stay-mon-army

[stay-mon-army]

The Institution

Word count: 1331 words

Pairing: Heeseung x platonic!reader)

Warnings: sparring/staged sword play, controlled institutions of juveniles (?)

Living your life in a single place is a type of hell no one tells you about. You had spent 20 some-odd years living within the walls of The Institution; learning, training, preparing for god knows what. The teachers all said the same thing - "It's for your own good." "You'll understand when you're older." But you had gotten older. You had grown and trained and listened and learned and yet you never truly LEARNED. Not about the things that mattered. Not about your parents or your family or why you were stuck doing these horrible things. You had never seen outside, didn't even know what outside WAS. You had heard stories - anywhere there are children, there are stories.

Some of the kids you met told you that outside was a hellscape. That to be trapped here was paradise in comparison to the monstrosities that are happening outside of the safe walls of The Institution. That the institution had kept you all safe from the things that meant to rip you apart outside. Others said that The Institution was the real monster, keeping you all trapped as some kind of sick twisted test. A scientific experiment to learn to make the best killing machines. Lord knew that you had all grown to be killing machines.

Almost 4 hours a day were spent learning to fight - some in hand-to-hand combat, others with swords, others with staffs. No child was defenseless for more than a day in The Institution. It was learn or be crushed under the weight of all the others.

Not everyone was a killing machine though. You had to take back that idea quickly when you thought of the boy who sat in front of you in your history class. He was a quiet boy, tall and thin and extremely beautiful despite the plain uniforms and harsh white lights of the projector screen. He was gentle at heart, a kind soul that felt out of place in a building like this. And yet, he COULD fight. You had seen that for sure; he could never be described as helpless.

You had seen him in the ring - he was ruthless with a staff, could take down three opponents in seconds without breaking a sweat. He was their prized pupil. You had seen the way the teachers whispered when he completed an assignment, answered a question, beat someone in the ring. They came as close to gushing over him as you had ever seen; they never praised any of the other students, even when they did just as well.

You knew that he was different; it was why you had kept such a close eye on him for years. If anything was going to be different about The Institution, you wanted to know about it. Better to be aware and find your chance to find out about the outside than to miss the chance to escape. Little did you know that escaping would be much closer than you thought. And you'd get much closer with the boy than you ever imagined.

~~~~~

Today was finally your chance to have an interaction with strange, beautiful boy before you. No one went by their names here, but rather were given numbers, and he was known as 1015. You hadn't been able to get close to him in any way - kept apart in classes, not being put together in the ring, all meals were given in your rooms rather than in a group setting.

But finally - FINALLY - you had your chance. It was your chance to spar against the boy. Standing in line on your half of the ring, you noticed that the next person on the other side was the young man, who was also looking at you. Unlike the dead stare that everyone else sported (probably due to the amounts of those weird blue pills they feed you a day), his eyes met yours with something hidden within their depths.

Your eyebrows furrow at him, trying to gauge what you're seeing without letting on that you know something is wrong. The last thing you need is for the teachers to be looking too closely at you, just as you're getting close to finding out the truth. At your confusion, 1015's lips curl up into a grin, nearly unnoticeable if you hadn't been watching his face so intensely. Your eyes widened and before you could do anything else, the pair in the ring before you finished, the young girl standing above the boy with her sword pointed at his throat. His sword was laying a handspan away, just out of reach that if he were to go for it, she would kill him easily.

The teacher calls the end of the round and they both walk away, the boy looking slightly fearful. All the students knew what a failed fight meant, especially one that drastic. He would be having a hard time for a while before you saw him again out in the ring.

You take a deep breath and step into the ring, your sword in your hands. You raise it, straightening your shoulders, rolling your neck out slightly, making sure you're in perfect form before the beginning of the round. You couldn't let him win this round by throwing you off your game. You had to pretend nothing had happened.

1015 stood before you with the same process, settling himself into the starting stance, that stupid secret grin still gracing his face. You narrowed your eyes, waiting for the starting ring with the feeling of a coiled spring. When the teacher finally rings the bell, you spring forward with a jab, hoping to catch him quickly with your sword. Instead, he bats it away seamlessly, not even moving his feet to protect himself. As he goes to redirect your sword, you follow along, sweeping in with your leg, hoping to catch him off guard. Instead, he dances back, swirling his sword, which still controls yours, flinging it into an unnatural angle. At a shooting pain in your wrist, your sword flies from your hand. 1015 kicks out his leg, which you dodge, effectively separating yourself from the boy, but also now giving him the space to hold his sword out to your face. You spot your sword behind the boy, shining silver against the black floor, far enough that you couldn't find a way to get around the boy before you without taking a sword to some vital body part.

You scowl at the boy before you, who has his head tilted to the side, that odd look in his eyes again. Before the teachers called the end of the round, 1015 turned his back to the teachers, turning to allow you a better shot at your sword. Before you could move, you notice him mouthing something to you. You look closer and hear him whisper quietly, "I'm Heeseung. Let's talk soon."

Then, without so much as a blink, he lunges forward, smacking you hard across the shoulder with the practice sword, driving you to your knees, grabbing your shoulder and crying out in pain.

The teachers call the end of the round, and therefore the end of the sparring section of training today. Heeseung, as he called himself, walked off without another look back at you. You sighed, getting up and walking to your discarded weapon. You knew there would be hell to pay for losing the fight so zealously, going after him so aggressively from the beginning before gauging him as an opponent. For now, all you could think about, however, was the way Heeseung had looked at you.

So he knew that you were also disillusioned to their powers. But how did he manage to get out of their grasp? And what did he know? Your first interaction with the boy that all of the teachers idolized and yet you were left with more questions than answers. He truly was a conundrum. You'd just have to do more research on him.

[stay-mon-army]

Xikers Masterlist:

Minjae

Nothing Yet

Junmin

Nothing Yet

Sumin

Nothing Yet

Jinsik

Nothing Yet

Hyunwoo

Nothing Yet

Junghoon

Nothing Yet

Seeun

Sleepy Babbles ~ Reader has a tough day at school and work and can't wait to come home to their loving boyfriend. Things don't go exactly to plan, but it's almost better than they expected.

Yujun

Nothing Yet

Hunter

Nothing Yet

Yechan

Nothing Yet

[stay-mon-army]

Sleepy Babbles

Word Count: 1,681 words

Pairing: Seeun (Xikers) x gn!reader

Warning: reader has a bad day but it gets better so idk?, none really... if I'm missing something, lmk <3

Seeun was your comfort place. Seeing as he was your best friend for the past eight years and your boyfriend for the most recent two of those, no one found that fact particularly spectacular. It was pretty expected - and he'd be lying if he said your face wasn't the very thing he wanted to see as he fell asleep and right when he woke up. You were also lucky enough that, despite his playful and often sassy nature, he wasn't afraid to tell you (and anyone who would listen) just how much you meant to him.

On days like today, you needed that reminder more than usual. It seemed like no matter what you did, where you went, you were being followed by some evil spirit or dark cloud - something wanted to ruin your day. It had started simple, mundane, but accumulated into a stinking, rotten, stressful day that left you hoping for its end.

First, your alarm didn't go off; you knew you set it, you always set it, but today it simply didn't go off. This meant you were running behind and didn't have time to grab breakfast. Thankfully you made it on time to your class, so you were willing to let your hungry stomach go until lunch time. As you slid into your seat, you realized today was test day - the day you needed to bring your cheat sheet the professor provided. The one sitting squarely on your desk in the dorm. Needless to say, you finished the test, but you weren't looking forward to seeing your grade. Your next class was boring, but uneventful. As was lunch, which was also lonely - usually you brought food to the boys so you could all remember to eat, but they had a schedule today that meant you were stuck eating all by yourself in the crowded school cafeteria. No one to laugh with or poke fun at or make stupid bets with, just you, your empty table, and your plate of mediocre school food.

After lunch, you had work, which was never an easy thing, working in a customer service job. The worst part was always the times total Karen's came in and made your life hell - like today, when you were berated for a full three minutes in front of a line of other customers. Your boss finally came to check the commotion - only to scold you for the situation rather than helping. After your otherwise uneventful workday, you boarded your usual bus to the dorms, ready to see your sweet boyfriend and his stupid friends.

Your first stroke of luck that day meant you could enjoy your short bus ride home without any real issues. It was blissfully unremarkable.

Hiking your bag higher on your shoulder, you type in the password to Seeun's dorm door, pushing it open as it beeps. You pause with the door partway open, calling in a "I'm coming in, be decent" to warn the boys before opening it fully. You step inside, kick off your shoes, slip into your designated slippers, and pad your way slowly into the apartment.

Being an apartment full of barely grown men, it's usually a total pigsty - the cleaning efforts always outdone by long schedule hours and pure laziness. Today is a surprising exception - besides a few misplaced pillows, the dorm is clean as a whistle. You can't remember the last time you saw it like this.

After a second of appreciating the cleanliness, you notice something else - it's quiet. No yelling from the bedrooms, no clattering cookware from the kitchen, not even a hint of TV chatter. Utter silence.

You braced yourself for yet another disappointment today - Seeun was always good about keeping you informed of their schedules, but sometimes things ran late or they were given a surprise schedule they didn't know about. You never blamed him; surprises came with the territory as an idol. But you couldn't help but deflate a little at the prospect. You had gone through such a terrible day and just wanted to relax with your loving boyfriend.

Well, if you can't have your boyfriend, you could have the next best thing - you figure - his hoodie and his bed. You shuffle your way to his room, ready to settle in for a restful night. You know you'll at least get to start tomorrow with his arms around you.

As you push open the door, you're greeted with a most adorable sight, which instantly eases the tension from your muscles and settles your brain into a whisper of internal words of love.

Seeun is in fact home at the dorm - you suspect that he must have tried to plan something to make you feel better. All the pieces click as you look at your boyfriend who is sprawled across his bed, everyday clothes still on, laying across the top of the blankets with his head just barely missing the pillows. He must have fallen asleep waiting for you in the (for once) quiet apartment. You think that he likely asked the boys to be gone for part of the night so you could start your evening in blissful silence - just you and him, no worries.

Your heart swells at the thought - knowing it was just like him to do something so simple and yet so loving. You gently settle your bag down on the floor besides his door, which you very slowly ease shut, holding the knob tightly so even the click wouldn't wake him. You know he isn't a terribly light sleeper, but you wanted him to sleep well regardless.

You continue on your trek to steal some of his clothes to sleep in, knowing they were (for some reason) a million times more comfortable than your own. You quickly change, pausing only once (just after slipping on one of his shirts) when he began mumbling in his sleep. You couldn't hear what he said, and you didn't think much of it.

You had heard him talk in his sleep a million times. You sometimes wondered if you (or anyone, really) talked that much in their sleep. He would talk about any number of things - usually whatever had been on his mind when he went to bed, but sometimes completely random things. Sometimes it was concert related, when they were preparing for tour, or about the boys, if they'd done something particularly fun for content or had an especially difficult day at practice. Once it had been him talking in baby-animal voice because you had gone on a date to a zoo that included a small petting zoo, which had been his favorite part of the whole trip.

You assumed this time was no different, just him rambling about his day in his dreams, and finished preparing for bed. Once you were ready, you approached his side of the bed first, determined to help him under the covers so he would be at least a little more comfortable. Sure, sleeping in your day clothes wasn't the best, and he would likely be annoyed about getting his sheets dirty with them, but you had the day off tomorrow and would be willing to throw them in the wash as long as he was able to get a good night's rest for the first time in a while.

Just as you went to pull the comforter back, he spoke again, but this time much clearer, especially since you were standing so close to him now. The boys often made fun of how clearly he spoke in his sleep, but you enjoyed the insight into his brain.

Today, you were flattered almost to tears at just the first sentence - so much so, you completely froze, allowing him time to ramble off a few more of a similar vein. They were all about how much he loved you. You listened as he talked about how he had fallen in love with you from the first time he heard you laugh. How being close to you made him feel like he was on top of the moon. How being away on tour was like hell on Earth, but his first step back into the apartment and into your arms was like being pulled back up into sunlight after drowning in darkness.

The rough day you had seemed to make you more emotional, because you felt tears trace down your cheeks and you quickly swiped them away. You smiled to yourself as you finally reached out to try to pull the blankets out from under and over top of your slumbering boyfriend.

As much as you tried to be careful and not rouse him, your plan didn't work, and his eyes opened to look at you, fluttering and half focused before they zeroed in.

"(Y/n), baby, why are you crying?" He sits up, reaching forward to cup your face and thumb away the tear tracks you missed.

"You were talking in your sleep." You answer honestly. You had never been anything but honest with Seeun, and he had always been the same, even about small useless things. "You were talking about how much you loved me. And it was a tough day, so you made me really happy, even without trying."

Seeun's face cracks into a sleepy smile as he listens to you explain, before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to your lips. "Well, I'm not sure what I said, but I do love you, very much." He kisses you again, before looking down at your clothes, and then his own. "Hmm, I was going to make us dinner, but clearly we're both much more tired than we are hungry, huh?"

You nod, thinking that nothing sounded better than curling into bed with him.

"Let me just get changed into something more comfortable and we can watch that next episode of that show you like." Now, it's your turn to kiss him brightly, wishing to express all your happiness to have him in your life with one simple motion.

Judging from the smile on both your faces, you expressed it loud and clear.

[stay-mon-army]

&Team + Non-verbal Overstimulated Partner

CW: mentions of autism, mentions of being non-verbal/overstimulated

K:

K is an interesting character himself, where he doesn’t fall perfectly into one kind of personality. K fluctuates between being really chill and being really hyperactive – it all depends on the people around him. He can be whatever you need or want for him at any given moment, so when you come home dragging yourself through the door, he knows that it’s been a rough day. He might ask you if you want to talk about what happened, but when he only gets a small shake of your head and no other real acknowledgment, he simply allows you to wander into the bedroom. He’ll quietly work to make your situation as comfortable as possible, while trying to be as unnoticeable as he can. He’ll turn the lights down low, bring you your favorite comfort drink, make sure the temperature is set to your favorite setting, ensuring you have enough blankets/pillows/food. He’ll stay out of your way unless you show some indication that you want him there with you, because he’s afraid of being more stimulating for you.

Fuma:

Fuma is a quiet man, and he’s a very low maintenance significant other. He would not be the kind to need to be with you every moment, or need your attention when you’re together – as long as you’re both enjoying your time, he’s happy. This overflows into taking care of you when you’re in an overstimulated mood. He’s a low-speaking individual in his own way, so you’ve both learned non-verbal ways to ask if each other is okay and what you need, so he doesn’t even need to ask when he sees you. He grabs your favorite of his pokemon plushies, your most comfortable blankets, sets up what is essentially a nest on the living room couch, turns off the lights, and puts on your comfort show on really low. He’ll just point at the nest, staring at you until you finally give in, nuzzling deeper into the warmth. He’ll curl up opposite you, his own blanket and pokemon plushy tucking him into his own spot while he plays his switch, occasionally glancing over to try to gauge what you need from him without bothering you.

EJ:

EJ is going to be one of the most anxious about this, especially if it’s the first time he’s seen you in this situation. He might be one of the hardest to deal with, only because he will CONSTANTLY be asking questions about what he can do for you, what you need, if you’re feeling okay, what happened, if you want to talk about it, if you want to do something to get over it, etc etc etc. He’s a worry-wart, he will be a ball of anxiety until he knows you’re okay, but you going non-verbal makes that nearly impossible to confirm. He will likely make your situation worse while trying to help, but if you have a conversation with him about what you need before you get to the point of non-verbal, he can help you with only minimal stressing.

Nicho:

Nicho is another “character” of the group – he’s really hard to read for this situation because I think that he could be either really good and read you well enough to get you what you need and be able to manage your needs, but I also can see him being similar to EJ and stressing about if you’ll be okay and pushing you to tell him what you need and what to do if he thinks you’re just holding out because you’re emotional (like he doesn’t realize it’s a ‘tism non-verbal moment, but thinks it’s a cold-shoulder moment). He’s another one where if you tell him ahead of time what signs to look for and how to help you, he’ll be able to help you better, but you will need to have a conversation with him ahead of time so he can prepare mentally.

Yuma:

Yuma is actually surprisingly good at dealing with a non-verbal significant other because he’s another person who pays attention to those around him. He often keeps an eye out for members like Jo and Harua, so he can tell when they need a moment, which he transfers over to you. I think he might struggling without being able to ask you specifically what you want – he’s one of those “do you want x or x” of two of your favorites or go-to choices, so not being able to ask you would be hard for him, because he really really wants to get it right. Once he’d experienced this with you a few times, he’s likely to set up a system with you – he makes flashcards of your favorites of things and he’ll simply show you two cards, and you’ll either hold up that number of fingers or point to what you want so you don’t have to deal with the stimulation of hearing or speaking, you just need to quickly process, before you’re able to fully relax as he gets you all settled in. He’s also set up (mostly as a joke, but you’ve used it a few times) that if you flip him off, it means you need him to just leave you to your own devices, and he’ll disappear into another room and stay as quiet as he can be until you come looking for him again.

Jo:

Jo is a lot like Fuma in that he’s a low maintenance significant other and very quiet. He might not even notice at first that you’ve gone non-verbal because it’s so often that neither of you will talk when seeing each other – you greet each other with a hug, he’ll kiss the top of your head, and then you’ll go on to do whatever you’re doing. He wouldn’t notice you were non-verbal and overstimulated until he goes to show you a video that he thinks you’ll like and all you can muster is a small smile and a nod at him. Or when he realizes that it’s an hour past dinner time and you haven’t come wander over to him to beg him to help you either order food or cook something. Dinner time was your time together, so that would spark a moment of panic. He isn’t a very verbal partner though, so as long as you were comfortable and were able to somehow communicate if/when you need something from him, he would be totally fine with you in these moments. He’s gone non-verbal enough times that he feels it’s only fair you get to as well.

Harua:

Harua is anxiety boy pt 3 – he is worried literally the moment he sees you wander into the apartment. He, however, is not a multiple-question boy, he might ask you a few, but when you don’t answer them, he’s going to message the boys and ask what he should do. He honestly probably thinks you’re mad at him… when you’re finally feeling better, you’ll have to reassure him, especially after the first time he experiences this situation with you. The boys will give him good advice (mostly K and maybe the occasional one from Fuma or Nicho) and he’ll be able to take care of you well enough, but again, you’ll have to help reassure him that you weren’t mad at him and that he did nothing wrong and that he helped you.

Taki:

Taki is a menace on most days. Taki, however, is also really good at knowing when to control his energy because he’s so aware of how others around him are perceiving him. He just wants people to like him, so while when you first arrive home he will be all over the place and a lot, he will quickly read that you’re annoyed or bothered by his energy and he’ll tone it down. You can see that he’s still vibrating with energy, even though he’s holding it back, so if that bothers you, it might be hard to have him in the same space as you when you’re in this mode. If you need him to leave and go mess around with the other boys, he will leave, but he’ll be very worried the whole time and will likely ask you a million times if you’re sure you won’t need him there with you. He wants to help, but he doesn’t know how, and I can definitely see him making it all worse, so you will definitely need to hold a conversation with him about this when you’re in a better place so that he knows what to expect and how to either help or (at least) not make it worse.

Maki:

Our other “oh god, he would make it worse” boy – he’s still so young, and he’s still so energetic like Taki, so I can see him thinking that he’s helping by “doing his own thing” watching YouTube or Tik Tok videos with his headphones on at the other end of the room, but I can also see him turning over with a “sorry, but you HAVE to see this” literally every 5 minutes, which effectively ruins the point of even having his headphones in, because he’s showing you every video, asking you what you think, ranting about something he just heard or saw. He wouldn’t realize that he was being a problem either, not until you finally snapped and threw something at him. After that, he would run off to another room, apologizing a million times. When you finally were feeling better, he would ask you what you needed, how he could be the most effective/most empathetic partner in these situations, and what the signs were so that he didn’t misread another moment. The last thing he wanted was to make you feel worse when you were already feeling so low.

[stay-mon-army]

Enhypen Masterlist

Jungwon

Nothing yet

Heeseung

The Institution ~ Based off of NCT Dream's Dreamscape concept; living in the Institution, everything is uniform and predictable. Except for the star boy who seems too kind in this house of horrors.

Jay

Lost Dog Meet Cute ~ After losing Layla on a walk, Ni-Ki and Sunoo enlist the help of others to find her before Jake finds out. Lucky for Jay, Layla is found by the prettiest person he's ever seen.

Jake

Nothing yet

Sunghoon

Nothing yet

Sunoo

Nothing yet

Ni-Ki

Nothing yet

[stay-mon-army]

Lost Dog Meet Cute

Word Count: 2,192 words

Pairing: Jay (Enhypen) x fem!reader/OC (written from Jays' POV, no name used)

Warning(s): lost dog, jokes of someone killing someone for losing their dog

“I can’t believe you let her leash go.” Sunoo shakes his head, his mouth open as he looks at Ni-Ki, who stands with his hands on his hips, looking around as though the run-away dog will simply reappear magically.

“I didn’t let her leash go, you pushed me and I dropped it.” Ni-Ki stresses, pointing a finger at Sunoo, which he promptly swipes at. Sunoo makes a face at Ni-Ki before turning away, also searching for the cream border collie that had raced into the mass of people milling around Han River about a minute ago.

The dog in question wasn’t even either of theirs, it was their best friend Jake’s dog. Well, to be more exact, it was his family’s dog – they were visiting Jake on holiday here in Korea from Australia and had brought the dog, who had missed Jake the most. However, one of the excursions that Jake wanted to take his parents on was unfortunately not dog-friendly, meaning he would have to leave the dog at his apartment until they returned. In the hopes of keeping Layla from wrecking any havoc, and from leaving presents all over Jake’s floor on his return, he asked his friends if they would be willing to take Layla on a walk around mid-day. Being a border collie, she needed the exercise, he said, and really she wouldn’t be too much trouble because of how well-trained she was.

The only problem with the plan was that he asked two of the worst friends, as neither of them had ever had to deal with a dog as lively as Layla before. She was spunky and friendly, and ran up to EVERYTHING within the length of her leash. Sunoo and Ni-Ki also had a tendency to bicker. In the midst of a typical bicker session, somehow the leash slipped from Ni-Ki’s hand, allowing the lively dog the chance to run free as far as she desired. Which apparently, was out of eye shot of either of the boys now standing dogless in the middle of the lawn of the Han River.

“Well, what do we do now, genius? Just stand here staring until she finds her way back, or worse, gets hit by a car? Come on, we have to start looking for her!” Sunoo grumbles, crossing his arms and starting to stalk off in the direction he thinks Layla disappeared in.

“Hold on, I’m going to call the guys. Maybe they can help look.” Ni-Ki calls, pulling his phone from his pocket. Sunoo spins around his arms straightening at his sides quickly.

“Don’t tell Jake.”

“I won’t! Jesus.” Ni-Ki shakes his head again at the boy before him, making a face, before lifting his phone to his ear, making his first call of the afternoon.

