#exo reader insert

[dpr-stay]

Through the years | D.K

Doh Kyungsoo x f1driver!Reader

Warnings: Swears, a lot of crack

WC: 9.1k (ik, kill me now)

Howdy Cowpeople! This one is... hefty. This wasn’t supposed to be as long as it was but when I get in a groove... I think I made it obvious but I just wanted it to be over L O L. This one is pretty niche, but hopefully it can be enjoyed by both sides as it is a driver!reader.

(I didn't edit this, whoops)

2015

“Can you explain this picture?” The reporter asks, hovering in front of you with a phone in hand. The crappy quality is amplified as they have zoomed into the point where the picture is unrecognizable. You squint your eyes to see it and can’t make out quite what they’re trying to show.

“Sorry, w-what is that?” You ask, drawing back and squinting your eyes, resisting the urge to close them from exhaustion. Whoever decided it would be a good idea to do interviews after nearly 100 continuous laps in some barely held together race car with no break was a sadist. No other explanation.

“Oh! It’s a picture of you in a car with a guy.” The reporter said eagerly and shoved the phone your way. You briefly looked at the camera, an unimpressed look on your face, before turning back to the phone and squinting again.

You paused for a minute and drew back, your face still scrunched up, and exhaled.

“Nahhhhhh.” The drew out word left your mouth.

The reporter’s head tilted and they frowned.

“But it is! It’s you in Seoul after the Japanese Grand Prix!” He continued, looking very determined. You plastered a confused expression on your face.

“I’ve never been to Seoul before.” His face dropped and he turned back to his phone, as though trying to rationalize what he was hearing.

“Have you just taken a picture of… two random people in a car? To me it honestly doesn’t even look like anything cause it’s so zoomed in but to each their own.” You finished your words with a shrug.

“No, my source told me that that was 100% you! They said they saw you get in the car at the airport.” He continued on, undeterred by your flat disregard.

“I hate to say it, your contact’s wrong. I’ve never even set foot in the country.” You shrugged before turning to your PR manager who was gesturing for you to leave, with rather forceful movements. That was to clue you in that you were in trouble. With her personally or with the boss man, you didn’t know.

“Lovely to see you again, though.” You smiled and held your hand over. The interviewer tentatively took it and you exchanged good-byes before you turned around and left to go onto more interviews. The glance you exchanged with your PR manager told you that you were lucky you had not been caught out on your multiple lies and you heaved a sigh of relief to yourself.

Being the only female driver in a heavily male dominated sport was incredibly stressful. Add to that the eyes of reporters trying to find you doing anything remotely weird to spin it into a scandal and you had a lot of things to worry about. Especially since you had just started a relationship with a highly coveted Kpop singer which you were determined to keep under wraps.

You both had a bet running with each other. The first person to reveal the relationship would lose. There was no consequence but your pride, something which both of you had a bit too much of.

And so, a game was born. It simultaneously made you more careful of revealing your relationship while also making it a fun game.

This also meant that you had to start constantly lying to reporters to get out of tricky situations. Surely nothing bad could ever come from this.

2016: 

“How does it feel to be a key contender for the championship?” Asked a reporter, directing it to, of course, Lewis Hamilton, who was sat beside Daniel in a panel of drivers. You were sat on the other side of Daniel, the small desk in front of you reaching for miles on either side.

As Lewis gave the carbon copy response that he had given to every interviewer so far, Daniel leaned over to whisper in your ear.

“I’m surprised they haven’t called him out on that yet.” He then reached for his plastic water bottle and took a sip. You considered this for a second before leaning to his side and answered, not turning your face from the crowd of reporters.

“I’m surprised they haven’t called you out on your disgusting trim.” He jolted forward at this unprompted attack on his hair and the choking sound he emanated drew attention from all in the room, all watching him with curious eyes as he tried to regain his breath.

“You alright mate?” Lewis asked, one of his eyebrows arching.

“Y-yeah I’m fine.” Daniel replied, waving his hand, eager to have attention off of his spluttering. It took a while but eventually all the cameras were aimed back at Lewis, so Daniel took the opportunity to elbow you hard in the side, your reaction being to topple off your chair dramatically. Usually one for the dramatics, you’re not sure you’ve ever seen Daniel want the cameras off him so much. 

Hidden behind a small desk, you could only hear the questioning tones calling out your name and see Daniel’s slightly panicked face urging you to get up and back on your chair. With one single hand, you reached for the desk and slowly pulled yourself up.

You released a deep breath as you hauled yourself into your seat and turned to face the crowd of reporters who were looking at you. With a grand hand gesture, you motioned for them to continue with their interviews and turned slightly to Daniel with a smile. He shot you back an exasperated glance before your name was called from the crowd of reporters. You looked towards the reporter and he began speaking.

“So, as you’re the only female on the grid I feel the need to ask, if you could date any of the drivers, who would it be?” The eager face he had contrasted with your entirely unimpressed face. You could hear Daniel begin to start speaking and you could feel the defensive energy emanating from the rest of the drivers on the panel, but before any of them could interrupt with scathing criticism about the misogyny that permeated the question, you replied to the reporter.

“Literally none of them, I’d rather die.” Your response was met with general silence before Daniel started laughing as usual.

“Really? You wouldn’t fancy any of them?” The reporter asked, almost in disbelief.

“No!” You said almost equally in disbelief.

“I’m fine with what I have at home!” You added on after a second.

“Are you saying you’re in a relationship???” The reporter was on the edge of his seat, others shoving their microphones and cameras trying to get a good shot. You dramatically pondered that for a second before replying.

“I wouldn’t say that, I just have other things at home.” You said that and then leaned back, shrugged, and didn’t say anything else into the mic even at the reporters continual uproar as they took in the implications of that statement.

You, luckily, were able to avoid the increasingly weird questions by just not answering and smiling. You weren’t as lucky to miss the smirks thrown your way by the other drivers.

2017:

“It doesn’t count!” You said in disbelief, aiming it at the microphone of your phone.

“Mmm I’d say it counts.” Kyungsoo replied back teasingly, his voice echoing into your AirPods. 

“You can’t go back on your word!! You said it was fine last year!” You were sitting at a table in your company's hospitality, having a conversation with Kyungsoo on the phone, blissfully unaware of the interviews going on outside the building which had a clear view into the small area. 

“Yeah but it’s been two years, one of us has to call it quits soon.” Your face contorted before Kyungsoo quickly amended his statement.

“The bet! The bet! Sorry, that came out the wrong way.” 

You just shook your head, a small smile growing on your lips.

“You bastard, you had me a little worried.” He scoffed in response. He had been speaking quietly into the phone as he was hiding in a closet in the SM building, taking a break from practice to talk to you. A true charmer.

“As if.” He replied shortly, a loud scuffling heard on his side.

“One second.” He said, as a banging sound came through into your headphones.

“Come on Hyung! Get off the phone and come back before someone else finds you!” Kai’s voice could be heard through the door. A pause before the banging started again.

“Also tell her I said hello!” You giggled at the younger man’s words and Kyungsoo’s sigh in response.

“I’ll call you after the race, do your best, I love you.” Kyungsoo muttered into his phone before shouting back to Kai something about respect and to shut up. It just made you laugh more.

“I love you too, practice well and I’ll call you soon.” You finally said in response after the yelling died down.

“Bye.” He said before quickly tacking on another “love you” and then he hung up.

After he hung up you just stared at your screen for a second with a smile you would 100% not call radiant on your face. It was quickly wiped off when your PR manager popped up out of nowhere and started talking about interviews, causing you to switch to English as you stood up and followed him.

However, the interview still captured your little moment and the conversation preluding it. You knew this because, when you went back to your phone after the race, Baekhyun had sent you a picture of your smile through the tinted glass with a smirking emoji as well as a picture of Kyungsoo on the floor in the closet in the dark talking to you on the phone, not to mention the hounding you got at the next press conference.

2018:

You knew it was risky to do a live in your own apartment, especially since you were in a completely different country than where you were claiming you were.

But your PR team wanted you to do it, and you couldn’t exactly tell them no, even if you were currently lying to them about your circumstances. You were a bit worried that something unexplainable might happen like the South Korean national anthem suddenly blaring but what you weren’t worried about was the person who you were living with coming back and interrupting your live.

Kyungsoo was at practice and, while you were ok with him skipping it to talk to you on the phone, you didn’t want him to skip it now, as you had been promised a few days without any interruption if he went to every practice. So he was at practice and you were fulfilling all your expected PR duties for the next couple of days, which included the live.

Regardless of your hesitations, you set up your phone on your coffee table facing the entrance to your home and sat on the couch before turning on the live. Immediately people joined, flooding the chat and making your phone vibrate.

“Uhhh hello everyone.” You awkwardly greeted as you tried to think of things to say. Kyungsoo would be fantastic at this, you couldn’t help but think, always having to do live’s with his members.

“How’s everyone’s days been?” You settled on and watched the responses roll into the chat. You noticed a few drivers had joined your live and even a few of the boys from F2 and F3 were watching, which you thought was pretty nice of them considering it was mainly you rambling for around 30 minutes.

Your manager wanted you to do an hour minimum for the live and the time seemed to stretch for years, you continuously making small talk and occasionally replying to comments. You even snuck in a few jokes for the other drivers before, around the 55 minute mark, a sound came from your end.

You furrowed your eyebrows as you wondered where the noise was coming from, looking around the apartment. Quickly standing up, you looked around the apartment, making a lighthearted joke about ghosts as you nervously tried to find the origin of the sound.

You realised that sound was the wrong key being put in the lock as soon as you registered the sound of the correct key being put in.

As Kyungsoo opened the door, you made the biggest leap you think you have ever made. It would’ve had to have been around 4 meters surely. Somehow you had leapt onto the coffee table, knocking your phone down. Kyungsoo was staring at you weirdly as you violently gestured at him to shush. He raised an eyebrow.

“Are you ok?” He asked, his deep voice sounding as lovely as ever. You took a second, contemplating your options in this circumstance before coming to a logical conclusion.

You started to scream.

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!!” Kyungsoo’s face shifted to one of confusion as yours was full of desperation.

“YOU CRAZY PSYCHO! GET OUT!!” You continued to yell in perfect English, a contrast from his peaceful question, and gestured for Kyungsoo to close the door, which he did, albeit very confused.

As soon as he closed the door, you maneuvered yourself so that you weren’t facing him and quickly picked up your phone from underneath you.

“Oh my god, what just happened.” You said, showing the camera your roof. You picked up the phone and started fidgeting with it.

“‘Are you ok?’ Yeah I’m fine, I just gotta figure out how to change the locks. I’ll uh.. I’ll get back to you guys. See you later.” You said absentmindedly, as you ended the live.

You paused for a second, sat back on your heels, and sighed, staring up at the roof. The sound of footfalls reached your ears and you didn’t react when Kyungsoo placed a hand on your shoulder.

“I’m not losing this bet.” You mumbled, staring at the ground. An incredulous laugh left him at that as he reached his hand further and brought your face to look at him. A smile that there was no other way to describe but goofy was spread across his face.

“You’re still thinking of that?” He asked and you nodded.

“I take our bet very seriously.” You said before he slightly shook his head, gave you a kiss on the forehead, and moved towards the kitchen.

You picked yourself up and moved to the dining table as he started work in the kitchen. And, as he made a delicious dinner that you both enjoyed, you started to field off your PR team asking who was in your house and ignoring the comments wondering why the guy was speaking Korean in the middle of England.

2019: 

It was approximately ten minutes before you had to be in the car and ready to go, and you were half-way there. You had your fireproofs and race suit on and you were being herded towards your car by a crowd of engineers. Strategies and specifics were being directed at you and you could only nod and act as though you were absorbing what they were saying.

Even after four years on the job some people felt they just couldn’t rely on you. Honestly, they should just let you do your thing, you knew what you were doing. 

No! God, ever since Kyungsoo had joined the military you’d been irritable and quick to anger on the track. Your poor engineers were trying their best to get through to you, likely because they wanted to keep their jobs, but you’d been incredibly closed off since after you got back from the honeymoon. 

Oh yeah, you got married. During a break and right before Kyungsoo was scheduled to start his enlistment, you got married down in a small courthouse with only a few people from either side. You had your family, a few close friends, and a few drivers while Kyungsoo had his family, a few close friends, and the whole of EXO.

It was very emotional and intimate, but that was how you’d describe your relationship so you were very happy with it. You were also extremely happy with the week get-away in the middle of nowhere in New Zealand that followed after, a week of people not recognising both you, farmers markets, and sheep. Lot’s of sheep.

But ever since he’d flown off to do his duty to his country (and shaved his head, no one should look that good with a shaved head) and you’d flown to your next race, you’d been incredibly… angry.

You didn’t know if it had to do with not seeing Kyungsoo for the better part of two years or having that split immediately after the wedding, but what you did know was that it was affecting your racing so you had to snap out of it.

Being dragged back to the present you quickly hopped in the car and performed all of your checks on the steering wheel and adjusted things while people flitted around outside the car, adjusting things and making sure the car was in proper state.

After a quick radio check, the call to start up for the formation lap (you were in P11 after a pretty dodgy qualifying) was relayed and all around you could hear car’s engines coming to life. You glanced at your engineers and snapped down your visor at their nod, starting the car.

Before you pressed the throttle something quickly came to mind. You rapidly gestured for one of your engineers to come close to you, incredibly conscious of all the cars revving around you. The poor engineer almost sprinted to you as you started to fiddle with the zip of your racesuit, the gloves you were wearing prohibiting you from unzipping it.

