paninisstuff

[paninisstuff]

[paninisstuff]

Love this🕊️

✧.* Miss Mephisto ✧.*

synopsis: Sylus makes you a mechanical bird companion that ultimately becomes Mephisto’s mate

✧.* Sylus x Reader fluff , but it’s more like Mephisto x His Wife LOL ✧.*

————————————————————————

You lean your chin on your palms as you intently watch your husband, Sylus, make adjustments to the wings of his pet mechanical crow. Gazing at Mephisto causes you to reminisce about the very first times when you had encountered the little bird. Most of the time he was “keeping an eye on you” as Sylus likes to say, but often it just felt like stalking. Sylus would also send Mephisto to deliver gifts to you. It was cute, but the bird would always leave a pile of feathers at your door. He sure has a personality, but you grew to adore him, especially knowing that he’s kept Sylus company all this time.

You lean your head on Sylus’ shoulder, smiling softly at the fond memories. A warmth in your chest. “Mephisto’s a really reliable bird, huh…”

“Well, I did make him that way.” Sylus leans into you, his smile evident in his voice.

“I wonder what it would be like to have a mechanical bird.”

Sylus chuckles deeply. “What do you mean? We have one right here.”

“You know what I mean, like my own bird. I love Mephisto, but he doesn’t always like to listen to me. He only follows your orders. It’s clear I’m not his owner,” you giggle.

He chuckles once again, “Kitten, I purposely programmed him to give you a hard time, I think it’s cute when you struggle with him. But if you want, I’ll reprogram him.”

You tuck your hand under his arm, “No, no it’s okay. I like him this way,” You squeeze his arm gently.” It gives him personality. I was only just wondering what it would be like.”

“Mmm…I understand, kitten,” he hums, gently pressing a kiss to your forehead.

————————————————————————

It’s been a week since Sylus worked on Mephie’s wing. He’s now flying at incredible speeds which in turn has been causing the bird to be much more energetic and playful. In fact, he’s discovered his new favorite toy. Your hair.

“Mephieee, I just washed it today,” you whine. “Where is your master at anyway? He told me he’d be right back.”

Sylus came back into the room with a small pink box in his hand. It was elegantly wrapped with a white ribbon.

“Mephisto,” Sylus says sternly as he approaches the couch you’re sitting on, “that’s enough.” Mephie caws, immediately stopping. “Hands out, I have something for you.”

You obey, leaving your palms facing upward, calmly wondering if you missed a special occasion. Sylus gently places the box in your hands. It feels dense, but fragile.

You carefully unravel the ribbon, and open the box. Inside is a beautifully crafted dove that appears to be sleeping. It’s exterior reminiscent of quartz as the light from the room reflects off of it.

Gently, you scoop your hands under the creature as Mephie perches on your shoulder. The white bird is so still, you wonder if it’s a carved sculpture. But as soon as you lift it up, it begins to rock out of its sleep, gracefully taking in its surroundings as it yawns and stretches. Mephisto cocks his head to one side, leaning in to get a better view.

The dove looks to you and cheerfully chirps. It nuzzles its head into your palm, then looks at you with adoration.

“Oh sweetie…this is for me…?” You look to Sylus who is entertained by the sight. To him, you look like a kid who just got their dream puppy.

“She’s all yours.”

“She’s perfect, Sylus.”

You spend some time getting to know your dove. She’s sweet, gentle and graceful, and she has the cutest chirp. She loves to sit on your shoulder, and nuzzle into your neck as you work, but her favorite spot is Sylus’ head. Somehow, his hair makes the perfect nest, though Sylus mentions that he did not program that.

She lovesss you though, and loves it when you give her little tasks, like fetching things and pecking Sylus’ arm every once in a while to bug him. If you don’t have a task for her, she’ll just sit close by and watch you.

However, you’ve come to learn that she’s quite intimated by Mephisto. Ever since you’ve opened that box, Mephisto has been very curious of her, flying in closely any chance that he has, but every time he does, she’ll hide right behind you. Mephisto will tilt his head, confused as to why she’s hiding from him, but he eventually backs up, watching from a distance. It seems the two birds have not yet warmed up to each other.

————————————————————————

It was a short day, and you had finished work early. So, you figured you’d help Sylus out by cleaning his place up. You asked your little friend to grab a few supplies, like a wash cloth and a feather duster. But as you unlocked Sylus’ jewel display, Mephisto swept in, and grabbed a few of Sylus’ prized jewels.

“Mephisto! Give that back right now!” The crow took off flying quickly into the next room, and perching high on the ceiling fan. “Just wait til Sylus comes home!”

You decided to keep cleaning the display case. As you finish up, Sylus walks through the door, his frame almost as large as the door.

“Cleaning today, sweetie?”

“Yes, but this case is missing a few jewels. It would seem that Mephie wanted to hold them.” You say, nodding towards the thief.

“Interesting…He knows better than to touch them.” Sylus raises his arm, and signals a motion downward. “Mephisto. Come down here. Give me the jewels.”

But Mephsito doesn’t listen. He backs away and caws instead.

“Mephisto.” Sylus says warningly.

With the jewels in his claws, the crow sweeps downwards and lands on the table in front of the dove. She flinches, but remains still as he carefully scatters the jewels from a distance and nudges them towards her with his beak. He hops a few steps back, and caws softly.

The dove slowly approaches the jewels, tilting her head to inspect them. She gently taps them with her beak, and chirps in response. With a soft flutter of her wings, she lands before Mephisto, coming in close to nuzzle her beak against his. Mephie un-stiffens, and nuzzles back.

“Huh...” Sylus says with his arms crossed, and an amused eyebrow raised. “It seems we have two love birds.”

You giggle aloud, making sense of Mephie’s wild behavior. “I guess we aren’t the only ones.”

“Have you thought of a name for her yet?” Sylus says, and you feel an arm wrap around your waist.

“What about Missy, short for Miss Mephisto.”

“Miss…Mephisto…very…original,” he drags out, painfully slow.

“I couldn’t think of any good names, okay! She’s just a cute little missy. Plus, it’s clear they’re married now.”

He lets out a hearty laugh,” I guess you’re right. Missy and Mephisto.”

————————————————————————

Missy and Mephisto have been very lovey-dovey, no pun intended. The two are often cuddled up to each other, scratching the others’ head with their beaks. Many happy caws and chirps can be heard from the nest they built of spare nuts and boltz on Sylus’ shelf. But it soon became too quiet.

“Sylus! Missy has been lying alone in the nest for 3 days now. Is something wrong? Is one of her parts broken? I don’t understand. I’ve been taking good care of her.”

Sylus looks up from his work desk, “Love, relax. She’s probably just resting…or charging for a better word.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want her to malfunction or anything.”

“I’m sure.”

“Okay,” you say, shuffling your way out the door. You feel bad for Missy and Mephisto, but you decide to be patient for a few more days.

————————————————————————

You stir awake to Mephie’s loud caws, and roll out of bed in search of your husband. You eventually find him near the kitchen island with a mug in his hand.

“What’s the ruckus about…” you say lazily, rubbing your eyes open.

“Why don’t you check it out for yourself,” Sylus says with a smirk, handing you a mug that was set on the counter.

You stumble over to the nest. Missy is still sat over the nest, but Mephie is perched on the end, flapping his wings and cawing with declaration.

“What’s up, Mephie?” Mephie caws again, and nuzzles Missy, causing her to shift her weight slightly. It’s then that you notice something poking out from under her.

“What…” gently, you pick up Missy and set her next to Mephisto.

Three tiny mechanical hatchlings chirp, their mouths popping up and down as if waiting for food. One white with a few black feathers, one black with a few white feathers and one gray. The white and black ones are the same size, meanwhile the gray one is much smaller. They each have resembling features of Mephsito and Missy.

“Sylus…did you…do this…?”

“It’s a just little project I’ve been working on. I’m curious to see how learnt behavior differs from programmed behavior in mechanical birds.” He pauses for a few moments, then bursts into laughter, “I’m joking. I thought I’d make you happy.”

You feel him walk up behind, and wrap both arms around you, bringing you into an embrace. He kisses your temple, “Now, Missy and Mephisto have their own little family.”

You turn to him, eyes glossy, “Sylus,” you pout, “they’re so cute…Thank you for this.” Sylus holds you even tighter, your expression tugging at his heart strings. He can’t help, but fold for you. Every. Single. Time. That’s why he does these things. It doesn’t matter how big or small, he’d do anything for you.

He leans in closer, leaning his head against yours, comfort and sweetness in his voice, “Doesn’t it make you want to have a flock of your own…”

[paninisstuff]

Live, love and stan my jealous fictional boyfriends <3333

[paninisstuff]

Maruu😭

Error 404: Spin-off – Pt. 4

Summary: A LADS self-aware!AU featuring Sylus and a player. Sylus went ahead and got himself mortalized, what a chad. (That’s it, that’s the plot.) Tags: player!reader x sylus, fem!reader x sylus, reader x lads, self-aware!au, feline shenanigans, cat-speak, delusions of grandeur (mostly from Maru), outsider POV for narrative purposes, it’s got a little kick to it folks i’m ngl A/N: Oooh, we got a POV shift. 

(main series) - Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4

Mother brings the Other home.

He is tall, and carries the scent of copper and a charge in the air before a Northeast monsoon. My fur rises in tandem.

There is no warning. He does not come with a proper invitation. No respectable exchange of scent or posture.

He entrenches into our territory with an abnormal lack of noise. I retreat beneath the oak refuge where Mother dines, and I watch.

He does not try to find me. He knows I am watching.

I stalk the shadows for six sunrises. He keeps vigil, yet does not push. That is good. That is wise. The big ones who force touch are the ones who leave covered in marks of defeat, deigned by my claw.

But the Man is different.

There is a strangeness to him that does not belong. His gait does not match that of a regular human. His eyes catch the light, and hold it far too long.

He is not like the others she has invited into our den. The air around him fizzes with cold static—something else. Something not of This World.

I begin my assessment at once.

––––

On the seventh day, he kneels beside my perch. He reaches toward me.

I ready myself—claws unsheathed, judgement swift. I imagine the strike: a clean arc through soft flesh and tendon. An edict drawn in blood.

He does not pull back. 

He extends an offering. Pelleted cod.

...

Dignity is paramount for beings of higher stature. This offering, I deem sufficient.

He watches me. The corner of his mouth lifts, betraying his insolence. 

I bare my teeth. He makes a sound of merriment.

He finds this amusing.

So be it.

The mighty are often misunderstood by the weak.

––––

The Man wears socks that offend my sensibilities.

I wait until he’s looking, then rake my claws across them deliberately. A demonstration of my abilities; simply a small taste of the might I possess.

He only lifts a brow. Speaks something to Mother in a low tone that makes her snort-laugh.

Another slight. Shameless, SHAMELESS CREATURE

I mark his shoes to the list of quarries that will soon meet their demise. 

––––

Mother, in her temporary lapse of sanity, attempts to place me in his arms.

(Her betrayal will not be forgotten.)

I allow it only long enough to make a point. I go limp and feign death, let my body slither like a gutless fish until he’s forced to adjust his grip.

Then, I stiffen. My hackles rise—formidably high and indignant.

Unhand me, cretin, I communicate, loud and clear, with a single look.

He meets my gaze. The Man tilts his head, as if listening. 

Then sets me down. Gently, without fanfare.

…This is acceptable. ––––

The Man and I do not speak the same language, but he learns quickly.

I meow once, demanding sustenance. He understands.

I knock his cup off the table. He nods, as if this was expected.

I leap onto the Humming Monolith and stare down at him from one of my higher thrones. He bows his head, at last, in solemn respect.

(Or perhaps he is reaching for food inside the Cold. It is difficult to tell with the tall ones.)

––––

The plastic figurine challenges me.

Its posture is mocking. It smiles without a mouth. It stands where I do not permit it to stand.

I strike fast, before it can sense my presence. It topples from the shelf and meets its end against the hardwood floor.

The Man watches from the couch and lets out a bark of laughter. It’s loud enough to startle Mother and alert her to the battle that has transpired. 

She does not appear to share the same joy of a hard-won victory.

I clean my paw and stare into the middle distance, distinguished in my repose, unbothered by the noise of the rabble. The Man brings me another offering of delicious pellets as both tribute and reward.

This, I allow.

––––

He touches the memory-box when she is out. The one she keeps beneath the bed, layered in soft things that smell of must and her Before.

He is greeted with pictures and paper, and the Man stares as if the contents are not physical things, but glimpses of a time long past. He never touches more than one object at a time, never lingers too long on a singular memory.

When he closes the box, he turns to me. 

“You guard it well,” he says.

I watch from my post until Mother returns.

––––

A crescent moon hangs from its high perch as he sits before the mirror, the lights long gone at the witching hour.

Mother is asleep. But the Man is awake.

He watches himself in the glass, silent as I am. He looks the way animals do before storms.

I join him, quiet as the grave, landing at the edge of the kitchen counter. The artificial glow of The Outside paints us both in silver.

He does not blink. Neither does the reflection.

There is something delayed about it. Off by a fraction, too small for Mother to see—but I see.

My eyes dilate. The reflection follows suit.

His does not.

There is something not-right within that form. It is watching back.

"You see it, too."

I cannot answer, but he already knows I do. We understand each other in ways Mother does not.

He smiles faintly, unmoving. 

We stay like this for a long time.

––––

He treads quietly, but not like prey. 

Prey scurry.

The Man moves like one that has never had to run. 

He makes unnatural movements—a flick of the wrist, a flex of the hand—that speak of a long ingrained habit not quite unlearned. He does this unthinkingly, as if by muscle memory. A remnant of something he once was.

I catch him watching her. Mother. My Mother. 

She chatters and moves, filling the room with her strange little human rituals, carefree as only the naive can be.

And he watches Mother with a kind of hunger—not only for flesh, but for permanence. For stability, a place to be. 

One might say this desire is grander; demanding not for insipid intimacy, but for a seat in our court, a space within the sanctum Mother made for the two of us alone.

His gaze is greedy.

To be a part of this. To become a permanent fixture. 

It speaks of a deeper need: to belong.

I hide in the underbelly of Mother’s machine and listen to the power lines in his voice. It hums with a fragment of the World Spirit.

It is asking to stay.

––––

There was a time when the Man could not reach her.

He was flat, then, and wore a different face. A trick of light inside a rectangular prison. 

An incorporeal voice, bodiless. Hands that could not touch, could not hold. Smaller than I. Less imposing in stature.

But he watched. Oh, he watched her.

He came forth, nearer, with no place to go. His eyes burned with want, but he could not reach past the invisible barrier.

Mother often made the storm-sound. Not as loud as thunder from beyond, but more frequent. It did not come from outside the glass cage, but from her eyes.

I do not shy from this. Unlike the turn of the season, when the sky’s calamities barrage our sanctuary, I do not run.

I shield her belly with my body, whenever the world is larger and she is softer.

She is soft, always. Softer still when she is alone.

––––

There was another time, worse than the solitude. 

The Man was gone. No voice. No light. No presence at all.

Mother stopped existing for many sunrises. She was silent like dying leaves, spiritless and coiled inward.

The world dimmed, even darker than the Time-Before him. And I was the only one left who remembered how bright she could be. 

So I provided warmth. I waited. I curled against her stomach and defended her from everything—pests, cold, the loose thread from her blanket.

_

I would kill for her. 

I have. Mice. A bird. Once, a roach audaciously larger the size of my paw. I left it on her pillow as a gift. She screamed. She does not always recognize love when it is violent. But I love her.

With every miserable heartbeat, I kept vigil. 

I was her lone sentry.

––––

I watch them now, curled together in the dim of this newer den. 

The walls do not carry the familiar scents of the last territory. It will take time before I mark this as mine.

I have begun to map the corners. Learn the sounds. It is not yet home, but it will be.

The loud box drones a bothersome noise. The plants sleep in their new placement, out beyond the larger glass cage.

She is cocooned in his arms, her breath uninterrupted as she slumbers. He holds her without speaking. 

His hand finds hers, like it has been waiting all its life to do so. I stretch beside her thigh and settle in.

We do not speak of the past. 

But I remember it—and so does he.

––––

He sings sometimes. Not with his mouth, but from his chest. A low sound. Not unlike mine, albeit rougher and much less refined.

One afternoon, we both lie upon Mother’s long, oddly shaped nest. The Sun bathes the room in warmth.

I stretch across his torso, my golden-rye fur striking against his skin. We purr in synchrony. 

I allow this moment of camaraderie. He makes a decent heater.

––––

There will come a day I do not wake.

My limbs will be slow, my mouth dry. My body rigid as I cross the threshold and sink into the warm-dark.

It is the way of things.

Mother will call for me. I will not answer.

She will weep, as her kind do.

And he will hold her in her grief, and the world will continue. Perhaps not the same, but he will stay. He will stay long after me.

He will remember to warm the bed before she climbs in. He will know to knead the spot behind her shoulder where the ache begins. He will listen when her words run out, and respond in the way she understands.

And so, I grant him immunity.

I let him bask in Mother's laughter. I let him touch her. I allow him to stay.

This is no small thing.

I am Maru.

I have killed cockroaches the size of small gods. I have ended the reign of the false idol To-ji. I have stared into the eyes of the uncanny and remained unblinking. And I have chosen.

Let the record show—I did not surrender.

I made peace, knowing that when I am gone, the Man will remain. He will guard her in my stead, loyally by her side.

And I will pass easy, knowing she is loved by Him.

End A/N: Sylus casts Animal Friendship.  (Also the only chapter in this godforsaken AU that actually made me tear up while writing lolll)  I don't think it's difficult to surmise who Maru is inspired by.

Tagging: @xxfaithlynxx @browneyedgirl22 @yournextdoorhousewitch @sunsethw4 @stxrrielle @mangooes @hrts4hanniehae @buggs-1 @michiluvddr @ssetsuka @imm0rtalbutterfly @the-golden-jhope @beomluvrr @bookfreakk @ally-the-artistic-turtle @sapphic-daze @sarahthemage @cchiiwinkle @madam8 @slownoise @raendarkfaerie @sylusdarling @luminaaaz @greeenbeean @vvhira @issamomma @blueberrysquire @lovely-hani @fiyori @peachystea @aeanya @sylus-crow @queen-serena88 @xthefuckerysquaredx @rayvensblog @poptrim @goldenbirdiee @amerti @angstylittleb1tch @reiofsuns2001 @j4mergy @touya-apologist @gladiolus-mamacitia @btszn @wrimaira @writingmyladsdelusions @borkunlimited @magnoliaswriteatsunset @longlivedelusion @beesin03

[paninisstuff]

When will it be my turn😭🫶 love it

𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗸 - sylus qin oneshot

summary — After getting rejected by your college crush back in freshman year, you swore off dating—why bother when it clearly wasn’t meant for you? Years later, thanks to a well-meaning setup by your friends, you find yourself on a blind date… only to come face-to-face with him again. Totally not awkward—until he suggests something that makes it even worse. Or… maybe not?

pairings — excrush!sylus x fem!reader

content/tags— fluff, angst if you squint REALLY hard, blind dates, reader is traumatized, classic 10 dates trope, tara and her bf is their cupid, timeskips, kissing, SFW, second chance romance + more!

words— 10k

—

“One caramel macchiato!”

The barista calls out your name, drawing your attention from the glow of your laptop screen for the first time since you sat down. You rise, stretching slightly as you make your way to the counter. She greets you with a warm smile, and you return it with a quiet one of your own before taking your coffee and slipping back into your seat.

After a few moments, the front door swings open with a soft chime, letting in a brief gust of warm air and the unmistakable voice of your co-worker.

“Hey!” Tara calls out, already grinning as she spots you.

You lift your head from your coffee with the energy of a drained phone battery, offering her a weak wave. She's radiant, as usual—like someone who actually slept last night and didn’t just survive on caffeine and deadlines.

She slides into the seat across from you without waiting for an invitation, eyes practically sparkling. That look. You know that look. You brace yourself.

“So,” she begins, drawing the word out like a plot twist. “You remember Ethan from accounting? Super cute, like ‘bakes-his-own-bread’ cute? Well—”

You groan softly, slumping forward until your forehead nearly kisses the table.

“Tara, I’m running on four hours of sleep and two existential crises. Please don’t set me up with someone who makes sourdough starters for fun.”

She just laughs, undeterred. “That’s exactly why you need someone! Balance, babe.”

You sip your coffee like it’s the only thing keeping you tethered to the mortal world.

“I’ve been single for almost my whole life, and I’m planning to be until I reach 35,” you reply flatly, sipping your coffee like it’s a shield.

Tara’s smile falters into a small frown, her brows knitting together. “Thirty-five? That’s so… specific. Why 35?”

“Because by then I’ll either have my life together,” you say, waving vaguely at your open laptop, “or I’ll be so far gone into the abyss of burnout that no one will want to date me anyway.”

She gasps like you just said you don’t believe in love or oat milk.

“That is the most depressing thing I’ve heard all week. And I sat through a budget meeting yesterday.”

You lift a brow. “And yet, you’re still trying to play Cupid.”

“Exactly!” She sits up straighter, suddenly energized. “Which is why you need someone before you become a recluse who hisses at the sunlight and lives off instant noodles.”

You squint at her over your mug. “That sounds like a dream, actually.”

“Oh my god,” she mutters, but she’s laughing. “You are impossible.”

“And yet, you keep trying.”

“Because I believe in love. And also because you’re too pretty to be left to your own self-sabotaging devices.”

You groan again and slump further into your seat.

““It’s Evan’s request!” she pouts, her lower lip jutting out like a child denied dessert.

You groan instantly at the mention of her beloved boyfriend. Of course. Of course she’d do anything for him. Ride or die—for his romantic fantasies involving you and some stranger.

“Who is it this time?” you deadpan. “A cousin? Colleague?” You narrow your eyes. “And before you say it—I’ve had enough of his friends. They’re all terrible on their first dates.”

You sigh and rest your cheek in your palm, memories flashing like a highlight reel of awkward handshakes, painfully long silences, and one guy who brought his résumé to dinner “just in case.”

Tara winces a little but pushes on like the soldier of love she is. “It’s his old college coursemate!” she insists, leaning forward dramatically.

“That means nothing to me.”

“He’s actually nice!” she protests. “Evan swears he’s not like the others.”

“You said that about the one who only talked about cryptocurrency.”

“Okay, that was a dark time. But this guy’s different. He reads books! He collects vinyls!”

You arch a tired brow. “So he’s a passionate adult. The bar is so low, Tara.”

She grins, undeterred. “Just one date?”

“I have deadlines.” You look at the report you have to finish before your meeting tomorrow morning before your boss starts to passive-agressively call you out, again.

“It’s coffee.”

“I already have coffee.” You lift your mug in emphasis.

“It’s free coffee, and he might be hot.”

You hesitate.

She sees it.

Victory blooms on her face like sunshine after rain.

“Fine, this is the last time.” You mutter, in which Tara smiles. “Yay! I really think this time it’s gonna be the one for you! I’ve seen his face and Evan told me things about him. He’s also very…” She made the classic money gesture—rubbing her thumb against her fingers—while grinning. “Cha-ching.”

You groaned harder at that. Fine, one last try.

By the time you finally cave and go on the date—mostly out of guilt, slight curiosity, and Tara’s relentless texting—you’re already bracing for disappointment. But nothing could have prepared you for this.

Because sitting across the table, casually sipping his drink like he didn’t just shatter your soul five years ago, is none other than your college crush from freshman year. The same guy you’d nursed a hopeless, head-over-heels attraction for. The same one you’d confessed to in a moment of naive bravery—and the same one who turned you down with that polite, almost apologetic smile that still haunts your occasional 3 a.m. spiral.

You stare at him, and he looks up with a pleasant smile, clearly having no idea who you are.

And that’s the moment it hits you.

Maybe love really isn’t for you. Maybe the universe is playing a long, humiliating game of romantic dodgeball, and you just got hit square in the face—again.

You force a smile, heart sinking into your gut as you stir your drink just to have something to do with your hands.

“So…” he says, leaning in slightly, “have we met before? You look kind of familiar.”

You laugh, but there’s no humor in it.

“Sylus Qin.” He offers you a handshake, his voice calm, smooth—like it hasn't shattered your ego once before.

You blink at him. The name confirms it, not that you needed it. You would’ve recognized that voice anywhere. The same one that used to echo down lecture halls and occasionally star in your daydreams back when love felt like something soft and full of promise.

Your hand hovers for a second too long before you take his. His grip is firm, warm. Too familiar.

He doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t blink. Just looks at you like you’re a stranger with slightly interesting eyes.

“Right,” you say, clearing your throat and slipping your hand back like it burned. “Nice to meet you… again.”

A small crease forms between his brows. “Mind reminding me where we met, Miss?”

Your smile tightens. “Freshman year. Psych class. I was the idiot who met you at the campus entrance and confessed and gave you a letter?”

His face stills. Then slowly—too slowly—his eyes widen with dawning recognition. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” you say, sipping your drink and praying for the floor to open up beneath you. “That girl.”

He opens his mouth to say something—maybe an apology, maybe nothing—but you cut in before he can gather a sentence.

“But don’t worry,” you add lightly, voice wrapped in practiced indifference. “I’m not here for a second chance. I was tricked into this by a mutual friend. Apparently Evan thinks we’d be great together.”

Sylus leans back, still watching you. “So… this is a blind date?”

“Unfortunately.”

He hums, gaze flicking over you with a hint of something unreadable. “Guess he forgot to mention the history.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Guess he didn’t know anything. It was a one second thing anyway”

The silence stretches—but it’s not exactly awkward. Just loaded.

And part of you already knows: this night is not going to go the way you expected.

And suddenly, you become extra conscious of what you’re wearing.

The blouse you’d thrown on in a rush this morning suddenly feels too casual, too slouchy. Your jeans, just slightly faded at the knees. Your hair—was it frizzy? Was there coffee foam on your lip?

Of all the days to run on autopilot.

You shift in your seat, subtly tugging at your sleeves like that’ll magically sharpen your entire look. But it’s too late. He’s already seen you. Really seen you.

Sylus watches you with a calm expression, but there's something unreadable in his eyes now—like he's reassessing, recalibrating. You don’t know whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing. And you hate that it matters. But it does.

Because no matter how long it’s been, or how hard you tried to file him away as a “learning experience,” some tiny, ridiculous part of you still wants to be… enough.

Still wants to make him regret saying no back then.

You force yourself to sit up straighter, chin tilted, like you’re fine. Like your heart isn’t doing little nervous pirouettes.

“Anyway,” you say, breaking the silence with a half-laugh, “how ironic is this?”

He quirks a brow. “Ironic?”

“Fate clearly has a sense of humor.”

Sylus’s lips curl into a faint smile. “Maybe. Or maybe fate’s giving me a second chance to get it right.”

Your breath catches—just slightly. You tell yourself not to read into it.

But it’s too late for that, too.

“Uhm, moving on,” you say quickly, trying to shove the tension back into its box. You tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear, eyes fixed on the condensation forming on your glass. “What do you do now?”

Sylus leans back slightly, giving you a moment of reprieve from his steady gaze.

“I’m a software engineer,” he says, casually swirling his drink. “I mostly do freelance contract work. Apps, platforms, tech solutions for startups—you know, the usual keyboard warrior stuff.”

You nod, impressed despite yourself. “So you’re the guy everyone calls when their website crashes at 2 a.m.”

He chuckles softly. “Something like that. Less dramatic, more debugging-induced migraines.”

His laugh still sounds like it did years ago—low, easy, the kind that used to make you turn your head without meaning to.

You resist the urge to sigh.

“And you?” he asks, leaning in a little. “What did you end up doing?”

You shrug. “Marketing. Mostly brand copy and strategy. I sit in a lot of Zoom meetings, say ‘circle back’ more than I’d like, and write things that sound exciting but mean almost nothing.”

He grins. “Ah, professional illusionist. Respect.”

You huff a laugh. “Exactly.”

For a moment, there’s quiet—not awkward, just… contemplative. A shared pause between two people who were once on completely different pages, now reading from the same one without meaning to.

And though you’re still wary, still guarded, there’s a small flicker of something unspoken between you. Maybe.

You push it aside. For now.

You clear your throat, trying to push through the lingering weirdness. “So… you’re still based around here?”

“Mhm,” Sylus nods, taking a slow sip of his drink. “Moved back about a year ago. Needed a change of scenery. Or maybe I was subconsciously following a ghost from freshman year.”

Your eyes widen slightly, and you stare at him over the rim of your glass.

“Relax,” he says with a lazy grin. “Joking.”

“Right,” you mutter, cheeks warming. “Obviously.”

He leans forward on his elbows, resting his chin lightly on one hand. “You always get this flustered, or is it just me?”

Your mouth opens, then closes. “I am not flustered.”

“You’re stirring an empty cup,” he points out, amusement glittering in his eyes.

You glance down—and sure enough, you’re absentmindedly swirling your straw in a drink that’s been gone for five minutes.

You set it down a little too quickly. “It’s a nervous habit.”

“Cute one,” he murmurs.

You glare. “Do you always do this?”

“Do what?”

“Tease people on blind dates?”

“Only the ones I rejected five years ago and then ran into completely by accident,” he says, smile widening. “It’s a rare demographic.”

You groan and drop your face into your hands for a second. “This is so weird.”

“Maybe,” he says. “But it’s not terrible.”

You peek at him between your fingers. “You think this is going well?”

“I mean, you’re adorable when you’re awkward,” he says without missing a beat. “And I don’t not want to be here.”

You blink. That’s… not what you expected.

Sylus shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Honestly? I think it’s kind of poetic. Terrible timing back then. Maybe this time the timing’s just… less terrible.”

You don’t know what to say to that. You’re still mentally stuck on “adorable.”

So instead, you reach for your glass again—forgetting it’s empty.

He laughs.

You roll your eyes. “I’m never hearing the end of this, am I?”

“Nope,” he says, lifting his drink in a small toast. “But I am buying your next one.”

And despite yourself, despite everything—your lips twitch into a smile.

“What about dinner?” he suggests, casually, like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

You stare at him. “We’re… dragging this date?”

Sylus lifts an eyebrow, amused. “Dragging? That’s a strong word. I was thinking about extending.”

You squint at him suspiciously. “You sure this isn’t a social experiment? See how long you can tolerate the girl who confessed to you in college?”

He grins. “You keep bringing that up like I’m not flattered.”

You scoff. “You rejected me.”

“Regretfully,” he says, placing a hand over his chest with exaggerated sincerity. “I was young. Emotionally unavailable. Spiritually lost.”

You deadpan. “You were nineteen and dating a girl who made jewelry out of spoons.”

“Ah, Simone,” he says with a nostalgic sigh. “She had a vision.”

“She made you wear a fork necklace for a month.”

He laughs, and you hate that it sounds so nice. Like warm sunlight through a café window. Dangerous. “You know a lot about me, huh?”

“Knew. I literally had a crush on you.”

You glance at your watch. You could go home. Eat leftovers. Watch a true crime doc you’ll forget by morning. Or…

You exhale. “Fine. Dinner.”

He blinks. “That easy?” You didn’t reply when you stood up and he immediately followed you out.

The restaurant Sylus brings you to is tucked away on a quieter street—a cozy, dimly lit place with mismatched chairs and old jazz humming from a record player in the corner. Not fancy, but warm. Intentional.

“This feels… not like a first date spot,” you say as he pulls out a chair for you.

“That’s because it isn’t,” he replies, sliding into the seat across from you. “It’s a make-up-for-my-past-mistakes spot.”

You squint at him as you open the menu. “Do you have a designated restaurant for your emotional failures?”

“Only the meaningful ones.”

You snort. “So you bring a lot of people here.”

He winks. “Just you, actually.”

Your cheeks flush again—great—and you pretend to focus very hard on the pasta section. He watches you, though, openly and without shame, chin resting on his hand like he’s perfectly content just sitting across from you.

The waiter comes, and you place your orders. After he walks off, the silence between you settles again—but this time, it’s quieter. Softer.

“So…” you say, twirling the condensation on your glass, “you really didn’t remember me when you saw me at first?”

Sylus winces. “I remembered your face. Just… didn’t connect it right away.” You gave him a knowing look, in which he sighs.

"Fine, I knew it was you ever since I entered that cafe."

“Hm.”

“But when you brought up the confession and letter?” He taps the table lightly. “It all came back like it was yesterday. I even remember the pen color—dark green ink, right?”

Your eyes widen. “Okay, weird.”

“You wrote in cursive,” he continues, grinning. “All neat and swirly. I thought it was sweet.”

“And you read it after rejecting me?,” you asked him, stabbing a breadstick like it personally offended you.

He chuckles. “Hey, in my defense—I was an idiot. The kind who didn’t know what he wanted until years later.”

“Yeah, well,” you say, biting into the breadstick, “welcome to the club.”

Your food arrives midway through him telling a story about a client who paid him in garden vegetables. You’re genuinely laughing now—soft and a little surprised, like you forgot what it felt like to enjoy someone’s company this way.