~~~~~

Less than an hour later, Ni-Ki has enlisted the help of their four other friends, who have spread out in the general area of the Han River that Layla was last seen. They split up and decided to search individually, in the hopes of finding her before she’s dog-napped, or worse.

One such friend, Jay, is more than a little rumpled from the flight over here. Ni-Ki hadn’t told him what the emergency was when he called, only that Jay needed to get to him and Sunoo ASAP. Needless to say, Jay had ran straight out of his senior seminar class, heading for them as quickly as possible, resulting in a very wind-swept, wrinkled, untucked mess of a look. Jay couldn’t fully blame the two though; if they didn’t find Layla before Jake came home, they might be at risk of loss of life. That dog was everything to Jake.

Jay looked under bushes, behind trees, at every passing couple, just trying to find that damn dog so he could go apologize profusely to his professor and hopefully save his attendance grade. He’d worked so hard to have good attendance this semester; he was going to be pissed off if this dropped his grade any more than a point or two.

Jay stops in his tracks then, looking closer at the young girl sitting with a dog that looks oddly like Layla. She’s sitting cross-legged on her picnic blanket, book beside her abandoned as she rakes her fingers through the dogs fur, scratching her nails against the dog, whose tail is wagging a million miles an hour. She leans forward, pressing her face into the dog’s neck. The dog turns to lick against her cheek, making the girl pull back to laugh, her mouth split into the most breathtaking smile.

Jay can’t take his eyes off the way her eyes light up as she tries to keep her face away from the assault of licks the dog is attempting on her nose. He finds his lips turning up at the sound of her raucous laughter, out of place in the otherwise quiet and serene park. The dog yaps loudly and the girl yaps back jokingly, making the dog pull back, stretching down in a playful stance like it’s about to pounce on her.

Jay shakes himself out of his trance, blinking away to look at the river quickly. God, was he a psychopath? Staring at some stranger in the park, he was going to get himself slapped or arrested for stalking if he kept that up. What was he thinking?

But then he pauses, turning back to the girl, or more specifically the dog. The leash around its neck is bright purple with silver paw prints scattered along its length. Exactly like the leash that Ni-Ki said Layla was wearing when she managed to break out of his grip.

There’s no way. He thinks to himself. Watching the two together, it’s clear that they’re dog and owner. No one would be that carefree and friendly to a dog they didn’t know, surely. Plus, the leash was a popular brand in Korea, every pet store sold them.

But cream border collies weren’t popular in Korea last he checked. Because of the size of apartments and lack of personal lawns, most people kept small dogs. He decided to just go up and ask. What was the worst that could happen, she says it’s her dog?

As he steps forward, he sees her grab the dog by the collar, reaching down to grasp the dog tags dangling there. Owners wouldn’t normally do that…

Then, the thing that solidifies that this dog is their missing pooch.

“Layla? What a pretty name. Let’s find your parents, huh, Layla?” With another scratch to the top of the head.

“Hey, excuse me!” Jay calls out, raising a hand as the girl turns. He jogs the last little way over to her, stopping a comfortable distance from the edge of her blanket. “I’m so sorry, but I think that’s my friends dog. We’ve been looking all over the park for it.”

He’s sure that his cheeks are flushed pink at the way she’s looking up at him from the ground, her eyes boring holes through to his soul. It was like she could read if he was lying through just one look. Of course, he wasn’t lying, but that didn’t make him any less nervous.

The girl hums, her eyes sweeping Jay, from his face to his feet and back. Her eyes squint and her lip quirks up for a second at the corner, before straightening back out in a look of obvious uncertainty.

“How do I know you’re telling the truth? I can’t just give away this precious girl to someone claiming to know the owner.” She looks around as if she would even know what Jake looks like if he was here. “Why don’t you go get your friend and he’ll confirm that it’s his dog?”

Jay tenses, looking around the park as well.

“Um, well you see, my friend doesn’t know that we lost Layla…” He starts, but then quickly looks back at the girl, who has one eyebrow quirked now. “Well, I mean, I didn’t lose Layla, our other friends did. Jake is out with his family and asked Ni-Ki and Sunoo to take Layla on a walk, which was really his first mistake because those two can’t be left alone together on most days, so of course they started bickering and Ni-Ki let go of her leash and then she ran off because she was probably tired of all their fighting, but they called us to help look because they didn’t want Jake to fi-”

The beautiful girl before him starts up that raucous laughter again, throwing her head back, her hand against her check, her hair caught in the wind. She looked like a dream and Jay pauses mid-sentence, forgetting what he was saying anyway because wow she was like a nymph, like something mystical, straight out of an ancient legend. She was smooth and charming and so natural, as though she was the most real, connected person to this world and Jay’s heart nearly stops as he traces the lines of her face with his eyes.

Forget the dog, he needs to know all he can about her.

“How about this,” she starts, when she finally gets her breathing under control, “I’m going to call the number on her collar. If the person who answers says they know you, you can take the dog?” She’s smiling up at him and he notices the faintest hint of glitter on her lips, as though she had on lipstick that has since worn off.

He nods, afraid of what he’ll say if he dares open his mouth, and watches as she pulls out her phone and dials his friends number.

He no longer cares if Jake finds out about Layla getting away from Sunoo and Ni-Ki. It’s not his business, he won’t be in any trouble once they get home. Especially since he’s the one who found her in the end and will be bringing her home safe.

The girl calmly explains the situation into the microphone of her phone, watching Layla who has now begin rolling around in the grass, her legs sticking up and her tongue hanging out. She glances up at the boy above her, asking him his name. He stumbles through it, heart pounding in his chest, and finally she smiles, thanks the person on the other end and hangs up.

She eyes Jay one more time, all the way from top to bottom, like she’s still not so sure about his motives, before she holds up the leash to him. He stands there frozen for a moment, the wind pushing his hair into his eyes, which he quickly brushes back.

“Well, I guess you’re who you say you are. Maybe you should be in charge of getting her back home so your friends don’t lose her again.” The girl shakes the leash when it’s clear that Jay is stuck in limbo for a moment.

As though he’s shocked back to life, Jay reaches out quickly, almost snatching the leash from her hand, slipping his hand through the loop to make sure Layla doesn’t get any new grand prison-break ideas. Before Jay can think better of it, he’s opening his mouth, and more than the originally intended “thank you” comes out.

“Can I have your number?” He’s definitely beat red by now – his heart is pounding in his ears and his hand is nearly shaking at the thought of getting rejected out here in public by this person who he is nearly certain is his soulmate.

The girl flashes him this award-winning grin, as though she knew he was going to ask that, like she was planning on it.

“Is seeing my new favorite girl part of this exchange?” The girl reaches out to scratch behind Layla’s ear, who licks her cheek in return, earning yet another siren-sounding giggle into the air.

“If that’s what it takes, I’ll dog-nap her myself.” Jay says, hoping that comes off as funny as it did in his head. He’s relieved when she laughs again, this time at his joke, which swells him with pride.

She picks up a pen laying beside her, grabs his arm and quickly jots down her number on the inside of his wrist. The whole time, he’s acutely aware of the way his skin tingles at the points were her fingertips graze him, as though her very touch holds fire.