The engineer's face was comically concerned and he slowly reached forwards before you looked up and grabbed his outreached hand. His face immediately went to one of shock as you made his hand grab the zip and unzip the front part of the suit.

Choosing to ignore the cameras capturing this interaction you continued unzipping it till it lay around your collarbones, hoping the cameras don’t catch any of your naked shoulders. The engineer's face then relaxed as he saw the necklace around your neck and he quickly reached in, almost leaning over the car, to move your necklace around your neck till the latch was in front of him.

He cautiously unlatched the necklace before zipping up your race suit. You immediately relaxed as the pressure around your neck was relieved. Before he could retreat back to the crowd of engineers, you grabbed the hand that wasn’t holding your necklace and slapped it appreciatively with your other hand.

He retreated as you powered up the car and started to move it forwards, letting all the cars that needed to go before go before you started to move. 

Your team radio started up as you were leaving the pit lane.

“You all had us very confused there.” Your race engineer said as you started your cruise around the track. 

“Yeah, sorry I completely forgot about it. But I thought it was better to take it off.” You said, pressing down on the throttle. 

“He better not lose that though. I want that back at the end of the race.” You subtly threatened, suddenly thinking of the rings that were attached to the necklace. You hoped that maybe the cameras hadn’t seen your wedding and engagement rings but you knew there was no chance they hadn’t not captured it. Oh well.

“I don’t know if you’ll get it back by the end of the race.” Your engineer said, her tone almost sarcastic. 

“What’s that mean?” You asked, letting the car cruise.

“You’ll probably be killed by your PR team first.” She said bluntly. So bluntly it made you laugh. 

“I’ve got a race to focus on.” You reminded her, leaving out the part that you had a race to think of an excuse as to why you have two rings attached to a necklace around your neck.

And you did think of an excuse, wearing the necklace proudly during post-race interviews and saying it was a family heirloom that had been passed on to you by your grandma whenever you were questioned about it.

The moment still went viral though, people questioning the relationship between you and the engineer. It went viral enough to that you had to suffer through teasing by Daniel and his accomplice Max Verstappen (you didn’t know how the kid knew you were married but you suspected it had something to do with an annoying Australian) not to mention the shit being talked in the EXO group chat you were in.

I mean seriously, all of those guys are millionaires, does Chen have nothing else to do with his time than bully the wife of his bandmate?

2020: (sorry Alex)

Somehow you got signed to RedBull on a year contract. Not to say you weren’t grateful for the opportunity but you were definitely a bit confused. But anyway, you let bygones be bygones and now you had a 22 year-old dutch nuisance under your wing.

He was a great kid but god, was he traumatized. You were convinced he’d never seen a healthy family dynamic, so you were more than happy to let him see how you and Kyungsoo functioned. Or at least how you functioned when he was not in the military.

You kind of felt like a life coach for the kid, telling him when he was being taken advantage of or when he should continue with something. You’d been woken up plenty of times in the middle of the night by him drunkenly whining into the phone about wanting to go “home”, something neither of you commented on when he woke up on your couch the next day.

So, safe to say, you’d practically adopted a child without the permission of your husband.

This extended to on the track as well, you’d gotten into a few mild disagreements with Jos Verstappen after his cruel comments which often involved you looking at him angrily and him shit-talking you in interviews about you being a woman. You’d often have to refrain from saying that you’d always be more of a man than him, but alas, you didn’t want to get kicked from your seat.

You knew that Max was extremely appreciative of your dynamic, even commenting on it a few times during interviews, saying that he was very happy to have you as a teammate. After that interview you almost felt like you and his lover, Daniel, were able to give him some sort of an idea of what a normal family relationship should look like.

This sentiment was definitely reinforced when a loud knocking on your Monaco apartment door happened in the early afternoon. It was a weekend with no race, so you were soaking in relaxation. You were having a nice bubble bath after having read for the whole morning, so you were hesitant to hop out of the bath. 

The knocking persisted however, and with a sigh, you got out of the bath and wrapped a bathrobe around you before loudly yelling you’d be a minute. You tugged on some sweats which weren’t yours and put your hair in a towel before eventually making your way to the door. 

You might’ve taken more than a minute, but it didn’t matter when you opened the door and were greeted with the image of Max Verstappen on his knees, face pressed into the expensive hallway carpet. What a sight to see, the prodigy and most highly anticipated driver of his time, lying face-first on the floor.

“What the fuck?” You asked, immediately crouching down to his level after a quick glance to see that none of your neighbors had left their apartments to check on the banging (pretentious, self-concerned people). 

You rolled him over, your confusion doubling as you took in the remorseful look etched across the young man's face, almost tripling as you took in the barely concealed tears in his eyes. Your heart ached though and you pulled him up so that he was sitting on his knees.

“I’m so sorry.” He muttered as your face contorted in confusion. What had happened? “Come inside Max.” You said quietly, helping him up from his spot on the floor and leading him inside, locking the door after you both. Leading him to the couch, you left him after putting the throw blanket over his shoulders, and went to make both of you a tea.

You noticed your phone constantly vibrating on your kitchen counter and quickly chucked it on do not disturb, not checking the notifications because you were more concerned with your teary teammate. 

After grabbing the teas you made your way to the couch, setting them down on coasters on the coffee table, before sitting on the edge of the ‘L’ piece of the couch, so you were facing Max. You grabbed his hand from his lap where he had been nervously picking at his nail beds.

“What’s wrong Max?” You asked calmly, bringing his hand to your lap to stop him from hurting himself. He looked up at you, a few tears having rolled down his cheeks. 

Whatever had happened had fucked him up. You didn’t think it was a fight with his dad, he’d sadly become pretty unresponsive to those. You briefly considered him losing his seat but shook that off, he was doing exceptionally well. 

Maybe you’d lost your seat and he was sent to deliver the news. That would make more sense, especially as your phone was blowing up. You hadn’t been performing very well, but you didn’t think they’d drop you from your seat midway through the season, especially during a season as turbulent as this one.

It was the only reason that made sense though, so you prepared yourself for the news that you would be unemployed. Maybe you’d go back to F2 or maybe IndyCar? Or you could just move to South Korea and live there permanently, letting Kyungsoo fulfill his passion for acting and singing while you did a few kart races to occasionally quench your thirst for adrenaline. 

That actually didn’t sound too bad, though you’d definitely have to discuss it with Kyungsoo when he got back from enlistment, which meant around 5 months of unemployment. But hey, you had the money and so did Kyungsoo.

Max snapped you from your thoughts of the future by clearing his throat.

“You don’t know?” He asked, curiously glancing up at you. You furrowed your eyebrows.

“No…” You said, conveying your confusion. “Should I?” 

“Have you checked your phone recently?” Yep, you were definitely getting fired. You should probably start packing now. Maybe Daniel could get his seat back? You shook your head in response to his quiet question.

“I’ve just been reading all morning.” Max nodded, a small ‘ah’ leaving his mouth as he stared at the floor. He reached for his tea, his hand leaving your lap. You narrowed your eyes at that, following his movements as he sipped, a gasp immediately leaving his throat as he burnt it.

You immediately cussed and sprung up from your couch to grab a glass of cold water, running back to the couch and giving it to Max, watching as he gulped down the glass. When he finished he turned back to you and thanked you, before pausing for a second and bursting into another round of tears. You placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You’re really freaking me out Max. Can you please tell me what’s wrong?” You asked gently, trying to make him catch your eye.

“Promise you won't hate me?” His small voice asked and you internally crumpled at his vulnerable question. Honestly you never thought you’d end up gentle-parenting a teammate like he was a child of yours, especially since you were only like 5 years older than him, but here you were, caring for him like family.

“Yes, I won’t hate you Max.” You repeated as he finally caught your eye. He took a deep breath before starting to speak.

“I was doing an interview for the press and they started asking questions about other drivers and my relationship to them. They then asked about you and I said that I’m really close to you and etcetera.” Ok, seems pretty normal so far. At least you weren’t getting fired, hopefully.

“And they asked if I see you more as a mother figure or a romantic interest.” He said before quickly turning his eyes away. This confused you before you clued in.

“Oh Max.” You said quietly and he turned back to you. “I’m flattered you feel that way but I am married and I am loyal-”

“No, no, no!” He said, louder than he’d ever spoken in the time since he was on the floor. His cheeks had turned bright red as he looked in your eyes.

“No, I didn’t say that I saw you romantically!” He quickly amended and you breathed a sigh of relief, smiling.

“Ok, that’s good! I didn’t want our friendship to be awkward.” You said, looking at him for a response. He just grimaced and averted his gaze. You gestured for him to go on confusedly and he began speaking again.

“And I said more like a mother-figure.” A statement which made you feel positive things you don’t want to address. “Then I may have accidentally said that, even though I haven’t met him, I see your husband as more of a father-figure as well.” He quickly rushed the last part out and you sat, stunned. 

The room went silent while you processed what he told you. Fuuuuckkk. How much trouble were you going to be in? I mean the team knew, but this wasn’t something you could pass off as your grandmother's rings. This was undeniable proof that you had a husband. God press days were going to suck after this unless you could somehow make an excuse.

As time went on he seemed to collapse in on himself, the energy quickly switching to something you didn’t like.

“To be honest I thought you were going to tell me I’d lost my seat.” You said and Max’s head snapped up. “What?” He asked, disbelieving.

“Yeah I know, crazy.” You laughed, dragging out the last word, trying to establish a more relaxed aura in the room.

“No, why haven’t you kicked me out yet?” It was at times like this you really wanted to punch Jos Verstappen in the face. You made an over exaggerated confused face, hoping the fact that that had never gone through your mind was on display in your face.

“Max, why would I do that?” You asked, your voice very quickly becoming soothing.

“Why aren’t you mad at me? You’ve spent years hiding this! You should be yelling at me!” He said, standing up. You tried, in vain, to get him to sit down by gently calling him, but he started pacing.

“I’ve just ruined your chances at revealing this yourself, at ever having another peaceful day in your marriage, and all you can do is make a joke?!” He almost started yelling, clenching his fists. You got fed-up and yelled his name, calling his attention to you.

“You’re in my house as my guest. You will not tell me what to do or how to handle situations. Sit your ass down.” You yelled, your voice incredibly commanding. He followed your instructions and sat smally in front of you.

“Max. It was eventually going to come out. I don’t mind. I’d much rather it come off handedly from you than maliciously leaked by a random instagram page.” You said and he looked up, almost looking close to tears. You frowned before bringing the boy up into a hug. You stayed like that for a few minutes before you had to ask a question.

“You didn’t reveal who he was though, no?” You asked, still in the hug. You felt Max shake his head and you silently fistpumped behind his back. It wasn’t your fault, so it technically didn’t count and you hadn’t lost the bet.

You were right, by the way, press days were soon filled with questions about your mystery husband instead of your racing. But it was fine, you were somehow able to twist it as though you’d made a joke about having a husband and Max took it seriously.

Phew.

2021: (sorry latifi)

“And so today you will be reacting to fan edits of yourselves!” The lady behind the camera finished, prompting you and George to look at eachother. It was early in the season and, even though you’d raced together for a few years, you weren’t exactly close, being that before pre-season meetings, you hadn’t ever talked. At all.

This meant he didn’t know much about your personal life or the whole ‘husband’ thing. Which was fine, you’d tell him in your own time, when you felt your friendship was strong enough. He seemed to be a great kid, though you were determined to not adopt another grown child, especially after the look you got from Kyungsoo when you mentioned the fact you may have ‘accidentally’ had Christmas with Max Verstappen.

But hey, they had finally met during February and it was almost like a Dad saying that his daughter can’t adopt a cat while simultaneously cuddling with the cat. Kyungsoo, against his better judgment, had instantly attached to Max and now you were battling for the position of being his favourite driver. Which you were totally not bitter about (you said your favourite EXO member was Sehun in retaliation and he changed your mind very quickly).

Back to the present, the people behind the camera placed a tablet on the table in front of you. It was open on the photo gallery and you could already see some very flattering videos saved to the device.

“You wanna go first?” You asked, and George nodded before picking up the tablet and scrolling through the photo library. He closed his eyes and landed on one. Loud music immediately began playing from the device, you think ‘London Boy’ by Taylor Swift, and you both watched in varying states of horror as photos and clips of him flashed on the screen.

As the video ended you both accidentally made eye-contact. Now, as an almost 28 year old woman, the simple gesture of looking into your teammate's stricken eyes should not have made burst out laughing as hard as you did. But, god, George’s eyes were expressive. In fairness he also did laugh, though he probably was confused as to why you were laughing so much.

After you caught your breath you could only utter out,

“Your face...” Before peeling back into giggles again. He started laughing again as well before putting the tablet down. In doing so, he accidentally swiped the tablet and the Backstreet Boys started playing, an edit of the 2019 rookies playing as the video.

This chain event caused you to start gasping, the sheer ridiculousness of the videos catching up to you. George only took one look at the tears forming in your eyes before he was also wheezing out harsh breaths from laughing.

It took around 2 minutes for you to look at each other without laughing and, for you both to be able to pick up the tablet without giggling, it took another minute or so. You eventually began scrolling through the tablet, laughing at some and ‘aww’-ing at some of the sad ones. 

Eventually a video came up with the background music to ‘Give it to me’ by Sistar, an edit of you that was hot but had you gasping at the lyrics.