Over dinner, the teasing doesn’t stop, but it shifts—less sharp, more playful. He leans in sometimes when you speak, nods like what you're saying matters. And every so often, he looks at you like maybe this was never just a coincidence.

When dessert comes, he casually pushes the plate of tiramisu toward you with a fork already ready.

“I didn’t order dessert,” you protest.

“You did,” he says, “you just didn’t know it yet.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“Yet, here you are.”

You roll your eyes, but you do take a bite.

It’s unfairly good.

“...Damn it.”

“Exactly.” He smiles, slow and warm. “So... what do you say we drag this date a little longer?”

You stare at him, fork paused halfway to your mouth.

Then it hits you.

You can’t.

Not like this. Not with someone who clearly rejected you once, and maybe—just maybe—is only entertaining this out of guilt or curiosity. The warmth in his eyes, the way he leans in, the softness in his smile... it all feels too good, too dangerous.

And you've read some post on tiktok saying if a man rejected you once they shouldn't be in your life ever again. Even though you never really follow social media's advices, you're still unsure.

Because you remember exactly what it felt like to have hope, only to have it shut down with a kind smile and a polite “I’m sorry.”

And no matter how nice dinner is, no matter how different he seems now—you’re still you. And he’s still Sylus Qin.

The boy who took your letter and probably never really read the insides rather than a glance, and threw it out (That is what your dramatic heart convinced you happened)

You put the fork down slowly, like it's suddenly too heavy. “I can’t do this,” you murmur, your voice quieter than you mean it to be.

Sylus straightens slightly. “What?”

“This.” You gesture vaguely between you two. “Dinner. The... date. Whatever this is.”

His brows draw together. “Did I say something wrong?”

You shake your head, looking down at the half-eaten tiramisu like it holds answers. “No. You were—you are fine. And that’s the problem.”

He blinks, clearly confused. “You lost me.”

You take a slow breath. “You don’t remember how that felt, do you? Being rejected by someone you genuinely liked—someone who barely noticed you until years later. Someone who now decides, over pasta and charming smiles, that maybe you're worth a shot.”

Sylus is quiet for a moment, no longer smiling.

“You think that’s why I’m here?” he asks, voice low.

You shrug, arms folding tightly across your chest. “I don’t know why you’re here. And that’s the part I don’t think I can handle.”

There’s a pause between you—long and sharp.

“I didn’t come here to mess with you,” he says, tone more serious now. “I didn’t remember right away, but once I did, I chose to stay. I’m not trying to make up for the past. I just... thought this could be something new.”

You look up at him, uncertain.

“I get it,” he adds gently. “If you don’t want to keep going, I won’t push. But I’m not that guy from freshman year anymore. And maybe you’re not that girl either.”

You hesitate, heart torn between a self-defense mechanism you’ve polished to perfection—and the stupid, stubborn flicker of curiosity he somehow reignited.

You glance down again, then quietly push the dessert plate back to him.

“I think I’m still her...and uhm, I need a little space,” you say.

He nods slowly. “Okay.”

The server returns with the check, and Sylus pays without question waving in dismissal at your attempt to sneak in your card as well. You both rise, the air between you heavier now, but honest.

He walks you to the door, hands in his pockets. “For what it’s worth,” he says softly, “I’m glad I saw you again.”

You manage a small nod, already halfway out the door, already fighting the part of you that wants to turn back.

Maybe later.

Maybe next time.

Maybe.

One month later

The coffee shop’s the same.

Same mellow jazz humming from the speakers. Same barista who still gives you a warm smile and extra whipped cream when she thinks you look tired. Same seat by the window, where your laptop sits untouched, your fingers curled around a lukewarm mug of cappuccino.

But you’re not the same.

Not entirely.

Because ever since that dinner—since him—you haven’t quite been able to return to your emotional baseline. There’s a small ache under your ribs when you let your guard down. A lingering sense of something unfinished.

Tara drops into the seat across from you, smoothie in one hand, far too much energy in the other.

“You’re avoiding the question again,” she says, poking your arm with her straw.

You don’t look up. “What question?”

“The Sylus Question."

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

You sigh. “There’s nothing to say.”

Tara leans in, unconvinced. “You were gone for almost three hours. You came back looking like you’d seen a ghost and then refused to talk about it. Something happened.”

You stay quiet, eyes fixed on the steam curling from your drink. And for a while, she just watches you—not pressing, for once.

Then quietly, you say, “I never told you about him, did I?”

She blinks. “Told me what?”

“Sylus wasn’t just some random guy Evan picked out of a lineup. I knew him. From college.”

Her brows lift. “Wait—what?”

You nod slowly, not quite meeting her eyes. “Freshman year. I had the biggest crush on him. We had psych class together. I wrote him this ridiculous handwritten confession letter like I was living in some second-rate teen drama.”

Tara’s jaw drops. “You wrote him a letter?”

“In green ink,” you mutter. “Cursive. I poured my heart out. He was nice about it. Rejected me politely. But still... it stuck with me.”

“Oh my God,” she breathes. “And you, out of all people just proceed with the date?”

You finally look up, your expression tight. “Because the moment he sat down and saw him smile like he didn’t even recognize me, it all came rushing back. I felt stupid. Like I was nineteen again, waiting for a reply that never came.”

Tara leans back slowly, eyes softer now. “You never said any of that.”

“I didn’t want to make it a thing,” you murmur. “You were so excited to help me. And I thought I could handle it. I didn’t know it would be him!  But after the date... I don’t know. He was kind. Charming. All the things I used to like about him. And somehow that made it worse.”

She studies you for a long moment. “You didn’t ask Evan for his number?”

You shake your head. “Didn’t want to. Didn’t dare to. Because what if he was only being nice to be nice? What if he was curious? Or worse—what if it meant nothing at all to him and I just end up falling again?”

Tara exhales slowly. “Evan said Sylus asked about you. He didn’t push. Just wondered if you were okay.”

Your heart gives a quiet, reluctant thud.

“I think you’re still thinking about someone you saw once a month ago,” she says gently. “That kinda says everything.”

You fall silent, eyes drifting to the window where the light hits just right, shadowing the table in soft gold. You remember his smile. The way he looked at you—not like he was sorry, but like he wanted to know you again. For real this time.

“Do you think…” you start, then pause, swallowing. “Do you think I messed it up?”

Tara doesn’t even hesitate. She reaches for her phone and gives you a raised eyebrow. “Should I text Evan?”

You stare at the screen.

Maybe you should.

You stare at Tara’s phone like it’s a bomb she’s about to detonate.

“What would you even say?” you ask, cautiously.

Tara shrugs, already typing. “Something neutral. Friendly. Non-dramatic. ‘Hey, can you send Sylus’s number to [Name]? She forgot to get it that night.’”

“I didn’t forget.”

She glances up, grinning. “Exactly. That’s why it’ll sound innocent.”

You hesitate. Your fingers tighten around your cup.

Tara pauses, thumbs hovering. “Do you want me to hit send?”

There’s a pause. A long, uncertain one. But your silence is a maybe, and she knows you well enough to hear it.

Send.

“Done,” she says brightly, locking her phone like she didn’t just possibly alter the trajectory of your emotional well-being.

You groan and sink further into your seat. “You’re evil.”

“I’m efficient,” she corrects. “Also, you’re welcome.”

You don’t respond. Your mind’s already spinning—what you’ll say, how it’ll sound, what he’ll think. If he’ll even reply.

You don’t have to wait long.

Tara’s phone buzzes. She unlocks it, reads the message, then slides the phone across the table to you.

Evan: Yeah, sure. He’s actually been meaning to reach out, but didn’t want to push. Here’s his number. Hope she’s doing okay.

You stare at the number for a few seconds, your heart weirdly loud in your chest.

“He was going to reach out,” Tara says softly. “He was waiting for you.”

You don’t say anything. You just copy the number into your own phone. Your thumb hovers over the message screen for way too long. You delete three different drafts before settling on the simplest version possible.

You: Hey. It’s me. From that very extended blind date. Mind if we talk?

You hit send before you can overthink it.

Then you both wait.

A few agonizing minutes pass. You sip your now-cold coffee. Tara picks at her muffin like she’s trying not to stare too obviously. You check your phone again. Nothing.

And then—finally—your screen lights up.

Sylus: Hey. Wow. Hi.

Sylus: I was hoping you’d text. Where should we start—apologies or second chances?

Your breath catches, somewhere between a laugh and a nervous sigh. You glance up at Tara, eyes wide.

She grins. “Well?”

You look back down at the screen, smile tugging at your lips before you can stop it.

You: Maybe… coffee. One cup. No letters. No expectations.

Sylus: One cup. No letters. Just you. When?

And this time, you don’t hesitate.

You: Tomorrow? Same café, 4pm?

Sent.

You stare at the message, heart tapping against your ribs like it’s trying to make a run for it. Across from you, Tara’s holding her breath with a weirdly intense look.

“I asked him,” you murmur.

Tara’s hands shoot up in silent victory. “Yes. Finally.” Then her voice drops, more sincere. “You okay?”

You nod—small, uncertain. “I don’t know what I want from this.”

“Then start with what you don’t want,” she offers. “You don’t want it to end with silence. Again.”

Your phone buzzes.

Sylus: I’ll be there. And I promise not to pretend we’re strangers this time.

Your lips twitch. You hate how fast your fingers move when you type back.

You: Good. Because I’m done pretending too.

—

You sat at the coffee table, waiting—nervously fiddling with the rim of your cup as your eyes flicked toward the door every few seconds. The café felt louder than usual, or maybe it was just your thoughts making too much noise.

What were you even doing here?

A month had passed. You should’ve let it go. But something about the way he’d looked at you that night—surprised, yes, but not indifferent—kept looping in your head like an unfinished sentence.

Your fingers stilled.

The door chimed.

You didn’t turn right away, but you felt it—the shift. The quiet recognition, the way the barista paused mid-sentence to smile, how a familiar set of footsteps approached the table.

“Hey,” Sylus said.

You looked up.

He hadn’t changed, but something in his posture was different. Softer, maybe. Less guarded.

“Hey,” you replied, quieter than intended.

He glanced at the cup in front of you. “Did you order for me again?”

You smirked. “Habit.”

“Dangerous. I could’ve turned into someone who drinks oat milk lavender lattes.”

“Then we’d have a real problem.”

That made him laugh. And you hated how nice it still sounded.

He slid into the seat across from you, exhaling slowly like even he wasn’t sure what came next.

You both sat there for a moment, letting the silence settle—not awkward, not entirely comfortable either. Just real.

“So,” he started, eyes meeting yours, “are we pretending this is just coffee?”

You paused, then shook your head. “No pretending this time.”

His gaze lingered. “Good. Because I’ve been thinking about you.”

You blinked. “Why?”

He smiled faintly. “Because maybe I was wrong about a lot of things back then. But mostly... because I don’t want to be wrong about you again.”

“What do you mean?” you ask, trying to keep your tone even, but you can already feel your chest tightening.

Sylus gives a small, breathy laugh and looks down at his hands. “I mean I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. Since that night.”

Your eyebrows lift, skeptical. “We barely talked.”

“That’s the thing,” he says, meeting your gaze. “Even when you weren’t saying much, I could feel it. That weight between us. Like there was more. Like you knew something I didn’t.”

You don’t respond. You’re not sure if you can. Because part of you wants to believe he means this, and another part still remembers the awkwardness of freshman year—of your letter, of his rejection, of everything that made you feel small.

Sylus seems to sense it.

“I know I didn’t handle things well back then,” he says. “And I don’t expect us to magically reset, or rewind. I just… wanted a chance. A real one this time. No setups, no pressure, no expectations.”

A beat.

You bite the inside of your cheek. “You know this is kind of insane, right?”

He smiles softly. “The best things usually are.”

You stare at him—at his hopeful expression, at the way he’s sitting there with nothing but his words and his coffee and maybe.

You look away, jaw tightening. “If we hadn’t gone on that blind date, none of this would’ve happened.”

There's a pause. You expect him to deny it, to give some sweet romantic line about fate. But he doesn’t.

Instead, he says quietly, “You’re right.”

You glance back at him, surprised by the honesty.

“If we didn’t go on that blind date,” he continues, “we probably would’ve gone on living like strangers who once shared a college campus and a forgotten letter. But we did go. And I saw you again. And it... shifted something.”

You scoff under your breath. “You’re making it sound like a movie.”

“Yeah, well.” He gives a soft laugh. “I didn’t expect it either. I thought you’d be another awkward coffee and polite goodbye. But then you walked in and looked at me like you already knew who I was—and I couldn’t stop wondering why.”

You stay silent, the edge in your expression softening, but only slightly.

“You’re still mad,” he notes gently.

“I’m still trying to understand what this is,” you reply. “If it’s just guilt. Nostalgia. Or something you’ll forget in a week.”

Sylus leans back, eyes steady on yours.

“I don’t know what it is yet either,” he says honestly. “But I’d like to find out.”

You cross your arms, narrowing your eyes slightly. “And how exactly are you going to find out? Expect me to write you a letter again?”

Sylus smiles—not smug, not overly confident. Just steady.

“While it doesn’t sound so bad to receive one from you again, I have another idea,” he says. “But how about this: ten dates.”

You blink. “What?”

“Ten dates,” he repeats. “Maybe romantic, but not dramatic. Just… ten chances. To talk. To laugh. To see if this—whatever this is—is real.”

You stare at him, incredulous. “That sounds like a really desperate Netflix series.”

“Yeah, well, desperate is fair,” he replies with a half-shrug. “You’re kind of terrifying.”

That almost makes you laugh, but you suppress it. “Why ten?”

“Because I’m stubborn,” he says, leaning forward just a little. “And because if I can’t convince you by the tenth, I’ll back off for good.”

You look down at your cup, pretending to think, though your heart is already pacing.

“This is ridiculous,” you mutter.

“Maybe,” he agrees. “But so is the fact that I still remember what you wore when you gave me that letter.”

Your head snaps up, and he grins—caught you off guard again.

You sigh, long and tired. “Fine. But don’t expect me to be charming.”

He raises a brow. “So… that’s a yes?”

You pick up your drink and sip slowly. “It’s a maybe. A probationary date system. Conditional.”

Sylus holds up both hands in surrender. “I’ll take it.”

—

The rain drums lightly against the windows as you sit across from Sylus, sipping a warm chai latte in one of your favorite hideaway spots—a quiet bookstore café tucked behind a florist and barely staffed. You picked it on purpose. Familiar. Safe. Low stakes.

He’s dressed in a dark sweater and jeans, damp at the shoulders from the rain, hair slightly tousled like he ran a hand through it too many times on the way in. You hate that he still looks so... annoyingly good.

“You chose the most intimidating first date spot,” he comments, glancing around at the towering bookshelves and soft jazz playing overhead. “Is this a test?”

You raise a brow. “You said you wanted ten dates. I’m making sure you work for them.”

He chuckles. “So... trial by literature.”

“I heard you read a lot.” You reply as you look at him with a smile, in which he echoes.

“Making some research on me, huh?” He grins. 

“Evan.” 

“Oh, that guy. Was he giving you some biodata check before going on that blind date?”

“Just simple things like what you like, the fact that you collect vinyls amongst other things. Not too much to be considered as a Sylus Genius.” You say while sipping on your drink.

He clicked his tongue, “Then it is my duty to make you one, the only one, perhaps.”

You felt your cheeks grow warmer, what a stupid reason to be blushing, but still, he laughs.

“I like that expression,” He stares at you, eyes soft and bright. Something rare to see from someone like him, yet here you are eliciting it effortlessly.

You're flipping through a poetry book when Sylus suddenly sets his phone down between you both, screen facing up.

It’s a playlist. Titled: “For Date One, if she lets me.”

You raise a brow. “Really?”

“I made it last night,” he says, sheepish. “In case conversation got awkward.”

“It already is awkward.”

“Exactly. I planned ahead.”

You roll your eyes, but you can’t help the small grin tugging at your lips. You tap the first track. Soft acoustic guitar filters through the speakers—he must’ve connected it to the café’s Bluetooth. You recognize the song. Something nostalgic, early 2000s indie, a little cheesy, a little perfect.

“You’re lucky I like this band,” you murmur.

“I know.” He rests his chin on his hand, watching you a little too closely. “I remembered.”

That makes you pause. You look at him, unsure how he means it—remembered like he Googled your old Spotify profile or remembered as in… back then.

Your stomach knots.

“What else do you remember?” you ask quietly, not fully meaning to say it aloud.

He doesn’t look away. “You always carried two pens to class. A black one for notes. A blue one for thoughts.”

Your breath catches.

He keeps going. “You always tied your hair up during exams, even if you didn’t need to. Said it helped you think.”

You don’t respond.

“And you once cried in the back row after a presentation because someone laughed at your voice when you read your script.” He pauses. “I wanted to punch them.”

You blink hard, your throat suddenly tight.

“I wasn’t brave then,” he adds softly. “I should’ve said something. But I never forgot.”

You look away, blinking at the shelves, pretending to read the book in your hands. His words sit between you now, heavy but warm. Sincere.

After a long pause, you whisper, “Ten dates might not be enough.”

Sylus smiles—just barely. “That wasn’t me winning you over, was it?”

You shake your head, voice barely audible. “That was you... remembering me.”

He changes his seat from across you to beside you, before plugging one earphone in your ear while the other in his. “Decided not to let the whole cafe hear your little playlist?”

“Yeah, it’s special for you.”

—

On date two, you’re still not sure how he roped you into this.

“This is a terrible idea,” you say flatly, standing in the vegetable aisle with a shopping basket in hand while Sylus debates between two kinds of veggies like it’s a life-or-death decision.

He looks at you over his shoulder. “You said you wanted something low-key. What’s lower key than cooking?”

“You didn’t say I’d be cooking with you.”

“Technically, I said we would cook. Together.” He turns back to the mushrooms. “Also, you’re stalling.”

“I just don’t trust you to know the difference between coriander and parsley.”

“That’s fair,” he mutters, tossing the better-looking pack into the basket. “I Googled that this morning.”

You try not to smile, but it slips through anyway. He notices. You pretend not to see that he noticed.

His apartment is neat. Not obsessively clean, but clearly lived in. A jacket draped over a chair. A vinyl player in the corner. A pair of reading glasses on the coffee table you didn’t know he wore.

“You can put your stuff anywhere,” he says, motioning to the couch. “Shoes off if you want. I have house socks.”

You glance at him. “House socks?”

“Yeah, you know. Guest socks. Clean, fluffy, magical.”

“…You’re a menace.”

“You’ll thank me in five minutes.”

You do. They’re ridiculously soft.

Cooking is chaotic. He chops vegetables like he’s in a rush to win a knife skills competition. You end up laughing when he puts the pasta in before the water boils and looks genuinely shocked when you scold him.

At one point, you’re both standing shoulder to shoulder at the stove, close enough to feel the heat of his arm. He smells like citrus and something woodsy. Not cologne—like fabric softener and something more subtle.

You steal glances.

He catches one.

“What?”

You shrug. “Nothing.”

“You were looking.”

“Maybe.”

“You were definitely looking.”

You roll your eyes, but you’re smiling. “You’re insufferable.”

“And you’re cute when you’re trying to pretend this isn’t fun.”

You look up at him. “This doesn’t mean I like you.”

“I know.” He says it gently. “But it means you’re here.”

Dinner is good. Surprisingly so. You eat on the couch, plates balanced on your laps, a dumb movie playing in the background that neither of you really watches.

Halfway through, you notice him watching you again.

“What now?”

He shrugs. “Nothing. You just… look comfortable.”

You pause. It feels like a compliment, but it sinks a little deeper than that.

“Do you want dessert?” he asks quickly, maybe sensing the shift.

You nod. “Only if it’s something you didn’t burn.”

He laughs. “Rude. I bought ice cream. Zero effort involved.”

He disappears into the kitchen. And for the first time in a long time, you let yourself lean back into the couch, socks on your feet, a full plate on your lap—and a feeling creeping in that maybe, just maybe, letting go of the past isn’t the same as forgetting it.

It might even be… the start of something new.

—

It’s date seven.

The previous dates were all quiet and cozy, except for date five, where the both of you went to the amusement park. You've learnt that he hates rollercoasters due to their "anti-climatic" push when the controller decided to prolong the time at the top.

But for date seven?

You hadn’t expected a literal night market.

When Sylus texted you the location, you assumed it was a café or some quiet restaurant again — something low-key, in line with your still-fragile dynamic.

Instead, you’re standing in the middle of a lively crowd, colorful lanterns strung overhead and the scent of grilled meat, fried snacks, and sugary things thick in the air.

“Too much?” he asks, appearing beside you with two skewers in hand. One of them is unrecognizable and probably a challenge.

You take the safer one.

“I thought you were the introvert.”

“I am,” he says with a smirk. “But I figured if I keep taking you to quiet places, you’ll keep overthinking.”

You raise an eyebrow. “And now I’m supposed to... not overthink while holding a fishball skewer?”

“Exactly. It’s very grounding.”

You roll your eyes, but you don’t hand it back.

The night air is warm, heavy with humidity and noise, but there’s something oddly comforting about being one small story in a sea of strangers. It makes things easier. Lighter.

Sylus walks beside you, not saying much, just letting the sights and sounds fill in the space between. Sometimes, his hand brushes yours — never on purpose, but never fully accidental either.

You pass a booth with handmade rings, mismatched and colorful.

He pauses. “Pick one.”

You blink at him. “Why?”

“Date seven deserves a souvenir.”

You glance at the table, then back at him. “If I pick one, are you going to analyze what it means?”

“Undoubtedly.”

You sigh, but eventually point to a silver one with a tiny moon charm.

“Cute,” he says, paying for it without asking.

He slides it onto your finger — careful, slow — and it makes you shiver, just a little.

“You good?” he asks, eyes glancing up at you from beneath his lashes.

“I’m not used to this,” you admit, voice barely audible above the crowd.

“To what?”

“To being… wanted. Again. Still.”

He’s quiet for a moment. Then says, “You’ve always been wanted. I was just too late to realize it.”

You don’t respond. Just stare at the ring, then at the ground, then at him. Your heart’s too loud again. Too full of things you swore you’d buried.

Later, after sharing a cup of mango ice and pointing out constellations you can’t actually name, you find yourselves leaning against a closed-up stall. The market’s winding down. The crowd’s thinning.

He nudges your shoulder gently. “Date seven complete.”

You glance at him. “Three more, huh?”

He nods. “Unless you cancel the package early.”

You smile, just slightly. “What’s the return policy?”

“No refunds,” he says, voice low. “But… you could renew.”

You look away too quickly.

And he doesn’t press.

Just stands there beside you, hands in his pockets, like someone who’s willing to wait — even if he doesn’t say it out loud.

The night breeze makes you shiver as you’re wearing nothing more than a thin blouse — a poor choice, you realize now, when the heat of the crowd starts to fade and the open air settles in.

Sylus notices immediately. He doesn’t say anything at first, just glances at you, then shrugs off his jacket.

“Here,” he says, holding it out.

You hesitate.

“I’m fine,” you mumble, though your arms betray you by hugging yourself tighter.

“You always say that,” he replies gently, stepping closer. “Let me do one nice thing without making it weird.”

You sigh, but don’t fight it when he drapes the jacket around your shoulders. It’s warm. Smells faintly like him — like cologne and comfort and something you wish you didn’t miss.

You clutch it closer anyway.

He doesn’t comment. Just gives you a small smile and walks beside you again, closer this time, like maybe his presence alone could shield you from the rest of the chill.

And for a second, just a second, you stop resisting how easy it is to lean a little closer.

And as if he’s trying to push his luck, he slowly takes your hand, and interlocks your fingers together, before bringing it in his pockets.

You glance at your hands together before looking up at him, while he looks up front, like whatever he did is natural and was clearly bound to happen for him.

“Seriously?”

He looks at you, “helping you warm up.” He smiles.

—

Date nine.

You hadn’t planned on letting Sylus into your apartment yet.

It’s too personal, too you — a space you’ve protected the way you’ve guarded your heart: meticulously. No loose ends, no open doors.

But it’s raining, and he showed up early with two bags of groceries and a sheepish grin.

“You said you missed home-cooked food,” he says, already toeing off his shoes. “I make a decent curry. Or edible. Let’s start there.”

You narrow your eyes at him. “That was weeks ago.”

He shrugs. “I remember things.”

You don’t have the energy to argue. Not when he’s already heading toward your kitchen like he’s been here before — like this isn’t some emotional line being crossed.

The apartment smells like garlic and coconut milk within the hour. Rain taps against your windows. Soft music hums from your phone speaker, something low and jazzy that fills the silence without drowning it.

You lean on the counter as he stirs the pot, sleeves rolled up, focused.

He looks… settled here. Like he belongs in your kitchen. Like the space didn’t mind opening up to him.

It makes something ache in your chest.

“You cook often?” you ask.

“Sometimes. It’s... therapeutic. And cheaper than emotional damage.”

You snort. “You’re not wrong.”

There’s a pause. Comfortable.

Then you ask, “Why are you really doing this? The ten dates, I mean.”

He doesn’t look up at first. Just stirs slowly. Thoughtfully.

“Because I wanted to show you I could mean something to you,” he says quietly. “Without rushing. Without trying to fix what I broke before. Just… be there this time.”

You blink.

The honesty, the simplicity of it — it lands heavier than you expect.

“I don’t need fixing,” you murmur.

“I know.” He finally looks at you. “But you deserve someone who knows that.”

Dinner is warm. Slightly too spicy. You both laugh over it. You tease him for almost setting your pan on fire and he teases you for owning only two forks.

When he leaves later — umbrella in hand, jacket still with you — there’s a folded napkin left under your mug.

On it, in scribbled black ink: “You feel like home. Date Ten’s going to be dangerous.”

You stare at the note long after the door closes behind him.

And for the first time in a long time, you don’t feel afraid of what’s next.

—

At least that’s what you thought you felt.

It has been two weeks, 14 days.

You hadn’t meant to pull away.

Work just... got in the way.

One last-minute project turned into two. A client call stretched past midnight. You started checking your phone less, replying slower. Not intentionally — just the kind of slow fade that happens when real life creeps in.

Sylus doesn’t push. He sends a meme here and there, a good morning text you forget to answer until lunch. A voice note one evening — gentle, teasing — asking if you’re still alive and if he should send a search party or just a very persistent delivery driver with bubble tea.

You laugh, but don’t reply right away.

When you finally do, it’s short. Something like, “Just swamped. Talk soon?”

He leaves it at that. No guilt. No pressure. But still — it lingers.

You miss him.

Worse, you realize it on a Tuesday night, forehead pressed against your desk, your laptop glowing 2:47 a.m. back at you, and all you can think about isn’t the project due at 8 a.m.

It’s that you haven’t seen Sylus in almost two weeks.

And you don’t know what Date Ten is supposed to be anymore.

That was until you heard your front doorbell ring.

You blink, groggy. It’s late. Not a normal time for someone to suddenly show up, but close enough that your heart stutters as you push up from your desk.

Padding to the door in mismatched socks and a hoodie you barely remember putting on, you glance through the peephole.

It’s Sylus.

Holding a paper bag, umbrella folded under his arm, hair damp like he walked the last few steps in the rain.

You hesitate for half a second before opening the door.

“Hi,” he says, voice soft. “I come bearing caffeine and snacks.”

You stare at him.

“I... you didn’t text,” you manage, your voice scratchy with fatigue and something that feels suspiciously like guilt.

“You weren’t replying,” he says simply, not accusing. Just... explaining. “And I figured if I waited for a calendar opening, I’d see you in October.”

That earns a weak laugh from you.

“I didn’t mean to ignore you,” you mumble, stepping aside to let him in. “Work’s been—”

“—hell. I know.” He toes off his shoes and heads to your kitchen like it’s routine now. “I figured you wouldn’t feed yourself properly either.”

You blink at the bag he sets down. Soup. Tea. A small pastry you once said you liked.

“You didn’t have to.”

“I know,” he says again, but there’s no heat in it.

Just the same gentle, unshakeable Sylus from Date One through Nine. The same one who gave you space, and now—unexpectedly—shows up without asking for anything back.

You exhale slowly, walls slowly lowering.

“I forgot what day it was,” you say.

He smiles faintly. “It’s not Date Ten. Yet. This is just... a bonus round.”

You sit down at the counter. He pours you tea without asking. You watch him, warmth curling up beneath your ribs.

“You didn’t give up.”

“Nope,” he says. “I said ten dates. I’m not going anywhere until you get all ten.”

You look at him. Tired, but soft. Edges worn down by the weeks, but still holding space for him.

You reach for the tea. “Okay,” you murmur. “Let’s call this one... nine and a half.”

Sylus grins. “Nine-point-five. I’ll take it.”

You nurse the cup of tea slowly, letting the heat seep into your fingers. The apartment is dim except for your desk lamp, casting a soft glow across the space. Rain continues tapping against the window, steady and hushed.

Sylus sits on the other side of the counter, watching you — not in a way that makes you self-conscious, but like he’s trying to memorize the moment.

“Your eyes get glassy when you’re running on four hours of sleep,” he says gently.

You raise a brow. “You make that sound factual.”

“Maybe it is,” he says, and he’s not joking.

There’s something weighted in the silence that follows, but not heavy. Just... full. Brimming with all the things neither of you have dared to say out loud since that blind date started everything again.

You look down at your tea. “I didn’t mean to pull away.”

“I know,” he says. “And I didn’t show up to make you feel bad.”

“Then why did you show up?”

He pauses. And then—

“Because I missed you,” he says, quiet but certain. “And I wanted you to remember what it feels like to be taken care of, even when your world’s on fire.”

You stare at him.

It hits in a strange place — the truth of it, the care, the timing. The softness in his voice that reaches you deeper than any grand gesture ever could.

And maybe it’s the hour. Maybe it’s your exhaustion. Or maybe it’s the way he hasn’t stopped looking at you like you’re something fragile but worth holding onto.

But when you set your cup down, and say, “Come here,” your voice is steady.

He doesn’t question it. Just moves.

You meet him halfway around the counter. The rain hums in the background, steady and soft. He’s close now — warm, still damp at the edges from the walk over.

You look up at him. “This... doesn’t make us even,” you murmur.

“I’m not trying to settle a score.”

You hesitate. Then, finally—finally—you step into him.

And when you kiss him, it’s slow. Not rushed or desperate. Just a quiet press of lips in the middle of a rainy midnight, in an apartment that suddenly doesn’t feel so tired anymore.

His hand finds the side of your face, thumb grazing your cheek. Yours curls into the front of his jacket like you need to hold onto something steady.

It’s not a first kiss full of fireworks or dramatic music.

It’s soft.

Earned.

Real.

And when you pull back, neither of you says anything right away. He just presses his forehead to yours and exhales the smallest, happiest breath.

You smile.

“Ten’s going to be dangerous,” you whisper.

He grins. “Then it’s a good thing I’ve got nine and a half reasons to survive it.”

—

You wake up to sunlight sneaking through the curtains and the unmistakable scent of coffee.

For a moment, you think maybe you dreamed it all — the rain, the tea, the kiss.

But then you hear gentle clinking in the kitchen.

You push yourself up from the couch, blanket slipping off your shoulders, and find Sylus standing by your stove like he’s been there a hundred times. One of your mugs in hand. His hair still slightly messy from sleep.

He glances over when he hears you. “Morning.”

His voice is quiet. Familiar. Safe.

“You stayed,” you say, more like a thought than a question.

He tilts his head. “Did you think I wouldn’t?”

You shrug. “I don’t know. I kissed you and then fell asleep in the middle of your jacket, so I wasn’t really thinking straight.”

Sylus chuckles, crossing the room to hand you a fresh cup of coffee.

You take it with a small, grateful hum and sip. It’s perfect. Just how you like it.

He nods toward the table where he’s already laid out toast and eggs — simple but warm. Intentional.

“You didn’t have to do all this,” you say.

“I know,” he replies. “But I wanted the first morning after our nine-and-a-halfth date to start right.”

You pause. The phrase makes your chest tighten — not in a painful way. Just full. Softened.

“You’re very good at this, you know,” you murmur.

“What? Being your emergency food delivery guy?”

You give him a look, and he smirks, stepping closer until your hip’s pressed lightly against the counter and he’s standing in front of you.

“No,” you say. “At... making it feel easy.”

He shrugs, but there’s something fond in his eyes. “It is easy. When it’s you.”

That line shouldn’t make your heart skip, but it does. And before you can overthink it — again — he leans down and brushes a kiss to your temple, then your cheek, then finally your lips. This one slower, softer than the night before.

“Let me stay a little longer,” he murmurs when you part.

You nod, not trusting your voice.

Because for once, you don’t feel the need to run ahead or fall behind. You just want this moment.

His.

A few hours later, Sylus left, and date ten starts.

You’re already suspicious when Sylus tells you not to wear anything too fancy, and even more so when he insists on picking you up himself.

“I swear, if this is a paintball arena—” “It’s not,” he laughs, hand warm around yours as he leads you down a quiet path.

It isn’t until you recognize the stone archway ahead that your heart stumbles. Your old campus.

