#agh. click for high res please.

[djbeat]

i will get my freedom

[whereisten]

Fish Out of Water

A Chenle fic that’s part of our Halloween Series!

Summary: You work at Neo City Aquarium. One night, you meet a peculiar but pretty boy named Chenle who claims to know you.

Pairing: Merman! Chenle x female reader

Genre: romance, fluff, angst

Warning: none

Word Count: 5.5k

(A/N: hiya! This is a little late and not proofread so I apologize 😭 I hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for all of the support for our stories!)

_______

[June 2020]

Your family was well known for their rehabilitation and release program at Neo City Aquarium. Your grandparents founded the aquarium and formed ties with wildlife rehabilitation centers in your hometown to expand their work into rescuing local marine life.

Following your high school graduation and having just turned eighteen, you were finally allowed to participate in dolphin rehabilitation. At the beginning of the summer, you joined your parents on a rescue mission to save a dolphin that'd been stabbed in a failed hunt for its meat.

You were tasked with nursing the dolphin’s wounds with the team of veterinarians and veterinary assistants. Socializing with wildlife animals wasn’t encouraged but you found yourself attached to the dolphin. You got to swim him when the rehab staff wanted to check his energy levels and confirm he was near his re-release into the ocean. You named him Happy for his smile and he was affection towards you whenever you fed him fish. Naming him Happy was a secret you shared only with him.

“Are you excited for your first dolphin release?” Hendery asked.

Joining Hendery, you entered into the dolphin pen at the beach, where Happy and three more dolphins were waiting to be released. Hendery was a college student who was interning with the rehab team.

You nodded. “Yes.” You were about to cry.

Hendery’s smiled faded. “What’s wrong?”

You couldn’t wipe your eyes because you’d been immersed in saltwater. You weren’t about to miss this release because you got salt in your eye. “Nothing. It’s just...I’m going to miss him.”

Hendery laughed. “I get it. My first release was emotional. Lucas, an intern from last year, had to hold me while I sobbed, begging the dolphins to come back and visit.”

You sniffled and smiled. “That’s so sweet.”

Hendery put a hand on your shoulder. “You’re okay. Happy is eternally grateful to you.”

“Yeah...I- Wait, how did you know I named him-”

“Your voice carries,” Hendery teased.

You splashed him. “Did you tell anyone?”

Hendery shook his head. “Don’t be embarrassed. I named these guys: Jisung, Sungchan, and Shotaro.”

“Those are human names!” You gasped.

Hendery raised an eyebrow. “Of all the names you could give a majestic dolphin...You named him Happy?”

“Okay, fine. To each their own.” You shrugged him off.

You were in charge of opening the pen that would grant the dolphins their freedom. These releases were so important because these animals were wild, meant to be free to explore the ocean to their hearts’ content. Because of global warming, people’s constant neglect for the environment, and animal cruelty, animals like Happy were negatively affected. Your family’s mission was to educate and rehabilitate. You planned to carry this mission on because the environment’s troubles weren’t going to go away for a long time, you were sad to say.

Releasing the dolphins meant that they would get a second chance to live freely and happily. You hoped no one and nothing would hurt them again.

As much as it pained you to say goodbye to these patients...They weren’t patients anymore.

“Okay, guys,” you addressed the dolphins, “It’s time to go home.”

You opened the pen and the dolphins quickly rushed out. They jumped into the air and whistled.

Happy was the only one who lingered and looked at you.

“Go on, Happy!” You encouraged him. Your tears fell but you were ecstatic. This was such a fulfilling moment.

Happy dove beneath the surface and joined the rest of the dolphins into the deep ocean.

_______

[July 2020]

When you weren’t at the rehab center, you worked at the aquarium as a tour guide. You were giving a tour for the governor and his family. Your family hoped to get more government funding for the aquarium so you could expand the rehabilitation center.

The kids were so wide-eyed and happy to be at the aquarium, seeing the fishes of all kinds of colors and the whale shark that loomed overhead.

The governor was hosting a private party at the aquarium tonight. The Neo City Aquarium boasted monthly sleepovers for anyone who wanted  to sleep with the fishes...

Literally, not figuratively.

The children ran around while the adults mingled at the buffet area that was set up for their party. You helped run the event with your parents. Your mom was helping out with the caterers. Your dad was schmoozing with the state’s elite.

You took a break and walked through the underwater tunnel. You stole some champagne from the party and sipped it lightly.

Someone tapped you on the shoulder and you almost spilled your champagne on the floor. “Agh!”

You turned around and found a boy who grinned from ear to ear. Donning a cerulean tux, he was handsome. He had soulful brown eyes, a boyish smile, an unforgettable eye smile, and his soft, straight brown hair that nearly reached his eyes. He couldn’t have been much older than you.

“C-can I help you?” You winced, feeling like you were caught doing something you shouldn’t have.

“Y/n, it’s me!” The boy said enthusiastically. He couldn’t believe he was here with you.

You frowned. “I’m sorry...I don’t…”

His smile faded but it returned full force as he tried to convince you. “It’s me, Happy!”

“Huh?” You tilted your head in confusion. “How do you know about Happy?”

He said it slowly, “I am Happy…”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that...If you’ll excuse me…” You weren’t getting anywhere with this guy, even if he was your type from a physical standpoint.

He lightly touched your arm. “You saved a dolphin off of the Nakamoto Coast two months ago…”

Now you were listening.

He let you go and explained. “I know that this is going to sound crazy but I was the one you saved that day.”

You furrowed your brows. “What are you talking about…”

“The dolphin you saved has a scar on his underside. It’s shaped like a lightning bolt, almost…” He raised his shirt to reveal his lower abdomen. “Like this…”

It was shaped exactly like Happy’s scar. You dropped your champagne flute. It was a good thing it was made out of reusable plastic. “I…”

He offered you his hand. “Please come with me.”

“Where?” You hesitated.

“To the beach,” he said, “I want to prove to you that I’m not lying.”

You shot him a look. “You better not be. If Hendery put you up to this…”

“You can tell him that Jisung, Sungchan, and Shotaro send their love...I’ve met them in my travels. They liked their human given names so much that they kept them,” he said.

How the hell did he know about those three dolphins?

Now you were curious.

You’d excused yourself from the party. Your mom was thrilled because she thought you finally landed a boyfriend at the ripe old age of eighteen. Like you didn’t have the rest of your life to find a partner. That’s even if you needed one.

The aquarium was located right on the beach so you didn’t have to walk very far. You took off your heels and held the pair on your left hand. Chenle took off his blue dress shoes and did the same. His look had been one color, matching the deepest ocean blue.

You’d reached the shore, where the water reached your toes. “You’re gonna try and drown me here, aren’t you?”

He laughed. “Are you kidding? You are the last person I would drown.”

Did that mean he was capable of drowning people? You laughed nervously. “Thanks?”

He wasted no time and ran into the water with his suit on. You started. “Wait, dude, what are you-”

The water began to glow a bright aqua green. You squint your eyes to see where the boy had gone. The light faded quickly and instead you saw a dolphin tail break the surface.

The boy who brought you here had just turned into a dolphin.

He was telling the truth: he was Happy.

You put a hand over your mouth and simply watched. He jumped into the air and made clicking noises.

“Happy?!” You exclaimed.

Once again, the beam of light appeared. It was brighter that you had to shield your eyes. Happy was gone and the boy’s upper body reappeared.

Along with an aqua green fish tail.

“I...I…” You started.

He made his way back onto shore and regained his nightwear as a human. He was back on two legs again. “I know you named me Happy...It’s a nickname I’ll always treasure in my heart. But my name is Chenle,” the boy said...

Excuse you, the merman said.

“You’re...you’re a merman…” You said.

“Yes…”

“But...you’re also a dolphin…” Your head was about to explode.

“I can transform into any aquatic being...Well, except for clownfish...I can never get the right shade of orange for them…” He started.

You shook your head. “If you were a merman...then why didn’t you transform back...all the time you were here?”

You started remembering just how much you’d told Happy...Chenle...about your life, your aspirations, about how some of your friends were moving away for college, and how you hoped you wouldn’t let your family down…You even made goofy faces at this guy.

You turned away from him in embarrassment.

Chenle continued. “The attack severely injured me...Had it not been for you and your family…I would’ve perished. I did not have the strength to transform back until you released me.”

“Oh…” You said.

He smiled. “I can’t thank you enough. You saved my life.”

You shook your head. “Oh, I didn’t do anything. The doctors and the rehab staff did everything.”

“But you were with me,” he said as he laced his fingers against yours without you realizing it. “You were the one who cared the most. The one whose face hasn’t left my mind since I was released…”

Your face felt warm. “Well, I…”

This was crazy. First, Happy was a dolphin. Then, Happy was a man. And THEN, Happy was a merman.

Someone must have laced your champagne with something. You passed out from the shock of it all.

“Y/n!” Chenle yelled as he caught you from hitting the sand.

A few minutes later, you felt like you’d awoken from a deep, uncomfortable slumber. You felt yourself wrapped in the arms of someone strong, warm…

Wet.

Your eyes opened and you found yourself in the water. What the-

“You’re awake! Thank Poseidon!” Chenle said as his arms were wrapped around you. He looked down at you, drops of water falling off of his slicked back hair. He looked absolutely glorious under the moonlight.