“What?” George looked over to you, curious as to why there was another noise that came out of your mouth than laughing or a strained ‘why?’.

“The audacity!” You said, as the music continued playing.

“What..?” George asked, more confused than previously.

“Do you want to know the lyrics they’ve just edited me to?” You asked, looking over at him, your voice pretending to be offended.

“What?” He said, his tone changing again to have a sort of goading lilt.

“Will I even get married before I turn thirty.” You said with an air of finality, turning to glare at the camera, your jaw dramatically hung open. George gasped mockingly.

“How dare they!” He said sarcastically and you nodded eagerly.

“I know right!” You responded beginning a stereotypical mean girl impression. “How dare they!” After that little fiasco, you both kept scrolling and laughing (a notable example of this being when an edit of George crying came up, him pushing your shoulders as you continued to laugh). 

Eventually the video was being wrapped up and George was preparing to do a sort of sign off when he paused and turned to you.

“I know we aren’t incredibly close…” He started and you prepared for a multitude of questions. You didn’t know him well enough to predict what he might say, so you went over your predisposed answers to questions in your head.

You knew he wouldn’t ask anything uncomfortable, like about your relationship status, or anything really weird, like how many socks do you wash at once. But that left a gaping probability for mildly-weird or mildly-uncomfortable questions. You hoped he wouldn’t ask that, but you were still prepared to be asked if you threw out your receipts or kept them.

“But I didn’t know you knew Korean. How did you learn?” 

Oh. Fuck.

You did not have an answer for that. How the fuck did you not have an answer for that? You definitely should have had an answer for that. Oh wait, you didn’t have an answer because you promised yourself not to tell anyone that you could speak Korean so that you didn’t get that question!

The real, close-friends answer was that Kyungsoo had taught you over a range of years and that you’d taken courses so that you’d be able to talk to his friends and family. However you didn’t have a PR approved answer because you’d never thought that you’d need one. Time to put your problem solving skills to the test. 

“Uhhhhh…” You said, staring confusedly at George, aware of the seconds that had passed while you were internally monologuing. You hoped your expression didn’t convey the level of gob-smacked that you felt but you think it did because George’s face contorted to be one of worry.

“If that’s a sensitive topic or something you don’t have to answer!” He quickly said as though he was trying to fix the situation. You’d later learn the George thought before your video that you were kind of ‘fucking terrifying’ (his words) and that he was scared he’d screwed up by asking you this and one of his ‘hero’s’ (his words) wouldn’t ever want to talk to him again. 

“Nah, nah. It’s ok.” You waved him off, desperately trying to think of something. Oh! You knew exactly what to say.

“Basically I just have this really good friend who is Korean and I asked him to teach me for fun.” You said simply, before realising that wasn’t good enough considering your reaction.

“I was trying to hide how good I’ve gotten to try and surprise him but I guess it’s ok.” You said, a small smile on your face. George relaxed from his tense state and nodded, a small smile playing onto his lips as well.

“Ah that’s cool. Sorry to spoil the surprise.” You waved him off again and he continued the video’s outro.

Another good save, you really oughta be hired to problem-solve. And by problem-solving you mean lying to the media. And George. Poor George. 

2022: (yeah the timelines don’t match, don’t call me out pls)

A loud banging sounded against your hotel door. You groaned, dropping the book onto your chest from where you held it up. Glancing angrily at the door, you rolled out of bed and stomped over to the entrance. You ripped open the door and prepared to start reaming the person on the other side before letting out a high-pitched scream.

You were in Japan for the Suzuka GP. You always didn’t like the Japanese GP because, even though you were incredibly close to Kyungsoo, your schedules never lined up so you could never see him. 

That fact really grinded your gears, but it’s what you get when you try to schedule something with SM Entertainment. A decisive ‘No.’ What a great company. To be honest, was Willaims really any better?

No. No they weren’t. That mere fact infuriated you enough to make you scream. However, it wasn’t the reason you were currently screaming. That was because, standing in your doorway in the middle of the team hotel, was Kai. 

You hadn’t seen him in a few months, you both had busy schedules, so the man appearing on your doorstep was miraculous. You didn’t think of why he was there, or how he got there. You just threw your arms around him and gave him a hug.

“Oh my god!” You screamed, before immediately regretting it and quickly pulling him into your hotel room before someone came out of their rooms and wondered why he was in front of yours.

“Hi!” He said, laughing as he let himself be pushed into your room despite the fact he could pick you up and throw you.

“What are you doing here?” You asked changing your pulling into a hug, squeezing the younger man as though he was your child. You had a serious problem with that, treating men almost your age as children. But Kai was more of a brother than a child, to be quite frank. That distinction just meant that he really really bugged you.

“I have a concert tomorrow and I thought I might just stop in.” He said, a smile on his face. “Though it is only me, sorry.”

“That’s ok!” You said, still in disbelief one of your closest friends was on your doorstep.

“Does Kyungsoo know?” Kai smirked in response to your question. That was answer enough in itself and you slapped Kai on the shoulder.

“You should’ve told him! He might’ve come.” Kai gasped in mock offense.

“What am I not good enough? Would you really prefer your husband that much?” He continued in mock offense and you dead-panned him. He just laughed in response.

“I did have to tell the company I was coming though, and they asked me to film a TikTok with you.” He quickly rushed out and you groaned, staring at the sky. What was up with all of these people wanting you to do TikTok’s?! You had all of your team's PR people constantly chasing you with a camera and now you had Kai asking for a video.

“Fine.” You ground out and Kai grinned, purposely ignoring your annoyance.

“Fantastic!” He said and quickly whipped out his phone, launching into his plans of what to film. Your only artistic input was that he had to cool it on the filters or else you wouldn’t film. 

The video started with the familiar sound of Peaches by Kai and a hand knocking on your hotel door, you opening the door curiously. As the chorus sounded, you recorded Kai dancing in your doorway, incredibly aware of the chance of any of your colleagues walking into the hallway and wondering what the fuck was going on.

The video continued after the chorus, Kai recording you slamming the door in his face with a confused expression. The video then ended with a still image of the both of you doing a heart together with your hands and you let Kai go rampant on the filters, hearts and sparkles flying around on the screen. 

When you watched it back, Kai waiting at your side eagerly to see your reaction, you did your best to hide the laughing fit you had in reaction to the monstrosity. You couldn’t quite hide the gasps that were leaving you though and Kai frowned.

“It’s perfect. I love it.” You said, through your giggles and he smiled.

“I know. It’s fantastic.” You only nodded because you couldn’t trust yourself to talk, a small whine escaping through your lips at the struggle of not laughing.

“Do you want to see the caption?” He asked and you violently nodded your head. 

“Please.” 

“P15 but still P1 EXO-L.” He read out and you just hung your jaw open. “You bastard!” You laughed out. 

“I put it in Korean as well.” Your only response was to hit him, hard, while still laughing and shaking your head.

“Should we run it by your PR team before posting?” Kai asked, taking a serious note. You looked to him and sucked in air through your teeth.

“Nahhhh.” You replied and he shrugged, and clicked post.

“I should probably tell Kyungsoo you were here before he finds out through the internet.” You said, reaching for your phone. Kai nodded vehemently.

One phone call later, an angry Kyungsoo and an apologetic Kai later, the TikTok was making its rounds and your phone was blowing up, your poor PR agent about to have a heart attack.

On that delightful note Kai left your hotel room, farewelled with a minute long hug and a well-wish for his concert, and you were left to phone your PR agent who just screamed into the phone for 10 seconds before actually speaking.

Of course, during the press releases for the rest of the season, you talked about how much of an EXO-L you were and how close of a friend you were to Kai. This didn’t come without dating rumours but, due to one poorly angled camera shot of your disgusted face when a reporter suggested dating to your face, that was shut down pretty quickly. 

Still no one had shipped you with the other EXO members though, so you weren’t even close to losing the bet. (Though you had been asked which EXO member was your favourite, which you responded to with a smirk.)

2023:

It was a good race, you finishing P4 which was a huge improvement since last season. Your team was on top of the moon as were you, smiling from ear to ear. You were currently in the press area, getting asked questions left and right about the car and your performance.

You were adequately responding to each question, sometimes looking questioningly your PR agent when you weren’t sure how to respond. A loud crash sounded through the area that drew the attention of most in the area as a reporters chair fell to the ground. They had jumped up at something on their phone and, like everyone else in the pen, you were wondering what had them so fired up.

Then their eyes darted up and made eye-contact with you. Your internal monologue quickly changed from questioning to a repeated loop of ‘Oh no. Oh no.’ as they advanced your way, moving like a predator stalks their prey. They thrusted their phone under your nose, the shitty little mic attached to it capturing every breath you took and the many cameras in the area capturing your wide eyes.

The reporter addressed you by name before starting to speak.

“Do you know of a man by the name Doh Kyungsoo?” They asked and your world cracked. What on earth had happened? How did they know? All you knew was that it was time for the one acting class your mum had made you take to try and sway you from racing to come to full effect.

“I think he’s from that band Kai’s in, yeah?” You responded after a second of fake pondering. The reporter's eyes narrowed like a hawk.

“You wouldn’t say you were close? Not close enough to get married perhaps?” The reporter asked, clearly trying to stir the pot. Oh my god, was this a prank? How the fuck did they know? How were you supposed to play this off? Would this jeopardize your career?

“Uhhm no…?” You said, incredulously, fixing them a scandalized stare. They sarcastically nodded.

“Oh really? Then what’s this?” They said and shoved their phone closer to your face till you saw a picture of you and Kyungsoo on your wedding day. How did they get this? Had one of your small circle leaked something?

You tried not to let the bewilderment you felt show on your face.

“I’m sorry? Are you trying to pass this off as real? It’s obviously photoshopped! I’m so tired of people trying to fabricate a story of me dating every person I’ve interacted with!” You finally snapped, letting a few years of pent up tension out in this moment. The reporter only continued to smirk.

“Oh really!” They said and you wanted to punch them and their snooty little face. To try and display this, your face fell into one of contempt.

“Is that why this image was posted to Doh Kyungsoo’s official instagram account with the caption ‘Sorry for making you lie to the press for eight years!’?” 

They got you there, dam.

Your jaw dropped open, the corners of your mouth rising at the pure hilarity of this situation.

“Excuse me?” You asked, grabbing the phone off the reporter and tapping back onto the post. They were right, Kyungsoo had posted to his official instagram that exact post. It was a carousel post with pictures taken of when you’d lied to the press about him, from the initial lying about being in Seoul to a picture of your ringed necklace to a picture of you smirking after being asked which EXO member was your favourite.

You couldn’t help but release a laugh, your hand traveling to cover your open mouth. Why did he post this? 

Wait.

This meant you won the bet. Your head shot up to stare at a camera.

“I won the bet.” You said quietly. The reporter snatched their phone back and stared at you confused. 

“What?” They asked and you whipped your head to them, a large smile spreading across your face.

“I won the bet!” You said eagerly, reaching out to grab their shoulders and rock them back and forth.

“I won the bet!!” You ignored how they shook you off, turning to your PR Agent instead and grabbing them and lifting them up. They hurriedly tapped your back as you lifted them, as though signaling you to drop them, but you ignored that and started spinning them around. 

“I actually can’t believe it, oh my god!” You snapped out of it and dropped your PR Agent, immediately running out of the media pen and back to your driver room, pulling your necklace out of your racesuit and pulling your rings off, placing them back on their correct fingers.

You quickly packed everything up, ignoring the ringing of your phone as your team tried to get you to go to more press conferences and briefings, and you got out of there, on the first plane to Seoul you could book.

When you arrived, after a long plane trip filled with excitement and pictures being taken of you, decked out in your team's merchandise as you sat buzzing in your seat, your phone was completely blowing up, messages from everyone in your contact list and more. You turned it off (you’d deal with it later) after calling an uber to your apartment.

You were jittery the whole ride, hoping that, despite the time of night, Kyungsoo was still awake. When you arrived outside your apartment building, you felt all the tension in your body ease, and you looked up to see the light on in your window. You smiled and took your suitcase handle in hand and ventured into the building, greeting the old lady at the desk.

Riding the lift up to your apartment nearly had you pacing and you almost ran down the hallway towards your door, quickly knocking. You felt the reverberations in the floorboards as Kyungsoo walked over to the door and a sense of euphoria filled you at the familiarity.

The door was barely open before you launched yourself at Kyungsoo, his heavenly laughter filled your ears as he caught you. You quickly found yourself in a kiss before pulling back and peppering kisses all over his face, finding his giggles more lovely than his singing.

You both pulled back just to look in eachothers eyes and you smiled simultaneously. 

“I love you.” You muttered, the happiness from the day finally catching up to you.

“I love you too.” He whispered, tilting his head before going in for another kiss. 

“You know.” He began later that night, when you were just lying in bed cuddling together. You turned your head from its position on his chest to look at him, his eyes remaining on the roof.

“I think I won in the end.” You immediately reared your head back, prepared to object at the sheer wrongness of his answer. He anticipated this though and dropped his hand from where it was combing through your hair to your mouth. He also dropped his head as to make eye contact.

“You stuck by me through everything. Even though you had to lie almost every day and had to listen to millions of rumours about me with other people, you still stayed with me. You learned a whole other language just to know people who knew me. Nothing I will ever say will ever put into perspective how much I appreciate what you’ve done for me. The way you’ve loved me will be comparable to nothing other than how much I’ve loved you.” His heartfelt speech made your head vibrate and a few tears left your eyes at his words, him kissing each one away. 

