#and unfortunately those do get carried over to girl au. but the rack is also very very important and necessary to note

[bugpoasting]

also girl john = massive rack

[seongwars]

away with the wind | vii

Pairing: dragonrider!Seonghwa x ex-dragonrider!Reader AU: dragon rider au | strangers -> lovers Summary: a spinal injury forces you to retire from dragon racing, and with it, the end of your engagement to Song Mingi. Park Seonghwa, a rising star in the world of dragon racing and heir to the prestigious House Park, seeks a new dragon after an unfortunate accident on the skyway. As the saying goes, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Word Count: 6.8K Warnings: description of dragon anatomy, swearing, power saw and gore, mentions of attempted unaliving on someone

Fic Masterlist

Mingi, Age 14

“Hey, if I throw this egg into a volcano, do you think it’ll hatch?” you asked, poking the egg in your sling. Mingi chuckled, poking the egg alongside you. 

“You’ll never know unless you try. I heard Mount Hala is due for another explosion.”

“It has been 150 years,” you added with a sigh, resting your chin on the egg. “Have you decided on a breed yet?”

He hummed thoughtfully. “No, I’m not feeling any of the options that I’ve been presented with.”

“You can always borrow one of our dragons. I’m sure San’s family also has some out in Dune.”

“Your dragons are too…” he racked his brain, trying to find the word to describe your family’s brood of Dreamwoods. Delicate? Feminine?

“Your dragons are too… refined,” he teased. “I need something with a bit more edge, you know?”

You laughed, nudging him playfully. “Refined? That’s a polite way to put it. But seriously, you should consider it. Dreamwoods are pretty rider oriented.”

Mingi nodded, his expression turning serious. “I know. And I appreciate the offer. But I want to find a dragon that feels like it’s truly mine, one that I can bond with from the start.”

“I get it. The bond between a rider and their dragon is special. You’ll find the right one, I’m sure of it.” You smiled, understanding his sentiment. 

The courtyard was quiet, the usual hustle and bustle of the academy momentarily paused. The two of you sat on a stone bench, the egg nestled safely between you. The setting sun cast a warm glow over the grounds, creating a serene atmosphere that contrasted with the usual energy of the place.

“You’d let me know if you found the one, right?” you asked, your voice soft but earnest.

“Of course,” he replied, his eyes meeting yours with a promise of honesty and trust.

A comfortable silence settled between you, the kind that only close friends could share. After a moment, you broke it with a sigh. “Those girls in your anatomy class approached me again. They insist that we’re dating.”

Mingi raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk on his lips. “Is it really such a crime to fall asleep on my shoulder?”

“Yes, to your fangirls at least,” you teased, leaning your head on his shoulder for emphasis. “They might riot against me.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “Well, I guess I should be flattered. But honestly, they have nothing to worry about. You’re the only one who gets this privilege.”

“Lucky me,” you chuckled, lifting your head.

Mingi’s expression softened, his eyes reflecting a mix of affection and sincerity. “You are lucky. And so am I.” His words carried a deeper meaning, one that spoke of the unspoken connection you shared.

“Well, not so lucky that I’m stuck on cavern duty. Again. Sunmi has another date and promised she’d take the next shift,” you pouted, your lips forming a small frown. The thought of spending another long, lonely night in the caverns was far from appealing.

“Make sure you don’t get too bored down there,” he chuckled, earning a punch to his arm. 

Mingi was in the middle of a nap when your, specially designated ringtone, woke him up. He groggily reached for the device, blinking away the remnants of sleep as he launched the hologram.

“Y/N? What’s wrong?” he asked, concern evident in his voice as he rubbed his eyes and sat up, trying to focus on the screen.

“It’s…it’s a baby,” you said, holding up your newborn hatchling. The tiny dragon squirmed in your hands, its scales shimmering in the light. Its eyes, still adjusting to the world, blinked slowly as it nestled closer to you.

Mingi’s eyes widened with a mix of surprise and excitement. He leaned closer to the hologram, his face lighting up. “You mean it hatched? That’s incredible!”

“Yeah,” you sniffled, tears of joy welling up in your eyes. “She’s finally here.”

Mingi’s expression softened, a look of genuine happiness spreading across his face. “She’s beautiful, Y/N. Have you thought of a name yet?”

You nodded, wiping at your runny nose. “Cirrus.”

“Cirrus… that’s perfect. I’m happy for you,” he chuckled softly, the sound tinged with a hint of wistfulness.

“Come over! Please, you have to meet her!” 

Mingi wasted no time. He quickly threw on a jacket, his heart pounding with excitement. The journey to your family’s home felt longer than usual, his mind racing with thoughts of meeting the newborn hatchling. When he finally arrived, he barely had time to knock before you flung the door open, a wide smile on your face.

“Come in, come in!” you grabbed his hand, leading him inside. The warmth of your home enveloped him, and he could hear the soft cooing of the hatchling from the den. The tiny dragon was nestled comfortably in a pile of soft blankets, looking around curiously as you approached her with Mingi. 

“Here she is,” you said softly, picking up Cirrus and cradling her in your arms. “Mingi, meet Cirrus.”

“I guess since you have a dragon, you can start flying with her,” Mingi said with a grin, gently poking Cirrus’ snout as you offered her your shoulder. Cirrus blinked up at him, her tiny tongue flicking out as she sniffed his fingers before leaning into his touch, purring softly. 

“Give it a year,” you replied, stroking her delicate wings. “I’d squish her right now if I tried.”

Cirrus chirped, her bright eyes darting around as if she understood the conversation. “She’s going to be amazing,” Mingi said, his voice filled with certainty. “Just like her rider.”

“I’ll punch you,” you squeaked, your voice high-pitched with embarrassment as a blush crept onto your face. Your cheeks turned a rosy shade of pink, and you quickly looked away, trying to hide your flustered expression. 

Mingi watched you with Cirrus, a pang of envy twisting in his chest. He tried to mask it with a smile, but the feeling was hard to ignore. It wasn’t that he was picky, he wanted a dragon that could match his ambitions and soar to the heights he dreamed of. Seeing you with Cirrus, already so effortlessly bonded, made him yearn for that same connection.

Mingi, Age 15

“Come to Halazia with me.”

“Are you crazy?” Your eyes widened in disbelief. Mingi chuckled, shaking his head. 

“Not at all. The recruiter from Cromer Labs said he has a contact in Halazia who might have a dragon for me.”

“Really!? What kind?”

“A hybrid.”

You stared at him, trying to process the information. “Hybrid dragons? Like, between different breeds?”

“Exactly,” Mingi replied, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “They’re creating dragons with unique abilities. It’s the future of racing!”

Curiosity and fear churned in your stomach. While you adored Mingi and supported his desire to become an accomplished rider, your philosophies when it came to dragon breeding were the complete opposite. You valued the generations of dragons that had been carefully nurtured and respected the ancient traditions that guided their care. The notion of interfering with their natural evolution felt like a profound betrayal of your core beliefs.

Mingi, on the other hand, was captivated by the potential of hybrid dragons. He saw them as the future, a means to transcend the existing boundaries of what dragons could become. His enthusiasm was infectious, yet it also underscored the significant divide in your perspectives.

“Mingi, I don’t know,” you began, your voice tinted with uncertainty. “I mean Halazia is a two and a half hour train ride. What if something goes wrong?”

Mingi’s expression softened as he took a step closer, his hand reaching out to gently grasp yours. “I get that you’re worried, but think about the possibilities. These dragons could change racing, and bring something new to the sport. We could be part of something groundbreaking.”

“You mean you could be a part of something groundbreaking,” you said with a small smile. “I’m perfectly fine with Cirrus.” 

Mingi nodded, his expression serious. “I understand, and I respect that. But sometimes, to honor the past, we have to embrace the future. And I can’t pass up a Longhorn and Fury hybrid! So please?”

A knot of apprehension tightened in your stomach. The hybrid pairing was uncharted territory, and certainly intriguing, but it also carried uncertainties. Star Furies were an incredibly rare and protected species endemic to Mount Hala, whereas Longhorns were primarily used in war. You knew that combining the traits from both dragons could result in an unpredictable and volatile mix.

“Did the recruiter leave a card with you?”

“Yeah, he did.” Mingi dug into his pocket and pulled out a sleek, holographic card, handing it to you.

You turned the card over in your hands, the surface catching the light and reflecting a rainbow of colors. It felt cool and smooth, like dragon scales, shimmering with every move. It struck you as odd that there wasn’t a name on it, just a contact number and an address in Halazia. The mystery of it all made your heart race a little faster.

“Are you really thinking about this?” you asked, your voice a mix of excitement and worry. 

Mingi nodded, his eyes shining with determination. “I know it's risky, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. The recruiter said that they’ll sponsor me after graduating if I commit to the organization. I’ll finally be able to have a dragon of my own.”

You looked into his eyes, seeing the determination and hope there. It was hard to resist his passion, his vision of what could be. “Alright,” you said slowly, “I’ll go with you to Halazia. But we take it one step at a time, and if it feels wrong, we come back.”

The train ride to Halazia was a journey filled with anticipation. You and Mingi had boarded the first train out of Aurora, eager to embark on his adventure with him. As you settled into your seats, you couldn’t help but notice the blend of old-world charm and cutting-edge technology that defined the train’s interior. Plush seats with intricate embroidery provided comfort, while large windows offered panoramic views of the passing landscapes.

Before boarding, you had made sure Cirrus was safely waiting close by the station, ready to fly to you at a moment’s notice. 

The train glided smoothly along the tracks, the scenery outside transformed from Aurora’s bustling cityscape to the serene countryside, with rolling hills, dotted with vibrant wildflowers, stretched out as far as the eye could see. The rhythmic clatter of the wheels on the tracks created a soothing backdrop, but despite the tranquility, a sense of unease lingered. Your mind kept drifting back to thoughts of danger, the anxiety gnawing at the edges of your consciousness, refusing to be completely drowned out by the peaceful surroundings.

As the train drew closer to Halazia, your fidgeting intensified, an unending feeling of dread filling you. The landscape began to change once more. Mount Hala loomed in the distance, its peak shrouded in mist, hinting at the wild, untamed beauty that awaited beyond Halazia’s neon lights and bustling markets. Mingi’s head rested on your shoulder, weary from a night spent in eager anticipation of acquiring a new dragon.

The bustling market of Halazia’s center was alive with vibrant colors and the hum of countless conversations. You and Mingi navigated through the crowd, the neon lights casting a surreal glow on the cobblestone streets. Still groggy from his sleepless night, held your hand tightly as he approached the pickup point.

You arrived at a quiet corner of the market, where a small booth selling exotic herbs stood. Behind the counter, a woman in a sleek, dark jacket and a wide-brimmed hat awaited. Her sharp, discerning eyes met yours as you approached. 

Mingi cleared his throat and squared his shoulders. “My heart is fierce, my spirit a race.” he said confidently. The vendor nodded and slipped behind the stall. You scanned your surroundings, identifying the clearest exit routes through the bustling crowd, just in case the meeting took an unexpected turn.

Moments later, the vendor reappeared, cradling a small bundle wrapped in a soft blanket. She gently unwrapped it to reveal a tiny dragon hatchling, its red scales amplified under the neon signs littering the main street. 

You watched as Mingi reached out to gently stroke the hatchling’s head. The hatchling responded with a soft, contented chirp, but you noticed a slight, almost imperceptible twitch of its tail. Its eyes, though curious, occasionally flickered with a hint of agitation, reflecting the neon lights in a way that seemed almost too intense. The vendor’s quick, almost nervous glances at the dragon and her hurried movements suggested that there might be more than she initially let on.

“He’s got a fire in his eyes,” Mingi cooed, reaching out to the hatchling. The hatchling’s grip was surprisingly strong, its tiny claws wrapping around Mingi’s finger with a determined hold. The dragon’s eyes, a vibrant shade of amber, reflected a fierce intelligence and spirit.

“The payment?” the vendor asked, her voice cutting through the moment. 

“Right.” Mingi handed the hatchling over to you as he completed the transaction. The dragon squirmed slightly in your arms, its scales warm to the touch. You could feel its tiny heart beating rapidly, a reminder of its fragile yet fierce nature. As you held him, you sensed an underlying restlessness in its movements, a subtle tension that hinted at a temperamental instability. 

Mingi, Age 19

Mingi and Ajax descended from the sky after another round of practicing flight patterns. The wind rushed past them, the exhilaration of flight still fresh in Mingi’s veins. Ajax folded his wings with a graceful sweep, the powerful muscles rippling under his crimson scales as Mingi climbed down from the saddle. 

The crimson dragon’s nose twitched, as if sensing a threat. His nostrils flared, and he let out a low, rumbling growl that reverberated through the ground beneath Mingi’s feet. The sound was deep and menacing, a clear warning. Mingi turned to see another dragon, an equally large, imposing creature with green scales, entering the training area with its rider, Hong Jisoo.

“Hey Mingi,” the elder waved. Mingi returned the nod, his eyes still focused on his dragon. 

“Easy,” he said, placing a calming hand on Ajax’s side. But his focus was entirely on the newcomer, his body coiled and ready to react. The other dragon let out defensive chuff, and Ajax responded with a growl, his wings flaring out in a display of dominance.

Mingi knew he had to act quickly to prevent a confrontation. “Ajax, focus,” he commanded, skillfully swinging himself back into the saddle. Ajax’s eyes flicked to Mingi, but the presence of the other dragon was too much. With a sudden burst of energy, he lunged forward, his claws digging into the ground as he prepared to attack. 

“Ajax, no!” Mingi shouted, pulling hard on the reins. But Ajax ignored him, his eyes locked on the green dragon. Mingi could feel the strain in his arms as he struggled to hold his dragon back, the strength overwhelming.

The dragon’s growls grew louder, his body trembling with the urge to fight. Mingi’s heart pounded in his chest, the realization hitting him hard: Ajax didn’t respect him. The bond they were supposed to share was fragile, and in moments like this, it felt almost nonexistent.

“Ajax almost got into it with Hong Jisoo’s dragon,” Mingi sighed, plopping down next to you on the bench. His shoulders slumped with exhaustion, and he ran a hand through his tousled hair. Your eyes widened in alarm, and you immediately grabbed hold of his shoulders, your grip firm and concerned.

“Is everything okay? How’s the other dragon? What are they gonna do with Ajax–” you blurted out, your words tumbling over each other in a rush of worry. Your mind raced with worst-case scenarios, and you could feel your heart pounding in your chest.

“It’s fine,” he reassured you, bringing your hands to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to your knuckles. “Jisoo barely stepped out of the pit when Ajax went after them. He was able to turn back and close the gate before any damage could be done.”

“You do know that his father is a member of the Council.”

“Yeah, but unlike his father, Jisoo knows how unpredictable dragons can be, especially when they’re still getting used to their riders.”