“Chenle, what are you-” You started as you shrugged yourself off of him.

Chenle shushed you. “Y/n, take it easy. I used some of my healing magic to help you wake up…”

“Healing magic?” You asked.

Chenle nodded. “Yes.”

You looked at him carefully. “I can’t believe you’re real…”

He sighed. “Really? You still don’t believe me…”

“No, I believe you...It’s just…A lot for me to process.” You said.

You still wondered if you were losing your mind.

You and Chenle talked for hours that night. He actually used magic to dry you and your dress. He was able to walk on land because of the full moon. That was why it took him a month to come see you and explain himself.

Chenle was the prince of the underwater kingdom, Atlantis. The mythical kingdom had proven to be real. Chenle told you all about it. How his parents ruled the seven seas in harmony. The merpeople had all sorts of abilities. They can transform into other marine life. They can heal. They can control the weather. They can manipulate water.

It was during the full moon every month that merfolk had the opportunity to walk on land to understand humans and their lifestyle. Chenle turned eighteen last year so he’d explored the human world a couple of times already. He was able to learn how to walk after the first couple of visits, apparently.

It was his first time visiting your hometown after being rescued. He’d only wanted to see you because you’d been so kind to him. He knew everything about you and he’d fallen in love. He couldn’t wait to see you again.

“So you’re a prince…” You started.

“Yes…” He answered.

“Then how come your...royal subjects didn’t come and find you?” You asked.

Chenle chuckled. “Actually, they watched me from afar…”

“What? Really?”

Now that you thought about it...You remembered pods of dolphins close to the shore the entire month Chenle had been at the rehab center.

“Yes...And they were relieved to see that I was in good hands. The entire kingdom wishes to invite your team down to the palace to bestow medals of honor to each of you.”

“Wow,” you said, “That’s...incredible...Too bad, we can’t breathe underwater or else I’d be the first to join you.”

He hesitated before he asked you the next question. “Actually...If you did wish to see Atlantis...I could make that happen.”

You gasped. “What?!”

He laughed. “Yes. So long as I’m in saltwater, I can use my magic.”

“I’ve noticed…” You said.

“y/n!” Your father called out to you.

Apparently, he’d been kept out of the loop about your “date”.

“Dad!” You started as you got up from the sand.

“Who is this boy?” He demanded as he walked over to you guys with his loafers still on.

Shocked at your father’s hostility, you said, “Dad! It’s Ha-”

You turned to Chenle and he raised his eyebrows.

“This is Chenle, my-”

Chenle continued, “I’m her friend from school.” He got up from the sand and stood beside you. His demeanor changed then. “It is nice to meet you, sir.” He extended his hand out and gave your father a firm handshake.

Chenle acted like he’d been fully employed with an MBA and a six-figure salary. That must’ve been his prince personality coming out.

Your dad was taken aback by how confident Chenle had been. “It’s nice to meet you, too...May I ask why you and my daughter are out here so late?”

Chenle continued, “I apologize, sir. I hadn’t seen her in a month...And I missed her so I came to see her.” He looked at you then, a meaningful look on his face. You knew he was being honest and you felt your heart sway, then.

Your father cleared his throat. “Well, that’s very nice of you, Chenle but...it’s 2 in the morning...It’s time you called it a night, you two.”

You both looked at each other then, disappointed. It wasn’t like you could call Chenle up on his phone. You wondered if technology could factor into Atlantis...Or if they even needed it. You doubted it.

“Okay, dad,” you said, “Do you mind?” You motioned for him to leave you and Chenle for a few minutes.

Your dad shot you a look, feeling quite overprotective of his only child. He relented when you gave him the same unwavering look. “Alright. Good evening, Chenle.”

Chenle nodded and your dad walked away.

“So much for the trip to Atlantis,” you said as you crossed your arms in disappointment.

“Next time,” Chenle said, smiling down at you, adoring the way you pouted.

_______

[October 2020]

You met Chenle at the beach at nightfall several times since the night you first met at the aquarium. It was your turn to get to know Chenle more since he knew most things about you with you knowing.

He admitted to some embarrassing secrets, like how, during one of the times he visited land, he’d talked to a betta fish in a tank located inside a convenience store and everyone looked at him like he was insane. But what was most embarrassing for him was that he failed to realize that he couldn’t communicate with freshwater fish.

Chenle was courageous and kind. He told you that the reason he turned into a dolphin the day you found him was because he’d gone to help rescue a pod of dolphins from being hunted. In the process, he’d been struck. A Good Samaritan reported his injuries to the rehab center and that was how you met.

Chenle was second in line for the throne for his older brother would soon be crowned king of Atlantis.

Today was the day you would go to Atlantis with Chenle.

“Are you ready?” He asked.

You replied, “I...think so…”

You both held hands as you stood in the water together.

“Trust me,” he said as he winked.

You sighed. Chenle explained and showed his process for helping you breathe underwater.

Chenle had the ability to create an air bubble shaped to your person that surrounded you and kept your oxygen intake high.

In August, you’d tested the air bubble 12 feet under the surface and in September you worked your way up to 1200 feet under the surface.

Each time, it worked seamlessly.

However, you were going thousands of feet underwater so you were freaking out a little. You tried to not show it.

Chenle took your face into his hands. “You’re safe with me.”

You nodded, meeting his beautiful eyes as they glowed the same aqua green from the first night he revealed his true self to you.

You both dived down and Chenle extended his hands out, enveloping you with the clear air bubble.

You were able to maneuver yourself with your legs, like you were the one who swam.

Diving down with Chenle was always an adventure but now that you dove deeper and faster, you saw more of the wildlife and greenery underwater. The ocean was a force to be reckoned with but to you, it was also the most beautiful part of this planet.

Holding Chenle’s hand, he controlled the speed in which you traveled. He wanted to entertain you with the most gorgeous sights the ocean offered. He loved the awe and admiration in your eyes. He wished to always make you happy.

Chenle moved you two faster because your hometown was hundreds of miles away from Atlantis. You two didn’t have a lot of time until sunrise when you needed to get back.

And Chenle would have to retreat. Humans couldn’t know of the merfolk’s existence.

You finally saw it: the kingdom of Atlantis. The buildings stood tall, looking almost like modern-day apartment buildings. The merfolks swam alongside fish and other deep sea creatures. As the people recognized Chenle, a group of armed mermen approached you two.

“Who is this, Your Highness?” One of the armed guards asked.

He continued, “Jaehyun, this is y/n.”

At the sound of your name, all of the guards bowed deeply before you. “y/n, the savior of our prince.”

You put a hand over your mouth. “Oh, no, please don’t do that…”

Chenle laughed. “Alright, let’s go greet my parents.”

“Wait, you parents?!” You exclaimed. Chenle never mentioned meeting his parents.

The guards escorted you to the palace doors. They were heavily guarded by the biggest jellyfish you’d ever seen so no one could break in or break out without getting severely injured. The doors opened and the castle was beyond your wildest dreams. It was translucent and the towers ran high, shaped like icicles. It glowed with a magic of its own with all colors of the rainbow glowing, depending on the angle from which you looked at the structure.

You entered into the palace and into the grand throne room where the king and queen of Atlantis stood. Chenle was the spitting image of his mother. It was in the eyes and the smile.

You bowed. “Your Majesties.”

The queen and king looked at you in adoration.

“We can not express our gratitude enough for saving our son,” the king said.

The queen continued, “Whatever your wish is, we can make it so.”

“Oh,” you said, shaking your head, “That’s okay...In fact, I wasn’t the only one who helped the prince...I don’t deserve anything.”

Chenle looked at you then with so much love and respect. “You deserve the world, y/n.”

You nearly choked. “Chenle...I mean, Your Highness, I-”

Another young man entered the throne room and greeted Chenle by rubbing the crown of his head. “Little brother, you’ve brought a girl home to mummy!”

“Kun, gah, knock it off!” Chenle asked as he pulled himself off of his brother.

Kun resembled his father more but he was also handsome. You realized he was the crown prince and bowed. “Your Highness.”

“Y/n, it is an honor to finally meet you. I’m amazed that the wedding festivities haven’t begun.”

“Wedding?!” You asked and shut your mouth, thinking you spoke out of turn.

Kun and his parents laughed. Chenle sighed. “You’ll have to excuse Kun. He has a flair for the dramatic.”

Once you finished your time with the royal family, Chenle took you to the highest point in the castle. You two looked over the palace. You could see the darkness of the deep blue sea that laid beyond.

“Chenle, this is nothing at all like I imagined it. It’s...a dream,” you said.

Chenle held your hand. “You’re a dream, y/n.” He took it and kissed it.

_______

[December 2020]

You haven't seen Chenle since your visit to the kingdom. Every night that you could visit him, he was never there. You started to wonder if something had happened to him.

You even started to wonder if you’d dreamed his existence this whole time. You cried to sleep some nights, missing him. Longing to see him again.

It was New Year’s morning a few hours before daybreak that you sat alone on the beach, resolute that this would be the last time you would wait for him.

That was when he appeared.

“y/n…” He started.

“Chenle, what happened?” You asked. “I thought you-” You broke down in tears on the shoreline.