You whined deep in the back of your throat and he released a laugh at your response. 

“You could’ve just said ‘I love you’.” You said quietly.

“That’s true too.” He said, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

ahh it's over! dividers from this post btw, it's 11:59 pm let me sleep.

[an-annyeoing-writer]

vampire!Baekhyun x Reader: sweet bloody talk. [+18]

Word count: 7 479

Date of release: 5th November 2023

Warnings: s*xual content, mentions of blood.

Author's notes: @synthetickitsune I swear I had the entire draft ready before you posted yours, but I feel like we have one shared brain cell for some things LOL

The first thing you took note of upon entering the club was that the music was better than you expected from the mediocre and obscure premise. This type of music was not something you usually heard in dancing places – it was more on the heavy side, and it gave off the vibe of 80’s goths and black platform heels adorned with spikes. Not your regular music choice, but you couldn’t say that you were disappointed.

It was supposed to be just a few hours of relax. You felt a bit distraught recently, with books and other home entertainments feeling like you’re starting to drown in a routine. You needed a variety, even though your friends group consisted mostly of people who didn’t care for parties, and you yourself had no idea as to what people are supposed to do at one. Even the club was something you found online and not through a recommendation. You were shamelessly aware that you chose it just because the menu appeared cheaper than in others, and they would let ladies in for free if they wore heels. A bit sexist in your opinion, but free entry was free entry after all.

The place wasn’t too crowded, but the spots by the bar were all busy, and with the customers gathered around – a lot of them for such an early hour – you quickly came to a conclusion that you’d rather sit down somewhere else and look around to see if there’s anything for you to do.

You hated dancing.

It’s not that it was impossible to sway from one side to the other on repeat. But you were awfully aware how lame it must have looked while done by someone who didn’t represent excess of physical appeal, and so, since it didn’t bring you any joy either, you avoided it at all costs. For the same reason, the dancing floor was definitely not an interesting place to look at. And besides, everyone was still too sober for their dancing skills to become entertaining.

The spot you found, a bar chair by a tall, round table with the top made of glass, was a good lookout point. A row of tables like such was on a not so tall podium along the wall, so the heads of the people were a bit below and you could see the entire ground floor of the club very well. Guests were still coming in.

There was a part of the club, though, that, although in the range of your sight, didn’t appear reachable at all – the upper floor. A balcony with glass balustrade shined above the heads of all people gathered in the dancing floor. The VIP zone.

Your eyes, bored of looking down, traveled up automatically, trying to have a look at anyone there. You suspected that the VIP zone of such an average place was occupied by college students and corporates going at party nights. In fact, the only person that was looking out the balustrade at the moment, with his eyes fixated somewhere by the bar, was a tall and well-built boy who could as well be a basketball player, dressed in a simple t-shirt and sweatpants. You snorted quietly, realizing that in any of the books you read, he would be a multimillionaire, spotting an average girl in the crowd below, falling in love at the first sight…

“Whatcha looking at?”

You jumped and almost fell off your chair at the voice that sounded out next to you.

Your eyes shot to the person who was currently sitting in the chair next to yours, watching you with a polite, non-intrusive smile. Although the fact you didn’t notice him join in freaked you out, he didn’t appear ill-intended. Yet, you didn’t miss a small smirk in the corner of his lip at the sudden reaction that you graced his question with.

“Oh… Nothing, really, just people” you answered, composing yourself. A small part of you wanted to carry on some sort of conversation just to not stay completely alienated for the rest of the night. But the remaining part of you had no idea, how. “How’s your evening?” you asked out of no better choice.

The man leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, and smiled widely, acknowledging that you’re not against the interaction.

“A bit boring, to be honest. I came here with some friends, but they all already busied themselves with stuff. What about you? Who did you come with?”

His voice was tender and careful, and his face looked very soft. You took a moment to acknowledge a simple baseball cap on his head, pulled on a bit too low so that he had to tilt his head backwards to see what’s on his eye level. He also wore a black, plain bomber jacket that made you think he’s a part of some college team – but there were no logos or other signs anywhere that would hint to his affiliation. In fact, you quickly came to the conclusion that it’s just his fashion choice.

“I actually came here alone” you blabbered without a second thought. “I’m not really a party person, to be honest…”

“Oh. I can tell.”

“Huh?”

Should you feel offended? Your face must have betrayed the uncertainty, because the man’s eyes widened and he visibly panicked at the social mistake.

“No, wait, sorry. It’s just that… if a stranger asks you about who you came with, even if you come alone, you should lie. It’s dangerous to let people know that.” he elaborated.

That actually made sense, you realized. Heck, you must have really had no self-preservation skills if you didn’t think of that before.

“Oh… I, um, thank you? For letting me know?” You scratched your head awkwardly.

He pressed his lips together – you took note of how his cheeks looked sort of cute and squishable when he did that – and smoothly hopped off the seat.

“I think it’s the time for me. Thank you for the talk.” He nodded his head politely and turned around, disappearing in the crowd before you could react appropriately.

You let out a defeated sigh. You came to this party to have a relaxing evening, but you must have messed up your possibly only chance to have a conversation with someone sober and not a creep. People were starting to slowly get drunk and you had a feeling that anytime soon, the only people coming up for a talk would be drunk college boys that the club was at this time of the year full of.

You glanced hopefully up at the glass balustrade of the VIP zone, but this time there was no one in sight.

It must have been around midnight when you looked at yourself in the club’s bathroom mirror, taking note of the tiredness heaving down your features. You were bored out of your mind, the music was echoing in your skull way too loud at this point, and the little alcohol you had in the meantime only made you a bit distraught rather than relaxed. Those were signs that it was definitely the time to go home.

You wrapped your trench coat around yourself as you left the building and went into the dark street. Cold wind hit your ankles, clad in nothing but a thin layer of stockings that you wore underneath the dress.

You stood nearby the main entrance, reaching out to your phone. You still contemplated whether to order a ride or to seek a cheaper alternative, seeing as the travel by feet must have not been too far from there, and maybe even you could even catch the night bus?

“Hi, are you alone?”

You whipped your head to where the voice was coming from, way too close for your liking.

A man was approaching you at a pace you weren’t sure if you should be comfortable with. His eyes were shining from the amount of alcohol consumed. He swayed to the sides ever so slightly as he walked.

It took you a solid moment to realize you’ve seen him once before – on the balustrade. He must have been on his way home as well.

“Um… I’m going home” you replied a bit shakily when he approached you. With how much taller than you he was, he didn’t have to try hard to hover above you in a hopefully unwittingly threatening posture.

“Will you be okay? I can get you a ride” he spoke sluggishly.

You couldn’t tell just how wary of him you should be; although he didn’t seem ingenuine and it was just the alcohol that made him appear creepy, you reminded yourself that it’s still a stranger. You glanced towards the club – the entry was a bit too far for your liking, but unless he became physical, you should be able to get back and ask for someone to help you out, was he to become too pushy.

“Please let me get you home” he suddenly spoke, sensing your unease. “I won’t bite you, I promise” he added. “I’ve already had enough for today, they don’t taste any good when I’m this drunk” he kept on blabbering and you lifted your eyebrow at the peculiarity of his statement.

“Chanyeol? What the hell are you doing here?”

The two of you turned around to look at the man coming from the club. The silhouette was too dark with the lights in the background, so you couldn’t make out his features well.

“Nothing” the man answered, shaking his head. “I just met this girl and she’s alone and I told her I won’t bite her but I think she’s scared of me” he whined.

Only when the newcomer came close enough, you realized that he also is not an unfamiliar face. The baseball cap betrayed him even before his squishy cheeks did. He spared you a glance and tilted his head to the side, apparently also acknowledging that you’re not a complete stranger. His eyes fell on his friend again.

“Aish, how would you get her home when you’re this drunk? Come and join the rest, we’ll be going home soon.”

“Then you take her home. She’s alone, Baekhyun, girls shouldn’t be alone. What if someone bites her when she’s alone?”

You frowned deeply, having no idea about what was all this weird conversation about. The man – Baekhyun – glanced at you once every few seconds, as though checking your reactions, and he was clearly displeased with the way things were going. He finally sighed.

“You talk too much, Yeol. Come on, let’s go.”

The man named Chanyeol huffed, but finally gave up and started moving back towards the entrance.

Baekhyun stayed behind, only making sure that his friend has gone in the right direction, and then looked at you with his face unreadable.

“Sorry for that. He didn’t mean anything bad, he just doesn’t control his tongue when he’s drunk.”

“Yeah… I could tell… Sorry.”

He lifted his eyebrow.

“Don’t say sorry when you haven’t done anything bad.”

“Oh. Right.”

“Are you sure it’s just parties that you’re not into? It looks like you don’t have much human interaction at all” he commented with a smirk. You laughed awkwardly.

“I usually handle it better, really. Not like, very good, but I swear I’m not an alien.”

He laughed warmly.

“Thank God, I was starting to consider giving you a ride too, but what if I had to get you back on another planet? Don’t have enough gas for that” he joked. It was quite lame of a joke, but you couldn’t help but utter a small laugh. After a bit of alcohol and at this hour, it was hard not to go alone with the lame sense of humor.

“Was it your way of offering a ride?” you dared to ask.

Baekhyun grinned.

“Maybe. Would you like?”

“I…” You bit on your lip, suddenly realizing that the offer had probably more to it than a mere act of kindness. “…don’t want to give you hope for something I can’t give” you stated carefully.

The man’s smile fell.

“Don’t ever worry about things like that. It’s not your problem if someone gets hope for something you never offered yourself. I just felt like giving you a ride, you don’t need to think of ways to return a favor or anything.” He appeared satisfied with his speech, and hid hands in the pockets of his jacket, soft and reassuring smile returning to his face.

You released the breath you didn’t realize you were holding, a relief washing over you and a smile appearing on your own face as well.

“That’s… nice” you only answered. “In this case, I’d love to get home with you. I… I mean-” you realized your words were a bit ambiguous. “…You know what I mean.”

Baekhyun only laughed warmly.

“I know, I know. Come on, I parked nearby.” He pulled car keys out of his pocket and swung them in the air. “But, by the way, don’t just accept rides from strangers. It’s dangerous.”

Baekhyun’s car was more comfortable than the public transport you were used to, and also sitting in the front felt way nicer than the backseats of a taxi. The music was calmer and quieter than in the club, and although it also wasn’t the genre you were used to, it almost lulled you to sleep as the two of you sat in a pleasant silence for about half of the ride.

“Won’t your friends get worried that you didn’t come back to them?” you eventually spoke, trying to start a conversation. Your time together appeared to be limited, and you didn’t want to waste a chance to get to know the man better.

“I shot them a message” Baekhyun replied with his gaze fixated on the changing lights and the cars in the intersection. “I wasn’t drinking because I was supposed to be their ride but they also met some people at the party, so they’ll be fine” he elaborated.

“Ah, I see. Well. I’m lucky that you were supposed to be the ride anyway” you shrugged. Baekhyun smiled at that but didn’t continue the conversation.

You were still a few minutes away from your apartment and you really, really didn’t want the ride to end so quickly. Even silence in Baekhyun’s presence was just too comfortable. How was it possible that you felt so much ease with a man you barely met? Maybe it was because his comments regarding your safety seemed to be genuine, and you appreciated them. Maybe they were just his way of getting your trust, but you just didn’t seem to mind.

There were still other questions you could use to get him to talk to you.

“I just recalled, what were those things your friend was talking about? I know he was drunk, but he mentioned biting like two or three times. What’s up with that?”

Baekhyun’s eyes narrowed slightly. Slight tension in his jaw didn’t pass your attention either.

“Uh…” He shrugged after a moment of thought. “Consider it an inside joke in our group of friends.”

“An inside joke?” You genuinely laughed. “Maybe you’re the aliens? What if your car gets me on the Moon instead of home?”

The man laughed awkwardly.

“Well, we’re peculiar in our own ways. But I promise the car is earthly” he assured with a grin.

You knew the area pretty well and it didn’t take long before you arrived at your address, Baekhyun’s car coming to a stop almost opposite of the building entry. The man turned the engine off and got up, opening the door for you before you even prepared yourself to leave the vehicle. You got out hurriedly and quickly straightened your clothes.

“You good? You got everything?” he asked, glancing at the seat to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything. You nodded.

“Thank you. Really.”

“You’re welcome.” His voice was tender and calm, but you had a feeling that the unspoken question is there.

You cleared your throat.

“Um… Would you… like to come upstairs?”

“Hm?”

Because of what he said before, you were certain he did not want to make any assumptions or take things for granted. Yet, you didn’t want to leave him in the dark, and you were positive that for his honesty, he deserved some transparency from your side as well.

“Just…”

Yet, were you ready to offer more than you initially planned? What was there to lose, after all?

But how would you feel if he rejected you, or if you didn’t meet the expectations – that was so not like you to offer such a thing, and you never wanted to have short-term partners to begin with.

But Baekhyun clearly was a gentleman, and if he was to reject you, it would have to be out of care and not because you disappointed him. Or at least you desperately wanted to believe so.

And besides, why would he reject you if he went out of his way to give you a ride home? Even if he was mature enough not to expect anything, it’s not like he would offer it to someone who didn’t spike at least an ounce of his interest.

“[F/n]?”

You jumped at the sound of your name; you must have drowned in your thoughts instead of answering the question.

“Oh. Sorry. I um… It’s not a situation I’m usually in. But I just… don’t want this evening to end this fast.”

