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lavenderbang · 2 months

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Felix And Your Tavern; Chapter 2

A/N: Okay so I’m back by popular demand because I LOVE LEE FELIX AND SO DO YALL!!! Anyways, doing this part in bullet points too, so sorry if you were expecting me to make an actual well written fic cause this is not it. As usual, forgive any spelling errors, I ALWAYS miss some on my proof reading cause my word vomit is insane. Anyways, enjoy!

Part I Part II

Warning(s): alcohol, swearing, also some talk about death, but that’s about it. Reader has the title of wife.

HES SO !!!

It was late autumn when you brought the idea up to Felix about getting a bar-hand for the Tavern.

With the weather getting colder, people were more likely to want a hot meal with their drink, which meant that Felix was getting a bit too busy managing both the kitchen and the bar by himself.

And with you serving the tables, keeping track of all the payments, and dealing with the inn residency, you were too busy to pick up his slack.

Felix knew this.

it made logical sense

but it made him anxious to no end...

“My Love, I understand. But we can’t trust anyone.” He said with a frown. You nodded along, wiping the bartop with a rag. When you looked up at your husband, you mirrored his frown.

“I know. That’s why we don’t tell them anything.” You countered, tossing your rag in the sink. You then went around to the tables and began removing the chairs from the top of them, tucking them in their rightful spot underneath.

You were to open for the evening soon, so Felix began to help you prepare by taking chairs off the tables and putting them in their places as well.

“They won’t need to know anything besides we own a tavern and an inn, and that we need their help.” You hummed, dusting off your hands on your thighs and returning to the bar, where Felix was removing the final stool.

You looped your arms around his waist and pulled him closer to you. He gazed into your eyes and you swore you still got butterflies when he stared.

“We need the help, Dear.” You whispered, focusing more on the beating of your lover’s heart than the actual conversation

and with the way Felix was gazing at your lips, it seems like he wasn’t too focused on the conversation anymore either.

“I know we do.” He sighed in defeat, before letting his heart take over and place a kiss on your lips.

When you parted, you smiled at him

You’ll never get used to the feeling of kissing Felix

it always gave you this light, airy feeling in your chest.

Pushing off him, you went back to work, not before placing one last peck on his cheek.

“I’ll post a notice by the door.” You hummed, taking the clean cups from where you left them to dry and hang them on the wine track above the bar

That night, you got a few inquiries about the job, but nobody who seemed truly interested.

But your saving grace came through the door well into the evening.

Hwang Hyunjin.

He was an occasional visitor at your little tavern, opting to come once or twice a week to have a drink and then go off to wherever he went

you honestly didn’t know what he did at night after his visit at the bar.

nor did you think it was you place to ask

none of your business, you supposed

but he always ordered the same thing; red wine and some fresh bread.

all you knew about him was he was a hunter.

Well, you assumed he was a hunter

He would tell stories of being out in the wild woods, how beautiful the world looked from under the green canopies with nothing but the grass under your feet, wind against your skin and the moon in the sky

You liked Hyunjin.

He was always very kind to you and Felix while being at the bar

as well as respected other patrons

not to mention, he never asked questions about your personal life

he only ever asked about what your plans for the future were and stories from the days he didn’t come in

Felix liked Hyunjin too.

He made sure to compliment Felix’s cooking and always left a bit of a tip ‘for excellent company and even more excellent food’

Hyunjin was a good guy in Felix’s mind, no matter what the other patrons said.

some thought he was odd because he preferred to be alone and was very private, but that never really bothered Felix

Hyunjin was nice to him and you

always was.

“Why hello stranger!” You joked, serving the man at his usual table near the back of the tavern

it was closest to the area you had musicians come perform.

Hyunjin always enjoyed the music when he came in

“The usual I presume?” You asked, to which Hyunjin nodded, with a smile.

You returned quickly with his usual order, setting the glass of wine down carefully

Felix liked to fill it to the brim when it was for Hyunjin

“What’s new?” Hyunjin asked, taking a sip from his full glass. You tucked the serving tray you had under your arm before shifting your weight more comfortably on your feet.

“Nothing much. Winter is coming soon, so we’ll have to start preparing the inn for that.” You hummed, letting a humorous grin play on your features as an image popped into you head, “I’ll have to get Felix to start chopping fire wood.”

“I think that is much more of a job for you, not him” Hyunjin laughed, taking a bite of the warm bread you had brought him, “I don’t quite peg Felix as a manual labor kind of guy...”

“You’d be surprised!” You said with a grin, “I’ll have you know, Felix worked as a farmhand for half a year to support us.”

“Now that I don’t believe!” Hyunjin chuckled, taking one more sip from his drink, “Felix is so skilled with domestic things like cooking and keeping clean, I would have never guessed.”

“I guess Felix is good at a lot of things.” You said simply, brushing a stray hair away from your face.

“Speaking of jobs, I see you’re hiring?” Hyunjin asked, nodding his head towards the door where your little parchment was hanging.

“We are.” You turned to look at the posting before smiling back at Hyunjin, “know anyone who would be interested?”

Hyunjin hummed, swirling his drink in his glass a few times before downing the remaining alcohol.

“I’d be interested.” He said, seriousness evident in his demeanor,

“that is, if you would want me?”

You perked up at the offer.

Hyunjin seemed like a good fit for the job

He was charismatic and seemed to be able to think and act quickly

not to mention both you and Felix already got along well with him and he knew the Tavern well from his visits.

“I’ll have to speak with Felix, but I think you’d be a fine fit for the position. Can you maybe come in tomorrow at noon?”

“Sounds lovely.”

“Great! Me and Felix will talk tonight and ask you some questions tomorrow, but truthfully, I don’t see why you wouldn’t be a perfect addition to our operation here.”

Hyunjin smiled with a nod, before standing and bidding you a farewell. He placed the coins he owed on the table before leaving, weaving gracefully between the tables and other patrons

Felix agreed before you even needed to explain your thoughts

If you had to get a bar-hand, Hyunjin was your best bet.

And Hyunjin enjoyed his work at your tavern

It always had felt like a second home to him

well, besides the woods of course.

He felt welcomed by you and Felix!

so spending every evening there was nice, especially now that it was getting cold outside

and he always needed to make more money so he’d be able to live.

And yes, Hyunjin made sure to never ask about your personal lives

because it was truly none of his business to ask you beyond what you were willing to share

However, he wasn’t stupid.

He wasn’t exactly sure about your past with Felix, but he tended to notice things when he would come in.

How you avoided talking about where you and Felix came from before landing in here in Miroh

or why you didn’t have any family or other friends.

or even where you got the long, silver bow that hung behind the bar.

You were good people, who never gave Hyunjin any reason to question that.

So he thought it best to just keep quiet

Working at the Tavern went much more smoothly after Hyunjin joined in

Felix mostly stayed in the kitchen now, but he also helped take a bit of the load off you too by dealing with the inn residences

and Hyunjin worked the bar well, never forgetting to serve the counter as he prepared your orders from the tables with an equal amount of quality and haste.

for months, this system worked well!

even when the dead of winter rolled around and the inn and tavern were at its all time peak in patrons due to the cold weather.

It was another night like this where the bar was packed and many people were sat and stood around the tables

You had a man singing today, his voice beautifully ringing throughout the tavern for all to hear.

You reminded Felix to make a plate up for him for when he was done his performance.

(You think he was named Seungmin? Rumor had it he was once a court musician for the Duchess of the Central Valley before he was dismissed)

You were slipping through the people, trying your best not to bump into anyone or knock your tray over when you felt it.

sharp eyes burning through you.

You made a quick glance around the room when your eyes met with a man in the corner of the room.

He was accompanied by two more men, all of which seemed to be skilled adventurers.

You kept your composure under the man’s scrutinous gaze, however you couldn’t help the sick feeling in your stomach.

You looked away, turning and standing at the bar. You placed your tray down for Hyunjin to put your order on it.

“Jin,” You called, earning a hum form the man behind the bar, “That group in the back. Who are they?”

Hyunjin let his eyes float to the table you were referencing before slightly frowning at you.

“Travelers. I’ve only heard passing whispers about them, but they are known around these parts as 3racha.”

“And?”

“All I know about them is that they often take many quests and wander the lands slaying monsters.”

“Hmm. Thank you.”

You took a deep breath, trying to shake the nerves you felt from being so close to adventurers.

it was the first time you’d ever encountered bounty hunters, and it scared you shitless.

Approaching their table, you put on the brightest smile you could as your eyes locked onto the one who wouldn’t stop staring

A stoic looking fellow with a fur cloak draped across his broad frame.

to his left, a shorter, stronger man holding a large claymore and a nasty look.

and his right was a pretty, squirrelly man that you could feel had this aura of magic surrounding him

You could tell they were strong just from the atmosphere they created around them

“Hello gentlemen, what can I do for you this evening?” You said, tone even.

You weren’t even sure if they were here for you, but you felt defensive nonetheless

The man with the cloak hummed, eyes not breaking contact with yours

“We hear you are famous for your baked goods.” He spoke confidently, voice coming out with an accent, “What would you suggest?”

“My husband spent all morning baking cranberry tarts.” You said, tucking a stray hair behind your ear as you smiled softly, “I would recommend that. We also have a fine selection of beverages if you feel so inclined.”

“Your husband?” The Big man asked, digging the tip of his claymore into the wood of the floor, before he looked up at you, “You mean the man behind the bar?”

“No, that is our bar-hand.” You answered simply, before quipping back, “Why do you ask? Perhaps you have an interest in him? I can introduce you, if you’d like.”

Pretty man let out a chuckle at your joke, before trying to cover it with a cough. Big man’s face heated up in what you could only assume was embarrassment or irritation, before your attention was directed back to the man in the cloak.

You blinked innocently at him, holding your tray limply at your side.

You felt like you were on trial as he stared at you. The tension seemed thick before he cleared his throat and grinned.

It made you feel even more unsettled...

“Tarts sound wonderful. We’ll take three.” He spoke politely, to which you nodded and retreated behind the bar into the kitchen for the pastries.

Felix was working there, washing dishes and humming a tune to himself with a small smile on his face.

It made you happy to see him so carefree.

You came up behind him, wrapping your arms around your husband’s torso.

You could feel the beating of your heart in your throat, and for once it wasn’t from Felix...

“Hey Love.” He cheered, turning his head to be able to place a chaste kiss on your lips, “Busy night, huh?”

“Very.” You chuckled breathlessly, trying not to let the sickness pooling in your stomach read on your face.

You didn’t want to worry Felix with the trouble of 3racha

As much as you loved Felix’s emotional side, it was sometimes a curse.

one that you didn’t need right now when you were barely holding on yourself.

besides, you weren’t even sure if it was trouble yet.

it could be just a feeling of unease and paranoia getting the better of you...

“I’m here for the tarts, A table just ordered some.” You said as nonchalantly as possible.

Felix beamed, eyes lighting up upon hearing that someone wanted to eat his baking.

as if it wasn’t a normal occurrence for people to ask specifically for Felix’s food

“Ask them how it tastes.” He said excitedly, drying his hands on the towel near the sink before helping placing some on a plate and hand them to you, “I tried a new recipe and I need to know if its good.”

“Will do, Dear.” You said with a smile. You eyes fell upon Felix and you felt your chest heave with anxiety and your heart squeeze with worry.

Before you could even think about it, you set the tray down on the counter and wrapped your arms tightly around your husband

Even though he was confused on why you hugged him unprompted, he didn’t hesitate to hug you back, holding you close to him.

you stayed like that for a moment, taking in his scent before sighing.

“I love you so much, you know.” You whispered dreamily, causing Felix to squeeze your body tighter.

“I love you too.” He replied, and you could hear the grin in his voice, making you grin too. When you finally let him go, you placed one more kiss on his soft lips, letting it fuel you enough to go back out there and face whatever was in store for you.

And when you did return to the table, placing the tarts on the wooden surface gently, you willed yourself to be calm and to appear as cheerful as possible

even if your instincts were screaming.

“Thank you, Darling.” The man in the cloak said with a smile. The name sounded like poison coming from his lips and you resisted the urge to grimace.

“Is that all for you, gentlemen?” You asked sweetly, hoping to be done with this interaction and get back to work.

You were sure this feeling was just paranoia and you were overreacting

yes, this must all be a misunderstanding and-

“Actually I have a few questions for you, if you don’t mind.” The man with the cloak answered seriously; Big man and Pretty man were much to busy eating to even speak, which would have been kinda endearing if you weren’t sick to your stomach.

“What can I help you with?” You asked, cringing at the fact that your tone came out a bit more shaky than intended

“I’ll be straight with you, we are adventurers. And we have come to these lands on a quest.”

“ah, I see...”

“Looking for the kidnapped prince from Clé. I’m sure you’ve heard of him by now?”

You felt your heart drop to your stomach as you nodded along to the man’s words. You felt a burning in your throat and you could barely trust yourself to be able to speak.

“Rumor has it, he is being hid away somewhere in this area.” The man in the cloak watched you intently, a wicked grin adorning his features, “You wouldn’t happen to know about that, would you?”

His associates stopped eating for a moment, gazing up at you.

You felt like you were suffocating in this moment.

Like you were drowning, everything around you slowed and you took a breath, hopefully to steady yourself enough before replying.

“I don’t, sorry.” You said weakly, feeling like a mouse caught in a trap.

“Now, we all know that’s not true, (Y/N).” The cloaked man said bluntly, leaning his elbows on the table and tilting his head slightly.

You stared back at him helplessly, feeling like you were an inch tall under the man’s gaze.

He knew you.

He knew your name.

It was like someone pumped your body with lead as you stood staring at the man.

“Y’know, these tarts are very good. I’d love to tell your husband myself how good they are.” The Pretty man hummed, batting his eyelashes at you tauntingly, “What did you say his name was?”

“Felix. His name is Felix.” You said firmly, willing all the strength you have in your body to standing upright.

“How much would you bet that your husband bares a resemblance to Prince Yongbok, hm?” The Big man asked, before pulling out a parchment with a portrait on it. You glanced down and immediately recognized it as Felix on the painting of the royal family that was in the dinning room of the castle.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. My husband isn’t the prince.” You said weakly, clearing your throat, earning a grimace from the cloaked man in front of you.

“If there is one thing I hate more than kidnappers,” He growled, gaze cold, “It’s kidnappers who lie.”

You could see out of your peripheral Big man grip his claymore as if he was ready to draw it on you.

You didn’t want to start a fight in the tavern while it was full and busy

but you were damn sure not going to let these men ruin everything you and Felix built.

so you did the only thing you could in the moment.

“I don’t lie.” You explained stiffly, narrowing your eyes at the men, “If anything, whatever you’ve heard about that situation is the lie.”

You were hoping to buy yourself some time to think of a way to defuse the situation

perhaps even lead the men outside for a confrontation instead?

That didn’t seem like an option when the man in the cloak chuckled, clearly irritated by your words. He moved his cloak out of the way to reveal the shiny steel of a sword hilt.

but before he could say another word, you felt a warm hand wrap around your shoulder.

Hyunjin.

Your beam of light in the darkness.

“Hey fellas, what seems to be the problem here?” He spoke smoothly, expression light as he held you firmly.

“Nothing.” The cloaked man said, before smiling at Hyunjin. He readjusted his cloak to cover his sword back up, “Just enjoying these lovely cranberry tarts and wanting to tell the chef.”

“Oh, he’s very busy tonight,” Hyunjin chuckled, gesturing around the room before landing his eyes back on the three men at the table, “My dear master here will be sure to tell the chef you enjoyed them though, don’t worry!”

“Splendid.” The man with the cloak said, features bright as his gaze still bore into you face.

You couldn’t help the uneasiness you felt, but with Hyunjin there you knew it wold be okay for now.

“Is that all? My master has many patrons to attend to.” Hyunjin asked with ease. You were almost in awe at how he seemed so unshaken and was so easily able to release all the tension in the air.

“erm.... well...” The man in the cloak mumbled before Pretty man’s face lit up.

“Indeed!” He cheered, glancing between you and Hyunjin, “We require a room to stay in.”

“Excellent.” Hyunjin hummed with a bow, before gesturing to you, “my master will go prepare your key and room for you, if you’ll wait here.”

He quickly sent you away, not without a look of worry that you dismissed with a nod and a weak smile.

You hoped that your expression conveyed how grateful you were to Hyunjin

Because the moment you got to the back to grab a key, you took a sigh of relief.

You were okay for now, but you knew this was just prolonging the inevitable.

so when you closed up for the night and laid down in your room to sleep, you didn’t forget to put the long, silver dagger you owned between your mattress and the frame; hilt out for quick access.

And while Felix failed to notice this, he didn’t fail to notice how on edge you were.

He stripped from his work pants, eyeing you anxiously fiddling with the sheets below you and staring off into space.

“What has you so troubled, My Love?” Felix asked softly, folding his work clothes and placing them on a chair across the room.

“Hm?” You looked up at Felix’s broad back before he turned to face you, eyes soft and face gentle, “Nothing.”

Felix hummed disapprovingly, walking to where you sat on the bed and knelt in front of you.

He laced his hands with yours, studying your face before placing a kiss to your knuckles.

“You can tell me anything, you know?” Felix said

“I know.”

“Then tell me, what is on your mind?”

“I guess it’s just...” You start. You look into Felix’s eyes and feel a sense of warmth.

He always brought you comfort, his empathetic nature was one of the best parts about how in touch with his feelings he was; you always loved that about him.

“I love you so much, it’s painful sometimes.” You begin again, taking a deep breath and bringing Felix’s hand to your cheek. He reacts immediately, cupping your face gently and smoothing his thumb over your cheekbone, face full of worry.

“I’m so happy with you and we’ve worked so hard, I worry sometimes how easily it can all be taken away. How you can be taken away.” You explained, feeling the stress finally spill over as you release a few tears, “Life has no meaning without you. I just get scared sometimes it’s all going to disappear.”

Felix stands before finding his place beside you on the bed, coming so close you can feel his breath across your face.

his heart felt like it was going to explode at your words.

of course he’s had anxieties and worries too

but he’s able to get through it because you’re always there

you’re his stable rock telling him it’s okay and as long you are together, everything will be fine

so he needs to be that for you now.