It wasn’t a full moon that night so he couldn’t run up to you and hold you like he’d wanted to do since last he saw you.

“y/n...Kun… he died,” Chenle said, trying to fight back his tears. As he was not the crown prince, he had an image to maintain of being strong for his subjects. Strong for his parents.

But with you, he broke down. Hard. Kun died during his travels along the eastern continent. He’d been intoxicated from an oil spill. His body was recovered by the royal guards and he’d had a royal funeral. The kingdom has been in mourning since then.

You didn’t care if you got soaked. You ran into the water and held him. You cried with him. Because of the negligence of your people, marine life suffered. That always pained you but to see it hit so close to home now, you were livid.

You held each other for as long as you could. Daybreak would occur anytime now but you imagined that most people would be at home asleep, nursing hangovers or recovering from being up all hours of the night. You wanted to be with Chenle for as long as you could help it.

“Chenle...what does this mean for you?” You asked.

He sighed. “I am the crown prince and...y/n...I will be wed.”

You pulled yourself away from Chenle’s embrace. “What?”

“It is the custom of my people. My parents are stepping down from the throne. As the crown prince, I must get married and produce a royal heir.”

You put a hand over your mouth. Marriage and a baby? You’d only finished your first semester of college. Chenle was on his way to becoming a king, a husband, and a father.

Now, you had to shove down your growing feelings for Chenle. Because you’d fallen hard. And now this was the sign you needed to know that you two had been from completely different worlds. It would never have worked out.

So you swallowed your pride and said, “I understand...You came to say goodbye.”

Chenle’s eyes widened. “What? Goodbye?”

Your eyes become glassy. You tried so hard to keep yourself from crying. “You’re spoken for...And I’m sure your wife will not be keen on you coming up to see a human woman…”

“y/n-” Chenle began as he tried to hold you again.

You moved away from him. “Don’t. Please.”

Chenle put his arms down and looked at how defeated you looked. He wanted nothing more than to make you his wife. You would’ve been his first choice in the long run but now that Kun had passed, he was crown prince and with that position, there were responsibilities.

He had originally planned to wait until you were both older to ask for your hand in marriage and try to convince you to live with him in the palace...Somehow...But he knew that you belonged to the land...He could never ask that of you. So he kept his dreams to himself. He simply enjoyed being in the moment with you.

But, you were right, he realized. He couldn’t be with you like this anymore.

Chenle cried before you. “I’m so sorry, y/n...I love you.”

You froze. “What?”

“I’ve loved you since the moment you made that dolphin noise…” You both remembered your first days together, when Chenle had been Happy the dolphin. You were playing around with the other interns and you tried to make a dolphin noise to get Happy’s attention. Everyone laughed at your impersonation and you covered your face in embarrassment. Chenle thought you were adorable.

“Chenle, I love you, too,” you said. You started falling for him the day he appeared to you at the aquarium. But you fell for him when he showed you the ocean, told you his stories, and made you laugh. You both showed each other the best of your worlds and you hated that this was how you would part.

Chenle held your face and you wrapped your arms around him. You kissed each other for the longest time before you bade each other farewell.

_______

[July 2036]

It was moonrise. The sun had just set and night had fallen. You walked hand in hand with your four year old son. You walked along the shore you’d ingrained into your memory. The shore where you met with Chenle so many times. You hadn’t seen him since your last farewell so this beach once again became a happier place to be.

“Mommy! Mermaid! Mermaid!” Your son pointed out to the ocean.

“Sweetie, that’s probably a dolphin,” you said as you looked out into the water and recognized an aqua green fish tail.

Your heart nearly stopped.

Chenle, older and more handsome, swam closer to the shore and watched you. You looked just as beautiful as he’d met you. You had a more determined and confident look in your eyes. You become who you were meant to be. He could see it.

“Mommy, that’s a mermaid!” Your son said.

“Chenle,” you started.

Chenle walked out of the water, now in his human form.

“Wow!” Your son exclaimed.

“Just like your mother,” Chenle said to your son as he knelt down to greet him. “What’s your name?”

“Finn,” he said.

“Hi, Finn. My name is Chenle.”

“Hi, Chenle!” Finn said.

Chenle got up and met your shocked expression with his radiant smile. “It’s been a long time.”

You nodded. “It has.”

“Have you been well?” He asked.

You nodded. “Have you?”

“Yes,” he said, “Shall we sit?”

You and Chenle sat together with Finn playing right beside you. Chenle told you he’d married the daughter of one of the family’s royal advisers. She’d never loved Chenle either. They both entered the marriage as partners for the sake of the kingdom. They produced seven heirs, seven daughters.

Chenle’s wife had a lover, a man she’d loved since before she’d married. She’d told Chenle about him. Chenle also took on a couple of lovers over the years but you were all he thought about.

You’d done what you set out to do. You graduated college with a degree in marine biology. You went to veterinary school and graduated with high honors. Now, you were the leading veterinarian at Neo City Aquarium’s Rehabilitation Center. You’d met your husband Jeno through a mutual friend. You two hit it off, dated for three years, got married, and had Finn.

Chenle surprised you with the news that the condition of the ocean had improved in the years since you’d met. It was because of generous people like you who advocated for the respect of the seas that Chenle and his people could help their kingdom thrive. The temperature of the ocean overall had improved and oil spills and pollution were the lowest they’d ever been.

You two were happy in certain ways. But it pained Chenle to see you’d been happy with another man. A part of him that he hated so much wished you’d waited for him. It was a selfish desire but he couldn’t help it.

You knew from long ago that waiting for Chenle was a dream that you could never entertain so you pushed forward with your ambitions. You wanted to do what you could to protect the ocean. You loved it as much as Chenle had. It showed in your work with marine life and in your advocacy to combat climate change.

“Mommy, where is Daddy?” Finn asked.

You remembered that Jeno would be here at any moment. You checked your texts and Jeno told you he’d pick you and Finn up in ten minutes.

“Ten minutes, sweetie. That’s soon. Let’s get ready to go,” you said. You looked at Chenle’s eyes. You knew this was another farewell. Even if it was less devastating than the first. Both of you still harbored a little bit of pain over what could’ve been.

“Goodbye, y/n.”

“Goodbye, Chenle.”

“I’m happy that you’re happy,” he said.

“I’m happy that you’re happy,” you echoed.

He gave you a beautiful, polished conch shell. “Perhaps you can make a necklace out of it. I want you to have it. It’s a gift from my parents and I.”

It was a beautiful shade of cream with traces of pink. “Thank you.”

Giving you one last longing look, Chenle got back into the water and smiled at you before he dove into the water again. A tear escaped your eye but you quickly wiped it away.

[July 2076]

Your children had their own children now. You and Jeno had divorced when Finn was 19, Dylan was 17, and Kai was 14. You split on amicable terms. You simply fell out of love with each other. Jeno could always tell you couldn’t get over your first love. No matter how hard you tried.

What gave you joy was your children. And like you, they’d all been invested in the aquarium and the center. They kept the legacy on.

Your daughter Kai had gotten married today at the beach. Everyone was celebrating on the makeshift dance floor on the sand. You stood at the shoreline alone, feeling the water hit your toes. You enjoyed the sensation every time.

You saw his aqua green tail. You couldn’t believe it. You must’ve been seeing things. You’d recently retired. You were as bright and alert as that of a healthy fifty year old’s but perhaps your eyes were now deceiving you. You had been in your seventies, after all.

Chenle, as gray as you were but as handsome as he’d been the first time you saw him, beamed at you.

You told your kids about Chenle. Finn remembered meeting him. Your eldest son knew it wasn’t in his imagination so he begged you to tell him about Chenle, Atlantis, and the ocean. Kai and Dylan had also been curious. Now your three children watched as you met eyes with Chenle.

Your three kids walked over to you. Kai put her hand on your shoulder. “Mom...go be with him. We support you.”

“But Kai...Your babies…” You started. You didn’t want to leave your children so abruptly. Even if they were older now and independent, you wanted to be there for them in whatever they needed.

“My daughter is my first and last, I promise you that. You promise to come visit, right?” Kai laughed. She’d had her daughter with another man a few years before her marriage today. She’d named her daughter after you.

Dylan started, “Mom...You’ve given us so much love and support...We want you to go after what you want. Who you want.”

You fought back a sob and hugged your children. “I love you three. You are the loves of my life.”

“We love you, too,” Dylan said, wiping his tears with his jacket sleeve.

Finn waved at Chenle. “Hi, Chenle! I knew you were real!”

Chenle laughed. “Hi, Finn!”

You hugged your children tightly and walked into the water. Chenle had his arms wide open for you and enveloped yourself into his embrace. With his magic, you became a mermaid. You sported a radiant fuchsia tail. You both waved to your children before you dived deep into what always felt like home.

[Fin]

Come back tomorrow for another spooky story...

[vertanimeni]

the ice will start to break, the day will fade away (7/18)

Summary:

“Have you heard? The Elephant of Caocin has committed high treason!”

From Trikru’s most reputable war hero to Trikru’s most wanted traitor, Kova found themselves stripped of their titles and trapped between a clan that wants them dead and a camp of invaders - the same ones who kidnapped and tortured their brother.

But Kova was willing to do anything to stay alive and keep their family together.