But it’s been four years, you wanted to say. Fours years later and Ajax is still as defiant as ever, his unpredictability and stubbornness a constant challenge. You bit your lip, holding back the words, not wanting to add to Mingi’s stress. Instead, you squeezed his hands, offering him a comforting smile.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Statement from the Inferno Cup Organizing Committee

[AURORA, EMPIRE OF AURORA] – “The Inferno Cup Organizing Committee deeply regrets the abrupt cancellation of the Inferno Cup following an unexpected and unprecedented altercation that occurred during the event. Our primary concern remains the safety and well-being of all participants, spectators, and staff.

We are working closely with local authorities and experts to investigate the cause of the altercation and to implement measures that will prevent such occurrences in the future. The safety of our participants and spectators is our utmost priority.

The ICOC remains committed to the spirit of the competition and the community it fosters. We are exploring options for rescheduling the event and will provide updates as soon as they become available. Our goal is to ensure that the Inferno Cup can continue to be a safe and enjoyable experience for all.

We extend our gratitude to the keepers, security personnel, and staff who acted swiftly to manage the situation. We also thank our supporters and participants for their continued support and understanding.”

Yechan closed out of the article with a sigh, the screen dimming as he leaned back in his chair. The lab, normally a bustling hive filled with activity, was eerily quiet. The usual chatter of colleagues were absent, leaving an unsettling silence. He glanced at the clock on the wall, noting the time with a slight frown.

“Dr. Kang! You have a necropsy report due at the end of the week!” he called out to his boss, Dr. Kang Yeosang. Yechan, ever so practical, always kept track of schedules and ensured that the lab ran smoothly.

“Eh?” Yeosang looked genuinely surprised, his eyes widening behind his thick glasses. He was engrossed in his own world, muttering to himself as he examined a set of data on his tablet.

“The Council ordered it to be done before making a decision on Song Mingi’s investigation,” the assistant explained patiently, used to Dr. Kang’s forgetfulness. “Dragon 809.”

Yeosang’s quirky demeanor was well-known among his colleagues. Despite his airheadedness, his brilliance was undeniable. He had a habit of talking to himself, often lost in thought even in the midst of conversations.

“Oh, is it about our failed experiment? Shame,” Yeosang sighed, dragging his feet over to Ajax’s giant, severed head, playfully patting the snout. His lab coat was slightly askew, and his glasses perched precariously on the tip of his nose as he shuffled away from the examination table.

“Perhaps the Kuku’s intellect overstimulated the Longhorn,” his other assistant Minjae chimed in. “It explains his independent nature and inability to bond with his rider.”

“Yes, that’s a possibility,” Yeosang tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Although the Kuku component of 809’s DNA did show promise. He was able to mimic that Dreamwood’s movements with remarkable precision.”

He scratched his head, his hair sticking up in odd angles, a testament to the long hours he had spent in the lab. “I suppose we’ll have to move on to the next experiment. Again.” Yeosang let out a tired chuckle. “Perhaps next time we should consider neural compatibility more carefully. The synaptic responses of the Kuku might have been too advanced for the Longhorn’s neural pathways,” he mused aloud, Minjae already jotting down notes for the next iteration of their experiment.

“Ah, poor Mingi. All he wanted was a dragon,” Yeosang mused, slipping the gloves on with a snap. Donning a mask and face shield, he marveled at his creation—the culmination of years of genetic engineering. The large lab lights cast an eerie glow on Ajax’s lifeless form, highlighting the intricate details of his scales and the sheer size of his head.

The Nettled Kuku’s agility and intelligence had been merged with the Lunar Longhorn’s brute strength and resilience, resulting in a creature of unparalleled power and terror. He recalled the first successful fusion, the moment when Ajax had taken his first breath. It had been a moment of triumph, a vindication of his relentless pursuit of perfection. But the dragon was only one of many monsters born of Yeosang’s hubris.

Ajax’s eyes, now lifeless, were partially open, revealing the once vibrant amber that had held so much intelligence and fire. Yeosang approached with reverence and curiosity, his gloved hands steady as he prepared for the necropsy. The dragon’s massive jaws were slightly ajar, showcasing rows of razor-sharp teeth. His tongue, now still, lay limp against the lower jaw.

“Open wide, Ajax,” he sang, as he began to saw his way into the massive skull. The sound of the tool was jarring, but Yeosang’s steady hands and focused expression showed his expertise. The lab was filled with the scent of antiseptic and the quiet hum of machinery, a stark contrast to the vibrant life the Ajax once had.

The days following the abrupt end of the Inferno Cup were a whirlwind of media frenzy. Reporters were lined up outside of the training grounds, the House Park estate, and skyway, jostling for a position, microphones in hand, eager to capture the next big scoop.

The once vibrant grounds of the skyway now stood eerily silent. Training and events for all riders were postponed indefinitely as a safety precaution, leaving the usually bustling training grounds deserted.

Mingi found himself at the center of the storm, his every move documented by the press and scrutinized by the Council alike. He couldn’t step outside without being bombarded by questions, each one more probing than the last. The pressure was immense, but he maintained his defiant stance, refusing to show any sign of weakness, especially after the Council’s snap decision to put Ajax down. 

The keepers had neutralized Ajax, forcing him into submission as they corralled him into a containment unit. Mingi watched helplessly, his heart pounding in his chest. He could see the defiance in the dragon’s eyes, the way Ajax’s muscles tensed against the restraints, every sinew straining in a futile attempt to break free.

His eyes darted over towards you as Cirrus lowered a wing, creating a makeshift ramp for you. The scene was surreal, the contrast between the chaos of the altercation and the serene, almost gentle gesture of your dragon. He envied the bond you had with her—a bond forged through trust and mutual respect, a complete contrast from his partnership with Ajax. 

He watched as you ascended down from her wing, your movements fluid and confident, despite your life altering injury–a testament to the deep connection you shared with Cirrus. The dragon’s eyes followed you with unwavering loyalty, a silent promise of protection and companionship.

“Mingi, it’s over.” 

Your words echoed in his head. Your cheeks were flushed and breath coming in gasps as your body was reeling from the blows Cirrus had delivered to Ajax. He looked at you, pleading to reassure him that it wasn’t over. That everything he worked for was still within his grasp. 

“Mr. Song,” a keeper interjected, his tone grave and respectful.

Mingi turned, a frown creasing his brow. “What is it?”

The keeper hesitated for a moment, clearly uncomfortable with the message he had to deliver. “I regret to inform you that the Council has reached a decision regarding your dragon. They have determined that euthanasia is the only viable option.”

Mingi’s face paled, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief. The weight of the keeper’s words settled heavily in the air, a stark reminder of the harsh realities they all faced.

“Is there no other way?” he asked, his voice trembling with desperation.

The keeper shook his head solemnly. “I’m afraid not. It’s the only way to ensure the safety of everyone.”

The keeper bowed and returned to the crowd of other keepers preparing to transport Ajax to his death. Mingi watched them, his heart breaking with each step they took. While he occasionally regarded Ajax as a partner, the dragon primarily embodied his ambitions, serving as a means to achieve his goal of becoming a top dragon rider. Now, watching Ajax being led away, Mingi felt a profound sense of loss. It wasn’t just the dragon he was losing, but the dreams and aspirations that had driven him for so long.

The Council of Aurora served as the governing body entrusted with the oversight of the political and social welfare of dragon riders within the empire. Under the leadership of Chairman Jang, the Council was chiefly responsible for administering Aurora’s political matters, including the arbitration of disputes, the regulation of dragon care standards, and the promotion of the esteemed history and traditions of dragon riding. This mandate also encompassed the supervision of the rules and regulations governing dragon racing.

The fight had drawn significant attention, not only because of its ferocity but also due to the involvement of Park Seonghwa. With Seonghwa’s status, the Council was alarmed by the potential implications of such a powerful and unpredictable dragon, like Ajax, instigating the altercation and threatening Seonghwa’s life. Consequently, they initiated an investigation to ensure that all rules and regulations had been strictly adhered to.

“Thank you for coming today, Mr. Song.” Chairman Jang’s voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.

Mingi stared coldly ahead, without a hint of emotion. His posture was rigid, his hands clenched into fists at his sides as he faced the Council. The room was grand, with high ceilings and walls adorned with tapestries depicting the rich history of dragon riding. 

Chairman Jang, a man of gentle demeanor but firm principles, leaned forward slightly. “I trust you are aware that your dragon caused quite a disturbance at the Inferno Cup?”

Mingi’s jaw tightened. “Yes.”

“The Council had the opportunity to review the footage and would like to ask for your account of the situation.” Jang’s tone was measured, seeking understanding rather than confrontation.

Mingi’s eyes flickered with frustration, but he took a deep breath and began. “I saw an opportunity to push Ajax to his limits, to see how he would handle the pressure. I provoked him intentionally.”

Lady Lee interjected, her voice sharp and cutting. “And you believe this justified your actions, Mr. Song? Provoking your dragon in such a public and dangerous setting?”

Mingi’s jaw tightened further, his teeth grinding together. “I didn’t plan for things to get out of hand. Lord Park’s reaction,” he stressed Seonghwa’s title with a hint of disdain, “was unexpected.”

“So you admit that your actions directly led to the confrontation?”

“I admit that my timing was off.”

“Your timing led to chaos, Mr. Song. You endangered not only yourself and your dragon but also the lives of others present at the race,” Lord Hong said, his expression stern and unyielding. The weight of his words hung heavily in the air, a reminder of the gravity of Mingi’s actions. “For the sake of experimenting with your dragon’s strength and fortitude?”

“Risks are necessary in our line of work, Lord Hong,” Mingi retorted, his eyes flashing with determination. “I assumed you of all people would know since your son is a rider himself.” His words were a calculated jab, meant to provoke a reaction.

Lord Hong’s eyes narrowed at Mingi’s audacity. He leaned back slightly in his seat, his fingers drumming on the armrest as he scowled. “Your confidence is commendable, Mr. Song, but overconfidence can be your downfall. Might I remind you that while you may be a skilled rider, you can be unseated by a single misstep. In your case, losing control of your dragon.” His voice was low and measured, each word a deliberate warning.

Chairman Jang sighed softly, his gaze steady but filled with disappointment. “Recklessness cannot be justified by the pursuit of strength.” 

Mingi’s shoulders tensed, but he remained silent, his eyes locked on the unimposing elderly man. “With all due respect, Chairman Jang, pushing boundaries is how we grow stronger as riders.”

“Your arrogance is astounding, Mr. Song!" Lady Lee shook her head, clearly exasperated. 

Lord Kim, who had been silent until now, leaned forward. “Mr. Song, what is your relation to Lord Park?”

Mingi’s expression hardened. “I consider Lord Park to be a rival.”

“And how did this rivalry come to be?”

Mingi thought for a moment before replying. “We were both competing in the Auroran Gran Prix. During the race, I saw an opening and made a bold move to gain an advantage. It was a risky maneuver, but he managed to recover.”

Lord Kim nodded thoughtfully. “So, it was a competitive encounter?”

Mingi nodded. “Yes, but it wasn’t personal. We both wanted to win, and that’s how racing goes.”

“And what of Lady L/N? She did try and intervene on Lord Park's behalf.”

Mingi froze when Lord Kim brought up your name. His feelings towards you were complicated. His eyes darkened, and his voice dropped to a whisper. “Lady L/N has nothing to do with this.”

“Answer the question, Mr. Song,” Lord Hong pressed. 

Mingi clenched his fists, struggling to maintain his composure. “My former fiancée and Park Seonghwa’s current trainer,” he finally admitted, his voice laced with bitterness. The words tasted like ash in his mouth, a painful reminder of what he had lost. 

When Mingi first learned that you had been hired by Park Seonghwa, he brushed it off, indifferent to the news. He convinced himself that it didn’t matter, that your decision was inconsequential to him. However, as time passed, the reality of your choice began to eat away at him. It wasn’t about wanting you back; it was about not wanting Seonghwa to have you. 

Lady Lee raised an eyebrow. “Are you indicating this altercation stemmed from a lover’s quarrel?”

Mingi’s eyes flashed with anger. “No. I assure you, Lady L/N had nothing to do with the fight. This matter is strictly between Lord Park and myself.”

“Personal entanglements are not relevant to the investigation, Lady Lee.” Chairman Jang cleared his throat, attempting to steer the conversation back to more pressing matters. “We need to look at the facts presented before us. How did you go about sourcing your dragon, Mr. Song?”

Mingi took a deep breath, grateful for the shift in focus. “I was approached by a recruiter from Cromer Labs. They came to the academy looking to sponsor a few riders for a scholarship. The recruiter was particularly interested in my performance during the trials and mentioned that they would provide riders with a dragon should they commit to the organization.”

“Commit, how?” Lord Hong asked, his eyebrows raised in mild curiosity.

“Commit to racing for the organization,” Mingi replied, his voice steady. “After graduating from the academy, Cromer Labs became one of my primary sponsors. With their support, I’ve been able to participate in high-profile races and competitions, as well has have access to a state of the art training facility.”

Lord Kim sat up, his interest clearly piqued. “What else can you tell us about Cromer Labs?”

“Their research is aimed at reducing the prevalence of inherited diseases in dragons,” Mingi replied, his tone measured and precise.

“Is that all?” Lord Kim pressed, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“Yes,” Mingi confirmed, maintaining eye contact.

The elder Kim nodded, signaling the end of his questioning. Despite his composed exterior, he felt uneasy, his mind racing with thoughts about the lab’s work. The implications of such research were vast, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to Cromer Labs than met the eye.

The room fell into a contemplative silence, the weight of the discussion hanging heavily in the air. Each member of the council seemed lost in their own thoughts. After a few moments, Lord Kim finally broke the silence. “I suggest ending today’s round of questioning,” he said, his voice steady but tinged with a hint of concern. “I have a number of other obligations to attend to. Shall we resume at a later date?”

The other council members nodded in agreement, their expressions serious. Chairman Jang nodded in agreement. “That sounds like a prudent course of action.”

As they began to gather their belongings, the atmosphere remained tense, heavy with the implications of what they had learned—or failed to learn—from their initial round of questioning. As Mingi exited the chambers, he felt a wave of relief wash over him, grateful that his pride remained intact.

The doors creaked open, and he stepped out of the council room, his eyes meeting yours. You stood there with your arms crossed, heart pounding as you prepared to confront him. You could see the weariness of the last few days etched on Mingi’s face.

You took a deep breath, trying to steady yourself. “A friend of a friend said you’d be here.” You glanced behind Mingi toward the grand council room.

He scoffed, a bitter smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Park Seonghwa’s got you spying on me now?” His tone was accusatory, but there was a hint of hurt in his eyes.

“He doesn’t even know you’re here today,” you replied, your voice firm and unwavering. You took a step closer, closing the distance between you. The air between you was thick with tension. “I came because I wanted to talk.”

In the days following the fight with Ajax, uneasiness consumed you as the confrontation replayed in your mind. But you didn't have to what drove him to such extremes—you already knew. To find clarity in the chaos he created, you knew you needed closure from Mingi.

Mingi sighed deeply, rubbing his temples as if trying to ward off a headache. “I don’t think there’s anything to talk about,” he muttered.