“Come here, lay with me.” He suggests, pulling you down so you lay in his grasp.

he is warm under you, like the midday sun.

You can count the freckles on his beautiful faces from this distance, like stars painted on an angel.

“I know it’s scary,” Felix begins. His deep voice is resonating in his chest against your head as he smooths his hands up and down your shoulders and back soothingly,

“I love you more than words can describe, (Y/N). And I promise you, as long as I’m still living, I will do everything in my power to be with you. I’ll keep you safe and happy, until my dying breath.”

“I love you.” You confessed again in a hushed tone, nuzzling your face into his neck. Felix grinned to himself, feeling giddy as if it was the first time he’d heard you say those three magic words.

“I love you too.” He repeated, squeezing you slightly.

You laid with Felix in the dark for what seemed like and eternity, with Felix lazily stroking your back and placing soft pecks on your head before he allowed himself to slip into the sweet release of sleep.

But not you.

You stayed awake, listing to the evenness of Felix’s breathing as you relished in his hold.

it felt like the last time you’d feel it.

It was well into the twilight when he came; the man in the cloak.

He moved quietly, only the sound of his feet padding against the wooden floorboards could be heard as he entered the room

he was illuminated by the light of a single lantern, just bright enough to see your sleeping figure.

carefully, he drew his sword and placed the tip at your throat, ready to strike you where you laid.

but he hesitated when he saw Felix grasping onto you so tenderly

why would he..?

“I expected you to come.” you whispered, your bleary eyes reflecting the light of the flame. It shook the man to his core how calm you seemed

“Yet you still housed me and my party...” He said, voice low and deep. you shifted ever so slightly as not to wake Felix or be stabbed through the neck

“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t run you through.” He asked firmly, eyes cold and sharp as he stared down at your tired face.

But you had prepared.

You gracefully swing your arm up so the tip of your dagger laid at his chest. You expression showed no fear, much unlike the man’s, although he did his best to stay composed.

“You want to kill me? do it.” You said simply, pushing the blade closer to the man, “But be prepared to pay with your life.”

Just then, Felix shifted slightly and you freeze.

You would hate to wake him, even now when your life was potentially moments from ending.

The man froze in place too as Felix pulled you closer to him and took a deep breath, seemingly at ease by your presence.

This made no sense...

you sighed, removing the dagger from the man’s chest only slightly.

“Listen, if you’re going to kill me, please not here. I don’t want to wake him.” You begged quietly, eyes softening at the man in front of you.

He was still for a moment before nodding solemnly at you. He backed away enough for you to wriggle out of Felix’s grasp.

However, your movement caused your husband to stir.

“mhhmmm... where are you going, My Love?” He slurred, eyes closed and body still heavy on the bed, but clear concern in his voice.

This behavior confused the man even more as he watched you give Felix’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“Bathroom. I’ll be right back.” You lied with an endearing grin, petting his hair lovingly. The prince hummed before rolling over, facing the far wall and falling back to sleep.

You turned to the man and nodded towards the door, where you both exited.

Placing your dagger and his lantern on the bar, you pulled out two glasses from their places on the drying rack.

“What are you doing?” He asked, voice laced with an uncertainty.

“Well,” You began, grabbing a bottle of wine from behind the bar and uncorking it, “If you’re going to kill me, I’d much prefer to have a drink first, wouldn’t you? It’s on the house.”

The man stared at you for a moment before pulling a stool down and sitting at the bar, sword laying in his lap.

You silently poured the wine into the two glasses, sliding one across the bar to him.

You take a drink from your glass, feeling a sense of dread deep down in your stomach

but it was smothered but this horrifying numb feeling of the inevitability of this situation.

“Can I ask you something?” The man asked after what seemed like an eternity.

“shoot.”

“Why did you do it? Why did you kidnap the prince?”

“I told you, that’s a lie.” You swirled your drink around in your glass before taking another sip of it.

It tasted bitter as it washed down your throat, but you weren’t sure if it was truly from the alcohol or because of what this man was accusing you of.

“Then what is the truth?” The man mumbled, eyes down as he circled the rim of his glass. His lips were drawn into a thin line as you smiled weakly at his request.

“The truth is, we were in love. We are in love.” You hummed, leaning your elbows on the bartop before continuing.

“Its funny, it was actually his idea to leave, you know.”

“What happened?”

“Oh gosh, where do I even begin?”

And you told the man everything; how you began working in the castle as his courtier, how you fell in love, how he got the name Felix, the engagement, the ball, buying the tavern.

Everything.

When you finished, you downed the remainder of your drink and put the glass in the sink calmly.

The man said nothing all throughout your story, and even now he stayed silent. He stared down at the bartop, conflict running in his mind.

“You expect me to believe that?” He finally said, looking up at you. His expression was softer now, almost apologetic.

“Believe what you want.” You said with a shrug, grabbing the hilt of your dagger and holding it at your side, “But you better believe you’ll have to kill me before you are able to lay a hand on Felix. And even if you do kill me, because you know I won’t go down without a fight, good luck bringing Felix back to that wretched place in one piece. He would rather die than go back there and live as the prince.”

The man sat in silence for a moment, trying to read you; see if you have spoke any untruths.

But he couldn’t seem to find any in your tired eyes.

“You know,” The man sighed, grabbing his sword by the hilt, “I pride myself on being a man of honor. One who has a good morality and always does what’s right, no matter the consequences.”

He sheathed his sword and held his hand out for you to shake.

“I want to believe you. Based on everything you’ve said, this place, even how the pri-.... Felix was behaving, I trust you.”

You shake the man’s hand, letting out a deep breath that you didn’t know you were holding.

“Thank you.” You whispered, feeling like you were going to cry from all the tension you had stored up for the past 12 hours.

“I’ll be sure to explain to my colleagues the situation. I’m sure they’ll understand your predicament. Especially Jisung.”

You nodded, but your confusion on who that was must have read on your face because the man in front of you chuckled tiredly.

“I forgot, you don’t even know our names...” The man hummed, before grinning at you, “The name’s Chan.”

“Nice to meet you, now that you aren’t pointing a blade at my face.” You snickered, feeling relieved at the newfound ally-ship of Chan.

“I wont keep you up any longer, (Y/N).” Chan said, bowing at you. You bowed back at him, turning to retreat back to your room

back into your husbands grasp.

But you remembered something.

“Oh, one last thing!” You called back to Chan, who was already at the bottom of the stairs to go back to him room. He looked at you perplexedly, but stopped anyways to let you speak.

“Felix wanted to know how the tarts tasted? He was so happy someone ordered some.” You grinned. Chan let out a breathless laugh, the corners of his mouth curling upwards at your question.

“Tell him they were fantastic. I’m pretty sure my colleague Changbin wants some for the road.” Chan replied, showing off a set of dimples. You nodded before waving the man off, retreating back to your room.

You swore, you have never slept as good as you did that night after your encounter with Chan.

You would also occasionally see 3racha come back to your tavern time and time again

usually when they were in the area for a quest, but they never failed to spend the night and try whatever was specially made that day.

and because of them, you put up a Quest board by the door for people who had odd jobs and were looking for adventurers to complete them.

Things calmed down a bit after that

You were glad, cause it meant you got to spend much more time with Felix, which was nice.

Some nights Felix would hear a song he particularly liked and would emerge from the kitchen to pick you out of the crowd and dance with you.

You always felt happiest in those few moment holding his hands as he twirled you around and sang off key

and on the particularly cold nights, after you were all closed up for the evening,

Felix would read to you, with you snuggled up under his chin and his arms around you, illuminated only by the light of a single candlestick.

It began with simple short stories, but soon enough it became a nightly occurrence and Felix would read novels over the course of a week or two.

And when the snow eventually started to melt and spring rolled around, you would go out to the meadow just beyond the northern border of Miroh and have afternoon picnics.

Felix liked these days best.

You always looked so beautiful, basking in the warm sun while telling him about whatever juicy gossip you heard at the tavern that week.

It reminded him of the afternoons you would accompany him to the greenhouse at the castle, and how those were his favourite days back then too.

only now, you were his wife, and he was free to love you more wholeheartedly.

It was a sunny afternoon and you and Felix were simply enjoying each other’s company

he laid with his head in your lap as you talked about the newest shipment of ale you were to get tomorrow morning, your fingers mindlessly scratching at his scalp.

he let his eyes flutter shut, the sound of your voice and the smell of your skin putting Felix in a dreamy haze

He wasn’t sure how long he had been asleep for when you finally tapped delicately on his cheek.

“Hey, I’m so boring you fell asleep?” You teased, causing Felix to sigh and look up at you.

Felix swore you had to be an angel, especially in that moment.

“You could never bore me, My Love.” Felix replied, voice deep and groggy from just waking up.

He sat up and stretched his arms over his head, blinking his eyes a bit to adjust to the warm orange sun.

“We’d better get back, its almost time to open.” You urged your husband, reaching for the cutlery to put it in the basket you bought.

“I wanna stay here with you.” Felix whined playfully, scooting over to lean his head down on your shoulder.

“We cant stay here, we have to work.”

“whyyyyyy?”

“Because! If we don’t work, we can’t have yummy food to eat or books to read or a place to sleep when it gets cold.”

“That’s dumb. I want to just lay with you in the grass and listen to you talk and hold onto you and kiss you and not worry about anything.”

“I know, but life isn’t perfect like that, Dear.” You finished packing away all the plates and cutlery before placing a kiss on Felix’s head, “Besides, if we don’t open up our place for people to stay and be happy for a while, who will?”

Felix hummed, lifting his head to look at you before leaning in and kissing you.

This time it was longer

Felix felt so lovesick, much like he always does when it comes to you.

He willed all of his love into the kiss, holding you tenderly as you kissed him back with just as much fervor.

When you finally parted, you stood up and held your hand out for Felix. He gladly accepted it, standing too

You made your way down the cobblestone street, swinging your hands back and forth like children as you spoke about how lovely the weather had been the past few days

As you approached the tavern, you noticed there was a man sat on the steps out front

When you actually recognized him, you almost dropped your basket

Minho.

Upon noticing your arrival, he stood up, and blinked a couple times. He seemed like he was the one who was surprised you and Felix were there

He wore simple looking clothes, a cloak for travel, and no crown; this was probably to avoid crowds forming and too much attention…

Felix swore his heart stopped as he froze in place, locking eyes with his brother

He wanted to go to him; hug him and tell him how much he missed seeing Minho.

He had thought about writing to his older brother, but resisted to urge as he was afraid.

Minho wasn’t just his brother,

He was heir to the throne of Clé

Which meant he had responsibilities.

Ones that probably included bringing Felix back

So instead of going to Minho, greeting him lovingly, Felix held your hand tighter and swallowed heavily

“Yongbok.” The Prince gasped, a breathless chuckle passing through his lips as he approached the two of you, “so the rumours were true…”

Felix said nothing, only putting himself between you and Minho and taking a half step back.

He didn’t know why he had come, but his worst fear was you being taken from him.

Upon your reaction, Minho stopped, eyebrows quirked in confusion. His smile faded

“Why have you come?” Felix asked, expression firm, but he felt like he was made of jelly

You held his hand tightly, swiping your thumb gently across the back of it to help calm your husband down.

“For answers.” Minho replied, fingers fiddling with the hem of his tunic as he watched the two of you, “and to see you I guess…”

The Prince walked back closer to the door, nodding his head towards it, “I arrived a bit earlier and I didn’t get an answer, so I assumed you were out. May we talk more inside?”

“Did you come alone, your highness?” You asked, finally speaking up. You weren’t sure if you should treat Minho with formalities or not, but it felt wrong to address him any other way…

The Prince nodded, “I didn’t want too much attention if I didn’t end up finding you. So..?”

Minho once again gestured to the door and you looked at Felix, who still seemed to be glued to the spot on the walkway

In all honesty, he could barely sense anything besides the sound of the blood rushing in his ears and the feeling of your hand in his.

He felt like his brain was shutting down.

This situation didn’t feel real.

It couldn’t be real

“Dear, what do you want to do?”

It was real.

“What do you think?” Felix finally whispered, turning to you. You gazed into your husbands eyes to find panic residing in them

However, you felt oddly at ease

If Minho was alone, he wasn’t a threat to you

For now, at least

Besides, he already had all the information he needed to ruin your life

He found you.

What more damage could be done by inviting him in?

You nodded, urging Felix to go to his brother

Felix nodded, turning back to Minho, who looked at the two of you expectantly

Felix wordlessly approached the door, holding onto your hand still as he unlocked it, allowing the three of you to enter the tavern

Minho looked around the room; if he had any opinion on your tavern, he didn’t say. He simply stood by the bar, as you closed the door.

Felix was still staring at his brother. It had been so long, he almost didn’t remember what he looked like

Had he always had that hair colour?

“Uhm.. can I get you anything, your highness? Perhaps a tea or something stronger?” You asked tentatively, pulling down a couple of chairs at a table for them to sit at.

“Just tea, thank you.” Minho hummed, sitting at the table you prepared for them. You nodded, taking the basket back to the kitchen to put the dishes in the sink and prepare a pot of tea.

Felix still stood near the bar, feeling anxiety bubble up. The only ease he felt was the sound of you in the kitchen; it was the only thing that grounded him.

“What do you want?” Felix asked, crossing his arms over his chest. He missed Minho, but he couldn’t trust him right now.

“To talk” Minho stated, gesturing to the chair across from him. Felix hesitated, bouncing his leg nervously. Minho slyly grinned, “I don’t bite, Yongbok.”

“Don’t call me that.” Felix mumbled, finally coming over to the table and sitting down across from his brother.

He was still weary, but he knew you were close by if anything happened

“Oh yes, I’ve heard you have a new name. Felix, is it?” Minho asked, frowning as he tapped his fingers on the table and hummed, “Interesting choice. It suits you.”

“What do you want?” Felix repeated, leaning forward in his chair with his expression cold. Minho smiled again, playfully looking at the younger man.

“No need be defensive! I told you. I came for answers.” Minho said. You returned, teapot and a couple of teacups on a tray that you sat down the table. Minho thanked you with a smile, only for you to bow.

You felt unsure if you should sit

Technically, you didn’t work for the royal court anymore, but Minho was still royalty...

You decided to stay standing, placing a gentle hand on your husband’s shoulder to hopefully help ease him.

It did, as you felt Felix’s shoulders relax under your touch.

Minho poured himself some tea, the sweet citrus aroma filling the air; He quietly stirred in a spoon of sugar before tapping it against the rim of the teacup.

“First and foremost, It is nice to see you.” Minho hummed, blowing on his drink twice before taking a tentative sip.

Felix was quiet for only a moment before mumbling out “It’s nice to see you too.”

He meant it.

As much as he felt defensive and out of his element, it was nice to see his brother after all this time.

Minho grinned, looking down to his lap at the confession. He chewed his bottom lip nervously before taking another sip of tea

“You know, you really stirred up a lot of trouble back home.” Minho chuckled, lacing his fingers together and setting his hands on the table, “Do you know what mother has been telling people?”

Felix was quiet; he hadn’t heard anything from Clé since you left.

“That I kidnapped Felix.” You answered for him, causing Felix to look over at you. Your expression was unreadable, but you stared at Minho with some sort of resolve

The Prince looked to you, raising his eyebrows and scoffing.

“Exactly that. “The Trusted Courtier took weapons from the armory and forced The Helpless Prince Yongbok to leave with them, never to be seen again.”” Minho huffed in a sarcastic tone, crossing his arms over his chest, “Can you believe it? How absurd.”

“You don’t believe it?” You asked, eyebrows furrowed and lips drawn into an amused pout; Your expression could be described as cat-like; cautious, yet curious.

“How could I when I found this?” Minho laughed, pulling a folded parchment from out of his pants pocket and placing it on the table.

Felix picked it up and opened it, revealing his own handwriting.

He immediately closed it when he realized what it was, causing his brother to let out a laugh from deep in his chest.

“What is it Felix?” You asked, leaning over to look at your husband’s now reddening face.

“I noticed you took all of your journals and letters with you.” Minho hummed, before pointing at the parchment, “But it seems you must have forgotten one.”

“I- Well...” Felix stammered, looking between you and Minho. Sighing in defeat, he handed you the parchment and let you read it.

Your eyes lit up to see it was a letter

addressed to you.

from Felix.

“Dear (Y/N), I’m not sure I’ll ever be allowed to say this out loud, so I’m writing this letter. You’ll probably never see it; in fact, I intend to never give this to you, but I need to say this or else I’ll probably combust. I am in love with you (I can’t believe I just wrote that...). You’re so smart and so kind. I feel warm when I am around you. You are the only person I feel like truly understands me and I hope that you enjoy spending time with me like I enjoy spending time with you. The truth is, you make my days bearable. You are like the sun. The stars in the night sky. I had the realization I have been struck by Cupid’s arrow because I think about you at all hours. You are my muse; I wonder which flowers you like best while I tend to all of them in the garden. I take my dance lessons and I imagine you are my dance partner. When I lay in bed at night, I think about how I must fall asleep quickly in order to see you again. But what I think about most is if you feel this way about me too? I hope so. - Felix”

Minho watched you read the letter, eyes softening as your expression grew ever so brighter as your eyes flicked down the page.

Felix watched you too, clearly embarrassed by his younger self; but all that dissipated as he saw how bright you were.

“I don’t think someone would write something like that about their kidnapper.” Minho hummed, taking another sip of tea as you finished the letter. You folded it up and held onto to it for a moment, feeling your heart flutter at the words.

Of course, you knew Felix loved you more than anything. But it was special seeing how much he loved you and for how long he’s loved you.

You gazed lovingly at Felix, placing a quick kiss to his cheek. He smiled up at you, grabbing onto your hand that laid at his shoulder.

“So.” Minho cleared his throat, “Seeing as I found that, I knew that something else was going on. And I needed to find out for myself. So I followed the only lead I could find.”

“Rumors of a tavern in Miroh?” Felix deduced, to which his brother nodded, leaning back in his chair. He looked around the room before smiling softly.

“and it looks like the rumors were true.” Minho said looking between you and Felix.

A silence washed over you all for a moment. It seemed Minho was pretty understanding of what your relationship with Felix was

however, that didn’t necessarily mean he approved.