Pairing: Bellamy/Grounder OC

Word Count: 3,902

TW: Kill/death mention/threats

A/N: Hi hi! After some convincing from my friends, I decided to post this series here :D I’ve already finished with season 1 and half of season 2, I’m just in the middle of re-writing and editing. If you’re reading through my blog, the read more does not show up due to Tumblr’s new formatting, so please click on the post itself. I’ll be updating every other day at 12pm EST. Anyways, hope you enjoy it!

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vii. isolation.

Clarke had many questions, Kova had a few answers, sometimes choosing to remain silent over Trikru matters, but it seemed sufficient for the invaders’ leader. The meeting wrapped up without another hitch.

“Bellamy, please escort Kova back to Octavia’s tent.”

Spoke too soon.

Clarke hadn’t noticed the tension that rose between the two of them when she had stepped out before, but surely she should have sensed it by now, no?

For a moment, it appeared as if Bellamy wanted to argue, but after considering his choices of a) escorting Kova back to the tent himself and b) allowing Kova to return on their own without supervision, he shut down any and all arguments.

Which is how they ended up here, The two walked back in silence, neither willing to talk about what had happened before Clarke had interrupted. Bellamy walked in front of Kova, glancing back every once in a while, as if they would make a break for it the moment he turned away. He looked like he would rather help shovel out the outhouse than escort them back.

The two passed one of the main campfires. Bellamy continued walking, but Kova stopped in their tracks. The invaders cooked what seemed like squirrel or bird meat based on the smell and the size. There were three or four people closer to the fire who passed on kebabs of meat and vegetables to the people waiting on line.

“Agh, I’m still hungry.” One of the teens complained after returning the stick. “Can’t I get some more?”

“Eat your hand, then. We barely have enough to go around.” One of the servers snapped as they snatched the stick.

Truthfully, Kova hadn’t realized they stopped walking until Bellamy’s gruff voice snapped them out. “Keep walking.”

“Have they only been eating birds and squirrels?” They couldn’t help but ask.

“What’s it to you?”

His tone thick with hostility, Kova might have been put off by it if they hadn’t had practice with themselves. They didn’t have to dig much to hear the hints of exhaustion underneath. “Give me four hours in the woods. I can bring back a boar and some extra game.”

To another, the offer sounded tempting. But Bellamy didn’t even bother considering it for a moment. “And let you out of the camp? Yeah, right.”

The look Kova sent him was nothing short than disbelief and what seemed to be along the lines of ‘if I wanted to escape or run away by now, I would have.’ He bristled at the arrogance, but before he could say anything, they turned and walked in the direction of the tent, leaving him behind.

“Hey!” He called out. When they paused and turned their head, he paused. “I thought you didn’t like us?”

There was an underlying question beneath his words — why would you help us?

‘Because they’re barely older than the children I take care of in my village. Because none of them look like they know what they’re doing. Because too many of them are too skinny for their age and height.’

Instead, Kova said, “I don’t like squirrel meat.” They ducked their head and disappeared inside the tent.

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“Your brother is annoying.”

Octavia burst out in surprised laughter. She and Kova had been sitting in silence (one that she had grown comfortable with easily, to her surprise). Octavia had been clipping her nails with a pair of tiny scissors while Kova laid in bed, right leg bent at the knee and supporting their left leg, arms behind their head as a makeshift pillow.

“You’re not the first to tell me that.” Octavia sent them a grin, leaning her chin against her knee. “What happened? What did he do?”

When she had first met Kova, she had been anxious if they would like her enough to support her as Lincoln’s… interest. But now the two had grown comfortable with one another, even if Kova had been knocked out for most of their time together.

(What Octavia wouldn’t know is that the night before, she had snored loud enough to briefly wake Kova out of their unconsciousness. They couldn’t be mad at her, though, not when they found her with drool pooling into her pillow. That was revenge enough.)

“He’s very… audacious.”

That brought out another laugh from Octavia. “Mn, that sounds like him.” Octavia snorted and sighed gently. “I’m sorry about him.”

Kova took note that Octavia had started using “mn,” more often since the two first met. Octavia, on the other hand, hadn’t noticed the contemplative look on they had. ‘Your brother is… audacious, seemingly arrogant, yet he feels guilt, he feels sorrow. He still acts like an ass, but he’s also upset about it.’

Kova shook their head. “Don’t be. It’s not like you can control him.”

The flap of the tent suddenly unzipped and opened.

Speak of the devil, he shall appear. Bellamy popped his head in and looked at Kova. He jutted his head. “Let’s go.”

He left the tent without an explanation.

Before Kova could stand, Octavia beat them to the punch, holding her hand out, a scowl on her face. “Wait here, I’ll go talk to him.”

She left. The tent’s walls weren’t paper thin, but they weren’t thick either.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m not comfortable with you sharing with them. I had a new tent prepared.”

While Kova truly had no clue as to what was going on, they added up a few events and made a decent guess. That young girl, Emmie, had casually bumped into them earlier today. Bumping into Kova could have been life threatening. Not only that, but they offered to leave the camp in order to hunt. It might have sounded suspicious.

If this were another time, Kova would have boasted about how even the invaders, who didn’t know anything about them, still considered them dangerous without having to even lift a pinky. Yet now, they found it depressing, and a bit worrying.

“I like sharing my tent.”

“Share with someone else. Not them.”

Heavy footsteps retreated. Octavia re-entered the tent. Before she could say anything, Kova looked at her with a bitter smile. “Annoying.”

She mirrored their look, as if saying ‘yeah, I know,’ but suddenly turned serious. “Stay here, I’ll have a chat with Clarke—”

“No need.” Kova responded with ease and stood. “It might be for the best. The more polite and non-threatening I act, the more they trust me, and the less I have to worry about.” They took their things (which to be fair, was not much) and made their way towards the entrance. “Besides,” They sent her a teasing smirk over their shoulder. “You snore.”

“Shut up.” Octavia laughed, pretending to kick them as they left, their echoing laugh preserved and bottled in her tent. “I’ll still try to talk to Clarke.”

“Mn, be my guest.”

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Clarke, unsurprisingly, agreed with Bellamy. They were given a brand new tent with two shiny new guards to match, sitting at each side of the entrance in makeshift seats.

Too tired to care, they entered the tent without trouble and knocked out. Or, they would have, if the tent hadn’t felt so devoid of life besides their own. For the first time since their seclusion, Kova found themselves sleeping alone.

A fitful sleep kept them awake throughout the night, and by the time the sun rose, Kova grew irritable. Imagine how they felt when they unzipped their tent, ready to ask Clarke what they should do with so much free time on their hands, only to find one of the guards pushing a tray of food towards the entrance using the butt end of their spear.

They bit their tongue, picked up the tray, and returned to their tent. They had to behave, after all.

But now, any time Kova stepped towards the opening of the tent, the two guards would quieten, as if straining to hear their footsteps. When they opened the flaps, the guards would slowly inch their way towards the (poorly made) spears by their sides.

Kova would always retreat into their tent before their fingers could brush their spears. They kept to themselves in their tent throughout the morning, afternoon, and now night. The rotation of guards became their new time tracker.

Octavia came by once, but since the guards wouldn’t let her through, she shouted “Yaw!” as loud as she could. Kova couldn’t help but laugh gently. Lincoln definitely taught her that greeting. Naturally, they responded with their own “Yaw, Okteivia!”

With Octavia’s loud laughter, they would have given almost anything to see the priceless looks on the guards faces.

Oh, but don’t get Kova wrong. They weren’t bored, even without Octavia to give them company. The juicy gossip the guards shared with one another nourished their entertainment. It appeared as though the sky leaders hadn’t informed the camp that Kova could understand English, although they should have guessed that since Octavia had shouted her greetings in Trigedasleng.

They leaned against a corner pole of the tent and listened in on the guards’ conversation, but every once in a while the gossip would die out or the guards would talk about the Ark (whatever that was) and Kova would get bored and pick at the skin around their nails or on their face.

“Why didn’t you go with Bellamy and Clarke?”

They stopped picking at a scab on their elbow. If Kova had been captured by another clan, like Azgeda, they would have assumed this was a fake conversation to lead them into a trap. But knowing the invaders weren’t that smart, they listened closely.

“No way. I don’t think I had family on that ship so why should I? Besides, they said the trip would only take until the afternoon, but it’s almost night already.”

“Mn. That’s true. Shouldn’t we be looking for them?”

“Nah, they said they didn’t know how long it would take. If they’re not back by tomorrow afternoon, then we should be worried.”

Now that Kova thought about it, they hadn’t had a visit from Clarke or Bellamy since Bellamy moved them to the new tent. They weren’t told that the two leaders would be leaving, but maybe that had been on purpose. No wonder the guards were terrified earlier — they probably didn’t know what to do if Kova left their tent without the leaders around.

‘Interesting. This might be an opportunity to visit Lincoln.” Neither of the sky leaders had liked the idea of Kova roaming around the camp, let alone leave to visit their brother. Who knew when an opportunity like this would come by again?