You blink. “You didn’t.” He raises a brow. “Didn’t what?” “This is where I met you.” “It’s where I saw you,” he corrects gently. “You met me after tripping over your own feet trying to sit in the last row.”

You gasp in mock outrage. “That’s not—okay, that is accurate.”

He grins, tugging you toward one of the empty benches just outside the old lecture hall. The sun’s low, sky blushing gold and soft blue.

“There’s a picnic,” he says, motioning to the small setup — nothing over the top. A blanket, some pastries, cold brew in glass bottles, and a small stack of your favorite snacks.

You sit beside him, heart full and quiet.

“You remembered this place,” you murmur, looking out over the familiar quad where your lives once barely brushed each other’s.

“I remembered you in this place,” he says. “That matters more.”

You glance at him. His expression is soft, unreadable in the best way — like he’s still amazed you’re here.

“You know,” you say after a while, voice quieter, “if we didn’t go on that blind date... we might not have ever come back to this.”

He hums, thoughtful. “Maybe. But I think something else would’ve pulled us together eventually.”

You raise a brow. “That’s bold.” “That’s fate,” he says simply. “Stubborn. Annoying. Kind of like you, actually.”

You nudge him, trying not to laugh. “You just ruined the moment.”

He shrugs. “Guess I’ll have to fix it.”

And he kisses you.

Not a hesitant first. Not a sudden second. But a tenth-date kind of kiss — full of memory, promise, and quiet affection that doesn’t need to prove itself anymore.

When you pull away, you press your forehead to his.

“This is my favorite date,” you whisper.

“Mine too,” he replies. “But... I want to show you something.”

His voice has shifted — softer now, more careful.

You watch as Sylus reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a timeworn envelope. Cream-colored. Slightly bent at the corners. A familiar messy swirl of ink where your handwriting signed his name.

Your breath leaves you. “Is that—?”

He nods slowly. “Your letter. From freshman year.”

Your world tilts a little. “I—I thought I threw it away after… after you said no.”

He looks at the envelope like it’s fragile. Like it’s sacred. “You gave it to me after that group project, remember? You said I could read it or pretend it never existed. I was too much of a coward to say anything back then.”

“You folded it and put it in your backpack,” you murmur. “Didn’t even open it in front of me.”

“I read it that night,” he admits. “Twice.”

Your eyes sting.

“I was young. Stupid. Scared. You wrote something so sincere, and I didn’t know how to be what you deserved. So I told myself it was easier to say nothing than to mess anything up.”

You’re silent. The weight of years pressing in on you. On both of you.

He carefully opens the envelope, pulling out the folded pages inside. The paper’s softened over time, but your words are still there — full of nerves, and longing, and a kind of bravery you barely recognize anymore.

He starts to read it aloud. Not theatrically. Not to embarrass you. But like it matters. Like it’s still beating.

To. Sylus Qin.

This might be stupid, in fact, this may be the dumbest thing you’ve ever encountered in your life. But if I don’t write this down, I might have even more sleepless nights overthinking all these thoughts in my head.

I like you. I really do. Ever since the first day of psych class. It felt like love at first sight but I don’t want to be dramatic with this, I can’t help it. The way you can answer every question the Prof gave us, or when you seemed to laugh so freely at your friend’s awful jokes (I sometimes overheard you guys, he was being pretty loud), Or maybe when you held the door open for everyone that one rainy morning even though you were soaked.

It’s okay if you don’t feel the same. I just needed you to know. Because I want to be brave, and this letter is the only way I know how. 

You cringe at the words your past self wrote to him, burying your face in your hands with a soft groan. “Why did I have to say all that when I still got upset that you rejected me?”

Sylus chuckles, folding the letter back with surprising care before slipping it into his pocket again. “Because it was honest. And brave. And a little dramatic,” he adds, smirking.

You glare at him through your fingers. “I was nineteen.”

“And very articulate for someone confessing their heart and soul,” he teases. “Honestly, I think that’s when I started falling for you — I just didn’t know what to do with it back then.”

You lower your hands slowly, blinking. “Falling?”

“Don’t make me repeat it,” he says, leaning in just a little. “My pride’s already hanging by a thread.”

Your lips twitch despite yourself. “That’s what you get for carrying emotional artifacts in your coat pocket.”

He grins. “That letter’s my proof that you liked me first.”

You laugh, swatting his shoulder lightly. “You’re impossible.”

“Maybe,” he shrugs. “But I’m here. And if you’re still mad about nineteen-year-old me being a dumbass... I can make it up to you.”

“Oh?” you raise a brow, suddenly wary. “How?”

He lifts your joined hands and presses a kiss to the back of yours. “Ten more dates. Starting with breakfast tomorrow. I’ll even bring coffee and not screw up the order.”

You hesitate — heart twisting, tugged between the embarrassment of the past and the fragile wonder of now.

But then you smile, small and real.

“Only if I don’t have to write any more letters.”

Sylus leans in, nose nearly brushing yours. “No more letters. Just us.”

—

One Year Later

“You shrunk my sweater!” you shout from the bedroom, holding up the tiny, once-cozy piece of clothing like it's been murdered.

Sylus appears in the doorway, toothbrush in hand. “It said warm wash!”

You point an accusatory finger. “It said hand wash only, you chaos gremlin!”

He squints. “Are you sure?”

You shove the tag in his face. “Does this look unsure to you?”

He pauses, leans in, reads the tag, then slowly backs away like it might bite. “Okay. So I may have misread.”

“You may have committed a war crime.”

He raises a brow. “It’s just a sweater.”

“It was my comfort sweater. My post-long-day, rainy-night, sad-girl-hours sweater!”

Sylus tries not to smile. “Sad-girl-hours?”

You glare. “Don’t mock me in my time of grief.”

He disappears for a moment and returns with a hoodie — his hoodie. He tosses it at you.

You catch it and blink. “What’s this?”

“Official replacement,” he says with a shrug. “It’s softer. Smells better. Probably has my good boyfriend energy woven into the threads.”

You squint at him. “Bribery.”

“Compromise,” he says, smug. “Also, you look cuter in my clothes anyway.”

You roll your eyes and pull the hoodie on. It is soft. And warm. And kind of smells like him and cinnamon.

“…You’re lucky I’m forgiving,” you mumble.

“And you’re lucky I’m good at laundry 87% of the time.”

You shake your head, already smiling. “That 13% is dangerous.”

“I live on the edge,” he smirks, walking away.

You sigh dramatically, flopping onto the bed in your oversized hoodie.

“Next time,” you call out, “I’m making you sort socks for a week.”

“Babe!” he yells and comes back at you making you look up at him. “What now?”

He went to sit beside you on the bed, before suddenly crashing on top of you with all his weight. You let out an exaggerated oof as he smothered you like a human blanket.

“My hourly kiss,” he mumbled against your cheek, already pressing a noisy one there.

You squirm under him, half-laughing, half-annoyed. “You’re so heavy, Sylus—get off before my ribs turn into dust!”

“Nope,” he says, settling in even more like a cat refusing to move. “This is rent. You wore my hoodie. Now you pay in affection.”

“You’re ridiculous,” you mutter, but your arms are already wrapping around him out of habit.

He lifts his head just enough to look down at you, his grin softening into something gentler. “You love it.”

You wrinkle your nose, but your heart betrays you. “I do.”

He leans down, brushing his nose against yours. “Good. Now hurry and give me my kiss.”

You roll your eyes but oblige, lips brushing his in something far sweeter than the bickering that led to it.

And somehow, even after a year and countless ridiculous arguments, it still makes your heart race like it’s the first.

“Mmh..” He smiles into the kiss, like he always does.

You try to pull away, but his grip on you tightens and the kiss turns into something more rougher, more passionate.

“Not done,” Sylus murmurs, his voice low against your lips.

The next kiss catches you off guard—no longer playful, but deeper, rougher. Like he’s been waiting for this exact moment all day. His hand slides to the back of your neck, tilting your face toward him, anchoring you to the moment.

It makes your breath hitch, makes your fingers curl in the fabric of his shirt like you’re afraid to let go.

It’s still Sylus—still familiar, still home—but there’s something new in the way he kisses you now. Like all the quiet moments, the bickering, the small touches and soft laughs have been building to this. Like he’s telling you something he hasn’t yet found the words for.

When you finally pull back, your lips are tingling and your heart is racing far too fast.

He’s staring at you like you hung the stars.

You swallow. “What was that for?”

He doesn’t smile—just brushes your hair behind your ear and says, “Felt like a good time to remind you.”

You blink. “Remind me of what?”

He leans in, voice barely above a whisper. “That I’m in love with you. And I mean it every hour, not just the one with the kiss.”

Your chest tightens in the best way. You can’t quite speak, but your hand finds his, and that’s enough for now.

“I love you, baby.” He smiles.

And when you reply, he hugs you, wrapping your body in the warmth only he could provide for you. You sigh in his arms in content.

You’re happy, both of you are.

And you couldn't ask for more.

fin.

a/n: hmmm i didn’t expect it to be this long :\ but i hope you guys love this as much as i do! reblogs are very appreciated! do let me know what you guys think? 💭

[paninisstuff]

I thought i was the only one when watching Kpop Demon hunters, and then constantly remembering the LADS boyz😜

[scenario/drabble] Us, hello?

Summary: LIs react when you point to a movie character and tell them "it's you!". Some are confused, some love it (Rafayel), and they all entertain the thought. (vague references to kpdh and the saja boys but no spoilers)

Genre: fluff <3

SYLUS

You pause the movie, pointing at the lead character's smirk and the demon bird perched near him. “Look. It’s you.”

Sylus’s crimson eyes flick to the screen, then back to you. “Hm?” His arm is resting on your shoulder, but you feel the pressure shift as he waves his hand for you to continue. “You should elaborate, kitten.”

You grin, bumping your shoulder against the side of his torso before snuggling closer. “Hot demon male lead- Even his pet’s like Mephisto!”

He hums, amused. “So I can pass as a convincing demon?”

“The best,” you confirm, nodding. “You can even get Luke and Kieran to dress up as the other boyband members.”

He chuckles. “Tempting. But they’d sell their souls for the spotlight without hesitation.”

He leans closer, lips brushing your temple in a soft kiss. “Though I don’t need a script to steal your heart and your soul.”

"You can't steal what's already yours," you shrug.

You hear his breath hitch as his eyes search your face for any hint of a joke. Then he bundles you into his arms, exhaling into the crook of your neck. "Then let me cherish it forever," he murmurs, holding you close for the rest of the movie.

_____

ZAYNE

You convinced Zayne to watch a new movie with you, and despite it being different to his usual taste, he seems to be engrossed in its story.

When the male lead sends the heroine a handwritten letter, you coo. “Aww, you’re just like him! So old-school.”

Zayne’s brows furrow. “... are you calling me old and outdated?”

“No! I love your letters.” You reach for his arm and hug it tight. “And the bouquets. And the dinner dates.”

He nods, shifting to wrap his arm around you properly. “Good. But about his tiger postal system… Clopidogrel hardly compares to a mystical tiger. I'm not sure if he can carry an envelope bigger than him.”

At your giggle, he adds- “Though I could train him to deliver your notes, if you’re that invested in the aesthetic.”

“Clopidogrel's gonna hate me for making him work overtime for snacks,"

He chuckles, turning to press a kiss on your cheek. “Nonsense, love. That squirrel needs to contribute if it wants more premium snacks from my office."

_____

RAFAYEL

You gesture at the male lead's brooding close-up, strumming a slow melody as he speaks. “That’s you. The ‘tortured artist’ vibe.”

Rafayel gasps, and for a moment, you think he's about to argue with you- but he leans against you, slumping down dramatically until his head is resting haphazardly on your shoulder. “Finally, you get me.”

He waves the remote around with a flourish, then slides down until his head is on your lap. “If I were part of a demonic boyband, my lyrics would be all about stolen souls and your... cruel indifference.”

You laugh. “Hey! When am I ever indifferent?! And I'd give you my soul, any day.”

He smirks, reaching up to cup your chin between his thumb and index finger. “Oh? Then you should be muuuch more lenient with me when you're bodyguarding me, my little devotee. Show me how loyal you really are.”

His fingers trace your collarbone, his eyes blazing as he watches you, “Heart and soul, cutie. What's mine is yours, what's yours is mine.”

_____

XAVIER

You pause the movie, just as one character gets protective over another. “Okay, this is you when you’re jealous. And that's me.”

Xavier blinks. “…I bark at people?”

You laugh, “Not literally! But you do that thing- ” You mimic his steely glare.

He pouts. “So… you don't like it when I'm protective? I see the girl just scolded him, and you seem to like what she did.”

You peck the corner of his lips. “No, it's just a cute scene! And you’re my knight. But that character's pouting too- oh my god Xavi you're really just like him,”

He considers what you've said, then nuzzles your neck before nipping your earlobe. “I guard my territory properly. Doesn't matter what I do, if I have to become a boyband member, or a demon, or anything- as long as you're safe,”

You reach to pat his hair, giggling when he nuzzles even closer and sends you topping backwards into the couch. (He only relents when you press a kiss to his lips.)

____

CALEB

When the lead character shields the heroine, you nudge Caleb. “That’s so you.”

He turns to you, boyish grin softening his concentration on the intense fight sequence. “Of course I’d protect you. Demons, energy blasts- anything.”

You hum. “Even if I'm your arch-nemesis in a world-famous girl band?”

He laughs, ruffling your hair. “Especially then.”

His voice drops, playful but earnest. “Y’know, to get allll your attention on me, in front of fifty thousand people? Pretty worth it.”

You scoff, smacking his arm. “You're not getting your ass beat by any demonic furnace on my watch,”

He steals a chip from your bowl, winking. “And no demon’s getting between us or our snacks.”

Note: lmk what yall think!! Bc personally i can see all of them as Jinu but i just cohldnt pass up on the opportunity to write xavier as mystery saja bc it just. Works. I know caleb has gone Woof woof but he's very much Jinu in that specific scene EDIT: the pacing was a bit weird bc this was entirely self indulgent and a quick word dump so if you've gotten this far in the post THANK YOU FOR READING! <3 comments and reblogs always greatly appreciated <33

✨️

[paninisstuff]

Saja Boys x Rumi’s Sister! Reader SMUT

A/N: Thanks for 2,000 followers! Okay, you deviants asked for this and here it is. This is my first time writing smut and I struggled hard with writing it for one female with five men. Especially five men who don’t view each other romantically or sexually.

You don’t need to have read my short series for this to make sense but still recommend going and checking it out!

Also, Hyeon (Mystery) finally gets to do what he’s been aching to do since the beginning.

Contains p in v, multiple orgasms, polyamory/gangbang…? Oral (f receiving), praise, overstim, multiple creampies, fingering, biting, maybe degradation.

Word Count: 4,828

Master List

MDNI 18+ 🔞🔞🔞

(Reminder: Baby = Jum, Romance = Chungae, Mystery = Hyeon, Abby = Kwan)

It was an ordinary night.

Many weeks had passed since the defeat of Gwi Ma and the confrontation with Celine. You had your debut as a solo artist a few weeks ago, Saja Boys style. You had a street performance where you performed your new song, ‘River,’ and then the recording of ‘River’ and the finished version of the song you sang with the boys during ‘Your Idol’ was released as well.

Your popularity built quickly despite you being a solo artist, which was due to your relation to both Huntr/x and the Saja Boys, both being powerhouse idol groups. So you were very busy directly after your debut, going on variety shows and working on a music video for ‘River.’ Thankfully, the production team knew how to work with you from your time doing Huntr/x’s visuals for so long.

But tonight, you finally had a break. A free day. You had spent most of the day with the girls, who were also busy with their comeback quickly approaching. Now, you were spending the night with your boys, who felt starved for your affections.

It wasn’t like you hadn’t spent any time with them at all since your debut. In fact, you spent most nights at their apartment. However, it had been a while since you had a weekend to yourself.

The boys had already pampered you with dinner from your favorite restaurant, and then they had let you pick the movie for the night—providing you with all your favorite snacks, candies, and drinks as well, of course.

So you all curled in a pile in front of the couch, the coffee table pushed to the side and a nice comfy nest made of blankets, cushions, and pillows underneath you all.

You were sitting in Hyeon’s lap, leaning against his chest comfortably as Hyeon reclined against the couch, his arms wrapped around your stomach. It was Hyeon’s turn to have you in his lap for movie night. Jum and Chungae were slouched on either side of you, their heads resting on the edges of your hips. Kwan had taken the space between your legs, reclined with his head on your stomach. And Jinu was stuck pouting on the couch, the closest he could get to you as he laid across it.

You were content to watch the movie with the warm fuzzy feeling you got from being with your boys like this.

Meanwhile, Hyeon was having a situation.

All day, Hyeon could only think about your debut performance. They had all been there of course, to support you. The song was like a punch to his heart—in a good way. But that wasn’t it. Mira and Kwan had both helped you come up with the choreography so it was… hot to say the least. And now here you were, in his arms while his mind was stuck on the way your hips moved during that dance. The way your hair flipped. The sultry look you had flashed them when you sang.

So his eyes weren’t on the movie at all, he had no idea what was happening. Instead, his eyes were on the expanse of skin on the crook of your shoulder, his mouth itching.

You were in his arms. Your skin was right there, his favorite place in the world. Your scent filled his senses.

His teeth gently sank into your skin.

You felt Hyeon’s teeth pressing into the skin of the crook of your neck. You could feel his lips too. And the warmth of his mouth.

Your face flushed abruptly and a sound escaped your lips—somewhere between a mewl and soft gasp. You slapped a hand over your mouth, surprised by the sound that had left your own mouth.

The room froze. Then tension abruptly began to rise.

Kwan turned in between your legs to look up at you, his chin propped on your stomach as he wrapped his arms around your waist. His eyes flashed a hint of amber as he gave you a roguish smirk. “What was that, babe?”

Chungae shifted, sitting up more so he could lean towards your neck, the side Hyeon hadn’t bitten. He brushed your hair back, his pupils slightly slit as he leaned close to your ear, “Will you make that pretty sound again, darling?” He pressed his lips to your neck in a kiss and you squeaked beneath your hand.

Jum took your hand, the one that had been in his hair just a moment ago, sitting up as well. “Not that one, beautiful,” He chided softly before nibbling on the knuckle of your pointer finger before sucking on it gently. His eyes glowing amber up at you.

Jinu leaned over you from the couch, his eyes amber as well, tangling his hand in your hair so he could pull your head back to look at him. “Come on, pretty girl. Sing for us.”

Your face was hot and your heart was pounding in your ears, racing in your chest. You’re sure your eyes reflected the boys’ and were beginning to glow amber as the warmth in your body increased.

Jum leaned closer to you, unable to resist the pull he felt as he pulled your hand from your mouth and pressed his lips to yours. You could only close your eyes and give in to his demanding lull. Ever since he first kissed you, Jum became obsessed with kissing you, tangling his tongue with yours and mapping every crevice. He could spend an eternity happily devouring your mouth with his.

The boys were shifting around you, drawing closer to you than they ever had been before.

Hyeon’s arms tightened around your stomach, placing more soft kisses and bite marks along your shoulder and neck. It made you sigh softly into Jum’s mouth, which he swallowed greedily.

Chungae followed his lead on the other side of your neck, but he preferred wet kisses and suckling marks into your sensitive skin. It made you gasp and hum, squirming in their arms.

Jinu took one of your hands from Jum’s grasp, pulling it back towards him so he could kiss the skin, making his way down your arm. “Is this okay, pretty girl?”

Jum reluctantly pulled away from your lips so you could answer, instead lowering down to your throat to plant his own marks across your skin. You couldn’t answer though, breathless as you were, “Mhm…”

“Use your words, babe,” Kwan hummed teasingly, nuzzling into your stomach to push your shirt up so he could map your curves with his lips.

You sighed, “Yes, yes it’s okay…”

The boys’ eyes glowed brighter, their pupils narrowing. The tension in the room got heavier.

They started maneuvering around you, Kwan sliding your shirt up and over your head. Jum quickly returned to devouring your lips and any little noises you let out. Chungae and Hyeon went back to sucking marks into your skin with more enthusiasm, their hands running up and down your legs on either side of Kwan. Jinu reached behind you, between you and Hyeon to unclip your bra.

Once you were free of the fabric, the boys lavished attention on your breasts. Chungae moved from your neck down to take one of your nipples in his mouth, making you gasp as his tongue rolled over the sensitive flesh. Jinu took advantage of the freed up spot, tilting your head with his hand in your hair so he could suck his own marks on your neck.

Kwan kissed up your stomach, his fingers kneading your soft curves as he moved up to take your other nipple in his mouth. You couldn’t help but buck your hips—well, try to since Kwan was between your legs.

The boys were bumping into each other but they didn’t care, their abdomens flexing as blood rushed south. They took up the space around you, the air you breathed was the air they breathed and it was intoxicating.

Jum pulled away, but your lips weren’t long before Jinu turned your head so he could claim your swollen lips next. Hyeon’s hand had wandered south on your body, dipping under the waistband of your pants curiously. Your breath hitched against Jinu’s lips.

The boys helped you shimmy out of your pants and then your underwear, slick with your want.

Jum and Kwan switched places so the maknae could be between your legs while Kwan began to suck his marks into the purpling mosaic forming across your chest, neck, and shoulders.

“Thanks for the meal, beautiful,” You vaguely heard Jum’s low voice before you felt the heat of his tongue lick a long stripe up your slit and circle around your clit.

You let out a long moan at the same time Jum let out a pleased groan, your head falling back against Hyeon’s shoulder as you panted, your chest heaving beneath Chungae and Kwan’s lips. “Baby…”

You could feel his lips smirk, “Might have to change my stage name if you keep moaning for me like that…” Jum mused before diving back into your heat. Your taste was addictive on his tongue, he barely came up for air except when he had to before going back to devouring you. He flicked your clit back and forth with his tongue before focusing on reaching as far into your depths as he could, using a little demon magic to lengthen his tongue which made you squeal into Jinu’s mouth.

Chungae reached down, stimulating even more as his fingers slowly circled your clit.

It was too much for you. Jum’s tongue inside you, Chungae’s fingers on your clit, his and Kwan’s lips around your breasts, Hyeon’s teeth nibbling on your shoulder, Jinu’s lips against yours and so many hands everywhere.

You came with a strangled moan against Jinu’s mouth which he swallowed greedily. Your hips grinding against Jum’s face as Chungae’s fingers on your clit made you twitch with pleasure.

You sagged against them as you came down from your high, Hyeon murmuring in your ear, “Good girl…” Which made you shiver pleasantly.

Seeing you in the height of pleasure only riled the boys up more, like sharks sensing a drop of blood in the water and sending them into a frenzy. They were having more trouble controlling their demon features, their black patterns flickering to the surface, their teeth sharpening and their eyes glowing a bright amber with thin, cat-like pupils. At some point, they had shed their shirts so they could press their feverish skin against your own.

Chungae and Kwan reached down, gently taking your thighs in hand so they could spread them wider for you. “Open up, darling…” Chungae purred against your chest.

“Gotta stretch you out for us,” Kwan mused.

Hyeon’s arm snaked around, gently easing a finger into you, hushing you when you mewled, “Shh, easy princess…”

Jum’s mouth was around your clit now, sucking on the bud and twirling different shapes around it.

Hyeon’s finger thrusted in and out of you, stretching your walls slowly. Your thighs tried to close around them but Chungae and Kwan held you open. Jinu shifted from behind you, moving to be by your hip so he could add a finger in with Hyeon’s. He drank in the sight of you moaning at the increased stretch. Together, the two men worked you open while you climbed higher and higher in pleasure.

With Jum’s mouth around your clit and Jinu and Hyeon’s fingers stretching you, it wasn’t long before you felt like you were teetering on the edge of another climax. “G-gonna…” You warned them this time now that no one’s lips were occupying your own, the noises of pleasure you were making slipping out freely.

Kwan chuckled, the sound rumbling against you, “Greedy girl, coming again so soon.”

“Come for us, pretty girl,” Jinu mused, a dark look in his lidded eyes as he and Hyeon worked their fingers faster.

So you did.

You came again, their fingers sending wave after wave of pleasure crashing over you. Until you slumped bonelessly against Hyeon, the bulge in his pants grinding against your back and making him growl lowly. “Fuck princess…”

As you recovered, the boys shuffled around a bit again until the boys had shed their pants and Chungae was between your legs. Your already hot face felt even warmer, you could feel Hyeon pressing against your back and Chungae was rubbing his tip in your slick, coating his cock in your juices. Your mouth was open as you tried to catch your breath, practically drooling.

“Gonna be a good girl for me, darling?” Chungae questioned sweetly, a smirk on his lips.

You nodded, already partially fucked dumb as you babbled, “Mhm, please Chungae, wanna be filled…”

The boys bit their lips, groaning. Chungae cursed, “Fuck, darling…”

Chungae hooked the tip of his cock at your entrance, staring into your eyes as he slowly pushed in. He groaned as your tight, wet heat enveloped the head of his dick. “Oh, fuck, darling, you feel like heaven…” Chungae had to take a moment to breathe or he would start thrusting into you like a feral beast, his cock twitching at the thought.

You mewled, arching your hips towards him. The stretch of just the tip was still enough for you to feel it, despite the boys stretching you on their fingers. The boys were enraptured, watching your face as Chungae slowly stretched you open on his cock.

“That feel good, babe?��� Kwan purred, swallowing thickly as he held one of your thighs open. Jum was on your other side, holding your other thigh open gently.

“Yes, feels so full,” You mewled as Chungae bottomed out in you with a hiss, breathing heavily as he held back from pounding into you.

“Good girl…” Jinu murmured, stroking your hair out of your face. Your skin had a light sheen of sweat that made you glow.

Chungae began to move, slowly pulling out and pushing back in, making you clench around him with a gasp. He cursed, “Fuck, don’t do that darling or I won’t be able to hold back…”

You moaned, reaching up to pull his hips flush with yours and the two of you groaned, “I don’t want you to hold back… I’m not fragile…”

Your words sent a surge of arousal straight to his cock and he couldn’t help how his hips pulled back and slammed back into you, making you gasp and clench around him again. So he did it again and again until he was pounding into you.

“Fuck darling, if you don’t want gentle, then we won’t give you gentle,” He snarled as his hips snapped into yours. The sound of slapping skin filled your ears along with your moans and Chungae’s groaning. He rutted into you with sharp thrusts, the only thing keeping you in place being the other boys holds on your body.

“Ohhh, darling, I love you, love you so fucking much,” Chungae rambled, leaning forward to connect your lips as his fingers found their way to your clit, rubbing firm little circles on the swollen bud.

“L-love you too, Chungae…” You managed to get out between kisses.

Chungae groaned, your words going straight to his cock. He wasn’t going to last much longer, you were too sweet for him. His darling, his little love.

“Fuuuuck, darling, can I cum in you, please? Please, darling?” Chungae pleaded, his thrusts losing their rhythm as he felt like he was about to burst, his head dizzy with pleasure.

“Yes yes, please, cum in my little pussy, Chungae,” You babbled right before the both of you came. Hard.

“Fuuuuck!” Chungae cursed, grinding his hips harder against yours as he filled your pulsing depths with his seed. The two of you panted together, intertwined as you shook with the aftershocks of pleasure as you came down from your high. Chungae dotted your face with kisses as he slowly pulled out. You felt a trickle of his cum leak down your slit to your ass.

Jum and him traded places, Chungae’s chest heaving as he settled at your side, stroking your hair and kissing your shoulder as Jum lifted one of your legs over his shoulder, placing a tender kiss on your thigh. He couldn’t help but take a moment just to look at your fucked out expression. Your eyes were dazed but glowing a bright amber, your mouth open and lips kiss swollen and bruised, your skin was covered in their marks.

“Not even halfway done, beautiful, and you already look like a fucked out mess,” He purred before notching his cock at your entrance and pushing in. Jum groaned at how hot and wet you felt, your cunt tight around him.

“Mmm, Jum baby,” You moaned as he hilted inside you. From this angle, it felt like he was so deep that his cock would come up your throat, his girth stretching you in a way so different from Chungae. Jum had no mercy for your poor pussy, rocking into you with a frenzy from the start.

“Jum!” You mewled.

“Fuck, take it, beautiful. Our beautiful girl, so good for us,” He praised you and you couldn’t help how you tightened around him.

His hips bucked harder into you, his cock reaching places in you that you didn’t think existed as your vision blurred with the pleasure he gave you.

He leaned forward, nudging your head up so he could latch onto your throat, biting into the sensitive skin and lavishing the mark with his tongue, tasting the bit of blood that had come to the surface of the little marks.

Jum couldn’t get enough of your taste, no matter where it was coming from. You were his favorite flavor.

Your pussy was getting more and more sensitive with every climax so it wasn’t a surprise when you already felt it building, threatening to crash over you. “Jum,” You moaned his name, “Too good, gonna c’m.”

His hips jackrabbited into your harder, “Mmm, yeah beautiful? Fuck, cum on my cock so I can fill you.”

Your fourth orgasm crashed over you and your vision went fuzzy as you clamped down on Jum’s cock as he fucked you through your orgasm.

“Oh shit!” He cried as he thrusted his cock as deep as he could go, his brain short circuiting as he came in you, filling you with his warm, thick seed.

He slumped atop you, pressing a breathless kiss to your lips, tangling his tongue with yours before reluctantly pulling away so one of his hyungs could have their turn. “So beautiful…”

Your head rolled, drunk on all the pleasure filling your veins. Your poor pussy was twitching and leaking cum but you couldn’t help but want more of them.

Next thing you knew, you were being maneuvered so that you were in Kwan’s lap, facing him as he dragged his cock through all the fluids leaking from your swollen cunt, “Messy, messy girl, babe,” he chided you with a dark smirk. He slapped his cock against your slick cunt, making you twitch and jerk with a gasp.

“Kwan,” You mewled weakly, your hands on his shoulders for balance as you straddled him.

He hushed you, “I know, I know, babe. Can’t get enough of our cocks, y’greedy girl.” He guided your hips, lifting you so his cock nudged your entrance and let your weight sink down on him as the both of you moaned. “Fuck, babe, you’ve got the perfect little cunt,” He growled, lifting you just to drop your weight back down on him over and over again.

“Come on, babe, move your hips for me like a good girl,” He cooed softly, though his arms flexed as he easily moved you himself. He growled low in his throat at how easily he could move you up and down on his cock. Like you were his little cocksleeve.

You mewled but braced yourself on his shoulders, your thighs trembling as you tried to follow his rhythm. When you couldn’t you ground your hips against his in little shapes, making you both moan as you felt his cock stir within you.

When your pace wasn’t fast enough for him, Chungae and Jum came over to lift you just a little, holding you up by placing their hands under your ass and thighs, hovering you over Kwan’s cock as he braced his feet to jackhammer up into you. “Ohh, good fucking girl,” He growled, his hands on your hips as you moaned.

Jinu and Hyeon joined the mix, brushing your hair aside to kiss up your back and shoulder blades. Your nails dug into Kwan’s shoulders, making him hiss as he thrusted up into you harder, punching the air out of your lungs as his balls slapped against your ass. “Yeah, dig your nails in, babe,” Kwan grumbled.

“Mmm, Kw’n, g’nna c’m,” You babbled, your speech was getting more and more slurred but you couldn’t help but enjoy how absolutely fucked you felt, the pleasure overwhelming all your senses until your whole world narrowed down to these five men and their cocks.

“Yeah? You’re gonna cum, babe? This’ll be, what? Your fifth time? When I haven’t even cum once?” Kwan asked sardonically, a mean glint in his eyes as he reached between you both to tug on your clit.

“Yes, pleaseee,” You babbled.

“Okay, greedy girl, cum on my cock,” He demanded with a low growl that reverberated through you. So of course you did as he said and came with a cry of his name, garbled and barely coherent.

“Oh fucking hell,” Kwan growled as he came, throwing his head back as he thrust as deep as his cock could reach, adding his cum to the loads already soaking your depths. Jum and Chungae released you, letting you collapse against Kwan’s chest as your legs trembled and shook.

“So f’ll,” You couldn’t help but slur with a furrow in your brow. It wasn’t a painful fullness though—though you knew you would be aching something fierce later—but it was a pleasant fullness.

After a few deep breaths, Kwan pressed a lingering kiss to your lips before Hyeon was pressing up behind you, Kwan’s thighs spread to make room for him as you were lifted just enough so his cock could slip out of your slick heat. Hyeon took your ass in his hands, groping the soft plumpness in his hands. He pressed a hand against the dip of your back until you were bent over more, presented so deliciously to him.

“My princess,” Hyeon rumbled in his chest and pressed his aching cock into you. His mouth dropped open in a long moan as your wet heat encompassed him fully. He leaned forward to bury his face in the crook of your neck, surrounding himself in your intoxicating scent, his tongue flicking out to taste the salty sweat of your skin.

“Mmm, princess…” Hyeon moaned in your ear, his hips snapping in a slow pace but with enough force to rock you into Kwan’s chest. He was watching your expression with a greedy smirk, licking his lips as he watched Hyeon fuck you.