When she’s done, she lets him go like nothing happened, pets Layla one more time, picks up her book, and waves at Jay, essentially excusing him, although he doesn’t mind. He waves back, lightly tugging Layla’s leash to guide her back towards where he knows he left the others. He’ll have to break the news to Sunoo and Ni-Ki that they’re likely to have their last few hours on this earth soon, before Jake comes home and murders them for putting Layla at risk, but for now he doesn’t worry about that. All he can think about is how he’s going to open when he finally messages mystery girl.

It’s only when he makes it back to his friends that he realizes, he never caught her name.

[stay-mon-army]

Heightened Senses

Word count: 1142 words

Warning(s): None that I know of - please lmk if I missed one

Pairing: Lee Chanyeon (Big Ocean) x gn!reader

Note: I have loved these boys since pre-debut, and Chanyeon is my bias, so I knew I had to write something for him. I've always wondered if the "lose one sense, your others heightened" was true, and I thought that Chanyeon (and the others) would love an S/O who wanted to learn about them and share in their world, especially in a fun way. I hope others can find this as adorable of an idea as I did!

Living with Chanyeon was an adventure every day - no matter how much you had learned about his little life, there was always something new to discover. Sometimes you even got the joy of getting to discover it together, as he learned new things about his life and existence.

You took every new step and experience in stride, enjoying the changes in Chanyeon's eyes as he shared his being with you, the person he loved most. You tried to make it truly feel like an adventure - finding little games or tricks to explore every facet of the new information so you wouldn't ever forget it.

Sometimes you came to him with questions or experiments, and today was such a time. You had been reminded of an old medical tip you had heard as a child, that when someone loses one sense, their other ones grow stronger to compensate. When you came home that night, you decided you wanted to put it to the test.

Walking through the door, you could hear your boyfriend messing around in the kitchen, likely making himself something to eat. He tried very hard to gauge his noise levels based on a variety of things around him, but he wasn't always good at it and every so often you would hear him place down a pan too hard or accidentally slam a cabinet. What you found adorable was that when he realized too late that he had done something too loud, he would cringe as though the noise was overloud for him as well, even if he didn't have his external processor attached or turned on.

You took off your shoes, dropped your things in the living room, and ventured to see what Chanyeon was going in the kitchen. He was finishing up dinner, stirring a pan slowly, before turning to grab the plates he had set down, dishing food onto each plate. You notice that he seems not to have noticed you and you couldn't see his implant so you reached out and knocked against the counter as far out as you could so he could both feel the vibration and see your hand.

He turned to face you with a giant grin splitting open his face, waving hello and saying a quick "hi, love" before turning back to the food, finishing ladling out the portions and putting the food down on the island behind him where you both often sat to eat. He then reached for his implants, which you now see had been charging next to the stove.

You waited for him to put them in, slowly approaching and wrapping your arm around his waist and pressing your face into his side.

He grins at you, placing his arms back around you, leaning over to kiss against your head. He pulls back to hold you at arms length, asking about your day.

"It was good! I was reminded of something today. Could I do another experiment?" By now, you had called it this so many times, it was an inside joke between you two. At first, when you called it that for the first time, Chanyeon had laughed, asking if he was a guinea pig to you or a boyfriend. You had to convince him with many kisses that you didn't see him as anything less than the love of your life.

"Of course!" He grinned at you - you loved watching him sign as he spoke, his hands flowing so smoothly, second nature to him by now.

You led him over to one of the chairs seated by the island, gesturing for him to sit, which he obliges quickly. His eyes shine as he watches you grin back at him, as though he couldn't get enough of just watching you exist before him.

"I heard that if you lose one sense, that your other senses grow stronger to compensate. Do you want to test it?" You couldn't stop cheesing so wide your cheeks began to burn. Chanyeon laughed loudly at the question, his eyes disappearing into crescent moons as he leaned back in his seat.

He nods, reaching up to take his implants out again, which you felt a little bad for. He had just put them in for you and now you were asking him to take them out again, but you knew that he would do anything you asked in a heartbeat and that he found your little tests as interesting and fun as you did.

As he places them onto the island, he watches you for his next instruction. You mime closing your eyes, gesturing for him to do the same. He smiles as he closes his eyes, looking as though he thought this was goofy, which in a way it was. You weren't really going to learn anything about him, but it was a way to lighten the mood and share a sweet memory, which was all that mattered.

Once you were convinced he would keep his eyes closed while you "worked", you lifted your hands, hovering them just above his skin. You lightly rested the tips of your fingers of one hand against his forehead, slowly tracing down along the curve of his face until you reached his chin, pulling your hands away. You did the same thing on the other side, repeating the process slowly, keeping your touch as light as you could.

Chanyeon giggled, squirming in his seat and opening his mouth to speak, but you quickly placed one finger over his lips, telling him you wanted him not to speak. He closes his mouth, biting down on his lip to stop the grin trying to shine through at your actions.

Again, you lifted your hands, this time smoothing your fingers over his eyebrows. At the new sensation, his face relaxes, his smile loosening to a comfortable grin. His eyes flutter behind his lids, chasing your fingers. You move to his cheeks, first feeling the bones beneath with your fingertips, then flipping to run your knuckles across them.

Finally, you allow your fingers to draw a line down your nose and across his lips. His hands rise, grasping your wrists to hold you still as he kisses your fingertips, eyes still closed. He holds you there, lips pressed to your fingers for a long moment.

He opens his eyes to meet yours, eyes swimming with tears and galaxies and wonder. He blinks, a tear dropping, and you raise your hand to wipe it away with the back of a finger.

He raises a hand, cupping your face in turn within his palm. "I love you." He mouths, lips upturning at the edges. You lean down, pressing a kiss to the corner, then directly on his lips. As you pull away, you lift your hand, curling down your middle and ring finger. Chanyeon grins wide and pulls you back in.

[stay-mon-army]

&TEAM Masterlist

EJ

• Nothing Yet

Fuma

• Hard Work Treats ~ BF!Fuma has been working so hard, as have the rest of the boys. You made sure they knew someone was seeing their hard work, and looking out for them in the process.

K

• Nothing Yet

Nicholas

• Lazy Morning ~ BF!Nicho is hard to wake up in the mornings, but sometimes you don't mind too much.

Yuma

• Nothing Yet

Jo

• Nothing Yet

Harua

• Nothing Yet

Taki

• Nothing Yet

Maki

• Nothing Yet

Multimember/OT9

• Cuddles and Chaos ~ Fuma/Yuma/K/Nicho are a lot to handle as roommates. Usually they're loud and crazy. However, sometimes they can be quite lovely.

• Under The Skin ~ OT9 series coming soon!

[stay-mon-army]

Sounding Board

Word count: 1,198 words

Pairing: Unspecified male idol x gn!reader

Warnings: anxiety, depressive feelings, feelings of not being enough/being a bad friend

Being other people’s sounding boards had always been something that you liked being. Maybe it was the burned out gifted in you, maybe it was the sad child who hadn’t gotten enough emotional support growing up so you had learned to hide it all or grow a thick skin, or maybe it was simple the fact that you got it – you had bad days and needed to just let it out sometimes too; but for whatever reason, you had always prided yourself on being the person that people could come to with their problems. You were the whiteboard to write on that could be wiped clean the moment they didn’t need to look at their pain anymore, the wishing well where they could drop their coins and trinkets in the hopes their wishes will come true and the fears won’t, the sleepy village they can ransack with their words and concerns because who would even care about the little villagers crops anyway, the emotional support dog that licks up your tears and wags its tail so hard you think it’ll break something but really it just heals your broken heart, the paper lantern they could light and watch float away into the sky to take away their pain with it – the therapist. You were always the fucking therapist.

And on any other day, any other month, any other year, you wouldn’t mind. You knew that everyone needed that sometimes, it meant that they trusted you, that they liked you. There was nothing wrong with asking your friends to listen to your pain, to rant, to get it out, to ask for advice. Hell, you had done it a million times yourself, rarely asking if it was okay to unload your problems onto the closest kind soul.

But for some reason, today wasn’t like any other day. This month wasn’t any other month. And this year sure hadn’t started out like any other year. You loved your friends, you loved being a support, you loved that people loved you enough to reach out when they needed help.

But you had been worrying about your own problems – what felt like a million little problems stacking and stacking and stacking like a leaning tower of jenga blocks, waiting for the wrong piece to be pulled so it could all crash down around you. Your mind felt like a broken vase, glued back together precariously, gentle fingers pushing the pieces into place, hoping and praying that nothing will push too hard, rock the table, that the pieces wouldn’t all fly apart, cutting you up in the process. Every new small worry felt like an anvil on your mind, tightening your muscle in a vice grip, making your body feel like you were underwater but without the weightless joy of floating. Rather, the sinking, pressure-filled nothingness that dragged you deeper and deeper until you couldn’t remember the feeling of the sun. Your hands shook as you couldn’t decide whether to continue working, slowly chipping away at the anxieties and problems you had to work through in order to get back to your moment of peace, or distract yourself with something else, something fun, in order to ignore the problems just until you could think straight, just until your body didn’t feel like every nerve ending was zapping with electricity enough to power a whole city block. Whether waiting or working would be better, you couldn’t decide.

And every *ding* of a new message that you feared to look at meant you couldn’t tell if you were a good friend after all. Who were you to ignore someone else in pain? How dare you not listen and empathize, show care and concern, because that’s what they need. How dare you act just like those other people they complain about. So you try to give them the answers the want as your brain shuts down and you worry if the wording is right or if you sound as robotic as you feel. You look away and ignore the messages that send you into a panic – you know they don’t mean anything but man, you really didn’t think you’d have to think about that idea right now. Not when you had been so good for so long. Not when you had finally gotten to a point where saying it didn’t feel real anymore.

It was starting to feel real again.

As you sit at your desk, typing and typing and typing, not sure if you’re working for you now or working for the you that used to be, who knew that getting words out on a page meant progress, a you who used writing as an escape, you felt hands gently laying over your own, stopping the shaking and click clack click of your keyboard.

A pair of lips press against the crown of your head, as the hands lift your own, crossing your arms across your own chest and readjusting to match the pose, holding you tight against him. He slowly breathes in deep, holding and letting it out. You realize that he wants you to copy as his taps his finger against one of the backs of your hands. You slowly do the same, breathing deeply, holding, and releasing. After a moment of simply breathing, he reaches out to close your laptop, stepping back to pull your chair away from your desk.

He turns you, pulling you up to stand before him, before he pulls you back into his embrace. You didn’t know you needed more of this – this closeness. As though you had been lost out in outerspace, among the cold and dark and spacedust that doesn’t care for you.

He cares for you; this you know without a shadow of a doubt. Because if he didn’t he wouldn’t be here, holding you, kissing your head, rubbing your back, taking care of you when you feel like nothing can fix this.

He knows you have work to do, but he also knows that you need an excuse to take a break. That instead of listening to your own mind and body, you would work your way into a distressing state physically and mentally, and he wouldn’t let that happen. No, he would give you your excuse, silently becoming the reason for your ease, your pain to ebb away in waves as you simply breathe. He knows exactly how to help you, with no words and few actions.

After a moment, he guides you to your bed, pulling back the covers and layering you under a mound of blankets. He grabs the remote, turns on your favorite show, and slides in beside you, knowing all you need is proximity and familiarity. No words need to be uttered, no explanation could help better than the silent understanding that sometimes you just need to be.

And so together, you would be, without anyone else. No other problems, no other concerns, just the show softly playing in the background, the feeling of his breathing against your skin as you pull yourself as close as you can manage. This was how you stayed alive. This was how those ideas stopped feeling real again.

[stay-mon-army]

Under The Skin: Prologue

Word Count: 1,165 words

Warnings: death, blood, negative self-thinking

Note: Hello!! So this is the prologue to a multiple chapter book I'm writing about &team and their lore! As you can tell from the title and this chapter (hopefully), I was heavily inspired by their debut MV (Under the Skin) and their lore! I know they have the webtoon, but I wanted to tell my own first impressions of the story after watching the MV. This was a long time coming and will likely still take me some time because of how busy I am, but I hope that you guys enjoy it and stick around for the ride! There will be some member x member romantic relationships, so if that's not your thing, I apologize in advance, and this may not be the story for you! Otherwise, welcome to Under the Skin!

K’s heart beats out of his chest as he runs. He can’t stop. If he stops—

No, he won’t think about that. He just has to keep running. If he could just get there in time, he could fix everything. He could save them.

The world around him was ruined. The buildings were crumbling, the road was cracked and missing whole sections, the earth was scorched and nothing green lived. He knew, somewhere in his head, that some of his pack had caused some of the damage. They weren’t totally clean — blood and destruction was on their hands. But it wasn’t totally their faults; they had to protect humans from the vampires. The vampires were the true monsters.

K had been taught from a young age, since he was truly a “pup” as his alpha liked calling him, that the vampires would be totally out of control if the wolves didn’t keep them in check. That’s why the werewolves were created. They were the only things stopping those creatures from ripping the human world apart piece by bloody piece. They only acted calm and demure; they were ruthless. If anything, this war had proven that.

The coven in his town had been fighting back from the rule of the wolves for months. They kept poking and poking, starting small with missing pets until they escalated to attacking the wolves outright. His alpha said they had to fight back, otherwise the vampires would begin hurting humans. If that were to happen, the humans would find out about the world of the supernatural and they would all be in trouble. They would all be hunted, despite being family, friends, loved ones. The humans wouldn’t care. They would all be killed.

So, the pack had fought back, trying to keep it quiet and quick. They didn’t want any more blood to be spilled than necessary. The vampires had only been emboldened. Now, the town was in ruins, the coven dealt with, but his pack… They were all dead.

He just had to find his alpha. He would know what to do. It would all be okay.

As he rounds the next corner, he spots him. Laying back against a pile of concrete slabs, his alpha is breathing, but the scent of his blood assaults his nose and his knees almost give out.

No, I can’t be too late. Please, don’t let me be too late.

K races towards his teacher, his mentor, the man who taught him everything he knows. He slams to his knees, ignoring the way the pain reverberates through his kneecaps, up his thighs, all the way to his head, jumping to throb against every single injury riddling his body. He doesn’t take longer than a single tear raising to his eye on that; he’s already reaching out his hands, hovering them over the body of the man who had raised him.

“Don’t look at me like that.” The man before him rasps, his bloody lips jerking as though he tries to smile at the boy. His eyes fill with tears as he gazes upon K, the last one. He could tell, from the way the boy looked at him, that he had seen the destruction he had brought upon this pack. That he had ruined the lives of the very ones he swore to protect. “Protecting humans from vampires, that’s what werewolves are supposed to do. I don’t regret what we’ve done — we protected those who couldn’t protect themselves.” He coughs hard, a dribble of blood leaking from his mouth, which he turns to spit out. He still has more to tell K. “I’m sorry. It’s my job as the alpha to take care of you all. There was so much more I was supposed to see as you all grew up. I’m sorry I couldn’t make that happen.” He coughs again, but this time it doesn’t stop.