“I want to know the truth.” Your words were sharp, cutting through the silence like a knife. You could see the conflict in his eyes, the way he struggled to maintain his composure.

He glanced around the room, before finally meeting your gaze. “Let’s go somewhere more private. Please.” His voice was softer now, almost pleading, and you could see the cracks in his exterior beginning to show.

You followed him outside. The late afternoon air was cool, a stark contrast to the stuffy corridors of the Courthouse. The courtyard was quiet, a small oasis of calm amidst the bustling city.

Mingi leaned against the stone wall, his posture tense. He studied you, his eyes searching for any sign of deceit or hidden motives. “You’ve changed,” he finally said.

He observed the way you stood, the determination in your eyes, and the strength in your stance that hadn’t been there before. It was as if the challenges you faced during your recovery had forged a new version of you, one that was both familiar and foreign to him.

“We’ve both changed,” you corrected. He looked away, his gaze drifting to the ground, as if the weight of his actions was too much to bear. “Why’d you do it?” you finally asked.

“I don’t know,” he muttered.

“You do know, Mingi,” you replied, your tone filled with disappointment. “You knew exactly what you were doing by going after Seonghwa.”

Your words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of the consequences of his actions. Mingi’s eyes hardened. “You don’t understand,” he said, his voice trembling. “I had to prove myself, to show that I could be just as good, if not better.”

“Don’t lie to me. You weren’t out there trying to prove yourself,” you said, your voice breaking.

Mingi’s defiance wavered, his shoulders slumping as the reality of his actions weighed heavily on him. He took a deep breath, his eyes meeting yours filled with desperation and vulnerability.

“I didn't want to lose you to him,” he confessed, his voice barely audible, filled with a raw honesty.

You were at a loss for words, the weight of his confession hitting you like a wave. You chuckled darkly, wanting to lash out at him for his pathetic excuse.

“You didn’t want to lose me?” you chuckled bitterly. “Stop with the excuses Mingi, you cheated on me.”

“I know I don’t have the right to feel hurt because I cheated on you but when I saw you him I just–” he began, his voice pleading.

“No. The truth is that you didn’t want to be with someone broken,” you spat bitterly, your words laced with pain and anger. You noticed the corner of his lip twitch, a signal that there was truth to what you had said.

"You, an S-class rider, at the top of your game, didn't want to be with someone who could have been disabled the rest of her life! Because it would've been horrible for your reputation."

Mingi’s eyes widened at your words, the silence between you was deafening, each second seeming more like an eternity. He thought about saying something, denying your claim, but ultimately decided it wasn’t worth the effort. 

“You are selfish and reckless, blinded by your own ambitions. You’re jealous and insecure and have no problem sabotaging others to get what you want. And that means taking out Park Seonghwa.”

“You’d choose him over me?” he glowered, his eyes narrowing. He clenched his jaw tightly, the muscles in his face twitching with barely contained fury. "The same way you took his side and attacked me as well?"

Your jaw dropped. You were flabbergasted, at a complete loss for words at Mingi’s audacity. “Choose him over you? Oh, please. Don’t flatter yourself. This isn’t about picking sides. This is about your murder attempt.”

Mingi looked away, unable to meet your gaze. His silence only fueled your frustration and confirmed your suspicions. You could see the gears turning in his head, desperately trying to find a way out, but there was none. 

“You’ve always known Ajax was a monster. You knew he’d lose control, and you let it happen, because it'd be easier to put the blame on your unstable dragon than to admit you were deliberately trying to kill Seonghwa.”

In that moment, Mingi understood that he had been caught, and there was no escaping the consequences of his actions. His whispered admission, “They put him down,” was a hollow echo of the remorse he should have felt, a final acknowledgment of the truth he could no longer deny. 

Your expression softened for a moment, pitying him. “I know,” you said, your voice laced with cold satisfaction. The words were a bitter acknowledgment of the justice that had been served. Pity the murder weapon had been tossed out, you thought. 

Mingi’s shoulders slumped further, his eyes filled with resignation. The realization that he had lost everything—his dragon and his ambitions—was a heavy burden to bear. 

“I never wanted it to get this far,” he murmured, but you were already turning away, unwilling to listen to his excuses. “I never wanted this to happen, Y/N. I admit I was wrong and wanted to prove myself, but I let my ego get the best of me–” His voice cracked, desperation seeping into his tone, hoping to grasp at any remaining sympathy you might have for him.

You shook your head. “You made choices that hurt everyone around you, Mingi.” The finality in your voice was like a door slamming shut, leaving no room for return.

Without another glance, you walked away, each step feeling lighter as you left him to grapple with the mess he had created.  The weight of unresolved tension lifted from your shoulders, replaced by a newfound sense of freedom and closure from your past.

Mingi stood frozen, his world crumbling around him. The realization that he was truly alone, left to face the consequences of his actions, was a heavy blow. 

<< vi | viii >>

taglist: @litolmochi @syubseokie @park-simphwa @szakias

[jvngkook97]

The Red Peony - ver. ii

pairing; idol!jungkook, dad!jungkook x non-idol!reader, mom!reader

genre; angst, fluff, slice of life, chubby bunny family au, established relationship, domestic au, Hiro is 16 + Aera is 11

warnings; talk of a woman’s menstrual cycle, mentions of blood, emotional koo who just wants his princess to stay young forever

rating; 18+

w/c; 1,700

a/n; SURPRISE. originally I made two versions of this, the first one mainly being from the reader’s POV, but this one will reflect more on Jungkook’s. Since I know some of y’all were disappointed with how little JK was in the first one, hope it makes sense now why I made it that way! Reader will still be there for support ofc, but not so much centered around her. It’ll take place after the interview seen worldwide when he comes home. So Aera would’ve already received the talk from her mother. You don’t necessarily need to read the other version if you don’t want too, but it would help clear up a few aspects in this one.

He stood outside the entrance to his home, the sun barely coming up to signal a new day. The porch light still being the main source of lighting for him to stick his key in and unlock the door. Duffel bag slung over his shoulder with one hand, he gently pushed open the door with his other, careful not to make too much noise and wake up the occupants he’s sure are still asleep in their beds. You, Hiro and his little girl, Aera.

Though she’s not so little anymore, is she? He thought somberly. He knew in his heart, body, mind and soul that he was not ready to let her grow up yet. Unfortunately, it wasn’t up to him to decide.

Setting the duffel bag on the entryway table that currently held miscellaneous items on top of it, he reached back through the threshold of the door and grabbed the other bag he carried. One that held various items for his daughter. But also a few souvenirs for his wife and son. A tradition he does with every trip they don’t get to attend with him.

Placing the bag next to him on the floor within the entryway, he softly closed the door and locked it. Hanging his keys on the key holder and shuffling off his jacket that he hung up on the coat rack located in the opposite corner of where the entryway table is. Reaching down he took off his shoes, switching them out for his house slippers. Straightening back up, he opted to leave his duffel bag for now, and just grab the souvenir bag, carrying it to the kitchen where he set it on the island located in the middle of the kitchen.

He noticed another bag that was on the kitchen table, a few steps away from where he was. His curiosity peaked, he took the few steps over and ruffled through the bag to examine its contents. He realized that it was mainly Aera’s favorite junk food. Ah, he thought knowingly, must be for her cravings. You were the same way when Mother Nature came to visit you. So he was well aware with what associated with the curse as you liked to call it personally.

God, he couldn’t wait to see you, hold you, kiss you, love you. But you had to wait. Right now, his daughter was his sole focus.

Slipper clad feet shuffled down the seemingly long hallway, where they stopped in front of a closed artsy flower covered door, courtesy of a project done by him and Aera.

Unlike Hiro, who favored to hone his skills and love of dancing, Aera was more into further developing and exploring her art skills. A trait he’d like to take full responsibility for, but he knows that you hold your own as well with drawing.

You may not do it much anymore with not having a lot of free time on your hands, but when you first met, many years ago, it used to be your favorite hobby. He’ll have to help out with the kids more once promotion is over, and talk with you about whether or not you’d like to still pursue the same hobby of yours. Maybe you two could collab on a new design for the BTS kids collection that will be announced early on next year, knowing your art style would better reflect those of a younger audience.

And it would give him an excuse to have some alone time with you. Something you two have been bad about making time for ever since the kids were born. He vowed to himself solemnly that he would make it happen, he had too.

Clutching more firmly to the various items in his arms, he slowly turned his daughters doorknob with one hand and gently pushed it open. Peaking through the crack in the door, he could see their blob of a daughter nestled under the blankets. He could then see the heating pad cord hang off the side of the bed, glad that you were there to coax her through the pain and able to teach her how to take care of herself until the period was over for the month.

You were such an amazing mom, he thought blissfully. And equally as amazing wife, the way you’ve so flawlessly raised their now two kids into responsible young adults. He never would’ve been able to do it without you. Smiling to himself at the thought of you, he blinked out of his trance when he heard shuffling coming from the blob underneath the heaps of blankets. He stopped in his stride next to the bed and waited with bated breath for your daughter to wake up. She never did, just shifted her position, now laying on her side, facing towards where he stood next to the bed.

Carefully, he set the pile of various items on the nightstand he was closest too, trying not to make any noise in fear of waking Aera up. He inwardly sighed with relief upon the last item, a new set of expensive colored pens from the brand your daughter loved and has been asking for, being placed down without a hitch.

Stepping out of his house slippers, Jungkook grabbed the extra throw blanket that lay on the end of your daughter’s bed and gently laid his body sideways on top of the galaxy covered duvet, next to your daughter. Laying his head down on what little pillow Aera unknowingly offered, he faced her with his hands clasped in front of him after settling his own throw blanket on top of him.

Then, he just looked at her.

His princess. His baby girl. Who wasn’t a baby anymore, technically, but would always continue to be his baby girl until the day he died.

He didn’t know he was crying until a quiet sniffle made its way out of his nose, and tears started to blur his vision. Lip quivering slightly. He wasn’t ready.

He wasn’t ready, he thought despairingly.

Aera continued to sleep peacefully, unaware of the state her father was currently in, only inches away from her sleeping body. It was better that way, he thought. He needed to be strong for her and act as normal as possible once she woke up. And if she wanted to talk with him about anything, like she knows she always can, he would be there for her. Ready, with a listening ear.

You tiptoed into your daughter’s room, careful not to wake her up, but wanting to comfort Jungkook. Having woken up from your slumber in your shared room down the hall only minutes ago, you first saw your daughter’s door open. It was then upon closer inspection, did you hear the sniffles your husband tried so hard to keep quiet and under control, and knew that he needed you, or rather, your presence.

Getting closer, you could see the pile he left on her nightstand and smiled inwardly at the love Jungkook had for his daughter. It made you love him even more, something you didn’t think was possible.

With Jungkook taking up what remained of the bed, him barely fitting on it himself, you had no choice but to kneel on the floor next to his side of the bed. Not that you minded in the least bit, knowing he needed this moment more than you did to stay sane. Having your own special mother, daughter time with her the day prior.

Gently, so as not to spook your oblivious husband, you laid one hand on top of his fluffy hair and started to massage his scalp, the other softly landing on his clasped hands, squeezing them tenderly. Your head came to rest in the crook of his neck, cheek brushing against his shoulder as you joined him in staring lovingly at your daughter. A few tears of your own managing to slip out without you noticing. Guess you still harbored some inner feelings of your own towards the matter.

Jungkook turned his head slightly towards you, an invitation to give him a sweet kiss on the lips, which you did in a heartbeat. He uttered a small ‘I love you’ into the comfortable silence that befell you both. You kissed his cheek lovingly in response, knowing that he knew how deeply your love was for him already. And you would be sure to show him at a later time in the confines of your closed bedroom door when the kids go out later to the park you’re going to casually suggest they visit with their friends for a couple of hours.

You two always thought your children never knew the underlying reason for the sudden interest in the park, but you would be wrong. They knew. Or, well, he knew. His sister was still too young for the birds and the bees talk which he received from his parents on separate occasions once he turned sixteen, both having their own opinions and views on the matter. And you better believe he would much rather be playing some random game at the park with his friends and little sister, than stay at the house while you two made love.

Unbeknownst to the husband and wife, your son Hiro, watched the scenario unfold with his own eyes. Having been awake himself for a mere five minutes now, due to a Mother Nature of his own calling him from his sleep to use the bathroom. On his way back to his room a few doors down, he noticed his mom slip through his sister’s door and got curious. Which led him to the sight he now saw before him. Leaning against the doorframe, arms folded and legs crossed, he stayed silent, adorning a small smile on his face. He hated, yet at the same time, loved, the way you two were still borderline sickeningly in love with each other. A love he hopes to find for himself way later down the road. And for his sister as well.

His family? Not perfect by any means.

But it was his. And he couldn’t be happier.

[floosies]

bury a friend: The Story of Noctua

pairing: platonic!steve rogers x possessed!oc x mcu!au x romantic!bucky barnes

summary: there have been sightings of a dark creature who vanishes with night and in the mornings only remains of once living people are found scattered in open fields or forests nearby.

warnings: mentions of abuse, mentions of attempted suicide, violence, gore, cursing, mentions/scenes of sexual nature.

Please read with discretion. 18+ content.

A/N: This is my first attempt at something more dark. It’s been in my brain since hearing some of biilie’s works and quiet frankly I want to venture into new territory. However, I understand the severity of some topics that I will write about. If you or someone you know is in need please look at these resources

Tags: @indecisivedolly​

Part 8: Listen before I Go

Her heart raced with anticipation, the air seemed sweet, and she was smiling. Steve was happy she felt so ready, “first mission is always the most nerve racking.” She smiled at him as they boarded the quinjet, “i’m ready for it. I’ve trained for this and my powers can always save me.” He nodded along, “remember though. It won’t be necessary to use your full force on this one. Wanda is here to help you,” she wanted to roll her eyes. “Of course, I’m aware don’t worry.” 

They sat down as the aircraft took off. She silently prayed to tenebrae for all to go as planned. Looking around, she saw her team. They all looked bored or unbothered, of course they would be. This was not their first time carrying out these kinds of orders. She wondered if anything had ever gone horribly wrong, the possibilities of what could go wrong. If she miscalculated a move or a moment. 

Wanda was reading the girl’s mind out of boredom, but as her thoughts grew darker she stopped and instead reached for her hand, “Noctua. Everything will be okay, we are going to do a simple mission.” She looked at Wanda’s amber eyes that were filled with a warmth, she nodded in agreement. Two witches on a jet, what an amusing thought.

A small amount of turbulence began, Steve stood up. “Alright, avengers start preparing. We’ll be landing soon.” Through the shaking everyone began to get their gear in tact. She fixed herself up and her hair back enough to where it wouldn’t be in her way. 

It was a simple plan, Sam would use his red wing thing to check the perimeter and interior. Steve and Bucky would go in first, securing a path. If that went a bit haywire, she had already memorized the hall and room where the information was. Wanda would be beside her if anyone or anything came near. It was full proof, at least that was the idea.