“Hyeon,” You moaned, overwhelmed with pleasure as Hyeon wrapped his arms around your hips so he could hold you close to him as his cock snapped into you again and again and again. Slick fluids were dripping down your thighs and covering the two of you with every thrust of his hips but Hyeon was unbothered.

Hyeon wasn’t very vocal which meant you could hear every wet slap of his hips meeting your ass, his balls meeting your clit every time. Hyeon’s breath was heavy in your ear, his mouth nibbling at your neck with sweet gasps of, “Princess,” interspersed. Your own gasping moans and hitched breath sounded so loud compared to Hyeon’s quiet pleasure.

And that was intentional. Hyeon was devoting every little gasp, every mewl, every moan, every hitched breath that escaped your lips to memory so he could remember every little pleasure noise of yours so he could draw them out again later.

“Hyeon—“ You cut yourself off with a strangled moan, your walls twitching around his cock. “‘M gonna c’m!” You warned him. Suddenly, he moved faster, his hand going to your clit so he could rub the little button as his thrusts picked up the pace, making you squeal and shriek.

“Mmm, cum princess,” Hyeon gritted out, feeling you clench around him deliciously. You came with a cry of his name, throwing your head back as your vision went fuzzy for a long moment, pleasure crashing through your body and making you head swim all over again.

Hyeon rumbled, pressing closer to you as his hips snapped into yours one last time, his teeth sinking into his favorite spot on the crook of your shoulder as he came inside you. He growled against your neck as the two of you came down from your highs. He lapped at your neck as he let go, licking up the little drops of blood that had welled up from the shallow wound.

Hyeon was reluctant to move away but there was still one last man that hadn’t had his turn yet. So Hyeon slowly withdrew from your clinging cunt, purring contently as he gave a kiss to your shoulder blade and moved away.

Then you were being shifted again until you were laying on your back again with your hips propped up on a pillow and Jinu pressing your legs up to your chest. “One more, pretty girl, such a good girl,” He cooed as he pressed a kiss to the edge of your lips so sweetly.

“J’nu,” You mewled, cockdrunk as he rubbed his cock head through the mess of your puffy, sensitive folds. He chuckled when you hissed at the sensitivity.

Asshole.

He gave you a mocking pout, as if he could read what little thoughts were in your empty head. “Such a rude, greedy girl. Do you even deserve to take my cock?” He mused smugly, grinding his cock against you.

You whined at his teasing, “Mm, no, ‘m sorry, J’nu. Pl’se gimme your cock,” You pleaded dazedly, rocking your hips against his.

Jinu hummed, notching the tip of his leaking cock at your puffy entrance that was still leaking cum, “Mm, good girl.” Then he was filling you, achingly slow as you drew out a long moan as each inch filled your fluttering cunt. “Oh, good good girl… fuck…” Jinu moaned as he filled you until he was balls deep within your clenching pussy.

Jinu couldn’t keep his hips still for long, he had to start thrusting into you and he moaned when he did. His pace racketed up quickly, pounding your poor pussy with feral intensity. “Oh, pretty girl,” He moaned. “Oh, I’m not gonna last long if you keep fluttering around me like that.”

“J’nu,” You could only mewl, your tongue heavy as your sensitive cunt twitched furiously around him. You weren’t going to last either, you were way too sensitive after six consecutive orgasms. You had no idea how you were still conscious at this point—probably demon stamina.

Jinu kept thrusting as little whines started leaving your lips, your head thrown back as your hands pressed against his abdomen, “Too m’ch, J’nu, c’n’t…” You mewled between gasping breaths. You felt like the orgasm that was rising inside you was going to break you.

Jinu just pressed your legs firmer against your chest, his cock bullying your poor pussy as he pounded into your squirming hips. “You got another in you, pretty girl, I know it. Just a little more…” Jinu murmured, brushing your sweaty hair out of your face greedily. He slipped his hand between you, his fingers just barely brushing your abused clit and you shrieked, your vision whiting out as you came on his cock.

Jinu cursed, thrusting once and then twice more before hilting himself as deep inside you as he could reach before cumming, spilling every drop of his essence inside of you.

Your body barely had the energy to tremble as your senses slowly came back to you. Jinu slowly let your legs down and you could feel them ache from being stuck in the position but he kissed each thigh gently before letting them fall.

And then they were all around you again, brushing through your hair, pressing kisses to your skin, running their fingers over sweat slick skin.

“Such a good girl for us…”

“Did so good…”

“Took all of our cocks like a good girl…”

“Let us fill her full…”

“Came so hard for us…”

Your eyes were heavy, your body exhausted and covered in forming bruises that matched the shape of the boys’ hips, fingers, and mouths. But a hand lightly shook your face, “Don’t fall asleep on us now, darling…”

Your eyes blearily opened. Five pairs of eyes were still glowing at you, smirks full of fangs and cocks still achingly hard.

“We’re not done with you yet.”

A/N: Writing smut for a six person relationship is hard. Wasn’t too sure about posting it but here you go you horny people. Thirst away to your heart’s content. No taglist for this one because I don’t know if any of y’all are minors and don’t wanna risk it. Gonna slow down on my posting schedule after this!

Outtakes:

*The next morning*

You: *aching and bruised in places you didn’t know could ache or bruise* “What freight train ran me over without mercy?”

Saja Boys: *sexy posing around you* “Ready for another round?”

You: “Oh yeah…that freight train…”

…

Huntr/x: “What are you doing here this time…?”

You: *several ice packs on your everything* “Horny demons.”

Huntr/x: “Ah.”

Saja Boys: *Peeking around a corner with pouts and puppy dog eyes* 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

You: *throws the nearest item at them* “NO!”

…

You: “I need a shower.”

Saja Boys: *scrambling after you while frantically stripping as they fight to join you in the small shower*

You: *still sore* “Alone you horny idiots!”

…

The Saja Boys: *Replaying your music video for the nth time in a row* “She’s so hottttt…”

…

[paninisstuff]

My shaylaaa😭

𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲, 𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥… || 𝐒𝐚𝐣𝐚 𝐁𝐨𝐲𝐬 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

summary_ That time when Rumi’s sword and the Huntr/x’s weapons brought a common enemy for both hunters and demons: an angel messing with them and the Saja Boys as the most successful idol.

warnings_ angel!reader (she’s literally god), mostly Jinu x reader, but everyone is obsessed with her, canon divergence, cringe, sexual innuendos, saja boys kinda perverts but reader doesn’t feel awkward, teasing, reader kinda into being shared between the Saja Boys, canon divergence, NO PROOFREAD

notes_ so my saja boys ranking is 1-Jinu, 2-Abby and 3-Baby

♫ ♪ the world’s worst Saja Boys playlist

✰ Index (+ fics here)

୨ৎ───୨ৎ───୨ৎ───୨ৎ───୨ৎ

It was summer already. But that night was covered by the rope of a cold breeze.

The sword disappeared into the demon’s chest. Rumi felt the tip of her weapon hitting one of the giant rocks on the floor.

The demon vanished into a cloud of mist and sparkles, which commonly happened after getting rid of them. But a horde of pink light seemed to come out, down from the cracks of the floor. The whole ancient temple was illuminated by said pink light and even Rumi’s braid was pulled back with the wind that came along.

Rumi covered her eyes and waited till the blinding lights and wind passed. Horrid screams and angelic voices could be heard at some distance with echo, making her shiver as goosebumps shattered her. Felt as if a curse had been unleashed. The purple-haired huntress sighed, catching a breath as she searched for anything abnormal.

At the same time, Mira and Zoey came running behind her.

“What was that?” Zoey yelled.

Once the three girls were together, they exchanged looks at each other, visibly confused.

“A flash spurted from the ground as we killed the last demons” Mira explained.

“Same happened here” Rumi answered, looking back around.

“I don’t think anything changed?” Zoey questioned. “The Saja Boys aren’t nearby”

“No, it’s all clear”

“Everything feels normal…” Rumi agreed.

“Great!” The three girls said in unison, convincing themselves that everything was alright with smiles on their faces.

So they went back to their place and plotted to watch a new show and eat tons of food while doing their skincare.

…

For any K-pop idol, Inkigayo was a big deal. It was the perfect opportunity to promote new music, gain new fans, set new trends… or cause drama.

Huntr/x and Saja Boys patiently waited backstage till they were called out to perform. The boys looked annoyingly good. With salmon and mint clothes mixed. They were going to perform “Soda Pop” and a new song apparently.

Then, Huntr/x were going to perform a remix of “How It’s Done”, with new metallic attires.

“Stop looking at his abs” Rumi scolded Mira and Zoey.

“We are so not looking at his abs” Mira answered, obviously glued to Abby and his gorgeous physique.

At the least expected moment, Rumi had Jinu beside her.

“So… Have you told them about your… skin issues?” Jinu asked, his fingers softly touching the barely visible skin of her neck. Rumi stepped backwards.

“No. And stop pressuring me” she answered, ignoring his smirk and teasing tone.

Jinu chuckled and just crossed his arms, his soft biceps flexing. Rumi couldn’t drool about it since she started getting stressed about her sudden patterns and her voice failing to reach her usual notes.

“Don’t take too long…” he said, leaning forward towards her. Then, he whispered in her ear. “Or, you know, I can always tell them…”

“No” her serious tone made Jinu realize he couldn’t bother her anymore. So he just smiled and walked back with the rest of the boys.

“Sorry, but there’s been a change in the program” a man said, pushing both Huntr/x and Saja Boys back.

They all looked confused at each other.

“Why?” Romance asked.

“Yeah, Why?” Mira joined with a big frown.

The man fixed his glasses, looked at the papers in his hand, and barely looked at the group of idols before he spoke.

“There’s a bigger performance before you two” and he left.

“What do you mean bigger?” Zoey asked in disbelief.

“Do you know who we are?” Abby yelled, bumping his chest against Mira’s back, making her frown and receive a wink from the muscular man.

“What is going on?” Rumi whispered, but Jinu and the girls heard her.

The doors opened and a bunch of staff entered. They all wore white clothing with golden jewelry. They were all very attractive people. And they were styling the mysterious new idol.

An extremely attractive woman. So celestial, heavenly….

You knew the aura you carried, the way you moved, sang, and laughed was able to catch anyone’s attention.

You felt makeup brushes adding more highlighter that looked as if your cheeks were wet, dripping sparkles. Romance was all over seeing your lips full of crimson lipstick with sparkles. Abby had his eyes glued to your satin gown that had the lace on the cleavage changed so the whole look ended up looking modern and sophisticated. Baby and Mystery couldn’t stop looking at your hair that bounced like soft waves and appeared to smell perfectly.

And Jinu was frozen, questioning what you had that was making him uneasy and making his heart beat so fast.

You passed by the two groups and eyed them up and down. You got closer to one of the men. Black hair, tall, soft lips, and an adorable nose, very hot overall.

He gulped and you smiled at his nervousness. Jinu; you had seen his name and the rest of the band’s in some ad.

Your fingers traced a line in his neck and your smile grew wider. You felt his pulse and how nervous he was. His natural demon lilac skin with patterns appeared where you touched him and even Rumi, Zoey and Mira gasped in shock. Wondering how that was possible…

“Nice makeup…” you said, loud enough so you could be heard.

Then you turned to Huntr/x, barely eyeing them as some of your team passed you a microphone with foil details.

“Good luck” the girls only stared back, visible disgust in their faces, even jealousy, you knew.

As much as they hated the Saja Boys, seeing them drooling over you and acting like lost puppies, made them feel jealous. Maybe deep down, they liked to be shipped with the demons. Just for the thrill.

The production behind your stage was shocking. The pink, aquamarine, and orange misty visuals, coral lighting, and faint dark details resembled a retelling of heaven.

“Who’s that pissy crabby?” Mira asked as the music began.

“She’s so hot” Abby and Baby said standing next to her.

“Maybe just pretty” Rumi commented with slight venom in her voice.

“Darling, look at that sight” Romance added, making Mira roll her eyes and huff.

And then you started singing.

Certainly, there is something

Do the rumors

Indeed whisper truly what you are

(Only I know there’s a naked truth)

Tell me what you see

Show me what you want

I can make you reach the sky

Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah

Rumi and Jinu frowned, then looked at each other.

It’s in your weapons

What might cleanse the realm

But only I-

(Only I know there’s a naked truth)

Within my touch

I send them back to hell

I make her curse her sword

And still they want more of me

It felt like an ice bucket splash. There was no way you knew about demon hunters, and demons themselves. Jinu looked at the TV connected to the backstage and noticed the crowds looking at your performance. Girls carried metallic dark silver lightsticks with pink details and wings as decoration. The TV was showing you dancing as the beat changed to a faster tempo, and the sign of your song being named “Naked Truth”.

“She’s an angel” Rumi confirmed to Jinu and everyone turned to look at her in shock.

At the word “angel” the Saja Boys seemed to be out of their trance. Their lovesick faces changed to disgust. Except for Jinu, who seemed thoughtful. It was very rare to hear something about angels. They hadn’t been around for a long time. So allegedly seeing one in person was truly a surprise.

But where did you came from?

“I think we invited her that day at the temple” Zoey added.

“Still. Why would she want to be an idol?” Baby traduced for Mystery, who never moved or emitted a sound.

“Freedom” Jinu revealed, looking back at you, then at the bunch.

And then, you only confirmed to them your true nature as a big pair of puffy angel wings elevated you for your grand finale. Everyone thought it was part of the show, but only five demons and three hunters knew those pair of wings were real and attached to your body.

“But she’s so pretty” Romance cried.

“And our biggest common enemy” Mira reminded him.

“She’s going to be a problem for us”

“Did you say ‘us’?…” Jinu teased Rumi. The purple-haired girl rolled her eyes.

“Yes, us three; Huntr/x”

“Mhmm, though you were growing fond of me”

It was evident that the crowd loved you. Even from inside the studios, the fans outside watching the live performances were insane. The least some demon hunters needed when the Honmoon was weakening was an angel shoving at their faces how graceful and superior they were. And the least some demons needed was an angel distracting them, inciting them only to drop them against sharp edges.

…

Mira had the best moves, but you were more flexible. Zoey had the best speed for rapping but you had better rhymes, Rumi had the best vocals but you had better control of breathing so your high notes were longer. The Saja Boys were the most attractive idols in the industry at the moment but every corner of social media was full of fanfics, edits, and images of you. Your song “Stretch” was constantly heard in the Saja Boys residence, Abby always complained and wanted to turn off the TV but Baby wouldn’t let him. And in two hours, Jinu found them analyzing the lyrics, wondering if you meant to flirt with one of them since the song was about showing off how good you were in bed disguised with dancing.

Demons being delusional; Jinu thought.

Everyone was making trends of the choreography. And even Jinu heard Rumi humming your song once.

You had them foaming at the mouth.

Even worse when you confessed before entering a podcast session together that you were only an idol to annoy both demons and hunters. That you took so much joy in seeing them out of their minds. And that you expected them to be out of your way.

Soon they realized that your staff were also angels in disguise, there was no actual way to send an angel back to heaven if it wasn’t by their own will. But they could be punished if they didn’t guard/guide a human.

Everywhere they went, it was splattered all over the city: Y/N or Angel since fans gave you that suiting nickname.

Oh and, Zoeystery was replaced by Babygel, Miromabby for Abbygel, and Rujinu was quickly replaced with Jinugel in the trends around Twitter and TikTok. There was even a section for ships like Huntrangel, where you were shipped with the girls.

It was a mess.

Jinu took his free night to have a pleasant walk at night by his own. He walked through the streets and certainly lounged to be sitting with friends and a lover as many young adults did in the downtown of the city.

After all, the Saja Boys started as coworkers, but they were friends. And he knew it was ridiculous: a demon falling for an angel.

Myths usually stated that demons and angels getting together could break all curses and stabilize the evil and good of the human world.

But there was something about you that Jinu knew you were hiding. He knew there was a different woman under the skin of an annoying angel.

He looked around and saw your face in one of the tall buildings, There was an upcoming press conference to discuss the success of Huntr/x, Saja Boys, and you.

Jinu only sighed and kept walking, glasses, hoodie, and hands in his pockets to prevent lousy fans from coming after him. And when he focused on the sidewalk, he saw a woman getting out of a Mexican food restaurant.

Hair in a messy bun, glasses, hoodie, and chunky slippers under.

Jinu smirked, discovering it was you.

Subtly, he started following you. He smirked to himself and started to follow you.

You turned left, then left again, then right, and in less than ten minutes, you were at some park on a hill that Jinu hadn’t visited before. It reminded him of the place he went to see Rumi, but the place you ended up at was… different.

You were sitting on a cement bench, the smell of food traveling through the soft breeze of that afternoon as you ate in silence.

There you looked… peaceful, humanly even.

Jinu quietly made his way until he was steps away from you and you noticed.

“Jinu?” You asked, looking deeply, as if to confirm the man was actually there.

He simply took a seat beside you.

“What are you doing here?” He asked, seeing your beautiful profile.

“Angels are half humans just like some demons are, you know?” There was a little smile on your face that made Jinu smile as well. “I wanted to spend some time alone and-“

“I can always leave, sorry for “

“No, stay” you shushed him, then you simply went back to look at the skyline.

It was weird that neither of you was in idol mode where he was a demon and you an angel that hated each other. Just a man and a woman sitting on a bench.

“Was it weird to experience the human world for the first time?” He asked you with genuine curiosity, and you shrugged.

“Angels spend a lot of time with humans… we take care of them, as guardians. Despite not being actually here. But yeah…” Jinu notices your hostile tone and grows even more curious. “We’re just humans with wings and magic…”

“I think angels can be more than that” he said before thinking twice, Your eyes opened widely and Jinu noticed the pink spreading in your cheeks.

“I shouldn’t tell my problems to a demon but… that sassy angel persona is just a facade to use because I’m not very fond of your type nor hunters. But the truth is… I want to live freely”

“And I think I’m ashamed to admit that angels are not as tough as they seem” you admitted, looking down at your legs. You really shouldn’t be telling your problems to a demon, you should talk to your friends: Venus, Psique, Rose even the narcissist of Eros. But there you were, talking to Jinu because he seemed to have some humanity inside him.

“And I’m ashamed for not being tough enough on myself to prevent my past”

At that moment, both of you felt it. A strong connection, the feeling of reassurance, and… perhaps a spark.

Jinu offered a smile, and he wasn’t expecting you to smile back, but you did.

With the sun offering the famous “golden hour”, Jinu was able to see your true self. Very subtle coral undertone in your skin, pink eyes that glowed hypnotically, and… If demons had pointy dark red patterns across their bodies, angels had twirling dark pink patterns. He seemed surprised as you noticed he was staring at your naked arms.

“What? Didn’t know angels had patterns as well?” You teased with a chuckle.

Jinu quickly looked away, slightly embarrassed, then scratched his head awkwardly.

“They’re… pretty”

“Demon’s skin is also pretty” You didn’t know where that came from, but you weren’t lying, the Saja Boys were the prettiest demons you’d ever seen.

“Now, let’s pretend we are friends and are having dinner together” you offered him a fork and Jinu took it with a smile.

The demon realized he couldn’t make you take a side. He couldn’t prevent the effects of an angel on someone like him. But he found himself enjoying your company after all. And if things were different, it wouldn’t be terrible to be friends with you.

…

Everyone was annoyed. You could hear a crowd growing as the time to start the press conference approached. Your friend Psique was helping you tie your ballerina-style heels when you saw Jinu leaning against a wall, looking at you.

“They look heavy”

“Excuse me?” You asked in shock as Psique gagged in disbelief.

“Your shoes…” Jinu clarified, unaware of the perverted idea you and your friend had thought.

“Oh. Yeah…they’re not, actually” you answer, kicking the door of your dressing room with the golden heel.

“Hmm, well, I’ll see you backstage” Jinu gave a little smirk and you smiled back at him.

“Here’s your sheet of possible questions and the most appropriate answers, alright?” Psique handed you a pink paper and Jinu wondered if everything angels had was pink.

“Thanks” after Psique offered good luck, she whispered into your ear.

“What are you doing talking and sharing smiles with that demon?” She asked.

“He’s nice… actually all of the Saja Boys are, if they could choose, they wouldn’t be demons” your friend gasped in disbelief, she softly grabbed your hand.

“And if we could, we wouldn’t be angels, tied to guide someone to prevail, y/n. I know you’re smart, but be careful with them”

When you made it backstage, you saw Rumi talking with Jinu. When you first met them, you thought they had something going on. And seeing them talking so lost in each other, made your stomach flip.

An angel could experience jealousy ten times worse than a normal human. Nausea built in your gut and your hands sweat through your palms.

But realizing you were jealous because of Jinu, made you worry about what Psique said to you. You couldn’t like the Saja Boys, you couldn’t be in love with Jinu, and angels couldn’t love demons.

…

It was toxic of you to feel attracted to the Saja Boys. And knowing the effect you had on them made it even more cynical.

As the days passed and you had to interact with them, Baby and Romance had your number and started texting you. Always flirting, well, mostly Romance, Baby would send pictures of food and rate them without even starting an actual conversation. The gesture made you cackle and you started messaging back. Mystery once handed you a soda can and left without saying anything and made you so confused.

Abby was the one who shamelessly flirted with you and made your thighs squeeze together for some reason. He was funny, said very funny shit while waiting for interviews, fan meetings and show appearances.

You hadn’t talked much to Jinu, so it was immature to feel jealous. But every time you had seen him with Rumi, it made you form fists with your hands. Accidentally, you had overheard them talking about having meetings alone. And that Rumi had demon patterns, you were shocked. And the evil, egocentric splotches in your heart made you think that you could use that to your advantage if needed.

When it came to the girls, not much had changed. Only that Zoey seemed to be willing to talk to you, and she was fun. But you were thinking too much about them. When you and your friends were able to escape the angelic gates and step into the human world, all of you just wanted was to prove you deserved to be there, not only protecting humans through spiritual connections.

You were walking with no actual plans to do anything. Your hands were hidden in the pockets of your skirt and trying not to step into random cracks in the floor. And then, as you entered a random alley, you were pushed back by something.

Then you heard a growl and when you opened your eyes, you saw a demon running towards you.

In a flash, you stepped up, your featherwings appeared, elevating you just enough so your feet couldn’t touch the ground, with your ring transforming into a longspear that as soon as the demon jumped to attack you, your wings threw him back with a gust of wind, and when your longspear touched it, the creature was gone.

It happened so fast, you moved as your defense reflex activated on its own, and when you looked down, you saw Mira, Zoey, and Rumi looking at you perplexed. Apparently, they had a little hunting session going on.

You descended to the ground, your wings disappeared and the long spear too, returning to be an ordinary rose gold ring on your index finger.

With a sigh, you simply stared the them.

“That was nice” Zoey broke the ice, but you didn’t know what to answer.

“It won’t happen again, it was self-defense” you state before turning around and walking just where you came from.

“Wait-“ Rumi called. “I know you hate us and we are certainly not fond of you but… maybe we could work out some agreement to-“

“Gosh, tell me you haven’t been hunting for long enough, I can tell” you said with exasperation, turning back to look at her. “Whoever trained you, doesn’t know exactly what’s the deal between hunters, demons, and angels”

The three girls looked at each other, clearly accepting their ignorance.

“Ancient angels tried to make a deal with demons, to ensure they wouldn’t keep eating human souls, we gave them power… And they betrayed us” the cold breeze of the night with siren sounds at a distance only added tension for some reason, and you didn’t mean to fight or argue with them, but your tone wasn’t actually soft.

“When the problem aggravated, angels had to start slaying demons, you appeared asking for help, we provided weapons so you could help us, eventually hunters locked us in ‘heaven’ and took all the credit”

“Now we don’t have actual rights to be among humans, we just guide them so they can’t be targeted by demons. You can freely live like we used to… We are not interested in looking for balance anymore, we want to reclaim our stance here” you explained with confidence.

“And what will you and your friends do when demons get beyond the limit? When there are no humans left?” Mira asked, and you simply shrugged.

“I’m pretty sure my superiors will get to offer a deal to Gwi-Ma” They looked perplexed, even angered by your statement, but you didn’t care.

“You have the power to stop this and you prefer to not do anything? That’s such a cowardly move” Rumi yelled as you started walking away again.

“A liar won’t tell me I’m a coward, Rumi” you said and she went pale, In alert mode she stood as you walked backwards, looking at her with a sneer. “Perhaps Jinu will know what to do…”

She froze, Rumi was left speechless, caught with no actual fireback. You disappeared and Zoey and Mira started asking her what you meant by that.

“I think y/n is jealous” Zoey commented.

“Why?” Mira asked her with a frown.

“Duh, she likes Jinu” the three girls exchanged thoughtful looks.

Was it? Could it be? They weren’t sure… but it was heading to become the truth.

…

A picture of Abby helping you to do roman lifts at some prestigious gym went viral. It was a coincidence and only made you and the Saja Boys more popular, even surpassing Huntr/x.

Then someone leaked a video of Baby sharing some spicy chicken karaage with you and the fans went crazy.

Clips of Mystery and Romance fixated on you and everyone started questioning who would win the important Idol Awards.

When in reality, nobody was actually winning, Huntr/x was stuck, with Rumi avoiding to sing “Takedown”, the Saja Boys having Jinu go through a crisis and you were overwhelmed by everything that was happening.

Suddenly everyone was forgetting what the whole point was.

You were casually ordering a tofu burger at some solitary restaurant when you heard the click of a phone and then a flash.

When you looked over your shoulder, you saw Abby taking a picture of you, and judging by the angle of the grip on his phone, you could tell he took a picture of your waist and ass.

You had to suppress the urge to cackle. You paid and then turned to see the five demons staring at you. Baby and Jinu on the edges, then Mystery and Romance, Abby sitting at the head of the table, offering his back towards the big window of the place. You briefly eyed Jinu and he was the only one who didn’t have an evil teasing grin on his face. He looked distant…

“You better keep that picture to yourself” you say glaring back at Abby directly.

He winks and presses his phone against his toned chest.

“I can do more than that” Abby replies and the comment sounded so sultry that even Baby chuckled. You simply rolled your eyes and turned to grab your takeout bag.

The most infantilized member of the Saja Boys was actually the freakiest, you knew. He had the deepest voice and you knew he would be a wild ride if you ever ended up tangling with him. So you decided to crumple a little bit of his ego, you passed by his side and brushed your thumb across his lower lip, wiping away the smudged hot sauce. His eyes widened and stared at you in silence, simply shocked. Like everyone else, only Jinu wasn’t surprised, he was boiling with jealousy.

Well, Baby was literally being touched by an angel. It sure felt like heaven.

“There was hot sauce on your lips and chin…” you explained before leaving.

You opened the door and the warm rays of the sun hit you, You stopped to fish out your glasses from your bag.

“So what are you doing tomorrow at the Idol Awards?” Jinu appeared by your side, taking you by surprise since you hadn’t actually talked to him in a week, and you even forgot about your sunglasses. “Sticking with the girls or giving us a hand?”

“Why is everyone asking me to take a side?” You ask with your eyes focused on the sidewalk. “I don’t owe anything to demons or hunters as far as I know”

“Maybe because you can vanish us with a snap of your fingers or simply move out of the way of any demon hunter” Jinu said. He looked tired, still gorgeous but looked… irritable.

“I don’t know, as an angel I don’t want to get my hands dirty…”

“What happened to the honest woman talking to me at the park, huh?” he asked with defiance and you couldn’t recall seeing Jinu so angry like he was at that moment.

“Honest? I’m pretty sure you aren’t telling me your whole plan, man. You demons always cary a knife behind your backs”

You remembered confessing how you felt and being vulnerable to him. But you were so… confused. Maybe things were happening at the same time and your feelings were all over the place. But your silence didn’t do much, but only irritated Jinu more.

“Everyone’s right about demons. But angels are just a lie, they don’t care to actually help, they are resentful egoists. And you are the solid proof of it”

“Jinu-“ you tried to calm him, despite feeling your eyes growing wet.

“You are just like a greedy demon thinking only about yourself” Right after he finished that sentence, he heard a little yelp from you and noticed you started crying.

You could feel the eyes of the rest of the Saja Boys looking through the restaurant’s window. The unbearable feeling of shame was something you couldn’t stand, something you hadn’t experienced in a long time. And you couldn’t hide it, what Jinu said was true.

You glared at him and couldn’t comprehend whether he was perplexed or confused by your tears. Only that you didn’t let him add any more words. You simply brushed past him and started walking away.

Jinu sighed, turned around, and called for your name once, but you didn’t look back, you simply walked and walked until you disappeared from his sight.

When he returned to the table, everyone was eating quietly.

Jinu looked at his partners and sighed, already knowing what they were thinking.

“That wasn’t nice” Romance commented.

“She was crying?” Abby asked still looking outside.

“Yeah, I was mean. I know already!” Jinu answered and everyone was extremely quiet.

…

He didn’t mean to make you cry. But he was growing desperate, with Gwi-Ma trailing behind him, the mixed feelings he had for Rumi and you ignoring him for days… it made his guilt and desire to end it all even bigger. But after making you cry, Jinu felt even worse. It reminded him of causing his family pain, making them tear up, and creating a barrier between them. Despite barely knowing you, he was pretty sure the woman he talked to at the park was the real you. The comfort of being by your side was real. And he didn’t want it to end.

So when he didn’t find you at your place, only a bunch of silly angels partying, not worried about where you were, he went to look around the city.

In your usual evening walks, you decided for once to simply enjoy the last rays of the sun, you didn’t want to be bothered by anything.

But you weren’t lucky enough. As you started walking around in an empty park, you noticed a demon, and he started chasing after you subtly. And much to your dismay, you had forgotten your ring. And since there were still a few people around, you couldn’t just spread your wings and fly away.

Hence why, Jinu found you being cornered by a demon in some dark woods that surrounded the park. He went straight to save you. You didn’t notice him at first sight, but when you felt the demon being pushed aside, you took a big breath before turning to see Jinu punching him to send him back to the demon realm.

The woods creaked, birds chirping in the distance, but you just stood there looking at Jinu in silence. The distance grew closer and you only got to move backwards a few steps before you ended up trapped between his chest and a random tree.

The demon he truly was, was facing you. Lilac skin, dark patterns, fangs, glowy eyes, and imposing form were there.

His eyes traced your face and neck to see if you were hurt, but you were fine.

“I’m sorry…” he said, much to your surprise.

“What?”

“I didn’t want to make you cry…” he admitted, eyes still burning into yours.

His proximity made you feel nervous, anxious, and… eager. Ever since the first time you encountered him at the same park where you were, you knew he had something.

“I wanted to forget everything. But now I just want you to make me repent my sins” his nose brushed your neck and it made you shiver, almost letting out a little gasp, but you remained still.

“That isn’t how ‘Your Idol’ goes…” as you attempted to joke, he only eyed you with curiosity.

“Are you and your little friends spying on me and the guys?” Finally, you were able to make him smirk, the air felt lighter, but the tension was only rising.

“I mostly know everything. Including the upcoming Saja Boys' releases” Jinu chuckled, and his hands came to press your stomach, pushing further against the tree, feeling his soft abs against your thin top.

“Jinu…” you tried to reason before it was too late. He was dangerously close to you and didn’t look interested in moving away.

He noticed your human appearance and how it contrasted with his demon self. You weren’t scared or disgusted, you couldn’t care less.

His pointed fingers went to grab your chin and the way he looked at you was so sweet. Through his bright eyes, you could feel affection.

“I can hear him in my head…” Jinu revealed.

“Gwi-Ma?” He nodded and your fingers went to brush his hair, swiftly tangling with his raven locks, he smelled nice, his hair extra soft, his worries so honest. He was so human despite being a demon. So you smiled, urging to snuggle between your neck and shoulders. He stayed there a while, in silence.

At what moment were you consoling a demon in pain? He was good, he deserved another chance.

Even more interesting, why were you kissing him? You liked him…

He wanted control, for once you allowed it. His lips took the lead and left you with nothing but a trail of soft whimpers as you felt his sneaky fingers tracing circles in your hipbone.

“You’re doing it well” you whispered on his lips.

“What thing? Kissing and touching you?”

“No, asshole. I mean to seal your faith…” you say before letting his tongue meet yours. “But yeah, keep kissing and touching me like that…”

“I can help you and everyone” you admitted as he trailed your neck with soft pecks that made you whimper louder. “But I don’t know if it’s worth it…”

“Please, y/n, think about it…” he whispered in your lips.

His words flying away as you allowed Jinu to slide his hand under your shirt.

…

Your song “For You…” almost sealed the Honmoon at the Idol Awards. You could see the gold mixing with pink, but it wasn’t enough, then, when Huntr/x started their performance, you soon understood Jinu was behind their failure. It was part of his plan, to manipulate fans so they would go to the Saja Boys’ concert, the final performance to bring Gwi-Ma and unleash chaos. Your friends suggested that to actually go back home, to inform superiors so they could intervene. They were exactly what Rumi and Jinu said about angels; narcissistic egoistic cowards. In your head, their words started haunting your thoughts. So you didn’t follow back to the gates of heaven…

No matter how many demons kicked you, pulled your hair, and tried to sink their sharp fangs at you, they never reached further, you would always give the last punch and send them back to hell.