K finally moves his hands to rest against the man before him, laying them on his arms, holding him as though he wishes to pull him in, cradle him close. He stops coughing, but swallows thickly, no doubt a mouthful of blood spilling down his throat.

“Please, don’t apologize. You did the best you could. You did everything you could.” K’s voice trembles, the tears finally breaking away to trace lines through the grime on his face. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t save them. I couldn’t save you.” He sobs, his head falling so the man wouldn’t see his tears. He hadn’t cried in front of him in years.

“You have grown up so well, K. You have become such a strong man: you cared for the others, you took over control when no one else would, and you have learned to control the urges that often control us. If you could not save everyone today, it isn’t because of your ability. It was because I failed you.”

K’s head snaps up, ignoring the burn in his eyes as he shakes his head, raising his hands to the man's face. “You have never failed me. You could never fail me.”

The man smiles, his teeth lined with red making a gruesome sight, and yet K couldn’t look away.

“I love you, K. If anyone was to survive, I’m glad it was you.” His coughing begins wracking his body, forcing his chest up off the ground to convulse as he spits up his very life-blood.

“You can’t die. I don’t know what to do without you.” His hands pull the man towards his body, cradling his head in his lap, ignoring the splattering of blood that decorates the last clean spot on his jeans. The man's breaths are coming in whistles now, as his lungs no doubt fill with blood, choking him slowly from the inside. There was nothing K could do but watch, listen, witness as his father, his caretaker, his alpha slowly stopped coughing, slowly stopped moving, slowly stopped breathing.

When finally, his breathing stops, the silence is deafening. The wind doesn’t blow, the screams of the dying have stopped, the clashing of battle has ended; the only thing left is K’s sobs, his pleads with anyone in the universe to turn back the clock, to save those he loved.

How could K go on? How could he find a new pack, live amongst the humans, defend against the vampires, act as if he wasn’t a part of the death of his whole family? How could he pretend to be normal?

When finally the sun dips down and the moon begins its assent above the horizon to rule the sky, K lifts himself, collecting the man’s body into his arms.

He will begin by burying his dead. He will give them the respect in death they deserve, and he will burn the bodies of the vampires. And then, he will move on. He will find a way to live. He will not let their lives end in vain. It’s the least he can do.

[stay-mon-army]

Cuddles and Chaos

Word count: 1,359 words

Warning(s): None that I can think of?

Pairing: Fuma/Yuma/K/Nicholas x gn!reader (mostly platonic)

Note: I wrote this for a Lune friend that I made whose birthday is today! I wanted to say thank you for accepting me so quickly and sharing your crazy thoughts with me! This isn't my best work, but I wanted to write you a little something special! I hope you can see my vision here! I hope even more that you had a wonderful birthday and that you know that there are people out there who get really excited to interact with you, even when they're small interactions! <3

Living with a group of boys would sound stressful to anyone, but in reality, it was a joy you couldn’t imagine living without. You had four roommates who were all boys, and unlike the lies about cleanliness, the stereotype that boy roommates are chaos incarnate was completely true – at least it was about your roommates.

K was probably the calmest of the four about 80% of the time, but it was all a ploy. He acted like a sweet, calm, gentle giant, who listens to jazz music and lights candles, but in reality, he was the quiet mastermind. He would secretly encourage all the other boys to be their most problematic selves. You were convinced it was mostly for the plot – he would often be found laughing while you fumbled to fix whatever new situation was arising from the fallout. He was lucky you loved the sound of his laugh or you would’ve throttled him by now.

Yuma was the biggest instigator – he loved getting a rise out of you and would often push buttons, cause little inconveniences, and all around created chaos in the hopes that he would be able to get your attention for just a little while longer. He was exactly like a cat in that regard; if it wouldn’t make a terrible mess, you’re convinced he would have started knocking things off the counter and shelves if it meant you’d look at him a little longer. Not that you needed much encouragement to do that, seeing how his smile was enough to blind the sun itself. You were lucky to have such gorgeous roommates.

Nicholas was a similar breed to Yuma, although on the calmer side for sure. If Yuma was an orange cat, Nicholas was the black cat of the house, no doubt. You could often find Nicholas lounging just on the fringes of whatever activity was going on, watching and waiting for his moment to strike. Don’t get him wrong, he loved to laugh and spend time with all of you, but nothing was more hilarious to him than getting a rise out of one of the boys or you. He often picked fun, making jokes about someones mistakes or bickering over useless things, as though he loved watching others get worked up further and further. He would always make it up to you though; he was a cuddler and a gift giver, meaning you would often find little trinkets and gifts left in your room seemingly at random, and fighting off his random attacks of love was a nearly impossible feat.

Fuma was the only genuinely quiet one. He didn’t tend to fall for Nicho’s attempts at verbal back-and-forth and he was basically the dad of the group – always making sure everyone is fed, happy, unharmed, and entertained. He could disappear for hours at a time playing his games, face glued to his switch screen. When you weren’t sure where he was, he was either there or hidden away in his room, watching the newest anime on the TV in his room. Sometimes, if you were real lucky, he would invite you in to watch along with him, curled underneath the piles of Pokemon plushies that the man seems to hoard. The only downside to Fuma was that if you managed to get him talking? He would not. Stop. Talking. You swore, he almost didn’t need breath! He could talk your ear off for hours, and getting him to stop or trying to run away will only result in pouting, childish sulking, and a lot more talking.

Nevertheless, the boys were all sweet at heart and wanted nothing more than your attention. Everyone in the house had their own room, so you were able to get some alone time away from the chaos whenever you needed, and the boys were good about listening to you when you shared what you did or didn’t need at any given point. They were all relatively clean, helped contribute to food and rent, and were truly hilarious to watch go at each other.

One of your favorite parts of living with the boys was the monthly game and movie night that you all had. You would all congregate in the living room with blankets, pillows, games, movies, and your energy. You would play games until you got too tired or (more often) you had to break up the biggest argument about cheating or slander.

Tonight was one such night, so you had spread out blankets and pillows to create a giant bed on the floor for the chaos to happen upon. You had snuggled down amongst the comfort with your favorite drink, sitting back to watch your favorite boys. Usually, you would jump right in the action as well. However, a tough day full of annoyances at work and unnecessary drama left you horribly drained of energy to keep up with the energetic balls of chaos you called your roommates.

Instead, you rested back against Fuma’s wide chest; your head slotted perfectly against one shoulder as his hands ran shapes across your legs and waist. Every so often, he leans down to press a kiss against the crown of your head or whisper some sweet-nothing into your ear. You wonder how you haven’t fallen asleep yet – that is, until a new piercing shriek fills the air.

Ah yes, your other lovely boys.

You watch as Yuma launches himself across the game board at Nicho. K howls with laughter, falling onto his back with the force of it. Yuma is sprawled across Nicho’s body, pretending to wrap his hands around Nicho’s neck while Nicho thrashed and shrieked.

You can feel the rumble of laughter from Fuma behind you as he pulls you tighter back against him. You take a sup of your drink to hide your smile.

Finally you speak up, getting the boys attention, Yuma doesn’t move from on top of Nicho, both simply turning their heads to face you. K sits up, brushing away tears and swallowing small giggles.

“Let’s call it a tie and move on to movies, okay?” You suggest, reaching over to pluck a random discarded movie off the floor.

“Only if I get head pats this time.” Yuma pouts, blinking tears into his eyes for prime puppy dog eyes.

“You always get head pats.” K lightly pushes Yuma’s head. Yuma’s head whips around to scowl at K, who sticks his tongue out at him.

“Yes, you can get head pats. Now calm down.” You laugh at the antics, especially as Yuma turns to cheese at you, flashing his snaggletooth at you.

Yuma bounds over, slamming down beside you to press his face against your thigh. The moment your hand that isn’t holding your drink touches Yuma’s hair, you can feel the vibrating hum that Yuma releases. K stands, takes the movie that you have since dropped back beside you, and goes back to the tv to put the movie in. Nicho crawls over after Yuma, laying on your other side to lay his head against your other thigh. He uses his head to push Yuma over slightly who glares at him, before laying back down on your lap. When K finally sets up the movie and turning off the lights, he settles behind Nicho, back by Fuma. He lays his head on Fuma’s other shoulder. He reaches out his hand, unapologetically grabbing your drink from your hand, moving it out of the way so he can hold your hand instead.

You settled in for the movie, warming up under the weight of your roommates cuddled against you from all sides. You couldn’t imagine living your life without every single one of the boys surrounding you – they made you laugh, helped you forget any of your problems, and were possibly more obsessed with you than you were with them. Tired and comfortable, all 5 of your ended up falling asleep before the movie ended. That was how most of these nights ended, but you wouldn’t have had it any other way. You couldn’t wait for the next game/movie night were hopefully you would have more energy to engage in their hellish chaos.

[stay-mon-army]

Hard Work Treats

Word Count: 1,853 words

Warning(s): Food (mentions of cooking and of eating but nothing specific)

Pairing: Fuma (&team) x gn!reader

Note: This was completely self-indulgent! I'm realizing that I use food and cooking for people as a love language, and man I love these boys! I want nothing more than to feed these boys to make sure they're eating good on their hard days! I hope you all are also taking care of yourselves! <3

Fuma was known as the dad of &Team, and you were not going to disagree with the masses analysis of your boyfriend. Being his significant other meant that you had become the surrogate parent of the boys as well. Even K, who was older than Fuma and should’ve been considered another parent, was often babied by the two of you – probably even more than the others were, and you weren’t going to catch him complaining.

You didn’t mind the sudden responsibility of caring for 8 grown teenage boys. They filled your extra time with shenanigans and chaos and love that you didn’t think was possible from a group of “professionals” (but the truth was they were just boys who loved to sing and dance, they weren’t anything special in that regard). In fact, you grew to love the attention and appreciation the boys showed to you, often coming to you when they had a problem or a question, taking you on like a mama bird with a collection of chicks – they basically followed you everywhere.

One day, when you knew the boys would be spending countless hours in the practice room working on their newest choreo, you decided to surprise them with some treats. These boys could put back food on a good day, but on dance practice days? They were like a pack of starving hyenas and you knew they wouldn’t have time to run out and grab food themselves.

So since you happened to have that day off from work, you spent the morning in the kitchen, making as many different dishes as you could. Since becoming the newest member of their werewolf family, you had shared your own personal family history through food, making sure to let them try as many different cultural dishes as you could remember or find that related to your loved ones. The boys were practically black holes; there wasn’t a single food they didn’t enjoy, and some became their new all-time favorites. You spent hours making all of their favorites and a few new ones they hadn’t tried yet; packing them away into pretty little containers was the best part, knowing they would fawn over all your hard work the moment you stepped through the doors of the practice room.

Putting the containers into big insulated bags to make carrying all that food easier, you finally dressed in your comfiest clothes, slapped on a mask, and began your trek down to the Hybe building. You knew that most of the boys were sad spending so much time in Korea, away from their families, but you were determined to bring them little sparks of joy wherever possible.

When you arrived, you were given a visitor pass and ushered past the security fencing, following the familiar path to the elevators and up to the practice room. As you approached the room, you debated how to enter. You could sneak in while they practiced, but you doubted they wouldn’t notice your entrance. You could burst in with food in hands, shouting as you know they would right back the moment they noticed you. You decided to just knock on the door before entering, like a normal person. Who cared about some grand entrance, it was your boys. They would be excited to see you no matter what (especially once they notice the food bags).

You pause outside the door to put down one of the heavy bags, listening to the song playing on the other side of the door. You loved their music, almost as much as you loved them as individuals, and you were secretly very proud that you were given the permission and trust to hear their new songs before they were officially released. There had been days in which you were allowed in the recording studio when they were recording new b-sides, and you couldn’t have been happier to see your boys in their element (although you much preferred seeing Fuma in the dance studio – that was his real home).

You knocked gently on the door, hearing the boys call out to stop the music as you inch the door open, peeking through.

The boys all screamed at the sight of you, exactly as you expected. The boys weren’t really known to be quiet for any extended period of time (except maybe Jo). You reached back to grab the second bag and the screaming got louder, bodies racing towards you before you could blink. Two boys grabbed the bags from you, three more had wrapped you into a group bear hug. You could see Fuma over one of their shoulders, grinning widely and laughing at the chaos around him. When your eyes locked, you couldn’t help but match his smile with one of your own – you truly had such a beautiful and sweet boyfriend.

The boys finally let you go and all begin to congregate around the food that you brought, which has been spread out picnic style across the floor – chopsticks and forks and spoons and knives and napkins scattered amongst the food as though they had been dumped out as an afterthought (they likely had been).

As the boys open up the containers of food, you notice your boyfriend sidle up beside you, his hand reaching out to ghost against your waist. You lean into his side subconsciously, laying your head against his body.

“You didn’t have to do all this.” He rumbles in your ear, pressing a kiss against your temple in appreciation.

“I know, but I couldn’t leave my babies starving when they’re working so hard.” You smile as the boys begin to bicker amongst themselves, fighting for different food items they want to try first. You watch K playfully shove Taki away from his favorite dish, making you laugh at their antics. “Besides, I needed an excuse to come see you.” You glance up at the man beside you.

He coughs into his hand, turning away to try to hide the blush that’s spread across his face. No matter how long you’ve been together, he still gets flustered when you flirt with him. It warms your heart, that even cheesy sayings get a reaction out of him, like he’s still in that honeymoon phase of puppy love, hanging off of your every interaction.

He pulls you closer into his side, still looking the other direction as he presses your body against his.

“Well, I’m glad you came.” He whispers, finally looking back at you with gentle eyes. He always looked at you like you put the stars in the sky, and you honestly couldn’t imagine why when he was the perfect partner himself.

“Of course.” You smile up at him, only being wrenched away from staring at him from the sound of screaming coming from the other direction.

You look over to find Yuma hoarding a specific dish, making Harua practically tackle him to get some for himself. EJ is trying his best to calm them down, but today seems to be a full moon or something – you had never seen them so riled up over something so small.

You decided to try to break up the frenzy happening a short distance away, also hoping that going over there would entice your boyfriend into also eating some of the food you made. He worked so hard, you know he needed to keep his strength up by eating his share of the food, and there was no way the others were going to be leaving any leftovers.

You manage to placate the boys quickly, dishing out the food to them and making sure they share all of the dishes. Fuma sneaks into the circle as well, taking bites of all of the dishes he gets passed, showering you with compliments after every tasting.

After the food is gone and the boys have spread out to lay across the floor like sacks of potatoes, you pack the containers back into their bags and get ready to leave them to the rest of their practice. Just as you zip up the second bag, you notice a shadow falling over your shoulder and you look up. Fuma is standing behind you reaching out a hand.

Unsure what’s about to happen, you take his hand, letting him pull you up to stand before him. Fuma wasn’t one for PDA – he was almost as quiet as Jo most of the time and would rather sit back and watch, rather than being the center of attention when he was in a group setting. You didn’t mind but it was something you had to get used to; you were lucky to get anything more than a grazing hand, holding hands, or a secret temple or forehead kiss most of the time.

Suddenly, Fuma reaches down and wraps his arms around your waist, holding you tight so he could lift and spin you around. You squeal in surprise, wrapping your arms around his shoulders so he doesn’t drop you, burying your face into his neck so you don’t see the world spinning around you.