“So, what does it mean now that you know the truth?” Felix asked bluntly. Minho stared at him for a moment before leaning forward

“Are you happy?” Minho asked, tone serious as he laced his fingers together again and placed them on the table.

“More than I’ve ever been.” Felix said honestly, staring down his brother. Minho shook his head before letting out a sigh. His demeanor shifted a bit as you and Felix watched him seemingly have an internal struggle raging in his head. After a moment of silence, he pursed his lips and tapped his fingers on the table nonchalantly as he seemingly had made a decision.

“The truth is, I told myself if it really was you, I’d bring you home.” The Prince said simply. He looked down at the table, brushing a hand through his hair, “I thought you had made a rash and irresponsible decision and I was going to bring you back to where you belong. Of course, I’d leave (Y/N) alone. If I brought them back, Father would surely have their head...”

Felix’s grip on your hand tightened, his stomach dropping at his brother’s words.

Minho’s expression softened as he looked at the two of you, taking one last sip from his teacup.

“However, I see now this is where you belong.” Minho said with a nod. He gestured around the room, playful expression finding it way onto his face, “You have made quite a beautiful home here and you seem to be happier with (Y/N) than I’ve ever seen you be at the castle. It would be wrong of me to take that away, I think.”

“Minho...” Felix sighed with relief, thankfulness written all over his face, “I- I don’t know what to say.”

“Thank you, your highness.” You said, bowing at the prince. Minho shook his head and waved his hand, slight pout on his lips.

“There is no need for you to do that, (Y/N). You’re my brother's wife now, so consider the formalities negated.” He said, chuckling to himself, “Besides, I’m not the heir to the throne right now. I’m just a man who came to visit.”

“You should stay for the night.’ Felix exclaimed, smiling at his brother for the first time since he arrived, “The tavern is very lively in the evenings. And I’d love to talk to you more.”

“I can’t stay, unfortunately.” Minho said with a frown, “I’m supposed to be at an alliance coalition with some of the western kingdoms early tomorrow morning, but I snuck away just to see you.”

“One more cup of tea couldn’t hurt?” You suggested, raising an eyebrow at the prince and jabbing a thumb in the direction of the kitchen, “Not to mention, Felix baked a lovely batch of blueberry muffins this morning, and it would be a shame for you not to try one.”

“My brother’s a baker?” Minho teased, turning to Felix and cracking a grin, “No way he would be capable of something like that. I simply must try it out for myself!”

“I’ll go put the kettle back on, and give you two some time to talk alone.” You hummed, placing a quick kiss on Felix’s lips and retreated back into the kitchen; you did take the love letter with you to re-read though

Felix giggled, his body feeling like it was on cloud nine.

He swore, he never felt so happy

maybe it was because he was relieved that his life wasn’t over,

but it was also nice to see Minho again.

The two of them talked as they used to, comfortably and casually.

Felix wouldn’t have the chance to speak with Minho often when he lived at the castle; his brother was much more busy and with conflicting duties and schedules, they never really had the time.

But whenever they did, it was never uncomfortable or awkward.

You didn’t want to intrude on their time alone, so after the tea was done and ready, you brought it to them before scurrying back to the kitchen to make yourself busy preparing for the dinner tonight

Felix asked about Karina and how Clé was doing; Apparently they were well, and Minho seemed to truly love the future queen. Felix also learned that apparent Winter had been married last autumn and was doing well too (Felix felt very relieved to hear this)

Clé was in a minor food shortage, but Minho was hoping to supplement that with an trade alliance with the western island of Halazia, who needed lumber for ships.

Felix then told Minho of the tavern and what it was like trying to afford to get it up and running. He spoke of the evening activities and how he got to do what he loved all the time.

And of course, Felix spoke of you; he told his brother how you supported him always, how you would do anything to make him happy, and how much he adored you as a person. He talked about all of his favourite activities to do with you and how it felt like a dream come true to get to fall asleep next to you everyday.

They were so caught up in conversation, they were both taken by surprise when someone walked in the door

“Wow, you guys have been slacking off today! The chairs aren’t even taken off the bar yet.” Hyunjin huffed out, smile on his face as he hung up his jacket. When he realized Felix was with another man, he flinched and grew flustered.

“Oh, forgive me! I didn’t realize you had a visitor.” Hyunjin apologized with a bow, “Sorry for intruding.”

“Don’t worry about it, Jinnie!” Felix chuckled, turning to Minho, “This is Hyunjin, our bar-hand.”

Hyunjin bowed again, waving at Minho before disappearing into the back to “take an inventory check”

“I guess that would be my cue to leave.” Minho hummed, standing from his chair. He hesitated to go, wanting to spend more time with Felix...

but Minho knew his responsibilities far outweighed his desire.

Felix lunged at him, engulfing his brother in a tight hug, which was reciprocated warmly.

“I’m glad to see you’re doing well here.” Minho said, releasing Felix from his grip, “I’ll be sure to write to you occasionally. And if I can, I’d love to visit you once again.”

“You better! I’ll miss you too much if you don’t” Felix grinned, leading Minho to the door, “Goodbye and safe travels.”

Minho hesitated once more at the door before hugging Felix again. With that final hug, he said goodbye, with Felix watching him walk away until he was out of sight

Felix felt his heart ache at the sight, but knew that he would at least be able to see Minho again someday

which was much more joyous than never hearing from him at all.

“Uhm... Lix?” Hyunjin asked, coming out from the back and leaning on the bar. He had a slight frown on his face and a pout on his lips.

Oh yes, Felix almost forgot he would have to try and explain the sudden visitor, which was very out of the ordinary of him to have.

“Yes?”

“I don’t mean to pry, but who was that?”

“That was my brother.” Felix mumbled, thinking up an excuse. He chewed his bottom lip before gazing up at Hyunjin, “He’s from a far away kingdom, so he can’t visit often.”

Hyunjin’s frown deepened, but he simply nodded, flashing a fake smile.

“Well, I’m glad your brother could visit.” He hummed, before starting to prepare the bar for tonight.

Did Hyunjin really have no further questions for Felix? It felt odd considering that the situation was strange and Felix gave a kind of wishy-washy, short answer.

technically he didn’t lie to Hyunjin,

Minho was from a kingdom far from here.

He just didn’t tell him Minho was soon to be the king of said kingdom

Felix doubted that Hyunjin didn’t have anymore suspicions about his visitor; He had always been bright and attentive, being able to read pretty much anyone. Hyunjin most likely knew something was fishy but simply decided to not say anything about it.

that is, until the bar had closed down for the night and the bar-keep beckoned both you and your husband to the back storage room to discuss something.

“So, what is this all about?” You asked, oblivious to the situation at hand

“I finally pieced it all together.” Hyunjin stated simply, expression unreadable

you furrowed your brow in confusion, looking over to Felix who looked as though he had seen a ghost.

of course he figured it out.

Felix knew he would

But what did that mean for all you’d have built?

so many new people being let in on your little secret made him sick. Putting trust that his and your entire life wouldn’t be ruined in another person’s hands makes him anxious beyond belief.

“Pardon? I’m not sure what you are referring to, Jin?” You confessed truthfully; you weren’t sure what the bar-keep was speaking of, but you could feel your nerves grow weak as you were sure to be able to guess what this could be about.

“I was wondering why we had the honor of a visit from Prince of Clé,” Hyunjin began, eyes darting between you and Felix as he spoke, “I couldn’t remember where I recognized him from at first, but then I remembered seeing his face in the paper after his wedding. And Felix informed me that it was his brother coming to visit, which cleared all my suspicions up.”

“I... I don’t know what to say...” Felix spoke shakily, body trembling.

god he felt so stupid!

of course people would know what the Clé prince -the future king of a neighboring kingdom- would look like.

why did he reveal it was his family...

“The bounty hunters, not speaking of the past, even that Clé longbow you keep behind the bar...” Hyunjin hummed, crossing his arms over his chest with a smirk, “not to mention you bear a striking resemblance to a particular missing prince?”

You were silent, standing like a statue as you assessed what to do.

truthfully, you were even less surprised than Felix that Hyunjin had figured it out; intuition and a few clues you supposed.

“Am I correct?” Hyunjin tilted his head slightly; his gaze was playful as his lips were drawn into a thin line.

Felix looked to you, reaching out his hand to lace his fingers with yours before turning back to Hyunjin with a curt nod.

there was no sense to lie to the man anymore.

Hyunjin bit his bottom lip, staring at the floor. The room was silent and the air was thick with tension

Until Hyunjin let out a breathless chuckle shaking his head. A grin found its way onto his face as you and Felix held your breath

“Honestly, I’m just more upset you guys didn’t tell me sooner” the bar-keep hummed, looking between you two, “how long have I worked here by now? And you still don’t trust me?”

“Sorry Jin,” You frowned, feeling a slight bit embarrassed at him scolding you, “But I’m sure you can understand why we want to keep our past a secret”

“No shit, hey?” Hyunjin laughed, which sounded like a symphony to Felix

He wasn’t going to turn you both in

Honestly, now that he really thought about it, it wouldn’t be in Hyunjin’s character to betray you both like that, so why was Felix even worried in the first place?

Well, plenty of reasons, considering what the secret was.

But it was Hyunjin.

And Felix liked him.

He trusted him.

And you did too.

“Hyunjin, we should have told you the moment we hired you. We are really sorry.” Felix confessed, reaching his hand out to shake the other man’s. For some reason, Felix did feel genuinely guilty for hiding his past from Hyunjin…

It must have shown on his face because Hyunjin simply looked at before swatting it away, pulling your husband into a hug

“Hey, I get it.” He spoke softly, pulling away to wrap his arms around you tenderly, “both of you must have gone through hell. I don’t blame you for wanting to move forward and never look back.”

“Maybe we can, just once more.” You suggested, looking between the two men with a knowing smirk, “I think you deserve a bit more detail onto how we got here, no?”

“Should I put the tea on?” Felix asked, smiling at you and then at Hyunjin fondly.

He couldn’t agree with you more; if he’s going to know, Hyunjin should get the whole story. The truth.

“I’d love to hear all about it.” Hyunjin exclaimed enthusiastically, walking out to the bar and pulling down a couple of the stools, “I’m sure it’s a hell of a story…”

And you couldn’t help but agree; your life with Felix was quite the story…

One that now had more interesting characters in it.

And one that you couldn’t wait to see how it goes next, with the dawn of new connections, but the same love you had and always will have for Felix

——————————————

A/N: OKAYYY FINALLY DONE!! Just over a year this baby has been in the making, but posting my 3racha fic in this universe had me inspired to finally finish it. I know this part has a little less focus on you and Lix, but I get as though other characters and relations are also interesting. I hope you enjoyed it :33

#kpop #stray kids #skz #fluff #angst #Felix #Lee felix #lee felix fantasy au #lee felix fluff #lee felix x reader #felix skz fantasy au #skz fantasy au #bang chan #Lee Minho #Seo Changbin #Hwang Hyunjin #Han Jisung #Kim Seungmin #Yang Jeongin

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lavenderbang · 3 months

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Thinking about kissing Park Sunghoon

That’s it. That’s the post.

#bro is so ASTRONOMICALLY FINE it’s criminal that we aren’t dating #no guys I actually love him #park Sunghoon my beloved #kpop #Enhypen #Sunghoon #park sunghoon

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lavenderbang · 3 months

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Got me giggling and kicking my feet OMG THIS IS TOO GOOD !!!!!

[ rival - chan x fem!reader ] The sun is beating down hard by the time it’s your turn to fight. Rivulets of sweat trickle down your face as you stand, hefting your sword as you wait for Chan.

It’s so fucking unfair, you think. Son of Poseidon, child of the sea – he just needs drink a cup of water or something to feel refreshed. Meanwhile, as the child of Athena, you don’t get any outside advantage. Just your brain.

Out of the corner of your eye, you watch him dump the rest of his water on his hair. White-blond curls stick to his forehead while a few remaining water droplets shimmer in the sun.

You suck in a breath through your teeth, almost hissing. Fucking unfair.

Ignoring the smirk on Chan’s face, you step forward, schooling your features into a neutral mask. Friend or not, handsome or not, you need to focus on training, not his stupid smile.

Not the stupid question he asks every time before a match.

If I win, can I get a kiss?

(If only you could ignore the fluttering in your heart every time he says those words.)

“Hey, Y/N.”

You look up against your will, raising an eyebrow at the smiling boy in front of you. “If you ask me that fucking question again, I’m going to lose it.”

“Fine, then I won’t ask.” He pouts. “But can I get an answer?”

“My answer has been the same for the past five months,” you say flatly, even as heat that isn’t from the sun starts rushing into your cheeks. “What makes you think I’ll change it now?”

Chan smirks. Oh, no. “I don’t know, maybe the way you were ogling me a few seconds ago?”

“I wasn’t ogling!” you snap.

He just raises an eyebrow. “Sure.”

You groan, stoutly ignoring the fluttering of your heart. “If I say yes, will that get you to shut the fuck up?”

“Absolutely.” He looks incredibly earnest as he utters that word, eyes as clear as the lake just a few meters away. And not for the first time, you feel your heart melt a little.

“Fine.” You heft your sword. “But I’m going to win.”

“You sure about that? Now I have something to fight for,” Chan counters.

You open your mouth to reply, but Minho chooses that damn second to blow the whistle. Immediately, you leap forward, sword slashing through the air.

Every swordfight, to you, is a blur. From start to finish, you remember nothing but the slashing of your blade, the clanging of metal, the whipping of the wind against your skin and hair. The sun blazes hot and dry on your head, but you just blink the sweat out of your eyes, singularly focused on the fight.

But today, Chan fights with an intensity you haven’t seen before. He’s never held back before, but something’s giving him a boost today. He’s faster on his feet and with his hands, ducking in and out of your attacks, finding loopholes and openings to force you on your guard.

Swords clash and sparks fly, blinding against the bright sun, until Chan finally flips the blade out of your hand. It clatters to the ground with a resounding noise.

The tip of a blade inserts itself underneath your chin. “I win,” Chan says softly, eyes boring into yours.

For once, you find yourself at a loss for words.

It isn’t only you who’s gone silent. All of the other spectating campers have shut up, eyes riveted on the sight in front of them. A dry breeze blows through the air.

You swallow. “Y-yeah.”

Yeah? What the fuck, Y/N? That’s all you can say?

A slow smile begins to spread over Chan’s face. “I believe you owe me something.” His eyes twinkle as he removes the sword. “A kiss, I think.”

Heat rises in your face again. “Uh…”

“KISS! KISS!” Changbin starts the chant and you throw him a furious glance, even as the other campers start picking up the cheer.

“Too many people?” Chan looks over the crowd of people, raising an eyebrow.

You swallow. “A little.”

Then something’s grabbed you by the waist, someone else is screaming, and there’s a whole lot of yelling and shouting and the sound of water rushes into your ears. By the time you’ve regained your bearings, you’re standing with Chan deep under the surface of the lake, encased in a bubble of air.

Chan grins widely, features awash with the blue of the water. He looks ethereal. “Better?”

A wry smile spreads across your face. “Maybe.”

“Just maybe?” Chan pouts exaggeratedly. Your heart’s defenses melt a bit more at the sight.

“Fine.” In a fit of uncharacteristic bravery, you wrap your arms around Chan’s neck just as his gentle hands settle against your waist. “It’s perfect.”

The kiss that follows is perfect too.

#BYE I LOVE CHAN #very good writing too well done <3333 #chan

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lavenderbang · 5 months

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Are We Just Friends?

Best Friend! Kim Taeyoung x reader

Genre(s): Best Friend to lovers, non-idol au, fluff I guess??? some angst because I couldn’t resist, Maybe slightly suggestive if you squint, and mentions of some of the other members of cravity

Warning(s): swearing, weed use, but that’s about it

Summary: Your best friend invites you to hang out late at night; that’s expected, since you usually hang out at night, but what you didn’t you didn’t expect was him to tell you something that has been on his mind recently

A/N: I AM IN LOVE WITH KIM TAEYOUNG. Okay but actually, I just really wanted to write this because I’m a self-indulgent fic writer and I want to hang out with Youngtae so badly bruh... So I’m writing this now. I hope you enjoy :)

HE IS SO PRETTY !!!!

Dumbass: I’m outside loser :p

You quickly slipped your old fleece jacket on before stepping out into the crisp cool night. It was late; later than you would usually hang out.

But with Taeyoung’s busy work schedule, you were just glad you were able to go see him. His junky grey car sat idling beside the curb; you could always hear it before you could see it, probably due to the shitty transmission or problems with the wheel bearings that Taeyoung didn’t have the money to fix.

He worked at your town’s local grocery store, mostly stocking shelves. He said it was only until he could find something better, but three years later he still spends almost everyday arranging boxes in the back and accounting for the shipments.

“Hey nerd, what’s the plan?” You said stepping into the car and closing the door behind you. He was wearing a simple black tee-shirt and a pair of baggy jeans. He also had the bracelet you gave him for his birthday wrapped around his wrist. It was a simple silver chain, but you had an almost identical one that you wore everyday.

“Wow, not even a ‘how are you’?” Taeyoung huffed, shaking his head playfully at you, “Straight to business I see...” You couldn’t help the smile the crept up onto you face as you rolled you eyes at him.

“Okay sorry,” You said sarcastically, going to buckle up your seat belt, “How are you?” “I’m good, thanks for asking.” Taeyoung said flatly, grinning softly at you before putting his hands on his steering wheel, “Is it okay if we go down to the river? Or is it too spooky for you this late?”

You lived in a small town out in the middle of nowhere; the population was low, mostly just families that had been there for generations and the occasional newcomer coming in for work. It was tucked up in the hills and surrounded by woods; It also bordered a river, which was a hot spot for people to visit in the summer to escape the blistering heat. Even though it wasn’t too hot now, it would still be nice to sit out there in the shroud of night and get a nice summer breeze off the edge of the water.

“That sounds fine dude,” You replied, tugging at the sleeves of your jacket, “But it wouldn’t be this late if you would have invited me out sooner.”

“Sorry, some of us have a job.” Taeyoung scoffed, putting his car in drive and pulling away from your house. Without looking away from the road, he tosses his phone into your lap, “You have to DJ because I have to make sure we don’t hit anything.”