One with six arms and gargoyle wings was able to send you to the floor. Your longspear would go deep enough to aim at the creature’s chest and make him disappear.

You felt two pairs of hands helping you tos and up and when you turned around, you saw Mystery and Zoey. A little smile appeared on your face when you noticed that the Saja Boys were doing exactly what they weren’t supposed to. Then you turned to look at the stage, and you could see Jinu and Gwi-Ma.

There was one way to stop everything. And you weren’t even sure if it would work. But it was for sure that the price to pay would be great.

Just when you were steps away from attacking Gwi-Ma, a strong hand came to grip your wrist. You knew it was Jinu, his demon patterns could be felt, and when you turned to see him, he was looking at you with those bright yellow glowy eyes.

The 400-year-old demon knew very well that old tale; an angel could use all of its power to stop a great curse but it would be their sacrifice. Meaning that you would either die or vanish.

But you only smiled sadly at him.

“Jinu, it’s okay…” you assured him, brushing his cheek with your fingers. He didn’t want to let you go.

“No! I won’t let you die because of me!” He yelled, desperate and adding more strength to the grip of your wrist.

“It’ll be worth it, I promise” It tormented you how sad he seemed, how stressed he felt, and how badly he wanted to keep you by his side. “His voice in your head will stop, the boys will be okay, the Honmoon will be healed. And you can be… with her”

Jinu shook his head quickly and stepped even closer.

“I don’t want her! I want you!” He said pointing with his head at Rumi at a distance fighting and then looked back at you. “I just want you…”

“It’ll pass, Jinu…” your wings spread and he couldn’t hold his grip as you started to elevate slowly, your hands grabbed his face and you placed a quick kiss on his lips. “Just like it always does, love…”

You yanked your hands from his, and offering him a last kiss, you flew away.

Your wings had never made you fly so fast, but as you confidently reached Gwi-Ma, time seemed to have stopped. One of the last things you saw was Rumi, looking at you in surprise, as if she was about to tell you to not go further. The flames of Gwi-Ma started to make you sweat as you reached closer, all of your strength ready to attack and when your longspear touched the demon, the whole stadium was blinded.

The purple flames embraced your body until the demons were gone, vanishing into ashes and the music kept playing. The crowds chanted, screamed, and kept singing as your body collapsed to the floor.

Unable to understand if your actions had done anything, unsure if you were dying, you heard Jinu’s voice, a warm touch on your arm, and a sense of tranquility as your eyes shut closed.

Jinu did everything to stay by your side and make sure you kept breathing. He even got you a new manager and bribed him to tell your sudden hospitalization was due to social pressure. When the doctors asked what happened, Baby recommended saying you accidentally fainted while about to enter a sauna.

Still, Jinu patiently waited a month till you opened your eyes again.

…

Nervously, you were biting your nails. Your skin itched, felt dry, and cracked.

Two months had passed since the Idol Awards, Rumi and you did most of the job saving everyone. You lost your wings, your whole body was covered in burns and Jinu was being too insistent on flirting with you.

“It’s going to be fine, you’ll see…” Zoey told you, tapping at your bandaged hand as she and Mira flipped through a magazine in your hospital room.

“Ugh great… the boys are here” Rumi complained from the door, her head peaking outside before she turned around with a big roll of her eyes.

“They’re good now, give them a break” you told her and she sighed.

Now they were your friends. You didn’t know how, but as you got to stay in the human world, Huntr/x girls thanked you and then befriended you.

The Saja Boys were just like you, half human, half angel, and half demons. They still had some abilities and their patterns were still visible but very subtly. Just like you…

“We brought two pizza boxes, beers, and a chocolate cake” Abby was the first one to arrive. If you weren’t so amused with Jinu, you would be all over the muscular man. He made you laugh so much and he was sweet. He also flirted with you and never denied how badly he wanted to have you all for himself.

“We still don’t have the results, dummy. But thanks” you told him with a smile that he replied. He had a new lilac beanie that matched his hooded tracksuit.

“We made a bet. Baby says we’ll be able to peel your scars. Mystery and I don’t think so” Romance announced, followed by the rest of the bandmates.

“Peel my scars?” You cackled at the boys, then Jinu entered the room and rolled his eyes at them. Mystery went to sit with Zoey and Mira’s slid away from Romance and Abby when they sat sandwiching her.

“Ignore them. They’re enjoying our vacations too much” Jinu said as he handed you a bouquet of flowers and kissed your visible cheek. You thanked him, smelling the lilies and white roses.

“Aww, Jinu! You didn’t have to give me anything”

“It’s for good luck”

“Hey! The flowers were my idea!” Romance protested.

“And I picked the flowers!” Abby yelled.

You couldn’t help but laugh with Rumi. Despite being bandaged and probably scarred, the boys kept fighting for you. Except for Mystery, he seemed more interested in Zoey, and it was adorable. But the four resting assholes still found beauty and grace in your healing self.

“Well, thank you guys. I love these flowers” Rumi took the bouquet and went to grab a jar and fill it with water. And then, your doctor appeared.

“I have the results!” Everyone stood up, except for you obviously.

The room went silent. And it only made you sweat a little more.

“Can you just say it, doc? Please?” Baby inquired.

“The skin is peeling by itself!” The doctor squealed with excitement.

“You all owe me some money” Baby cheered as he bumped his fist against Abby’s hard chest.

Zoey went to hug you and you started hearing cheers, as if you had just birthed a baby, everyone was celebrating and congratulating you. It made you laugh.

“We can start to pull the dead skin away right away if you want to” you nodded at the doctor.

She went to grab some cloth, tweezers, and urged you to sit. Jinu and Rumi helped you and when your back was facing everyone, the doctor slid down your hospital gown.

“Let’s take a look under the bandages” nervously, looking at the ceiling. While you didn’t care about everyone seeing your naked back, you didn’t want it to hurt when the bandages were removed. The doctor untangled the bandages and then removed the big piece the gauze covering your back.

“It’s unusual because your skin tone is a little pink” the doctor pointed out and you let out a little fake giggle.

“Yeah, she looked like a shrimp when she was a baby” Jinu commented and you eyed him over your shoulder, he simply shrugged as everyone chuckled.

“He’s your brother?” the doctor asked.

“I’m her boyfriend” the man defended himself.

“Almost-boyfriend” Abby interfered making you smile. Jinu sent him daggers with his eyes.

You felt the cold tweezers in your back and everyone let out a little “woah”.

Your body was healing and under the dead burnt skin, everything was soft and looked healthy. Your arms and back were almost completely healed and there was an almost invisible new pattern across your body. Jinu suspected you still had wings, only that now, they were part of your soul and not of your mortal body.

“Yep, the treatment worked! I had never treated an idol with third-degree burns in my life!” It was the best hospital in the city, where all idols were treated.

Since the day you arrived, slowly, more fans discovered you were there. They had left thousands of letters, gifts, and notes asking if you were pregnant with Baby’s, Abby's or Jinu’s baby and couldn’t be seen in public due to the bump. Which made you gag and then cackle till tears were pricking in your eyes. Baby’s baby, lol.

“Tell your lovely friends over here if they can start you and help you take a bath” the nice doctor indicated. “I’ll go for the rest of your medication and likely, you’ll be able to leave tonight”

You nodded, sighing in relief. You had an album to finish, a new room in the Huntr/x’ place to move in, and many things to do with your almost boyfriend Jinu.

“We can totally help with the bath” Baby said with excitement, starting to pull down the rest of your gown but Zoey smacked his hand.

“We are so definitely taking her to the tub!” Mira threatened as she entered the bathroom with the girls.

“Nothing I haven’t seen already” Jinu whispered in your ear and you pinched his arm, making him groan in pain.

“Ouch!” he complained, holding his arm.

The boys started to serve plates with food, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey to prepare the tub.

“Hey, do not finish the food!” you heard Rumi yelling from inside the bathroom as Mira and Zoey panicked because the room was fogging up too quickly.

“So… Abby suggested we could share you” Your eyes went wide at Jinu’s words.

The idea wasn’t totally bad, but you knew that having a healthy monogamist relationship was better than letting four men share you. Still, in your wild fantasies, each boy had a weekday reserved for you.

“That sounds fun. What did you tell them?” You were teasing him and he went for it. “Of course not. You’re mine, angel…”

You bumped your forehead with his and smiled.

“Yeah… I think you’re mine too” you accepted.

୨ৎ───୨ৎ───୨ৎ───୨ৎ───୨ৎ

Taglist: @loomindoors @katzline @elz-zalarrr @mel3484

[paninisstuff]

Heartstrings & Hellfire: Chapter 01

Fan Art from nihoneho

Huntrix: World Tour Final Show

A giant electric billboard glows across the skyline, displaying the trio of Huntrix striking a fierce pose, promoting their final concert in one of Korea’s largest arenas. Thousands of excited fans fill the plaza, the energy electric. 

“Let's go, Huntrix!” The crowd chants, waving purple lightsticks and banners, dressed in official merch from head to toe. 

“We love Huntrix!” Another set of fans shout into the camera interviewing them outside the arena.

The camera zooms in on the pink-haired male to the left, sporting a wolf-cut hairstyle.

“Miro's my favorite. He is the visual and lead dancer. Nobody can move like Miro. ” A group of women squeal towards the camera while they proudly show off their pink-themed Miro merch and banners.

“Apparently, he's the black sheep of his family.” A photo flashes on screen: a family portrait with the faces of the parents and older brother blurred, Miro the only clear one, scowling defiantly. Another image: Miro now older, oozing rebellion in both style and stance.

“I don't know why? But even though he's so cool.” A male fan said to the camera.

“Who else could wear a sleeping bag to the Met Gala.” Images flash again, Miro draped head-to-toe in a designer sleeping bag, striking poses on the iconic stairs.

“Yeah! He's our role model.” Teen girls with calm, cool expressions mimic Miro’s vibes. “He's the best. Love him.” The teen girls said in unison in a monotone voice. 

Now the camera pans to the right, navy-haired, bowl-cut styled Zane.

“We're here for Zane!” A group in green gear screams, waving their signs high.

“The rapper and lyricist.” Flashback: Zane sitting at the bottom of a staircase, headphones on, scribbling lyrics in a notebook. 

“He grew up in America. Somewhere called Burbank, USA.” A male fan explains. 

“He is the cutest maknae” Cut to Zane in a strawberry hat doing adorable poses on a variety show.

“But when he raps, he goes hard.” Cue: Zane decimating challengers at an underground rap battle.

“He gets real scary. So scary, like, “You better watch out.” A girl fan explains with her boyfriend beside her and agreeing to what she said. 

Now the camera centers on the violet-haired Rumi in messy curtain bangs adorned with little braids.

 “We love Rumi!” Two girls Jumps in excitement. 

“His pop-star royalty.” The girl said excitedly into the camera while her best friend beside her also agreed with her. “Uh-huh!”

“His mom, who was a Sunlight Sister, passed away when he was an infant.” A fan girl explained while the camera show's the last album cover of the Sunlight Sisters. 

“WAIT! You can’t talk about Rumi without talking about (Y/n)!” A voice shouts from the back.

“Right, (y/n) is the adopted daughter of Celine, who was abandoned as a child under a willow tree and Celine was the one who found her and took her in as her own.” The girl said to the camera. 

“But Celine raised both of them together as best friends,” A camera flashes back to show a picture of Celine in an International Idol Awards show with Rumi as a little boy and a little girl beside her. 

“Huntrix was built around Rumi, while (Y/n) debuted solo but stayed close with the boys.” The picture changed to show Celine with the boys and (y/n) accompanying them to the Idol Awards. 

More photos: (Y/n) attending every Huntrix concert, always in her signature white.

“Rumi's voice is just incredible and (y/n)’s voice is like an angel. Like…” A trio of fan girls said dreamily to the camera. 

“It brings us to tears!” A trio of fan boys cuts into the camera, each crying and holding cute little banners of both the name's of Rumi and (y/n). 

“(Y/n) is such an icon of innocence. She is just the best, she has been friends with the Huntrix ever since their debut and she always supports them” 

“(Y/N)!!! I LOVE YOU!!!” A man screams into the camera.

“She’s the Angel of the Nation!” The crowd affirms.

“In every Huntrix album, there’s always one song featuring her.”

“You can truly notice the bond that they have with each other.” A group of fan girl's wearing gold merchandise, mentioned. “Up until now there has been a huge debate about the shipping between Huntrix and (y/n).”

“I heard that (y/n) will be here as a special guest performer. Just to show that her friendship with Huntrix is that strong.” A male fan said to the camera but then came closer to whisper something. “But between you and me, I totally ship (y/n) with any of the Huntrix members.” 

“I ship her with Rumi—(ship name) for life!”

“No! Zane!”

“Miro!”

“Huntrix!” The camera pans to the passionate debate as the arena buzzes for the show.

“They're taking a break after this concert with (y/n), and they need it, but we're gonna miss them so much!” A girl said while her friends in the background agreed with her.  

Suddenly, the intro music booms. Neon lights flash, the crowd roars. Backstage, chaos ensues.

“Everyone look alive.” Bobby, the manager of the group, said to the concert staff backstage making sure everything is perfect for the performance of Huntrix. 

“All right. Looking good over there. Okay. Ready? Ready. But where are the boys?” Bobby, double checking everything around the arena and looked on his phone to see any updates from the boys. 

“What? What? Where are they going?” Only to see on his phone that the plane of the Huntrix was going out of track on its destination.

“Okay, this is our biggest show yet,” Rumi said as the three of them huddled together inside their private plane. 

“The most songs,” Zane said

“The most moves.” Miro reminded.

“Which means the most carb loading.”

“FOR THE FANS!” All three shouted in unison as they dove into an enormous spread of food around the table.

“I need 10,000 calories to get through the choreo,” Rumi said while stuffing his face with kimbap. “A thousand percent. A galillion percent.” Miro agreed wholeheartedly with what Rumi just said, while Zane just kept on eating. 

“Man, that's not even a real number.”

“It is for our fans,” Miro argued with food stuffed in his mouth. 

Rumi then inhaled the scent of the kimbap in his hands. “Ah!” As Zane, suddenly in chibi mode, maniacally ripped open a chip bag and devoured it with speed.

“Our fans deserve the best.” Rumi declared. But none of them noticed the flight attendants acting… strangely. One was watering a flower pot with coffee.

As Rumi stuffed down his throat a whole kimbap. “Okay, time for our pre-game ramyeon!” Each member holds a cup of noodle, each cup had their faces as the designs. 

“Happy fans, happy Honmoon!” they all cheered, knocking their cups together.

“Wait, there’s no water in these.” They all noticed that the cup was not filled with hot water. 

“Um, excuse me, miss?” 

“Yes, Ms. Hunter…ix?”  The nearby flight attendant responded nervously, spilling more coffee onto the flower.

“Right away. You're welcome. Arrideverci. Goodbye.” She said so fast and nervously while the other two attendants were also doing weird things in the background. 

“Uh, okay.” As Rumi was asking the attendant for water, her ringtone began to go off. Seeing the caller ID she hastily answered.

“Hi, Bobby!” They all said in unison in the video call.

"Yeah, hi! Um, what are you doing?" Bobby asked them. 

"About to eat our pre-show ramyeon." Rumi said while showing off their half-eaten feast.

"Pre-show? What about the show-show?" Bobby said worriedly, flipping the camera to show fans in the arena going wild.

“Hey, that's my phone!” Bobby's phone was easily hijacked by some fans near them, and they saw the Huntrix.

“We love you!” A group of fans said to them.

“Aww, we love you too!” All three of the Huntrix said together. 

Then a trio of fan boys took the phone and sobbed into the phone, touching the hearts of the Huntrix. “That's so sweet,” All three said into the phone towards the fan boys. 

Another male fan took the phone again. “Yo! I just got this!” Lifting his shirt to show a giant heart tattoo with Huntrix in the middle. 

“Uh..” Rumi and Zane were a bit surprised at the revelation of the male fan. Miro had a different reaction. “Sick.” He said, liking the tattoo. 

“Gimme that! Why are you so late?” Bobby took back his phone and said worriedly to the boys. 

“Late?” Rumi said confused.

“Fifty thousand fans are waiting for you.” As Bobby mentions that predicament, the boys then looked outside the window of the plane. Only to see that brightly lit arena that they had passed by. “They made cute signs and everything.” All three of them then looked and glared at the awkward and weird attendants. 

“How can you be late? Even (y/n) got here early despite her busy schedule. She’s already helping keep the crowd calm! I wish you were here.” As the boys continued to glare at the flight attendants. 

“Bobby? Is that the boys? Let me talk to them.” A familiar voice sounded out which caused the boys to return back to looking at the phone. 

“Oh! Uh, sure (y/n). Here you go.” Bobby said, handing his phone to the girl dressed in a gorgeous white dress. 

“Hi guys!” (Y/n) said happily into the phone. 

“(Y/N)!” the boys shouted together, hearts practically bursting. 

“I'm guessing that there's… bugs? You'll need some time to get here?” She asked them cryptically. 

“Yes, please.” Rumi begged.

“You're a lifesaver, (y/n).” Zane said added.

“The best girl ever,” Miro said, clearly smitten.

(Y/n) giggled sweetly, that each boy has internally combust. 

“Okay, okay. Pay me back by showing up after you handle the pests, okay?” she winked.

“(Y/n), are the boys getting here already?”  Bobby asked in the background as (y/n) handed back his phone to him. 

“You got it!” Rumi said as the boys then looked back at the flight attendants. “Keep your shirt on Bobby. We'll be there in three.” Rumi said to Bobby as he ended the call, and all of them groaned in frustration while Zane just kept on stress eating his chips. 

“I didn't even get to finish my ramyeon!” Miro complained

“Why do they always interrupt our snacking?“ Rumi said frustratingly.

“THEY WILL FACE MY WRATH!” Zane said garbled due to the food in mouth while crushing the chips on his hands. 

Rumi confronted the demons with a bored expression, obviously pointing out their strange behaviours and spotting patterns along their arms. Stepping on one's foot fully revealed their colourful and abnormal real forms.

"Oh, you got the patterns. Now you gotta die." Miro said smirking while cracking his knuckles.

Back at the stadium, the fans were growing restless.

“So Bobby,” (Y/n) said calmly, watching the rising chaos. “Since the boys are a little… delayed, I’ll open.”

“You’ll what?” Bobby blinked.

“I’ll perform the opening to keep the crowd hyped until Huntrix arrives,” she smiled, raising her golden mic.

“Have the tech team cue my song,” she said as she climbed the stairs to her lift. Staff secured her harness. The arena went black.

(Cue the music to the song Sway to My Beat in Cosmos.) 

“What’s that?” a fan asked.

“LOOK—it’s (Y/n)!” another screamed as a spotlight hit the top of the arena.

~“Mend your pace, sway to the beat. Hands up, embrace who you wanna be. We're reaching heights unseen, ooh-whoa, whoa. Feel the fire deep within. You're the key to where my trust begins. Join my dream, it's just the right time, whoa”~

As the lights pulsed to the beat, (Y/n) descended from the heavens in her white dress, glowing in ethereal light.

~”Leave it all behind (all behind). Get ready now”~

“Hello, everyone,” She said sweetly to the crowd of fans. As all of them cheered so loud to their Angel. The arena lights up with colors that dance to the colors of the cosmos. As (Y/n) starts to descend from the top of the arena which makes her look like an Angel descending from heaven in her white dress. 

“You're my ANGEL” A male fan cried out to her. 

~“Rise up into my world. Renew your definition. World so high, let me show. And hear my declaration, "No more ties"”~

She landed gracefully, spinning across the stage. Fans raised their golden lightsticks in unison.

~“Off the ground and tap your feet. Look, stars are near when you feel the beat. We're bound for a greater height, ooh-whoa, whoa. Take a leap into the blaze. Don't lose yourself in mundanity. Join my dream, it is the right time, whoa”~

~“Leave it all behind. Get ready now”~

“Sing along with me, everyone.” (Y/n) called out. 

Thousands of voices joined in, her harmonies echoing through the dome. Backstage, even the crew sang along.

~“Welcome to my world, Renew your definition. World so high, let me show and hear my declaration, "No more ties."”~ As, (Y/n) danced around the stage triggering the Honmoon which glowed beautifully in her eyes and harmonized so hauntingly beautiful. 

~“Welcome to my world, Renew your definition. World so high, let me show. Now hear my declaration, Welcome to my world. Renew your definition, World so high, we'll show, and go beyond horizon. Side by side”~ 

As the final note rang out, she pointed upward.

“Everyone, look to the skies. I present to you… HUNTRIX!”

She said as fans pointed out and looked to the skies, while she backed away safely from the target landing of the boys. 

Back on the jet, chaos. 

The demons revealed themselves in their original forms. “The only ones dying tonight are your–” the big demons said but was interrupted by the burps of Miro. 

“Uh, I said. The only ones dying tonight are your–” He tried again as the other demons looked astonished with what happend. But was cut off again by the stomach gurgles of both Rumi and Zane. 

“I'm sorry, what?” Rumi asked as they were distracted by their stomachs. 

“YOUR FANS! We're gonna eat your fans!” The big demon couldn't take it anymore screamed at the boys. As the other four demons around him snarled and licked their fangs. 

“WHOA!” The boys exclaimed. “No. No, Thank you.” As they all said. “No. No. No.”

“Not our fans.” 

“When you mess with our fans…"

"We need to make it hurt." As Miro cracked his knuckles. The Honmoon ignited, lighting up the cabin in a supernatural glow.

~"Ugh, you came at a bad time"

"But you just crossed the line"

"You wanna get wild?"

"Okay, I'll show you wild!"~

The plane turned into a blur of motion: fists, glowing weapons, and intense choreo mid-air.

~“Better come right, better luck tryin', gettin' to our level

'Cause you might die, never the time, tryna start a battle

Bleeding isn't in my blood, 뼈속부터 달라서 (ppyeosokbuteo dallaseo)”~

Rumi poured hot water into their ramyeon cups mid-fight. Miro knocked a demon into a seat with the kettle. Zane poured sauce on a demon’s head while eating chips.

~”Beating you is what I do-do-do, yeah”~

Miro then throws the kettle to Zane. Beating down the leaping demons while pouring hot water for himself, Miro, and Rumi with no sweat.

~”Body on body

I'm naughty, not even sorry

And when you pull up, I'll pull up

A little late to the party (Na-na-na-na)

Locked and loaded, I was born for this

There ain't no point in avoiding it

Annoyed? A bit

불을 비춰 다 비켜, 네 앞길을 뺏겨 (Bureul bichwo da bikyeo, ne apgireul ppaetgyeo)”~

Before digging into their ramyeon, Rumi stopped both boys to show that it takes 3 minutes for the noodles to cook. So, they had something to pass the time and finish off the demons.

~"Knocking you out like a lullaby~"

"Hear that sound ringing in your mind~"~

They each summoned glowing weapons, daggers for Zane, a spear for Miro, a sword for Rumi.

~"Better sit down for the show"

"'Cause I'm gonna show you how it's done, done, done"~

They sliced down every demon with graceful, deadly flair, like it was part of their choreography. 

~”(Hey) Huntrix don't miss

How it's done-done-done

(Hey) Huntrix don't quit

How it's done-done-done”~

Glancing around at the boys, adoration and fun filled their expressions. Moving like lightning speed and the highlighting colors of their blades faster than usual and bodies consumed by calmness and beauty.

~"Run, run, we run the town"

"Whole world playin' our sound"

"Turnin' up, it's goin' down"

"Huntrix show this, how it's done, done, done"~

Suddenly, the plane started falling apart.

“Yeah, this plane’s trashed,” Miro said bluntly.

The three slurped down their noodles as the wreckage tumbled around them. “Okay, let's do this.” 

~”Yeah, something about when you come for the crown

That's so humbling, huh?

갑자기 왜 그래? 먼저 건드려, 왜?

이제야 포기해, what? (Gapjagi wae geurae? meonjeo geondeuryeo, wae? Ijeya pogihae, what?)

Nothing to us

Run up, you're done up, we come up

From sunup to sundown, so come out to play”~

They dove out of the jet, crashing down toward the stadium like comets.

~”Won either way, we're one in a million“

“We killin', we bring it, you want it? Okay”~

Catching up with the escaped demons, landing on them as they fixed up some makeup, hair and appearances. Pulling out of her pocket gulped down a pill of sorts with a bottle of water she somehow managed to down while falling.

~“Hair, nails, blade, mascara”

“Fit check for my napalm era”

“Need to beat my face, make it cute and savage”

“Mirror, mirror on my phone, who's the baddest? (Us, hello?)“~

Just as (Y/n) stepped back from center stage, glowing blue streaks lit up the sky. Fans gasped

~”Knocking you out like a lullaby

Hear that sound ringing in your mind

Better sit down for the show”~

“Everyone, look to the skies. I present to you. HUNTRIX!” The boys heard (Y/n) Introducing them into the microphone. 

“It's them.” A fan pointed out as two blue spotlights helped the fans see the three blue lights rocket to the stage. (Y/N) finding herself backstage with many stage crew members and staff running about. 

“Everyone, get ready, the boys are here now.” Nodding along with her instructions as they swiftly get to work. One worker hands her three other microphones as she runs towards the edge of the stage. Spotting the three demons in the centre and the large shadows of the boys in the smoke screen,

~”Cause I’m gonna show you (I’m gonna show you~)”

”(I’m gonna show you~) How it’s done-done-done”~

As the boys landed, (Y/n) threw them their mics mid-spin. Miro smirked at her.

~”I don’t talk, but I bite, full of venom (Uh)”

”Spittin’ facts, you know that’s”

“How it's done-done-done”~

A demon crashed into the crowd. “Cool costume!” a girl said, snapping a selfie right before Zane threw a blade straight through it.

~”Okay, like, I know I ramble”

”But when shootin’ my words, I go Rambo”

”Took blood, sweat, and tears, to look natural (Uh)”

”That’s how its done-done-done”~

A lone spotlight shines as (Y/n) and Rumi’s duet echoed across the stadium in harmony, bringing the crowd to tears.

Then, the final chorus. All four took center stage, dancing with power and elegance.

~“Hear our voice unwavering”

”Til our song defeats the night”

”Makin’ fear afraid to breathe”

”Til the dark meets the light~ (how its done-done-done)”~

Pushing their vocals to its highest high note in harmony. Continuing to belt and echo the chorus through towards the end. As the Honmoon starts to shine brightly.

~”Run, run, we run the town (done-done-done)

Whole world playin' our sound (done-done-done)

Turnin' up, it's going down (done-done-done)

Huntrix, show this how it's done-done-done”~

As the combination of both Huntrix and (Y/n) on stage dancing to the song, exhilarated the fans to the extreme. 

~”We hunt you down (down)

(Done-done-done)

We got you now (Got you now)

(Done-done-done)

We show you how-how-how (Show you how)”~

The Honmoon glowed a bright golden that flowed through the arena. Which excites the four, making them dance more enthusiastically.

~“HUNTR/X don’t miss, how its done-done-done~”

All four of them finished the song sticking together and striking a pose. Which end up having the crowd cheering and screaming. As the Honmoon then glowed stronger surrounding the country. As demons are now trapped in the underworld unable to break through the barrier. 

Author's note:

So, I hope everyone likes the chapter 01 so far. Hehehe. I based (y/n) more on the character of Robin in honkai star rail.

If you have any comments about the first chapter it would be much appreciation so that i could improve on the following future chapters.

I found the fanart in twt and it was so good that, that's what the Huntrix will look like as a boy band but I wanted to add cute little briad's scatterd around Rumi's hair.

TAGLIST

@gremlinartstudio @enerofairy @zoeyella1-4 @daisy56789 @0eye0 @sirenetheblogger @akariis4snowball @crescent-z @any-maybe @shoopershtar @bitchpleaseeeeeeeeee @foxinspace @selenescribes @onebraincellsaday @hoo-hoo @kitsune-05 @princessbonniebubblegumsblog @scarletsssarchive @bugworldsworld @redrage71890 @kashasenpai @hisashifrey @akiqvq @aespaminjeong @greensunflowerjuna @eyesdontread @eliengoddes @fandomgoddes05 @yirengbam7089 @themostdelusionalgirl @baby-bread-in @graceluvseilish @lynvriee @zomqiez @strayharmony943 @nevermorekisses @hikari-michiko @lizzymizzy-blogg @lovingyeet @chibiduck @hisashifrey @reni502 @queenofviolenceandnerds @gasoline-eater @tagmepls @gl00muraaii @prettylittlelavvy

@comicsol1999 @thoughtfulbananaduckcroissant @sunshinedaisy21

[paninisstuff]

Heartstrings & Hellfire: Chapter 01

Fan Art from nihoneho

Huntrix: World Tour Final Show

A giant electric billboard glows across the skyline, displaying the trio of Huntrix striking a fierce pose, promoting their final concert in one of Korea’s largest arenas. Thousands of excited fans fill the plaza, the energy electric. 

“Let's go, Huntrix!” The crowd chants, waving purple lightsticks and banners, dressed in official merch from head to toe. 

“We love Huntrix!” Another set of fans shout into the camera interviewing them outside the arena.

The camera zooms in on the pink-haired male to the left, sporting a wolf-cut hairstyle.

“Miro's my favorite. He is the visual and lead dancer. Nobody can move like Miro. ” A group of women squeal towards the camera while they proudly show off their pink-themed Miro merch and banners.

“Apparently, he's the black sheep of his family.” A photo flashes on screen: a family portrait with the faces of the parents and older brother blurred, Miro the only clear one, scowling defiantly. Another image: Miro now older, oozing rebellion in both style and stance.

“I don't know why? But even though he's so cool.” A male fan said to the camera.

“Who else could wear a sleeping bag to the Met Gala.” Images flash again, Miro draped head-to-toe in a designer sleeping bag, striking poses on the iconic stairs.

“Yeah! He's our role model.” Teen girls with calm, cool expressions mimic Miro’s vibes. “He's the best. Love him.” The teen girls said in unison in a monotone voice. 

Now the camera pans to the right, navy-haired, bowl-cut styled Zane.

“We're here for Zane!” A group in green gear screams, waving their signs high.

“The rapper and lyricist.” Flashback: Zane sitting at the bottom of a staircase, headphones on, scribbling lyrics in a notebook. 

“He grew up in America. Somewhere called Burbank, USA.” A male fan explains. 

“He is the cutest maknae” Cut to Zane in a strawberry hat doing adorable poses on a variety show.

“But when he raps, he goes hard.” Cue: Zane decimating challengers at an underground rap battle.

“He gets real scary. So scary, like, “You better watch out.” A girl fan explains with her boyfriend beside her and agreeing to what she said. 

Now the camera centers on the violet-haired Rumi in messy curtain bangs adorned with little braids.

 “We love Rumi!” Two girls Jumps in excitement. 

“His pop-star royalty.” The girl said excitedly into the camera while her best friend beside her also agreed with her. “Uh-huh!”

“His mom, who was a Sunlight Sister, passed away when he was an infant.” A fan girl explained while the camera show's the last album cover of the Sunlight Sisters. 

“WAIT! You can’t talk about Rumi without talking about (Y/n)!” A voice shouts from the back.

“Right, (y/n) is the adopted daughter of Celine, who was abandoned as a child under a willow tree and Celine was the one who found her and took her in as her own.” The girl said to the camera. 

“But Celine raised both of them together as best friends,” A camera flashes back to show a picture of Celine in an International Idol Awards show with Rumi as a little boy and a little girl beside her. 

“Huntrix was built around Rumi, while (Y/n) debuted solo but stayed close with the boys.” The picture changed to show Celine with the boys and (y/n) accompanying them to the Idol Awards. 

More photos: (Y/n) attending every Huntrix concert, always in her signature white.

“Rumi's voice is just incredible and (y/n)’s voice is like an angel. Like…” A trio of fan girls said dreamily to the camera. 

“It brings us to tears!” A trio of fan boys cuts into the camera, each crying and holding cute little banners of both the name's of Rumi and (y/n). 

“(Y/n) is such an icon of innocence. She is just the best, she has been friends with the Huntrix ever since their debut and she always supports them” 

“(Y/N)!!! I LOVE YOU!!!” A man screams into the camera.

“She’s the Angel of the Nation!” The crowd affirms.

“In every Huntrix album, there’s always one song featuring her.”

“You can truly notice the bond that they have with each other.” A group of fan girl's wearing gold merchandise, mentioned. “Up until now there has been a huge debate about the shipping between Huntrix and (y/n).”

“I heard that (y/n) will be here as a special guest performer. Just to show that her friendship with Huntrix is that strong.” A male fan said to the camera but then came closer to whisper something. “But between you and me, I totally ship (y/n) with any of the Huntrix members.” 

“I ship her with Rumi—(ship name) for life!”

“No! Zane!”

“Miro!”

“Huntrix!” The camera pans to the passionate debate as the arena buzzes for the show.