He puts you down to the giggles of you and the boys, most of them now watching from various lounging spots they’ve claimed around the room. When your feet touch solid ground again, you pull back and ask what that was for, wondering what had gotten into your gentle giant of a significant other.

“Thank you for always taking care of me and the boys.” He says, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear as he smiles at you. “I know sometimes we can be hectic and one might even say crazy, but I don’t know what we would do without you. You make tough days like this really fun; I know it helps me get through all the hard work we have to put in. Thank you for being our rock.” He presses a kiss to your forehead, and now it’s your turn to blush and look away.

Unfortunately for you, you know have the attention of 8 other boys, who have all gotten up from their prone positions to rush in to take you into a giant bear hug, crushing together as tight as they could get.

The laughter and shouts of gratitude warm your heart, making your day even brighter. You wouldn’t say that you do any of this for the praise or attention, but it made you feel good that the hard work you put in was appreciated. And hey, who didn’t like being appreciated for their time and effort?

You thank the boys back, trying to give as many head pats and hand squeezes to the boys as you could reach. When they finally pull away, EJ tells them that it’s time for them to do a quick stretch and prepare for the next couple hours of practice. Some of the boys groan, but they all wander off to start stretching individually or in pairs.

Fuma gives you one last kiss, this one to you lips, before swearing he’d see you at home later.

As much as you loved the boys, you couldn’t wait to see him again later.

[stay-mon-army]

5 Ways to Win a Prince

Word Count: 6,283 words (wtf the longest fic I've written so far)

Warning(s): pining, kissing, light touching, secret romance, fear of rejection/being separated by parental figures, creepy suitor/bad vibes from unnamed side character

Pairing: Prince!Park Jinyoung (GOT7) x Knight!gn!reader

Requested by: @crzy-devil (sorry this took so long!)

1- Sneak in to Visit

The sun began its slow descent, painting the distant horizon in fire and gold, as though the trees on the mountains had erupted with flames. You watched the colors shift and change as you rested your back against the rough rocks that make up the walls of the castle you’ve sworn to protect.

The metal armor adorning your body kept you warm from the chilling breeze that stirs the trees, making them dance alone within the field below you. The grounds of the castle roll gently downhill into a field and garden away from the balcony you currently rest under. You were always envious of his view, despite the fact you sneak in and are able to enjoy it yourself very often. Thinking of your secret path, you glance one last time at the horizon, deciding that the lowering sun had dimmed enough to allow you to steal away up the side of the wall.

You stand, double-checking that all of your armor and weapons are properly secured to your body before turning to face the wall. The bricks were firmly secured together, but certain bricks were not properly flush or were beginning to chip, giving you perfect foot and handholds to support your travels up its edge. Months of practice had made this climb easier and easier, so now it was no time at all before you were lifting yourself over the balcony railing, slipping down gently onto the marble outcropping that led to the glass doors into the Prince’s room.

Through the doors, you could see a fire gently crackling and flickering within the giant hearth that Jinyoung loved so much. Unsurprisingly, settled deep into one of the chairs encircling the fire, was your prince, his nose pressed into a book, his legs tucked up beneath him as though he could make himself small enough to actually enter the world in which he was engrossed. Just the sight of him brought a bright smile to your face, releasing the tensions of the day full of training and drilling for the protection of the kingdom. Nothing could make all of that pain and stress worth it as much as seeing the man before you.

Slowly, so as not to disturb him, you inch to the door, sliding open the glass doors, and slipping into the room to make your way closer to his gorgeous red and gold armchair that he so favored. Finally, when you placed your hand down on the arm of the chair as though you were making him aware of your presence, he turns his warm brown eyes up to meet your face, a gentle look of surprise parting his pink lips and flushing his detailed cheeks in a way that set your heart aflutter.

“Hello, my prince.” You whisper, leaning down to press a brushing kiss against one rose-tainted cheek. Jinyoung reaches up, fingers snagging behind your head to pull you down for a proper kiss, his lips grazing yours like snow drifting against the wind during the first snow, as though he was teasing you with his presence more than allowing either of you to enjoy it fully.

That was a change that had grown over time; in the beginning, you were both so afraid of not getting time together, not being able to be together, that you would waste no time, pressing together your lips and bodies as close as you could manage, sure you would run out of chances to hold each other that way. However, as time went on, you began to see the ways in which the small, subtle, simple touches and intimacies brought forth sweeter emotions than rushing through and feeling all at once. You were glad now to be able to spend moments like this; barely touching and yet feeling more than anyone else could make you feel, seeing everything the world had to offer and knowing you could take it whenever you wanted, but being secure enough to let it come to you.

You pull away from the man, who tilts his head up as though he’s chasing after you, before he settles back into his chair, lifting the book that he had rested on his lap. He reaches to a nearby table to grab a small bookmark, sliding it between two pages carefully, before setting the book down on the table.

You grab his hands, lifting him from his seat to spin the two of you around and pull him into your lap back into the cushioned chair. He chuckles at your actions, resting a hand against your collarbone as he shifts to find a comfortable position on your armored lap.

“I know these are for keeping you safe and all, but they really could have spent a little extra into making these more comfortable, couldn’t they?” He jokes, flicking the breastplate that separated your bodies from each other.

You laugh along, taking his hand and rubbing your thumb across his knuckles, raising them to press your lips against them as well.

“Well, once you’re king, you have all the power in the world to make that change to our uniform. For now, we must suffer in silence, lest we be found out and whisked apart.” You lean in to whisper the last sentence, letting your breath feather across his ear and neck, sending a shiver down his spine that has him pressing harder against your body.

“I would never let them keep me from you. Come hell or high water, I would never be separated from you – let them try.” This wasn’t the first time he had said similar sentiments, and it brought joy to you hearing it every time. You felt the same way, but to know that your prince would do anything to keep you together – your heart beats wildly at the thought.

You pull Jinyoung down closer to you, though you doubt it’s very possible to do that, and lean your face close to him, your nose brushing his intimately as you look down into his eyes.

“I share your sentiments, Prince. I promise to you, that my oath to you and your family is not only one as a soldier, as a knight, as a guard, but as a lover, as a human, as a simple servant under an idol. My devotion to you will never waver and I will not let anything but death pull me from your side. No matter what else I must give up, no matter who I may have to become or kill, I will be by your side, protecting you and yours, until Lady Death comes to bring me across to the otherworld.”

Jinyoung’s eyes shimmer with tears as he presses his forehead against yours, his hands coming to cup your cheeks.

“And I you, my love.” He whispers, finally press your lips together properly, pulling your bodies as close as possible. He holds you close and you let yourself sink into the sensation of holding the one you swear your life to, letting life carry you where it will.

2- Save Him from Unworthy Suitors

The worst part about being in love with the Prince was that he was destined to be put on dates with others constantly in the hopes of making relations with other kingdoms to keep the country safe from the neighboring lands. Most of the lands got along well enough, so there wasn’t a lot of fighting anyway, but Jinyoung’s parents were always trying to set up the next power couple of the continent.

Many times, you were sent out as a guard for the dates, if they were off castle grounds, which meant that you had to sit and watch while someone tried to woo Jinyoung, only to be met with polite refusal and friendship. Most of those who were on these dates felt the same way and had their own lovers back home in their kingdoms. They played along well as though they enjoyed the date, but it was only out of friendship and political acceptance.

However, on occasion, a date was set up between the young prince and someone who truly wished to catch his fancy. Most were amicable and, while often pushy and intense in trying to prove their worth to Jinyoung, were quick to accept Jinyoung’s refusal at the end of the date.

One day, however, there was a young male suitor who refused to take no for an answer. After one date had gone over without any hassle, Jinyoung had gone to his chambers that night with you and told you that he felt alright about the date, and that nothing would come of it, as per usual. Unfortunately for you both, the young man was infatuated with Jinyoung and had not accepted the refusal after only one shot. He had gone to the Queen after the date and explained in detail how he was sure another date would be enough to win over her son, and the Queen had quickly agreed, growing worried that Jinyoung would end up alone until he became King, which the Queen didn’t want to happen. The Queen wanted only for her son to be happy with a person to cherish him; unaware was she of the person warming her sons bed that very night.

Another date was scheduled and prepared for the two men, and for once, you were not scheduled to chaperon the excursion. That, however, was not going to stop you from riding along with them.

The men were scheduled to ride down a ways through the woods just outside of the castle, to a small lake area to have a picnic. Jinyoung told you about the trip, knowing there was no way he could stop you (not that he wanted to) and it would be easier to hide your spying if you didn’t have to track them too closely.

So on the morning of the day, you waiting until just after the other guards had followed after the prince and his suitor before slipping onto a horse of your own and tracing their path. You knew the way to the lake, as it was a common spot for you and the prince to also run off for little getaways together, making you all the more annoyed that the Queen had planned such a personal trip for the prince, despite his assertion that he had no interest in suitors.

Not long down the pathway through the rustling leaves, wandering along the sunlight dappled trail, you spot the edge of the clearing surrounding the lake, so you pull your horse off the path and hobble it to a tree. You sneak up to the edge of the treeline to look out onto the group setting up a picnic beside the water – blanket and food spread out in the attempt at fashion simply seeing cheesy to your untrained eye. You had spent years in the castle, but you didn’t understand the need to always seem to fancy and rich. It was something Jinyoung claimed to love about you; you didn’t let the glitz, glam, and politics of the castle change who you really were at your core.

You decided to rest yourself on a fallen log, knowing that you would likely be here for a while watching.

However, not long after the picnic had been set out and the food had been eaten, the man had waved off the guards, asking them for privacy between the two. The guards had looked at each other, unsure what to do, but eventually shrugged and wandered off into the treeline, barely missing your seated figure.

You watched closely, eyebrows furrowed at the odd behavior of the young man now reaching his hand out to place it against Jinyoung’s arm. You lean forward in your seat, feeling your body heat as you realize that Jinyoung is fidgeting, looking quite uncomfortable at the situation at hand. Nothing had happened yet, but you knew Jinyoung’s moods better than anyone, and could read the emotions on his face even from yards away. Jinyoung was not happy.

Thinking quickly on your feet, you sneaked back to your horse, untying it from the tree, leading it back onto the road. You slip into the saddle, quickly kicking the horse into a canter to round the final bend and reach the lake on which the men were sitting.

The men both startled, turning to face you as they hear you call out for the Prince, reining your horse in just in time to spray sand against the young man who finally pulls away from Jinyoung to wipe his shirt and face.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, Your Highness, but I must request that you come with me at once. There is an urgent matter back at the castle that requires your immediate attention, and I was instructed to come collect you quickly without any delay. If I might entreat you to climb upon my horse, I can get us back to the castle quickly.” You reach a hand down, doing your best to keep your face straight and serious as Jinyoung looks up at you with bewilderment, which fades quickly into barely hidden amusement.

“Of course, my Champion.” He raises to his feet, moving to take your hand, when he’s grabbed by the man still seated directly behind him, looking at him with confusion and annoyance.

“Why don’t you wait, Your Highness? I will come back with you as soon as we collect the guards and our things.” The young suitor gives a harsh look at you over Jinyoungs shoulder, before tugging on Jinyoung’s arm.

Jinyoung tugs his arm away, a feigned smile resting upon his lips as he steps ever closer to your patiently waiting horse. “No, I’m afraid this sounds much too urgent to wait even an extra moment. I shall see you back within the castle.” He turns without a second of hesitation, taking your arm and using the momentum of your assistance to pull himself onto the horse behind you, as he has done a million times.

He wraps his arms around your waist, burying his face into your back as you canter back the way you came, heading for the castle as though your errand was real. About halfway back to the castle, Jinyoung whispers out a soft “thank you” that you can barely make out against the wind and you relax, letting a hand rest against his fists balled against your stomach.

“Any time, my love.”

3- Flex your Strengths

The only time that you find joy other than being beside Jinyoung is when you’re in the training field. The guards all spent at least a handful of hours a day working in the field, ensuring that they keep their skills sharp and their muscles hard. You worked as a guide to the youth whenever possible; young pupils hoping to be guards and warriors were always trying to prove themselves in the field, but they always need a mentor to help them learn the tricks of the blade.

On warm summer days when there is nothing exciting happening in the castle, you often toil away your hours with a new pupil, a practice sword, and a sparing partner. Today was no exception.

You wiped away a layer of sweat threatening to drip into your eyes and blind you, as you roll out your sword arm. You had just bested yet another guard in a sparing match – you weren’t the most skilled warrior, but you had enough knowledge and skill to make you one of the top guards, tasked with protecting the royal family.

A new challenger steps up to the ring, groups of young and experienced fighters watching excitedly as the new man makes a show of stretching and swinging his sword, as though he could intimidate you into backing down or losing. Instead of bothering to “worry” about his theatrics, you continue shaking and stretching out your body, glancing over the crowd as you do so. You stutter in your stance for only a second as you spot a familiar face a few paces back from the edge of the crowd, a guard you’ve met several times standing beside them with a hand on their sword.

Jinyoung had come to see you practice. He didn’t often do this – he was the anxious one in whatever this was, always afraid of being spotted and questioned by someone who has no business in his. However, you were completely the opposite, ready to speak up about your love the moment he opens himself up to the idea. But here he was, standing with his arms crossed, a beautiful blue top tucked into tight dark trousers, his hair lightly ruffled by the soft wind blowing through the training field. He smiles softly, ducking his head slightly, almost impossible to see, if you weren’t in tune with every small movement of his body.

You smiled back, quickly turning back to your opponent as you both get into a fighting stance, preparing to spar. Both of you were wearing the standard armor and carrying wooden practice swords, but you could tell simply from the way he held himself that your opponent thought he had already won, simply from looking at you.

Obviously a newbie, then.

Someone to the side of the ring calls out the beginning of the match and the two of you begin circling each other, watching the way the other moves.

Seemingly on a whim, the man lunges forward, striking out with his sword. You step back, dodging the attack and sliding to the side, trying to pull the man off balance. He simply backs up, eyeing you and smirking, like he knows something that you don’t. You doubt it, most men who give you that look simply think that you’re afraid and running. No, you’re only bidding your time, looking for your chance to strike.

You circle the man again, watching for that telltale flinch of muscles before he lunges that you noticed last time. Finally you see it, only a millisecond before the man lunches again, this time attempting to rain down strike after strike. Instead, you block and dodge to barrage of blows, twisting and sliding your blade along his, redirecting him away from you every time. You see the beginnings of anger rising in the man; his face twisting slowly into a snarl, his hands tightening around the wooden hilt of the practice sword, his arms trembling from withheld rage. As his anger wells to a final explosion of aggression, he pulled his sword back, feinting a withdrawal before swinging his sword as hard as he could, aiming for your head.

You see this coming, however, and step to the side calmly, raising your sword with both hands to slash it across the mans side, effectively landing a “killing blow” that has the man grasping his side, dropping his sword in the process. You place your blade against the back of his neck, pulling it across it to simulate effecting a definitely killing blow to ensure your “win” in the fight.