“You know you don’t owe me anything, right?” He announced calmly, but there was some shade of threat in the way he said it, as if there was something urging him to give you the last chance to take it back and part your ways.

“I know. That’s why I don’t promise anything. But I want to try. You’re… fun to be around.”

At that, his face instantly lightened, and he chuckled softly.

“Thank you. You’re fun to be around, too.”

The night was chilly, and so you welcomed with gratitude the warmth that surrounded you the moment you entered your apartment. The place was rather decent as for one person inhabiting it, and you rented it at a rather cheap price from an elderly lady who at some age decided to move in with her family. Although you were allowed to refurnish it, you actually enjoyed the old style of creaking floor and black-and-white pictures on the walls covered in an old wallpaper. Even the old TV remained in its place, although it wasn’t catching the signal anymore. Baekhyun looked around curiously.

“You live here alone?” he asked.

“Yeah. But it’s not mine, I’m renting for another few years” you elaborated while taking off your coat and shoes, motioning for Baekhyun to do the same. “I’d like to buy my own but it’s still a while before I can even afford a mortgage.” The man nodded slowly in acknowledgment, following you cautiously as you soon entered the kitchen, turning on all the small lights on the way, making sure that the whole apartment was at least partially lit. “Bathroom is over there if you need” you briefly waved in the right doors’ direction. “You want something to eat?”

Baekhyun’s metaphorical ears perked up. He saw you point at the fridge.

“Oh. Maybe later, thank you.”

“Later?” you grinned. “Just how long are you planning to stay in here?” you teased.

“Hm.” He smiled shyly. “As long as you let me” he purred. You were focused on checking the cabinet’s contents for some quick snack when you heard him shift right behind you, hands hovering around your waist, although not touching just yet.

Your breath hitched. A pack of chocolate chip cookies slipped out of your grasp and fell on the counter below.

“Dammit” you mumbled, reaching to pick it up.

When you turned around, Baekhyun was sitting at your small table, elbow resting on the tabletop and chin on his hand in a fairly confident, although charming – in a way – pose.

“You want some?” You asked mindlessly, putting the cookies on the table and sitting on the second chair awkwardly.

“Later, thank you” he repeated; you internally cringed, realizing it made it seem that you didn’t listen to him earlier.

“Want something to drink then? I imagine you must be at least a bit tired after the party” you offered, feeling a bit awkward about eating the cookies all alone and not providing him with any sort of entertainment in the meantime.

“Don’t worry. It’s nice to just rest in the quiet after all that loud music” Baekhyun said with a gentle smile.

“Is that really so? Or do you just avoid midnight snacking?” you teased, trying to at least carry on with a small-talk.

You caught him stare straight in your eyes, and you felt a shiver run down your spine at his unreadable face.

“I actually believe that a good snack is a good snack regardless of the time” he announced in a tone that made you wonder.

He stood up right as you finished your cookie and came up to you. You observed him curiously as he knelt down, slowly finding himself between your parted knees.

His eyes never left yours, watching out for any signs of discomfort or disagreement.

You felt taken aback by his boldness, feeling your face heat up at the unusual closeness, but you definitely weren’t about to refuse.

His hands finally touched your knees, leaning on them for stability. Your dress was riding up a bit, but not enough to show anything yet.

“May I?” His lips hovered over the skin of your thigh where it was already exposed.

You almost caught yourself nodding mindlessly, but the loud pounding of your heart brought you back to reality.

“W-what?” you stuttered.

“Kiss your leg” he specified with a small, warm laugh that both calmed you and embarrassed you even more at once. “May I?”

“Yes” you answered quickly before you could lose control over your voice again.

More serious again, Baekhyun leaned down and pressed a slow, chaste kiss into your heated skin. Then another, a bit higher, but still as if the edge of your dress was a border he wasn’t going to cross. His both hands massaged the outer sides of your knees.

“You’re so nervous” the man noted, at which your face got even redder.

“Well, uh…”

“Do I make you shy?” he teased. You stuttered incoherently in response.

Baekhyun let out a soft laughter, pushing himself up and extending his hand to help you up as well. You followed and fixed your dress in hurry.

“U-uh.”

You awkwardly wavered your hand towards the bedroom’s door, hoping the man gets the hint, knowing that your voice would betray you completely, were you to utter such a bold request.

But he didn’t even look in that direction, his hand reaching to your chin instead and he lifted your face up, placing a small kiss on your cheek.

“Oh. Thank you.”

At that, he laughed even louder.

“Thank you? Really?”

“What else was I supposed to answer…?” you huffed, not sure if he was trying to insult you with the mockery.

“No, no, don’t worry, it was actually quite a cute thing to say” he explained.

“Oh, well…”

His fingers gently brushed your lips, and all the thoughts left your mind as you let him maneuver your face towards his. Warm breath hit your nose as he looked down at you from up close, all small details of his face so sharp and clear, and his glistening eyes fixated on the way your face subtly changed in reaction to his doings.

He tilted his head to the side, smirk present on his soft-looking lips, and you felt as though at that exact moment, he had you right in his grasp – up to the heart of yours beating exactly as he conducted, you thought.

With another peck to your other cheek, he suddenly pulled away.

You swayed, feeling like you’re going to collapse the moment his fingers no longer kept your face in place. You were lightheaded. Baekhyun was proud of himself.

He stepped towards the corridor that led to your bedroom, and this time, it was you who followed.

He crossed the door, glancing over his shoulder as if to make sure you’re not lost on your way.

And right when you thought that at least this small part of your way will be peaceful and almost boring, this one, small thing came to your vision, turning everything upside down.

Right ahead of yourself, behind Baekhyun’s silhouette, on the wall. A mirror, adorned with an antique, golden frame, one you used every day to get ready, one that had been there ever since you remembered, and one that was the last thing in the world you’d expect to surprise you.

You looked closely; your eyes couldn’t be possibly playing tricks. It was just you with all the walls and furnishings that you knew.

But Baekhyun, standing there and glancing at you, did not reflect in that mirror.

You froze in place, staring in your own eyes of the reflection. The man’s smile fell, noting the sudden change of mood. Catching your gaze, he followed it, turning his back to you. His own eyes finally fell on the mirror and he gawked.

“Oh. Oh, wow.”

Without waiting for you to speak any of the thoughts currently hurling in your mind, he slowly walked over to the mirror as if just about as surprised as you were, but with genuine curiosity as well. His hand reached but stopped right before touching the smooth surface, and instead grazed the mirror’s frame, admiring the piece of fine furniture.

You stood in your place, still uncertain how to react. But he did not seem as confused, you realized – as if, although not expecting the phenomenon, he knew exactly what it was caused by.

“Fascinating…” he finally spoke in a soft voice. “Really, I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen one like this” he talked with childlike thrill. “It’s old, isn’t it?” He looked back at you, but his smile fell once again, noting you were nowhere close to sharing his excitement.

He let go of the mirror’s frame and took a step towards you, face tense and determined.

Something in you screamed, some sort of self-preservation instinct reminded you of its presence, calling out to you: this is a threat! This isn’t normal! It’s a sign, run!

Can’t move.

You stood there, completely stunned, as Baekhyun finally closed the proximity, finding himself right in front of you.

Was it some sort of manipulation, or was it just you – that the fear in your guts somehow mixed with arousal?

“What… is that?” you dared to ask in a tone as tough as you could make it.

He stepped that one step too close, making you stumble backwards. One step more, one more, and he had you leaning against the wall by the bedroom’s door, somewhat cornered, yet with enough room to flee if you so wished.

“If…” Hearing his voice this close made you flinch slightly, and he turned his tone down a bit. “If you tell me to leave, I’ll leave. I’m not going to hurt you.”

The last words made the heart thump in your chest.

“But… you could.”

“I could.”

“Were you going to?”

He didn’t reply for a moment, breathing in deeply.

“Not… much.”

You stared at him, still uncertain and confused.

“Who are you?”

He stepped back again. Your eyes moved between his silhouette and the mirror behind when he stood right next to it, giving you the best picture of his non-reflecting self.

“I’ll give you a fun fact instead” he announced, lips curling into a grin again. “Your mirror is very old. I actually don’t remember the last time I’ve had this happen to me. Because mirrors nowadays don’t do that. Do you know why?”

You had no clue what he was going at – you shook your head.

“Because mirrors nowadays are usually made of glass and aluminum. Or stuff like that, I’m not so sure, really” he shrugged, unbothered. You still weren’t able to finish the thought off, a small piece still lacking for you to understand it. Baekhyun sensed that, and he patiently continued – speaking the last few words to put all of the puzzle together for you. “What they used to be made of in the past?”

You gawked at him.

“…” The breath got caught in your throat. “Silver. They… They used to be made of silver.”

“Voila.” Baekhyun spread his arms, as if presenting himself to you. “And before you try to think of all the possible creatures that have silver allergy written into their lore, just know I’m not the only one you had a chance to meet tonight.”

You recalled the stranger you met at the bar, Baekhyun’s friend whose words had spiked your curiosity the moment they echoed in the dark street.

I won’t bite you, I promise.

What if someone bites her when she’s alone?”

His eyes sparkled as he watched all the small bits come together in your head. Slow enlightenment displayed within your facial expressions with hundreds of subtle emotions, and piece by piece, the deduction snowballed, becoming more and more apparent, bared for him to drink the sadistic satisfaction from.

That was when you recalled his own words.

A good snack is a good snack regardless of the time.

“You… were going to bite me?” you finally uttered, voice breaking with every syllable.

He let his arms fall to his sides, smile softening, head tilted slightly backwards – your eyes spotted his fangs, sharper and whiter than human teeth, exposed by him for you to admire.

“If you tell me to leave now, I’ll leave” he repeated, but his tone made it clear that he already knew you weren’t going to do that.

In fact, even you knew from a while ago that your curiosity was too strong to let him off the hook – you felt like you caught a sort of urban legend, and you’d hate yourself for letting him flee without getting a hold of all his secrets.

Ultimately, though, it was the sensation of getting preyed on by him that – you realized – lit a fire inside of your body, and made your insides burn with want.

“Stay, please” you uttered in a small voice, as if too shy to request something this impure. “I want to know… more” you whispered, convincing yourself to look back at him. Your eyes fell on his fangs again, so unnaturally sharp despite not appearing that much longer than in a human. You recalled when he kissed your thigh earlier, and shivered, realizing how close it was, how easily he could have…

“You’re thinking too much” he suddenly interrupted, noting that you were so endorsed in the chaotic train of thoughts that you were just hyping yourself into anxiety at this point.

He lifted his hand towards your face, slowly and carefully, as if to test the waters. You weren’t sure if you should let him. Maybe, in some twisted way, it would be easier if he didn’t ask – if he just grabbed you and forcefully bit into your neck, so you could experience that mysterious sensation of falling a prey to possibly the only creature on the earth that could realistically impose threat to the mankind. You felt a nervous, but exciting sensation in your gut.

You didn’t even manage to react before his fingers gently brushed your cheek. You were already a goner, leaning into his hand on instinct. The fear became thrill instead.

“Here you go, good girl” he whispered with content.

Not waiting any further, he leaned down and buried his face in the crook of your neck. You let out a small whimper when his lips touched your heated up skin. You felt his fangs graze the sensitive surface, but no pain followed, only the sweet feeling of a chaste, open-mouthed kiss.

“Oh…”

He kissed slowly down your cleavage, hands running down your silhouette along with his lips. He breathed into the space where the hem of your dress ended, not daring to go further. You were still stunned, still too shaken to invite him in, but you didn’t oppose even one bit when he put his hands below your thighs and lifted you up, your arms automatically anchoring around his neck.

He was so gentle with you when he carried you over to your bed and placed you down on your back with utmost care. The bed sheets were cold below your body, your dress doing close to nothing to soothe the sudden sensation. But Baekhyun’s – against what you would think – was impossibly warm against yours when he hovered above you for a few moments, your legs wrapped around his waist just a bit longer. He placed another kiss on your cheek.

“May I?” you whispered.

“Hm?”

“Kiss your lips.” You cupped his face with your hands. “May I?”

“Go ahead.”

It seemed like he did it on purpose, not leaning in to make it any easier for you, and you had to strain yourself to reach him. Your lips touched, the sensation – absolutely breathtaking. His fingers gently wrapped around your neck, pushing you down into the mattress, but following the motion with his own mouth, deepening the kiss with a sense of roughness, overpowering you in a way. He nibbled at your lower lip, letting you feel the sharp edge of his fangs.

“Will you bite me?

“I think I will.”

“Why haven’t you yet?”

He broke the kiss and smirked down at you.

“Are you impatient?”

“Do you want me to beg for it?” you uttered, trying to sound irritated, although at heart knowing that you were close to doing so anyway. You were, in fact, impatient.

“Maybe later. Will you?”

“I…”

He didn’t let you finish, his grip on your thighs suddenly strengthening and you yelped, feeling his nails dig hard into your flesh. Your breath instantly quickened, sensation quickly becoming unbearable.

Taking all the time in the world, he finally released the hold, stroking your abused skin in comfort instead.

“Easy, love. See?  It’s just my fingers. You wouldn’t take my fangs just yet.”

He knelt back between your legs. Your dress’ lower hem was almost at your underwear from being carried by him earlier, and Baekhyun’s hands traced up your bare thighs, once again taking note of any sign of discomfort or displeasure.

You felt nervous, more than ever. Not only because you weren’t used to such casual endeavors. Something in you felt stressed about disappointing such a superior creature, still feeling like it’s a one-in-the-lifetime chance that you got.