“They're taking a break after this concert with (y/n), and they need it, but we're gonna miss them so much!” A girl said while her friends in the background agreed with her.  

Suddenly, the intro music booms. Neon lights flash, the crowd roars. Backstage, chaos ensues.

“Everyone look alive.” Bobby, the manager of the group, said to the concert staff backstage making sure everything is perfect for the performance of Huntrix. 

“All right. Looking good over there. Okay. Ready? Ready. But where are the boys?” Bobby, double checking everything around the arena and looked on his phone to see any updates from the boys. 

“What? What? Where are they going?” Only to see on his phone that the plane of the Huntrix was going out of track on its destination.

“Okay, this is our biggest show yet,” Rumi said as the three of them huddled together inside their private plane. 

“The most songs,” Zane said

“The most moves.” Miro reminded.

“Which means the most carb loading.”

“FOR THE FANS!” All three shouted in unison as they dove into an enormous spread of food around the table.

“I need 10,000 calories to get through the choreo,” Rumi said while stuffing his face with kimbap. “A thousand percent. A galillion percent.” Miro agreed wholeheartedly with what Rumi just said, while Zane just kept on eating. 

“Man, that's not even a real number.”

“It is for our fans,” Miro argued with food stuffed in his mouth. 

Rumi then inhaled the scent of the kimbap in his hands. “Ah!” As Zane, suddenly in chibi mode, maniacally ripped open a chip bag and devoured it with speed.

“Our fans deserve the best.” Rumi declared. But none of them noticed the flight attendants acting… strangely. One was watering a flower pot with coffee.

As Rumi stuffed down his throat a whole kimbap. “Okay, time for our pre-game ramyeon!” Each member holds a cup of noodle, each cup had their faces as the designs. 

“Happy fans, happy Honmoon!” they all cheered, knocking their cups together.

“Wait, there’s no water in these.” They all noticed that the cup was not filled with hot water. 

“Um, excuse me, miss?” 

“Yes, Ms. Hunter…ix?”  The nearby flight attendant responded nervously, spilling more coffee onto the flower.

“Right away. You're welcome. Arrideverci. Goodbye.” She said so fast and nervously while the other two attendants were also doing weird things in the background. 

“Uh, okay.” As Rumi was asking the attendant for water, her ringtone began to go off. Seeing the caller ID she hastily answered.

“Hi, Bobby!” They all said in unison in the video call.

"Yeah, hi! Um, what are you doing?" Bobby asked them. 

"About to eat our pre-show ramyeon." Rumi said while showing off their half-eaten feast.

"Pre-show? What about the show-show?" Bobby said worriedly, flipping the camera to show fans in the arena going wild.

“Hey, that's my phone!” Bobby's phone was easily hijacked by some fans near them, and they saw the Huntrix.

“We love you!” A group of fans said to them.

“Aww, we love you too!” All three of the Huntrix said together. 

Then a trio of fan boys took the phone and sobbed into the phone, touching the hearts of the Huntrix. “That's so sweet,” All three said into the phone towards the fan boys. 

Another male fan took the phone again. “Yo! I just got this!” Lifting his shirt to show a giant heart tattoo with Huntrix in the middle. 

“Uh..” Rumi and Zane were a bit surprised at the revelation of the male fan. Miro had a different reaction. “Sick.” He said, liking the tattoo. 

“Gimme that! Why are you so late?” Bobby took back his phone and said worriedly to the boys. 

“Late?” Rumi said confused.

“Fifty thousand fans are waiting for you.” As Bobby mentions that predicament, the boys then looked outside the window of the plane. Only to see that brightly lit arena that they had passed by. “They made cute signs and everything.” All three of them then looked and glared at the awkward and weird attendants. 

“How can you be late? Even (y/n) got here early despite her busy schedule. She’s already helping keep the crowd calm! I wish you were here.” As the boys continued to glare at the flight attendants. 

“Bobby? Is that the boys? Let me talk to them.” A familiar voice sounded out which caused the boys to return back to looking at the phone. 

“Oh! Uh, sure (y/n). Here you go.” Bobby said, handing his phone to the girl dressed in a gorgeous white dress. 

“Hi guys!” (Y/n) said happily into the phone. 

“(Y/N)!” the boys shouted together, hearts practically bursting. 

“I'm guessing that there's… bugs? You'll need some time to get here?” She asked them cryptically. 

“Yes, please.” Rumi begged.

“You're a lifesaver, (y/n).” Zane said added.

“The best girl ever,” Miro said, clearly smitten.

(Y/n) giggled sweetly, that each boy has internally combust. 

“Okay, okay. Pay me back by showing up after you handle the pests, okay?” she winked.

“(Y/n), are the boys getting here already?”  Bobby asked in the background as (y/n) handed back his phone to him. 

“You got it!” Rumi said as the boys then looked back at the flight attendants. “Keep your shirt on Bobby. We'll be there in three.” Rumi said to Bobby as he ended the call, and all of them groaned in frustration while Zane just kept on stress eating his chips. 

“I didn't even get to finish my ramyeon!” Miro complained

“Why do they always interrupt our snacking?“ Rumi said frustratingly.

“THEY WILL FACE MY WRATH!” Zane said garbled due to the food in mouth while crushing the chips on his hands. 

Rumi confronted the demons with a bored expression, obviously pointing out their strange behaviours and spotting patterns along their arms. Stepping on one's foot fully revealed their colourful and abnormal real forms.

"Oh, you got the patterns. Now you gotta die." Miro said smirking while cracking his knuckles.

Back at the stadium, the fans were growing restless.

“So Bobby,” (Y/n) said calmly, watching the rising chaos. “Since the boys are a little… delayed, I’ll open.”

“You’ll what?” Bobby blinked.

“I’ll perform the opening to keep the crowd hyped until Huntrix arrives,” she smiled, raising her golden mic.

“Have the tech team cue my song,” she said as she climbed the stairs to her lift. Staff secured her harness. The arena went black.

(Cue the music to the song Sway to My Beat in Cosmos.) 

“What’s that?” a fan asked.

“LOOK—it’s (Y/n)!” another screamed as a spotlight hit the top of the arena.

~“Mend your pace, sway to the beat. Hands up, embrace who you wanna be. We're reaching heights unseen, ooh-whoa, whoa. Feel the fire deep within. You're the key to where my trust begins. Join my dream, it's just the right time, whoa”~

As the lights pulsed to the beat, (Y/n) descended from the heavens in her white dress, glowing in ethereal light.

~”Leave it all behind (all behind). Get ready now”~

“Hello, everyone,” She said sweetly to the crowd of fans. As all of them cheered so loud to their Angel. The arena lights up with colors that dance to the colors of the cosmos. As (Y/n) starts to descend from the top of the arena which makes her look like an Angel descending from heaven in her white dress. 

“You're my ANGEL” A male fan cried out to her. 

~“Rise up into my world. Renew your definition. World so high, let me show. And hear my declaration, "No more ties"”~

She landed gracefully, spinning across the stage. Fans raised their golden lightsticks in unison.

~“Off the ground and tap your feet. Look, stars are near when you feel the beat. We're bound for a greater height, ooh-whoa, whoa. Take a leap into the blaze. Don't lose yourself in mundanity. Join my dream, it is the right time, whoa”~

~“Leave it all behind. Get ready now”~

“Sing along with me, everyone.” (Y/n) called out. 

Thousands of voices joined in, her harmonies echoing through the dome. Backstage, even the crew sang along.

~“Welcome to my world, Renew your definition. World so high, let me show and hear my declaration, "No more ties."”~ As, (Y/n) danced around the stage triggering the Honmoon which glowed beautifully in her eyes and harmonized so hauntingly beautiful. 

~“Welcome to my world, Renew your definition. World so high, let me show. Now hear my declaration, Welcome to my world. Renew your definition, World so high, we'll show, and go beyond horizon. Side by side”~ 

As the final note rang out, she pointed upward.

“Everyone, look to the skies. I present to you… HUNTRIX!”

She said as fans pointed out and looked to the skies, while she backed away safely from the target landing of the boys. 

Back on the jet, chaos. 

The demons revealed themselves in their original forms. “The only ones dying tonight are your–” the big demons said but was interrupted by the burps of Miro. 

“Uh, I said. The only ones dying tonight are your–” He tried again as the other demons looked astonished with what happend. But was cut off again by the stomach gurgles of both Rumi and Zane. 

“I'm sorry, what?” Rumi asked as they were distracted by their stomachs. 

“YOUR FANS! We're gonna eat your fans!” The big demon couldn't take it anymore screamed at the boys. As the other four demons around him snarled and licked their fangs. 

“WHOA!” The boys exclaimed. “No. No, Thank you.” As they all said. “No. No. No.”

“Not our fans.” 

“When you mess with our fans…"

"We need to make it hurt." As Miro cracked his knuckles. The Honmoon ignited, lighting up the cabin in a supernatural glow.

~"Ugh, you came at a bad time"

"But you just crossed the line"

"You wanna get wild?"

"Okay, I'll show you wild!"~

The plane turned into a blur of motion: fists, glowing weapons, and intense choreo mid-air.

~“Better come right, better luck tryin', gettin' to our level

'Cause you might die, never the time, tryna start a battle

Bleeding isn't in my blood, 뼈속부터 달라서 (ppyeosokbuteo dallaseo)”~

Rumi poured hot water into their ramyeon cups mid-fight. Miro knocked a demon into a seat with the kettle. Zane poured sauce on a demon’s head while eating chips.

~”Beating you is what I do-do-do, yeah”~

Miro then throws the kettle to Zane. Beating down the leaping demons while pouring hot water for himself, Miro, and Rumi with no sweat.

~”Body on body

I'm naughty, not even sorry

And when you pull up, I'll pull up

A little late to the party (Na-na-na-na)

Locked and loaded, I was born for this

There ain't no point in avoiding it

Annoyed? A bit

불을 비춰 다 비켜, 네 앞길을 뺏겨 (Bureul bichwo da bikyeo, ne apgireul ppaetgyeo)”~

Before digging into their ramyeon, Rumi stopped both boys to show that it takes 3 minutes for the noodles to cook. So, they had something to pass the time and finish off the demons.

~"Knocking you out like a lullaby~"

"Hear that sound ringing in your mind~"~

They each summoned glowing weapons, daggers for Zane, a spear for Miro, a sword for Rumi.

~"Better sit down for the show"

"'Cause I'm gonna show you how it's done, done, done"~

They sliced down every demon with graceful, deadly flair, like it was part of their choreography. 

~”(Hey) Huntrix don't miss

How it's done-done-done

(Hey) Huntrix don't quit

How it's done-done-done”~

Glancing around at the boys, adoration and fun filled their expressions. Moving like lightning speed and the highlighting colors of their blades faster than usual and bodies consumed by calmness and beauty.

~"Run, run, we run the town"

"Whole world playin' our sound"

"Turnin' up, it's goin' down"

"Huntrix show this, how it's done, done, done"~

Suddenly, the plane started falling apart.

“Yeah, this plane’s trashed,” Miro said bluntly.

The three slurped down their noodles as the wreckage tumbled around them. “Okay, let's do this.” 

~”Yeah, something about when you come for the crown

That's so humbling, huh?

갑자기 왜 그래? 먼저 건드려, 왜?

이제야 포기해, what? (Gapjagi wae geurae? meonjeo geondeuryeo, wae? Ijeya pogihae, what?)

Nothing to us

Run up, you're done up, we come up

From sunup to sundown, so come out to play”~

They dove out of the jet, crashing down toward the stadium like comets.

~”Won either way, we're one in a million“

“We killin', we bring it, you want it? Okay”~

Catching up with the escaped demons, landing on them as they fixed up some makeup, hair and appearances. Pulling out of her pocket gulped down a pill of sorts with a bottle of water she somehow managed to down while falling.

~“Hair, nails, blade, mascara”

“Fit check for my napalm era”

“Need to beat my face, make it cute and savage”

“Mirror, mirror on my phone, who's the baddest? (Us, hello?)“~

Just as (Y/n) stepped back from center stage, glowing blue streaks lit up the sky. Fans gasped

~”Knocking you out like a lullaby

Hear that sound ringing in your mind

Better sit down for the show”~

“Everyone, look to the skies. I present to you. HUNTRIX!” The boys heard (Y/n) Introducing them into the microphone. 

“It's them.” A fan pointed out as two blue spotlights helped the fans see the three blue lights rocket to the stage. (Y/N) finding herself backstage with many stage crew members and staff running about. 

“Everyone, get ready, the boys are here now.” Nodding along with her instructions as they swiftly get to work. One worker hands her three other microphones as she runs towards the edge of the stage. Spotting the three demons in the centre and the large shadows of the boys in the smoke screen,

~”Cause I’m gonna show you (I’m gonna show you~)”

”(I’m gonna show you~) How it’s done-done-done”~

As the boys landed, (Y/n) threw them their mics mid-spin. Miro smirked at her.

~”I don’t talk, but I bite, full of venom (Uh)”

”Spittin’ facts, you know that’s”

“How it's done-done-done”~

A demon crashed into the crowd. “Cool costume!” a girl said, snapping a selfie right before Zane threw a blade straight through it.

~”Okay, like, I know I ramble”

”But when shootin’ my words, I go Rambo”

”Took blood, sweat, and tears, to look natural (Uh)”

”That’s how its done-done-done”~

A lone spotlight shines as (Y/n) and Rumi’s duet echoed across the stadium in harmony, bringing the crowd to tears.

Then, the final chorus. All four took center stage, dancing with power and elegance.

~“Hear our voice unwavering”

”Til our song defeats the night”

”Makin’ fear afraid to breathe”

”Til the dark meets the light~ (how its done-done-done)”~

Pushing their vocals to its highest high note in harmony. Continuing to belt and echo the chorus through towards the end. As the Honmoon starts to shine brightly.

~”Run, run, we run the town (done-done-done)

Whole world playin' our sound (done-done-done)

Turnin' up, it's going down (done-done-done)

Huntrix, show this how it's done-done-done”~

As the combination of both Huntrix and (Y/n) on stage dancing to the song, exhilarated the fans to the extreme. 

~”We hunt you down (down)

(Done-done-done)

We got you now (Got you now)

(Done-done-done)

We show you how-how-how (Show you how)”~

The Honmoon glowed a bright golden that flowed through the arena. Which excites the four, making them dance more enthusiastically.

~“HUNTR/X don’t miss, how its done-done-done~”

All four of them finished the song sticking together and striking a pose. Which end up having the crowd cheering and screaming. As the Honmoon then glowed stronger surrounding the country. As demons are now trapped in the underworld unable to break through the barrier. 

Author's note:

So, I hope everyone likes the chapter 01 so far. Hehehe. I based (y/n) more on the character of Robin in honkai star rail.

If you have any comments about the first chapter it would be much appreciation so that i could improve on the following future chapters.

I found the fanart in twt and it was so good that, that's what the Huntrix will look like as a boy band but I wanted to add cute little briad's scatterd around Rumi's hair.

TAGLIST

@gremlinartstudio @enerofairy @zoeyella1-4 @daisy56789 @0eye0 @sirenetheblogger @akariis4snowball @crescent-z @any-maybe @shoopershtar @bitchpleaseeeeeeeeee @foxinspace @selenescribes @onebraincellsaday @hoo-hoo @kitsune-05 @princessbonniebubblegumsblog @scarletsssarchive @bugworldsworld @redrage71890 @kashasenpai @hisashifrey @akiqvq @aespaminjeong @greensunflowerjuna @eyesdontread @eliengoddes @fandomgoddes05 @yirengbam7089 @themostdelusionalgirl @baby-bread-in @graceluvseilish @lynvriee @zomqiez @strayharmony943 @nevermorekisses @hikari-michiko @lizzymizzy-blogg @lovingyeet @chibiduck @hisashifrey @reni502 @queenofviolenceandnerds @gasoline-eater @tagmepls @gl00muraaii @prettylittlelavvy

@comicsol1999 @thoughtfulbananaduckcroissant @sunshinedaisy21

[paninisstuff]

Yes please-- i just saw one awhile ago 😤👊

If I search for one more “x reader” fanfic and get bombarded with fuckass OC characters im gonna have a hernia im so serious.

STOP PUTTING “X READER” HASHTAGS FOR A FIC THAT IS NOT X READER FUCKKK

[paninisstuff]

Other kind of demons

This is heavily inspired by Evelynn and other characters from K/DA or league of legends lol, first of all, English isn't my first language, sooo, if there's any kind of error in grammar or anything like that pls tell me, I'm trying to improve.

Kind of a prologue for all of this history?

Huntrix was definitely crushing the industry, all their songs were amazing and you could hear them whenever you walked in Korea, they were everywhere.

Of course behind all their success was the real reason why they did all of that, seal the honmoon, which was only wrowing stronger through every day, the demons would always be trapped at this rate.

But of course, they were artists, and even if they thought they were the greatest, their public could start to search other similar music, just to keep up with the trends.

And that's when she appeared, out of nowhere, without asking, an idol that had everyone on her hands with her music, suddenly it appeared on the top ten of the charts, and it didn't stop there.

"I'll show you?" Mira looked without believing it, it was just a song, and she actually never heard of it. "What is it even about?"

"I mean, it is really a feelings song, it tells a story behind it." Zoey looked at the charts too, at least she did heard it.

"Don't worry about it girls, it'll probably just be one hit, it's just a debut song after all." Rumi quickly turned away, trying to think in anything else that wouldn't worry her. "We could also do a song like that."

(then they started to do golden lol)

But of course, it won't end like that, this new idol was climbing to the top and it was clear that she was there to stay.

Her name was Y/N, and even if she was new on the scene, she was stealing fans from Huntrix, which was not a good thing for those girls.

The latest song she released was called 'The baddest' and the tones she could reach on it was what impressed everyone, it was just unbelievable.

And then it happened, at a small awards ceremony, Huntrix finally met their competition, it was just one girl, one girl suspiciously talented.

"Nice to finally meet you Huntrix!" Y/N said with a grin plastered on her face, extending her hand to shake it with the girls, to which only Rumi reacted.

"Nice to meet you too, you are really talented to make it here in a small amount of time." Rumi tried to make small talk, while Mira was basically judging the girl with her eyes.

"Well, I've been practicing for this almost my whole life." Y/N shrugged, placing a hand on her chin. "Well, that's kind of a long time." And with those words, her eyes shined with a golden light, just a flash that Mira didn't let pass, quickly stepping in front of Rumi.

"You-" She was cut off by the announcer, not getting to finish the sentence.

"Please, everyone make noise for our nominated!" That was the signal for all of them to enter the stage, Y/N being the first since she was the closer to it.

"You noticed, right?" Rumi whispered to Mira and Zoey while smiling entering the stage, the screams of the fans filling the air as they did their best to act normal.

"Yeah, she's a demon." Mira barely mumbled, not taking her eyes off of Y/N while she was just looking pretty without doing anything.

"Wait, but she's an idol?" Zoey said trying to keep up with the conversation. "I don't think she is bad."

"She's a demon Zoey, all demons are bad." Mira rolled her eyes. "And we kill demons."

Y/N gived them a quick glance, of course they were all looking at her, making her chuckle in place. She did it on purpose, she knew they were the hunters Gwi-Ma always talked about, just for this generation.

The awards continued, completely oblivious of the events between these girls, Huntrix won some categories, other idols there won others, but the most awarded? Y/N, obviously. Her voice captivated people in ways no one could possibly imagine, except Huntrix, which directly called it 'hypnosis' or at least something related to it.

At the end of the night, even if they wanted to relax, they needed to follow her and get rid of her, in anyway they could, and so they did.

It wasn't a really hard persecution, Y/N seemed to want them to follow her, which lead them to an abandoned building which was probably about to collapse.

"Woah, you really put some effort in being hunters." Y/N's voice resounded through the building.

"Oh so you knew we were hunters." Rumi sighed looking at her surroundings, making sure that her friends were next to her.

"Of course I did, I'm not an idiot, every demon that is sent to the human realm needs to know what you look like." Two silhouettes appeared behind the girls, quickly disappearing when Zoey used her daggers.

"And why did you let us follow you?" Mira also searched with her gaze, but it was like Y/N could disappear to nowhere.

"Because I'm not the kind of demon you should be wasting time fighting with, yet, you decided to do it." A lot of shadows appeared in front of them, surrounding the girls without attacking them.

"You're one of Gwi-Ma's puppets, of course we need to fight you." Rumi spoke again, not actually fighting the shadows, noticing they haven't done anything.

"Yeah, we need to send you back to that stupid demon realm." Zoey finally spoke up, throwing some daggers at the shadows, yet, nothing happened with them.

"You're hurting my feelings, hunters." Y/N appeared, or at least that's what they thought, quickly throwing their arms at her, revealing it was also a shadow. "If I were a demon like the ones you talk about I would have already killed you."

And with those words a tail —or what they thought was a tail— made the three of them to fall to the ground, realizing she was probably right.

"Ugh..." The group grunted, recovering from the moment. "Yeah, we'd probably been death by now." Rumi looked up, finally getting a look to Y/N, which was smirking at her.

"You're weak hunters, I must admit I'm quite more powerful than others, but even with that, you should be able to run away when things get hard." She extended her hand again to Rumi, this time to help her up.

Rumi doubted a second, but grabbed it.

"Thanks..." She smiled weakly, still unsure if trust her or not while helping her friends up.

"It's nothing." Y/N looked at the other two girls, which were also doubting, whispering something to Rumi. "Y'know, it's rude to whisper when someone else is around."

"Sorry, it's just... we don't fully trust you." Zoey said turning to try and face her.

"Why are you not fighting us?" Mira interrupted.

"As I already said, I'm not a demon that works with Gwi-Ma."

"But you said that you did?" Rumi raised her blade again.

"I did?" Y/N thought about what she said before, noticing that, in fact, she did. "Oh, yes, but it was past, I no longer do that, I've got rid of his control."

"Wait, Gwi-Ma controls the demons?" Zoey asked with her eyes widen.

"Uh, duh-uh? Demons that made deals with him end up being demons because of that, he remembers us the errors we had when we were alive and that's how he gets more humans to fall." Y/N rolled her eyes, then noticing the shock expression on the girls. "Wait, you didn't know it? That should be basic demonology or whatever they teach you!"

"Perhaps." "Yeah-" "Celine didn't call it demonology?" The tree of them spoke at the same time, then, Rumi stood in front of them. "How did you do that?" She spoke firmly.

"I realized that, fans are enough to keep me here, it's like... their adoration is enough to feed me, and I don't need souls, I feel their emotions connected with mine." Y/N grabbed Rumi's hand again, making her paterns stard to shine enough for her to notice, making her shiver and step backwards. "That's something you also do." She whispered only for her.

"So, you think other demons can do the same?" Mira spoke up without realizing what happened to Rumi.

"Not all of them, I mean, it probably only works with the ones that were humans, the ones that born like demons actually enjoy it quite a bit." Y/N shrugged, the others looked between themselves.

"You think you could help us killing demons?" Zoey's eyes lit up, the other two smiled softly, still a bit unsure.

"For real?" Y/N also doubted, she could do it, demons fighted and killed themselves back in the underworld. "I mean, yeah, if you let me. It would be nive to take some vengeance from Gwi-Ma."

The girls smiled between them, even Rumi had someone to talk about her little secret, there would be a new member on Huntrix, with Celine's approval or not. Y/N was a potential enemy, and they preferred to habe her as an ally.

"Welcome to out group, Y/N."

this is a reference for the tail that appeared, the rest of the body is jst there, feel free to imagine you like that or not, thanks if u read this all!

[paninisstuff]

PUPPY LOVE PT. 2

SUMMARY: What if you went on a school's field trip with your LADs interest (but MC is also on the trip and even worse, she was assigned to be his trip buddy)? How would it turn out?

WARNINGS: High School LADs!, Non-MC reader!, MC is a lil or big bish depending on your feels, pre-relationship crush state, cute first love angst incorporated with happy endings (because recently ive been too much on an angst roll so its time to give you all a breath of fresh air) <3, a yappa read because I can't stop gushing about how cute reader and the guys would be hehe T-T

AUTHOR'S NOTES: This could actually/potentially be an ongoing series because I really like to have a slice of life touch on these boys and I see so much potential in making them more alive and giving you lovelies more sources of delulu hehe <3

All artwork credit goes to 盐也 yannn_ye on Twitter and Weibo!

All dividers are sourced from this creator!

RAFAYEL - ART EXHIBITION

"Hey, wait up!" Just as everyone is ready to board the bus that is set to depart to the Linkon City Hall for a field trip to an art exhibition, you heard a shout from a distance, your head whipping behind you to spot the mauve haired classmate of yours rushing in to join at the end of the queue. Your teacher huffed, raising her clipboard to scribble something on the attendance list. Most likely to remark Rafayel's tardy behaviour.

"Rafayel Qi!" Your teacher called out to him, her index finger beckoning towards him. "Care to explain why you were late?" She seemed disappointed, but a hint of relief splashed across her face. Rafayel indeed, was the most wanted student to join in for this field trip given he is the art genius of the school. Whispers started drifting across the crowd of unfamiliar faces, some students watched him with curiosity while others watched him with envy. There is no denial that Rafayel is a popular kid.

You mimicked everyone's actions, tossing your bag into the storage compartment of the bus and boarded it accordingly, aiming to snatch two seats for you and your trip buddy. Earlier on, when the field trip was first announced, Rafayel had approached you asking to be your field trip companion as it is a requirement to ensure everyone's safety. Without the skip of a heartbeat, you agreed without hesitation. "Great, can't wait for the field trip with you, y/n." Rafayel winks at you and beelined to join his friends on his way out of the class, leaving you in your seat, blushing madly.

"I was up till late last night trying to draft up a mural for the school's main entrance's wall." He explained, an apologetic smile on his face. Both of his hands raised up in surrender. But the teacher only raised her eyebrows, question marks plastered all over her face. "Headmaster Zhou's orders."

Sighing, the teacher tapped her pen against the clipboard, eyeing the list of names before she spoke. "Fine, just because the headmaster asked you to do it then I shall not reprimand you. Glad you are joining us on this trip Rafayel." She briefly waved him off and Rafayel hopped onto the bus right after he placed his belongings in the storage lot.

You nervously tapped your fingers against your knee, entertaining yourself to the scattered voices in the bus. You do not know anyone in the bus as this field trip is open for anyone who is interested and given your class consist mostly of nerds, none of them even bothered to apply for this field trip, other than you and Rafayel and MC. The seat you had chosen is near the end of the bus, where chatters would be more hushed and would provide a more necessary ground for you and Rafayel to talk.

Craning your head up, you try to look over the heads of other students to try to spot Rafayel. And there he comes, with his blazer draped lazily over his wide shoulders as he boards the bus. His eyes scanned the crowd before they landed onto yours, and he smiled dashingly. Seeing his reaction, you averted your gaze, your cheeks scorching at the same time. Honestly, you have always had a crush on Rafayel, but you were not sure if he felt the same towards you.

"Hey, mind if I sit here?" You looked up, and inwardly frowned when you see a raven haired boy looking down at you, his headset swung around his neck, with an awkward smile directed at you. "The bus is full and the only spot available is this one." What? You turned your head to see where Rafayel is at only to find him already seated at the front seat, next to someone that you could not identify based on the back of their heads. You felt betrayed at that moment, your heart shrunk at the thought of him choosing to sit with someone else rather than you. You even questioned if you were hyped up for nothing, and that perhaps he was just trying to fish for attention from you but does not actually want anything to do with you.

"Yeah sure, the seat is opened." You gestured towards the currently open seat next to you and the guy sat down immediately. Once all of the students are seated, the teacher was the last one to come onto the bus, initiating the last head count before the bus departs. She did mentioned something at the end of her headcount duty but your sense of hearing was already drowned out by the constant low murmur in your conscience.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

When the bus arrived at the Linkon City Hall, you witnessed the crowds that are huddled at the main entrance, entering into the art exhibition with excitement. The City Hall was decorated with large banners on its pillars, showcasing some of the main highlights of the art exhibition; abstract art, sculptures, dioramas and etc. It is called the grand art exhibition for a reason and the duration spans for a whole month, where themes would be exchanged throughout every week. "I am Dennis." The guy beside you spoke and you turned to face him, one of your eyebrows quirked up at his sudden introduction. "The teacher mentioned whoever we are sat together with, that shall be our partner for the day. Haven't you heard?"

"I see." Your reply came off to be more monotonous than what you had expected. As a courtesy, you introduced yourself to him. "I am y/n, it is nice to meet you Dennis."

The raven haired guy tucked his headsets into a gray dust bag and followed up with another question, thinking that it would not be a bother for him to get to know you more since he would be spending most of the day being your partner anyways. He may as well be on decent terms with you just so the both of you could be comfortable with one another. "You're a fan of arts?"

"You can say so." You nodded, briefly catching his appearance. Dennis does not look bad himself, with dark grey eyes mimicking nearly the same tone as his raven hair. "How about you?" You decided to return the question to him, seeing how he was trying to make conversation. It could maybe, act as a good distraction for you before your conscience starts chewing you up.

The small talk lasted till the bus was well parked and everyone stood up, waiting to get off of the bus. This is the exact moment you caught on to who your crush was sitting next to, MC. You could feel your heart getting crushed at that moment. Of course it has to be MC, the prettiest girl in class, the one that people would always list as their top favourite. When Rafayel walks next to her, it looked good. They looked good as a couple afterall and that got you to sigh, already feeling defeated to go through this exhibition for the remainder of the day.

"The ones at the back, you guys should get down first, because if I do not keep an eye on you, god knows where you guys would disappear to." True enough, the teacher's gaze was trained on the few students at the back of the bus, for they are well known for their playful attitude. "The rest from the back, go along with them." You checked onto your seat before following Dennis out onto the line. This time, you heart had seemingly slowed down its beats as you got closer to where Rafayel was seated.

"Hey." You felt a lingering touch on your pinky finger when the line halted, the teacher shouting something incoherent outside of the bus. You were so lost in your own mood that you did not realise that you are right beside Rafayel, his charming smile apparent on his face. He was indeed looking forward to this trip with you and his smile conveys it, but you did not managed to catch it. More like you did not want to. "I'll catch up to you later yeah?"

No apology, no explanation, no nothing. Your inner self just crossed her arms and huffed, chin up and is already stomping back into your heart, then slamming the gummy-organ-door behind her with a huge SPLAT! He just has that stupid smile adorned on his handsome face while MC stands beside him, her eyebrows furrowed when she scanned you from your top to your bottom, lowkey judging you. "It's okay." You took MC's dagger-like gaze as a warning, even more motivated to back off when Rafayel did not even bother explaining himself. "I am paired up with Dennis, I will just go with him." Rafayel's smile faltered, his eyes lost the spark for a short moment when you shut him down just like that. "You guys have fun."

Dennis, who heard the call of his name turned his head in response and he looked down at you, his towering height surpassing Rafayel's and he beamed at you. The small talk the both of you shared just now was enlightening. Dennis is good at cracking a joke or two and is decent enough for you to initiate conversations with him, but you did not expect what comes out of his mouth next would change the course of your trip. "Careful of the steps, y/n." That sentence irked Rafayel.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

"I can't believe this is art." Dennis commented, face so close to the canvas that he could kiss it if he puffs his lips out. "What can you even derive from this?" He turns to look at you with his index pointing towards the canvas in full black, disbelief is the only look that he has been carrying the whole time the both of you are in the section for abstract modern art.

You stifle back your laughter, his company surprisingly refreshing for you. Your chest felt lighter just by basking in the moment of nonsensical commentaries. "I don't know, black is the new IT colour?" Dennis chuckled at your commentary and shake his head, his hand coming up to shield his face. A habit you had noticed throughout the one hour whenever he is genuinely amused. Dennis continues on to the next piece, eager to complete his achievement of being able to find a piece of abstract art that he could interpret.

However, from across the hall, stood Rafayel, hands in his pockets, his blazer now worn as a proper fit instead of draped over his shoulders. He was supposed to enjoy this field trip, but here he is, stuck next to MC who knows nothing nor shows any damn interest to the artworks that were on display. The least she could do was stare at it, but the only thing she could spare her attention on was that technological brick in her hands. "Rafayel, I think we should take a picture to commemorate this. What do you think?"

The same high pitched voice that stuck around from the start of the trip till now. The same voice that tricked him into thinking that you were the one who had secretly made a pact behind his back when he got onto the bus and saw Dennis beelining with a purpose towards the seat next to you. He had no idea how you knew Dennis nor did he bothered to question further when you were seemingly distant to him and seeing Dennis reminded you to watch for your steps in the bus, it got your crush equally devastated. "Rafayel." He nearly forgotten that his presence was required by MC.

"Did you not see the huge warning signs plastered all over the hall stating that no pictures were allowed?" Annoyed, Rafayel pointed towards a few of the signs he was mentioning to her and that got MC flustered, nervously tucking her stray hair behind her ears to hopefully rub off some of the awkwardness. Turning away from MC, his eyes caught sight of you and Dennis. The both of you walked in tandem, going from one artwork to the other, him making a comment and you smiling unguardedly.