Not a moment to hesitate, they ran to action. For some reason the ringing of bullets and sounds of pain weren’t at all deteriorating. As paths began to clear the witches proceeded to the designated room. Finally they arrived, “we’ve entered the room. Proceeding to get the files.” Wanda spoke into the communication system, “got it. Make it quick, I think we got more company.” Wanda nodded as she began working on retrieving the data. Noctua kept watch prepared to fend off anyone who was nearing. 

One could practically feel the intensity in that room. A minute felt like a year. The sound of fighting and bullets could still be heard. She was not sure how much longer the retrieving would take. However she could just merely begin to sense something, “Wanda are you almost done?” She whispered to the older girl who continued to look at the screen and then pull something from a crevice, “yes. Let’s go.” The girls took off again, the sound of heavy, quick steps began behind them, a dread filled Noctua’s conscious. Then she heard a bullet being fired, using her powers she stopped time. Wanda noticed the way everything froze and looked back at the younger witch.

Nearing her was a bullet, she looked at her with fear. Noctua looked at it, it was only an inch away from her. The hall was narrow, even if she moved it would still cause some kind of harm, “Wanda go. Give them the information and then tell them that I died, do it.” Tears welted in her eyes, “I’m not leaving you to die.” She knew the pain that her friend was feeling, she felt it a couple times herself, “i’m sorry, but you have to. Now go, I can’t keep time frozen like this. Please, just go.” There was not anything else said.

She watched her friend leave, giving her a sad smile as a way to reassure her. Then she unfroze time and searing pain entered her body. With the last bit of strength in, she killed the guards. All of them, well any that were still in the building. Maybe tenebrae had planned this, may be it did not know this was the future that would play out for her. It felt so warm on her left side, like she had sat too close to a fire. Her hand could feel the warm pool of blood beginning to form, “Noctua!” She heard their voices, she felt Wanda try to stop the bleeding with her magic. 

Death is said to feel like a tiredness. Her eyes felt heavy, “don’t close your eyes. Don’t you fuckin dare.” Was that Bucky? Always such a crass man. Something soft was suddenly under her, was it a bed? She could not see clearly, she merely saw figures and blurs. Of course she could still hear and there was a male voice apologizing while the others sounded frantic. Quietly she spoke slowly not knowing who would hear, but as a way to calm them. “All things must pass. Thank you for having cared...for....me.” It was too hard to keep her eyes open, the last she heard was a male’s yelling.

Limbo is an uncertain period of awaiting a decision. It’s also a place where the soul waited for the ultimate decision to be made. She could see herself being given surgery, and then she felt its presence, “i’m sorry. There was a possibilty this could have happened, I saw it. My arrogance mislead me to believe it would not happen,” it said ashamed of what it could have prevented. She saw her parents nearing her as well. “It’s true,” her mother gasped as they looked at her body on the surgery table. Her heartbeat was still strong, which confused her, “why am I not dying?” In retrospect, it was something she had always wanted. Her father shook his head, “my dear. You must go back, it isn’t your time yet.” It was plea more than a order. Her mother agreed though, “there is so much good waiting for you. This was a simple mistake,” “we have seen your future, it is so bright. Tenebrae have you not told her?” She looked over at the entity, “they are right. I have not told you, but your soulmate-” “I thought soulmates were an erased idea. I presumed the tangling of souls was no more.” “Well my dear, your soul is partly an older soul and so is his-” “It’s a him? Really?” She always thought she’d end up with another witch. “Yes, it is a he and his soul has roamed time for far too long. I had found out about this while you were trying to leave those odd people. It turns out he is part of that band of miscreants.” 

The decision was hers though. She could live and see if all this was true. Or she could be laid to rest and live her with parents. Time was irrelevant in the afterlife, she spent it roaming around with her mother, “I love you and I wish I could have raised you as I wanted to, but there was a hunt for our skin. I didn’t want you to be the next victim.” Her father agreed with her mother, “we know you suffered, but your rebirth into a full-fledged witch has given you a second chance at life.” She disagreed, “they were mostly kind, sure. However, most of my life has been lonely. How can I be certain that my future won’t be as my past and current present were.” Bless her mother’s paitence and passion, “Adelasia. Do you know why I named you as so?” She had no chance to answer her, “your name translates to noble and kind. You were destined to care for others. Tenebrae gave you powers that enhanced your caring nature and allowed you to complete noble deeds.” They were sat underneath a tree now, her father looking at her, “we told you. We have seen your future. Though we may not intervene. We can look, and so far you have done nothing, but make us proud.” 

Two weeks had passed on the living realm. An odd spectacle came after she was put in a room. Tears gently began to flow from her closed eyes. She hadn’t stopped crying for almost two weeks, “Bucky you gotta stop starring at her. Go shower and get ready for the mission.” Tony was right, but he found it odd that she just continued to cry. Part of him was glad she didn’t die, the amount of blood loss could have given a different impression. It was a reckless move to take the bullet for Wanda, it was also the right think. He was mad and also moved, he wanted so badly to hate her. He wanted nothing more than to despise her and accept her demise. Unfortunately, he could not. He did not know what brought this, why his being felt like it needed her. 

Tony had left the room again, he knew the sergeant wouldn’t budge. He also knew better than to press his buttons. So, there alone once more he looked as the tears flowed from her closed eyes, her lashes covered in them. Then suddenly the heart monitor began to quicken. The calm alarm noise now a frantic mess. His eyes widened as her lips began to part, a cough leaving her mouth. A sudden gasp of air came with the opening of her eyes. She sat up trying to breathe. The first thing she saw was his startled face. In a whisper, she spoke in awe, “hello James.” Before he could say something he was removed from the room by the frantic doctors.

[httpjeon]

02. hot bot ― jungkook (m.)

jungkook/reader | android!au, hotbot!au | fluff, smut, angst

wordcount: 6.2k

contents: dirty talk, multiple orgasms, overstimulation, creampie, cockwarming, panty stuffing, light cunnilingus, cute fluffy forehead kisses, marriage, lots of kissing and hugging, death

― synopsis: becoming jeon jungkook’s wife isn’t what you expected.

note: the feedback was so phenomenal for part 1 i’m still reeling. here’s the much anticipated part 2!

→ blog masterlist     → series masterlist

© httpjeon 2019. do not repost or modify.

The café was busy, as expected for a lunch rush in Seoul. Jungkook was looking down into a glass of coffee, something he exclaimed to never have tasted before. However, he was drawn by the smell, saying it was positively heavenly.

You fought back a smile as you spoke.

“Do androids even need to eat?” You asked, not raising your voice much, knowing he could hear you just fine though the many conversations carrying on around you.

“No,” He answered, still gazing into the black liquid in his cup. “though, we are designed to be able to ingest human food.”

“That’s interesting…” You muttered, smiling again. “Why don’t you taste it instead of just staring at it?”

“Hmm, I guess you’re right,” He wrapped his hand around the mug, lifting it to his lips. However, as soon as the liquid touched his lips, he pulled it away.

“It’s hot…” He mused, bringing it back up. “and bitter.”

“You can taste it?” You asked, taking a sip from your own straw.

“Hmm…I think the way I taste is probably vastly different compared to a human’s,” Jungkook explained, taking another sip of his coffee. “I’d explain it to you, but I think it’d just go over your head,”

“Hey!” You cried, kicking his knee underneath the table, making him grin. “are you calling me dumb?!”

“Not dumb…I’d say…dim…” He muttered, his grin widening as your jaw dropped open in shock.

Your little table in the corner of the coffee shop was filled with your giggles, followed by Jungkook’s. For even just a moment, it felt like the two of you were just a normal couple and Jungkook’s wasn’t an android on the verge of repossession.

‘Good afternoon, I am issuing this e-mail to those who have unfortunately come into possession of a Hot Bot that is defective. You may have noticed your Bot’s behavior is strange. Unfortunately, this is problem that has arose in the new BTS900 models. Due to this, we have to recall these models, so we are reaching out to you in hopes you contact us to decide on a time best for you to allow us to repossess your Bot. Thank you.’

You read the message a few times before sighing and moving the mouse over to the delete button, where it hovered for a moment. There was only a moment of hesitation, until you ultimately decided it was best to pretend you never received the email.

“Hey Jungkook…” You mutter, drawing the robot’s attention away from the episode of Attack on Titan, his newest obsession.

“What’s up? You look…” He cocked his head to the side, doe-eyes wide. “sad.”

“What happens if I…don’t return you like they ask?” You asked, furrowing your brows as you voice sounded foreign to your own ears. It was shaky and nervous, something you clearly picked up and Jungkook apparently did because he abandoned the show without so much pausing it -something he doesn’t do unless it’s important.

“They’ll come for me,” He responded, sparkling eyes dimming. At his words, you felt your heart pick up. It was almost as if the air around the two of you become cold, sucked of all light and happiness. His shoulders slumped, hiding his eyes underneath his fringe made you unable to read what he was feeling.

“Jungkook…”

“Can we do something?” He asked, cutting off what you were about to say.

“Do…something?” You repeated, tilting your head to the side as you waited for him to continue speaking. He nodded, eyes drifting to the window behind your desk.

“Can you…show me what it’s like to be alive?”

You heart pumped erratically in your chest as his words. Your mouth went dry and it seemed your brain ceased to function as words failed you. With the sun shining through the window, making his skin shimmer and sparkle as if it was dewy, you were breathless at his beauty.

“Of course…” Was your reply, spoken in a soft tone, as through speaking any louder would hurt too much.

“So, what is this place?” He asked, as the two of you approached the double doors.

“It’s a clothing store,” You responded, sliding your hand into his, which he gave a light squeeze to make you smile.

“I see,” He answered, brows furrowing before he yanked one of the doors open, causing a little bell to chime, alerting the workers inside that a new customer was on the premises. “Don’t you already have enough clothes?”

“Well,” You squinted up at him. “a girl can always use new clothes, Jungkook.”

“I see,” He furrowed his brows, almost as if he was processing your words. “what about boys?”

“What? You want some clothes?” You asked, pausing in your walking to look through a rack of shirts.

“C-Can I?” He asked, voice sounding like a soft whisper – as if he were holding his excitement in. You looked up from one of the shirts to see him grinning at you.

“What the hell?” You smiled and nodded at him. “Go head, pick something out!”

Jungkook’s jaw fell open before he let out a barely-contained squeal. You didn’t have the chance to do anything but laugh before he was dashing to the men’s section to browse the clothes.

It didn’t take you long before you had an armful of clothes and you were going to the back of the store to the changing rooms. Once you reached it, you realized Jungkook was also at the changing rooms.

“What you got there?” He grinned as he saw you approach the room.

“Jungkook- “You spotted the pile in his hands and sighed. “those are all the same shirts.”

“No, they’re not!” He argued, squinting at you in defiance. “They’re all different styles,”

“I- “You sighed, shaking your head as he disappeared into the changing room with his mountain of white shirts.

As much shit as you gave him for choosing similar shirts, you had to admit he looked damn good with every single one he tried on. His broad chest made the t-shirts look sexily tight on him, making his biceps stand out and you hated to admit it but you never wanted to fuck someone in public as much as you did the second you laid eyes on him.

“T-Those the ones you want?” You choked out, feeling your body heat up at the sight of him.

“Yeah!” He seemed completely oblivious to your apparent arousal as he turned back into the changing room to slide into the clothes he had come into the store in, which was a hoodie and some sweats.

He’s going to be the death of me…

“Good afternoon, It has come to our attention that you have not responded to our recall e-mail. We are sending this out in hopes of getting a response. Please answer as soon as possible, it is urgent business. Thank you.”

The e-mail this time was much shorter and to the point. It almost instills a tiny bit of worry in you but, before you could allow it to fester, you deleted the e-mail, determined to wipe it from your memory. Just as the e-mail disappeared from your screen, Jungkook came bustling out of your bedroom.

“_____!” He called, positively glowing with happiness. “let’s go to an amusement park!”

“What?” You sputtered, his words being the last thing you expected. “Where on earth did you hear about an amusement park?”

“On TV!” Jungkook exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear as he practically vibrated with his excitement. “They were showing a roller coaster and a Ferris Wheel! It looks so fun!”

“You want to go?” You asked, closing your laptop as you spoke.

“Yeah! I checked and there’s a bus running in an hour, that’ll give you enough time to get ready because I know how long you can take!” He spoke fast, making his excitement very evident to you.

“What the hell…” You stood up and grinned. “let’s do it!”

Jungkook pumped a fist in the air with a cheer before running down the hallway to disappear into the bathroom.

You couldn’t deny the way your heart fluttered as Jungkook took your hand in his once you reached the amusement park.

“Whoa!” Jungkook exclaimed, pointing to the large rollercoaster at the back of the park. “That’s the one that was on TV!”

“It’s getting late already, Jungkook, I’m sure the park will close soon so we better hurry,” You said, tugging him in the direction of the ticket booth.

“There’s a firework show tonight,” Jungkook suddenly said, making you turn to look at him in confusion. “that’s the real reason I wanted to come. I read on the internet that girls like to be taken on romantic dates like a firework show.”

“Jungkook…” You smiled, squeezing his hand in yours. “this is a date?”

“I-I…” Jungkook’s eyes widened and you grinned at his clearly nervous state.

“It’s okay,” You cooed, wrapping your arms around his waist. “I’d love this to be a date.”

Carefully, Jungkook wrapped his arms around you. You could hear mechanical whirring deep in his chest that could almost be mistaken for a heartbeat and breathing. Ever so gently, as if you were made of glass, he pressed a kiss to the top of your head.

When you pulled away, you took his hand again.

“Let’s ride some rides!” Your words brought the smile back to his face and he nodded, immediately spouting off the different rides he was interested in.

You groaned as you dropped down into the grass.

“My legs feel like they’re made of lead!” You complained, rolling around in the grass as Jungkook watched on with a goofy smile on his face.

“I had fun though,” He said, taking a seat beside were you were still groaning into the ground in complaint. “the show is going to begin in a few minutes.”

His words immediately brought you back to reality and you sat up. Jungkook chuckled, gazing at you with soft eyes that made your whole face feel like it was on fire.

You opened your mouth to say something but before the words could escape, there was a loud explosion in the sky that made you jump. Looking up, you caught the end of a magnificent red firework dissolving.

The words you were about to say to him dissolved and you were lost in the exploding colors and lights that filled the night sky. Every once in a while, you could hear the other patrons witnessing it shouting out their praise for the beauty of the fireworks.

“Jungkook?” You muttered, glancing over at him, making him look away from the sky.

“Yes?” He answered immediately, smiling at you wide enough to make the corners of his eyes crinkle.

“Thank you for taking me here, I really had fun,” You voice was almost drowned out by the sound of another firework going off, but you didn’t break your eyes away from Jungkook.

He smiled, scooting close to you to cup your cheek. You had never seen him look so tender and happy, it took your breath away.