Baekhyun seemed to sense your worry perfectly, and he leaned down to ground you with a kiss to your knee.

“You’re beautiful” he spoke with no ounce of hesitation or doubt. “And you smell delicious” he added. Such a peculiar thing to hear, you thought, yet your face heated up, as if the second compliment was much more meaningful than the first. “May I… taste you down here?” His hand slid down your inner thigh, stopping at your dress.

You opened your mouth, but, quickly realizing your voice won’t align with your intentions, you instead nodded – a bit too eagerly, involuntarily holding your breath.

He took all the time in the world, allowing you to get accustomed to his touch as he slowly lifted your dress, finally displaying your underwear, at which you let out a small, shy whimper. He pushed the fabric even higher, and you took the hint to sit up and take it off fully, now left in nothing but a black lingerie – a set you almost only wore to parties when you wanted to feel especially well put-together, and now you silently thanked yourself for this habit.

He now moved up and kissed the skin between your breasts, smoothly tracing his lips down to your stomach and stopping briefly above the hem of your panties, fingers hooking around the edge. With one last glance at your burning up face, Baekhyun slowly pulled your underwear down, taking his sweet time and enjoying the way you only squirmed quietly, held right at the edge of sanity with such a simple interaction.

“Breathe” he reminded you, discarding the fabric to the side, his own exhale hitting your private parts, now exposed for him to see.

He placed yet another comforting kiss on your mound.

“You’re okay, you’re safe” he whispered.

Although his words comforted you, he didn’t wait for you to calm down; quite the opposite, in fact, when he finally put his mouth around your pearl, overwhelming you with just the proximity. His eyes were fixated on yours in a predator-like way, drinking in your reactions and gaining sadistic pleasure from the way you could no longer control your body.

The room filled with wet noises that mixed with your own voice. Your moans slowly became more and more obscene as Baekhyun’s mouth worked shamelessly around your private parts with care, yet ease, as if he knew all bits of your body and didn’t even need to think twice, getting all the sensations, all the pressure, all the pace – perfectly right, pulling you further and further into the immense pleasure.

You were ready to relax and fall deep into the sensations, when he suddenly dug his nails into your thighs again, forcing you awake.

You yelped and tried to squirm away, but his hold only strengthened. Your breath hitched when you took the cue to stay still until the grasp once again dissipated.

“Don’t you feel too good?” he mocked. You glanced back at him – his eyes were shining red, face darker than just moments ago, threatening.

“B-Baekhyun…”

Should you feel scared at that moment? Should you understand that this man was a monster? Maybe. But it felt just too good to be in his hands, to be toyed with and hurt so sweetly. It was like a reward to know that out of all people, he chose you as his prey. There was some primal pleasure in being this little, naive girl that fell right into his trap, that allowed him to sweet-talk her into giving up her will of survival.

In a surge of confidence, you put your hand on top of his head, pushing him to resume what he was doing so well just moments ago. Baekhyun didn’t object, only letting out an amused huff when his lips wrapped around your clit once again, sucking on it gently and letting you once again melt in the sweet sensation. Your fingers clutched his hair, letting you release some of the tension, and when he hummed into your skin, you held it so tightly you for a second worried about causing him pain.

But he didn’t say a word and you quickly realized, it must have not bothered him in the slightest. His eyes slipped closed, now fully fixated on devouring you, hands holding your hips down to prevent you from squirming, hold just a bit too strong, just to cause you the slightest amount of pain, just to remind you what he was capable of.

Your whole body trembled, approaching the sweet release. Baekhyun’s mouth was relentless, and he read your reactions perfectly, his pace and movements perfectly designed to drive you insane.

With your thighs pressing together, you clutched his hair even harder. You were starting to convulse, letting out incoherent whimpers. Baekhyun’s fingers, dug into your thighs so strong you wouldn’t be surprised if they drew blood, no longer hurt – it was all mixing together, the proximity of his existence alone already overwhelming your senses, but the passion, the warmth, the textures, the sounds – it all sucked you in further and further, riding you off any remains of sanity that you may have had left.

Suddenly, right as you were about to reach the peak, everything stopped for less than a second; a void so sudden you didn’t even manage to register it.

And then, like a thunder through your body, Baekhyun’s fangs pierced the soft skin around your clit. He sucked hard on both your blood and your pearl, and you instantly came undone, crying out in pleasure and agony.

Your vision went white for what felt like ages and you felt like you were floating in the outer space; for those heavenly moments, you were not even sure if you’re still alive, but your thoughts mingled and dissipated too fast to formulate a coherent sentence. Whether Baekhyun was still there or not, you would not be able to tell; your mind was blank, and he could as well have left you moments ago – except the pain that was slowly starting to materialize again was an excellent proof that he was still present, and when your body finally came down from its high, you managed to register him down there, still between your thighs, with his arms wrapped around them in an almost loving-like manner.

You had absolutely no idea when did he bit into your thigh instead, letting your most fragile bits calm down from the overstimulation, but it looked like he was so endorsed in tasting your sweet blood that it took you a few long moments before he finally acknowledged you’re watching him. Your lower body was limp, small shivers running here and there, but any pain no longer present, your flesh too worn out to take note of it.

Sensing your gaze, Baekhyun slowly pulled his fangs out of your skin, carefully as to not damage it further, and then sent you a smug, bloody smile, hand caressing your hip.

“Welcome back” he spoke. “Took you a while.”

You tried to push yourself into the sitting position, but even your arms wouldn’t listen, and you fell back down in exhaustion.

Maybe it was merciful of him to climb up and hover above you, letting you look at his full figure even when you could no longer move to watch him yourself. A drop of your blood slipped from the corner of his lip, landing on your own. You curiously reached to it with your tongue, and Baekhyun didn’t wait a second, pressing his lips into your own, taking that sweet droplet back but giving you a taste of the metallic flavor in its full glory. A short, but rough nib to your lip made you let out a small, helpless whimper, tears emerging in the corners of your eyes – with the amount of overstimulation, even that much was already too much, and you were so worn out, so weak, so overdone.

“Just a bit more, love.”

His lips once again found themselves on your neck, kissing so tenderly that you barely felt it.

The prickling pain that followed no longer caused you to recoil; your body was growing weak, too weak to handle it anymore. You were getting drained beyond the stage of quick recovery, and you could tell, there was nothing you could do at this point to stop it.

Just a bit more, just a few more sips.

“You taste so good.”

Biting into the top of your breast now, closer to your heart. You didn’t feel it anymore, only phantom sensations somewhere far away.

You were at the brink of unconsciousness when he finally pulled away. A bit carelessly, he knelt up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, dark burgundy-shining eyes fixated on your fading ones.

Although you still had it in yourself to look back at him, the world around you was gradually collapsing, and it was only those burgundy eyes that kept you right above the surface, but so about to drown.

“My… I may have overdone it. Are you still there?”

He sounded marginally worried, as if coming across a small incident, and not a human life that was on the line.

You blinked and moved your fingers ever so slightly, just to let him know you’re still conscious, although barely.

The man smiled at that softly, clear relief washing over his face.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be okay. I’ll make sure of that.”

He reached to your cheek, patting it gently. It felt a bit grotesque; his skin was so warm as opposed to yours, chill from the lack of blood and paler than ever.

But his touch felt nice, and, although you knew that the slumber you’d fall into would not be natural and the next hours would possibly decide your fate, it felt like you were falling into a dream instead; you were growing addicted to his presence, and you could do nothing to stop it. You were a goner.

“I’ll make sure of that, because I cannot possibly waste a fine snack like you. It’s just the beginning, love. Better recover fast.”

Ahh, I'm actually proud of this one, hope you guys enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing! Also don't hesitate to let me know your thoughts, and hopefully, more vampire content will be coming in the future!

[heartfullofleeches]

Android Reader aboard a space station tasked with raising the eggs found by the human crew during exploration.

How delightful- As the assistance assigned with the continous mission of maintaining their human compassion heath and stability, Reader knows all about the importance of life and the sacrifices it takes. Compassionate, free spirited android Reader built with those personality traits in mind. Those aboard the station are not only their crewmates, but their dear friends and family - Even though the feeling isn't mutual with all.

Reader is elated when they are given the new objective to care for the strange organisms brought to them. They aren't vocal with their emotions, but they grow increasingly lonely whenever their teammates are busy. Whereas scientists see the eggs as the next step in unlocking the secrets the universe hides, Reader sees a chance to grown their family.

Reader tends to the eggs as any human caretaker would for their young. The eggs are quite larger than any they've seen before- It took half the crew to carry all five of them separately into the lab. Their size is the last of the androids concerns. They care for them all the same- Regulating their body temperature to a degree suitable for most budding lifeforms on earth, sing to them when no one else is around to hear.

At the same time Reader watches over the eggs, scientists on board diligently preform tests to better understand what they've obtained. Further evaluation of the ship they extract these flesh sacks from reveal that these are no eggs.

They're pods.

Impenetrable walls of tissue developed from mucus secreted by an ancient alien race in order to protect themselves as a final effort. Powerful warriors who in their centuries long hibernations reawaken to the tender melody of Reader's lullabies and crown the android as their new ruler.

Following their rampage, survivors who lived to warn earth of the discovery recount salvation in the form of a distant hum - The pacifier to the beasts' relentless bloodlust.

"Shhh..... Rest now. I know their screams are too loud for your sensitive ears, but it's okay... I'm here for you.. All of you."

[doumakei]

𓂃˚ ᡣ𐭩˙ᵕ˙ᰔᩚ ˚𓂃

mini dump lol

been a bit busy w uni stuff but i finally finished this omg !!! i love them hope they get run over istg

[soobadnoonecanstopher]

Rat Bastard - Masterlist (Ongoing)

Rat Bastard

Masterlist

A Kyungsoo Story by @soobadnoonecanstopher

Chapter count - 10 of 12

Word count - TBD

Publish date - 08/21/2024

Completion date - TBD

Summary - You were a good person with good friends and a good reputation.

You genuinely liked everyone you met and they genuinely liked you with one exception, that rat bastard, Doh Kyungsoo.  If you had things your way, you would have lived your entire life without him in it, but the universe, it seemed, had different plans. 

Keywords: There were too many beds, Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Idiots to Lovers, Alcohol Consumption, Some Angst, Mature Sexual Situations

"Any time his name was uttered in pleasant company you rolled your eyes and made snide remarks under your breath. Doh Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo. Chef Doh. Decorated and celebrated private chef, a genius with a knife and a frying pan. You wanted to vomit."

Start Reading Here:

Links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11

[castielli]

MASTERLIST KDRAMA/KPOP (a to z)

(I don’t write for KPOP nor Kdramas anymore)

——————————————

EXO

KAI x Idol!Male Reader

——————————————

SQUID GAME

Kang Saebyeok (Squid Game) x Male Reader

SANGWOO (Squid Game) x Male Reader

——————————————

STRAY KIDS

Bang Chan x Singer!Male Reader

——————————————

THE BOYZ

Quarterback!Sangyeon x Student President!Male reader

Sunwoo x Male Reader (Feat. best friend Eric)

[nanawritesit]

SM Entertainment Girl Group Idol AU (fem!reader insert)

feel free to use this for shifting or as a fanfiction backstory! (just tag me if it’s the second one hehe)

disclaimer: the extra info sections aren’t all original ideas, many were found on pinterest/tiktok :) images aren’t mine either

tw: none that i’m aware of

Group Profile:

Group Name: Etoile (meaning star/ point of a star in French)

Members: 5 (5 points on a star)

Fandom: Starlight

Concept: Ethereal, Cosmic, Elegant

Debut Year: 2017 (between Red Velvet and Aespa)

Debut Song: “Constellations”

Debut Album Title: “5 Makes 1”

B-Sides: “Aries,” “Nebula,” “Orbit,” “Stardust,” and “Pisces”

Fandom/ Lightstick Color: Indigo and White (stars in the night sky)

Group Chant: All: “Twinkle twinkle!” Nabi: “Hi Starlight! It’s…” All: “Etoile!”

Members Profile:

Y/N: Oldest, Center/ Face of the Group, Main Vocalist, Speaks Korean, English, and Chinese

Cho Nabi: Leader, Lead Vocalist, Korean, Speaks Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese

Marie Tang: Main Dancer, Chinese-American, Speaks Korean, English, and Chinese

Han Iseul: Visual, Lead Dancer, Korean, Speaks Korean

Ikeda Kaori: Maknae, Main Rapper, Japanese, Speaks Korean and Japanese

Extra Info about the Group:

Pre-debut, Etoile released a cover of Girls Generation’s “Genie,” and it blew up so fast that fans couldn’t wait for them to debut

Etoile is known as “the bridge between third and fourth generation” in the kpop community

The members are also known as “the princesses of SM”

Etoile does a lot of variety shows because everyone loves the members’ funny personalities and playful group dynamic

Etoile was featured in a popular kdrama as themselves, though they only had a few lines in a couple episodes, it became a fan favorite and made the ratings sky-rocket

Etoile’s second comeback, “Andromeda,” is said to have one of the most difficult girl group choreographies in kpop. It was also the song that got them their first win

When Etoile got their first win with “Andromeda,” all of the girls were crying hysterically, including Nabi who was supposed to give the speech. She ended up handing the mic to Y/N, who had just been smiling happily the whole time. Y/N pulled Nabi into her arms as she gave the speech, and then the other three girls assembled a group hug around them. It became such a tender moment for Starlights that everyone watching started crying too

Etoile did a collaboration music video with Sailor Moon where all the members got to dress up as the sailor guardians. Y/N was Sailor Moon, Nabi was Sailor Mars, Marie was Sailor Mercury, Iseul was Sailor Venus, and Kaori was Sailor Jupiter

Etoile has their own plushie characters that are put on headbands and other merchandise for Starlight, similar to BT21 and Skzoo. Y/N’s is a white swan, Nabi’s is a blue butterfly, Marie’s is a black cat, Iseul’s is a pink puppy, and Kaori’s is a yellow duck

Etoile did a collab with “rom&nd,” a korean makeup brand, where each member got to create their own shade of lipstick. The five shades the members created sold out in just three minutes.