They debated on how to leave the camp — should they sneak out? Or ask? If the guards at their tent didn’t try to stop them, then the guards at the walls of the camp surely would. ‘Regardless, I should let Octavia know. Maybe she can cover for me. But… if she wants to come… then I’ll end up being a third wheel…’

A scoff passed their lips at the thought. How did Lincoln manage to attract— you know what, no, Kova wasn’t going down that route. They shook their head and with that, they stepped out of the tent, head held high, ignoring the two shocked guards as they walked past. One guard picked up his (very poorly made) spear while the other ran off, whether in fear or to grab someone qualified to deal with this, Kova didn’t know. Raising their hands in a placating manner, they put on their heaviest TonDC dialect and said, “I want to see Okteivia.”

It seemed as though the guard recognized the name and with fearful wide eyes, gave them a small nod and jutted his head, as if to say go ahead.

They bowed their head respectfully (’Behave, remember?’) towards the guard and made their way through camp, head held high even as they exaggerated their limp. Avoiding eye contact, the guard hot on their heels, they went past the main campfire, leaving behind a group of stunned invaders.

Octavia’s wave caught their attention. She seemed to have been in the middle of a conversation with a boy until she saw them. Kova perked up and made their way towards the two—

“I saw the grounders in the trees and it was nothing I ever felt before.”

Kova stopped dead in their tracks. They had heard the word grounder in a rude way before, but never in a way that felt offensive. If the word wasn’t enough, the sentence itself made Kova shiver in disgust.

One look at Octavia and Monty told them everything. Both had wide eyes and opened mouths in shock that someone had the nerve to say that in general, let alone in front of Kova. ‘Would they have been as offended if I wasn’t here?’

Hmm.

They glanced at Octavia at the corner of their eye, jaw tense. When they turned back to the boy in question, they saw her mouth the word ‘shit’ and she and the boy she was talking to made their way down the wall.

Based on the sentence, they had a feeling it came from that boy who shot at the bridge. They turned, and what would you know, they were right! They recognized his face easily. The one who crossed the river. The one who got speared. The one who shot the Trikruvian scouts at the bridge.

Jasper, was it?

Well. Jasper stood around the campfire with his friends, all who were oblivious to the Trikruvian listening in. At first look, he seemed weak with pale skin and a lanky build that seemed to curl in on itself in poor self esteem. But with his friends hyping him up, patting his back and sending waves of confidence, he seemed to stand taller as he recited the story of the meeting.

“It was like pure animal instinct took over, you know? One pull of the trigger, two grounders dead.” He gestured as if he were holding a rifle and pretended to click the trigger.

Directly at Kova.

The boy practically shriveled up before their eyes, his eyes bulging comically. The group of invaders looked confused at his sudden change in demeanor until their eyes followed his sight.

“Dude, relax.” One boy said. “They don’t speak English, remember?”

“My apologies, I was under the assumption there was only one coward here.” Kova’s eyes landed the boy, who pursed his lips and looked away in embarrassment. “Thank you for correcting this.” They turned back to Jasper. “Congratulations, little mouse.”

The guard behind them stiffened. So did a few of the other invaders.

“For what?” Jasper asked meekly, his eyes darting around as if searching someone who could help him out.

Their stare unwavering, they took a step closer. “The peace meeting would have worked out if you hadn’t been so trigger happy. You just stamped a death sentence upon this camp.”

That sparked a few murmurs throughout the campfire. Many of the invaders had been under the assumption that Trikru instigated. Those who had been encouraging Jasper a few moments ago inched away from him.

“Watch what you say, grounder. You don’t know what you’re talking about.” One of his friends sneered, her hand on the handle of her rifle.

“Harper, don’t.”

“Oh? Interesting, I don’t recall seeing your face at the bridge.” Words sharp, their face turned dark, contrasting against the bright flames of the fire. “Did you watch as he shot down those scouts, unprovoked? Did you hear the thumps of their bodies hitting the ground?”

The woman — Harper, was it? — flinched, turning her head away at the graphic image.

“You all villainize my people as if you didn’t steal our land and kill hundreds of people. And you,” they pointed a finger at Jasper, who visibly jumped. “You ruined any chance for peace between our people, yet here you are, unpunished, praised for unjustified murder.”

Before the guard could intervene, Harper threw up her rifle, aiming at Kova’s stomach. Vaguely, Kova thought they heard Octavia calling out their name. But they were far too gone, sunken in their anger. “What, do you plan on killing me? You better make it count.” They grasped the muzzle, stepping in close and pressing it against their stomach. “Better kill me in one shot.”

A hand clapped their shoulder, gently pulling them back. At first, Kova’s instinct was to rip that shit out of its socket, but luckily for the owner, they recognized his voice. Wells stepped in between them and Harper, hands raised to tone down the situation. “Let’s all calm down. You shouldn’t be aiming that gun around so carelessly.” He said gently, slowly pushing the barrel of Harper’s gun to the side. With his other hand, he made a motion.

Octavia appeared by Kova’s side, tugging them by their jacket. “Come on, let’s go. C’mon.” She urged, linking her arms with theirs tightly at the elbow and guiding her away from the group. Kova looked over their shoulder. Wells continued chatting the camp down. The two made eye contact, and they sent a nod of gratitude. He nodded back in response.

“What were you thinking?!” Octavia seethed as they reached a secluded portion of the wall.

“How could he have the audacity to boast about killing my people while fooling his?” Their anger churned at the thought. “How could he make it seem like he was the hero of the story?” They shook their head, trying to clear their mind. “Octavia, I need to get out of here. Just for a bit.”

The girl opened her mouth to object until something through the cracks in the wall caught her eye. Kova followed her line of eyesight and recognized Lincoln’s signal for a meeting — a familiar flowering gladiolus sat next to a white lily. “I’m guessing the lily is your signal?”

"Yeah." The sky girl smiled slightly, a hint of red coming to her cheeks. "How come yours is that one—"

A sound came from the forest, attracting the attention of the guards. “Something hit the trip wire!” One of the boys called out, looking through the scope of his gun.

“Which wire, was it a grounder? I don’t see anything.”

“Nothing. Wait, something moved. There, there, there!”

The two guards shot off multiple rounds into the forest.

“I think I got it.”

“Let’s go check it out.”

Horrified, Octavia could only watch the two boys run towards the gate. “Lincoln.”

Before she could run off, Kova’s grip held her back. “Octavia, that definitely wasn’t Lincoln. Your traps are too simple us to get caught in. We have to go meet him at his place.”

“I have to know what it was, then.” She uncurled Kova’s hand on her wrist. “Head to the meeting place. If it’s nothing I’ll try and follow.” Octavia said before darting off in Connor and Derek’s direction.

An annoyed sigh passed through Kova's lips, but the distraction was too good of an opportunity for them to waste. They had to leave now, before the Exodus group came back. They climbed over the wall and followed the plants.

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It wasn’t hard to find the trail of gladiolus and white lilies under the moonlight. Kova constantly checked behind their back and up around the trees for any signs of a follower, whether it be Trikru or the invaders, until they reached the end of the trail.

A familiar home stood in front of them. Knocking a certain pattern against the door, they opened the door cautiously and slowly headed down the stairs. “Lincoln, it’s me.”

They rounded the corner, only to find the man in question organizing his desks. He met them at the foot of the stairs and wrapped his arms around them tightly. “I’m glad you’re okay.” He glanced at their leg. “How are you feeling?”

“I’ve seen better days, but it’s not that bad.” They responded, hugging him back just as tightly. They noticed his house was a lot messier than usual. “What’s going on here?”

“Dealing with Lieutenant Anya hasn’t been easy.” Lincoln offered them a cup of lukewarm tea from his desk. “Where’s Octavia?”

“Stayed behind.” Kova took the cup from him. “She was worried that you had gotten stuck in some trap they set up to keep intruders out. I told her it wasn’t you but she said she would just meet us here later.” While Lincoln’s face was usually stoic, the slight downturn of his eyebrows and the corners of his lips told them a story. “Why? What’s going on?”

His lips straightened into a line. “The past few days haven’t been easy. Trikru captured a banished sky person, supposedly. I believe his name is Murphy. This morning I heard he was injected with a weak strain of the warfare virus and purposefully released to weaken their camp. Octavia might get infected, which is why I asked her to come here.”

“That virus—?!” Kova let out a sharp, heavy sigh. “They want to start a war.” They murmured into their cup before taking a sip. It shouldn’t come to them as a surprise, but they couldn’t help but tense up. “They haven’t used that since Caocin.”

Lincoln nodded. "There’s more. Rumors say that at dawn in two days, Trikru will try and attack." He hesitated but continued. "I wish I could tell you I had better news, A-Ko. They haven’t set up a trial or anything yet, but since you haven’t been seen around the scouts’ camp or in the villages, Lieutenant Anya and the higher ups—”

“Ah. They’re already planning a conviction, huh?” Their hands trembled. They set the cup down. “Treason?”

“…mn. They added a kill order on top.”

Jaw tensing, they looked down, feeling the familiar prickle behind their eyes and the bridge of their nose. They rubbed the bottom of their nose with the back of their hand. They shook their head and looked back up at him. “Lincoln, what should I do? Where do I go? I’ve spent my whole life with them, I…” They looked up, avoiding the tears that threatened to fall.

The man spoke so quietly that Kova almost missed what he said. “I think you should stay with the sky people.”

They snapped their head at him. “What?”