The mauve haired crush of yours felt something simmering under his aloof facade. His expressions now stoic and unreadable as he continued witnessing your interactions with Dennis. Lips pressed into a near-imperceptible line, his posture has instilled an unnatural forced tension as if he was holding something back. Perhaps the primal urge to push through the crowd and landing a fist right onto Dennis' pointed cheek or the urge to play the rival love interest by snatching you by your arm and whisking you away just like those soap dramas he would watch during exam seasons to destress.

Your conscience is back, banging against the same door she had shut closed just a while ago, yelling something about a dour gaze that was trained on you behind your back. You listened and turned, and you wished you had not done it. Rafayel was there, at the end of the hall, with an expression that is close to impassive, but his eyes gave him away. The purple pink orbs of his studied you, like the marbled floor was holding him hostage, forcing him to decide if he should approach you or to just walk away.

"I need the restroom." You informed Dennis and broke the eye contact with Rafayel before he could make up his mind. Dennis responded in an instant, informing you that he would stay put and await for you. You pushed yourself through the crowds---earning yourself a few death glares from adults---trying to get to somewhere that could give you the space to breathe, or the least, to let your conscience crawl back into her bed to rest so she could stop pestering you about the only thing that could topple your mood.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

After a short romance-crisis that came to no avail on the toilet seat, you washed your face and headed back out to the grand hall only to be met with Rafayel leaning against the newly restored wall, arms crossed and clearly anticipating your arrival. Catching his figure, you swiftly turned on your heel to head the opposite way. "Y/n!" He called out for you and you hated the way your feet stopped abruptly.

Wearing your best poker face, you faced him and your inner conscience fainted. Surrounded by art, Rafayel blends right in as a living statue. His hair tousled with striations of fingertips that ran through his hair one too many times as he was waiting for his crush. He was anxious. "What?" You clipped, crossing your arms.

"I did not mean to sit with MC in the bus." His gaze did not falter from your eyes. Those orbs of his had now shifted into a hue of pinkish under the sunlight's embrace. "She told me that you were sitting with Dennis. And when I looked up, he was there, standing right next to you." His gaze fell, quietly counting the fine lines on the tiles. "I thought you went behind my back to sit with him."

Listening to his explanation, you only found out that the both of you were actually in the same position the whole time. Both thinking the same exact idea of being betrayed. "Why did you not come over to ask?" Your arms dropped from it's interlinked position, your eyes softening simultaneously.

Rafayel's ears started taking on a shade of ruby, his gaze lingered on you for a bit and back to the floor they went. "That's because when I first asked you about it in class, you seemed a little reluctant to sit with me." His hand came up to rub the back of his neck as the blush spreads across his cheeks now. "I didn't want to make you uncomfortable." This guy and his antics. It made you mimicked his blush, a pinkish hue now tinting your cheeks in response.

"Why would I be uncomfortable?" You took this opportunity to dig deeper, to find out his trail of thoughts. To know if he actually reciprocates the same feelings you harbour for him. Despite many times he would do things that makes you question your dynamic with him, but given his flirtatious nature, you seemed to be standing more on the odds of him actually liking you.

Rafayel was a little taken aback by your reply. You are not the type to ask open-ended questions and hearing this from you, his lips curled up into a smile, his flirty nature kicking into drive. "You might think that I am only playing with your feelings?" You bit your lip, not knowing what he is planning to say next. You felt a warm touch against your cheek and you looked at him, one of his hand cupping your cheek and he smiled. At you. "When truthfully, I only do that to you. Despite what everyone says about me being a playboy and all, rumours stay rumours for a reason, cutie." The usage of that nickname only added more significance to you now. He only calls you that and he could not make it any clearer than ever.

Seeing your lips turning up into a smile, Rafayel leaned in at the right moment and gently pecked your lips to further prove his statement. Pulling back onto to be met with the same artwork he had saw just a while back, the one that was hung in the corner, with the ominous title of 'RED EVERYWHERE'. You are a great depiction of that artwork now. His hand that was on your cheek rubbed small circles in an attempt to soothe your redness. "Say cutie, why don't we sit together on the ride home later?"

SYLUS - ODDITY MUSEUM

"This is a big museum, so I would advice all of you to walk in small groups so you guys won't go lost alright?" The teacher pushed the glasses higher up his nose bridge after performing a headcount, an eyebrow of his raised when he realised that the list is missing one more head. Puzzlement present on his face as he had just started this job a month ago and is not familiar with any of the faces matching the names. "We are still missing one more named Sy--"

A loud roar thundered through the quiet neighbourhood. A flash of midnight racing through the bright streets till it screeched to a sudden stop at the side of the road. Conversations and chatters filled the air once the rider got off of his superbike, dressed in the mirroring uniform as everyone at the front entrance of the museum. The rider then removed his helmet and the tuff of silver hair got the chatters going on even more. It is no doubt it's the last student in the head count list. Sylus.

"And I think we are all good for the head count." The teacher announced and he stepped aside to allow entry into the infamous Oddities and Curiosity Museum in Linkon. Sylus' figure towered over most of the boys on the trip, earning him some reproachful looks from the guys while the girls find his attendance to be nurturing to their eyes. It is not that hard to earn such attention when he is a scion of a notable family; the one that helps build the school you are currently attending. With captivating features and an aura that exudes both elegance and latence strangth, Sylus holds the top one spot for your school's best looking male.

The air has changed the moment you stepped into the building. It was cooler indoors compared to the jarring heat you had to endure through the process of headcount just now. The museum reeked of aged wood, soured candle wax with hints of metal and dust. The lighting inside was provided by webbed bulbs hung from wrought-iron chandeliers, flickering slightly with every microscopic sway as if it was lit by the ancient mechanism of candlelight, even though they were clearly wired.

Sylus casually strided, gait relaxed as he widened his steps to catch up to you. "Y/n." You were so enthralled by the interior of the museum that you had nearly forgotten your crush is right behind you, his height towering over yours. If he were to grow any taller, the top of his head would have brushed the cobwebs off of the bulbs. You looked up at him and prompted for him to continue. "Are you disturbed by museums as such?" His index finger pointed behind you, eyes flitting between you to the item behind you and you turned.

A twin-headed calf, stuffed carefully into a jar the size of your palm, pickling in formaldehyde. Odd skeletal remains labeled 'unverified' strung up by fishing lines against the wallpapered walls, each of it an odd size and shape and none of it fit the profile of a human skeletal structure. Taxidermied animals posed in eerie human-like positions stood guard below those skeletal remains. A chill ran down your spine when you figured that this trip may be more alike to a haunted house adventure and you were silently hoping that there would not be any actors in costumes nor automated dolls that lunges at you through motion triggered rigs.

"No." Your voice steady and you even threw in a head shake to prove your point to your crush. One of his eyebrow was raised, questioning your confidence. Sylus knows that you are not one to enjoy horror-themed items, hence the question was asked. Knowing you for a couple of years, you could not even bear to sit through a police demonstration in school. Those annual events where they get the police to come to school, to explain crimes that are common amongst teenagers and showcase the consequences one shall face if they were to go against the law. It always ends with a good whack performed on 'cotton-stuffed criminals' as to contribute to the anti-bullying sentiment. And those were the times Sylus really enjoys watching you peeking out from the cracks in between your fingers whenever a 'thwack' sound echoes through the hall. You raised both of your hands up and waved them, smiling through thick skin. "I really am not scared Sylus."

Nodding, the man gestured towards the hallway ahead and you could feel your knees buckled subsconsciously. The path ahead is narrow and labyrinthe-coded, with velvet curtains draped along the walls, parting small gaps that reveals glass cabinets and shadow boxes filled with more things that you have to bravely scan through now that you had established your fearless attitude in front of your crush. You could not disappoint.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

10 minutes into the trip, you had been unusually slow in your steps, eyes warily trying to take a glimpse into any glass cases at any angle possible so you could prepare yourself before arriving in front of it. Sylus was beside you the whole time, hand occasionally brushing against yours in the tighter corners of the walkways. You come across a cracked porcelain music box that was displayed in a case, the lack of winding key does not stop it from playing a haunting tune. And what got your goosebumps growing was the ballerina centerpiece was made out of skeletal remains. After staring at it for a good 20 seconds, you were eager to move on only to hear someone calling out to the guy next to you. "Sylus!"

The brunette long-haired classmate of yours approached, eyes beaming up at Sylus. "I was looking for you everywhere! You have to give me a tour of some of these pieces that your father had donated to this museum!" That is an interesting piece of information that you did not hear from Sylus himself. If only you were made of guts of steel, you would have told MC to back off from your field trip 'date' but clearly, reading the room is never the girl's strong suit. Even if it is, she barely cares to acknowledge it. "I want to hear everything about it!" And she slings herself around his arm casually. If she could transform into a snake, Sylus would definitely be wrapped around by her slithering figure at this pace, no doubt.

Sylus turned to you, eyes already wary of your reaction as he did look forward to this trip. Specifically, spending some alone time with you. You are quite the social butterfly in your class and Sylus rarely gets to spend some quiet time with you. "I'll be fine." You are quick to address a question he did not even plan to ask. Because the guy was not even planning to spend his precious time with anyone else, nobody else other than you. "You go ahead and tell her what she needs to know. I will meet you later okay." Your tone was reassuring but your heartbeat was quickening, your conscience already rolling up her sleeves and flossing her teeth to get ready to chomp at MC for stealing your date. But the conscious stays within her own bounds and you were glad they do not have the chance of overriding your movements.

You then continue to ascend further into the museum, his explanations conveyed in a flat tone to MC the last thing you hear as the aphotic darkness of the next exhibition room open its arms for you, floorboards creaking underneath your weight as if playing a welcoming tune to you. MC's newfound information did somewhat bothered you. Maybe that makes sense given that her father has close ties with Sylus. They might not be as close as the likelihood of being childhood friends but given the amount of information MC knows, it may suggest otherwise to a clueless y/n. Her heartstrings tugged a little, part of her wanted to believe that Sylus has his own reasons for not telling her anything about his father's contributions to this oddity museum. Yet, another part of her just wanted to lean towards the idea of biasness.

Sylus on the other hand, watched you leave out of his peripheral vision and he grunted inwardly. The reason why he did not say no to MC was because he remembered his father pestering him to introduce the items that he had donated, for he claimed that these oddities are part of his blood and sweat and tears and Sylus is only playing his part of being the good kid to his father's glory. At the back of his mind, he was a little unsettled. Maybe more than just a little. "O...M...G... Sylus, I didn't know your dad is this cool!" MC's shrill voice grounded Sylus back to land, he was barely registering whatever she was saying or asking until y/n's name was mentioned. "I don't know why y/n has that long face, all these things hold a piece of legacy and yet she seemed like she did not even want to be here. What a waste."

Sylus' eyes drifted to MC for a moment, watching her pout and he eyed her arm that was wrapped around his bicep and he sighed, using his other arm to push her grip away. "Save your compliments for the informational boards next to the exhibits, I've had enough of explanations." MC was dazed, confused as her arms dropped to her sides and she watched as the man departed from her side.

"But Sylus!" She called out to him and stumbled forward, grabbing onto the edge of his shirt for support and Sylus gritted his jaw, already getting annoyed at her. He glared down at her, crimson eyes glowed brightly in contrast to the dim lighting. His lips now are upturned, frown evident and MC gulped. She had never seen him show this sort of expression. Chuckling nervously, she released her grip on him and she tried to reason with him. "My dad actually asked me to go on this trip with you so I can get to know more about you and get closer to you. Your dad was the one who encouraged us to be closer to one another given that I had just moved here."

Sylus' austere demeanour did not falter. He may be aloof to y/n's eyes, but this guy holds more consciousness of his surroundings compared to the average guy of his age. Seeing MC standing in front of him, with puppy eyes, he sent her a look of reproach. "You already knew that you're new here. All the more reason for you to meet some new friends, MC." Casually, he adjusted the collar of his uniform. "I am already well acquainted with y/n and I do not wish to be disturbed." Then, he careened out of the room with long strides to catch up with the one he really wanted to spend time with.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

Alone, you had arrived at the Paranormal Wing. The narrow hallways do not give way to other options for other exhibits and haunted items are just a natural recipe for disaster. Looking behind, your heart thumped at the lack of crowds. You happen to be the only one here and you silently cursed yourself into thinking why did you not wait for Sylus to finish his tour. Yet, you knew that seeing how close MC is with him, you would only end up gnawing at your lips and pushing through the whole exhibition by yourself anyways. Either ways, you are here now and there is no turning back.

The room was darker than the rest of the museum, the wall lamps hesitated to brighten up the corners of room. It was dead silent too---the kind of silent that one would be granted in a sepulcher, where one's breath and footsteps echoes the sign of life. Even the air does not fit right through your nostrils. You followed along the carpeted path, footsteps light and ready to sprint for your life if anything comes to life. Coming close to an antique mirror that was held up by a charred wooden frame, its aged glass reflected dully and carried weird etchings on the mirror pane. The plaque below it displays:

Mirror of Fate. A mirror that tells the present of the future, behold your greatest fears and hope as you stare into your reflection.

Curiosity nagged at you and you stared at your own reflection. At first you seemed normal, just like how you would look like in your everyday mirror but when the hairs on the back of your neck started standing it got you having second thoughts. When did your eyes started to droop?

The light behind you flickered in morse codes and through the reflection, you watched the silhoutte of an aphotic, tall, angular figure hovered behind you. Asphyxia hit you for the first time and your feet had a set navigation before your mind could make you turn. The silhouette came closer, with a pair of eyeless sockets fixed on you through the mirror and panic shot through your senses. "AHHH!" You screamed and dashed, missing the exit sign entirely and heading deeper into the exhibition in search for a place to hide. All of your hairs are on high alert now, metaphorically watching the surrounding for you as your own eyes darted for an ideal hideout spot.

You ran past more exhibits in glass cases and you did not halt until you spotted a storage-like alcove tucked behind a heavy velvet purple curtain. Your heart is banging against your chest so hard that the silence is no longer a concern. You dived right towards the alcove and curled up, tears forming around your eyes as you tried to comfort yourself, struggling to find logical reasoning from what you had just witnessed. There was no way that was an illusion---probably just holograms and your nerves playing tricks on you---it must have been something of the supernatural. In that moment, you wished that you had never strayed from Sylus.

Your crush on the other end of the museum, noticed that you had already advanced too quickly through the other rooms. His chest tightened, a subtle pang, quiet but urgent. Striding from one room to another, he searched for you. "Y/n?" Your name was like a prayer to him, on repeat and held on with hope. He certainly wished that you did not misunderstood the scenario that happened between him and MC. But even if you did, the blame is on him and he would not back down from comforting you as long as you consent him to do so. Sylus never pushes himself onto you, for he is a man of manners and that is one of the main reasons why he did not disclose the information about his father's donated oddities because he did not want to come off as to be a show off in front of you. He would eventually reveal it if there was a chance given.

"Where did you go..." He trailed off, his murmurs swallowed by the walls surrounding him till he came to the Paranormal Room and his eyes caught sight of the mirror immediately, the same haunting figure still stood there with those hollowed eye sockets. However, a line at the edge of the mirror blinked every five seconds, with the writing 'YOU HAD BEEN PRANKED! BOO!'. The dots connected in Sylus' head. You must have been scared shitless from this mirror's gimmicks. "Y/n." His eyes snapped towards the only way out and he started to trace your steps, trying to muster up an imagination on where you could have ran off to.

Turning a corner and walking past some more glass cases featuring shrunken heads, the man gruntled in annoyance when his wide shoulders could barely fit through the narrowing halls. Then he caught it, the light uneven breathings behind one of the heavy curtains. The ones that covers what seemed to be a perfect hiding spot for someone a size like yours. He slowly approached it, not wanting to startle anything behind the curtains and he drew it open. You sat there, hands cupped against your ears and you looked up in an instant when the curtains are withdrawn.

The look you bear on your face could make him burn the whole museum down. Your eyes were wide with pupils blown wide, tears brimmed around your rims while a few managed to trickle down your cheek. You were shivering in fear, hands lowering its guard when your eyes took in Sylus' figure. "Sylus..." Your meek voice got the man kneeling down right in front of you. You were really trying your best to hold your tears back, your choked sobs now changing its pace towards being relieved. "Sylus, I..."

He grabbed you by the arm and with one forceful tug, you were pulled into his chest. Your cheek landed with a thud against his chest, and he envelopes you into a hug. He was silent, his heartbeat and calm breaths formed a comforting rhythm for you to abide. You returned the hug, arms snaked around his waistline and you stayed in his arms, letting your cries take over. The whole time Sylus just held you close, head leaned against your temple and the hand behind your back rubbing up and down to soothe you. "It's okay now, I am right here y/n."

Pulling back, your eyes seek for him in a feeble attempt to determine if he was just another apparition that is part of the museum's party tricks. His gaze softened, knowing exactly what was running through your mind and he gently wrapped his big hands around your smaller ones and brought it up to the side of his face. On cue, you started tracing his jawline, as if you're trying to remember how it feels under your touch if there comes a day you ever go blind. "I should've stayed with you." He broke the silence again, the tension now building as his crimson orbs stared right into yours, acknowledging your fear. You caught on to his longing stare, where he darts in between your eyes and your lips.

You leaned up and pressed your lips against his. It was sudden, but Sylus reciprocated it like it was meant to happen. He had always wanted to taste your lips, but he could never see himself forcing something out of you and with how you took the initiative today, he was glad that you felt the same about him. The kiss ended after a minute and you pulled back, blushing furiously as you tried to hide your face against his chest. Sylus chuckled in return, hands coming up to brush your cheek and conveniently tugging a stray strand of your hair behind your ear and he whispered. "There shall not be any distractions from now on, sweetie." And in that hidden corner of the museum---surrounded by strangeness and darkness that could easily grant you a lifetime of trauma--- you felt safe in his arms.

XAVIER - SCOUTS CAMP

You fished out your ticket excitedly, staring at the wooden signboard above you, with the words 'AZURE PEAK' etched on it intricately. Verdurous greenery is a common theme here and you were glad to be able to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and to spend peace at such a refreshing camp. Other than that, getting to hang out with your crush Xavier is a plus point. Initially, your summer holiday is going to be 'eventful'; you had plans that consisted of books, naps, games and there goes the dour cycle, repeating itself till the new semester takes place. Boring of course, but it has been a common routine of yours for every year.

Walking out of your class at the last day of school before the summer break hits, your eyes caught sight of a poster on the notice board outside of your class. The lime green typography against a dark blue background caught your eye immediately. You scanned through the details on the poster, realising that it is a summer camp event that was held by your school's scouts society. "Are you interested?" A voice travelled from beside you. Turning your head, you caught sight of your classmate ---whom is also your longtime crush--- Xavier. His head cocked aside, body leaned lazily against the wall as he awaited for your response. His blond hair swayed slightly to the gentle breeze, the sunlight creating a halo effect on his head.

"I had never been to these kind of camps..." You trailed off, your finger sliding across the paper to land on a tiny fine print. "Over here it states that priorities are given to members of the scouts society." Sighing, you shook your head as if you had already decided your fate but Xavier lightly grabbed ahold of your wrists, his eyes bearing witness to your slight disappointment. Feeling such a innocent yet close contact of his, you could not help but blushed at the interaction.

"I've taken the liberty to join the scouts society this semester." He used his other hand to fish something out of his pocket and it revealed an A6 version of the poster; thinner, more rectangular and has a close resemblance to what an amusement park ticket would look like. "Here, I got one more extra." He cooed, placing the ticket in your palm and practically forcing you to take the ticket without your consent. Xavier knew your summer schedule like the back of your hand and this time, he may have found the right reason to get you out of your confined room for once.

Xavier had always wanted to spend his summer holidays with you but on multiple occasions, he was dragged on for family trips and holidays that he could not even find the time to spend it with you. At the start of this new semester, he was already told that his parents would not be around during the summer holidays due to their busy schedule and without hesitation, Xavier joined the scouts society after finding out that you never had the opportunity to join a camping trip. Yes, dough-faced bunny went through all of the trainings and marches and instruction abiding for the sake of gaining access to this exclusive scouts camp just for you.

Staring at the ticket in your palm, your jaws went slacked because you knew that these tickets are very hard to get especially when it is such a popular option for teens your age to spend the summer holidays away from home. "Thank you Xavier." You looked up at him and you grinned, corners of your lips nearly touching your ear lobes. Seeing you smiling like a Chesire Cat, his heart thumped slightly against his chest. All of the hardships he had went through during the society immediately shoved into the back of his head, locked and sealed with yellow tape. Xavier returned your smile, your radiance already outplaying the sun's rays beckoning at his back.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

After submitting your ticket at the entrance, you waited patiently by a notice board that displays the map of the trail. Yesterday night through text, Xavier had asked for you to wait for him because he was afraid of you not being able to conquer the mountain trail by yourself---he was also rather keen on the idea of being able to hold your hand as he leads you up the hardest trail he could opt for. His concern---or so you had convinced yourself to believe---had left you awake in your bed, tossing and turning like you had just won the lottery. Hence, now you stood, at the foot of the mountain, with eyebags that could easily be disguised as an eye makeup gone wrong and a feeling of regret that weighs heavier than your packed bags.

"Y/n." A distant voice travelled to you and you slowly looked up from the view of the crumpled leaves beneath your feet and there he stood, right in front of you, with the signature eye smile that you are hopelessly in love with. "Oh, are you alright?" The smile dropped and he leaned down closer to analyse your face. You stood still, taking in the view of his cerulean blues as he eyed you, your heart pounding against your rib cage. A hand flew up and it landed on your head, his smile returning when he noticed your dazed state. "It's okay, I'm sure you're tired of waiting for me. Sorry for keeping you waiting."

His apology waked you from your reverie and your eyes widened, trying to figure out what he was apologising for. Playing it cool, you smiled back and shook your head. "No, Xavier, don't apologise for something you did not do wrong."

His hand on top of your head ruffled your hair slightly and he chuckled. "How is making you wait for me not a crime? You're so nice that your eyebags are the ones betraying you." Pointing out your insecurity and making it into a lighthearted joke is only something Xavier manages to do and never once were you offended by it. Before you could say something else, he carried both of your bags with ease and jerked his head towards the direction of the trail. "Shall we start our ascend now?"

The trail that Xavier had chosen features a lot of gentle slopes, decorated by moss-covered boulders and accompanied with wooden signposts to indicate the altitude and remainder time needed to reach the campsite following the trail. With a beginner like you however, the 10 minutes signpost that you had seen seemed like a total joke. This trail was supposed to only take 30 minutes and yet at the 50th minute, you are still not reaching the campsite. But neither you nor Xavier is complaining. "Let's take a small break, y/n." Xavier suggested and held his hand out to you.

You grabbed hold onto his hand, the warmth of it adding a tinge of blush to your cheeks and he hoisted you up the boulder and sat you down right next to him. The both of you were so close that the birdsongs were silenced as your shoulders touched against one another. "Thanks." You managed to muster out as you tried to catch your quick breaths and you internally frown when he withdrew his hand from yours. Sat next to him, you got to actually admire the nature enveloping you. The dappled sunlight filtered through the canopy in warm, golden slants. The forest consists of mostly pine trees, which exhaled the scent of pine needles and earth that made you wished that you could bottle up the scent in an air freshener and bring it home with you.

"Hey." His soothing voice broke through the nascent peacefulness you were experiencing. "I'm glad that you decided to come on this trip with me."

Your lips tugged into a wide smile, nodding. "Yeah, I'm glad too." And for the rest of the climb, as the trail grew steeper and the sun rises higher above your heads, you silently wished that this climb never comes to an end.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

After arriving at the campsite, Xavier was practically ripped away from your side by his other scout members. He did flashed you an apologetic smile before he was dragged away but seeing him being a necessity within his society does spark a sense of curiosity in you. Xavier has always been the more reserved type in your class, always hunched at the back of the class, napping away ---while still getting to be on top of his grades---and lacks initiative to start conversations with everyone. Everyone else except you. At the camp site, you felt like an accessory now, just a potted plant amongst the scout members until a girl approached you, a clipboard against her chest and a smile on her face. "Y/n right?"

"Yeah." You chirped, finally having to be able to talk to someone who is aside from your crush. The girl slid her pen down the clipped paper on her clipboard and hummed in unison of her pen taps. Her eyes leafing through line by line until it halted. Her pearly whites naturally returning to her face when her gaze catches yours.

"I will need your help to go and get some water from the stream down that path there. Do you think you can do it?" Hesitation evident in her voice but her grin was a contrast to her worry for you. "Just two buckets full would do. We need it to put off the campfire later so it would be best to get it ready before the skies turn dark." Your nod in response reeled in a cheer from the girl with the clipboard and she gestured to the two buckets behind her.

Heaving up two empty buckets is a full routine for someone whom holds grudge against sports. Leaves piled along the narrow and bald pathway, a muddy carpet spread out ahead of you as you trudged through while being serenaded by the cicada choir. The trail leads you straight to the stream as mentioned by the girl earlier and from a distance, you caught sight of a blond mane standing by the side of the opalescent river. No doubt that is Xavier and next to him, stood MC. Her brunette locks tied up into a messy bun, sleeves pushed up on both of her arms and legs and she was gleaming at Xavier, her smile wide.

"Why are you so funny?!" Thwack. A slap landed on his shoulder and Xavier staggered backwards, nearly losing his balance on the pebbled bank. Now he figured why the scouts leader asked her to go for wood foraging with him. "I thought you were here for y/n, but I didn't know you would be here helping me! Isn't this destiny?!"

"What---" Before Xavier could utter another word, he was yanked backwards by the edge of his shirt and the muscular, tall young man staggered yet again. The sentence of his finished by y/n who stood by his side; fists balled, eyebrows furrowed, ears painted red and if she could, steam is pumping full on out of her ear canals. "Y/n?"

"So you left me all alone at the camp just so you could be here with..." Your eyes trailed off to MC, her smile had been replaced with the shape of an 'O'. "Her?"

"No, I was just asked to team up with her for wood foraging." Xavier blinks in confusion, gaze flitting between his crush and the wannabe crush of his. "I was just here to wash my hands and she caught up and started saying all of this..."

Your palm made him stopped talking, grin slowly taking place on your lips before you turned to look at MC. "You can stop trying, MC." Her hasty blinks urged you to continue on. "I saw you were waiting for me to approach from a mile away before you decided to go up to Xavier and pull whatever this stunt is called." Your hands gestured to the space in front of you.

Eyes widened, MC only bit back, metaphorical fangs baring as a defensive measure. "Well? So what if I did? What can you do about it?"

A hand slithered up the back of your neck and gripped onto your chin, guiding your face to turn. And Xavier pressed his lips to yours, his other arm safely found its spot around your waist and he pulled you back against him. The chaste kiss was not long enough for you to close your eyes but it sure as hell made a statement to MC. "You can't, because y/n's my girlfriend now." Steam started charging out of all of your orifices now as your face burnt crimson.

ZAYNE - NATIONAL ZOO

The morning sun rays gleamed across the animal themed arch of the zoo's entrance. Beside you, MC was admiring her own facial features on the small pocket mirror that she always carry around. One could easily tell with her dolled up face, she is looking forward to this zoo trip. "I wonder where is Zayne." She muttered under her breath, an impatient grunt slipped past her glossed lips and she shoved the pocket mirror back into the side pocket of her bag, casually flipping her locks only for it to land gracefully against her back. "Y/n, I'll just catch you around later. If you spot Zayne, buzz him to come to me."

Unaware of the sudden interaction initiated by the class' popular girl, your responses were not even acknowledged as she made for a beeline straight past the crowds with a destination you do not care to ask. You were never close with her anyways. In fact, you were not even close with anyo---

"Y/n." Coiffed onyx hair and hazel-green orbs occupied your field of vision. The young man adorned in the regimental inky blazer, paired with a white button up and scarlet tie turns out to be the only one you are probably close with. His index finger pushed the spectacles of his higher up the bridge of his nose, allowing the optic tool to sit on the slight hump. "Never thought you would sign up to be on this field trip."

Meeting Zayne in the library was initially a coincidence, but given your strong suit in Biology, one question from him ---while he was sat two tables away from you---turned your library sessions into an uncalled routine. Two tables away became the seat next to yours. One question eventually turned into theological debates and ardent discussions. You would always see him plopping himself next to you, books stacked, notes filled and glasses optional until discussions get serious. Just like that, you never knew crushes develop in such mundane ways.

Diffident in nature, your gaze only held on for a few seconds and it hit the ground faster than Newton's Law could apply. "I...I never thought I would see you outside of that library." Your witty retort tugged Zayne's lips into a small smile and he fell in step with yours, matching your pace. Before you could forget, you decided to relay the message to him on behalf of the queen bee's request. "MC is looking for you but I don't really know where she went."

"Oh is it?" His dull tone making it hard for you to decipher his thoughts. MC is his childhood friend afterall and there has been a well precedented connection between their friendship as it closely resembles a relationship. A few girls glanced your way as they walked past, whispering behind hands---Zayne's popularity stemming more from his looks rather than his nonchalance. Yet, you know that he is not entirely stoic, based on your several interactions with him. You genuinely find him intriguing. "I think I just caught a glimpse of her, I will head on over to see what she wants. I'll meet you at the petting zoo enclosure in a few." Okay, maybe your crush on him shall always be friend zoned.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

You slowed your pace, gait similar to a wounded animal that is in quarantine. Metaphorically speaking, you are trapped within the confines of your mind. Zayne's response towards MC's request to meet him was a clear indication of where you stand in his heart. And that is nowhere. "Y/n." Your head shot up immediately, back slammed into ramrod straight posture, only to be disappointed to see Grayson in front of you. The nerd classmate of yours whom would sometimes tag along with Zayne to the library only for him to be shooed away to a whole different corner so that he would not 'disturb' the both of your heated debates. "Where's Zayne?"

Met with the question you could not even answer, you simply shrugged in return, shoulders back to its sluggish position. You adjusted the strap of your shoulder bag, the weight of your camera in it is proving to be a burden. "Here, let me help." Greyson offered when he noticed you shifting your bag, a wince painfully obvious on your face and before you could stop him, he is already tugging the strap off of your shoulder and carried it in his grip with ease.

"Thank you." You blushed, the redness creeping onto the tip of your ears and you walked next to him. Greyson although is in the same class as you, you barely get to talk to him so seeing him being so gentleman-like got you flabbergasted. "I didn't know you would come for this trip."

"Why wouldn't I?" He chuckled, left hand coming up to rub the back of his neck in hopes of rubbing off some of the nerves he is having. "I love animals. They are adorable." His eyes caught yours at the end of his sentence, slate-colored orbs shielded behind his thick round glasses. "Do you want to have a look at the capybaras?" Fishing out a map from his bagpack, he unfolded it and scanned the piece of A3, finger landing directly on the brownish creature with a tangerine sat on its head. "It should be around the east area." Figuring that there is nothing else you would like to do, you decided to head along with his suggestion, the thought of meeting Zayne at the petting zoo tossed aside for abit.

"So, Greyson." You started, the cobblestoned pathways marked with vibrant stones, the pen housing the infamous capybaras closing in on your vision. A small crowd could be seen lined against the railings of the pen, with big smiles taped on their face and a stalk of grass in their hands. "Does Zayne have a crush on MC?" Your inquisitive nature got to the best of you and asking Zayne's best pal seemed to be the most 'non-intrusive' method for you to settle on your feelings towards that crush of yours. Once and for all.

Greyson's mahogany colored eyebrow raised, followed by his eyes, pupils narrowing when it comes in contact with the sun's warmth. A slight hum from his throat suggested he is in deep rumination till he broke the silence. "I don't think so." Your heart sighed in relief. "But recently he has been meeting up with her after the library sessions." There goes the slight erratic beats again in your chest. "Not sure why but if I recalled he mentioned about something wanting to advance to second base..?"

Greyson's voice had turned into a buzz after the second base term. What kind of second base? It could only point further to the rumor in which Zayne and MC are indeed in a relationship. Or else how would one meet up with someone of their opposite gender to advance to second base? The points in your head are starting to add up now. How Zayne would come to you almost everyday with fresh new discussion topics, getting your insights and initiating conversations and constantly stating that he is asking on behalf of a friend when optimally, he is perhaps doing it for MC all these while? The cobblestones on the floor are all starting to blend into one colour and everything went black.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

Fluttering your eyes opened, you heard some light clinking sounds and water dripping sounds. Your field of vision takes in the view of a sterile looking ceiling and your fingertips suggested a polyester fabric beneath you. "Y/n." The voice sounded too familiar and you turned your cheek and nearly gasped when you noticed Zayne is right next to you. Eyebrows furrowed, lips pressed tightly. "You passed out a while ago, perhaps from the heat." He explained to you and lifted both of his hands, a towel in his hand and he folded it into a neat rectangle before placing it onto your forehead to cool you down.

"Where's... Where's Greyson?" Your gaze averted from his and you tried to push yourself up but Zayne's palm was quick to land onto your shoulder, restricting your movements. Hearing another guy's name falling from your lips is not the first thing he had expected and his disappointment flashed across his features for a second.