The man growls up at you, moving to stand but you have already stepped away, being swept up by the crowd, who pats you on the back, calling out praise to you.

Another guard approaches, handing you a small letter folded up. You open it, seeing a familiar script dancing across the page with only two words written on it.

Visit later.

You glanced up to look around for the man responsible for your short letter, but he had disappeared.

You smiled and tucked the letter into the chestplate of your armor, beside your heart.

Who were you to say no to his request?

4- Show your Love

When you got off of practice that day, you went down to the market to get a small bouquet of flowers. You got his favorite, pink dahlias, which you thought fit him very well. In your kingdom, dahlia’s represented kindness and grace, something that you felt perfectly encapsulated the prince. He was equal parts of princely charm and empathetic sweetness, caring about all that he comes into contact with.

You take the flowers with you up to his room, sneaking through the corridors of the castle, since climbing the wall would surely crush the sweet petals of the fragrant plant you hold close to your body.

Finally making it to the doorway to his chambers, you look both ways before quickly opening the door and ducking inside. Last thing you needed was some random royal to see you slipping into the prince’s room with a bouquet of flowers and a childish grin on your face. Jinyoung wasn’t ready to go public, so you would keep it quiet for now. As long as you still got to be with him.

As you close the door quietly, you turn to find the prince shirtless, his pants being buttoned up by his chambermaid. You smile at the sudden look of surprise on the woman’s face – Jinyoung hadn’t seen you yet because his back was turned, but the woman could see you clearly.

You lift a finger to your lips, signaling her to keep quiet, and she quickly ducks her head back to securing the princes clothes for the afternoon. As she rises to grab the shirt for Jinyoung, you creep forward, wrapping your arms around his middle as you reach him, twirling him into the air.

He yelps, hands coming down to grab your arms, attempting to twist his body to face you. He knows instantly who it is that’s holding him, due to the flowers, the armor, and your familiar scent that has begun to wrap around him, sending his brain into a frenzy.

You can see he’s blushing, from the way his ears are blazing red under his hair and he’s trying to duck his face away from your gaze.

You drop him back onto the ground, letting your hands graze across his bare skin as you pull away, relishing in the way he shivers at your touch before he’s whipping around to face you.

“You scared the living daylights out of me.” He’s pouting, his eyebrows furrowed and nose scrunched up, but you could see the slight twitch in his lips fighting to smile.

“You really should be more on your toes. I could have been anyone coming in here. You should never let your guard down, my prince. It could put you in danger.” You lean in as you talk, ghosting your nose over his, causing him to tilt his head up, searching your lips. You pull back before he can make contact and now he’s pouting for real.

“If you weren’t such a menace, my chambermaid here would have at least given a scream of warning if it were anyone of danger. Unfortunately, she seems to like you a little more than she likes me.” He rolls his eyes, sending a playful wink back at the chambermaid who has her face half hidden behind her hand, holding the shirt in the other.

“Nonsense, no one could ever be immune to your boyish charms.” You press a kiss to the mans temple before holding out the flowers for him to see. “Even my measly pay gets wasted away on flowers for you, who needs for nothing, simply so that I can see that beautiful smile you grant me.” Said smile is already splitting his face into pure joy at seeing the circular globes of pink sprouting from your fist. He bends down to give the flowers a deep scent, pulling back with eyes closed and face softened with joy.

“No one knows exactly what I need quite like you, my dearest protector.” He jokes, turning back to the chambermaid so she can slip his shirt on, hiding his golden skin and gentle curves with a linen top of off-white cloth that looks insanely soft and comfortable.

After she secures the fabric to his body, she bows, grabs his day-clothes that need washing, and scampers from the room. She wasn’t likely to say anything – she’s the only one in the castle who knows about your relationship and has been aware of it for two years now. She had walked in on you two cuddling after you had accidentally fallen asleep one late night; she had been sworn to secrecy and had proven tight-lipped since.

You hand the flowers over to your lover before grabbing his hands, pulling him lightly over towards his bed, curtains pulled back to allow in the failing light of the evening through the windows to shine across the silken sheets you two had spent many nights entangled in together.

“What has gotten into you today, my love?” Jinyoung asks, following along pliantly, always willing to follow your lead and whims. He so rarely was able to let go, trust another, and go with the flow – only when he was with you was he able to let down his guard and truly feel.

“Nothing in particular, my prince, only my love for you.” You settle onto the edge of the bed, pulling him to stand between your legs, wrapping your arms around his waist to hold him close. He drapes his arms over your shoulders, looking down at where you sit before him with a look like sheer reverence across his features.

“I should continue to fan that fire if it leads to moments like this.” He whispers, leaning forward to press a kiss against your lips. You hold him close, relishing in the feeling of his lips pressed to yours, his tongue flicking against your own, his hands running up and down your shoulders and back, as though he couldn’t get enough of touching you.

“I would not complain.” You whisper back when he finally pulls away, a look of thought and concentration passing behind his eyes. “What is on your mind, my prince? I can see that something is troubling you.”

Jinyoung only shakes his head, smiling down at you with love and care.

“Nothing is troubling me, my love. It is only that, I have recently been thinking about how we keep our love a secret. I know that I have said that I do not wish for them to take you from me, while I still only have the power of a prince. However, the many times in which my mother tries to push me into new courtships is growing, and she has expressed fear that I will not be wed before taking the throne. I know that day is many moons off, but I begin to wonder whether it isn’t time that we finally tell the world about our love.” His face begins to glow with the idea, his voice rising with each word as though breathing life into the idea has sparked a flame that will not flicker, fed a stream that will not stop raging.

You reach a hand up, cradling his cheek as you grin back up at the prince. You had voiced several times your undying love for him, and him back to you, but you had resolved to spend many more days hidden away, sneaking your love, until he was king and no one could stop the two of you.

You had believed that his mother would be understanding – she had tried so many times to find a suitor for her son that you were sure she would be happy with nearly anyone that her son had picked to carry his heart. Jinyoung, on the other hand, was skeptical and afraid, after hearing the many mean things that other royals had said about other royals who had married or paired up “below their rank”.

To finally hear Jinyoung say that he was ready to tell the world, haters be damned, had your heart soaring out of your chest, feeling as though you couldn’t breathe with the happiness coursing through your veins.

You pull Jinyoung down on top of you, peppering his face with kisses, almost definitely crushing the beautiful flowers that you had bought earlier in the day. Nothing else mattered than being close to the prince now, showing him exactly how much his words and feelings meant to you. You knew that some part of him was already aware of your passion for him – you had shared it plenty of times in a number of ways, but you needed to reaffirm it now, in the light of the future of your relationship.

Nothing could stop you two now.

5- Tell the World

Days later, you followed Jinyoung into the throne room where his parents are seated on their respective thrones. You had interacted with both the King and Queen in the past, but not in this capacity and not when you were about to convince them into letting you have their sons hand in marriage.

Jinyoung stops before the dais on which they’re sitting and you stop beside him, kneeling and bowing to them before standing straight. You would show deference, but not weakness.

Jinyoung smiled up at his parents, who both smiled back down at their son. They truly loved him; there wasn’t anything they wouldn’t do for him. You had no doubt that they would grant his wish, if he truly meant what he said.

He takes a deep breath before reaching his hand out to grasp yours. You freeze, waiting for him to explain to his parents why you were both standing before them today.

“Mom, Dad, I know that you’ve both been working very hard to find me a suitor from one of the four kingdoms who is worthy of my heart. I don’t doubt that you have worked tirelessly and did your best work to find people who are really suitable for me and who would make amazing additions to our kingdom, as they would rule beside me. However, unfortunately, the person who won and deserves my heart was in our kingdom this entire time.” He tilts his head to smile at you, his hand gripping yours tightly as if to say he would never let go. “I know that a prince and a guard sounds impossible, and I know many other Kings and Queens would never let their son marry a guard, who many deem as below us. Unlike those men and women, I know that our kingdom values all life, all people, regardless of status and blood. As long as a person is good and kind, is loving and caring, shows strength and courage, defends what they believe in and does not waver in the face of adversity or temptation, that they are worthy of the best that life has to offer. I have met no other who fits those tenants in the way that (y/n) does. They have proven loyal and kind, shown mercy and strength, done all they can to protect their loved ones while never giving up on their own beliefs. They are the only person fit to rule beside me over this kingdom when I one day ascent the throne.”

Your eyes mist over at the heavy praise you’re receiving from the love of your life. Jinyoung was always ready to share with you how much you meant to him, but you had never heard him share such sentiments to anyone else – it was nice to hear when you were alone, but something else entirely when he was telling his parents and the court guards all about his feelings. You could see his mother dab at her eyes, tearing up just as you expected her to; she truly loved and wanted the best for her son.

The one you couldn’t read was the King. He was sitting, looking over the two of you with a neutral face, as though he hadn’t heard anything that the Prince had just said. He leans forward in his seat, resting his elbows against his knees and entwining his fingers together. He hums softly, a low rumble in the otherwise quiet room, as though he’s thinking or warming up his voice for whatever he’s about to say.

The Queen is looking over at the King now, a smile on her face, as though she knows something you don’t which relaxes your shoulders just the slightest bit. If the Queen wasn’t worried, why should you be?

As though your thought sparked something in the King, he looks over at you, reaching a hand out to gesture in your direction as he finally speaks. “So, what do you have to say to all this, my knight?”

You take a deep breath, glancing over at Jinyoung, who is looking at you with those eyes that you had fallen in love with many moons again, and which always seemed to bring you to your knees before him, time and again.

“I have been raised within the walls of this kingdom, under the rule of you both, and under that philosophy and expectations that comes from this society. I have raised through the ranks to prove my worth as a guard to the royal family, to protecting those values and the people of this kingdom with my life. I have spent countless hours training to be the best person I can be, for myself, for my kingdom, for my King, but most importantly, for my Prince, who I have sworn my life to – both out loud and in my heart a million times over. I cannot swear that I have reached the point to claim those same things about myself that Jinyoung sees within me. However, I continue to try everyday to prove him right and to be worthy of him by my side. I don’t presume to be in a place to tell you how to react to our love for each other. I don’t wish to sway you by telling you lies or pressuring you with threats, or any of the things that would instantly lose me the right to stand here before you asking for Jinyoung’s hand. However, I know that you are a fair king. You look to your people to hear their stories and learn their worries, and you care about what will bring true joy back into the kingdom. I stand here today to tell you that nothing would make us happier than to be together, to have each other truly and completely, in the way that we love each other.”

You bow down after finishing your speech, showing that despite all of the things you said, you would respect whatever he ruled in this matter. It would break you to have to turn away from your Prince, but if the King truly believed it would be in his better interest not to wed you, to keep your love a secret, you would continue to spend your days hiding away, stealing glances and touches whenever the chance arose. You would not, however, let him truly be pulled from your grasp.

As you waited to hear the answer of the king, you could feel your heart beating within your chest, pounding against your rib cage as though it wished to fly back to Jinyoung, its true owner. The blood rushed in your ears and you could feel every fiber of your body thrumming with adrenaline and anticipation, knowing your whole world could crash down around you any moment.

Finally the king cleared his throat and you raised your eyes back to the graying man before you, who has a smile creasing his face which has your knees nearly dropping out from under you.

“If my son truly wishes to wed you and he has brought forth the courage to proclaim it before the courts, I see no reason to deny him the joys of love on the basis of something as trivial as status. You have proven strong in mind and body as a royal guard for many years, and the ways in which my son speaks about you shows that you continue to practice these tenets outside of the guard uniform and has me believing that you may be more worthy of the title of the Princes partner than any of the others we have brought here to woo him. I will give you my permission to court each other. Preparations can begin being made to plan the wedding to bind you two together.”

The Queen squeals with joy, leaping from her throne on the dais to raise down to her son, sweeping him into a hug. She presses kisses against his temple, stroking his hair, almost as though he was still a child that she found adorable, rather than a grown man who had just been sworn to wed. She turns to you next, pulling you into an equally strong hug, patting your back and whispering how truly happy she was and how thankful she was to have someone who could show her son the respect and love she knew he deserved.

Tears were shedding down her face, and matching ones traced down the Prince’s as he looked at you over his mother’s shoulder. He mouthed three words to you which had your throat closing up as well, your hands fisting into the queen’s dress as you try to hold back your own emotions.

You had finally won over the Prince, convinced the King and Queen to let you two be together, as you were meant to be. You had been so sure that fate would play out this way, two soulmates finding each other amongst perceived turmoil, but you still couldn’t believe that life had gone so well. You were in love with Prince Jinyoung and you swore to yourself that everyday from this day forward you would do anything to be the guard who deserved to marry the Prince.

And you never broke an oath.

[stay-mon-army]

I only see how this can be neutral or good so I'm manifesting this I guess 🤷‍♀️

[stay-mon-army]

I literally have never related to something more in my life! I literally rant to my fiance EVERY time someone reposts my fics with even the smallest little tag or comment. I love hearing feedback and seeing people like my work enough to share it themselves. I too giggle like a schoolgirl over it!

Everytime people repost my fics,

whether it be to comment on them, add them to their “personal library”, or just to silently have it on their account, my heart skips a beat and it takes everything in me not to giggle like a school girl.

Just know, to everyone who has ever reposted or commented on one of my fan fictions, it literally makes my entire week and I re-read your feedback all the time <3333333 I love you so much MWAH !!!!

^ me when you say stuff about my work <33

[stay-mon-army]

Daydream Kisses

Word Count: 4,040 words

Warning(s): Self-doubt, pining, like one swear word, angst (I really need some healing and OPLA Sanji is giving it to me)

Pairing: Sanji x GN!reader

After the conversation you had with Sanji, your life on the Going Merry couldn’t possibly have been any better. You felt calmer around Sanji, able to simply enjoy the company he was willing to provide. You spent time with all of the crew, laughing and drinking and making memories, but you spent the most time by far with the chef.

You were able to ignore the teasing looks and whispers most of the crew gave you when they noticed you spending so much time with the cook. You knew what they thought – you had heard it all from Nami, but you weren’t going to let them goad you into thinking bad thoughts again. After all, your conversation with Sanji had cleared it all up, you were feeling good about spending time with the chef in whatever capacity made the both of you happy.

However, your mind never could totally shut off.

One night, you lie awake, tossing and turning as you think over and over all the little things that happen between you and Sanji. You had sworn you wouldn’t think about what Nami had said to you that fateful morning, but you couldn’t help it.

Be with Sanji? Was that something you wanted? What would that be like?

Your mind wandered off, imagining the lovely life you could have with the chef. You already spent hours beside him, talking, working quietly beside each other, sharing quips and teasing glances and gentle touches. When you went into town with him to shop for groceries for the next voyage, he would often grasp your hand in his, ensuring you didn’t get separated in the crowded markets. He would lean into the counter to watch you while you talked, and he would always watch you closely, eyes dancing between your eyes and your lips as he let you try a taste of his newest recipe. He would pull you into a hug whenever you shared something even a little sad, like the time you saw a really pretty dragonfly get eaten by a flying fish. He was always right beside you during any dangerous moments, putting himself between you and the perceived danger.