“roger that.” You hummed, scrolling through Taeyoung’s Spotify to press shuffle on a playlist titled ‘The Jams’. The song didn’t really matter, since it was just background noise anyways.

“How was work today? You were there pretty late tonight huh?” You asked only for Taeyoung to groan dramatically.

“For some reason, Serim’s dad ordered a double shipment of a bunch of our items, so I had spent ages counting them out,” Taeyoung huffed, stopping at a red light and turning to you, “Why did he do that to me?! When Serim hooked me up with this shitty job at his dad’s grocery store, I thought it was supposed to be fun!”

Taeyoung started waving his hands around as he ranted. You couldn’t help but grin; it was a habit he had that you noticed almost immediately after becoming friends. You think it must just be from him getting too worked up over stuff, because you also noticed he did it when he was excited as well.

“I thought I was supposed to be chill because Mr. Park has always been super chill when we go to their house to hang.” Taeyoung continued, “But nooo! When I work for him, he orders a double shipment out of the blue or asks me to count everything again ‘just to be sure’. I swear he purposely makes me stay longer at work.”

“Youngtae,” You hummed, pointing out the front window at the traffic lights, “Green.” Taeyoung let out a sigh before pressing on the gas.

“If you hate it so much, why do you stay working there?” You asked, rolling down the window to let the cool night air in. Taeyoung approaches the edge of town, turning down the dirt road that would lead you both to the river bank.

“I heard the gas station Minhee work at is looking for someone. You could ask him to help you out.” You suggested, earning a “mmh-hmm” in response from Taeyoung.

“Maybe, but I’m pretty sure the owner hates me for shoplifting candies when we were in middle school.” He said sheepishly, cringing at the memory and pulling off the road; he drove through the long grass to the edge of the river before putting his car in park.

“Besides, I don’t want to be in this hellhole for much longer.” Taeyoung confessed, turning his car off and taking his seat belt off.

“No?” You replied, taking your seat belt off too, opting to lean the seat back a bit more before continuing in a teasing tone, “This place doesn’t tickle your fancy?”

“Not at all,” Taeyoung chuckled, pushing his dark hair out of his face, “You guys made being here manageable, but I can’t stand being here. I feel like I’m going to be stuck.”

“I get that,” You said, staring at your hands in your lap, “We all feel the same, I think...”

“Do you have your pen on you?” Taeyoung suddenly asked. You silently pulled it out of your pocket and handed it to him. He takes a hit of it before frowning.

“What flavour of cart is this? It tastes like ass.” Taeyoung complained, handing the dab pen back to you. You take a hit of it too, humming as you let the smoke fill your lungs.

“Its blackberry I think..?” You replied, bringing the pen up to your eyes to look at it. You shrug, taking another hit of it, “I wanted to try something new. Besides, it’ s not that bad.”

Taeyoung took it from your grasp before placing it between his lips. His eyebrows furrowed as he inhaled with a disgusted look on his face.

“Remind me to never buy blackberry.” He grumbled, giving it back to you as you giggled at him. The two of you sat in silence for a moment. You glanced at Taeyoung’s side profile, as he was seemingly staring out into nothingness.

“Did you hear Seongmin got into university?” Taeyoung broke the silence, and you nodded. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel while thinking, before leaning back, “I’m happy for him. He moves into the city sometime at the end of august. He asked me and a few of the guys if we’ll drive him in and help him move stuff into the dorm.”

“That’s really wonderful for him,” You said genuinely, eyes drifting away from Taeyoung to look out to where he was staring at. You could see the reflection of the water from the light of the moon, as it was pretty clear that night. You turned back to Taeyoung, trying to read his expression, “don’t you think its wonderful?”

“Yeah, of course.” Taeyoung said, smiling at you weakly before taking a deep breath, “Its just... I’ll miss him, y’know? I think it’s one of the big reason I haven’t left yet. I’d miss you guys too much...”

“Yeah, I understand what you mean.” You said, looking out your open window, “But I think it’ll be okay.”

Taeyoung looked at you, but you were leaned away from him against the window, closing your eyes just to bask in the night atmosphere. He could barely see you in this light, but your figure looked calm and relaxed in the light of the moon.

“You’re not worried about drifting apart?” Taeyoung asked, anxiety laced through his tone as he fidgeted in his seat. You glanced at him before sitting up in your seat.

“Not at all.” You said simply, smiling softly and brushing your hand through your hair, “I think if we all put in a effort to talk or text regularly, no distance could force our little group apart.”

You turn to face Taeyoung, who chewed his bottom lip nervously. His eyes shone like diamonds from the reflection of the sky, and you couldn’t help the grin that came across your face.

“It’s all about doing your part to nurture the relationship, y’know?” You concluded, taking your pen out and having one last hit of it before throwing it haphazardly in the cup holder.

“I guess you’re right... I’m just scared because it’ll be really different.” Taeyoung hummed. He picked at his nails, peeling the polish you did a week ago off them.

“Different doesn’t mean bad,” You replied, before smiling playfully and grabbing his hand to stop him from picking off the nail polish, “Hey, don’t pick off all my hard work!” Taeyoung chuckled at you, looking down at his fingernails and then back at you.

“Sorry.” He said and laced his fingers in between yours, “You’re right. everything will be okay. Besides, we will all move at some point, right?” You hummed in agreement, turning to look out the window again at the river.

Taeyoung’s hand was warm in yours; he felt clammy from the summer humidity, but it fit almost perfectly in yours. Like it was meant to belong there...

You sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, nothing heard but the sound of crickets in the reeds by the river and the quiet melody of the song playing on Taeyoung’s phone.

That’s how it was with Taeyoung, comfortable.

You and him had always been close, you’d even go as far as saying he was your best friend in your little group of friends. But more recently, you’d been feeling a bit awkward around Taeyoung after an incident that happened that planted this annoying thought in the back of your head...

Jungmo had a party about a month ago at his house; His parents were out of town that weekend, so of course all of your friends were invited, plus a few other people you graduated with. Well, of course that lead to a bunch more people showing up (people you didn’t really know), but nobody really minded at the end of the day, since the more the merrier for it.

You, Taeyoung and a few of your other friends were sitting out in the backyard, overall having a good time. There were a few other people around, but you didn’t really notice to much; you were absolutely high at the time, as was Taeyoung and the boys from your friend group which were sitting with you.

“No you’re not listening to me (Y/N)!” Woobin shouted, taking slow, long blinks while putting his hands up in defense, “You would need to go to the boat, Like they do in the movie.”

“no no! I’d just swim around until the flood ended,” You argued, crossing your arms, “Besides, they didn’t even get to the boat in the movie, they just stood up on a rock and the water went away.”

“But the water only went away because of that dumbass squirrel and it’s acorn!” Woobin said with a huff, “Besides, you’ll get tired after swimming for a while. The only way to survive is getting on the boat.”

“What are you two arguing over? I can hear you yelling from inside...” Allen said with a drunken giggle, closing the patio door behind him as he sat down and cracked open the can of beer in his hand.

“How we would survive if we were in Ice Age, The Meltdown.” Taeyoung explained, grinning as he tossed his dab pen to Allen, “Ruby insists you’d die without getting to the boat and (Y/N) thinks they could just swim around until the water went away.”

“You’re both wrong and stupid,” Wonjin said playfully, wagging his finger around the circle before tapping on his head, “I’d just climb up onto the ice wall honestly.” You all let out exclamations in protest, talking about the water coming from the ice wall and Allen let out a hearty laugh at your antics.

“Youngtae,” You huffed in a whiny voice, leaning your head on his shoulder and sticking your lip out in a pout, “You think I could swim to survive, right?”

“If we are going based on the events of the movie,” Taeyoung hummed, tapping his chin clumsily while pretending to think, “I think you could swim for long enough to survive.”

“Ha!” You shouted, sticking your finger in Woobin’s face with a satisfied smile, “See? Youngtae agrees with me, which means I win!” You giggled happily and leaned more into Taeyoung, who slung his arm around your shoulder lazily.

“Whatever, I’m not listening to dumb and dumber.” Woobin said while rolling his eyes. You and Taeyoung immediately began bicker on who was dumb and who was dumber.

“I’m going in to get something to eat, anyone wanna come or need me to bring anything?” Woobin stood from his spot on the lawn and stretching his arms up over his head. Wonjin murmured something about chips while laying on his back and counting the blades of grass near his face. Allen shook his head no, before taking a sip of the drink he had in his hand.

“I wanna come! I have to pee anyways.” Taeyoung cheered, lifting you off of him to stand up. You grabbed onto Taeyoung’s arm and asked for a drink of water, to which Taeyoung acknowledged with a ‘roger that!’; then the two boys went inside, closing the patio door behind them leaving you with Wonjin and Allen and the few strangers from before. It was a girl you didn’t recognize accompanied by a guy you went to high school with, but didn’t really talk to, since he was a few grades above you.

“Hey guys, I think I took too much weed.” Wonjin said with a sigh, flicking the grass lazily, “My eyes feel like they are made of liquid and my body feels like it weighs a million pounds.”

“My mouth is just super dry...” You said, smacking your lips and touching your tongue with your index finger, “My thongue theels like thandpaper”

“You guys should have just had alcohol instead then,” Allen boasted, grabbing your arm to take your finger out of your mouth. He let out a little giggle, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully, “I mean, I had waaaaaayyy too much so I’m not any better off.”

“You probably came outside to make sure you didn’t puke on Jungmo’s carpet...” You hummed, earning a ‘bingo’ from Allen, who chuckled along with you before taking another swig from his beer and then setting the can down in the grass.

“You’ll be fine, Taeyoung is bringing you water for your precious tongue.” Wonjin said and sat up, pulling his phone out and turning it on only to put it back in his pocket. He then smiles gently to himself and snickering, “And Ruby is bringing me chips so I’ll be fine too, hehe....”

“You guys didn’t need anything, right?” Allen asked the strangers sitting off to the side. You turned to look at them and giving them both a polite smile, which they reciprocated.

“No we’re good.” The dude said simply, turning to the girl beside him and kissing her cheek with a grin. She leaned further into him as he pulled her closer, “Right baby?”

“Yeah, we are good.” She smiled at him before looking at you sweetly, “So, how long have you been dating?”

“....Huh?” You asked, furrowing your eyebrows at her, “Dating who?”

Just then, The patio door opened to reveal Woobin with a bag of tortilla chips and Taeyoung with two glasses of water in his hand.

“We have come bearing gifts!” Woobin cheered, throwing the bag of chips down onto the grass only for it to be snatched up quickly by Wonjin. Taeyoung gave you the glass gingerly, before sitting back down beside you with his own glass.

“What happened while we were gone?” Taeyoung asked, looking around at all the members in the little group.

“I was just asking your partner how long you two had been dating for?” The girl said, nodding her head towards you. You felt your eyes widen and your face heat up, as you quickly stared down at the grass. The girl turned to the boy beside her and placed a quick kiss on his lips, “Me and Christopher have been together for only a few months now, but it feel like its been forever. I was just wondering how long have you been dating for?”

“Me and (Y/N).... Uhhh...” Taeyoung mumbled, clearly taken aback by this girl’s question. He scooted a bit away from you, brushing his hair out of his face. The other boys looked between the two of you awkwardly, as you kept your eyes trained in your lap and the grass below.

“We aren’t a couple actually.... Just good friends, that’s all.” Taeyoung replied, embarrassment clear by the tone of his voice and the redness rising from his neck up to his ears. The girl had gone pale, letting out a quiet ‘oh’ before silence fell over the group.

“I’m sorry I assumed.” She apologized quickly, “You guys are just so touchy with each other and I saw the matching bracelets so I assumed. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s fine, you didn’t know.” Taeyoung laughed awkwardly, picking at his fingernails and looking anywhere but you beside him. You couldn’t bring yourself to look up at all. You felt your stomach sink and a horrible feeling of nausea washed over you as you tapped the edge of your water glass.

It went silent again, and you felt like everyone was holding their breath. You hated it. Were you and Taeyoung too clingy? Did people really think you guys were dating. There is no way you’d ever date Taeyoung, he’s your best friend! Why did you feel like your stomach was doing back flips and your face was on fire? You hated this whole situation; it was all too much for you right now.

You lazily checked your phone, pretending to look at the time before you downed your glass of water. You stood up, earning the attention of the rest of the group.

“Its pretty late and I had too much weed, so I’m going to go to bed.” You said with a weak smile, nodding to the couple of strangers, “Nice to meet you both.”

“Are you sure, (Y/N)?” Allen asked, standing up too. He gave you a subtle look of pity as you nodded, plastering a fake smile on your face. You felt like you were hyperventilating with all the eyes on you. It was all to much for you in this state.

“Good night boys.” You mumbled before retreating back inside, not sparing a glance at Taeyoung. Why did this situation make you so anxious. And why did this make you question your relationship with Taeyoung? Was your relationship perceived as more then friends by most people? Aren’t friends clingy anyways, or was it to a different degree you and Taeyoung? But most importantly, why did the idea of dating him not sound so bad to you when you really thought about it? You were going to be sick if you thought about it longer.

It was too much, so you pushed those thoughts as you retreated to Jungmo’s spare room and lock the door behind you, not to come out until the next morning, where nobody brought it up, not even Taeyoung.

Even when you hung out with him a week later, and then last week too, Taeyoung didn’t mention the incident at all, but you both knew it caused a change in the comfortability of your relationship...

It felt strange to hold Taeyoung’s hand after the incident. You weren’t sure what happened after you went to bed, but you were feeling a sense a relief that he did hold your hand when he needed it. It was a sign that maybe your relationship could be going back to normal maybe? Taeyoung brushed his thumb subconsciously over the back of your hand. Now buried in the relief arose a strange feeling, the one where your stomach was doing flips and your started to feel a bit warmer and that little thought of dating him crawled its way out of the back of your brain.

“Your hand is super sweaty dude.” Taeyoung laughed, giving it a little squeeze. You let out a laugh too, releasing his hand and wiping yours on your pant leg.

“Sorry, I guess I’m a little hot right now.” You confessed, “I shouldn’t have worn this shitty jacket...”

“I love that jacket, even though it’s so old and shitty,” Taeyoung said playfully, leaning over to grab near the pocket and smiling when he felt the crispy outline of a burn hole, “I remember when we all went camping last summer and you got hit by a stray spark from the campfire and it burned this hole in it. I remember you standing up so fast and me and you patting it out before it could burn you.” He chuckled at the memory, looking up at your face as you felt around the burn hole too.

“That was fun, minus me almost getting lit on fire.” You said grinning at the fond memory before looking at Taeyoung in the eyes, “We should go camping again sometime. Although, preferably when it’s not so hot outside.”

“If you’re really that hot, we could go for a swim in the river?” Taeyoung suggested nonchalantly, the corners of his mouth curling up into a cat-like grin.

“I’d love to, but do I look like I’m wearing a swimsuit stupid?” You chuckled, gesturing to your body before laughing a bit at the idea.

“Not a problem!” Taeyoung hummed, before surprising you by suddenly tugging his shirt up and over his head. Your eyes went from his bare torso back up to his face with a look of shock.

“It’s nothing you haven’t seen before because being in your underwear is basically the same thing as being in a swimsuit,” Taeyoung deduced, opening his car door and starting to undo his belt. His torso seemed to glow in the moonlight from the sheen sweat from the summer heat; he must have been just as hot as you were, but somehow you started to feel it even worse now that Taeyoung was more exposed. You couldn’t take your eyes off him and you felt your heart squeeze a bit, which was increasingly concerning.

“You coming or..?” Taeyoung asked with a smile, leaning down to make eye contact with you. His hands dipped into the top of his jeans, however he did not pull them down yet. You realized he was waiting for you to agree before doing so, which made you feel much more comfortable.

You thought for a moment. You knew this wasn’t a good idea, as the little voice in your head that arose form the party was getting stronger and you could feel the rational part of your head be clouded over by not only your other thoughts, but also the haze of your weed kicking in. You chewed you lip nervously before smiling softly back at Taeyoung.

“Fine Youngtae. Fuck it. It’s too hot” You sighed, taking your jacket off before stepping out of the car too. You piled all your clothing (besides your undergarments) haphazardly on the passenger seat and placed your shoes on the car floor in front of the seat. Now that you were out of the car in nothing but your underwear, you felt the coolness of the night air. However, you still felt just as hot, if not worse. You couldn’t shake the nervous feeling in the pit of your stomach or the beating of your heart the felt like it was going a million miles an hour from adrenaline.

Your nervousness must have showed, because you could hear a hearty laugh come from your best friend as he walked around to the front of the car.

“Relax a bit dude, it’s just me here.” He said, brushing his hair back once more. You refused to look anywhere south of his belly button, for your own sanity, but you did notice his boxers being a ugly plaid pattern from your peripheral.

“If I would have known you’d be seeing my underwear, I’d have worn nicer ones...” You said, trying to sound as casual as possible, but inside your body was on fire. Your brain was shutting down and your body felt jittery and nervous.

“Don’t worry about that, you look fine.” Taeyoung complimented, making your stomach drop. Taeyoung walked past you, going down to the very edge and walking along it, calling after you. “Come on, slow poke! The shallow area should be around here..”

You shook your head, trying to get a hold of yourself; taking a deep breath and following Taeyoung to the shallow part where people usually swam during the day. He stepped off the bank and into the water, having it come up to his ankles when he let out a few curses and curled his fingers into fists at his side.

“Brrrr! Its freezing!” He cried out, wincing at you as you laughed at how cute he was, “I’m going to become a Young-sicle after this I’m sure...”

“I guess I’ll be a (Y/N)-sicle then,” You said, stepping in beside him and feeling a shiver immediately run up your legs from the cold water. Your eyes meet Taeyoung and you both burst out in laughter at the knowing look of biting cold that you both are experiencing.

Taeyoung begins to wade out a bit further, complaining the whole time when you get an evil idea. You follow him, water getting up to around your knees with your grin growing as you close the distance between the two of you, so that you are are now standing maybe a couple feet away from each other again.