Etoile performed a cover of EXO’s “Growl” during one of their concerts in male school uniforms, and Starlights were so impressed by how cool and masculine they were

Being sandwiched between the two girl groups, Red Velvet and Aespa are like the older and younger sisters of Etoile (respectively.) The Red Velvet members are always checking in on them and giving them advice, and Etoile does the same thing for Aespa.

Starlight is famous for being one of the most loyal and devoted fandoms. They buy the girls billboards and food trucks for their birthdays, protect them from antis, and offer so much love and support.

The members have their own youtube channel called “Etoile Clubhouse” that they have permission to use freely. They post lots of different content, including challenges, games, song/dance covers, mukbangs, get ready with me/us videos, and q&a’s

Extra Info about Y/N:

Y/N is known as the loving mother of the group, while Nabi is more like a strict dad

Kaori was still in high school when she debuted, and Y/N took care of her like a mother would her daughter. She would wash and iron her uniform, prepare her breakfast and lunch, and help her with her homework every night. Kaori’s mother was so thankful, as she couldn’t do all this for her daughter herself, still living in Japan

While all the girls are close, Nabi and Y/N are best friends, they even have friendship bracelets

While Iseul is the visual because she fits the KBS the best, Y/N is the center/FOTG because her visuals match the group concept the best. She’s known for her “white swan” visuals: ethereal, graceful, and elegant.

Y/N and Iseul were also chosen as members of GOT the Beat

Y/N was the first member to have a solo debut in 2021. Her debut song was fittingly titled “White Swan.” Nabi helped her compose the songs, Marie helped her with the choreography, and Kaori had a rap feature on one of the tracks. Y/N performed it at the MAMA awards, and everyone was singing/dancing along to it so hard they almost forgot about the actual awards show!

Y/N is an ambassador for Dior and Chanel. Many brands were offering her deals after Etoile became popular due to her unique visuals, so she got to choose the ones she liked best

Y/N is known as the “OST Queen” of the group, she has sang many drama OSTs

Y/N’s best friends at the company include Yeri (Red Velvet,) Taeyong (NCT/SuperM,) Karina (Aespa,) and Ten (NCT/SuperM/WayV)

Y/N has had cameos in many different artists’ music videos, including Stray Kids, Enhypen, and NCT Dream

SHINee’s Key dubbed Y/N “SM’s secret weapon”

Y/N was part of a one-time collaboration unit with Dreamcatcher’s Dami, Weki Meki’s Doyeon, IZ*ONE’s Yena, and fromis_9’s Chaeyoung. They released a single called “Wild Mind,” and it was so popular that fans were advocating to start a new group with just these idols!

Y/N once dyed her hair indigo to match the fandom color, and fans started to dye their hair the same color to match her. The shade became known as “Y/N hair” on social media

Y/N and Marie were mentors on a Chinese idol training show, all the girls loved them because they were super helpful without being too tough. It also gained Etoile a lot of Chinese fans

Y/N has very impressive high notes, Starlights have made several youtube compilations with titles like “Y/N obliterating the sound barrier with her high notes for 5 minutes”

Y/N’s nickname from Starlight is “Angel Voice” due to her clear, bright voice

Y/N sang a cover of Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” on Etoile Clubhouse, and Starlights tagged Taylor in it so much that she was shown the video in an interview. Taylor responded: “I’ve watched this video so many times! Her voice is so pretty. I met her once in Korea too, she’s so genuine and sweet! I’d love to collab with her, or Etoile as a whole. They seem so fun.”

Y/N was getting a lot of lip-synching rumors, until one day a staff member shared a video of her practicing before a concert with her mic on. It revealed her raw vocal talent and debunked all the rumors.

[reset-aki]

FIC IDEA

[YN] leader of the global group {Group Name} gets in trouble with k media for stiff arming and pushing away people after an airport mob knocks over the youngest member of the group. The foreigner, feeling the maknae was in trouble and the ‘fans’ took it too far refuses to apologize, in fact doubling down on social media despite the korean company the group is signed to releasing a statement, so [YN] is put on hiatus.

Some leaders of other idol groups reach out to applaud them for doing what needed to be done for the safety of their group.

ALSO IF YOU SEE ANY SPELLING MISTAKES IN THE FAKE ARTICLE NUH UH

i’m really good at initial ideas and then i say fuck it and brain refuses to create literally anything else other than the literal first thought😭

if anyone wants to write this go for it just make sure im at the top of your taglist🫡

in my brain this was open ended it could be like your fav group leader or you can daydream that like your a few leaders all want you

[pascaloverx]

MASTERLIST KAI (EXO)

© credits for the owners of the pictures used. they don't belong to me. credit is not mine for the pictures.

PREVIEW

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

FINAL CHAPTER

[destinydating]

Celebrating The Dawning with:

Saint-14 and Osiris

You and Saint adore all the holiday traditions the Last City has. It's a moment of peace and calm during uncertain times and this year is much more important than any of the other years. It's the first time Osiris has been himself for the event in a very long time. Literally. You give the two their space until you realize that they also want you with them! They love you and want to be together with you during this time.

Saint is excited but you can tell how he busiest his hands to busy his mind. More Trial tournaments, more decorations, more worry. You take his hands and full them with freshly fallen snow and bundle them up to make a soft snowball. He looks at you and smiles but not long after you feel the snow smach against your back as you leave with a cackling Saint. It's good to hear him laugh his hearty laugh.

Osiris is off avoiding the whole thing. He partakes in the celebrations more for you and Saint, but this year, he seems more distant. You find yourself sitting next to him on sleepless nights and make him some calming chamomile tea. He looks at you with a warm smile and takes a sip and seems to finally relax in it.

[derelictlovefool]

this is for the reader insert enjoyers

[bia-wayne-west]

MASTERLIST K-POP

Hello, welcome to my Masterlist. Here are my K-POP imagines. Hope you like.

To make it easier for you to find the imagines you’re looking for, I’ve made a few changes to let you know what kind of story it is.

Fluffy: It is indicated by ☆

Drabble: It is indicated by the text in italic

Angst: It is indicated by

Smut: It is indicated by ♡

Updated on: 01/30/2024

STRAY KIDS

Hwang Hyunjin:

Boyfriend [You are a makeup artist and have a secret relationship with Hyunjin]

EXO

BTS

Kim Taehyung

Friends with benefits [You are an idol who is friends with Kim Taehyung, but he ends up falling in love with you.]

[castielli]

EXO KAI x Male Idol Reader

(OH SHIZ- UmmmmMMMM UmMMmMMMMMmmm how about he fell inlove with us after an award show and ummm he ummm ummm kiss us Infront of everyone and we start panicking everyone starts panicking the hoes start panicking he was packing tho😏 but not the point and uhhh uhhh ye🏃🏃🏃🏃 ) requested by the one and only @ldrei

Y/N made his way over to Kai’s seat, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. He had always been a fan of Kai’s music, and he couldn't believe that he was actually talking to him.

"Hi, Kai!" he said, his voice a little breathless. "It's great to see you."

Kei looked up from his phone and smiled, and Y/N felt his stomach do a flip-flop. Kai was even more handsome in person than he was in pictures.

"Hey, Y/N! How are you?" Kei asked, his voice warm and friendly.

Y/N couldn’t believe it, Kai knew who he was.

He just grinned back, feeling his cheeks grow warm. "I'm good, thanks. Just excited for the show. Are you performing tonight?"

Kai nodded, tucking his phone into his pocket. "Yeah, I am. I'm a little nervous, to be honest. But I'm looking forward to it."

Y/N smiled. "I'm sure you'll do great. Your performances are always amazing."

Kai’s smile widened, and Y/N felt his heart skip a beat. They chatted for a few more minutes, talking about whatever came to their mind. Y/N found himself getting lost in Kai’s words, feeling like they had known each other for years.

As the show began, Y/N couldn't help but steal glances at Kai from across the room. He was mesmerized by the way he moved on stage, the passion he brought to his music. He had never felt this way about anyone before, and he couldn't deny the flutter of excitement in his chest.

During a break in the show, Y/N found himself standing next to Kai. They made small talk, but Y/N couldn’t help but stare at Kai’s beautiful eyes, handsome face and fantastic body.

"You know, Y/N, I've always admired your music…" Kai said suddenly, his eyes meeting Y/N's. "You have such a unique style."

Y/N felt a blush creeping up his neck. "Thanks, Kai. That means a lot coming from you."

Kai smiled, and Y/N felt like he was melting. "I mean it. I've been a fan of yours for a long time."

The rest of the night passed in a blur for Y/N. He couldn't concentrate on anything but Kai, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something there between them. As the night came to a close, he found himself standing next to Kai again, feeling the electricity between them.

"Hey, Y/N." Kei said softly, his hand brushing against the other’s arm. "Can I give you my number? Maybe we could grab coffee sometime."

Y/N felt his heart leap into his throat. He nodded, not able to get a word out.

He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Kai wanted to grab coffee with him? It felt like a dream come true.

"Yeah, that sounds great" Y/N managed to say, his voice a little shaky.

Kai grinned at him, and Y/N felt like he was walking on clouds. They exchanged numbers, premising to text each other later.

As he made his way out of the venue, Y/N couldn't stop thinking about Kai. He had always been attracted to men, but he had never felt this kind of pull towards someone before. He couldn't wait to see where things would go with Kai.

[sirenscradle]

Devil’s catch | K.HJ

Chapter i. “We who are forged from Iron and Blood.”

pairings: exorcist!hongjoong x psychic!reader (some ot8 x reader but heavily focused on hongjoong.) ot8 x reader

genres: 18+!! paranormal, religious horror, fantasy, suggestive, SMUT, stupid-yet-gifted friend group trope lol

chapter word count: 7.8k

summary: “the order” is a secret organization of exorcists blessed with special abilities dedicated to expelling higher class demons—located in a ancient crypt hidden beneath the vatican. when an exceptionally gifted child is followed by prophetic omens and falls into possession of an unclassified s-class demon—kim hongjoong, considered one of the greatest exorcists of the 21st century, is dispatched under the mysterious order of convincing an enigmatic psychic hiding away in a metropolis to accompany he and his team in what might be their most daunting exorcism yet.

series warnings: strong language, religious allegories, lots of talk about religious trauma (some of it may be sacrilegious in nature, so if you aren’t comfortable with that please keep that in mind before reading!) exorcisms, possession, sacrificial rituals, alluded mentions of ableism (specifically regarding blindness, as one of the main characters discusses his experiences as a blind man/his background and talks about the process of losing his sight in detail), light mentions of alcohol, suggestive content, horror, angst, child possession, intense imagery, hallucinations, light amount of self inflicted wounds, violence, blood, and gore. additional warnings will be provided for each chapter. (story is marked as 18+ due to the descriptive elements of horror and suggestive scenes.) Smut warnings will be chapter specific.

masterlist, architecture moodboard, character sheet i, character sheet ii, character sheet iii, character sheet iv, chapter i, chapter ii,

authors note: hey guys, siren here—i’m back AGAIN with another series because i can’t resist writing a new story the moment it hits me (even though i already have five different works in progress…but they’ll get done when it feels right to release them yannnoo.) again, this will most likely be a series! so here’s chapter i!

important notice: wanted to note that reader descriptions/ strega are remaining racially ambiguous and there will be little to no anatomical descriptions regarding her body type, skin color, and hair texture/type! since this is a reader insert, i want it to be as inclusive as possible. :) i encourage you to use your imagination!

here’s a spotify playlist i made for this series if you want something to listen to get the vibe/ambiance!

giving you a heads up that this chapter is going to be super hefty, information wise. it’s also unedited…so pls forgive any mistakes! :)

[i. We who are forged from iron and blood.]

** The reader is sometimes referred to as La Strega, literally meaning the witch/witch.

You nonchalantly light a cigarette in the midst of the ominous quiet already knowing what the priest standing before you is going to say. The spirits are loudly whispering around the room, words indecipherable to most and unheard by all of the men standing in your strangely baroque apartment with the exception of you.

It bears a rustic antiquity with its minimal and semi-broken pieces of furniture, wood and paint chipping off of the dark sage green surfaces of most objects and walls in the room, simultaneously ugly and beautiful depending on which direction you’re looking at it from. The only sound available to them is the squeaking of your leather gloved hands as they move to plant the lighter back onto the table.

Whatever question leaves his mouth will likely send you to your grave if you were to accept, the spirits warn. You scoff lightly, humored that the strangely handsome priest you were max four inches off eye level with gazed at you with uncertainty—gauging and attempting to unveil why he was ordered to convince some no name psychic to accompany his beloved sector in exorcising a foreboding evil. You couldn’t blame the guy—here we have some of the greatest exorcists of our century trying to recruit a shabby inner city psychic who shoddily advertised her $10 palm reading specials on a bright, buzzing neon sign hung on the sidelines of the apartment entrance. However, that’s exactly why you did it. To fly under radars and only have to expend your energy on reading the likelihood of infidelity on a beautiful woman’s palms who tragically fears the disloyalty of her ugly and terribly mediocre husband. (For her own good, you prayed she’d get divorced.)