What more would change, truly, if you were to tell Sanji you liked him?

Well for starters, he might kiss you. You imagined telling him, whispering your feelings to him one day in the kitchen, playing with your hands in a way you hope shows your excitement and your fear in equal measure. He would grin that beautiful breath-taking smile, like the world was opening up to swallow you whole. He would reach out for you, his hands resting against your elbows, then sliding up, up, up until one held your back and the other looped into your hair. He would pull himself ever closer, tilting your head to angle towards him, his lips coming down to just a hairs-breadth away. His breath would smell like mint and tobacco, ghosting against your lips as he breathed out a quiet, “may I, my love?” And the shiver your body gave in response would be all he needed before he dipped down and pressed your lips together in a slow, sweet kiss like you had never imagined.

Yeah, that would change things.

But there were some things you wouldn’t mind changing between you both.

You could imagine coaxing him from the kitchen after a long day of cooking, the contented, tired look in his eyes that he gets after another successful day full of recipes. Your hands would tug his, leading him out to the deck, where you would find the comfiest spot. You would lay down beside him there, on the deck, underneath the star-dusted sky, watching the way the world rocked from the waves lapping against the sides of the boat. You’d curl into his arms, your head resting against his shoulder as he held you, letting you point out particularly bright stars or what you imagined to be the constellations. You’d talk about your days, even though you spent most of it together; you’d talk about the future, dreaming of what would happen when you found the One Piece and the All Blue together. You wouldn’t be able to resist reaching up to press kisses against his collarbone, neck, cheek, lips, loving the way he melted into your touches, letting you do whatever you wanted because he just loved you this close so much. You could see yourself falling asleep like that, tucked underneath a blanket, wrapped in the chef’s warmth and comforting scent, drifting into a dream-filled sleep with thoughts of Sanji in your head.

Let’s just say sleep was hard to find when you thought of what you might want, how that might change things.

Some nights, you would wander out onto the deck, enjoying the sea breeze in the hopes it would chase away your aggressive thoughts. You hated that you worried so much – you had gotten better in some ways at dealing with your crazy thoughts since talking to Sanji, but in others you had become a total mess. You didn’t worry about your interactions with Sanji, but man, the moment you thought about your internal feelings? All hell broke loose and you hated every minute of it.

Tonight was one such night where your hammock and the darkness of your bedroom seemed like a war zone of battling desires. You hadn’t been afraid of the dark in years, but suddenly the moonlight created shadows of the blond chef, making you wish he was beside you in ways that sent shivers down your back.

You breathed in deep of the salty spray, staring up at the sparkling expanse above. Nothing settled you quite as much as the stars – they were soothing in their silent watchfulness, observing without judgment, taking in the lives of everyone below without malice or opinion. They wouldn’t comment on your wild thoughts, your deep-seated worries, your hopes and desires. They would simply watch, stand witness to the life you lead, beside you through all of it. The stars never leave.

You almost miss the tell-tale tapping of dress shoes across the deck, your mind too distant racing among the stars.

“Why are you awake so late, darling? You’ll catch your death out here in the cold.” Sanji drapes his coat across your shoulders, smoothing the sleeves against your arms before moving to stand beside you. The gentle press of his hands against your arms, even through the fabric of your shirt and his jacket, brings back the thoughts you had come out to avoid and you tried to blink away the embarrassing heat that courses through your body at the feeling.

“Couldn’t sleep, is all.” You say, pinching the edge of the jacket between your forefinger, middle, and thumb to tug it closer around your body. You don’t look over at the man beside you, afraid to meet his gaze after the thoughts that had been devouring your consciousness for the past few hours. “What are you doing up?”

“I had to prep for breakfast tomorrow. I was thinking of making a quiche with some breakfast potatoes.” You smiled, nodding to yourself. Of course, what other reason could he have for being awake. “If you’d like, I could make you some tea to help you fall asleep, my dear. I would hate to leave you with a restless night.”

You shake your head, finally looking over at the blond. He’s watching you with kind, gentle eyes. He wasn’t worried or anything, just attentive – paying attention to your needs and asks of him with precision. “I don’t think tea will do much.” Making jokes was the only way you could deal with the thoughts running through your head.

Sanji raises his eyebrow, smiling at you with that comforting look still gracing his eyes. “What could I do to assist you in sleep, my love? Perhaps you’d like to talk about what’s keeping you awake?”

You flush, quickly looking away, laughing awkwardly at the clear sign you just gave. You raise a hand to rub at the skin of your face, hoping it will make the blood go away and save you from your embarrassing moment.

“I don’t know. I don’t think that will fix much either. Might just make it worse.” You mumble, looking back up at the stars, wishing you could be scooped into the moon’s cold embrace.

“Would you rather I leave you alone then?” You turn quickly to face him, nearly losing the suit jacket draped over your shoulders before you clutch it closer to your body, like it will keep Sanji beside you longer.

“No! No, please stay. I don’t think being alone will fix much either.” You smile up at the chef, who is grinning widely down at you as well. You knew he loved hearing you tell him to stay, telling him that you wanted him around. You have a feeling he likes hearing it even more than you do.

“I’ll stay as long as you’ll let me.” You sigh, settling yourself down onto the deck, laying down with his jacket wrapped around you so you could look up to the sky. Sanji hesitates for a moment, before sitting down beside you, watching you quietly.

He sits with his arms back to brace against the deck, one leg extended, the other bent to point to the stars. You can’t help the small peeking glances you steal from the corner of your eye as you try not to think about how close this was to some of your daydreams. You try, but fail, to ignore the way the silence hangs suspended but soothing around you both, like a warm blanket; the way that you’re so close, you would only have to reach out your hand and you could be touching him, nearly a hand-span away from contact; the way you can see every lock of blond hair falling over his shoulder as he tips his head back to also stare at the stars.

“Like something you see, darling?” You blush, looking away even though you had already been caught. He chuckles softly, looking over at you and smiling. “Are you sure you don’t want to tell me what kept you up?”

You breathe deeply, debating with yourself for a moment. One the one hand, you trust Sanji. You know he wouldn’t judge you; he had never judged you. He was so kind, always offering you comfort and understanding in all things – never expecting anything but your honesty. You knew he would take anything you had to say to him in stride, never once faltering in his devotion to being caring and compassionate. On the other, you were terrified of what your thoughts might mean. The ways in which your relationship might change if the words were spoken aloud. You never wanted to lose that comfort that Sanji had to offer, and the thought that he might change his view of you scared you. You worried that there would be new expectations, new understandings, new problems to arise with the brief mention of your desire to kiss and hold the blond chef. The last thing you wanted was change. Right?

So why did your mouth open and your tongue begin to form words? Why did you spill out the inner secrets you had kept hidden for weeks after the incident with Nami?

“I just recently have been thinking about what Nami said, about us being a thing. I never really thought of it before she said it – we’re just friends, I like being like that with you, but I don’t see any problem with friends acting the way we do. But at the same time, now that Nami mentioned it, I can’t stop thinking if I might want something more. At night is the worst, when I’m alone after spending all day with you, I just can’t stop my mind from making these new ideas. These new scenarios where I get to hold you, hold your hands, curl up against you,” you hesitate before whispering, “kiss you.” You throw your head back to rest against the deck, staring up at the twinkling night expanse above to avoid the look you know will be gracing Sanji’s face. He’s a flirt through and through, you know that he’s going to love the idea, even if he only ever said he was okay with being friends. He wasn’t going to take this admission without a little outward joy and playful teasing. “And the worst part is I don’t know what I want so I haven’t said anything and just held it all in. Because if I say this and then decide that I don’t really want things to change, then I’ve led you on and that’s wrong. But if I say this and then do something about it, everything will change and I might still lose you. But if I keep it all inside, I won’t lose you – you never have to know and I can pretend like nothing is wrong and I can just keep that all inside. It doesn’t hurt anybody in there. It just takes away a little bit of my sleep, and I’m okay with that as long as I’m still able to have you in my life.”

You roll your head to the side to finally glance at the man who you had just poured your heart out to for what felt like the millionth time since you’ve met him. It was getting easier and easier to share your inner fears and thoughts with him, the more you did it. As though the beginning was a dam cracking, opening up so that the water could seep out and flood through his river, releasing your pressure to share the load with him. It felt nice, you couldn’t lie.

He simply stared at you, an unreadable look on his face before he sighs, nodding, looking down at the deck.

“Okay, darling, that was a lot to process.” You had never seen him so stoic, so calm. Especially after you shared about your feelings, you weren’t used to him not simply bursting into action, face and body nearly splitting open at the sheer excitement at hearing your feelings, about him or otherwise. Usually emotions were Sanji’s forte so you couldn’t figure out why he seemed so withdrawn today.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have just dumped that on you. It isn’t fair for me to unburden myself like that on you – you’ve always been there for me and I’m just always so ready to share my thoughts and feelings and I never stopped to think how all this might make you feel. That was so selfish of me, I-”

“Don’t call yourself selfish.” The cold edge to his voice makes you freeze. Where was your flirty, playful Sanji?

“What?” You watch his face carefully, see the way his eyebrows furrow and his mouth dips down in the corners – the closest you’ve ever seen it to a frown. His eyes come up to look at you and there’s a depth there you haven’t seen before. As though all this time, there was a wall hiding his deeper mind away from you.

“Don’t ever call yourself selfish. You went out of your way, worrying about how I would feel or what I would say to your feelings, so much so that you lost sleep over it. You took into consideration everyone else’s thoughts and feelings and ignored how this all hurt you, bothered you. You were willing to let it continue to bother you until I made you say something. You are anything but selfish, and anyone who says otherwise is ignorant. You are the most selfless person I know.” His eyes are hard, as though he’s trying to convince you with his look alone. You nearly crack under his gaze, but you nod anyway, showing you understand what he’s saying.

His shoulders loosen at the sight, his eyes softening to a look of endearment as he looks at you.

“Now, I’ve said this before, but I will continue to say it, however many times it takes for you to believe me. I will be anything you need from me, my love. I can be your friend, your confidante, your lover; anything you want from me. All you have to do is say the word. I won’t leave you, you won’t lose me because of a change in feelings. Unless you tell me to go, I’m here, until the ends of the Earth.” He reaches out a hand, brushing back a piece of hair off your face. “The way I care for you can’t be put into words. You’re a god amongst men, a divine revelation of the true beauty of humanity at its core, you show the warmth of kindness and the darkness of fear and you do it all with the poise and delicacy of a butterfly in flight – you have never been anything less that magical, and to be in your life has been an honor I could never imagine finding anywhere else.”

You swallow against the lump growing in your throat, hoping that the burning in your eyes is because you’re tired and not because you’re about to cry in front of Sanji right now. You’d heard him say things like this before – Sanji was known for his kind words. But for some reason, hearing them now, you wanted to sob in relief. He didn’t have to say those nice words about you; he didn’t even need to care about your stupid feelings and listen to you complain and worry about why you can’t sleep.

Sanji sits up, opening up his arms for you as he whispers, “come here, love” and you can’t stop yourself from dragging your body over to curl into his arms.

Hugging Sanji, or in this case, Sanji hugging you, wasn’t an uncommon occurrence – you both were very affectionate people, so you were never shy about being close with any of the crew before. Yet somehow, this time felt different. His arms pulled you close, squeezing you against him as though he was pressing all your pieces back together, bringing you into his body as a shield where you could become complete again. His hands rested flat against your back, fingertips just digging into the skin as though he was afraid you might be pulled from his grasp if he wasn’t careful.

The scent of Sanji enveloped you; cooking oil, cigarettes, something else just distinctly him. You never could quite place that scent. You breathed it in, closing your eyes to the world as you relax into Sanji’s embrace. He rests his head against the top of yours, his lips pressing against your hair.

“Now, as for your confession.” You take a deep breath, not quite sure where this was going to go. “I don’t think I need to tell you again how dedicated I am to you, sweetheart. I would be honored to love you in any capacity you would like to have me. However, you have to make that decision – I am not going to pressure you any way. You can tell me exactly what you want from me, when you want it from me. You can change your mind at any time, I won’t hold it against you. Ever.” His voice was strong, confident, everything you weren’t feeling right now. You didn’t know how to take his words.

Part of you really wanted to leave things alone, to just stay like this, curled in Sanji’s arms until you slept. That you could stay this way, without anything changing and becoming awkward, was a comforting thought that you wanted to hold onto. However, the more you thought about it, the more you thought that maybe your daydreams and sleepless nights were telling you something. If this was causing you so much distress, maybe it was because part of you really wanted those things to happen. Maybe it couldn’t hurt to test out these new feelings and desires, especially if Sanji was the one saying that he would be willing to accept your changing mind if things don’t go well.

You lift your head, pulling back slightly from Sanji’s embrace. His arms loosen around you, allowing you to back up enough to look up at him; his hands still hold onto your sides as though he isn’t quite ready to let you out of his hold.

“If I asked to try… this,” you say, watching his face closely, the way his eyes shine in the moonlight. “But then I changed my mind and wanted to go back to being friends…”

“You need only say the word, love, and I would give you anything you wanted. Your wish is my command.” He smiles that stupid flirty smile that you know he’s flashed at a million women through his time working at the Baratie, and yet you couldn’t help the flare of warmth that shoots through your body.

“Fuck it.” You whisper, reaching up to grab his face. Your hands slide over his jaw, cupping his cheeks to pull him down to meet your lips with his own.

You had thought about kissing Sanji for a while now; what it would be like to have his lips against yours, what he would taste like, how his lips, his tongue, his teeth would feel against you. And yet all your daydreaming hadn’t prepared you for truly living it. You had a pretty good imagination, so it wasn’t like you hadn’t imagined how amazing it felt for him to press his lips against yours, pulling back a little between each kiss and feeling his warm breath against your face. But feeling him against you, feeling his hand slide up from your waist to thread through your hair, gripping softly when you nip at his lip – that was something else entirely. The way it lit your body on fire was hard to ignore.

When you pull back from the kiss, breathing deeply as you continue to cup his face, you met his eyes in the dim light, close enough to feel his breath fan your face with every pant he lets out. Your heart tightens as you look at him, feel the warmth of his body pressing against you, debating going in for another kiss.

“Is it okay if I kiss you again?” You whisper, afraid of breaking the moment you felt encapsulated in. It felt as though the world stopped turning, the wind stopped blowing, time stopped ticking as you glued yourself against Sanji’s body.

Sanji simply smiled and leaned back in, pulling you in by the back of the neck to capture your lips again. Your body arches up to meet your bodies together, needing to be closer to him. His hand that isn’t tangled in your hair slides to the small of your back, tightening to help you arch against him further, as though he wants to pull you into his body, make you one with him in the same way you want to curl into his body yourself.

You couldn’t deny it any longer, being with Sanji was too good not to want to be with him forever. You still felt a little fear – you never knew a day without some concern of how life would play out for you, how others would react to everything you do. However, feeling Sanji’s arms around you, being this close to Sanji, you loved him enough to overlook that fear for a little while. You didn’t think you needed him this way so badly – kissing him, holding him, loving him – but now that you’ve had a taste, you didn’t think you could go a day without having him this way. Your dreams hadn’t prepared you for the incessant need that began to grow in your bones.