“Staying here is too risky. The scouts might try to barge in here at any moment. The sky people are your best bet for now. I’ve already sent a message to Luna asking if she can provide refuge for the three of us.” He passed them three extra small knives. “As soon as she responds, we can make a plan.”

“The three of us?” They asked, glancing between him and the weapons.

“I want Octavia to come too.”

Kova wanted to tell him they weren’t too sure Octavia would leave her friends and brother as quickly as that, but kept their mouth shut. “I suppose I have no other choice.” They sheathed the small knives in various holsters across their body. “But I need you to be safe, first, alright? If you think they’ll come after you to trick me into exposing myself, you need to run first.” They held his hands tightly, eyes unwavering. “Promise me?”

Lincoln hesitated. But he nodded his head.

“Good. Find me as soon as everything is ready.”

“I’ll try to be as fast as possible. If anything changes, just rendezvous to Floukru and wait there for me.” Lincoln said, gripping their hands with the same amount of force. He hoped they were as grounding as they once had been when they were younger. “We’re in this together.”

“…mn. Together.”

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Unfortunately, Kova couldn’t stay with Lincoln for long. After an hour of catching up with their brother, Kova returned to camp and by the time they arrived, night had fully settled in and the only source of light came from the main campfire peaking through the cracks of the walls.

They paused behind the thinning foliage and trees, just outside of the camp. ‘Ah. How am I going to get back inside?’ They briefly thought back to the wall they climbed over when they rescued Lincoln but shook it off. ‘No, they’ve probably fixed that area by now. Right?’

Peaking out from the foliage, Kova only saw one guard on duty, and he had his head down. ‘Mn. Perfect. I can sneak by.’

They quietly climbed the wall, making sure their clothes and shoes didn’t catch on anything or scrape along the wood, and reached the top of the wall. They gracefully leaped over, landing on the platform where the guard was.

The sound of clothes shifting made them freeze in place. They turned slowly, their mind rapidly going through different scenarios to keep the guard quiet, until they peaked at the guard’s face.

A soft snore broke the silence.

‘Sleeping?!’

Pressing the back of their hand against their mouth, Kova’s body shuddered with quiet and quiet laughs of disbelief. They shook their head and hopped over the other side of the platform and into the camp, landing in a forward roll. They scanned their surroundings first, and once they were sure no one was around, they looked back up at the sleeping guard.

Kova couldn’t help but scoff. ‘Weren’t these kids worried that I would sneak out and bring Trikru to their door? Did any of them notice I was gone?’ They took a rock from the ground before stepping into the dark shadows of the side of the wall.

They threw the rock with precision. It thumped at the wall underneath the guard. He woke up with a start and stood, bringing his gun up and checking the area outside the camp for any disturbances. Once he felt it was clear, he sat back down, his spine straight, as if willing himself to not fall asleep again.

‘These kids really have no idea what they’re doing.’ Kova sighed, shaking their head, and kept to the shadows as they sneaked into their tent through a flap in the back. ‘Even the guards here didn’t notice anything.’ Their mind wandered along that track as they unclothed themselves, and the chatters of the guards in front of the tent became their background noise. They folded their heavy clothes and placed them and their armor next to the bed—

Kova jumped, as if they were a startled cat, and pulled out a knife on instinct. There was a human shaped lump in their bed, completely covered by the blanket, but something felt off. They pulled the blanket back slowly, knife at the ready.

The blanket slipped off, revealing two pillows and a rolled up blanket. Kova let out a sigh of relief and dropped their knife. ‘Probably Octavia’s doing.’

They returned the knife to its appropriate holster and tossed it next to their armor. They could deal with it tomorrow. Kova expected to knock out the moment their head made contact with the pillow, but as they slipped in their bed, it was far too firm. Sitting up, they swiped underneath the pillow only to pull out a first aid kit.

Their face softened. ‘Thanks, Octavia.’

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[btsjfans]

“Class Clown” Part 3

Hey, I’ve gotten a lot of good feedback and requests for part three, so here I am, in the middle of nowhere with bad service, typing this on mobile. I hope this isn’t crap, please excuse the sloppiness in this. I’ll re blog part 2 which has a link to part 1 If you want to catch up. Thank you for all the support as well, xx

Summery: The class clown, Taehyung, has a lot more going on at home than anybody else realizes, especially not you, the class valedictorian.

Taehyung x Reader

Fluff, angst (mentions of abuse, alcoholism, etc.)

Don’t forget to send in feedback and requests for new stories and reactions about any of the boys!

Your POV:

You stare at Jin across the room the next day, but feel nothing. After 4 years of feeling butterflies when he so much as blinked in your direction, you feel nothing as you stare into the face of this boy. He turns his head suddenly, and holds eye contact with you, you keep staring before you realize what’s happening and you gasp quietly and blush looking away, earning a small smile from Jin. Even now, as Jin laughs at your embarrassment, you feel more cringey than hopelessly romantic. If anything you wish it were V who caught you staring. Speaking of which, he’s still not in class. You check your phone, 8:56, you think, class started 11 minutes ago. You send V a quick text, wondering where he is.

To V: Hey, class started 11 minutes ago, why aren’t you here?

He was fine last time you saw him. You smile, remembering the last time you saw him. His big, dark eyes twinkling with mischief, and adoration even. His big boxy smile blinding you. His dark hair flopping upside down as he lay on his back, staring up at you. Where is this kid?!

Last Night (Tae’s POV)

Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god! My mind races with questions and my heart is practically pounding out of my chest. I just walked back in from my date with Y/N when I’d tripped over Jungkook’s bloodied body on the floor. There was no sign of dad, so he either left as soon as he realized what he had done, or Kookie was attacked by a burglar. I was going to go with number one. I rolled him onto his back, and stared into his face. His sweet, innocent face was distorted by a broken nose, and a busted lip. Blood caked his face and drip down onto his neck and clothes, and his left eye was swollen shut. What kind of monster could do this to you Kook?! He was still breathing, which was my first concern. If I lost Kookie too, I think I would’ve gone off the deep end. Even at the thought of it, my eyes fill with tears and I bite them back as I think of what to do. I’ve taken a few bad hits like this, but usually I’m back up within 5-10 minutes. From the looks of this, he seems to have been here for about an hour. I get up and grab a cold, wet washcloth and start to dab his face, cleaning his injuries and ridding his face of the blood. I’ve shaken him, and called his name, even slapping around his face a bit. Nothing. Do I call 911?! Do I get the neighbors?! Oh god, oh god, oh god…

Your POV

As class went on, no reply from V. Radio silence from the boy you started to catch feelings for. You were so busy worrying about V, you didn’t see Jin staring at you the entire hour. As class let out, you grabbed your bags and started to head out the door when you feel a firm hand grab onto your arm and pull you back. You turn around to see Jin standing there, a shy smile on his face.

“Hey, Y/N, I was just wondering if you’d maybe wanna, uh, go out Friday night?” Jin smiled at you, taking his hand off of your arm. You’d been waiting for this moment for 4 years. You’d fantasized about this happening time and time again. Your first thought is to yell ‘YES!’ but you don’t. After 4 years of never speaking to you, why now? And what about V? You decide to take the diplomatic route.

“I would love to, but I’ll have to check my schedule. I’ll get back to you on this tomorrow.” You smile and turn, walking away. After a high school career of getting no action, you suddenly have two boys sparring for your heart?

Last Night (Tae’s POV)

I pour icy water on his face, which jerks him back to reality. By this point, we were nearing on hour 2, and I was a hysterical mess. I went to call 911, but I was coughing and sniffling so much I couldn’t get a word out. Kookie coughs and starts to groan and I let out a strangled laugh and hug him close against me.

“What-” I cough, “Happened?!” Kookie takes a moment to get his bearings and he weakly leans against my body. After he takes a breather, he looks up at me shakily.

“Dad wanted to know where you were and I said I didn’t know and it just spiraled out of control from there.” He looks around, seeming like a small boy in my arms. He’s only 15, he doesn’t deserve this. What kind of brother am I? Letting us stay in this hellhole. I’m sure you you’re wondering why we still are even here when we could’ve gotten help long ago? Because Jungkook loves him. Because Kookie still believes in our dad. When we were in middle school, and it just started, I suggested we tell somebody, but he said no. He told me that dad was just struggling with the loss of our mom, and that we needed to be there for him. I think he’s just scared to lose what little family we have left. I don’t know where I need to draw the line though…is this where I just step in and get us help? “How do you feel?” I ask, holding him tight, afraid to let go. “I just..Get me in bed and get me some pain meds. I can sleep it off.” I carry Jungkook to his bed and lay him in gently, and bring him some pain meds after. I stay and watch him sleep for a few minutes before I quietly turn off his alarm clock and head to the front door, locking it. Nobody is getting in tonight, and nobody is going out tomorrow morning. Not if I can help it.

(Today) Tae’s POV

I wake up at 11:18am to hear silence in the house. I almost forget that it’s Thursday and not Saturday. I sit up on the edge of my bed and run my hand through my hair and rub my hands along my sweatpants. I can hear my phone chiming, but I need to check on Jungkook. I walk out into the living room and see the door still locked, meaning dad didn’t even try and come in. I peek into Kookie’s room and see him peacefully asleep on his bed, hugging a pillow against his chest. I smile a little at the sight, and I almost feel like a proud parent. Seeing this boy I helped raise growing up. I close the door gingerly and step into the kitchen to make breakfast when I hear my phone go off again and I pick it up and smile seeing Y/N’s name pop up all over my notifications. I click on our messages and scroll through them.