“Hey Youngtae!” You called to him to get his attention. He turned to look at you and before he had time to react, you dig your hands into the ice cold water and splash him. He shrieked due to the surprise of water hitting his body and the cool temperature of it of his skin. You laughed at his reaction, quickly doing a few more splashes so he doesn’t have time to recover, getting water all the way up to near his face.

“Quit it! It’s freezing!” He places his hands out to try and block the water from hitting him. Your laughter quickly goes from joyous to scared as he starts wading over to you.

“No wait! I’m sorry!” You said through a fit of giggles, weakly splashing at him to try and keep him away, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Youngtae, don’t!”

“You should have thought about that before you splashed me, stupid.” He giggled back, grabbing onto your arm and pulling you towards him so he can wrap his arms around your frame. You let out a squeal as he lifted you a bit, dragging you into deeper water.

“Youngtae, please don’t! I’m sorry.” You struggled against his iron grip, smacking his arms playfully, but you felt the chuckle leaving his chest as he held you still in the water.

“Sorry,” He hummed sarcastically, “Next time don’t start something you can’t finish.”

With that, Taeyoung quickly lifted you off your feet and promptly dunked you in the water, almost crushing you by laying down over you, just to make sure you couldn’t avoid the icy plunge. You screamed from the cold, while Taeyoung sucked air through his teeth at the freezing water rushing over his back. He let you go and you quickly spun around to face him before smacking him on the shoulder.

“Kim Taeyoung I swear, you’re dead meat!” You scolded while giggling at him. His expression mirrored your own, with only a slight hint of pride residing in his features.

“Hey! You were the one who splashed me first!” Taeyoung laughed, leaning back to sit in the shallow water; he crossed his legs, letting the water comfortably wade just under his collar bones. You mumbled in agreement, letting your laughter die down before you sat beside him.

The cool water was frigid at first, but after a few seconds of getting used to it, it felt refreshing. You let out a sigh of relief, feeling the heat from earlier subside even a little bit as you closed your eyes. You and Taeyoung were silent, just listening to the sound of the running water and the faint tune of Taeyoung’s car radio fill the air.

That is, until you best friend broke the silence.

“Hey, uhm.” He mumbled, causing you to open your eyes and look at him; you almost wished you didn’t. He looked beautiful, hair slightly damp, tan skin shining, soft eyes trained on you with his bottom lip slightly tucked between his teeth.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.” Taeyoung continued, scooting closer to you, causing the water around the two of you to ripple; much like the butterflies that arrive in your stomach from the possibilities of this conversation.

“What is it?”

“Well, I..... uhm.”

“Youngtae.” You said flatly, expression softening as you reached out for his arm to place a comforting touch to it, “talk to me.”

You could tell Taeyoung was anxious from the way his eyebrows furrowed and how his lips were pulled into a thin line. He had the same look before the talent show in middle school; It was the first time he performed in front of anyone and he was so nervous he almost threw up. But, just like now, you were there for him to make sure he was okay.

Like you’d always be.

He let out a sigh, before looking away from you, “I wanted to talk about what happened.. Y’know... at the party.”

It was your turn to be anxious now, body freezing up before you turned to look away too, focusing on the way the moon reflected off the dark water. Was this it? Did Taeyoung not want to be your friend anymore because of how you acted at the party? Did he think you were disgusted with the possibility of dating him? Would he be weirded out if he found out you felt quite the opposite?

“Look, I’m sorry.” He started out, struggling to find the words, “I know you were really uncomfortable and I.... I should have been more aware of how my behavior can be perceived by others. I know that we are just friends and I shouldn’t be so clingy...”

“Please don’t apologize! You didn’t do anything wrong.” You quickly countered, looking down at the way your body distorted through the water. You wanted nothing more than to drown yourself there.

You were the one who froze up and didn’t say a word. You were the one who left him alone to deal with the situation. You were the one who was slowly growing relationship-changing feelings... “It should be me who is apologizing.”

“For what?!” Taeyoung gasped, whipping his head to look at you.

“For making you think that I was upset with you! For leaving and making it awkward between us.”

“You weren’t upset?”

“No.” You huffed out, feeling your face heat up. You take your cold hands out of the water to pat your cheeks gently as you let out a sigh. Your mind felt cloudy and your heart beat went steady against your chest. You blamed the weed for allowing the truth to tumble out of your mouth, “I should apologize because I’m still making it awkward between us...”

“How so?” He mumbled, eyes burning holes into the side of your face as you looked out at the other shoreline. You heaved a heavy sigh, hanging you head before letting all the true thoughts and feelings you’ve been having spill out.

“Because I can’t stop thinking about how much I love you.” You confessed, words flowing from your lips much easier than you anticipated, “Not in a platonic, ‘we are best friends!’ way, but in a ‘I think about you all the time and want to wake up next to you everyday’ kind of way. I didn’t realize it until the party, but I am in love with you and I maybe always have been.”

The silence was deafening, with the only sound being the thumping of a nervous heart and the rushing of the cold water surrounding you. You drop you head, feeling the weight of what you just said.

Taeyoung was quiet beside you, seemingly from shock or being deep in thought.

You allowed the silence only for a moment before you turned to look at him. You couldn’t bear the uneasiness any longer.

“I’m so sorry.” You mumbled, your gaze catching his, “I know we are just frien-”

Taeyoung quickly cut you off by rushing forward, placing a hasty kiss on you lips. It was so quick, you weren’t even sure if it happened as you just stared at him, too stunned to speak.

He...

He kissed you?

“I’m sorry, I should have asked before I did that!” Taeyoung huffed out, running one of his wet hands through his hair as he smiled, mouth slightly agape. You noticed the redness creeping up his neck and cheeks.

“I... I’m just.” He stutters, brain seemingly short-circuited before he cleared his throat and took a deep breath to collect himself, “I just never thought you’d like me back.” “You... like me?” You asked, heart leaping into your throat.

“Well duh!” He giggled, “I mean, I thought I was pretty obvious about my feelings for you, but I just assumed you never saw me as anything more than a friend. And I’m more than happy to just be a part of your life.”

“Wow, I must’ve be blind...”

“No, just stupid.”

“Okay, that’s a bit uncalled for.”

“Sorry.” Taeyoung hummed, shifting to tuck his knees up against his chest as he wrapped his arms around them. He chewed his bottom lip nervously as his eyes darted down to the dark murky water, “So..?”

“So?”

“Now what?”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know!” Taeyoung huffed exasperated , throwing his hands in the air, causing the water around the two of you to ripple. “Are we still just friends or....” He let his voice trail on, giving you a hopeful look, “Does this change everything?”

“I mean,” You spoke softly, feeling the heat rise to your face. Why was it all of a sudden so hard to talk to Taeyoung? You felt like you were choking on the words as you cleared your throat and meekly whispered, “I wouldn’t mind a change...”

Taeyoung nodded, smile slowly spreading across his face as he registered what you said. He turned to you, scooting a bit closer so that your shoulders touched and your faces were a few inches apart.

“I think I’d like that too.” He whispered, voice just barely audible as his eyes wandered your facial features. Without another word more, you slowly leaned in, giving him plenty of time to move away before you placed you lips against his.

You were felling so many things at this moment; joy, excitement, nervousness. But above all else, you felt right.

Being here with Taeyoung, kissing him and letting yourself love him just felt right. Like it was all falling into place and meant to be. You thought about your future with your best friend and how that was all going to change; but you had hope that it would be for the better.

—————————

A/N: In my Taeyoung vibes and I just didn’t have a way to finish it so please forgive a rushed ending. I love this man SOOO much !! Believe it or not, he’s actually my main man in Cravity, even though I haven’t posted about him lol. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!!!

12 notes · View notes

lavenderbang · 5 months

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Pt. 2 of skz game character comparisons cause I’m a nerd,

I feel like Chan is so Zagreus coded.

I don’t what it is about him!!

Maybe the vibes, the energy, the playfulness, the ambition, the kindheartedness.

They’re just so !!!

Like Bro is so prince of the underworld that would die over and over again just to see his mom <333

#cob brainrot go brrr #please tell me I’m not the only one who gets the vision???#also any Hades x Stray Kids fans out there????#kpop #skz #stray kids #hades #hades game #bang chan #chan #zagreus #zag

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lavenderbang · 5 months

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POSTED AYOOOOO !!! (Here it is :))

I have something coming soon…

Saying this just to keep myself accountable and finish a draft I’ve had for WAY too long.

But yeah, I’ve been working on it and I’m almost done so except something relatively soon :33

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lavenderbang · 5 months

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The Legend of 3racha

Fantasy au! 3racha x reader

Genre(s): Fantasy au! (y’all are wanders who do various quests :)), Fluff, comfort, comedy (maybe???), adventurer/wander/bounty-hunter 3racha!

Warning(s): monsters, fighting (slight blood/injury), swearing, alcohol consumption, but that’s pretty much it though

W.C: 13.7k

Summary: You and your trio of misfits are known for taking a variety of quests and odd-jobs that require your skill set. What happens when you are requested for specifically to take down a monster near the dark woods?

A/N: I had this vision of 3racha as a party (in the dnd sense of the word) and I haven’t got it out of my brain since! This has taken quite a long time to come to fruition, but it's here now! Enjoy, and as usual, ignore any typos, my brain is dumb :)

2nd A/N: Okay so I had the idea to set this in the same universe as my Felix fantasy au (which you can find here) halfway through writing this. Its NOT necessary to read to understand this fic, but there will be references if you want to check it out! Now back to 3racha being a party :3

They own my heart I’m soft...

You entered the tavern, kicking the mud off your riding boots and lowering the hood of your cape. It was gloomy outside today, cloudy and muggy with a drizzling of rain, but it was nothing you four couldn’t handle.

Four meaning the members of your little party, 3racha (Just go with it pls)

It was lead by Bang Chan, a strong, mysterious fellow who looked about as deadly as they come. He grew up alone in the northern mountains, learning everything there is to know about tracking and hunting. He could track anything, animal or beast. Despite his reclusive upbringing and outward appearance, Chan is a calm, and gentle soul; He manages everything (democratically of course), such as group funds, what jobs you’d be taking, where you’d move next, what the plan of attack was, etc. The three of you placed a lot of trust in Chan, which he received by never leading your group astray.

Then there was Seo Changbin, the proudest meathead around. Despite his shorter stature, he was easily the strongest on your team. He used to be a royal guard for the kingdom of Levanter when he fell in love with the royal apothecary. This was forbidden by the king, so Changbin was striped of his position and exiled from the kingdom. He has been on the road ever since, not having a definite place to call home. He is kind-hearted and loyal above all else, and wont hesitate to protect the rest of the group no matter what it takes. He also has a bit of a temper, but that makes it all the more fun for your team to tease him.

Han Jisung was the third, a foreign prince with a connection to medicinal magic. Jisung was lined up to be duke of the southwestern plains; he even was presented with a suitor, the princess to the southeastern sea kingdom Reve. However, not liking his destiny, he ran away, only to find his place with the group. He has an exceptional way of using charms and spells to heal. But don’t let the idea of a healer fool you; He is incredibly cheeky and playful, almost like a child. While his hyper personality has gotten you into trouble before, it also lifts the spirits of the rest of the group, which is always Jisung’s goal.

And that left you, (Y/N) (L/N). You used to be an apprentice to a great warlock; he taught you a fair bit of magic before you realized his only concern was himself. Eventually, when money ran short, he tried to sell you off to a brothel, but you managed to escape and find your place among the already established and well-known group of three. You were a powerful warlock now too, using every challenge to grow and cultivate your powers and reading up on spells when you could. You tried your best to help the boys as much as possible, as they became like a family to you and you cared for them very much.

“Thank god we are finally here.” Jisung shivered, blowing into his hands after entering the tavern, “It’s freezing.” The four of you looked around at the hustle and bustle of the tavern; joyous music, lots of chatter and laughter and the smell of warm food wafting into your nose.

“Go sit down over there, I’ll talk to the bar-hand.” Chan hummed, pointing to a table in the corner. You nodded, following where Chan had pointed and sat at the table.

“I wonder what she wants?” Changbin huffed out, digging the tip of his claymore into the wooden flooring. You had been summoned by letter by the duchess of central valley, told to go to the tavern on the northern border of the city of Miroh to receive further instruction. And who were you to ignore a request from a duchess?

She was directly under the command of King and Queen Yang, the rulers of every city on the western half of the map. The central valley was a large dominion gifted to her by the king and queen; a summoning from her was not to be taken lightly...

“Not sure, but doubt it’s good.” Jisung speculated, folding his arms on the table and leaning his chin onto them, “I mean, why be so vague if it’s good?”

“Maybe it’s secret and she couldn’t write it over letter.” You suggested, trying to bring the energy of the boys up. Jisung mumbled anxiously and Changbin just scoffed, leaning back in his chair. You looked out the window and bit your lip nervously; it wasn’t like you were criminals, but (at least your’s and Jisung’s case) you were runaways... Maybe that had finally caught up to you? It stressed you out thinking of it, so you shook the thought from your head, laying your staff across your lap.

Soon Chan approached you and sat down in the chair beside you, folding his arms over his broad chest and leaning back on the back of the chair. His face was unreadable, mouth pulled into a line and eyes glancing around the tavern.

“So?” You asked, blinking nervously at Chan.

“We are to wait a bit longer, as the duchess hasn’t arrived yet.” Chan said flatly, earning a groan from the other two boys. A woman approached the table to take your orders; you knew her as the wife of the tavern owner Felix.

“We’ll have a round of ale for the table.” Chan said politely and nodded his head as she left. You and the other two boy perked up to this.

“I thought you said we couldn’t afford any extra expenses until our next job?” Jisung asked, tilting his head like a puppy who just heard its name.

“We can’t, but you guys look glum and could use a little something to cheer you up.” Chan explained with a soft smile. Changbin cracks a grin for what seems like the first time since arriving, and Jisung sits up, cheering at the idea of consuming something besides stale bread and water (which was all you could carry at the moment). You nudged Chan’s arm to get his attention and when you had it, you mouthed a silent ‘thank you’, which sweetened his smile to the point where his eyes turned into little crescents.

He ruffled your hair, before he said “So, what do you think the duchess wants?”

“Not sure.” Changbin sighs. Your drinks arrive and you swear nothing felt better than the warmth of alcohol dribbling down your throat. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Changbin continues, “Worse case scenario, she’s going to try and arrest us, but we’ll just have to fight our way out then.”

“Oh yeah? what if she brings thirty guards with her?” Chan quipped, amusement painted on his features.

“I’ll take them all on,” Changbin boasted, cracking his knuckles, “I would never let some silly duchess take you guys away.” Your heart melted at the notion, but it was soon interrupted by someone behind you clearing their throat.

“Silly, am I?” The duchess said, eyebrow raised. The four of you turned to see her standing there, accompanied by two guards who you thought could probably pick you up and throw you. Changbin’s face went red from embarrassment and Jisung stifled a laugh, coughing to cover it as Changbin kicked him under the table.

“Apologies, Good Lady of the Central Valley.” You quickly apologized, veering at Changbin, “My associate here seems to have had too much ale, as he’s become a bit foolish.” The duchess hummed, unimpressed.

“Excuse me, My Lady.” Chan said, bowing his head, “Why have you summoned us here?”

“We must talk in private,” She responded, before turning and calling over her shoulder, “Come this way.” You looked at Jisung (who looked just a unsure as you) and then Changbin, who mumbled out a ‘sorry’ from the previous incident. You rolled you eyes and looked to Chan, who simple shrugged and stood. You followed the duchess to the back room behind the bar. It was a small room, lined with barrels and crates of spare utensils and glasses.

“Close the door.” She instructed, to which you followed with a polite bow of your head. The four of you stood, staring at her intently before she cleared her throat again and straightened out her posture.

“I’ve never been fond of your folk.” She spat, grimacing like you were a plague, “Wanders do nothing beside bring mess to the places they visit.” Changbin opened his mouth to argue, but you grabbed his shoulder to stop him. You turned you attention back to the duchess, but placed your hand in his, squeezing it to hopefully calm the boy.

“They are brash and rude,” She said with a glare to Changbin. It made your blood boil, but you relaxed for the sake of a smooth interaction. She then glanced at the rest of your party, her face still sour, “Living in lawless lands before coming to my domain and thriving off the wealth of my people.”

“My Lady, I’m sure you have not summoned us here just to speak ill of our lifestyle.” Chan said, voice tight. You noticed the vein in his neck protruding and you realized he was just as angry as Changbin.

“You are correct.” She confirmed before sighing, pinching the bridge of her nose, “You see, my distaste aside, I have a job for you.” You blinked a couple times, not expecting her to offer you and the boys a quest.

“There have been reports of a large beast in the Dark Woods to the east that has been attacking my people. We have already lost a few commoners to this creature, and it keeps venturing more west. It is estimated that within a week, it would get as far as this city here.” The duchess explained, brushing her hair out of her face. Changbin’s hand tensed in yours, so you instinctively rubbed circles into it with your thumb.

“You want us to kill it, right?” Jisung interjected, to which the duchess nodded.

“Why not send your guards out to deal with it?” Chan asked, his tone slightly annoyed, which made you smirk. It was nice to see Chan subtly disrespecting the duchess.

“We already have.” She said, making your blood run cold, “They have never returned.”

“So you’re gonna send us cause we are disposable right?” Changbin grumbled, causing the duchess to roll her eyes at Changbin’s blatant disrespect.

“Because you’re useful.” She snapped back, “As much as I dislike your lifestyle, I am whiling to admit that you are more knowledgeable in the subject of monsters than my guards. As well as knowing the wild better too. “

“I would not ask you if I was not desperate, but alas, I care for my people.” The duchess finalized, sincerity in her tone, “Will you help by taking down the beast in the Dark Woods?”

The three of you look to Chan, who was deep in thought, staring at the floor. He tapped his foot lightly before looking back up at the duchess.

“We do not work for free, My Lady.” Chan said simply, crossing his arms over his chest, “What do you offer us in return?”

“I will pay you handsomely of course,” She answered, unwavering, “200 gold pieces for each of you to slay the beast and bring me it’s head.” Your eyes widened. That was quite a good price, as you’ve done much harder tasks for less, but Chan hummed nonchalantly.