The explosive sounds in the sky became mute to you as he leaned in closer to you. Your hands found their way to his shoulders before his lips touched yours. You’d shared many kisses in Jungkook’s time with you but this one was by far your favorite. There were so many emotions he was feeling, putting them into the kiss in hopes you’d catch what he felt. And you did, whimpering into the kiss as you wrapped your arms around his neck, wanting to feel him close to you.

He pulled away and smiled at you, his lips barely touching yours as he spoke.

“No matter what happens, even if they try to silence my feelings…I’ll never forget this feeling of being human.” His words held so much raw emotion, his fear and happiness all melted into a single sentence.

You both looked away as people began to shout in awe as the finale of the fireworks show began.

“Jungkook?” You asked, gazing at the dark sky above you two. Your head rested on Jungkook’s shoulder, letting you feel the heat he radiated. It was unlike a human’s heat, it was indescribable; almost as if you were hugging an actual heater.

“Yeah?” He asked, his voice much lower than it usually is, almost as if he was falling into a slumber.

“Why did you ask me to show you what it’s like to be alive?” You asked, not bothering to sugarcoat your words. Jungkook’s body tensed a little bit at your words, making you look up at his face. He was frowning, and his eyes didn’t hold the usual sparkle they did.

“I wanted to know…even if it was just for a day…what it was like to be a person before I lose it all,” He said, meeting your eyes. You heart hurt at his words, making your eyes sting with unshed tears.

Out of the corner of your eye, your phone lit up with an e-mail.

Your heart plummeted in your chest as you knew who it was.

When the sun was barely beginning to light up the sky is when Jungkook came bustling into the room, hair a mess and looking frazzled. You glared at him from where you were buried in a blanket burrito on the bed.

“What time is it?” You grumbled, wincing at how rough your voice sounded coming out.

“5:32 in the morning,” He replied, annoyingly chipper.

“Why on earth are you waking me up so early?” You mumbled, fighting to keep you eyes from sliding shut again. You were so tired, and you were fully prepared to do whatever it took to get him the hell out.

“Well, I wanted to know something,” He said, seeming to calm down quite a bit as he shuffled closer to the bed. Careful not to jostle you, he sat down on the edge of the bed, his back to you while he stared almost blankly ahead.

“What?” You groaned, finally pulling yourself out of the nice warm blanket burrito. You could sense this thing on his mind was plaguing him.

“Tell me about marriage,” He said, looking over his shoulder at you.

At his words, you were immediately sitting up right in your bed. Of all the things you had expected him to come to you about -the new generation of Naruto called Boruto for example, marriage was the last thing you thought of.

“What do you mean?” You asked, finally dropping your grouchy façade to stare at him with seriousness.

“Tell me about marriage between humans. What does it mean? Why do you do it?” He asked, now turning around completely on the to face you.

“I…” You sorted through your sleep-fogged mind and straightened up. “we get married when we love each other. Two people fall in love and…decide to finalize it. Marriage is a symbol that you want to share your life with someone.”

Jungkook was silent after you finished talking. It was during his silence that you realized you could hear the faint rumble of thunder in the distance, signaling the arrival of a storm. Jungkook nodded his head, blinking a few times before he looked at you with wide eyes. His brows were furrowed, and you noticed he had his bottom lip caught between his teeth.

“I want to do that,” He said suddenly, making your eyes nearly bulge out of your head.

“W-What?”

“I want to marry you!” He said, taking your shoulders in his hands, shocking you by the level of his seriousness.

“W-We can’t,” You cried, grabbing his wrists, beginning to worry about his mental state. “androids and humans aren’t legally allowed to marry.”

“Legally,” He emphasized, making you tilt your head in confusion. “we don’t have to be married according the state. Let’s just…”

“Have a sham marriage?” You finished his thought, making him grin and nod.

“Yeah! Let’s do it!” He exclaimed, jumping up from the bed in excitement.

Suddenly, your phone went off. You took your eyes off of Jungkook, who was now going through your closet with the intention of finding your best dress.

Picking up the device and unlocking it, you were once again face-to-face with an e-mail from Hot Bot Inc.

“This is your final warning. We require the return of the Hot Bot named Jungkook immediately or drastic measures will be taken.”

The short simplicity of the e-mail caused a shiver to crawl down your spine. But as you had many times before, you deleted it and pretended you never got it.

“Alright Jungkook,” You muttered, crawling off the bed to place your feet on the rug. “let’s have a wedding.”

“Really?!” He cried, immediately pulling out a dress he had has eye on that had been shoved to the back of your closet as you had no reason to wear such a nice dress.

“Yeah, why not?” You muttered, feeling the sadness pool in your chest but you covered it up by grabbing the dress he held out to you and jokingly kicking him from the room with a joke about not seeing the bride before the wedding.

“This the place?” You asked, finding yourself beside a secluded riverside.

The water rushed by and you could feel the sun warming your skin through the trees. Flowers were blooming on the shore and frogs were jumping around, making you smile at how cute they were.

“Yeah, this is it,” He muttered, smiling as he looked around in wonder.

You had to remind yourself that this was the first time Jungkook was able to experience something like this. While you may have been by a river plenty of times in your life, Jungkook had not and everything was so new to him that it warmed your heart to see him so excited and enchanted.

“How are we doing this?” You asked, keeping your voice soft to not break the mystical feeling being here granted you.

“I have some vows I’d like to say,” He replied, holding his hand out for you to take.

When you did, he smiled at you, taking your other hand in his and pulling you closer to him so you almost touching chests.

“_____,” He muttered, meeting your eyes. “I take you to be my wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, this is my solemn vow.”

Before you could say anything, Jungkook leaned down and pressed his lips against yours. You were shocked for a moment, not expecting him to kiss you so suddenly but you immediately returned the kiss. When he pulled away, he was grinning from ear to ear, showing off his adorable bunny smile that you adored with every fiber of your being.

You didn’t make it very far into your apartment before you were lifted off of your feet, making you squeal in shock. Jungkook’s inhuman strength continued to shock you at how he easily lifted you without a hint of strain.

The mattress beneath you caused you to bounce when he deposited you onto it. Immediately, his hands were sliding up the hem of your dress to caress your thighs, causing goosebumps to erupt all over you.

“You’re always so sensitive to me,” He whispered, applying a gentle series of kisses to your neck, laving his tongue over your skin to make you whimper. “my beautiful wife.”

The use of him calling you his wife made you whimper, your pussy already beginning to produce juices as evidence of your arousal.

“Such a good little girl,” He cooed, hiking your dress above your hips to expose your panties to his gaze. With a perverted grin, he played with the little bow on the top of your panties, making you blush. “cute, babygirl.”

His hand quickly became busy between your thighs, running over the lips of your cunt through the material. He grinned as you juices began to seep through them, making the white transparent.

“Such a needy girl,” He whispered, pressing a swift kiss to your forehead before sliding down your body until he was face-to-face with your heat.

“Jungkook,” You whimpered, letting your thighs fall open as his fingers became busy.

Any embarrassment you felt about having Jungkook so close to your core had disappeared a couple sessions into having sex with him. By now, having him so close only filled you with heavy arousal.

“What do you need, baby?” He spoke, voice dropping lower in his own arousal.

His fingers continued to travel over your cunt, soaking your panties in your juices until his hands became wet as well. The panties now stuck to your lips, making your hard clit stand out for him to prod and stroke.

“P-Please,” You whined, arching your hips closer to his fingers, making him smile.

“Good girl,” He praised, once again targeting your clit, this time using the material of your panties to stimulate the little nub along with his movements. It was too much too fast, and it had you falling head first into a blinding orgasm.

“Fuck!” You cried, attempting to close your thighs when Jungkook didn’t let up on his movements on your clit. Jungkook enjoyed the way your body trembled after you just came, finding it fascinating how the same stimulation you were just begging for is now the same as the one you’re trying to escape.

But after a moment of listening to your pathetic whines, he finally pulled away, hooking his fingers into the sides of your panties before yanking them down your legs. Once they were off and, in his hands, he ran his fingers over the wetness in your panties, feeling proud that he had done that before an idea seemed to cross over his mind.

You gazed at him, a lustful haze over your eyes. He brought the panties back down to your cunt, making your thighs twitch.

“W-What’re you—” You squealed when you felt his finger begin to press into you, however the digit was covered by your panties.

He was stuffing your drenched panties into your cunt. You moaned, letting your thighs fall open as far as they could, arching your thighs up to accept more of the material into your hole.

“Fuck…this is so hot…” He cooed, licking his lips as he watched until just a little bit of your panties was left in the open. “I want you to cum again,”

His words had your eyes widening. You had just cum a second ago and he wanted you to cum again.

He was out of his mind.

Just as you were about to voice this thought, his lips were suddenly wrapped around your poor nub. You shrieked, the overstimulation coming to the forefront of your mind. Thought the painful feeling, there was also overwhelming pleasure.

This happened all of the time, every time he tried to force another orgasm out of you…the pleasure always overwhelmed the pain it caused.

Before you knew it, you were grinding your hips to meet his lips, his tongue coming into the mix to tease your bud. Your back arched as you reached down to claw at his hair, tugging at the soft strands as you orgasm crested.

You let out a broken cuss, moaning as your cunt spasmed around the panties stuffed inside you. It felt so dirty, but it was so delicious. When you finally pushed his head away again, he was grinning.

“You’re so sexy,” He growled, gripping the part of the panties visible and pulling them out of you.

The feeling was indescribable, and your thighs snapped shut the moment he tossed them off the side of the bed. You caught sight that they were completely soaked and probably ruined, making you blush.

He took a moment to yank his shirt off and discard his pants off the side of the bed to join your panties somewhere away from you both. As he was busy shedding his clothes, you reached behind you to unzip your dress, not wasting a second to escape the material so you could be bare beneath him.

He grinned at you, laying his body over yours, his hard member pressing against your stomach. He cupped your cheek, pressing his lips against yours. There was a gentle moment passed between the two of you among the heated foreplay, as his lips worked against yours softly.

You broke the kiss, feeling the blunt head of his cock beginning to press into you. Jungkook’s forehead rested against yours, maintaining eye contact with you as his cock sunk to the hilt within you. He paused once he was fully inside you, just feeling the way your walls spasmed around you, still reacting from your previous orgasm.

Pressing another soft kiss to your lips, one you didn’t get a chance to return, he began to pull out and press back into you, creating a pace that was both teasing and exhilarating. The hand cupping your face travelled down to your chest, cupping your bouncing breast in his hand, rolling your nipple against his thumb. You whimpered, your breath mingling with his lips. If he were human, your breath would be mingling together. It was a detail like that that reminded you he wasn’t human, but you erased that thought from your mind by pressing your lips against his once again.

Feeling your need through the kiss, Jungkook doubled his pace, his hips slapping against yours. You cried out against his lips, his cock slamming into your g-spot to make your thighs tremble. He immediately had you on the edge of an orgasm, but he avoided your clit to keep you on edge, making you whine.

“Jungkook!” You complained, attempting to arch your hips into his to have him even just accidentally tap your clit but he was too smart for you. He immediately pinned your hips to the bed, making you sob out a whine.

“Not yet,” He growled, pressing his forehead against yours again, making you meet his eyes. “you’re going to cum with me.”

The finality in his tone made you whimper. He knew exactly what he wanted, and he wasted no time in using your body to get himself off. The intensity in his gaze took your breath away, he was feeling so much, and it was evident in his gaze.

He held so much power in his eyes, enough to bring tears to your eyes. You loved him. You fell in love with him.

Did he love you?

Your thought was cut short by Jungkook’s thumb finding your swollen clit, giving you a couple good thrusts into your g-spot to send you falling into an orgasm right alongside him. Your arms were around him as you sobbed into his neck, your orgasm cresting as his cum filled you up, seeping out the sides of his cock as he rode out your high with his.

You fell limp, releasing him and falling to the bed. You expected him to pull out and go to clean up like he usually did but instead he held his body up over yours. You met his gaze, panting, before you leaned up to press your lips against his.

When you pulled away, he gazed down at you for a moment, cupping your cheek again.

“Don’t worry…” He whispered, smiling at you before he began to maneuver himself, so he was laying behind you, his cock still buried inside you, keeping his cum from spilling onto the sheets.

“What’re you doing?” You mumbled, feeling the tugs of sleep.

“I think it’s called…cockwarming,” He replied cheekily, making your eyes pop open.

“That’s not what I meant!” You cried, reaching behind you to playfully smack his hip, making him burst out into laughter as he wrapped his arms fully around your body.

A moment of silence passed between the two of you. You felt safe and content wrapped against him but you couldn’t shut down your mind; you decided to ask him a question that’s been plaguing you all this time.

“What’s the defect?” You asked, your voice sounding far too loud for the calm room. He was silent and for a second you thought he wasn’t going to answer, but then he spoke up.

“We’re too human,” He answered. It was short and too the point. “they don’t like that. They want to keep us under their control…so we have to be shut down.”

“Jungkook…” You attempted to turn to look at him, but he buried his face in your hair and strengthened his grip on you to keep you where you were.

“Goodnight, my darling wife,”

The bowl of Lucky Charms in your hands was almost gone. It was an early Sunday morning and the house was calm. Jungkook was sitting directly in front of the TV as usual, no matter how many times you told him not to sit so close. An episode of Haikyuu was playing, a new anime Jungkook had downloaded from the internet.

Knock Knock Knock

It was as if the air had been sucked out of the room. You hesitated for just a moment before placing the bowl down on the coffee table. Jungkook had paused to show to turn around and watch you.

When you yanked the front door open, it was like your worst nightmare had come to life. There stood a man in a suit, arms clasped behind his back. His dark rimmed glasses didn’t help the deadly glare he had set upon you. Flanking his left and right were two men, clearly some kind of security guard or bodyguard.

“C-Can I help you?” You choked out, knowing already what was coming.

“My name is Kim Namjoon,” He said, still glaring down at you. “I am here to repossess the Bot.”

You didn’t even get to answer before the two guards were storming into the apartment. Jungkook stood up, looking as if he were on guard but he ultimately allowed them to slid handcuffs onto his wrists, escorting him to the door.

“Wait!” He shouted just as he stepped foot out into the hallway.

“What is it?” Namjoon asked, his tone of voice almost sounding bored.

“Can…Can she come with me?” He asked, tearing his gaze away from Namjoon to find you. You stood there in your shorts and oversized sweater, looking so small and fragile in his eyes. “I don’t want to die alone.”

His words shocked you, causing your heart to feel empty.

Die.

He’s going to die?

“We’ll allow it,” Namjoon said, turning his back on you as soon as he spoke the words. “You’re not the only one to grow attached.” One of the guards nodded his head at you and you quickly ran out the door, not even bothering to lock it as you chased them down the hall. In that back of your mind, the words ‘you’re not the only one to grow attached’ echoed.

The van you had been escorted into pulled into the Hot Bot Inc manufacturing building. It was large and imposing but there were almost no cars parked in the are Namjoon pulled into.

“You will be escorted to another area,” Namjoon said, not even bothering to look at you as you walked the halls of the building. Just as he said it, another man came up to you. He had broad shoulders and beautiful plump lips.