From: Y/N

Hey, class started 11 minutes ago, why aren’t you here?

V where are you?

V??? ??????

Ugh fine, ignore me Jin asked me out on a date

The last one makes me blanch. Of course I feel bad and kinda flattered Y/N was worried about me, but Jin?! He’s my best friend! He’s known I’ve liked her for a year now, and he’s legit never cared! What’s his deal?! He gets every single girl, why can’t I have one? He’s the dream guy for girls, he’s tall, strong, handsome, athletic, kind, and smart. I’m kinda attractive, and nice, and that’s it. I thought I finally had done it, and gotten the girl of my dreams but I guess even she would rather have Jin than me. I don’t know what to say honestly, I just want to see that look in her eyes again. When she told me how she felt, a small blush crept into her cheeks, and she had a sentimental, and shy shine in her eyes. She does the littlest things and it drives me crazy with desire. She’s so…her. And that’s everything I’ve ever wanted. I wait a moment to collect my thoughts before I text back.

To: Y/N

What did you say?

I check the time stamps on them, and see that they’re from several hours ago, meaning anything could’ve happened by now. I stare down at the message, reading and rereading it. Jin. I decide not to text him, I’m not really the confrontational type since I can get all the confrontations I’d ever want in my very own living room. If she goes for him, I’ll talk it out with him whenever I see him again, if not, I’ll let it go and pretend it didn’t happen. I’m jolted from my musings as a text from Y/N comes in, and I read it from my notifications before texting back.

From Y/N: I said I’d have to see if I was busy that day.

Okay, vague. What’s that even mean? Is she?

To Y/N: Are you?

I wait until it says read and I see her typing. My heart pounds and I bite my lip. What if she doesn’t want me? Of course she wouldn’t, Y/N has such high standards. She deserves the world, and I can’t give her crap. I should’ve known it was too good to be true.

From Y/N:

Depends. Are you busy Friday?

I feel a smile slip onto my face. I type yes in and start to brainstorm our perfect date when a cough from the other room disturbs me. Jungkook. What do I do about him? Can I trust Y/N with this? She’s smart so she probably knows what to do. Agh. Okay. I click out of our message and go to Jungkook’s best friend Jimin’s number and ask him if Kookie can sleepover Friday. I want to make sure he’s out of the way and taken care of since I won’t be at he house to watch over him. Jimin is such a good friend. Kookie hasn’t told him about how he gets hurt, but Jimin knows, and he takes care of him. Jimin is like my Jin, except Jimin wouldn’t double cross Kookie like Jin did to me. Your POV:

Okay, so V texted back. He didn’t explain where he’s at, he just skipped right to the Jin situation, which makes you feel good to know he cares that much. You can’t help but wonder what it would be like to go out with Jin. He runs in the most popular crowd in school with V and Namjoon and Hoseok and Yoongi. What would this mean for you? You were never super popular, just liked enough nobody bugged you and left you and Amari alone to be Valedictorian. You ran with a quieter crowd of dedicated kids like you, so would that change? Would they still respect you? You’d liked Jin for years, would one date hurt? Just as you start to consider it V replies.

From V:

No I’m not busy. If you’d have me, I’d like to take you out Friday night. We could go ice skating at that outdoor rink downtown, then go see a drive in movie. I’d have you home by 11:30-12 at the latest and pick you up at 5:30.

You suddenly forget Jin. V was so thoughtful and respectful, you expected a “no I’m not busy, why” kind of reply. But this went above and beyond. This was like those dream dates from the movies. You don’t even realize you’re smiling until Jin points it out.

“What’re you smiling about cutie?” Jin is suddenly beside your table smiling down at you. Why he’s paying so much attention to you now, you don’t know. But as you look up at him, you don’t see the same sincerity in his eyes that V has. Jin was fake, and you knew it all along, but he seemed so perfect you couldn’t help but dream.

“Ah just a funny text. And about Friday I’m sorry, I’m busy. Thanks though.” You smile politely and really kinda want him to just go away so you can show Amari all of this. Jin’s eyes harden and his lips press tightly together for a moment before he’s back to that fake dazzling smile.

"No prob. Some other time.” Jin smiles walking away and you let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding. That look in Jin’s eyes was honestly kind of scary. As you watch Jin saunter off you remember to text V back.

Tae’s POV:

From Y/N:

It’s a date.

The words pop up on my screen. Those three words. I feel a smile grow on my face and I bite my lip to keep from laughing. I lay back on the bed and smile closing my eyes and imagine the date. Us, holding hands as we skate, Y/N smiling, And helping hold me up because I can’t skate to save my life, then us at the drive in movie. Maybe cuddling together if she’d be okay with that.

"You’re texting Y/N,” Jungkook says, smiling and standing in the doorway. I sit up and set my phone down looking at the boy. His nose his bandaged up and seems to be holding up pretty well, his eye is super swollen, and his lip is still swollen red. He will definitely be staying home again tomorrow. I check the clock, seeing he slept in until 11:30, which was a good 14 hours.

"How do you feel?” I ask and pull him to the kitchen to get him some pain meds and breakfast.

"Achey. But fine. Now back to Y/N,” Kookie smiles winking with his good eye and leans against the counter. I can’t help but smile at him, even through all this all he can think about his getting the gossip from my life.

"Well we’re going on a date Friday, and you’re sleeping over at Jimin’s.” I say, pouring him a bowl of cereal.

"Today is Wednesday right?” Kookie pulls out the milk and pours it in sitting at the counter and eating. I nod and put the food away and slide him some pain meds.

"What’re you gonna do?” He asks through a mouthful of cereal.

"I was going to take her ice skating and then maybe use Jin’s truck and go to the drive in.” I say and feel a nervous pang as I say Jin’s name. He’s always been a good friend, but when he’s mad he’s scary. I just hope he’ll be chilled out about this.

"Dude you can’t skate at all,” Jungkook grins at me and I grin eating my own cereal.

"I know, an ice skating date seems like every girl’s cliche dream date I thought it would make her happy.”

"Man you really like her.” He grins finishing his food. We stay home on Thursday, still no sign of dad. I go back on Friday and leave Kookie home, but tell him to text me if anything happens. As soon as I walk into 1st period, my eyes go right to Y/N. She doesn’t see me, she’s too busy talking to Amari. I forgot how much I missed her until she was right in front of me. Her smile, the way she sits, hearing her laugh, just watching her be herself.

"KING V IS BACK!” Jin bellows walking in and people grin and laugh, and even I can’t help grinning.

"Hopefully nobody dethroned me in my absence,” I grin, earning a chuckle from my peers. I can feel Y/N’s eyes on me, and I turn my head back and grin at her and wink. I can see her blush a little, and I grin even bigger as her smile grows. Jin drags me down to our usual table with Yoongi and Hoseok.

"So where were you?” Yoongi asks in his usual carefree voice, but I can see his real interest is in Amari as he stares across the room at her.

"I got sick,” I say running a hand through my hair and lean back in my chair the way teachers hate. At my sick comment, Jin rolls his eyes and casts me a knowing look since he’s guessed already what really happened.

"You better not get me sick you afflicted beast!” Hoseok throws a paper wad at my face and laughs.

Your POV:

You watch V as he grins and laughs with his friends, occasionally turning to smile at you. He’s such a good guy. He’s just so pure. As you go to leave the room V jogs up to your side and hooks arms with you grinning.

"Excited for tonight?” He grins and pulls you over to the lockers leaning against them and unhooking your arms as he faces you.

“Yeah. 5:30 right?” You smile, falling into his warm gaze.

“Precisely. They’re playing an old Audrey Hepburn movie at the drive in tonight, is that okay?” V grins and pushes a lock of hair behind your ear, sending chills down your arms.

“Yeah, I love classics.” You say and glance at the clock. “V you need to get to class, you’ll be late.” You grab his hands pulling him off the lockers and gently push him in the direction of his next class. He smiles winking and saunters up the stairs. You turn around to walk to class in the early empty hallway when you crash into Jin’s chest.

“So that’s the reason you’re too busy for me?”

Thank you guys for your support! I'm sorry if this part seemed rushed, and not as quality, I'm on mobile and trying to figure out how to type this all and stuff and I hope I didn't let you down! Don't forget to leave more feedback if you want a part 4!

[kirikinni]

Hi, cant seem to find the rules from phone so sorry if this goes against any rules in anyway&it's fine if u dont take my request 😜 Could u plz do Namseok (bts94line) since I cant find anything! Fluff/angst/smut/anything! I'm bad at solid prompts but itd be super cute for Namjoon to be crushing on Hobi&being like really shy around him (since I think 2 many joon fics hav him as confident, collected - &the endless daddy kinks pfft😣 - itd be a nice change haha) Thank u in advance 😊

Love Me?

“Joon-ah throw me the towel please.” Hoseok said to hispurple haired best friend who was currently seated on the floor of the dancestudio with his back against the wall. 