“You’ll pay us half before we leave and half when we return.” Chan negotiated, tilting his head up to feel out the duchess’s desperation.

“I’ll pay a quarter now, and the rest when you bring me that monster’s head.” She said firmly, eyes sharp and scowl deep.

“A quarter now, the rest later, but you’ll fund our stay for the night at the inn upstairs.” Chan bartered, flashing her a grin, “We did travel all the way here, did we not, My Lady?” The duchess rolled her eyes but agreed nonetheless.

“You will leave first thing in the morning, and I expect your return before the sun sets two weeks from now.” She explained, She exited the tavern, the two, large guards at her side once again. The evening was still chilly and cloudy, so you were glad you could sleep inside tonight; the duchess frowned at Changbin, who still had his hand in yours, “I also expect you to address me with respect the next time I see you.”

Changbin bit back his anger, wanting nothing more than to rip her head off, but simple settled for narrowing his eyes at her and grumbling. In all honesty, you wouldn’t mind ripping her head off either; but you refrained, keeping a blank expression.

“Of course, My Lady.” Chan said politely, waving her off as she got into her carriage. It sped off down the muddy street, and once it disappeared from sight, Changbin finally let out a growl, kicking at the dirt.

“How dare she treat us like trash and then expect us to help her.” Changbin shouted, finally letting himself go after behaving in front of the duchess, “Did you see the way she looked at me like I was nothing but the pavement beneath her foot?! I just- AGH!”

“Its okay Binnie,” Jisung tried to sooth the elder boy, but letting his own aggression out, “I think she pissed all of us off with that sweet opening number about how we are scum.” Chan just let out a scoff and shook his head, before taking a deep breath.

“Lets just go to the inn and rest for tomorrow.” He suggested, patting Changbin on the back reassuringly, “at least she provided us somewhere to rest.” You still held onto Changbin’s hand, it felt almost natural at this point, but it was warm and tense; so you simply gave it one more squeeze and it seemed to relax him a bit.

You were given a room upstairs that was pretty nice. There was a fireplace along the wall and an exotic rug in front of it. Above the fireplace hung a world map. There was a chair in the corner and a matching stool, but the main thing about the room was the two double beds that looked to have wool and quilted blankets on it, making them look more comfortable than anything you’ve seen in a long time. Each was accompanied by a nightstand that held extra candles and holders for more light.

“I wanna sleep with (Y/N)!” Jisung shouted out quickly, flopping down on the closest bed with a wide smile.

“No! I want to!” Changbin argued, jumping onto the closest bed too and trying to push him off. The two of them bickered and fought back and forth for a moment, causing you to giggle at their antics.

“I’m going to go and bring up something to eat from the tavern,” Chan called out over the ruckus, before nodding towards the other boys with a smirk, “Watch them and make sure they don’t break anything, okay?” You chucked and nodded closing the door as Chan left, approaching the other bed and sitting on it. You began to take off your boots when you feel the bed dip on either side of you.

“(Y/N), please tell Changbin you’re sleeping with me tonight!” Jisung huffed, only for Changbin to shove his shoulder. Jisung frowned, but held onto your arm, “I wanna cuddle.”

“No way! (Y/N), tell Jisung you’re gonna sleep with me!” Changbin pouts, holding onto your other arm. You laugh at the two of them, shaking your head.

“Both of you, figure it out yourselves.” You sighed endearingly, “Either of you would make a nice furnace for me to sleep warm, so I don’t care.”

“I suggest we arm wrestle.” Changbin says matter-of-factly, much to Jisung’s disapproval.

“No, that’s not fair! You’d obviously win! We need to pick something fair...” Jisung pouted, holding onto your hand, “(Y/N), pick a number between 1 and 10!”

Just then, there was a knock on the door, before it opened to reveal Chan standing with a tray; it had four plates of meat, potatoes and veggies on it which he brought for the four of you to eat. But the boys barely even spared him a glance.

“Yeah that’s fair, pick a number between 1 and 10.” Changbin agreed, “we’ll guess and whoever is closest gets share a bed with you.”

___________________________________________________

“Seven is the worst number. Nobody ever picks seven...” Jisung huffs, cheeks puffy with sleep and he pushed the blanket down to crawl under it.

“I know! It’s not fair...” Changbin groaned, sitting beside Jisung taking off his jacket to sleep, “Besides, Chan didn’t even care about where he slept! He shouldn’t have been allowed to guess.”

Chan simply snickered at the boys, who had been pouting and whining for almost thirty minutes about Chan winning the silly game.

“Fair is fair, he guessed the number I was thinking of.” You explained for the hundredth time, to which the other two boys let out a groan in agreement.

“Seven is stupid.” Jisung mumbled again, eyes closed and sleepiness evident in his voice, which made you smile. Changbin laid beside him, to which Jisung immediately turned and wrapped his arms around the older male.

“Goodnight boys.” You called, to which Changbin and Jisung grunted, snuggling up together to get some warmth. It wasn’t long before you could hear the heavy breathing of them sleeping comfortably. You opened the blankets to crawl under the covers when you hear Chan putting his boots on.

“Where are you going?” You asked, staring at him from across the room. He was only illuminated by the fireplace; if you didn’t know any better, you’d find the man standing there almost scary.

“Going down to see if I can get some local information on the beast we are fighting.” He said simply, smiling softly at you, “I won’t be long, so get some rest.”

“Do you want me to come?” You asked starting to get out of bed only for Chan to stop you.

“No, it’s alright. I’ll be back, okay?” He said gently, and with that he left, closing the door behind him. You laid back down, closing your eyes and listening to the crackling of the fireplace and small snores from Jisung. But you couldn’t help but think of Chan and if he was safe; bad thoughts of him getting in trouble and you being asleep wandered through your head.

Sighing, you got up and opened one of the windows for some fresh air. You could hear the faint chattering of the tavern downstairs, which was good; you still went and cracked the door open just a bit to hear better. If Chan got into trouble, you wanted to know about it. Next, you lit the candle that was on the nightstand and grabbed your book of spells from your knapsack and brought it back to bed where you read it.

If you were to be awake, it was best to be productive, right?

You flipped through the pages, only yawning and rubbing your eyes occasionally. Most of the spells in the book you had mastered, as you’ve read this volume maybe a dozen times now. It was hard to practice a lot of them though, as they required a lot of open space and a subject to use them on.

A few hours go by until the door opens quietly and your eyes snap up to see Chan standing in the doorway. The fireplace was all but embers at this hour, so you could barely make out his figure as he closed the door gently behind him as not to make noise.

“Hey Chan.” You mumbled, yawning. You felt at ease now that he was back and safe.

“Hey, why are you still awake?” he asked with a voice barely above a whisper, taking his boots and cloak off and coming over to the bed. By the light of your candle, you could see him much better now, eyes tired and a smile that showed off his dimples present on his face.

“Couldn’t sleep with you out by yourself, so I’m reading.” You said simply. Chan sat beside you and you scooted closer to him, placing your head on his shoulder.

“What are you reading?” He asked, although he already knew the answer. He leaned his head onto yours, squishing his cheek against it; he would often do this when you sat next to each other. Just his way to show affection you supposed.

“My spell book.” You hummed, glancing down at the pages. Chan wrapped and arm around your shoulder and pulled you even closer him, his big frame bringing comfort to you as you relaxed into him.

“You should rest now, you look sleepy.” He said, pulling the book from your lap only for you to grab onto it tightly.

“Let me finish this section first.” You said, to which Chan let go of the book, allowing you to pull it back into your lap, “It’s only a few pages. It wont take long.”

“I’ll stay up with you until you finish.” He said, and when you started to protest he shushed you, “It wont take long, right? So I’ll be sleeping in no time.” He chuckled deep in his chest and you smiled, enjoying being close to Chan.

You went to reading, looking down at the ink-work on the pages. However, within minutes, Chan could hear your small snores and he smiled to himself at how cute you were. He slowly pulled the book from your grasp, reaching over to set it on the nightstand before blowing out the candle. He gently removed you from his shoulder to lay you down onto his chest, to which you naturally wrapped your arms around him.

Chan felt his heart beat faster and his face grew warm, as he held you close to him. Secretly, he was really happy about winning your silly game, because it was comfortable and nice to have you in his arms while you rested.

“Night (Y/N).” He hummed contently, placing a kiss on your forehead and letting himself fall asleep too.

___________________________________________________

You woke up to a gentle shake of your shoulder, with the sun peeking right over the horizon and flooding into the room you were staying in.

“Come on (Y/N).” Jisung whispered, hand still on your shoulder, “We gotta get going now.” You groaned, pulling the soft blanket above your head. It had felt like you just fell asleep but it was already time to leave?

“(Y/N), the boys are already downstairs waiting for us,” Jisung reasoned; He tried to pull you up by grasping onto your shoulders, only for him to flop down and crush you with his weight when you refused to sit up.

“Just a bit longer, please.” You whined, taking your hands out from under the covers to hold onto Jisung tightly, not allowing him to stand up. He sighed, squeezing you gently as he relished in having you in his arms this morning because he couldn’t last night.

“As much as I appreciate this hug right now, we have to leave if we are gonna get to the Dark Woods and back on time.” He chuckled, patting your back and leaning you up, taking you with him.

You grumbled and let him go, wiping the sleep from your eyes.

“Besides, Changbin already packed up all your stuff for you this morning and put it by the door, so you just gotta get your shoes on.” Jisung explained, fixing your hair endearingly and nodding towards the door.

“Awful nice of him.” You mumbled sleepily, before getting out of bed and stretching your arms. You got your boots on and put on your knapsack, before finally grabbing your staff and opening the door. Jisung cooed at you for getting up, saying things like ‘good job’ and ‘I know you’re tired’ and you smiled at his thoughtfulness.

“Finally, sleeping beauty is awake!” Changbin teased when you came down the stairs. You rolled your eyes at him, used to his antics. Chan handed you an apple, saying breakfast was on the road today.

“Lets get going.” You agreed, biting into the apple, “lead the way, Tracker Man.” Chan smiled at the nickname, but nonetheless started the trek east. It was silent for the most part, aside from Jisung humming a tune and the crunch of your apple.

It wasn’t long until you finally got to the edge of the city when you finally made some conversation.

“So, do you guys know what kind of monster we are dealing with or..?” You asked, kicking at pebbles on the dirt road as you walked.

“Well, from what I learned last night at the tavern,” Chan began, talking over his shoulder at you, “Rumor has it the beast is something big. I heard stories of it eating whole horses.”

“We already knew that, silly.” Jisung said matter-of-factly, earning a glare from the eldest, “The duchess said it was big.”

“Yeah but I didn’t think that big!” You complained, feeling a bit nervous about the nature of your opponent, “What else Chan?”

“I heard a story that one of the farmers warded it off with a torch, so maybe it’s afraid of fire?” Chan said, but you could hear the pout in his voice, “But I can’t know for sure how effective that is without knowing what kind of monster we are dealing with.”

“I don’t care what it is, I’ll kick it’s ass all the same.” Changbin said proudly, smirking while lacing his fingers together to stretch his arms out in front of him.

“That’s because you do the same thing for everything we fight: swing your claymore around and hope you don’t take one of our heads off.” Jisung teased, earning a scowl from Changbin, but it quickly changed into a tiny grin when you giggled along with the jokes.

“I do not!” Changbin half-whined half-giggled, nudging Jisung with his elbow, “I’ll have you all know, I’m very calculated and tactical when in battle.”

“Oh yeah? You ‘calculated’ hitting the tree and one of the big heavy branches falling on my foot while we were fighting a pack of goblins in the forests on the edge of NCity?” Chan asked in a playful tone, eyebrows raised as Changbin tried to defend himself.

“How was I supposed to know the branch would fall if I hit the tree! If anything, you should have just moved before it fell.” Changbin shouted, crossing his arms and lips pulled into a pout, “Besides, Jisung healed you up well and you were fine within an hour.”

“Not to mention, last I checked, you were the one to call for Changbin’s help that day anyways.” You said with a cheeky smile, before wrapping your arm around Changbin’s shoulders, “He was just trying to help, so don’t be so picky about it.”

“You wont be saying that when its your foot getting crushed by a stray swing of Changbin’s claymore.” Chan reasoned, huffing out a sigh, but smile gracing his face nonetheless.

_________________

After a rather uneventful week of travelling on foot, you finally reached the little village of Alsea the evening of your seventh day; it was a river-fishing village that bordered the Dark Woods. Chan thought it would be best to stay for the evening, get more information from locals about the monster, as well as be fully rested and regain the most strength for a battle.

“Alright, it’s best if we split up.” Chan suggested as you entered a crowded pub. The air smelled of mud and rainwater, as it was a hot spot for many of the local fisherman to visit after work.

“Me and Bin will go talk to some of the tougher looking fellows over there,” Chan explained, pointing to a corner where there seemed to be an arm wrestling competition going on, “You two should go ask the barkeep and see what they know. We’ll meet up in an hour or so and go to bed, alright?”

“Sounds good, c’mon (Y/N)!” Jisung said with a nod, pulling you in the direction of the bar. You waved over your shoulder at Chan and Changbin, before following Jisung through the crowded pub to make it to the bar. You hopped up on one of the stools, Jisung settling down beside you.

“Excuse me, Sir.” Jisung called to the bar-hand over the chatter and music of the loud pub. He was young, and handsome if you do say so yourself. He looked up at the two of you, putting down the rag he had been cleaning the bar with, “We’ll have an ale for me and a glass of wine for my partner here please.”

“Right away, Boss.” The bar-hand said with a nod, preparing the drinks before serving you both. He grinned at you, looking you up and down and making your face heat up a bit from the attention.

“Here you are.” He almost purred, sliding the glass towards you and handing Jisung the mug of ale he ordered, “Enjoy.”

Jisung frowned, grabbing his drink and taking a swig of it before scooting closer to you.

“This place is pretty busy,” You said sweetly, “Is every night like this?”

“Usually, but it’s much more busy when the snow comes around,” The bar-hand replied, “I guess folks are wanting to find a way to stay warm, and the atmosphere and alcohol help.” You hummed, taking a sip of your drink. The bar-hand eyed you closely, biting his lip bottom lip as you swallowed the drink. It made Jisung feel sick they way he was watching you.

“What brings a pretty individual like yourself into these parts? Alsea isn’t really a tourist spot.” The bar-hand asked, brushing his hair away from his face. Before you could answer, Jisung slung his arm around your waist and pulled you into him, causing you to let out a little squeak in surprise.

“We are actually on our honeymoon, isn’t that right, darling?” He replied in a passive aggressive tone, frowning at the man behind the bar before plastering a fake smile on his face.

You resisted the urge to chuckle at Jisung’s behavior, but nonetheless leaned closer to him and nodded. Playing pretend doesn’t hurt anyone, besides, its a fun idea for you to tease Jisung....

“Yes dearest, and what a lovely honeymoon it’s been! I thought we were going to get lost on the way here though, with all the detours you decided to take us on.” You laughed, trying to keep your voice even. You playfully hit Jisung’s leg, making him chuckle and look at you teasingly. Game on.

“I only took detours because I wanted to get here as fast as possible for my love. ” Jisung confessed(?) while dragging his hand along your waist, earning a sarcastic pout from you before he turned back to to the bar-hand, who looked a bit annoyed now, “And it was lucky I did because this is the only town before hitting the woods. We would have missed meeting this fine gentleman if not for my detours.”

“Well how sweet of you, dearest.” You sighed, downing your drink and placing a kiss on Jisung’s cheek. It quickly burned red and Jisung prayed he kept his expression at least a little bit under control. You smirked and turned to the bar-hand and smiled politely while you pushed your empty glass towards him, “We are headed out east through the Dark Woods. I heard it’s lovely this time of year.”

The bar-hand cleared his throat, regaining a bit of his composure before giving a fake smile at the two of you.

“Under normal circumstances, it is.” He confirmed, grabbing you glass and putting on the counter behind him, “But I wouldn’t recommend going there now. There is rumor of a monster that lurks there.”

“Oh really? What kind of monster?” Jisung asked boldly leaning on the bar and drinking from his glass. A bit of a direct question to ask the bar-hand, but at least it was useful.

“Nobody really knows.” The bar-hand replied, face serious and voice in a hushed tone and he leans closer to the two of you, “from what I’ve heard, it came down from the northern mountains, and its bigger than anything we’ve ever seen come from the woods.”

“do you know anyone who has actually seen it?” You probed, chewing nervously at your bottom lip as the bar-hand shook his head.

“Nobody who has gotten a good look at it has lived to tell about it.” The bar-hand replied solemnly, before sighing and brushing his hair away from his face once again.

The seriousness of this monster made your anxiety shoot through the roof. It was obvious by now this would be no easy feat to kill the beast, but the more you heard about it, the more it sounded impossible.

The atmosphere felt cold and you felt a sudden warm hand on yours. Turning to Jisung, you felt him squeeze your hand comfortingly as he smiled at the bar-hand.

“Well, maybe it’s best we don’t go through there for our honeymoon, Love.” Jisung teased, finally looking back at you with a gentle grin. He wrapped his arm around you once more, and you could feel your anxiety melt away, just for this moment.

“Well, I agree. The two of you should pick another route. Sorry you traveled here for your plans to be ruined, but better safe than sorry!” The bar-hand hummed. Jisung took some gold pieces out of his pocket to pay for your drinks, thanking the bar-hand.

The two of you hopped down off the stools, but Jisung didn’t let go of you. He held your waist firm and lead you towards the center of the tavern where it was cleared out to dance. A man was playing the fiddle and while a woman sang some folk song.

“Care to dance, Love?” Jisung asked, teasing smile on his face as he turned you to face him. You nodded and slipped you hand into his empty one and reached up to grasp at his shoulder. You began to sway around to the music, carefully avoiding others who also decided to come out and dance.

“You know, you played a very convincing jealous newlywed.” You chuckled, pulling Jisung closer to you so you could whisper in his ear, “I almost thought you were jealous for real.”

The two of you continued to dance, spinning and stepping around the space smoothly. Jisung let out a sarcastic laugh, rolling his eyes at you before leaning in to whisper to you.

“I was jealous.” He argued flatly, tightening his grip on you once again, “That stupid bar-hand was practically drooling on the counter looking at you. I didn’t like it.”