“If you’ll follow me,” He said, opening a door for you to walk into.

“Wait!” Jungkook cried, trying to get to you but he was immediately yanked into another door, which was closed by Namjoon after he followed in.

You stood frozen in the hallway, watching through a little window in the door as Jungkook struggled to escape the hold of the two guards before disappearing around a corner.

“Please hurry,” The broad-shouldered man said, gently pushing your back to usher you into anther door.

As you walked down the hallway, the man didn’t say a word. You passed many doors in this hallway until you reached the end.

There was a sign that said, “Factory Viewing”. The hairs on the back of your neck stood on edge when the man merely opened the door.

“Good luck,” He muttering, going to great lengths to avoid your gaze.

You crossed your arms over your chest as you stepped in, jumping at the solid clang of the door shutting behind you. Looking around, you noticed there were a couple chairs available for you to sit in but what really caught your attention was the entire wall that appeared to be a mirror.

You walked up to it, seeing your own reflection in it.

“What is this place?” You muttered, wincing when your voice echoed off the wall.  

Just as you spoke, there was a loud thunk and the sound of electricity humming. To your shock, the mirror turned into a window and on the other side, Jungkook sat cuffed to a chair.

The only way you could describe it was a viewing chamber for a prisoner on death row.

Inside the chamber, Jungkook looked up to meet your gaze through the glass. He was shirtless now, wearing only a ragged pair of boxers that you knew he didn’t get from home. There was a man behind him, standing next to a metal tray with all sorts of power tools arranged on top. You felt like you couldn’t breathe as you watched, helpless. The man behind Jungkook, grabbed a couple of tools and to your shock, a panel opened in the middle of Jungkook’s back.

“_____,” Jungkook’s voice echoed through the room, reaching your ears through speakers set up in your room. He lifted his eyes, slowly meeting yours through the window.

“Y-Yes?” You choked out, not daring to break your eye contact with him even as the man began to mess with something inside the panel of Jungkook’s back.

“I love you,” He whispered, his voice cracking as he spoke. “I’m so happy to have met you, you gave me the gift of life and I’ll never forget that…”

You couldn’t muster a response to his words, squeezing your eyes shut to fight back the tears that threatened to fall.

“Disconnected,”

When you opened your eyes at the sound of those words, everything in your world seemed to freeze. Jungkook’s eyes had a glazed over, lifeless look as opposed to his usual bright glow in them.

It hit you like a ton of bricks that the declaration of Jungkook being disconnected meant they had ‘pulled the plug’ on him.

He was dead.

You felt like you were going to sick.

Clasping a hand over your mouth, you ran to the door, yanking it open before flying down the hallway you came into.

Your footsteps echoed down the hallway as you ran. When you reached the first door, the one you were separated from Jungkook at, you noticed a man standing on the other side. He spotted you and opened the door for you.

Tears were still falling down your cheeks as you walked through.

“Mr. Namjoon ordered me to deliver these to you,” He said, his voice monotone as he stared down at you with judgmental eyes. He held out a black bag to you. When you took it from him, he immediately turned his back on you and walked to opposite way down the hallway. You watched him until he disappeared into another room. Once you found yourself alone, you opened the bag to look inside.

“His clothes…” The very clothes you had gotten not-too-long ago at the cute little clothes shopping date you had, were sitting inside the bag. He had chosen them himself and seeing them inside this bag ad knowing he would never be there to wear them again, brought a new flood of tears to your eyes.

Although you had lived alone prior to Jungkook’s arrival, as you stepped inside a wave of loneliness overtook you. It felt so lifeless and dreary inside without hearing him cluttering around in the kitchen or yelling at the TV as it played an obnoxious gameshow.

You held the bag containing his clothes, close to your chest as you sat down on the couch – the same place you had sat just hours before. Your cereal sat in the bowl nothing but mush and a swirl of mixed colors from the dissolved marshmallows.

Looking up from the bowl, you realized the TV was still paused; right where Jungkook had left off.

You didn’t have the heart to turn it off, it felt almost as if when Haikyuu! disappeared from the screen, Jungkook would really be gone.

It didn’t feel real.

Tears fell down your cheeks as you curled up on the couch.

[welcome-my-sunflower-blog]

heliotropism (prologue 3.0)

☼ Pairing: Stray Kids x fem!Reader (possible 9 routes)

☼ Genre: angel au!, romance, mystery

☼ Warning: some violence, possible trigger warnings (?)

☼ Word Count: 6.1k

☼ PART ONE| PART TWO

☼ Summary:

You finally got into the angel academy to keep a promise you had to uphold no matter what - however with your dyed and uneven wings, tough demeanor, and broken soul, you find yourself in the lowest of color ranks and surrounded by angels that can’t seem to leave you alone. One day out of the blue, you find a letter with your name on it and discover that someone knows the reasons why the real color of your wings aren’t like everyone else’s. And in order to uncover the truths about yourself, you have to find the person writing the letters; even if it means discovering things that could risk your life.

☼ A/N: hi everyone! i am so sorry this part is so overdued! even though i said that this part was the last one, there is still another half of this part still not finished! we aren’t done just yet! as for the routes, i have an idea of who i’ll be starting our journey off with first! thank you everyone for your support and your wonderful comments and messages! as always all the pictures and gifs used in this story don’t belong to me and all of the credits go to their beloved owners! i hope you guys enjoy this part and please keep an eye out for the last final part of this prologue!

[iii;]

“Stay here, okay? I’ll be right back.” Minho gently placed me down on the edge of the fountain and made sure to cover the bottom half of my face with the blanket. “Don't go anywhere, got it?”

 “It’s not like I can.” You wanted to roll your eyes at his sarcasm, but you just nodded with your eyes glued on the hungry flames eating away at everything it touched; Minho gave you a slight chuckle before running off to the burning building. An explosion suddenly went off somewhere on the top floor and it made you flinch before feeling your chest become heavy with anxiety. Minho disappeared into the Silver dorm and you lost sight of him before seeing him help an injured angel out of the building a couple seconds later.

 There were injured angels around you trying to catch their breath and get enough fresh air before the smoke started to fill up the streets; some of them had minor injuries such as cuts, scrapes or bruises while others had burned off feathers or badly scorched wings. The fresh, bloody wounds made you remembered what had just happened to your own and there was a growing, unsettling feeling in the pit of your stomach. You couldn’t just sit there and do nothing; even though your body was past the point of keeping you on your two feet, your painfully dyed wings were nothing compared to the burn wounds on those angels’ wings.

 Biting down a wince of pain, you pulled the blanket off your body and soaked it into the water of the fountain before approaching a female angel who was on the ground crying in pain. The tips of her wings were burned off and there were horrible burns all over her arms. You gently wrapped the wet towel around her body and comforted her as she cried into your arms.

 “It’s okay…”

 Smoke started to fill the streets as the flames got bigger and stronger. There were angels trying to put it out with fire extinguishers and hoses connected to the nearest hydrant however it seemed like it was doing nothing to the fire. You noticed Seungmin helping a limping angel from one of the back doors when some of the building structure above him started to crumble.

 “Seungmin!” You screamed his name as the adrenaline in your body rose when you scrambled to get to your feet. He heard his name being called and that was when he saw the structure above him giving out. You wanted to run and you wanted to push him out of the way so badly, but it was like your legs had turned into mush because they didn't want to work when you wanted them to. You fell back onto the ground when you tried to stand up and you just watched in horror as Seungmin barely manage to dodge the falling structure. A small part of his already shortened wing caught on fire and you had to let out a sigh of relief when he put it out immediately; thankfully only a couple of feathers were burned.

 Suddenly, cracks of purple lightning filled the dark sky and loud roars of thunder shook the ground as rain clouds started to form above the dorm complex. You were immediately drenched as it started to pour down hard. The flames started to slowly die and so did the panic. Chan and Woojin had arrived shortly before the rain started and their lieutenants were either setting up healing stations or pulling out any more angels that were still in the building; to your horror amongst the handful of surviving angels, there were also those that unfortunately didn't make it.

 Before you could see the bodies, someone dropped a blanket over your head and the next thing you knew, you were being lifted up and carried somewhere while the rain started to calm down a bit.

 “Hey! What the-!”

 “Stop kicking! I’m taking you inside!” You immediately recognized Hyunjin’s voice and relaxed for maybe three seconds before tensing up again.

 “Wait, I was helping that girl back there!”

 “Jisung got to her, she’ll be fine. Lieutenant Minho told me to bring you inside before you actually pass out. He said you have a fever.” Hyunjin muttered under his breath as he stepped out of the rain into the crowded lobby before going up the stairs to your floor.

 “So?? I can take care of myself! A fever is nothing compared to what everyone else is going through. Not put me down-”

 “You can’t even stand!” He scolded you and opened the door to your room before setting you on the bed and taking off the blanket. Hyunjin finally took notice of your silver wings and they didn't seem right to him; the other colors suited you better than this. You huffed in annoyance, knowing that he was right and folded in your wings, feeling uncomfortable with him staring at them.

 “I’m guessing the door isn’t fixed.”

 “Seungmin has to order you another door knob. There weren’t any spares left in the inventory.” Hyunjin sighed. “I’m gonna head downstairs and see if anyone else needs help so take a bath and get dressed in some clean clothes. Unless… you need me to help you get into the bath-”

 “I’m fine! I can get into the tub myself…” You muttered, obviously not wanting him to help you anymore since it wasn’t needed and motioned for him to go. “Go help. I’ll be fine.”

 “If you need me to check up on you later-”

 “Oh my god, no. It’s okay.” You shook your head and Hyunjin hesitated before nodding and leaving the room. Trying to gathering your thoughts and breath a little, you sat on your bed for a couple minutes before pushing yourself off to get to the restroom. You used the door frame and wall to balance your body up as you dragged yourself to the tub where you immediately stripped away the dirty clothes.

 With the shower curtain pulled over, you turned on the shower and just sat in the tub as the cold water ran down your body. You folded your wings in and let the sound of the water lull you to sleep as you rested your head to the side against the tub. The tensions and exhaustion gradually left your aching body, leaving you in a peaceful sleep.

.

.

 The door to your room opened and something heavy was dropped onto the ground. A light brownish-blonde haired boy stepped into the minimally furnished room and closed the door behind him. While the fire and condition of the Silver dorm being dealt with by the Captains and Lieutenants, the angels who used to live in that dorm were now being assigned to share a room in the Red dorm for the night until things were settled down; there weren’t many angels in the Silver dorm so there were plenty of rooms for them to occupy. However, the only issue was that some Red dorm residents had issues with Silver dorm residents and rooming was slightly limited because some angels didn't want to share their room.

 The RA of the Silver dorm was last to get assigned to a room and there was only one room left that had a spare bed available - Seungmin was hesitant at first, but your room was the only option left. He wanted to share his room but because he was an RA, he only had one bed and there wasn’t spare to add another one in just for the night.

 “It’s shabby,” the light-brown haired angel sighed as he checked out the room. “-but what can I expect from the Red dorms?” He approached the closed wardrobe next to your bed and opened it to pull down the foldable bed; the bedspread and everything was put away neatly into the drawers so he took those out and started making the bed for the night.

 The sound of the shower continued to drag on as the angel unpacked some things from a bag that Seungmin gave him; it was filled with necessities that he might need for the night and even a spare set of clothes to sleep in. Maybe after thirty minutes of doing nothing but looking around and staring up at the ceiling, the RA of the Silver dorm decided to knock on the restroom door because you were taking too long.

 “Hey, are you done in there?” He asked and waited for a response but heard nothing; then he remembered that Seungmin told him what had happened to you and the condition you were in. “Are you okay?”

 No response.

 The light-brown haired angel panicked and thought you had passed out for real so he hesitantly opened the door and a whole bunch of steam just came rushing at him. He tried to waved them away from his arms and grabbed a towel from the rack.

 “Y/N?”

 When you didn't reply, he pulled the shower curtain back slightly to see you in a fetal-like position in the tub with your wings covering your naked body. He immediately turned off the shower and putting aside his uneasiness and discomfort he pulled you into his arms and wrapped the towel around your body with averted eyes.

 “Okay… Okay, Felix. You can do this.” The angel muttered to himself as he attempted to dry your body as best as he could without looking and lifted you out of the tub. Felix carried you to your bed and just pulled the covers over your body. He exhaled heavily as if he was holding his breath the entire time and glanced at your peaceful sleeping face; you looked okay from what he could tell. “Geez…”

 Felix grabbed another towel to dry your hair and put your discarded clothes into the laundry basket before taking a shower himself; most of the hot water was gone since the majority of the dorm was probably showering as well, but he didn't mind the cold water.

After he finished showering, Felix changed and decided to go check on the situation of the Silver dorm before heading to bed.

.

.

 When you woke up the next morning, you started to shiver because it was cold in your room for some reason. Your body felt relaxed but at the same time… it felt kind of airy in some places?

 Wait what?

 Your eyes widened and you looked under the covers to see your body completely exposed before sitting up with the blankets pressed against you. You remembered taking a really nice shower… and then falling asleep; but you had no recollections of waking up and going to bed nude. Before you could freak out verbally, you heard the sound of snoring coming from nearby; it sounded like it was coming from somewhere in your room.

 Turning your head, you froze to see a body occupied on the spare bed next to yours and confusion just hit you; who was this person and why were they sleeping in your room?? Were they also the person who carried you to bed… while you were still naked!?

 “Hey...Wake up…” You cleared your throat and leaned towards the other bed to tap the person while still keeping the covers still close to your chest. “Hey excuse me?”

 The person stirred and your heart nearly jumped out of your chest when you heard a very deep groan-like is it even remotely possible for a voice to be this low and husky? You quickly scurried back to your bed when the person slowly sat up and their covers falling to their lap; this boy had disheveled lightish-brown hair that somewhat covered his eyes and even with the slight bloatedness on his fair features, you could see that his face has some charm to them. The color of his wings were white with long streaks of gold and they were almost as big as Hyunjin’s.

 “Who are you?” You asked a bit louder than before and he glanced at you with a confused expression before finally realizing what was going on. Felix’s eyes widened when he saw you clinging the covers to your body and quickly looked away before clearing his throat.

 “Felix… My name’s Felix.”

 Taken aback at his deep voice, you tried to make sense as to how his voice was his and how his face had that voice.

 “...W...Why are you in my room…?”

 “Uh… Well, last night since the Silver dorm was burned down, we were assigned to stay in the rooms in this dorm for the night.”

 “... But why mine?” You sort of understood what was going on, but there were plenty of rooms in this dorm; why did he have to stay in yours?

 “Some angels living here don't really like angels from the Silver dorm so you could say beds were limited.” Felix explained softly as he ruffled his bed hair slightly.