Namjoon had come to pick Hoseok up from dance practice buthe arrived way too early. He had made himself comfortable and got himself lostin a book. Namjoon looked up from his book and almost choked on his own spit.Hoseok was gleaming with sweat and his biceps were on full perfect view. He wasdressed in a very loose tank top and shorts that were too short for Namjoon tobe able to breath.

“Joon, Namjoon. Kim Namjoon.” Hoseok repeated trying to gethis attention. Namjoon snapped his eyes up from Hoseok’s body up to his eyes, ablush creeping up his neck. 

“Ya? Sorry I was thinking..” Namjoon said and looked down athis book for an excuse, “um David and Celia. Did you know they’re best friendsbut the other one is crushing on…” Namjoon trailed off realizing that he wasrambling, “Sorry.”

“It’s okay nerd, pass me the towel and you can tell me aboutthe book when we’re leaving.” Hoseok replied, smiling widely. Though he wassweaty and panting his smile seemed to light up the room far better than anylight bulb. 

Namjoon threw him the towel and laughed, he got off theground and closed his book with one finger inside it. He switched on his phoneand opened his chat with Seokjin while Hoseok was talking to hisinstructor.   

“Hyung, I’m so whipped.” 

Seokjin texted back merely seconds later, 

“I know you loser,everyone knows except for him. You gotta tell him, you guys would be so cutetogether.”

“No fucking way, I’m not gonna lose my best friend over acrush.” 

“He likes you tooidiot, just tell him. It’ll be fine I swear.”

“No hyung, we’re just friends. Fuck he’s coming okay bye.

Namjoon switched off his phone as Hoseok approached him andsmiled at the boy he’s been crushing on for the past two years. Hoseok smiledback and threw his hand over Namjoon’s shoulder. 

“You’re shorter than me, get off.” Namjoon said laughing. 

“By like two centimeters shut up.” Hoseok said, tighteninghis hand around Namjoon’s shoulder just to inconvenience him. 

“Four centimeters actually, agh you’re gonna choke me andthen you’ll have no friends.” Namjoon said ducking under his arm and gettingout of the grip. 

“Excuse you but I have a lot of other friends, here comesone.” Hoseok said motioning to a pink haired short boy who was running towardsthem. 

“Hyung you forgot your jacket.” The boy said out of breathand handed Hoseok his jacket.

 “Thank you Jiminie, I can’t believe myself.” Hoseok saidlaughing. 

“I can.” Namjoon muttered softly. 

“At least I don’t go around breaking everything I touch.”Hoseok retaliated.

 “Hey that was one time,let it go.”

 “Ya one hundred times.”Hoseok said smiling at Namjoon who was getting red.

 “You guys are so cute oh gosh.” Jimin squealed, “Are you twodating?”

 “Yup, we’ve been dating for three years now.” Hoseok saidand took Namjoon’s hand in his own making Namjoon flush an even darker shade ofred. “Well we need to go now, I’ll see you next week Jimin bye.” Hoseok saidand walked off, Namjoon’s hand still in his own.

 Namjoon could only stare at the interlocked hands, unable tofocus on anything other than the warmth coming from Hoseok’s hand, he hadimagined what it would be like to feel this same warmth everyday, every timethey went out. The warmth coming from his hands when they interlocked fingers,the warmth coming from his lips when their lips finally met. Namjoon hadimagined it all for so long and having Hoseok hold his hand now and callNamjoon his boyfriend, even as a joke put Namjoon on such a high.

 Every time Hoseok joked around about them practically beingboyfriends. Every time Namjoon had to pretend to be his boyfriend so somecreepy guy or some clingy girl would leave Hoseok alone. Every single time,Namjoon felt his heart clench and such sharp pain.

 Hoseok turned his head to look at Namjoon wondering why hewas being so quite and noticed him staring at their interlocked hands, “Ahsorry Joonie, I forgot. Feels like it’s meant to be there you know.” Hoseoksaid laughing and removing his hand from Namjoon’s. Namjoon almost whined atthe loss of Hoseok’s hand and cried at what he said. Namjoon just wanted totake Hoseok’s hand back in his own and tell him that they did belong togetherbut he could not. He would never risk their friendship.

 “You were talking about your book.” Hoseok reminded Namjoon.

 “Oh ya so basically Celia is totally whipped for David butshe doesn’t want to tell him because she doesn’t want to lose him, they’re bestfriends right and it’s so sad because she’s constantly in pain because shewants to be his but he doesn’t even know and he’s always teasing her andplaying around with her.”

 “Oh so like us?” Hoseok asked, interrupting.

 “Sorry what?” Namjoon asked, choking on his spit for thesecond time today.

 “Always teasing and playing around, like us.” Hoseok said,confusion plastered on his face.

 “Oh that, um ya. Like us basically so anyway she just wantshim to see her as something else but he only sees her as his best friend andit’s really depressing so far because the writer just makes you feel Celia’spain. Like we’ve all had that one unrequited crush right and it’s like you’rere living the pain you felt then through her.”

 “Damn Joon why are you reading this it’s so sad.” Hoseokasked, before getting two into the passenger seat of Namjoon’s car.

 “I don’t know I like the book. I hope it get’s better forCelia.” Namjoon said sighing, relating way too much to the girl in the book.

 “You know what I think, I think Celia should tell Dale, ifhe’s really her best friend then he won’t leave her or get awkward over aconfession and if he does leave then he’s just not worth her.” Hoseok said ashe fiddled with the radio, there was an interview on with South Korea’s onlyopenly gay and famous couple. “Oh my god, I love these two. They’re adorabletogether.”

 “So Taehyung, you guys have told us so much about you butthe one thing everyone wants to know is who confessed first?” the interviewerasked.

 Laughter from both Taehyung and Jungkook could be heard onthe radio before Jungkook answered, “We were actually really good friends, Ihad a supporting role in one of the movie’s hyung was leading in and we justclicked I guess. We got really close after that and I formed a major crush onhim but I didn’t tell him because I thought no way would Kim Taehyung, leadingactor and ladies man ever be gay and even if he was there would be no way hewould be into me so I kept it inside.”

  “He was wrong by the way,” Taehyung interrupted laughing, “Iliked Jungkookie from the day one of the staff at our shooting accidentlypushed him into a lake and instead of getting mad at the staff he just askedfor a little help cleaning up but I didn’t say anything because I was convincedthat the shining star of the K-pop industry and celebrity crush of practicallyevery girl and boy would never be into me. Boy was I wrong, he was so whipped.”

 All three voices on the radio laughed and Hoseok laughedalong with them while Namjoon listened in pain, he knew what that felt like.Namjoon was reminded every day how different he and Hoseok were. Namjoon wasthe bookworm nerd who liked quiet places and Hoseok liked dancing, exercise andparties. Namjoon had no idea why they were friends but they were and Namjoonwould never give Hoseok up.

 “..ya so we were together one night at my apartment,watching movies, eating greasy food. You know, the usual when Kookie told me hewas gay, out of nowhere. He just threw the it out and I almost choked.”

 “He did actually, he choked on popcorn and I got so scared,I was apologizing and trying to save him and when we finally got the popcornout he just sat on the floor quietly so I got embarrassed and nervous. I got mystuff and was about to leave but hyung came and hugged me from behind and toldme that it’s okay and that he was too. I don’t remember how I felt or anythingmuch but I know I turned around and kissed him after he said that. Now that Ithink about it that was such a risk.” Jungkook said laughing hard.

 “and I am so happy you took that risk.” Taehyung replied,there was awing heard from the radio and Hoseok screamed in adoration for thecouple.

 “You see, Celia should just tell Dale. You never know whatmight happen…” Hoseok went on about chances and risks while Namjoon gripped thesteering wheel tighter. All he could imagine was kissing Hoseok, holding hishand, playing with hair while they had in house dates. He wanted to watch andcheer on his performances as his official boyfriend, he wanted to kiss Hoseokwhen people hit on him, he wanted to spoil Hoseok with gifts and love. Hewanted to be the one Hoseok gave his heart to and Hoseok had no idea.

 Namjoon pulled into the café parking lot just as Hoseok wasfinishing his speech, “now if you had a crush on me, you should honestly justgrab me and kiss me right now because I would kiss you back.”

 Namjoon turned to look at Hoseok, sure he had just heardHoseok wrong. There was no way he would say that but there he was staring atNamjoon with nothing but pure love in his eyes and the softest smile on hislips. Namjoon couldn’t help it anymore; he grabbed the back of Hoseok’s neckand pulled him in. Namjoon met him halfway and their lips finally met.

 The butterflies in Namjoon’s stomach exploded and his heartfelt like the rooftop that exploded with fireworks at the end of Mulan. Hoseokkissed him back and put his hand on Namjoon’s waist. Everyone but Namjoon knewjust how long Hoseok had been waiting to feel Namjoon’s lips and tasteNamjoon’s lips and to own Namjoon’s lips. Namjoon pulled back, the biggestbrightest shyest smile known to man plastered on his face, he was unable to sayanything, only smile.

 “See Celia should just tell Dale, he must have been waitingto kiss her for so long.”

I don’t do smut for any ships other than taekook, yoonmin and namjin sorry. This is my first time ever writing namseok and they have such a precious dynamic I hope this satisfies and does justice to the ship.