“Oh, you didn’t?” You scoffed playfully, shaking your head at him. He let his annoyance play just slightly on his face, causing you to smile, “I couldn’t tell.”

The song ended, and Jisung pulled away slightly. He still held onto your hand as he gazed at you with a slight grin on his face. He placed a quick kiss to you hand, thanking you for the dance. You let out a squeal of surprise at the action as you swatted at him with your other hand. You both laughed at each other, walking away from the dance floor as another song started.

“Let’s go find the other two knuckleheads.” You suggested, holding onto Jisung’s hand as you weaved through the crowd looking for your companions.

You approached the table at the back with a crowd formed around it, shouts and cheers heard just barely over all the other commotion of the pub. You pushed your way through to see what all the excitement was about; you couldn’t say you were surprised at what you found...

Sitting in one of the chairs was Changbin, who was locked in an intense arm wrestling match with one of the biggest fisherman you’ve ever seen. You let out a laugh when you see Changbin yawn before he effortlessly slams the fisherman’s hand down on the table. The crowd of men cheers as Changbin celebrated his victory.

“Why am I not surprised..” Jisung sighed, as you just patted his cheek soothingly and shoved your way to the table.

“Who’s next?” Changbin boasts, making a ‘come here’ motion with his hand, “Who dares challenge me?” When he caught sight of you, His expression lit up and he swatted at Chan, who stood behind his chair monitoring the whole ordeal. By the looks of it, he also seemed to be making bets on Changbin, as he was handed a small pouch by one of the fishermen. When Chan saw you, his expression mirrored Changbin’s as he smiled and waved you over.

Another man sat down across from Changbin, his arms the size of one of your legs; it was a mystery on how he even got into the building as he looked to be bigger than the doorway.

You and Jisung slinked your way over to where Chan stood, greeting him before looking at Changbin.

“Who invited Goliath?” Jisung asked in a hushed tone, swallowing as he gazed at the big man across from Changbin.

Chan folded his arms across his chest and hummed. “I saw him earlier when we entered. I thought it was only a matter of time before he came to challenge Bin.”

Changbin sat unwavering, grasping hands with the beast of a man. He glanced up at you, to which you gave him a firm, but encouraging look. That seemed enough to give Changbin confidence, as he looked back at the man with determination.

“You guys seem to have been working hard at finding information out.” You mumbled sarcastically to Chan. The other fisherman were chattering, placing their bets as the two strong men prepared for their battle.

“We got a bit.” Chan protested, taking his eyes off of Changbin to look at the two of you, “But I’m starting to think this fisherman is our beast...”

You and Jisung chuckled at Chan’s joke, looking back to your friend to support him and cheer him on in this seemingly impossible feat. Changbin was the strongest person you knew! Surely this big scary man was no match for him!

______________________________

“I can’t believe it was over in three seconds!” Changbin whined as he flopped down on the bed, “my pride is more hurt than my arm!”

“So you don’t want me to massage your shoulder then?” Jisung asked teasingly, only for Changbin to grunt out a ‘no, please’. Jisung snickered, sitting down beside the dishearten man and began to gently rub his shoulder; an aura of blue coming up from his hands, causing Changbin to groan out in delight.

With the winnings from the bets on Changbin, Chan purchased a stay in the inn down the street. It wasn’t as nice as the tavern in Miroh, but it was much nicer than sleeping outside. Besides, you were going into the woods tomorrow to fight whatever this thing was, so it was best to get a good rest.

“Okay, so we know it’s big, it’s furry so probably mammalian, it’s prone to fire, and it’s supposedly from the north.” Chan hummed, tapping his chin lightly as he looked through one of his journals that he kept for monster information.

“Could it be a Worg?” You asked, looking up from a different journal of Chan’s to see him shake his head no.

“Worgs are usually bound to the plains, never up north or the forest.” He replied, flipping through the pages as he sat down on the other bed, frown on his face.

“Maybe it’s not from the north?” Jisung offered, turning to look at the two of you as he gently smoothed his hands offer Changbin’s shoulder, “I mean, it’s just rumored to be from the north.”

“I guess...” You hummed, closing the journal to hand it back to Chan as you yawned, “Whatever it is, we at least have a general idea of what it could look like and how we should attack it.”

“Yeah, we should rest up instead of worrying about whatever this mystery creature is.” Changbin suggested, voice muffled by the pillows. Jisung stood up, allowing Changbin to rise, “Besides, as long as we all have each other’s back, we can take on anything.”

“Like that fisherman you lost to?” Chan teased, causing Changbin to grunt, throwing a pillow at his companion. Jisung let out a laugh, earning a second pillow being thrown at his head.

“If I had all of your guys’ strength too, I could have won!” Changbin huffed, catching the pillow as Chan tossed it back to him and laying it under his head.

“I think that’s why we work so good together. We all have different strengths and we can depend of each other.” You said sincerely, going over to pick up the pillow at Jisung’s feet and bring it over to where Changbin laid.

“How endearing!” Jisung cooed before frowning, “I think I’m going to puke.” You chuckled, taking your jacket off and setting it on the chair beside the edge of the bed, pulling out the covers.

“Hang on, how come Bin get’s to sleep next to you!?” Jisung whined, coming over to your side and holding onto your hand.

“Because I slept next to Chan in the last inn and we got to play newlyweds earlier.” You replied with a grin; Jisung resembled a puppy in this moment, lip stuck out in a pout., “It’s Changbin’s turn.”

“And you had the audacity to shame us on how much information we were gathering...” Chan tutted, looking to Changbin as if to say ‘can you believe them?’. Jisung paid them no mind as he held onto your hand with both of his, almost pleading.

“Yeah, we’re newlyweds! Shouldn’t we sleep together?” Jisung bargained, “Besides, I hate sleeping with Chan! He drools and snores so loud!” Chan let out an offended protest as Changbin simple pushed Jisung away from the bed.

“(Y/N) said it’s my turn.” Changbin said matter-of-factly, causing Jisung to frown as Changbin slipped under the covers too. He laid on his back with a smug grin; an open invitation for you to lay on his broad chest.

“Next time.” You promised apologetically, blowing out the candle on you bedside table as Jisung sighed in defeat. He trudged over to Chan’s bed with a disappointed ‘fine’ falling from his lips

“Next time, I’ll just get us a room with one king sized bed and we can all sleep together if it’s going to be this big of a problem!” Chan scolded like a parent, opening up the covers for Jisung to crawl under.

“I’d rather eat one of Changbin’s sweaty socks than be trapped between all three of you.” You grimaced, causing the boys to chuckle.

“Goodnight.” Chan called out, blowing out the candle and sliding down in the bed. Jisung latched onto him a bit too quickly for someone who “hated sleeping with Chan” in your opinion, but the two of them seemed to relax, as their forms sunk into the mattress.

You laid down, ready to sleep close to Changbin so he would keep you heated; he seemed like he still wanted to be playful, as he flipped over so his back was facing you, tugging all the blankets with him.

You lightly smacked his back before shifting so that you were flush against him. You tugged some of the blankets back over to you before you buried your face against his shoulder blades and draped an arm over his stomach to keep him close.

Changbin laced his hand over yours, keeping it in place as he relaxed into the bed, letting out a gentle sigh. He whispered out a ‘goodnight’ to you; you hummed in response, nuzzling into him. You then allowed yourself to fall asleep under the gentle thrumming of his heartbeat.

_______________________________

Branches crackled under your boots as you trudged along; The canopies of the trees stretched far above your head, forming almost a roof that blocked sunlight due to haw thick the overgrowth was. but despite the lack of sunlight, much of the forest floor was overrun with many different species of flora.

“Ow! Son of a bitch...” Jisung mumbled, hitting the bramble he was standing in with his sword and instinctively bringing one of his hands up and shaking it. He picked out the thorn that seemingly was stuck into his finger and grumbled.

“Hey Chan, isn’t there another path that isn’t so.... poke-y?” Changbin asked, looking down at the bushes that came up to your waist.

Chan was leading you through the Dark Woods, following a seemingly invisible trail to your beast. The eldest turned back from his place at the front of the line, frowning at you all.

“Yeah, I’d assume so.” He answered simply before waving his long sword towards the bushels in front of him, “But based on these markings, this is the way the beast went. So I’m following that.”

“I can’t see anything?” Jisung huffed, his hand covered in a slight blue aura for only a moment before he shook it again to loosing his joints.

“That’s because you’re not a tracker,” Chan replied, rolling his eyes, cutting more of a path in front of him and continuing on, “Now quit complaining and lets go.”

“Let me go right behind Chan,” You suggested, squeezing past Jisung; you whispered a simple spell into the top of your staff, causing it to start to smoke. You grabbed it three quarters of the way down, tipping the top into the bushes to burn the edges, creating a more clear path.

“That should be better.” You hummed in delight, sweeping your staff from side to side as you walked, careful not to linger in one place too long lest to light the whole forest on fire. The two boys behind you let out grunts in agreement and you continued the trek deeper into the woods.

It was calm for a while, with the four of you just listening to the stillness of the air and the sounds of you and Chan making a path before you finally decided to speak.

“Chan, if you’re following a track made by the beast, you must have some idea of what it is, right?” You asked, careful not to burn the ankles of the man in front of you as he stopped abruptly.

He was quiet, looking out into the woods; you followed suit, dissolving your magic and silently coming closer to him, placing a timid hand on his shoulder as not to scare him. He didn’t move, eyes squinting to see farther into the distance.

Suddenly Chan crouched, whispering out a frantic “Get down!” at the three of you; you quickly comply, crouching low beneath the underbrush as your heart rate increased rapidly. Jisung and Changbin shuffle their way over to the two of you, close enough to hear their breathing as you all waited for Chan to explain anything that was going on.

That’s when you heard it; A distant thumping. It sounded like footsteps coming closer and closer to your party.

“Chan....” Jisung whimpered slightly, gripping the hilt of his sword, “What is that sound?”

The ground shook with each step the beast took; you tried to peak through the foliage to see what it was, but it was nowhere to be found. The footsteps seemed to be getting very close now, the crunching of branches loud as you could hear the beast.

Chan looked pale, holding a shaky finger up to his lips to tell you all to be quiet. He slowly removed the black bow he carried to notch an arrow in it. Changbin prepared his claymore, gripping it tightly with both hands, his expression stone cold.

And then, the footsteps stopped.

The air was silent, the only sound you could hear was the rushing of blood in your ears and the breath of your party members. The once calming stillness of the woods had now bred a tense atmosphere, causing a sense of unease to wash over you all as the silence continued.

You shifted you weight with uncertainty, looking up and around to try and get even a glimpse in the right direction before your eyes fell on Chan, who was gazing at the three of you with a look of concern.

And then it happened in a flash

The bramble around you peeling back, a loud roar that causing a great ringing in your ears and Jisung flying up towards the sky helplessly in the grasp of this great beast, screaming and flailing around in distress.

It’s fur was snow white as it stood on two powerful legs; it was easily 10 feet tall, gnarled teeth and small eyes pulled into an aggressive expression as it roared out again, brown spit flying from its mouth. You gazed in horror as his grey meaty hand held Jisung by the ankle.

A Yeti.

Jisung!” You cried out, quick to stand and try to conjure a spell with your staff; But just as quickly as you reacted, the Yeti was faster, swatting you into a nearby tree with the back of it’s other flat hand, sending you tumbling down through the sharp branches while knocking the wind out of you and sending your staff flying.

Chan shot his arrow, landing it directly into the knuckle of the beast’s middle finger; it reacted by letting Jisung go, dropping him into the thick bushes below with a crunch. The yeti let out an anguished cry, balling its fist to crush Chan, but he leapt out of the way and helped Jisung stand.

Changbin quickly dove between it’s legs, slashing at it’s knees with his claymore. The beast turned and swatted at Changbin; it missed it’s mark, slamming it’s hand into a tree and sending one of the large branches down on the ground.

It grasped it’s newfound weapon and swung it around at the ground, nearly taking Chan’s head off if he would have held it just a bit higher.

“Chan, what is this thing?!” Changbin barked, ducking his head as the yeti swung his tree club at him, “and how to we beat it!!?”

“Yeti!” Chan shouted, notching another arrow and shooting it at the monster’s face; it was unfortunately blocked by the tree branch it weld, but not without the yeti bellowing at Chan and attempting to crush him with its foot. The oldest jumped out of the way, pushing Jisung down with him.

The beast threw its branch away, slamming it into another tree as it let out another booming roar and leaned forward, placing it’s knuckles on the ground in front of it.

You coughed, a groan of pain escaping your lips as you sat up and clutched your back; the pain was indescribable as it took the brunt of the impact, not to mention your skin was also cover in cuts from the sharp branches you fell through. Your vision was a blurry still from the initial impact, but once it cleared up a bit, you were able to see Changbin slicing once more at the yeti, getting a good cut in at its hip area. This small victory was short lived, as the beast reacted on instinct and swatted at him, sending him flying a few feet into the nearby bramble.

Chan was able to use this time to climb up into one of the trees and get a good angle on the yeti with his bow. He got one good hit in on the yeti’s shoulder before it caught sight of him and grabbed at his legs, pulling him from the tree and shaking his body until he dropped his weapon.

Jisung went to help Changbin, clutching his sword tightly as he ducked into the overgrowth and helping Changbin up; he seemed to recover fast, moving to stand at Jisung's side.

“This isn’t working!” Jisung cried out as he slashed at the yeti, trying to get it to drop Chan. The beast tried to kick at Jisung, but the healer dodged to the side in the last second before scrambling back to his feet.

“Fire!” Chan yelled, beating the yeti’s fingers with his fists as the beast flailed him about, much too distracted with trying to get Jisung, “yetis hate fire!”

You blinked rapidly, processing what Chan was shouting about.

Fire...

Fire!

You could make fire! all you needed was-

“My staff,” You mumbled, looking around frantically for the object. You pushed aside some bushes, crawling around on the ground searching for the one thing you needed to help your party.

You finally found it, laying ten feet away on some gnarled tree roots. It looked to be damaged; a big crack running along the length of it. But it would work for now.

You used it to stand tall, trying to ground yourself despite your state; you willed all the power you could into it, conjuring up a bright ball of white hot fire with one of the most advanced spells you knew. You weren’t sure how strong it would be, as you’d only performed this spell once and that was in your best condition and a fully functioning staff...

The ball grew, sending waves of heat outwards before you launched it into the yeti’s back, setting its white fur ablaze. It howled in pain, dropping Chan ungracefully and starting to slap its back to put the fire out.

Unfortunately for you, the raw power of that spell send burning embers down the crack in your staff, effectively breaking the tool for good as it slightly crumbled in your hand.

What now?

Shit! It was risky for any warlock to try and do a spell without a magic tool to direct their power.

But you had no other option as of now and you needed to help the boys.

“Fuck you!” You spat angrily as threw your broken staff to the side and picked up a branch that had fallen from one of the trees; using a different, less complicated spell, you shakily conjured a weak flame and lit the tip of the branch on fire. You then lunged forward with all your strength, using the branch like an inferno-covered spear to stab at the beast.

You continue to push it back, burning it’s grey skin until you reach Chan, allowing his to recover a bit and grab for his bow that he dropped earlier. He placed a gentle hand on the small of your back before moving to the side of you.

The other two boys had seemingly made fire, Changbin wielding a burning branch covered in foliage with Jisung behind him readying his weapon.

The beast roared swatting at both you and Changbin with it’s hands, however still trying to maintain a distance between it and the fire you held. It looked to be backing away from you as you closed in on it.

Chan slung his bow around his shoulder and unsheathed a longsword before shouting “I have an idea! I need (Y/N) and Changbin to focus the fire down to the undergrowth and make a perimeter. We can’t let it get away!”

You and Changbin exchanged a knowing look, nodding at Chan before you sprang into action. You dipped you flame covered branch down into the bushes and ran around to make a big circle. As you did this, Chan kept the yeti’s attention by swinging at it with his sword, Jisung coming to help the ranger by diving between its legs to appear next to Chan.

You finally met up with Changbin about 5 feet behind the beast, giving it very little room to maneuver without stepping in the fire.

“You look like shit.” Changbin exclaimed, seeing the state you were in with scratches and sweat covering your body.

“Thanks?!” You replied simply, tossing the broken branch into the already blazing inferno creating a perimeter.

Changbin unsheathed his claymore before calling out, “What now Chan?”

“Now we all close in and attack it with everything we have!” The eldest shouted, already starting to move in and stab at the yeti with his sword. Changbin let out a yell before rushing the beast, using both his hands to swing his large weapon at it’s waist. Jisung let out a shout too, using his sword to attack near the beast's legs.

You reached for the only weapon you carried, a dagger that sat on your hip.

But before you were able to charge, you felt a wave of pain wash over you from the center of you back; it spread like electricity all across your body, making you feel weak in the knees.

Your vision grew spotted, with the sounds and sights of your friends going in and out of focus.

Ah shit...

that stupid monster really did a number on you...

And with that high level spell on a broken staff, your body was spent.

Falling to the ground you try and stabilize yourself with your hands;

But it was no use as you slumped forward and pass out.

------

When you finally came to, the sky was dark and the only sound that filled your ears was the crackling of campfire and the soft humming of a folk-song.

You felt a strong pair of arms wrapped tenderly around your frame as you laid in the comfortable lap of one of your dearest companions.

"You should be resting." Changbin whispered, delicately brushing a stray hair from your face, "Although I'm thankful to see you have some life in you."

"What happened?" You mumbled, turning your head to look around. you seemed to be at a makeshift camp, with Jisung laying on a soft bedroll sleeping as still as humanly possible. In contrast, Chan was sat up against a tree, arms crossed and eyes shut, but seemingly asleep as well.

Your boys were safe, that's good.

You drew your attention back up to Changbin, who just stroked your upper arm comfortingly. His face has a few cuts on it and his shirt seemed to be torn, with quite a few massive bruises covering his arms.

"We beat the beast, everything is okay. You fainted, but Jisung healed you up good." Changbin relayed in a hushed tone, gazing at you softly. You frown, weakly reaching your hand up to touch one of the scratches on his face.