 “That’s kind of petty, but okay… Are you going to be leaving today? Or what’s the plan?” You decided to get up out of bed and grab some clothes or something to change into while still holding onto the blanket. “Close your eyes. I feel uncomfortable talking to you with no clothes on…”

 “S-Sorry about that,” Felix closed his eyes tightly as you hurried to your luggage to grab anything you could change into. “-I didn't think you’d be comfortable knowing that I dressed you so I didn't try. And about the room situation, the Captains said they’d let us know today. We’re going to find out about it at breakfast.”

 “You’re right about the dressing me part… You...didn't see anything...right?”

 “N-No, I didn't. I didn't look I swear.” Felix internally panicked and his ears burned hot at the thought of what happened the night before; but remembering it made him even more embarrassed.

 You quickly got changed into a sports bra, underwear and an oversized black t-shirt before putting the blanket back onto your bed. You tossed the towel into the laundry basket and grabbed a brush from the restroom sink.

 “You can look now…” You muttered softly as you sat on the bed with your back facing Felix. “I’m Y/N by the way… I don't think I mentioned my name.”

 “I know… I think everyone on campus kind of knows…” Felix replied with a nod and stood up to make the bed neat and tidy. “You don't mind if I use the restroom first, do you?”

 “Go right ahead.”

 You tried not to stare at Felix as he walked into the restroom and closed the door so that he could freshen up for the morning. With a sigh, you just brushed through your hair and tied it up into a messy bun before sliding on some slippers. You picked up your memo pad with some things you needed to do written on it and that was when you noticed your silver wings in the standing mirror.

 “They are frickin’ ugly as hell…” You grimaced at the plain color and didn't like how you looked with it; but it was a whole lot better than what the real color of your wings was. The color underneath all that dye would for sure cause you a lot of trouble if anyone where to know of it.

 The restroom door opened after a couple minutes and you went in after Felix finished drying his face after washing it. He froze when you brushed past him and once the restroom door closed he went to put on some slippers from the bag Seungmin gave him. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door and Felix hesitated before going to open it.

 “... Where’s Y/N?” Hyunjin immediately frowned when the door opened to reveal a guy that wasn’t you; he remembered seeing Seungmin talking to him the night before but Hyunjin wasn’t interested in what they were conversing about.

 “She’s brushing her teeth. You need something?” Felix frowned as well, feeling some hostility coming from Hyunjin and noticed the size of his wings; he heard that there was a new freshmen with wings bigger than his and Felix had one of the largest wings on campus. So this was who it was.

 “Breakfast is starting and the Captains want to talk to us. Is she okay?”

 “She’s fine.”

 Before Hyunjin could ask about her overall condition, you came out of the restroom and saw the two boys just glaring at one another.

 “What’s going on here?” You asked in confusion with crossed arms.

 “Nothing. Let’s go get food.” Hyunjin reached forward and grabbed your hand in his, pulling you out of the room to him. Before you could remind him not to touch you, he started dragging you down the hallway, leaving Felix with a bitter feeling in his chest.

 “Slow down! And stop holding my hand!” You complained, pulling your hand away from Hyunjin when the two of you reached the top of the stairs. “What is wrong with you?”

 “Are you feeling okay?” He turned to you with concerned eyes and you were confused as to why he was so worried about your well-being. “Nothing happened after I left?”

 “I’m okay… and no. Not really.” You didn't really want to tell him about the whole Felix finding you sleeping in the tub and carrying your naked body to your bed so you kept it to yourself. “Let’s just go eat already. I’m starving.”

 Hyunjin just sighed when you clearly lied to his face and decided not to pester you about it before following you into the dining hall. He helped you get some food on your plates and the two of you joined Jisung at a table where Seungmin was at. You immediately dug in and the boys weren’t even surprised anymore.

 “You let her walk out wearing that again?” Seungmin noticed that your attire was the same as the last time you walked into the dining hall and Hyunjin just took off his cardigan and draped it over your legs.

 “Slipped my mind. I was preoccupied with something else at the moment.” Hyunjin gave Felix a hard stare when the light-brown haired angel entered the dining hall and conversing with some of his friends. Seungmin followed his gaze and just nodded.

  “So you met Felix.”

 “Are you okay, Y/N? With having to share a room with a dude…?” Jisung asked as you were spreading some cream cheese on your toasted bagel.

 “Does it matter what I think? There was a limited amount of beds available right? And I just happened to have a spare bed.” You muttered as you took a big bite of the bagel.

 “But are you okay with it?” Hyunjin frowned and you shrugged.

 “Not really, but it’s not like we’d have to spend another night together, right?”

 “Who knows. Chan and Woojin are going to be talking about it soon.” Seungmin picked up his coffee cup and took a sip from it before glancing at the Captains talking near the stage. “Ah right. I’m going to head into town after breakfast to pick up your new door knob and keys. Do you want to come with me, Y/N?”

 “Are you asking me out on a date?” You blinked and Hyunjin choked on his own coffee while Jisung’s eyes just widened like saucers.

 “Depends. Do you want it to be a date?” Seungmin grinned teasingly. “We’ll have some fun hitting up the hardware store and maybe I’ll take you to get some crepes.”

 “I love crepes!” Your eyes widened at the sound of dessert and he laughed out loud. “It’s a date then!”

 “Perfect.” He chuckled as Hyunjin just gave him a look of disbelief. “What? Do you guys want me to take you on a date too? Do you like crepes too?”

 “I like the chocolate hazelnut flavor!” Jisung’s eyes also sparkled at the invitation to eat crepes and you turned to him in surprise.

 “Me too! Whoa, we have something in common after all!”

 “D-Did we not?” He suddenly blinked in confusion and Hyunjin just shook his head.

 “How about it, Hyunjin? Are you up for a date with the three of us?” Seungmin chuckled.

 “Someone has to keep you guys out of trouble right?”

 “Everyone!” Chan called out for everyone’s attention and you turned your gaze to where the blonde angel was standing at; for a split second you swore you made eye contact with him, but you thought it was just your imagination so you went back to eating. “We have some announcements to make regarding the housing situation after what happened last night.”

 “While we’re going to rebuild the Silver dorm, the academy is going to reimburse everyone who was housing there so that you guys can buy necessities for the time being. As for the rooming situation, we’ve decided that where you guys are right now is where you’ll be staying temporarily. Those that lived in the Silver dorm will now stay in the Red dorm and we won’t tolerate those who refuse to share their living spaces. The academy won’t forget to reward you for your cooperation so we would like to thank you for openly allowing your fellow angels to stay with you.” Woojin explained and some angels just groaned while others were happy about the decision.

 “Tonight at the park we will send our farewells to our friends who did not make it out of the fire or passed on from their injuries. I expect everyone to attend the ceremony so please make time out of your night to join us.” Chan spoke afterwards and you stopped eating when you remembered that there were angels who lost their lives that night. You placed down your utensils and turned to see that Chan was looking at you as Changbin was reporting on what was going on at the med bay.

 “I’m sorry.” The blonde-haired Captain mouthed to you and you gave him a confused expression; what was he apologizing for?

 Once the announcements were over, you excused yourself to go back to your dorm to get changed into a more suitable outfit for an outdoor ‘date’ only to find something sticking out from under your door. You looked around and saw that the hallway was empty and you didn't see anyone on your way to your dorm either. Picking up the envelope, you opened it right there and saw a blank piece of paper; but you knew that there was a hidden message written on it. This was a method of communication that you were familiar with during your times in the streets on the other side of the wall.

 Quickly closing the door behind you, you rummaged through your backpack for the blacklight flashlight that you always carried around and pulled it out to reveal the message.

 ‘i know about your wings. i know who you really are... but i’m not the only one. find me and i’ll tell you everything before it’s too late. don't let them get you.’

 Turning off the blacklight, you quickly folded up the letter and put it back into the envelope before getting tape out of your backpack. You taped the envelope onto the top of the second drawer in your nightstand and felt panic setting in the pit of your stomach; someone in the academy knows about your wings… and it seems like those who you were trying to escape and hide from found out where you were. But how?

 You jumped when you heard someone knocking on the door and hesitated before opening it cautiously to see Seungmin standing there sheepishly.

 “You ready?” He beamed a smile, making you realize that you hadn’t changed yet.

 “N-Not yet… Give me two minutes.” You shook your head and he nodded before you closed the door to put on a pair of jean shorts and ankle boots.  Glancing at the hidden letter in your nightstand drawer one last time, you tried to set aside the uneasy feeling in your chest and stepped out of the room.

.

.

 “You okay?” Jisung asked you softly while the four of you were walking to the Plaza where all the shops, entertainment and food areas were. While Hyunjin and Seungmin were slightly ahead, the blonde angel fell back to your pace after noticing that you were kind of spaced out.

 “Why does everyone keep asking me that? I’m okay…”

 “It’s because you don't look like it.” He murmured with a concerned expression as you looked up at him in puzzlement. “Your face is pale, you seem distracted and you’re not as… snappy.”

 “Maybe I didn't get enough sleep or something… Or maybe I just need something sweet.” You shrugged and he suddenly hooked his arm around yours, pulling you in the direction of a boba tea shop nearby. “W-What the-! Blondie, let me go! Hey!”

 “I’m going to get Y/N fed with sugar! She seems a bit tired so you guys go on ahead! We’ll meet you guys up at the fountain after you’re done!” Jisung yelled to the other two who stopped when they heard you complaining about him.

 “Okay! Don't give her too much sugar!” Seungmin laughed and Hyunjin gave you two a worried stare before the RA wrapped an arm around the brown-haired angel’s shoulder. “Let’s go have a date of our own, Hyunjin!”

 “H-Hey, who said I’m going on a date with you!?”

 “What was that for?” You pulled away from Jisung who just smiled at you with that goofy, carefree smile of his.

 “Boba makes everything better and it’ll take away your stress, trust me. So you coming in or not?” The blonde opened the door for you and flipped his white baseball cap backwards on his head so that he could see the menu better. You nodded hesitantly and entered the boba shop to see many angels hanging out in the shop.

 The menu was filled with a decent amount of drinks with their sizes and topping options which made you kind of intimidated and slightly overwhelmed; you heard about these types of shops before and you always wanted to try it but since you weren’t in a good place on the other side of the wall you never got the chance to. You glanced at Jisung who was thinking hard about what he wanted and he had this funny thinking expression on his face that made you kind of crack a smile; he was an oddball.

 “I think I’ll just get the Classic Black milk tea with honey boba, how about you?” Jisung turned his head to look at you and felt his ears get warm when he saw you were staring at him with a small smile on your face; he was taken aback at this and blushed hard when you just looked away quickly after getting caught staring. You ignored the heat spreading all over your face as you tried to focus on the menu.

 “I-I don't know...T-There’s a lot…” You breathed out softly and Jisung stood closer to you before suggesting a drink that you might like.

 “How about the Earl Grey milk tea with honey boba? I like the fragrance of the tea and the different taste it has from the Black tea. I think you’ll really like it.”

 “O-Okay… Get me that one.” You nodded and let him order as you just nervously looked around the shop. There were a lot of couple angels on dates and several big groups of friends just hanging out; there was a small empty two-seater table near the window and you just tugged on Jisung’s sleeve once he finished paying. The two of you made your way over there and couldn’t really look at one another in the eye after sitting down.

 “H-How do you know about these drinks?” You decided to break the ice and Jisung finally looked at your face but kind of blushed when he did.

 “Before I joined the academy, I used to live in the Civilian city where I worked in a shop like this,” he chuckled softly when he remembered the fun times he had working with different milk tea drinks. “-I really loved it and to be honest if this place was hiring I would apply in a heartbeat.”

 “Wait, you… joined the Academy even though you were living in the Civilian town?”

 “Yeah… I didn't tell Hyunjin this yet, but I wasn’t exactly ‘born’ into the whole routine of ‘i died and became an angel and joined the academy” kind of thing. I think I liked my human life and felt that living in the Civilian city was better for me even if it meant it would take awhile for me to be reincarnated.”

 “So...why did you join…?” You asked and before he could answer the buzzer the cashier gave him started buzzing and he excused himself to get the drinks. Jisung returned with the milk teas and handed you yours along with a fat straw. Watching him in confusion, he just kind of stabbed the plastic paper-like lid of the cup and started drinking his milk tea. You did the same and hesitantly tried the drink before filling your whole taste buds melt at the sweet taste.

 Jisung stiffled a laugh when he watched you kind of made a face of adoration and there was this sparkle in your eyes that made his chest feel kind of warm.

 “You like it?”

 “I love it! Oh my gosh! It’s as sweet and nice as I imagined it would be!” You exclaimed and hugged your drink which the blonde angel found was hilarious.

 “Y-You’ve never tried this before when you were on the other side of the wall?” He laughed and you shook your head.

 “I didn't exactly have time on my hands to be spending at a place that this…”

 “And why’s that?” He asked and you started to remember some bad memories, which clearly showed on your face. Jisung noticed your discomfort from his question and quickly changed the topic. “Nevermind! Whenever we have the time in between classes or exams, let’s come here and study sometimes. Or maybe to just hangout. I want you to experience the different types they have.”

 “I’m up for that.” You smiled again and then remembered your question from before. “You didn't answer my question earlier… about why you decided to join the academy.”

 “... Maybe I’ll tell you some times whenever you’re comfortable around me to tell me about your stories.” Jisung just smiled and you thought it was fair so you nodded.

 After finishing your drinks, you and Jisung left the shop to go check out the different stores at the Plaza. You wanted to buy some personal things for the dorm and for your own use but you didn't bring much cash on you at the time; so you decided to write it down on your memo to buy next time. Jisung insisted he bought some of the things you were writing down for you, but you didn't want him to since you didn't really like owing people back.

 “This looks comfy.” You eyed an oversized rose-colored sweater in a retail store while Jisung was checking out the backpacks on the racks. As if detecting something off, the blonde angel turned around and looked around the store to see someone suspicious eyeing you from a couple racks away. They were wearing all black and covering their face with a mask so Jisung couldn’t see their face. He immediately put back the backpack he wanted to buy and tried to casually approach you.

 “Did you find something you like?” He forced a smile while intertwining his hand with yours. You tensed up at the sudden skinship and looked up at him with confused eyes. Jisung had this sudden serious look on his face that made you nervous. You let Jisung drag you through the crowded racks and into the fitting room before pulling the curtain to hide you two in one of the rooms.

 “What’s wrong?” You asked softly and he shook his head.

 “I thought I saw someone strange that’s all… He was watching you and I wanted to see if I wasn’t just overthinking it.” Jisung whispered and the two of you tensed up when you heard hectic footsteps coming into the fitting room area.

 “Sir, this is the ladies’ changing room. The mens’ is on the other side of the store.” A female employee said and the person turned to leave after the employee had to shoo him out.

 “... You might be right.” You recalled what the letter said and started to think that whoever it was that Jisung saw watching you might’ve have been part of the group that was looking for you; it kind of reinforced an assumption you were thinking of but wasn’t sure.

 There were angels in the Academy working with that group; which meant you weren’t safe anywhere now.

 “I’ll go see if the coast is clear, okay?” Jisung pulled his hand away from you and for some reason you grabbed onto his hand. His eyes widened and you quickly pulled away before apologizing.

