.

As he held up a sheet mask like it was a rare artifact, you stepped forward, tugged gently at his arm, and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.

He blinked, startled, then gave you the softest, shyest smile like you’d just told him he was your world.

“…You didn’t even give me a second to prepare,” he murmured.

“Why would I?”

He laughed, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear. “Because if you had, I would’ve kissed you back harder.”

You watched as he placed the mask down, then leaned in slowly this time, cupping your face with his palm.

“You surprised me, sweetheart. Now let me return the favor.”

Let’s just say the bathroom counter got forgotten pretty fast.

Yunho

You were both in line at an amusement park, holding his hand as you bounced on your heels with excitement. He’d just won you a plush bear at a claw machine and hadn’t stopped grinning since.

He turned to make a cheesy joke about funnel cake when you suddenly reached up and kissed him mid-sentence.

“—and then I—wait. Did you just—”

You shrugged innocently. “Yes.”

“…That was illegal,” he said dramatically. “No warning? No signal? No lead-up music?”

“Nope.”

He stood there blinking, then looked around at the crowd. “I feel like I should file a report. Someone just stole my heart.”

You groaned. “Yunho—”

“Wait wait, I’m not done. Because you—” he leaned in suddenly and kissed you back, breath warm on your lips “—have started a war.”

He spent the rest of the ride smothering you in random kisses every time you tried to speak.

Yeosang

The dance practice room echoed with the sound of a playlist he’d curated—smooth R\&B, the kind that matched the way he moved. He was wiping sweat from his forehead, catching his breath when you walked over, reached up, and kissed him on the lips before he could say anything.

He went completely still.

“…I—”

You tilted your head. “Was that okay?”

He nodded so slowly it was like his brain hadn’t caught up yet.

“I was gonna ask for a kiss after I cooled down,” he mumbled, visibly flustered. “But you beat me to it.”

You smiled. “Can’t help it when you look that good dancing.”

His ears turned pink.

“I’m sweaty,” he protested half-heartedly.

“I like you sweaty,” you teased.

He exhaled a laugh, grabbed a towel, then looked at you with soft eyes.

“Next time, at least let me kiss you back.”

San

You were walking down a quiet side street after grabbing ice cream together, his fingers loosely laced with yours. The sun was dipping below the rooftops, casting a warm orange hue over everything.

He was talking animatedly about a movie he wanted to watch when you suddenly stopped, tugged him toward you, and kissed him right in the middle of his sentence.

His eyes widened.

You pulled back, ice cream still in your free hand. “Sorry. You just looked cute.”

“…You just kissed me. In public.”

“I did.”

“You ambushed me like a romcom protagonist.”

San blinked, touched his lips like he was making sure it really happened, then grinned wide.

“I hope this means I’m your main love interest.”

You laughed. “Always.”

He took your hand, spun you in a dramatic twirl, then kissed you back under the streetlight.

“Then it’s only fair I steal a kiss too.”

Mingi

You were helping him decorate his apartment for a cozy little at-home date—twinkle lights, snacks, your favorite playlist humming low. He was placing a scented candle on the table, looking incredibly proud of himself, when you leaned forward and kissed him without warning.

He froze. Nearly knocked the candle over.

“…Did you just…”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

You shrugged. “You were being cute.”

He covered his face with both hands. “I wasn’t ready. My brain rebooted. Try again—wait no, don’t, I’m—”

You leaned in again and kissed him lightly, again.

He melted like the candle wax.

“Okay, okay,” he mumbled, grinning through his fingers. “Now I feel like I gotta do something dramatic. Like recite a poem or carry you bridal style.”

“Oh? You gonna write me a sonnet next?”

“Don’t tempt me, I will.”

Wooyoung

You were in the middle of a Mario Kart match on his couch, controllers in hand, both shouting dramatic curses at each other. He was winning—barely—and very smug about it.

When he drifted around the last corner and threw a banana peel right in front of you, you dropped your controller and kissed him instead.

His eyes widened like you’d paused his entire life.

“…Did you just sabotage me with affection?”

“Yup.”

“That’s cheating. That’s emotional warfare. You weaponized your lips.”

“You love it.”

He blinked at the screen. “I lost. I literally lost.”

You shrugged. “Worth it?”

He tossed the controller, pulled you into his lap, and kissed you like he was trying to win the rematch with his mouth.

“Okay, new rule: you can kiss me, but only if I get to kiss you longer.”

Jongho

You were at a quiet café downtown, sipping on bubble tea while he sat across from you scrolling through his phone. The late afternoon sun filtered through the windows, turning his skin golden and soft.

He looked up to say something and you leaned across the small table and kissed him, just like that.

He stared.

“…Was that legal?”

“What?” you laughed.

“I didn’t see it coming. No lead-in. No suspense.”

“It was a surprise attack.”

He blinked a few more times, then leaned his elbow on the table, resting his chin in his hand.

“You’re so bold lately.”

“You don’t like it?”

He smirked. “I didn’t say that.”

Then he reached across and gently traced your fingertips.

“But next time… warn me. So I don’t almost choke on my drink again.”

You both laughed, and his smile lingered long after.