"He didn't heal you?" You asked, voice trembling. Your arm felt heavy as Changbin grabbed your hand, placing a kiss on it and returning it to your side.

"Couldn't." Changbin replied simply, keeping a warm hold on your hand, "You were so badly injured he used up all his energy to heal you."

Changbin's voice shook slightly as he looked away. You could see the wetness of his eyes reflecting the light of the fire as he tried not to let out a tear.

"Hey, I'm okay." You whispered, squeezing his hand.

"I was scared we were going to lose you." Changbin admits, biting his bottom lip to keep it from quivering. You could hear the fear in his tone, which broke your heart. Using all the strength you could muster, you sit up, wincing ever so slightly at the ache in your back. You scoot closer to Changbin before you engulf him in a hug, holding onto him as if he would shatter.

"I know, but I'm alright now." You affirmed, reaching to gently stroke his hair as the usual barbarian let out a quiet sob into your shoulder. He carefully wrapped his arms around you and pulled you to sit in his lap. Changbin wanted to hold you as close as possible, worried you would be gone of he let you go.

You couldn't help but feel at ease in his grasp, melting into his touch as you tried to soothe him with hushes and adoring touches on his hair and back.

You both sat like this for a while, not a sound passing between the two of you besides Changbin's shaky breaths. When he finally did let you go, you placed a quick kiss on his cheek, right where a cut laid. Wordlessly, you kissed another, and then the other.

"There, all better." You joked with a cheesy grin. Changbin chuckled at you, before you cringed from another sudden wave of pain.

"You should rest." Changbin hummed, shifting so he sat up more straight, "I have to keep watch for a bit longer, but I want you to sleep right here with me, okay?"

He helped you lay back down in his lap before he reached for his blanket that was rolled up by his pack. He covered you lovingly with it, keeping his arms around you to make sure you were warm.

"We have a long trip ahead of us tomorrow, so sleep well." Changbin wished. You hummed in response, closing your eyes and grasping onto the hem of the blanket.

"Sorry I wasn't much help fighting today. I'll be better tomorrow." You apologized, letting yourself relax in the safe embrace Changbin provided.

"Nonsense," Changbin reassured you, voice barely above a whisper, "You were brilliant today."

"Thanks Bin. Goodnight."

"Goodnight (Y/N)"

---------

"I can't believe you guy's were cuddling again." Jisung let out a huff, blue healing magic from his hands rubbing the bruises out of Changbin's skin.

"You were out cold too! You wouldn't have even known if (Y/N) slept beside you." Changbin argued, shaking his head at the healer and offering up his left arm for treatment.

"Even if he was awake, there was no way you were gonna let them go." Chan teased, turning to whisper to you, "He wouldn't leave your side from the moment you passed out. Not even while Jisung healed you."

"Knowing Changbin, I'm not surprised." You giggled, packing up your things relatively slowly; Your whole body still ached, but you were sure you'd be alright after a long rest, "I think its endearing how much of a big softie he is."

"Doesn't matter, it was my turn." Jisung grumbles under his breath. a pout played on his face as he finished up healing Changbin. The latter stood, saying a small thanks before he started to pack up his belongings.

Soon the four of you were all but ready to go. The fire was getting stomped out by Jisung, while Changbin made sure the monstrous yeti head was secured in a burlap sack.

You weren't entirely sure if the duchess meant it genuinely when she said she wanted its head, but better safe than sorry in your opinion. maybe she wanted to mount it as a trophy of the victory for her people? And if not, it would be entertaining to see her face when you brought it to her.

Changbin began the trek ahead, hoisting his things over his broad shoulders and making a move to go ahead and lead. You tried to tie the end of your bag to secure it, but you couldn't stop the trembling in your fingers enough to complete the fine motor skill. it frustrated you that you weren't back to your peak performance yet.

Jisung's healing can only do so much, especially when it came to magical damage; sure, your body was sore, but there was an underlying weakness that came from casting a spell without your staff. In the heat of the moment you didn't feel the toll due to adrenaline and being in survival mode.

A stick with no magical properties was better than casting a spell with nothing, but you would still pay the price for using such a common item with no embedded magic; weakness, fatigue, muscle spasms, and a whole plethora of other possible side effects was inevitable. Luckily it would fade as time went on, but it didn't make you feel any less of a burden now.

"Let me help you with that." Chan suggested warmly, crouching down and tying your bag closed quickly. You thanked him, moving to sling the bag over your shoulder as you stood. But before you could grab it, Chan lifted it and tossed it to Jisung, who gracefully caught it and slung it over his shoulder.

"Ready to go?" The healer hummed, smiling at you.

"I can carry my own bag." You huffed in annoyance; you began to walk over to Jisung to take it back when Chan grabbed your arm, stopping you in place.

"Nah, there is no way you're lugging that all the way back." Chan insisted, before nodding to Jisung with a grin, "Besides, Jisung strong. what's an extra couple pounds?"

"This feels like nothing to me!" Jisung piped up, adjusting it with ease on his shoulder.

"Fine." You replied, knowing it was better to pick your battles when it came to Chan when he made a decision.

"Great." The eldest responded, before turning around and patting his shoulder, "Now hop on so we can get going."

Oh... this was a battle to pick!

"What? No! I can walk just fine." You argued, patting Chan's shoulders. When he turned back around, a frown played on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest in classic Chan fashion.

"Really? Because you could barely even stand up on your own." Chan reasoned, tone firm before his eyes softened ever so slightly, "I'm sure you could walk the entire journey if we had all the time in the world. You're strong."

"But we don't." He finalized, turning around and crouching down, speaking over his shoulder, "We have to get a move on and we don't have time for you to lag behind so I'm going to carry you."

You groaned; mostly because you knew Chan was right, as per usual... You would slow the party down and you didn't have time for it if you were going to meet the duchess on time. The least you could do at this point is not hold everyone up.

"What's taking you so long? Quit smelling the flowers, we have places to be!" Changbin barked back at you three. You turned to Jisung, who shrugged and went on ahead.

You rolled your eyes and sighed, giving in and climbing onto to Chan's broad back. The man hummed, seemingly pleased by your dismay.

"If you get tired, tell me and I'll make sure I can keep up." You said, almost as a whisper because of how close you were to Chan's ear. He could feel your breath tickle his cheek ever so slight as you rested you head on his shoulder. You felt frail in his grasp, as he made note to try and be and gentle as possible while moving around.

"I won't get tired, don't worry." Chan reassured you, shifting your weight in his strong arms before beginning the long trek back to Miroh. His large hands provided sturdy support to your legs as as he walked, trying to catch up with the other two boys.

You would never admit it, but you were secretly a bit grateful for Chan, as you weren't sure if you truly were strong enough to make the journey without his help. And being secure in his hold, feeling the warmth of his body close the entire trip would definitely a plus, bringing you a sense of ease you couldn't describe.

--------

"I can't believe she's making us wait. I'm tired of hauling this smelly monster head around." Changbin complained, leaning back on his chair.

"You're lucky they let us bring that thing into the tavern." Jisung scoffed, kicking the Yeti's head lightly, "It reeks!"

"That's because it's rotting." Chan said matter-of-factly, shaking his head, "Did you guys expect it to smell like roses?"

"No, of course not!" Changbin said, annoyance ever present in his tone as you grimaced at the head, "I just didn't think it would be this bad!"

The boys continued to bicker back and forth about the head as you sat quietly, picking apart a scone that Felix had baked today. You had begun to regain a bit of strength along the journey, not feeling as sickly as you once were. You were almost certain that a good night's sleep in the inn upstairs would bring you right back to normal.

But you had to wait until the duchess arrived for you to collect your payment before you could do that. But of course she was late, as she didn't seem to care about your time; it was probably negligible in her eyes.

You ate the scone, washing it down with a entire mug of fresh fruit juice before she finally did arrive with two guards in tow. Long after the sun had set, like she agreed, but she showed up nonetheless. And when she did, you swatted at your companions to quit arguing on whether or not rotting head smelt worse is worse than Changbin's armpits.

Chan stood from his spot and bow to the duchess as she approached, "Good evening, My Lady."

"What is that awful smell!" She wrenched, scrunching her nose up and covering it with her wrist.

"The Beast's head, just as you requested, My Lady!" Jisung beamed, standing to bow as well before he presented the duchess with the grotesque thing. You watched as Changbin tried his hardest to keep himself from smiling at her expression.

"Well, I did say I wanted it's head didn't I..." The duchess huffed out, expression sour. with the wave of her hand, one of her guards takes a hold of it and takes it away, finally allowing you to breath fresh air again.

Right, well," The duchess hummed, clasping her hands together, "Might I say well done. My people are safe thanks to you, which is all that matters to me."

"We are also glad such a creature can't terrorize helpless folk, My Lady." Chan agreed, standing up straight with a graceful smale across his face.

"Yeah, super glad." Changbin grunted out, eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly, "anyways, I think it's time you paid us?"

The duchess scowled at Changbin who only smiled tantalizingly at her. "We did what you asked, My Lady." The title sounded patronizing coming out of the his mouth, but it was more so when accompanied by a haphazard nod that you could barely argue as a bow.

"It seems you still have yet to learn manners on all your travels." The duchess sighed, snapping her fingers quickly. The remaining guard pulls a bag out and places it on the table, "Thank you for your service to my kingdom."

With that, the duchess turned and walked away, practically stomping as she exited the tavern.

"Please doing business, My Lady!" Chan shouted after her before taking his seat again. Jisung followed suit, scraping his chair as he opened the bag, dumping the contents onto the table. He tucked the bag away after making sure all the pieces lied safely on the table in a pile.

"Splitting it up? Usually we pool everything together" Changbin asked, as Chan began to count the gold pieces.

The eldest nodded, jutting his head in your direction, "(Y/N) asked if we would this time." You nodded.

It was true, you had asked Chan if the earnings from this job could be split. It was pretty unusual for your group to split up earnings, as you were practically inseparable so you wouldn't make frivolous purchases outside a group setting. But this time, you felt you had a good reason for it.

"It's the most fair in my opinion." You explained, adjusting your bag in your lap, "I need a new staff and you should know that magical items cost a pretty penny. This way, it'll be a purchase that doesn't take away from your guys' funds, since you wouldn't use it anyways."

"That's very kind of you." Jisung said softly, touched at your thoughtfulness. He reached his hand over and held yours, squeezing it as a sort of thank you for your consideration. The moment didn't last long as Chan let out wry laugh.

"That crook, doesn't she have enough?" He scoffed under his breath before shaking his head and looking up at you all, "She scammed us."

"What?" You asked, looking down at the gold pieces; sure enough the piles were quite a bit smaller than expected.

"She only gave us half of what was promised," Chan stated sharply, half in disbelief and half in agitation, "and that's including what was given to use before we left."

"Last time we ever trust a high class cheat ever again!" Changbin growled, slaming his fist on the table. You could practically see the smoke billowing off him as he stood up furiously.

"It's alright, we still have enough to make ends meet." You reasoned, placing a delicate hand on Changbin's arm to calm him down. It does the trick, as he sits back down and folds his arms angrily.

"Yeah, but what about your staff? There is no way your portion will be enough for it..." Jisung said, shoulders slumping as he gazed at you apologetically.

"No, not even close." You sighed, standing and taking your share anyways, "but I'll just have to make do until I have enough. At least we have enough to put warm food in our bellies and a roof over our heads for a bit."

You tried hard to not sound so defeated; you weren't exactly sure how you would be able to practice magic without a magic embedded object to wield, but there was nothing you could do as of now. And truthfully, you had waited long enough for such a disappointment, you felt exhaustion catch up and felt more like something to deal with tomorrow.

Plastering a wistful smile on your face as you stretched your arms over your head. you placed your share in your bag before slinging it over your shoulder haphazardly.

"Where are you off to?" Chan asked, standing too.

"Bed." You said with a tired yawn, jutting your thumb in the direction of the staircase where the inn suites resided, "I'm still recovering, so I think a long rest in a comfy bed is exactly what I need."

"We'll come!" Changbin exclaimed, standing too; you shush him, and shake your head, quickly disagreeing.

"No, you guys should stay out and celebrate! don't pack it in on my behalf." You urged, smile finding its way onto your face as you looked at the three boys. You couldn't help but think about how much you adored them and how special your little family was. Sure, you got swindled, but at least everyone was alright. That's all that mattered to you.

"We defeated a huge beast and lived to tell about it! And we did get paid! Maybe not as much as we had hoped, but enough to have a few drinks and be merry." You encouraged, lips curling into catlike grin.

"(Y/N) right. There is no need to sulk on what we don't have when what we do have is wonderful company and good atmosphere." Chan agreed, cheerful expression slowly growing as he gazed back at you. He stood, grabbing a few gold pieces from his share and pointed to the bar, "First round is on me fellas!"

"Sure, why not!" Changbin agreed, collecting his share and placing it in his wallet.

"Enjoy the night. Be sure to come to bed when you're ready!" You cheered. Chan grinned, pulling you into a hug and placing a chaste kiss on your cheek before he whispered 'goodnight'. The ranger quickly slipped into the crowd, going to barkeep to get refreshments for his companions.

Changbin waved you over and placed a kiss on your other cheek, playfully telling you to dream of him. You agreed, barely able to contain the chuckles that bubbled up in your chest at Changbin's nature.

"Cheer up Jisung!" You laughed, poking the healer with your finger when he stayed slumped in his seat. A pout played on his face as you ruffled his hair, gazing up at you silently from his spot.

"The boys will keep you company, and if that fails, try the scone. perked me right up." You suggested, lightheartedness in your tone as you wave goodbye to the boys.

You scamper up the stairs, entering your usual room at the inn. You close the door behind you with a sigh, making quick work of lighting the fireplace and a few candles so you could see what you were doing as you prepared for bed. You took your boots off, followed by your jacket. You set them off to the side with your bag, trying to keep your things organized.

Just as you crawled into one of the beds, there was a soft knocking at the door. You hummed affirmatively, feeling too tired to get up and check for who it could be. Besides, it was most likely the tavern owners or one of the boys.

The latter was correct as Jisung opened the door, slipping inside before closing it behind him. He stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, much to your amusement.

"I thought I told you not to come to bed on my behalf!" You chuckled, sitting up and letting the covers pool around your waist.

"I didn't!" Jisung exclaimed defensively. He brushed his hair from his forehead as he shifted his weight from foot to foot, repeating his statement much softer now, "I didn't..."

"Then why are you here instead of celebrating, hm?"

"Because!" Jisung looked at the floor bashfully, biting his bottom lip before squeaking out, "it's my turn..."

You're only confused for a minute until you remember what he means. Snickering to yourself you open up the covers, fluffing up the pillow and pat the place beside you.

"Come on then," You invited, causing Jisung to grin joyously as he frantically starts taking off his shoes and jacket. In no time at all, all his outerwear is discarded and he practically leaps into the space beside you.

"Blow out the candle, would you?" You asked in a hushed tone, to which Jisung obliged, leaning away from you for only a moment to do what you asked. He snuggled up to you on his side so that you were facing one another before he wrapped one of his arms around your torso.

"Comfy?" You whispered, to which Jisung replied simply with a 'mmhmm'. "I've been waiting two weeks to not have to sleep beside Sweaty Changbin or Drooling Chan." He sighed dreamily, showing off his gums with a bright smile. You cant help but find him cute as you chuckle at his antics, clutching his shirt as you tuck your hands in the little space between the two of you.

"Hey (Y/N)," Jisung murmered after a few moments. You could feel his breath on your face as he spoke, tickling your flushed cheeks.

"Yeah?" You mumbled, eyes shut as you relaxed into the comfy bed.

"I'm sorry about your staff."

"It's alright. I'll get a new one eventually."

"About that... Me and the boys decided tomorrow we'd go down to the shopping district and pool our earnings together to buy one for you."

Your eyes fluttered open to be face to face with Jisung. His eyes held a sense of fondness in them that touched your heart, "Why would you guys do that? That's not fair to the three of you at all." You asked simply.

"Because we love you." Jisung said, as if he had said it a million times before.

"You do?" You feel your heart race as a well of emotions begins to fill in your chest at the notion.

"Of course we do. Why wouldn't we?"

"I don't know."

"Don't you love us too?"

"Of course I do." You replied delicately.

Because it was true. How could you not love them?

Chan was the leader, kind and thoughtful without fail. He would always try and take care of you, putting your needs over his in any given situation. He always made sure you were comfortable, doing everything in his power to help achieve your happiness and safety. He grew up alone in the mountains, but would brave the elements ten times over if it meant he could do it with you.

Changbin acted tough and strong, but truthfully was the most doting and affectionate of all. He used his strength to protect you from any harm, but when you were, he was adamant about never leaving your side until you are better. He's fight for you no questions asked; He already had his love taken once when he was exiled, he would rather die than have it taken again.

Jisung, a once foreign prince who understood you more than anyone. He was bright and playful, like a dream in a world where you have to fight day in and day out. He would heal you not only with his cheerful nature, but also his natural ability; even to his own detriment sometimes. In his mind, his body could be broken and energy spent up, as long as he was able to see your smile again it was worth it a million times over.

They were your home. Your team.

Of course you loved them.

"I love you all more than you could ever know." You spoke breathlessly, hoping to somehow convey all the feelings stirring up inside you at this moment.

"Good, then it's settled." Jisung said gently. You could tell he was beaming from the way his pitch sounded before he placed a toothy kiss on your forehead, "Now rest up. Big day tomorrow."

"Goodnight Ji." You whispered, not being able to help the corners of your mouth quirking up.

Life as an adventurer was hard; braving the likes of monsters, the elements, and scamming duchesses. But as you laid in Jisung's warm embrace, thinking about all the things you loved about your boys, you knew everything would be just fine, as long as you had each other.

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A/N: Ending is kind of dodgy/corny cause I'm always awkward when it comes to writing endings, but I finally finished this piece !!! When I tell you it's been in the drafts for l i t e r a l y e a r s... But its done now so hooray! I hope you enjoyed it <3

Also if you're reading this and liked Felix And Your Tavern (the fic I mentioned at the beginning)... I do have a part 2 in my drafts as well, but it has references to this story in it and I wanted to publish this first. So stay tuned for that, as it's not quite ready yet!

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