 “S-Sorry… Y-Yeah, I’ll...stay here…”

 “I won’t let anything happen to you, okay?” He gave you a soft smile of reassurement and you had no other choice but to believe him. You nodded and Jisung stepped out of the fitting room, closing the curtain behind him.

 If they know I’m here… there must be others nearby… damn it…

 Jisung came back after a couple seconds and held out his hand to you.

 “It’s clear. Let’s head back to the dorm.”

 “But what about-”

 “I’ll send them an aerial bird. They’ll understand, it’s okay.”

 You took his hand and the two of you left the retail store, taking the alley way roads back to the Red dorm where you and Jisung waited in your dorm; Felix was out at the time it seemed and so it was unoccupied. You watched as Jisung summoned a small, transparent bird out of thin air and said his message to it before it flew through the door and disappeared.

 “Not a lot of people know how to summon an aerial bird. I knew one person who knew how… but they were much older than you.” You noticed a glowing symbol on Jisung’s forearm when he was summoning the bird and then it faded away when the bird was gone. “It’s a difficult art to perform. It takes up a lot of energy too…”

 “I’m surprised you know about it. I mean… it’s not that uncommon… It’s teachable and doable but yes it requires a lot of focus and energy.” Jisung nodded and took a seat on your study chair.

 “You’re an odd one, Blondie… I thought you were some goofball of a clown but you’re actually quite interesting and mysterious. You better be glad, I’m actually kind of curious about you now.”

 “That’s a compliment, isn’t it?” He grinned widely and you just smiled before throwing a pillow at his ridiculous face. “Just admit that you like me!”

 “Only if you admit that you like me.”

 “... And if I do?”

 “... Shut up.” You got annoyed at the playful grin on his face and threw another pillow at him.

 “Oh hey,” Jisung suddenly noticed the freshman packet on the table and started flipping through it. “-I didn't read through this yet.”

 “Do we have to?” You muttered lazily and laid down on your stomach to hug your long sleeping pillow. “Is there anything interesting to know in there?”

 “Hm, well it says here ‘angels who decide to be in intimate relationships with one another are not forbidden to share a bed together, however be smart and use protection because who the heck has a baby in the Academy?’” Jisung made a funny voice and you laughed.

 “It does not say that.”

 “It doesn’t, but it does imply that having sleepovers means making babies which doesn’t make sense. At least the Academy doesn’t forbid us to be in relationships.”

 “Does that really matter to you?” You asked and the blonde angel thought about it for a minute before giving you a good nod. “Really?? You’re looking for love in a place like this?”

 “Well not exactly. I’m not looking for it per se, but if I like someone I want to be able to express it freely and not be punished for doing so. Don't you?”

 “... I never really thought about those things.” You blinked and shook your head. “I guess you could say my life is unfit for those kinds of things.”

 “Are you scared…? Or does it not interest you?” Jisung was a bit surprised because most girls he knew or would have asked would have dreamed or wanted to be with a significant other romantically.

 “It’s not that…”

 “Ah, so it’s the trust issues.”

 “... I’m not liking the fact that you can read my mind.” You frowned when Jisung kind of pinpointed out the reason why you weren’t really looking for romance or wanting to find one.

 “You’re one mysterious girl, Y/N.” The blonde chuckled.

 “Maybe so…”

 Suddenly there was a knock at the door and the two of you looked at one another.

 “Are you expecting anyone?” Jisung slowly got out of his seat and you shook your head.

 “Maybe it’s Hyunjin and Seungmin.”

 “They would’ve already opened the door by now, wouldn’t they?” He frowned and the two of you tensed up as he cautiously approached the door. When he opened it, his eyes widened. “You…”

to be continued in prologue; part 3.5

|Angel Index;| just some extra information/fun facts~

There are six different types of magic angels can use:

Air

Earth

Water

Weather

Light

Fire

So far you know that...

Jisung uses Air magic

Changbin uses Earth magic and ??? magic

Once all nine Stray Kids members have been introduced, I will post a little memo/character summary with each of their wing colors, hair colors, hobbies, etc for fun!

|Your to-do list;| for funsies~

check out your pager

look through the freshmen packet (pft, maybe if you get bored that is)

find something to decorate your dorm keys  get new keys from Seungmin

get a calendar to mark important dates (such as the end-cycle trial, flying lessons, assignments, etc)

explore? (depending on your mood)

find the next letter

[jj-lives]

three card monte - bmblb au

Reluctantly you hand over another forty dollars to the girl in front of you.  

“You have a tell.” She smiles pocketing it just as she’s done to your entire day’s worth of hard earned money.

“I do not!” You’re insulted, because you are really good at what you do.  You make a pretty decent living hustling people on the street.  There’s no way you have a tell, you’re better than that.  The only reason she’s been winning is because she’s just getting lucky… eight straight games in a row.

She laughs, handing you more money, your money that she’s cheated you out of. “Let’s go again then.”

You show her the queen of hearts among the two black jacks folded lengthwise, mimicking tiny tents pitched on the small table you have balanced on a trash can.  She nods her head but doesn’t even look to see where you’ve placed the winning one she’ll have to find.  You focus on shuffling the three cards, using your practiced hands to swap the queen from one position to the next, tricking the eyes of your victims into choosing the wrong one.  You’ve never had to use the illusion more than twice in any shuffle to trip anyone up but the desperate way you want her to fail has you flicking your wrist half a dozen times with practiced ease.  Satisfied you let the cards rest in a line, stepping back you offer the cards to the girl.

She’s watching you with those laughing lilac eyes when you glance up and you realize she hasn’t been looking at the cards at all.  All your effort has been in vein.

“Choose.”  You state, less cordial than your usual tone would be had she been any other — should you call them customers? Patrons? Victims?

Her hand hovers over each card but she’s very obviously not looking at the cards.  She wants you to know she has no clue where the queen is.  She’s trying to prove you have a tell.  You don’t care how confident or cocky she’s being, she’s not going to succeed because you do not have a—

“This one?” She lifts one card, not even looking at it she turns it towards you.

The queen of hearts stares mockingly back at you.  She doesn’t need a verbal answer, the scowl forming on your face is enough confirmation for her.  

Her smirk is all smarm and taunting humour.  She delights in your misery.  You reach into your back pocket and hand her another twenty.  You feel how thin your cash roll has become in the past half hour and you decide to pack up, there’s no sense in sticking around to lose what little you have left. Sighing, you fold up your makeshift table.

“Hey, I wanted another go.”  You scoff but glance at the girl who’s taken almost a month’s worth of your grocery money.  You feel yourself resign to the thought of soup and noodles for the foreseeable future.  Your disappointment and anger at the girl unfortunately doesn’t diminish her radiance.  Well aware of how attracted you were to her the moment she approached, you’d originally planned to to ask for her number, but that’s out of the question now. It’s a shame, she’s beautiful and happens to be taller than you, and that’s something you’ve always been a sucker for. “I think you were going to win the next one.”

Scowling you make a move to walk around her, hearing her laughter ring out as you do.  If there’s one thing you hate more than losing it’s being mocked.  

“Double or nothing?” She asks, following you when it’s clear she’ll get no answer.  The shuffling of multiple feet in your direction brings you to the horrifying realization you two now have an audience.  You hadn’t noticed and blame her for distracting you with her eyes and smile.  “All or nothing? Everything I have against whatever’s left in your pocket? I’m sure that’s a good deal for you.”

You know it is.  You’re not sure how much she had on her originally, but the money she’s won from you is more than what’s left in your pocket.  But losing what little you do have will cut into your rent and take away that delicious soup you’re looking forward to.  You hesitate though, a break in your step and she notices, pouncing at the opening.

“Double what I have against what you do?”

Spinning to face her and the dozen others that have congregated, you ask. “How can you offer double what you have?”

She smiles triumphantly turning to the crowd.  “Who here wants to make some easy money?” A young man breaks from the crowd, reaching for his wallet.  She smiles and ushers him forward with soft fingers on his wrist.  He follows, obvious in his blatant leering of the blonde’s — attributes, as he brings up the rear.  They combine their money and the girl waves the wad of cash in your face.  You can’t not take the bait.  It would help you tremendously.  You wouldn’t have to worry so much about making it to the end of the month with that in your pocket.  Deciding the chance at such a great amount is worth you possibly losing the hundred bucks you have left in your pocket, you find yourself nodding to the terms.

You set the game back up and show the queen of hearts to both her and the young man.  His concentration on the cards as you shuffle is what you’ve become accustomed to.  She, however, turns to comment on a bag one of the ladies has in the crowd.  

Only when you’re finished does she return, eyes sparkling with mischief.  She lets him ponder which one could possibly be correct before leaning over his shoulder.

“Which one do you think?” She asks.

He smiles, unbelievably cocky and points to one of the cards.  “It’s definitely this one.”

“You sure?” She scrutinizes his choice than looks to you.  Her smile widens.  “Actually, I think it’s this one.”  She points to the card next to the one he’s chosen.  Her eyes test you once more before she nods. “Yup, definitely this one.”

“You’re positive?” He asks.  

She shrugs. “It’s all a gamble really, but she has a tell and I haven’t been wrong yet.”

Not wanting to go against her, who has bested you nine times already, he taps his finger finally to the far right card.  You lift it up, face towards them, knowing it’s the jack of clubs.  His shoulders sink as he turns to his accomplice.  

“You said you were sure.”

She looks absolutely dumbfounded.  She can’t believe whatever tell she thought you had has failed.  You want to laugh because it means she didn’t really know what card was right.  She was just getting lucky.  

“I think she played me.” Lilac eyes darken to violet as her exuberant mood shifts to suspicion and anger.  She scoffs, throwing the wad of cash onto your table.  Turning she pushes her way through the crowd and disappears.  The man whose money you’re stuffing into your jeans also vanishes into the scattering crowd.  

Folding up the table once more you decide to head home.  You feel good, good enough to maybe order a cheap pizza because you definitely deserve it.  You step lighter now, as you walk down the street, a pocket full of cash.

“I think you owe me.” A voice speaks up behind you. You spin, recognizing it.  She saunters out from a covered doorway making a beeline straight for you.  

“Excuse me?”

“Oh come on!” She exclaims. “You didn’t really think you won on a fluke?”

You eye her, not sure if this is a trick or not.  She seemed angry for losing earlier, but now she’s back to smiling as if the money she lost was already long forgotten.

“Are you saying you knew the card you chose was wrong?”

“Yup.”

Rolling your eyes you ask, “So I would have lost if you let him pick the card he wanted, huh?”

“No, that card was wrong too.  He would have lost either way.”

She’s right.  

“If you knew that then why make him change his choice?”

“Because although he was going to lose either way, me choosing the wrong one allowed for my dramatic departure.”

“You did it so you could throw a temper tantrum?”  If true, this girl was all drama that you don’t need.

“Well, did you see how he was looking at me? Lost money or not he was aiming for a date and I didn’t plan that whole charade just to end up going to dinner with him.”

“Okay.” You stare at her because you really truly do not know what she expects you to do with the information.

“You have nearly two hundred more in your pocket than you did before I showed up.” She waits for you to agree, and it’s useless to argue, she knows exactly how much money you have. “That’s not bad for half an hours work.”

Finally able to process the words she’s said to you when she first approached, you catch onto what she’s doing here.  Eyes narrowing you square your shoulders defensively.

“And you want your cut?”

“Yup.”

“How much?”

“I already told you.” She smiles, taking another step closer, invading your personal space. Your body twitches as it takes way too much energy to hold your ground. You’re ready to bolt. “I didn’t do this to go to dinner with him.”

“Wait... what?”

“Come on,” she says spinning to look at the storefronts surrounding you. “I’m new here.  What’s a good place to grab a bite to eat?”

“You’re serious?” You ask confused, but slightly amused.  It’s hard to believe the girl not only played the crowd, but played you as well.

“Uh huh.” she returns her attention to you once again.  

“Well, depends on what you’re in the mood for really.”  You rack your brain trying to remember if anyone has recommended a decent restaurant in the area, because besides cheap pizza and the occasional burger you don’t really have the funds to eat out all that often. “I think there’s an italian restaurant up the street and there’s a sushi place around the corner.”

“Sushi?” She asks. “I haven’t had that in forever. Let’s go there.”

“Let’s, as in you and me?”

She laughs, shaking her head and her wild golden main shifts and sways with her movements.

“Well I didn’t put on that charade to have dinner alone either.” Her hand is on the cardboard table you’re carrying and before you can react she is gallantly taking it from your hand.  “You do like sushi right?”

A scoff is pulled from your throat. “I’m a cat faunus, what do you think?”

“I don’t know.” She responds softly, taking in your appearance, including the ears stretching skyward.  “I don’t like to form assumptions on someone based on appearances.”

It takes you aback.  Most people do the exact opposite.  They judge and condemn or follow and praise all based on first impressions, usually skin deep.  For the first time you really take in the taller girl, not just the physical beauty but the way she’s standing.  She appears confident with her shoulders held back and head held high, but she’s swaying slightly from one foot to the other and the muscles of her lower jaw are clenching ever so slightly.  Thinking of the young man who was willing to lose so much of his money to impress her has you wondering how many of those types of interactions she has in any given day.  How many see her tall, toned body and alluring facial features and end up making snap decisions about her?  Being blonde in itself has the stereotypical negative connotations involving intelligence.  

Maybe she knows more about how it feels to be judged by her body and not her mind than you think.  Maybe you’re making unfair snap decisions about her and you hadn’t even noticed.

“I do,” your voice is soft but it carries easily to her ears a few feet away. “I love sushi, but I really shouldn’t be-“

“Because I’m a girl and not attractive to you?”

“Now who’s making the assumptions.” Shooting her words back in her face feels like a huge accomplishment, especially with all the different reactions you get to see flash across her face.  She finally settles on a goofy grin.

“So…”

“So?”

“You are attracted to me?” She bites her bottom lip nervously.

“Let’s just say-“ You motion for her to follow as you cross the street, she immediately falls in step beside you. “-that before you took all my money, making an enemy of me, I had planned on getting your number.”

“Really?” Laughing at her shocked expression you nod. “How were you planning on getting it?”

You smile, holding the door to the sushi restaurant open for her.

“If this date goes well, you’ll find out.”

“If this is an official date I guess I’ll be paying.”

“What? No.” You’re confused.  “I thought you said I owed you?”

“To come on a date with me, not to buy me dinner.”

“That doesn’t seem fair.” Although you are loathe to spend much money on anything and sushi is expensive it still doesn’t seem right that she pay when she’s just earned you so much extra money.

“You can get next time.”

She walks through the door, but not before shooting you a wink over her shoulder.  How can such a simple act give you butterflies?

Had she said next time?  There’s going to be a next time and her knowing that already kind of excites you.  

You follow her into the restaurant as something dawns on you.

“Hey, what even is your name?”

She just laughs and says you’ll have to guess. Something tells you nothing is going to come easy with her.  

You’re kind of looking forward to figuring her out