“You can kiss me whenever you desire, my love. I will be waiting for the chance to hold you like this again, every day until I die.” Sanji’s kind words were drowned out by the pounding in your chest at the thought that he felt the same way you did.

Yeah, you could see yourself spending hours with him like this. Maybe daydreaming wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

[stay-mon-army]

Anything For You, Darling

Word Count: 3,410 words

Warnings: depression, anxiety

Pairing: OPLA!Sanji x reader

Note: This is completely self-indulgent but I hope that other people will enjoy this like I enjoyed making it. Also, I am OBSESSED with OPLA so please please interact, give me ideas/requests, suggest me fics, anything. I've found a new hyperfixation with this (specifically Sanji and Zoro) so this might be something I write a lot rn!

Living life on the Going Merry was a content existence to say the least. You didn’t often have to worry about being bored; something was always happening to keep you entertained. You rarely had to worry about food; Sanji was never far away with a new dish he wanted someone to try (you just had to get there before Luffy). You didn’t have to worry about if you were even going in the right direction; somehow Nami knew exactly where to go based on those very confusing scraps of paper she calls maps.

Life was arguably great. You couldn’t ask for more. But no matter how good life was, how many times your stomach hurt from laughing along with the crew, how many times you smiled at the happy family you had collected for yourself, something always felt a little off. You weren’t unhappy, you just felt… disquieted in your bones? Sometimes you felt as pessimistic as Usopp when you thought about your feelings. You couldn’t ever just feel good without something in your brain interrupting and whispering sad thoughts into your mind.

That’s why you liked spending so much time with Sanji – he doesn’t let you stay in your mind for very long. He isn’t quite as chatty as Luffy, who never seems to stop talking if someone is within earshot, but he keeps a good conversation and you can’t lie, the compliments and the food are pretty hard to beat.

You often spent your free hours curled up on a bar stool in the kitchen, watching Sanji chop up vegetables and prepare whatever the next meal is while you talk about everything and nothing at the same time. Even when the conversation lulls and you settle into silence with the chef, you never get that disquieting feeling like you do when you’re alone. Just listening to the bubbling of a boiling pot of water or the soft whish of the knife against the cutting board is enough to sooth your rushing thoughts into a calm river that passes you by.

You enjoyed the playful bantering and flirting with Sanji, the way he sometimes lets you sneak a taste of whatever he’s cooking before it’s completely done, the way you can just enjoy the swaying of the ship and the scents permeating the air.

However, unbeknownst to you, some of the straw hats noticed your connection with the blond chef. One morning, as you stepped from your room and stretched under the beating sun shining onto the deck, Nami slides over, standing beside you with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Good morning, Nami! How did you sleep?” You smile, stretching out the tiredness from your arms. She smiles back at you, beginning to wander slowly to the railing away from the others milling about on the deck.

“Good, thank you. I wanted to talk to you for a minute, if you don’t mind.” She nods her head towards the rail and you follow along, intrigued by the lilt in her tone.

“Of course, what’s up?” You sidle over beside her, leaning against the rail and closing your eyes against the spray that tickles the skin on your nose and cheeks.

She rests her elbows beside yours and looks over at you, her orange hair blowing behind her with the wind.

“I’ve noticed you spend a lot of time with Sanji. What’s going on there?” You furrow your brows, not sure you’re understanding what she’s insinuating.

“We’re really good friends. I like spending time with him. It’s better than being alone, or dealing with Luffy’s rants.” You joke, chuckling to yourself. You love your captain but sometimes he really was a chatter box.

Nami doesn’t seem to accept your dismissal of her question, turning to face you, one arm leaning against the rail while her other hand comes to lay against her jean-clad hip. “Come on, the way you two are always flirting with each other? You know, he’s stopped flirting with me since you’ve started spending so much time in the kitchen. Don’t get me wrong, the pet names never stop, but he hasn’t been so… forward. Not that I’m complaining, it’s about time he got the hint.” She smirks at you as she says this, as though you’re supposed to know what that all means.

“I’m not sure what that has to do with me. I like to joke around with him too; that’s all it is. Jokes. I mean, no way there’s anything actually there, he flirts with everyone. I mean, he still flirts with the women in towns when we dock. That’s just how he is.” Nami doesn’t look convinced but you shrug her off. “Listen, Nami, I just like spending time with him. If something were to happen, that would be between Sanji and I. For now, I would appreciate you taking me for my word. We’re friends, he makes me feel safe, there doesn’t have to be anything else out of it.”

She puts her hands up, smiling at you sadly. “I’m sorry if I overstepped. I would just make sure he was aware of that, if I were you. You wouldn’t want to lead him on and hurt his feelings.”

With that, she waved and wandered off towards the map room. You sink against the railing, closing your eyes against the sinking feeling filling your gut again. Were you being too nice to Sanji? Nami said he wasn’t flirting with her as often; was it really because of you? You didn’t think that you were giving him the wrong idea; you never crossed any lines, as far as you could tell. Sure, Sanji was clingy – he liked hugs and touching your hands and arms, he would sometimes feed you little scraps of food like fruit as he’s working, you both often flirted with each other, you both called each other pet names, and you always sit next to him at dinner.

But were those necessarily bad things? Was Sanji thinking it meant something more? You thought you both understood you were friends.

Did you want more?

The thought stopped you in your tracks, your eyes snapping open as you stared into the ocean.

No, of course not. You were just friends, that’s all it was. He was nice to you, you got along so well and you didn’t want the relationship to change in any way – you had no intention of turning this into anything more. At least for now…

You run a hand over your face, groaning softly to yourself. You shouldn’t let what Nami said bother you so much. You shake your body out one last time, hoping to rid yourself of both the tightness from your rest and the stress of what Nami mentioned.

You continue with your morning routine, going to the bathroom to relieve yourself and freshen up a little before heading towards the kitchen. Nothing was going to stop you from seeing your favorite blond.

You step through the door and are instantly met with the sweet scent of maple and berries. Sanji turns towards the door when he hears its resounding squeak, a smile instantly lighting up his face as he spots you.

“Good morning, darling! I hope you slept well. I made pancakes for breakfast today, with an assortment of fruit.” He gently pushes forwards a plate, decorated beautifully with an array of colors from the fruits topping the cakes.

“Thank you, Ji. You always know exactly what to cook to make the day a little better.” You smile, sliding into your respective seat. You pull the plate closer to you, lifting the fork and knife he has set out before you. Just as you raise the fork to begin eating, you notice that Sanji is staring at you.

You pause, looking up at the man with a raised eyebrow. He always liked hearing whether you enjoyed the newest dish (he really really loved praise) but he had never been so brazen about watching you eat before. “Can I help you, sweetie?” You ask, smiling at the way his face seems to melt at the pet name, nearly turning him to jelly before your very eyes. He really was just a big softie, at the end of the day.

“You just seem off this morning, my love. I wanted to make sure you were alright. I apologize if I’ve caused any offense.” He says, wiping his hands on a towel before tossing it over his shoulder.

“I seem off?” You chuckle awkwardly, hoping that you don’t radiate the problems running through your head. You didn’t want to worry him – he was always so kind and good to you, the last thing you wanted was to mar him with the darkness in your brain that you spent so much time around him to avoid. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I simply mean that you seem a little more subdued is all. Again, I meant no offense. I just hope your meal will cheer you up from whatever is dampening my sweet (y/n)’s demeanor this morning.” He turns away as he says this, as though it doesn’t really matter either way what happens with you, but you know that’s just how he “keeps his cool”.

Sanji’s entire existence wraps around his ability to put on an air of confidence and poise, as though nothing can truly touch him or hurt him, when you are well aware that he feels much more deeply than he lets on. You don’t think that any of the other straw hats noticed this about the chef, but after spending so much time with him, you knew that he simply wore his heart on his rolled up sleeve – there, but only if you have the attention and the compassion to look that close.

You don’t respond, simply beginning to dig into the food placed before you. Unsurprisingly, it’s everything you could have asked for, and more. Somehow, in record time, Sanji seemed to memorize your palate, knowing exactly what things you liked, what you disliked, what you couldn’t stomach to eat, what ratios of flavors brought you the most joy. You didn’t think he paid that much attention, since he was always working while you talked and he never watched you eat, but without a doubt, Sanji knew exactly what you needed at any moment to satisfy your cravings.

You hum as you eat, vocalizing your enjoyment so that Sanji knows he did well, despite the fact he hasn’t turned back to look at you. When you finally finish your meal, you rise from the bar, collecting your dishes and heading to the sink to wash. You had the unspoken job of cleaning the dishes after Sanji. He hated that you did it, claiming that he could totally clean up after himself. But you felt bad, spending all your time in the kitchen with him but watching him do all the work. So, you resolved to cleaning the dishes to help out.

You quickly wash your dishes, scrubbing away the sticky, sugary mess that the syrup and fruits made on the plate. As you turn to grab something to dry the plate off with, you nearly stumble into Sanji’s outstretched hand holding out a dish towel for you. You take it, smiling up at him gratefully. He winks at you before turning back to whatever he was doing at the stove.

You dry off the plate, put it back in its respective spot, and settle yourself back onto your bar stool. As you rest your arms against the counter, putting your chin against your palms, you watch the way that Sanji flits about the kitchen. He seems to be doing a million things at once, from cutting up food for prep to mixing up what looks like some kind of dipping sauce to stirring a boiling broth. You can’t imagine thinking about all of those things at once without burning or ruining something.

Your mind slowly drifts to the way he looks so calm and serene doing it all. His face stays in a gentle smile, as though there isn’t anywhere he would rather be than here. He practically dances around from place to place, light on his toes and seemingly high in spirits. His hands are graceful as he quickly slides the knife to slice whatever ingredient he needs next; his chest rising and falling so slowly, you wonder if he’s breathing. His effortlessness never seizes to amaze you.

“I know I’m fascinating, but I would love to know what has you so enthralled by my movements today, mon cherie. If there’s something wrong, please don’t let it fester. Spill your heart to me, my love.” He leans his arms against the counter, his head tilted to look at you with softened eyes, as though you might run away at any moment. As if you would ever run away from him.

“I don’t know.” You mumble, not wanting to get into it with him, but the way he looks at you, with those seemingly all-knowing eyes, you can’t help but crumble. “Fine, I just- I talked with Nami this morning, and she mentioned some things that got me thinking. Which isn’t always good for me, because sometimes my brain doesn’t like me and it says mean things to me. So I try not to think, which usually being here with you makes it easier, but because of the conversation today, it makes it worse, but I don’t want to not be with you, because I don’t want you to worry and I do like spending time with you, so I didn’t want to change our routine, but the routine is what’s making me think, so now I’m just in this spiral.”

You sigh at the end, flopping against the table so your head rests against your forearms and you don’t have to look at Sanji, who you know is probably looking at you like a lunatic. After a moment, you hear the sound of his shoes scuffing against the floor and you freeze, for fear that he was leaving, like so many other people you had scared away. Instead, the sound grows closer and you soon feel a gentle hand resting against your side, guiding you up from the counter and towards his body.

You turn yourself into the embrace, surprised at how gently he cradles your body against his, one hand resting against your back, the other coming to cup your head against his chest. He holds you as though he expects you to break, and you nearly rip yourself from his grasp at the thought that he must be pitying you. How horribly morbid and depressing you must have sounded, saying how “mean” your thoughts are, as though it wasn’t your own problem to deal with. Telling him was selfish and would surely make him see you completely differently from how he saw you before.

“You know I’m here for you, whatever you need. Whether that be a place to hide out from your thoughts, or a talking companion to wander through those feelings, or simply a nice meal, I’m always here to help you feel better.” He presses his lips against the top of your head and you pull away softly, not wanted to offend him, but needing to say something more.

“That’s another problem.” You sigh, rubbing a hand over your face as the Frenchman furrows his brows at you. “Nami made it seem like I’m leading you on by treating you like this. That spending time with you and flirting with you and all these things are going to make you think something else about me. And I don’t want that to happen. Too many times have I cared for someone, shared my time and joy with that person, felt that we couldn’t be closer or better friends, and then something goes wrong and somehow it’s always my fault. Sometimes, the person starts to like me more than I like them or more than I’m willing to admit and if I don’t continue to act a certain way or give them a certain experience with our relationship or act a certain way, they leave. Or sometimes, people begin to think I act weird or they begin to get annoyed by certain behaviors and then they distance themselves and they leave. Sometimes I’m mean to them because I hold them to a high standard because I love them so I want to have good times with them and that’s stressful and they leave. Sometimes I try to act how I think they want me to act and that makes them leave. Sometimes I’m too clingy and people become afraid I’m too attached and they leave. There’s always something, but in the end everyone leaves. But you…”

You take a deep breath, looking at the way Sanji is silently crying, tears falling from his eyes, but he doesn’t move or say a word, only watching you, waiting for you to spill your heart to him.

“You make me so damn happy. You are kind and gentle and you listen to me and you notice little things before I have to even mention them to you. You seem to know everything I’m thinking before I have to say it, you can read my body language and you’re willing to do anything for me if I ask or even just think it and I’m so so afraid I’ll mess everything up and I’ll lose you too. Because god damn it, if I lose one more person who means so much to me, I might just burst. I might not come back from it all and I really really need you to understand that the way you quiet my brain and make me feel so normal and calm is something I just can’t lose. You are the one person I think can truly understand me and I love you so much for that, but I’m so afraid that any little step will send you pushing me away.”

Sanji shakes his head, reaching his hands out for you again, and you can’t stop him from pulling you into his embrace. His tears fall against the top of your head and you quickly realize you were crying too because your tears soak into his shirt and stick it against your face. You just stay like that for a while, letting him hold you, his lips resting against your head to give small kisses to your scalp.

Finally he releases you enough to pull you back, looking down at you with sad, sweet eyes.

“I will never leave you. Until the ends of the earth, until the sun dies, until you push me away, I will never leave you. I see you, (y/n), I see what you go through, the pain your brain puts you through, the horrible memories I know plague your every waking movement. I can see through it all because I go through it every day. And I know that you see me, just as well. We are open books to each other, my love, and there’s nothing we can do except cherish each other and protect each other. I know what Nami said to you.”

You take a breath, about to explain everything to him, put he shushes you, placing his hand against your cheek.

“You have nothing to explain, sweetheart. I am here for you, however you need me. And I can only hope that I can get a sliver of the same in return. But until you tell me otherwise, I will be your partner through think and thin. I am at your disposal as friend, confidante, chef, anything, as long as you continue to smile and make me smile. Do you understand?”

You sob again, pulling the blond chef against you this time, arms wrapping around his neck to pull him flush against you. You thank him, repeatedly, over and over, like a mantra, until he pulls away to wipe your tears from your face.

“Anything for you, darling. Now, let me finish cooking lunch.” He steps back around to the other side of the counter, sliding you a small plate of crackers you hadn’t noticed before, winking at you, before turning back to the stove.

You nibble happily on one of the salty crackers, resting your elbows against the counter as you watched his back. He truly was the only one who understood you.