"I was the one who carried you to the first aid room." He sighed, hand leaving your shoulder and he continued to address the 'HOW' etched on your face. "I was nearby when I saw that you were losing your balance. I managed to catch you before you could hit the ground." Seeing how reserved you are compared to this morning, Zayne felt like poking a little. "Why did you not wait for me at the petting zoo?"

"I didn't know how long you were going to take since you wanted to talk to MC." Zayne sees it. The slight tremble of your lips as you spoke, the unconscious fiddling of your hands against the hem of your vest. Something was clearly bothering you. "Greyson was the one who offered to walk with me."

A warmth enveloped you and you looked down, noticing his hand placed on your wrist, no pressure inflicted, just a reassuring touch. "There was nothing going on between me and MC." Your eyes meet his, eyelashes casting shadows and shielding your unspoken emotions. "She wanted to meet me because she wanted me to walk with her." Your eyes fell but he was quick to catch your chin. His fingertips scorching against the delicate skin on your chin. "Y/n." His tone austere, grip unmoving as he urged you silently to speak to him.

Faced with such tension, tears crowded your eyes blurring your vision. Blinking rapidly, you forced your tears to flow back into your system. "You can just go with her." Your hand slapped the one which was holding your chin and you pushed yourself up, ignoring his demands for you to stop. Getting off of the bed, you aimed towards the only set of doors ahead of you and you wobbly careened over only to trip against your feet and you fell.

You were expecting the hard thud, the thump against the back of your skull but it never came. You were cushioned when you fell and you opened your eyes to see Zayne hovering over you and you realised he cushioned your fall, again. His eyes seeked yours, glancing in a zig zag form across your features to spot any further injuries only to soften when he stares straight into you. Your heart did a somersault at that moment. "I rejected her." He cleared his throat, slowly leaning down to support himself with his forearm. His breath was so close to you that you can feel it fanning against your cheek. "I told her that I already have someone I have been wanting to pursue."

Pinpointing on what Greyson had told you earlier, you decided that now is the only time you can find out who this mysterious crush of his turns out to be. "Greyson said that you were learning to go towards second base from MC. That explains why you are constantly meeting up with her after our library sessions?" The tears pricked at the back of your eyes again when you knew that you were too much of a coward to just blurt out 'I like you' to him and instead had to result to such insinuating measures to get your answer. "Does that also explain all of the time you spent with me in the library discussing about those topics that you've got? Is it for that crush of yours?" If his answer were to be yes, you would definitely crash out.

Zayne never moved an inch from his spot. This is indeed his first time seeing you acting and speaking out of your own emotions. Even during the library discussions, you had always presented yourself with determined logic, backed with evidences on how you steer your arguments. Seeing you being so emotional, he knew that he could not hide his feelings any longer and if he were to fail to address the bothersome issue, he may lose you. "I seek for second base from MC because she is the only other female I know that I do not show interest in." A tinge of crimson dabs across his cheek when he continues, a side of him ashamed that he has to go to another girl for advice on how to treat his crush right, without actually having the courage to just ask y/n himself. "And the discussions that we had in the library. It is for me to get to know you more."

His blatant truth smacked your heart straight out of your chest. Did Zayne just confessed his true feelings to you? "For me?" That was apparently the best reaction you could muster as you stared at him in disbelief. The man finally cracked a smile on his lips and he nodded in response. So, with an intake of a breath, you blurted out something you should have done from the beginning, words all jumbled up from how anxious you are feeling. "I like you too, Zayne."

The room had shifted, the walls felt like it closed in onto the both of you, the floor beneath you vibrating to the undulating thumps of your heartbeat. Forcing the distance between the both of you becoming more and more evident. Breaths mingled, intertwining with the dust particles that floated between the crevices of your lips with his until he closed the distance. His lips pressed gently against yours in the form of a chaste kiss. Zayne knew that MC had told him that getting to second base would require his feelings to be reciprocated and hearing your true feelings was more than enough for him to lead the direction of your newfound relationship.

The kiss although chaste, it felt like it went on forever in your head. He pulled back just enough for you to open your eyes and to drink in his features. His smile is a mirror of yours but minus the bashfulness and perhaps the light spasms in your cheek muscles. Zayne pushed himself off of you and offered his hand, which you gracefully held onto and he pulled you up with barely any effort. Standing up, your eyes landed for a fleeting moment against his thin lips and you silently gasped, still unable to wrap your mind around the fact that you had just got your first kiss stolen by the lauded Zayne.

When he called your name, you looked up and realised that he had taken the liberty to close the distance again, lips lightly hovering over yours and you returned the favour, planting a light peck on his lips, allowing the feeling of your first love to plague through your system. Zayne tucked a fallen strand of your hair behind your ear and lightly whispered against your lips after you pulled back. His tone now held nothing but pure endearment for you, no hesitation, no second guesses, no more beating around the bush just to observe your reactions. "Let's get to the petting zoo now before the zoo closes. Then later, we can go and grab a dessert to commemorate our first date."

CALEB - SUMMER BEACH TRIP

The sky displayed an array of watercolours in pastel blues and pinks as seagulls take place in the beautiful nature's piece, becoming a living mimic of the clouds that hung above. Your class bus pulled up to the beach's parking lot. This being the only summer field trip available for your school, it is only natural for it to be packed with students whom are seeking for an escapade away from the city. The amount of students were so grand that two buses are hired for the sake of the trip. And that is also how you got separated from Caleb whom was supposed to be on the same bus as you but sadly your name was called for Bus A and retaliation would only risk you getting left behind. Biting down onto your tongue, you had no choice but to board the bus against your will and watch as your crush clomps onto the other vehicle.

Once the bus doors opened, anticipation buzzed through the air and you stood in line, stepping off of the bus. The scent of seawater immediately enveloped you, the sea breeze welcoming you with brash kisses against your cheeks, giving your hair a free salty blowdry service. The sound of the waves crashing softly in the distance only sets the scene more in a reverie-like quality. Looking to your left, you spotted students emptying the other bus and you caught sight of Caleb, head turned over his shoulders, laughing and chatting with someone behind him till you caught sight of her. MC. His childhood friend.

You do not hold anything against MC personally. But her passive aggression does make you uncomfortable most of the time and her friendly front is only ever exclusive for that childhood friend of hers. Yet, you did not recall Caleb mentioning anything about MC coming along for this summer trip. The fact he even got your hopes up by verbally planning all of the activities the both of you could partake during this three days camp sounded too good to be true now that you spotted the presence of MC. Your lips unconsciously formed a frown and you held your bag tighter, knuckles turning white. "Y/N!" It did not take long for Caleb to spot you amongst the crowd given his height being an added advantage.

He jogged over, hair bouncing to the rhythm and the charming smile that never seems to budge off of his lips. You looked up, ready to smile back till you noticed the brunette tagging along behind him, her steps calculated as she caught sight of you. "Hey, let me help you with that." Caleb snatched your bag out of your grip before you could even protest and his next sentence got your heart dropping to your feet before you could even speak. "You wouldn't mind if MC tags with us for a bit right?"

The girl he had mentioned came to a halt next to him, one of her corners tugged into a smirk more than a smile as her way to bid you her 'hello'. Out of courtesy---mostly out of respect for your crush--- you forced your lips into an agonising grin and nodded your head a little too vigorously to prove your contradictory point. "Yeah sure, I don't see any issues with that." That landed Caleb's arm around your shoulders and you bit your lip nervously as he started guiding you towards the small beach houses that were lined by the shoreline.

You took a slight peek behind you and you wished you never turned your head because daggers were clearly thrown from MC's eyes towards the arm that was lazily placed on your narrow set of shoulders. Skinship with Caleb is not anything out of the ordinary when it comes to y/n and him but it is a detail worth noting for MC especially when she grew up around Caleb. It certainly does not take a genius to dovetail the idea of why Caleb is suddenly so touchy with y/n and it turned out to be a lightbulb moment for MC and mind you, it was never a brilliant idea.

"Caleb~" MC's voice travelled from behind and you jumped slightly as MC forcefully slotted herself in between the both of you, now directly situating herself beneath Caleb's forearm which was supposed to be on you. "The sun today is very shiny don't ya think? Why don't you do that shielding gesture with your hands like how you've always done for me back in those days?" MC whined, battering her eyelashes in seek for pity from her best childhood friend but Caleb only took a step back from her, arms immediately dropping from her shoulder and his palm proceeded to rub the back of his neck. A habit of his whenever he is caught in an 'I don't know what to do' kinda situation.

You helped him to answer it. "I will just go in to unpack my stuffs. I will see you later Caleb." You grabbed your bags off of his grip and you swooped right past them, not sparing a single glance to your crush nor his girl best friend. Biting onto your bottom lip, you felt like slapping yourself. What do you mean by you will see him later? When will it be a right time for you to spend some time alone with him when MC is around? How could you top your importance to Caleb against his childhood friend?

Once you had settled into the beach house, you heard a slight knock on your door and you stood up, shuffling over so you can unlock it and you were lowkey wishing that it was Caleb. Yet, standing at the small wooden patio of your assigned beach house is MC instead, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently. Thud. Thud. Thud. Her eyes looked up when the door creaked open and you leaned against the door frame, letting a smile take place on your lips as a politesse courtesy. "Yes, MC?"

"Y/n right?" The way she said your name---which is not even close to how your actual name is being pronounced--- nearly slapped that smile off of your face. Being in the same class as her for 3 years is clearly nothing but a joke to her. "What's your deal with Caleb?"

Her straightforwardness got you taken aback, your eyes blinking several times as your brain tries to conjure up the right response to that question. "We are...friends." Lies. But you do not owe his childhood friend an explanation, moreso when she has daggers for eyes. "Why?"

"I need you to back off from Caleb." Her trimmed eyebrows furrowed and she clicked her tongue, feet taps finally coming to a stop and saving herself for a more ladylike impression now. "Caleb has been my childhood friend for many many years and if you think that you're special just because he lays his arms around your shoulders every once in a while. You're wrong so don't get your hopes up girl." She brought her manicured hand up to her vision, eyeing it for a moment before she gave you a side eye. "Just so you know, we kissed before."

"Are you done?" It is your turn to have your eyebrows knitted together now, lips pressed in a thin line. You could not lie to yourself that you did felt a little hurt at the fact they had kissed before but a part of yourself still held on adamantly to the idea that you still want to continue having a crush on Caleb and nobody is going to rob you of that opportunity. MC narrowed her eyes into slits and without another word, she twirled on her heels and went off towards the pavement and you shut the door, already dreading the way your heart ached.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

After changing into a beach appropriate outfit, you stepped out of the beach house and beelined straight towards the ocean waters with a small bag carrying some essentials. The skies bled through the edge of the waters and the sun's blinding rays casted iridescent sparkles across the water surface. Your feet came in contact with the sand and you gleefully shovel your feet further into the sand as if to ground you against the hectic breeze. "Y/n!" You heard someone called your name and out of instinct, you whipped your head over your shoulder and watched as Caleb was running towards you, waving excitedly.

MC's warning is practically nonexistent in your head now that Caleb has appeared in front of you and MC is nowhere to be seen within his vicinity. "Hey!" You waved back. Mauve orbs caught on to yours and he positioned himself next to you, head tilting towards the direction of the ocean to invite you to go into the waters with him. "Where is MC?" Your curiosity got the best of you after the lecture was given by MC, it is surprising to see that she is not sticking by his side.

"She went to change her clothes I think." He shrugged nonchalantly. Clad in a simple white tee and a pair of marine colored pants, he could easily pass as a model even in such a modest outfit. "I was planning to go over to your beach house to ask you to join me for the free time but I guess I don't have to given you're here." His cheeky wink got your cheeks heating up and you broke the eye contact, laying your bag onto one of the white lounge chairs by the shore. "Y/n." He continues when you looked at him. "Can I ask you to watch the sunset with me later?"

His request was so sudden it caught you off guard, your jaw slacked and your mind started running through all of the scenarios on why he had decided to ask you to watch the sunset with him. Right as you were about to answer, a shirt was thrown over your bag carelessly and MC appeared out of the thin air, in her swim wear and as usual, she budged in with her main character syndrome. "What are you guys talking about?" Giving you a slight roll of her eyes before she pressed herself against Caleb's taut arm. "Thanks for waiting for me. Let's go to the waters now!"

Caleb's eyes were already on you when you looked over to him and he cleared his throat to cut off the tension that is wedged between you and him. MC released his arm and proceeded to run towards the water, already knowing whatever she had done would be enough to remind you of your position. Spotting your face draining from its usual hues, Caleb immediately caught on to the situation and he could sense that your distance is most likely affected by his childhood friend. He approached you and placed his palm onto your head and patting gently, leaning down just enough so you can see his face. "I know you are probably uncomfortable with MC being around but it's okay, we will be fine. Meet me by the rocks later around evening and I will explain everything to you okay?"

And he left you standing there under the rainbow toned umbrella, puzzled at his usage of words just a while ago. His figure disappearing slowly into the distance as he walked towards where MC is at. Caleb took his time, feet sinking into the sand with his weight as he clomped over to his childhood friend who was already halfway into the water. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Caleb, but he did not reciprocate it. Instead, he went up to her and in a stern tone, he asked. "What did you said to y/n?"

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

The sun sets fast, now the skies are a blend of purple and pink, with the occasional burnt orange mixing at the seams. Clouds adrift in the skies mimicking the cotton candy that were sold by the beach side stores. You had changed into something more comfortable and sat atop of the rocks, patiently waiting for Caleb's arrival. Your noon was spent under the same stalk of umbrella that Caleb had left you until your other classmate, Gideon asked you to join in on a casual volleyball game. And that was how your time was spent during the past few hours.

You could not bring yourself to look out to the sea whenever there is a break in between your game. Part of you just did not want to know what is happening between MC and Caleb and another part of you just wanted to act like nothing is going on. You stared straight ahead, vision unfocused as you immersed yourself in the sound of the waves lapping against the beach, with the wind cooing at your heart to stay still. "Hey, you're here early." Caleb's voice grounded you back to reality and you awkwardly shifted in your seat, scooting over to give him just enough space to sit down next to you on the flat surface. "Thanks for coming, y/n."

"It's no biggie Caleb." Your voice came off to be nonchalant just as you had practiced in your head. "So what's up?" You turned your head to face him and pulled both of your legs up to your chest so you may rest your chin on top of your knees.

He is already facing you fully, brunette hair whipping gently against his forehead. "MC and I had a talk." You were silent and you felt the air shifted between the both of you, his body tensing slightly beside you. "I do not like the way she had treated you throughout this trip, I can see that it made you uncomfortable." He tilted his head slightly, angling down closer to you. "Especially when she interrupted us."

You blinked, eyes still trained on him. The warm golden light that casted on his face made your crush looked even more ethereal than the sunset view itself. A quiet smile drifted across your lips at his sentence. "It's okay, she is your childhood friend afterall. She even told me that you guys had kissed before." You uttered to him ruefully, biting your bottom lip at the end of your sentence as you pondered if it was the right thing to comment.

Caleb gulped, his Adam's Apple bobbed once and he tried to explain the situation. "Gosh, that was an accident! And it happened when we were in kindergarten!" He threw his arms up into the air, his dramatic flair got you chuckling softly. You knew it, deep inside, when MC said that, it was out of spite and seeing the way he reacted further confirmed your suspicions. "I never looked at her that way."

"What way?" You mulishly pried for the answer, wanting Caleb to iron out all of the contrary possibilities running through your thoughts.

Caleb's arms dropped when you asked and his eyes blinked a couple of times, those orbs now taking form of a darker mauve when he sensed that this may be the right moment for him to come clean to you now. The setting is right; with the sun setting in the background being the only third party to witness this canonical event. "The way I would look at you." He was gentle, the look in his eyes unmistakable for sincerity. At that moment, the ocean murmured behind you, a steady and soft rhythm as nature's background music.

"I thought you would choose her Caleb." Your red-rimmed eyes got Caleb scooting closer to you, one arm immediately wrapping over your small frame and he pulled you in against his side. "You had no idea how long I was stuck with the idea that my feelings would only be one-sided to you. Seeing the both of you together, it just makes sense." A stray tear rolled down your cheek but Caleb was quick to catch it with his thumb, the pad of his thumb glided down your chin and he held onto it, guiding your head up to meet his gaze.

"You make more sense to me y/n." His lips parted slightly, breath wavering. "I told MC that her feelings towards me will always be one-sided." Your hand automatically went up to graze his arm, heartbeat increasing as your breaths mingled. "Because I fell in love with you y/n." The both of you closed the distance, lips pressed against one another as the sunset enveloped the both of you in its arms. Warmth fraying across your body when he takes your first kiss, his arms that wrapped around your body pulled you closer to him and the hand that held your chin went to cradle your face as an affectionate gesture.

It took a good minute before the both of you pulled away, the tinge of red on both of your cheeks hidden by the orange hues of the sunset. At this point, the sunset is probably a paid actor. "I've always thought of how it feels to kiss you, do you know that?" Caleb laughed, tilting his head as you gave him a light punch against his shoulder. He landed a kiss onto the top of your head and gave your shoulder a squeeze of endearment. You leaned your head against his broad shoulder and let the sound of the waves and the grip of his quiet affection wrap around you like a soft summer blanket.

This is finally done! After writing this, I feel like the dynamic of high school couples should be studied as this is so pure and heartwarming! I really really really enjoyed writing this piece! You can definitely check out my first part for this series here!

[paninisstuff]

He's the Dad of the three hunters

(love it~)

yeah

[paninisstuff]

Eheheheh🫶

⋆˙⟡#A MAN, A MAN, A- MANNN!⋆˙⟡

⭑.ᐟDEMETRIUS PRINCE(OC) X BATSIB!READER

ᯓ★ SYNOPSIS: the times Demetrius showed he’s a man for you!

ᯓ★GENRE: fluff

ᯓ★INFO: This is a superson OC I’ve written for my own amusement. Demetrius is clearly the son of Diana Prince, and being the older brother of Elizabeth “Lizzie” Prince. Reader is the twin sibling of Damian, Damian being the older sibling. He’s canonically handsome cause he’s the son of Diana Prince. He has those Amazon genes.

ᯓ★WC: 1,265

FIRST TIME.

The first time he proved he was a man for you was when you didn’t like your order. It was straightforward: you decided to venture beyond your usual comfort food preferences. You love meat, especially chicken and eggs, but this was an opportunity for something different.

You were at a quaint restaurant, on what felt like a discreet date—one that Damian would undoubtedly take issue with, considering he’d probably go after this Amazon male for daring to date his twin sibling.

But you appreciated the way he treated you. He opened the door as you entered, pulled out your chair, and pushed it in after you sat down. You suppressed a giggle as you noticed a faint blush on Demetrius’s tanned cheeks. The menu offered several enticing options, and while you found one of your comfort foods, another dish grabbed your attention.

Demetrius studied you intently. “Did you find what you want?” he asked, his tone gentle as he set his menu down.

“Uh.. I think so?” you replied, unsure. As you handed him your menu, he leaned in closer.

“What are you getting?” His anticipation was palpable.

You showed him your choice. “Ah, that’s... unique,” he commented, then confidently ordered for himself and included your choice to the waiter.

When the food arrived, you inhaled the delightful aromas, smiling at how delicious everything smelled. But it was clear that Demetrius's dish looked even more appealing. You tasted yours, giving it a chance based on the enticing smell. That was a mistake; the dish was utterly repulsive. You masked a gag and discreetly spit it into a napkin.

Demetrius ate from his plate, feigning ignorance to your struggle, but a smirk tugged at his lips. “What’s wrong, babe?” he asked, managing to suppress a chuckle as you nervously glanced at him.

“Can... can I have some of your food?” you asked, not wanting to impose, even though you’ve known him long enough in years.

“Sure,” he replied with a chuckle, switching plates with you without hesitation. Your eyes widened in surprise as he took a bite of your distasteful meal.

“Demetri, you didn’t have to do that—”

“I wanted to. I knew you wouldn’t like your food,” he said, leaning back in his chair after wiping his mouth. “That’s why I ordered something I knew you would enjoy.”

He clearly relished the moment, watching your eyes light up with appreciation. You couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Well, thank you, beloved. That was very considerate of you.”

“I know. Now eat up, moró mou.”

That date turned out to be surprisingly romantic.

SECOND TIME.

The second time it happened, Demetrius clearly showcased his protective side. You and he were out for another casual hangout, just the two of you. You confidently held onto his arm, appreciating the way his muscles flexed under his sweatshirt.

On that chilly winter afternoon, you strolled through the city, both of you enjoying your time there. However, Demetrius started to look bored, yawning as you smiled and hummed, rocking back and forth on the balls of your feet. You noticed someone around your age throwing glances your way, but you didn’t think much of it until you caught them staring at you again.

Feeling a shiver run down your spine, you instinctively leaned closer into Demetrius. The unwanted attention made you want to shrink away, but Demetrius sensed your discomfort immediately. He looked down at you and then shifted his gaze to the person who couldn't stop staring.

His jaw clenched tightly as he positioned his large frame in front of you, effectively blocking the person’s view. With a fierce glare from his deep blue eyes, he silently dared them to try anything. The moment the person felt the heat of Demetrius’s intimidation, they quickly looked away.

From that point on, Demetrius took it upon himself to shield you from anyone's gaze for the rest of the day. He grasped your hand firmly in his, making it clear that he wanted you close by and wouldn’t let you wander off.

THIRD TIME.

The third time, and now the present moment—Demetrius demonstrated that even a touch of makeup doesn’t diminish masculinity. His little sister Lizzie, on the other hand, was clearly bored and insisting that he play dress-up with her.

He insists he’s focused on his future spouse—on you. He reclines his wavy black hair onto your lap, leaning in to kiss your hand as you run your fingers through his hair. In the background, Lizzie pouts and storms off to her room. You can’t help but frown; the girl just wanted someone to play with.

“Come on, beloved, she’s just looking for someone to play with,” you say firmly, withdrawing your hand as he attempts to kiss it again.

Demetrius groans, rising with his eyes cast down. “That brat can entertain herself with her dolls for all I care.”

He was struck sharply in the head, coupled with an intense glare from you. “Demetrius Prince. You will play with your little sister; she clearly looks up to you.” With that, you got up and exited his room, shutting the door behind you—and leaving the frustrated Amazon male to sigh deeply.

Running a hand through his hair, he got up and followed you. He might be a jerk, but you were absolutely right about Lizzie admiring him. He found you in her room, engaged in a lively tea party.

Demetrius leaned against the door frame, a confident smile spreading across his face as he watched his cute lover and sister play together. You exchanged a knowing glance, aware he would follow you into the room.

Without hesitation, he plopped down next to you on the rickety little chair that felt like it could collapse at any moment under his weight.

Lizzie pouted. “No! That spot is for Ms. Gloria!” she declared firmly. Demetrius rolled his eyes. “Guess she’s not coming, then.”

The tension between the siblings was palpable, each giving the other a pointed glare until Lizzie’s face lit up with mischief.

“Then you’re Ms. Gloria!” she announced with a cheeky grin.

“What?!” Demetrius exclaimed, his voice echoing, causing you to stifle a laugh behind your hand.

Although he could have protested, he surrendered to the moment, allowing you and Lizzie to enthusiastically apply makeup on him.

He looked surprisingly good with a touch of red lipstick and blue eyeshadow. There was no denying it—his looks certainly made him a pretty boy.

“You know, most guys would rather die than put on makeup, my beloved.” You said decisively as you reached for some blush. Demetrius huffed, crossing his arms defiantly. “Well, I’m not like most guys, babe.”

You couldn't help but chuckle at his protest. “You’ve got that right.”

As you cupped his face to apply a hint of blush, Demetrius opened his eyes, his breath steady as he locked onto your face and then traced down to your lips.

“…you’re really close,” he murmured, his voice low. You paused, a playful smile crossing your face. “Am I?” you asked, leaning in even closer. The hint of blush on his cheeks morphed into a genuine flush as he placed his hands firmly on your hips.

“Yep…” he said before pulling you in for a soft kiss. Responding felt like pure magic, but it abruptly shattered when Lizzie gagged dramatically at the sight of her older brother kissing you.

“Eww!! Cooties!!” she exclaimed, her tongue sticking out in mock disapproval.

Demetrius broke the kiss, rolling his eyes in annoyance. “Oh, shush it.” But Lizzie couldn't help but giggle afterward, returning to the tea party as if nothing happened.

Demetrius Prince tag: @darkfaethedestroyer @dead-ry-walking @chalkadow @eclecticeaglebluebird @mistake34 @dandelion-delusion

[paninisstuff]

👀🫶

Imagine Being Isekai'ed into KPOP DEMON HUNTERS.

The plane was late. The girls weren’t here and Bobby was freaking out. The crowd gathered outside the arena was rising into a crescendo, in raw anticipation. The tension was palpable, it was as if the energy was fizzling from the fans into the very ground of the stadium.

‘Everyone ready? Lets look alive!’ The man with medium length hair spun around, pointing at everyone, checking on progress. Bobby, the manager of Huntr/x frantically flitted around, looking absolutely frazzled.

‘Okay, ready? Yeah, we’re ready. But where are the girls?’ He frowned, turning around to Y/N. The girl in return, shrugged, her eyes glued into her notebook. She was writing a new song. One just in case Huntr/x decided to do another comeback early. The girl group was known for being random with their timings. This meant it make Y/N's job that much harder.

‘Check their location.' She sighed before looking up.

'Although, it isn't exactly unlike them to be late.’ Y/N shrugged, flicking back through her little black notebook. She wrinkled her nose, slightly concerned for the group's well being.

Y/N knew their little secret, for she was their trump card. You see, Y/N was the ghost writer. The one who made sure all the songs went viral, ensuring that the honmoon remained steadfast in its hold. It wasn't an easy job seeing as the songs had to chart well and actually be enjoyable. However, the girls did have great voices so that made it slightly easier.

‘It shows their plane veering off course?’ Bobby flipped his phone around, shoving it above Y/N’s notebook.

The girl looked up and gave a sly grin.

‘Start the music, they’ll arrive.’

Like comets raining down, the three managed to make it onto stage, half way through the song. Y/N looked out into the cheering crowd from behind the curtains, narrowing her eyes at the thin lines rippling with light. Tonight’s concert would be enough. Just enough to keep the shield up. It would hold until their next comeback after this concert. Right?

--

‘Did we just see gold?’ 

‘Ah! I can’t believe we’re doing it!’

‘It’s so exciting!’

The three cheered, shaking each other in sheer joy.

‘This means we can release our song soon and turn the honmoon gold!’ Rumi cheered.

Y/N gritted her teeth, slightly resentful. It was her song. She was the one who wrote it, slaved over it for weeks to make sure it sounded perfect for the girls.

‘It’s finally time!’ Mira exclaimed

‘Wooo!’ Rumi cheered until her voice suddenly cracked, her cheer suddenly muted. ‘Whoa that was weird.’

‘Do you need some water?’ Y/N mumbled, as the elevator doors opened.

‘Did someone say water?’ Bobby grinned, before gesturing frantically and calling out. ‘Water. Now!’

Y/N sighed, walking out from behind the group, watching how they all were showered in praise. Praise that never seemed to be shared with Y/N. It wasn't as if she was asking for all the credit, however it would be nice to hear a thank you once in a while.

‘What a way to end the world tour! And that guy in the finale who exploded confetti?’

‘Amazing special effects.’ Y/N cut in briskly, side eyeing Mira who returned her glance with a slightly panicked one.

‘Yeah it was super chill. Amazing song writing by the way Y/N.’ He added almost as a sidenote.

Y/N sighed and began to zone out. She didn’t need to be there anymore. It was time to go home whilst the girls decided what to do. Y/N had finished writing Golden two weeks before and Huntr/x had already recorded the song, meaning Y/N could rest. It would be a long time since Y/N was able to go home and get a full nights rest instead of being in the studio, mixing and mastering a new song for Huntr/x.

She trudged her way onto the dark streets where her own penthouse apartment resided. It was one of the perks for owning royalty on all the songs of Huntr/x. At least Y/N had been smart enough to invest in the shares of the company with her money. At this rate? She wouldn’t have to work for the next fifty years if she wanted to. Her retirement was set.

The streetlamps left much to the imagination, however, Y/N was too tired to be wary. The streets here were safe. It was a rich neighbourhood anyways. 

Y/N’s phone pinged.

Golden was being released in an hour.

Well that wasn't the plan. But then, did the girls ever tell her of any plans they had? She gritted her teeth, looking at the notification on her phone.

Was it wrong for her to feel slightly resentful? She could see the lines. She could see what the other girls could see, but she couldn’t harness the spiritual power to create a weapon. Y/N was an anomaly. A failure of a hunter.

She scrolled the comments, phone tightening in her hand as she read through each one. The praise was lavished onto the girls. Mira, Zoey and Rumi. Nothing mentioned her, the song writer, the producer. The reason Huntr/x even had songs to sing.

‘You’re looking awfully tense.’ A smooth, plush, voice noted.

Y/N whipped around, brandishing her phone into the shadows.

‘Who’s there?’ She snarled, eyes darting between the flickering streetlights.

‘Don’t be afraid. This won’t hurt one bit.’ Another voice snickered.

…

A pause.

Then another.

Then ten seconds had passed.

‘Um, what?’ The first voice sounded confused.

‘What am I supposed to be waiting for?’ Y/N shifted her posture, now feeling more confident.

‘Your soul. We were meant to take your soul.’ A deep voice muttered, as five boys stalked out of the shadows separately.

‘What the f-’

‘Who are you?’ The one with black hair, took point, walking towards her with a hungry glint.

‘My mother taught me not to tell my name to strangers.’ She snipped back, studying the new figures walking towards her. They were otherworldly in beauty. Jaws chiselled, faces unblemished and fair.

A flash of purple, jagged lines across skin.

‘You’re demons.’ Y/N deadpanned, facepalming. ‘No wonder you’re all so damn pretty.’

The one with pink long hair and heart shaped bangs snickered, sidling up to her. ‘You think we’re pretty?’ He gave a sickly sweet grin, reaching toward her chin.

‘Don’t get ahead of yourself asshat.’ Y/N slapped away his hand. ‘I’m actually not into pretty boys so don’t even try.’ Her body was tight, poised to jump at any time. Even if she couldn't harness the spirit power, she could fight just as well as the rest of the hunters.

‘Maybe she's more into guys like me.’ The one on her left spoke up, shifting into her line of sight.

Y/N’s eyes traced over the muscled man, her eyes lingering on his revealed abdomen as he stretched.

‘Huh, gym rats. Also not my type.’ She shook her head, turning to leave. ‘I’m not into conventionally attractive men. I don’t share.’ 

‘Who says you have to share?’ 

Y/N jumped slightly, surprised by the man with black hair standing now in front of her.

‘We know you write all of Huntr/x’s songs. It’s how they're so popular.’ The one with purple hair, wrapped an arm around Y/N's shoulder.

‘Don’t touch me.’ She brushed him off, backing away into a wall.

‘Yeah?’ The wall replied.

‘Huh?’ Y/N turned around, only to be met by a wall of solid muscle. ‘OKAY STOP.’ She whisper-yelled. ‘What do you guys want from me? I don’t carry cash.’

'What? We don' want your money.' The one with blue hair chuckled, leaning on a lamp post.

'We want something more valuable.' The tallest said, flicking away his pink bangs.

'And that is?' Y/N narrowed her eyes, suspicious of the group of strange yet alluring men.

‘Write for us. We need a debut single in three days.’ The one who looked like the leader gave a wicked smile.

‘What makes you think I would do that?’ Y/N crossed her arms, tilting her head in a question.

‘Because we can give you what you want. Fame, recognition, power.’ 

'Who says-' Y/N began before falling to her knees, clutching her head.

Unbeknownst to her, the boys hurriedly gathered around her as she fell, the closest catching her before she collapsed on her side.

The outside world was suddenly cut off from Y/N's mind. It was silent.

And then it began.

Pain.

Throbbing pain as visions filled her head. It was searing, as if a hot knife were being twisted. Visions, sounds, memories. This wasn’t her world. This was the world of…

KPOP DEMON HUNTERS.

[paninisstuff]

Party on you~

sweet dream

☾ ｡🪼｡⋆ ⊹₊ KPOP DEMON HUNTERS- "𝖫𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝖽𝖺𝗋𝗄𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗌, 𝖻𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗆𝖾 𝖻𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗌"

━━ Ever since you were a kid, all you wanted was to be cared for.

"𝖸𝗈𝗎 𝖽𝗈𝗇'𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝗍𝗈 𝗉𝗋𝖾𝗍𝖾𝗇𝖽… 𝖸𝗈𝗎 𝗄𝗇𝗈𝗐 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍, 𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍?"

┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ˚★⋆｡˚ ⋆ ┊ ┊ ┊ ⋆ ┊ ┊ ★⋆ ┊ ◦ ★⋆ ┊ . ˚ ˚★

"𝖶𝗁𝗒 𝗐𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝖨 𝗉𝗋𝖾𝗍𝖾𝗇𝖽?"

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9