You already know why Hongjoong’s here but opt to wait patiently for him to say something, anything really.

Seven other priests are scattered throughout your living room. Rolling your eyes after gathering that they were sent by The Order when you catch the name amongst the light whispers falling from several spirits teeth. Some lean against your living room walls or the large pillars scattered across the spacious apartment, stifling their yawns. Others, like Yunho, you vaguely recall his name—stand elegantly poised and would appear nearly cherubic were it not for the unsettling crackling of energy radiating from his body. Hongjoong tugs at the fitted collar of his black cassock, a strange rattle emitting from his neck that moves your attention to an ornate and slim black choker resting on his neck. Your eyebrows raise in interest at the sigils carved to precision into the durable leather, but the fabric of his cassock returns to its resting place above the line of his pulse.

Hongjoong finally pushes out the words unsurely, fiddling with his fingers and squeezing his palms before releasing. “Are you the one whomst the clergy refers to as La Strega?”

Your cigarette hisses as you pull smoke into your mouth, inhaling deeply before readjusting your crossed legs, eyes squinting. “Depends on the clergy, but yes—that was one of my many…pseudonyms.” Hongjoong’s eyes settle onto yours, the depths of his iris held an allure that seemed to draw you in. You hold his gaze before tilting your head down towards your ashtray, tapping at the cigarette filter to flake off the ash from its ember. “Whatever it is they sent you to ask me to do—the answer is no, Exorcist.” Sighing briefly.

He doesn’t waste a beat before uttering a singular phrase that pauses you mid inhale.

“A child.” Rolling his tongue against the silky walls of his inner cheek, eying you with a mild distaste that quickly leaves him.

“A child?” You squint at Hongjoong— head pounding when the whispers are at the precipice of overwhelming you with their intense shift in volume. The phrases thrown at you get harder and harder to decipher as it’s all simultaneously said and nauseatingly layered over one another. They only get louder after his uttering of the small phrase and you fight the urge to clutch your head.

“I will be honest with you, Strega. I’m unsure why I’ve been dispatched to find you and only you—but I know that The Order would not have us search for you without reason. I assume you know enough about The Order to know that the existence of an unrecorded S-class demon is alarming, and the fact that it’s latching onto an exceptionally spiritually gifted child who isn’t even old enough to attend school yet is all the more strange.” Hongjoong takes a deep breath and sighs out neutrally—not having any particularly negative feelings towards you, approaching the task objectively.

The spirits around you whisper of the child’s gifts and whose eye he’s caught. Your own eyes widen for a moment at the information as your cigarette snuffs out entirely in your stillness. One in particular delivers a message from a divine.

‘Fate has its eye on you, Strega. It will not blink nor turn away, whatever direction you take—you must remember this. Heed our warning, prophetess. You will be fated to die a horrible death should you cross paths with the young boy, for the weight of his gifts are too disruptive to the balance of this realm. He is unnatural.’

You applaud your ability to school your expression completely, remaining vacant despite the onslaught of ominous messages, as the spirits continue to speak.

‘The child’s existence will be marked as prey to any straggling energies, big or small. Should he choose to fight to exist, he will be fighting for the rest of his predictably short life.’

Blinking slowly and turning to Hongjoong, you offer him a genuine yet morbid reply.

“Listen, as genuinely tragic as this is to say— if the kid’s already emitting energy to this caliber, this will not be the last time he will be a victim to the hand of fate. I find no joy in accepting an innocent child’s death, but the kind of life one has to live after capturing divinity’s interest is cruel. He will be possessed again and again until he can find his way to control and collect his gifts, but he is far too young and all the more likely to lose himself completely into the haze of constant possession and returningto the self. It may be better for him to die and hope for better luck the next time his soul comes around.”

The words don’t feel…right. As you mutter them, you can feel the strange clicking and clacking from within your soul—intuition fighting against your declining his plea. Your compass is pointing you due north, straight towards a predisposed death

but you do not fear death, not by a long shot.

You fear what comes after—knowing that there are thousands, possibly millions waiting for your soul's arrival at either of the gates and it won’t be pretty. However, there’s no ignoring the fact that the only reason why an entity of that caliber would have slipped through the gates at all was because you chose to abandon your duty to The Order, many moons ago.

Hongjoong tilts his head, as if trying to get a read out of you “You must have faith that God is on our side—“ he starts before you interrupt him

“Hongjoong, do you honestly believe that they—“ you point upwards, not referencing the ceiling “—care about all of this? They don’t. They have little to no desire to interfere with human lives and have no hand in your religions. I know this to be fact. The Order blindfolds you all into believing that.”

There’s a sudden small light that appears behind your eyes, Hongjoong noted. A magnificent covert presence slips through the sudden cracks in your previously immaculate wall of defense and concealment by a centimeter, but he feels it—recognizes it and gazes at you in shock. Every man in the room straightened their backs and instantly awoke from their exhaustion, recognizing the strangeness of the presence seemingly hosted from within you.

Before anyone could react, a sudden knock on your door swivels every head in the room towards the entrance of your apartment. The spirits quiet completely and you dread the fact that it wasn’t the mailman delivering the vintage Cesare Paccioti Lady Black high heels you’ve waited months for and expected to arrive today. Slow and small knocks knuckle at the thick wood of your door before steadily building up momentum into an unnervingly fast banging that makes the door tremble under its force.

The ornate sigil you’d etched onto your door years ago begins to burn a bright orange and you widen your eyes at Hongjoong.

“Stay back, all of you. Stay behind the pillars—whatever is at the door isn’t something to be taken lightly” Sigils began to appear on the pillars, the sounds of small sizzles indicating their sudden burning onto their surfaces as they glow a deep maroon.

Hongjoong shakes his head keeping his voice methodical and low, calm yet firm “Strega, I don’t doubt the strength of your abilities, but I do not know your abilities. Seonghwa—“ He calls to a strikingly cold beauty and Seonghwa immediately moves forward, and moves a hand towards the back of his neck, clenching his fist—and to your amazement, a sword is being pulled from the base of his spine. The air grows cold as Seonghwa mumbles an ornate prayer in Latin.

Everyone else falls into the muscle memory of their formation as elements fill the air—electricity sparking from the tips of Yunho’s hair as he stands upright, flanking Hongjoong’s left, while a fair skinned fairy-like boy and a heart shaped birthmark near his left eye places his palms onto the floor.

Your expression stiffens at the onslaught of energy surrounding you, an ominous feeling drifting through the air, almost foreboding. They were strong, yes—unquestionably so, but you could hear how the spirits expected their untimely deaths should they intervene. They were rarely wrong. “Stay back, exorcists. I do not doubt the magnitude of your strength and abilities—but this is something you have never encountered.”

The spirits are screaming—some of the ancestral guides that accompanied the priests, unbeknownst to them, are pleading to you

‘Do not allow them to interact with the being behind that door. They are not meant to die here— it isn’t their time. Please protect our boy.’ One motions to the man with bangs that fell into his asymmetrical eyes, hair kissing the nape of his neck with a distinct mole on his face. He donned feline features with an irrational fire already burning behind his eyes, tightening his fists as if to ready his rage for the fight—he seemed the least priest-like out of the group and you fleetingly wonder what led him down the thorny path.

“Forgive me for this but when I tell you to close your eyes and kneel, you must do so.” You instruct. Immediately a pearlescent light raises and widens itself from the ground towards the ceiling, creating a makeshift wall behind the pillars.

The mahogany wood of your door begins to splinter as the slams against it intensify and you could feel a rabid desperation radiating from just beyond the other side of the wall. Inhaling deeply, you rolled the sleeves of your thin turtleneck up to reveal an innumerable amount of scarring on the entirety of the skin stretching across your forearms, above what looked to be a complicated series of tattooed and scarred sigils. Quickly throwing off your gloves to reveal sigils scarred grotesquely onto your palms and two large ones tattooed at the base of your forearms.

Just as the door breaks away from its hinges— the protective sigil on the remaining base of the wood fizzles out after its fight to give you enough time. You run to grab a kitchen knife and proceed to stab it into your skin abruptly enough to draw blood, turning it slightly to create a small but elongated gash.

The priests watch in horror as the act seems to bring forth the presence originally merely sleeping within you—an overwhelming power permeates the room, its force mentally disorienting enough to make them want to claw at their skin, and were left confused as to why they’re scrambling to cover their ears despite not hearing anything but the sounds of the door falling onto the floor.

Once you’ve awakened him, you quickly pull a protective mental wall over his presence from within you— the boys are keeled and hunched at the floor, trying to catch their unstable breaths at the sudden calm.

When they look up they are greeted with nothing. That was the first dangerous sign. This was an entity that didn’t need a physical body to cause this amount of damage, but the presence of a shadow slinking its way over the rubble of the door, leaking with an unpleasant aroma and miasma appeared. You stare at the beast's true form—the form that boys didn’t have the ability to see with their naked eyes, only a sliver of the shadow it casted visible to them.

It was grotesque to say the least— an array of human limbs ripped from their bodies waved from where they were oddly placed on its centipede-like form. You could hear the faint screaming of its victims fall through its mouth as it wheezed, mimicking its most recent victim to disorient any of those who could hear it. Limbs limped while its body dragged itself towards you and the others you stood in front of. You hear a faint gasp— the blind priest, San, stared straight at the anomaly in front of you. The pale blue of his eyes moved in their sockets quickly, seeing in ways that did not require sight. You could end this quickly, of course, but that would only leave you with questions. The spirits in the room exclaim in confusion and horror, others remain quiet—recognizing the abomination making its way towards you.

A palpable contempt fills your body and you recognize the source of the rising emotions stems from your guardian's disgust for ‘lower’ life forms — your guardians' predisposition means there’s no avoiding his superiority complex. Pinching at your nose bridge, you sigh. You’ll just have to talk to the horrified spirits later. While they may be dead, they flutter about the earth due to their loyalties to their attachments, and can in turn, still feel many things. You didn’t understand how people believed in Gods but didn’t acknowledge how divine human connections truly are— it is, in fact, the only thing that truly protects us while we’re in the world of the living.

The abomination speaks—no, groans in that unsettling mimicry of agony as it addresses you.

“I bear this burden for the coming of our King— I crawled to this atrocious land with orders to kill the small fry behind you, witch. Your sigils will do nothing and I will grant you a quick death rather than what my nature has the inclination to do.” Referring to the torn limbs attached to its body. You smile lightly as a small light begins to dazzle behind your eyelids, nostalgic to the familiarity of hosting your guardian within your body—awakening him to an unsavory sight. You laugh a bit at the annoyed tone he greets you with.

‘Stupid girl, I thought you wanted peace?’

“Well, yes—and I still do. A couple of exorcists from The Order came and… well, you’ll know the moment you’re fully awake. It’s in your nature to know things after all, Raziel.” You utter softly, a strange breeze pushing some stands of your hair forward. “—but we’ll talk later. I simply wanted to wake you up so that we’d have the chance to figure—“ You wave an arm towards the odd looking demonic centipede “—this out.”

‘No, you simply had the audacity to wake me up to something so ugly but I digress. For now.’

The priests are curling their bodies to the floor, once more—groaning at the overwhelming pressure invading the living room. You hear the youngest priest scream “For fucks sake, what’s going on?!” in anguished confusion. You pitifully eye them and suck in a guilty breath as blood begins to drip from their ear canals, probably caused by the fact that they’re in the presence of Raziel’s unfiltered voice—though they cannot hear him. Immediately choosing to focus on the task at hand so that you didn’t accidentally contribute to the unnecessary murders of what you’d just seen to be the most gifted exorcists of the modern world up to date, you place your efforts into drawing blood from a specific sigil.

The creature sends a horrendous screech your way, taking the form of a cacophony of layered voices accompanied by a strange wailing that had the same effect as banging metal pots against each other.

“You—“ it squirms “Why is a divine host here?—“

“Close your eyes now! For the love of God, don’t open them until I tell you to.” You quickly bellow at the men and despite how heavy their limbs feel, they find it in themselves to tightly shut their eyes and press their palms against their faces for extra coverage. Immediately their stomachs begin to churn and Hongjoong thinks he faintly heard Mingi vomiting somewhere behind him—even through the harsh ringing threatening to burst their eardrums. Hongjoong grits his teeth and pushes to yell out to his team “Turn away and keep your eyes closed no matter what!”

A blinding white light fills the entirety of the apartment, almost as clear in its brightness to him as staring straight at a light fixture would be despite his greatest efforts. He hears the unsavory sounds of the creature gurgling and cursing in different languages, uttering one final phrase that makes his blood run cold before the air goes still once more.

‘Cursed angels.’

“…You can open your eyes now.” you mumble cautiously. San moves his palms away from his eyes, but cradles his head shakily. “That was the strongest energy I’ve ever sensed before.”

Hongjoong crawled over to him in concern, looking at you before explaining slowly “San is only ‘blind’ in the physical realm—though he cannot see with his eyes, he is able to ‘see�� everything as…energy of sorts. His and our concepts of witnessing life are vastly different— even though he tried his best to “close his eyes.” He probably felt whatever that was astronomically more than the rest of us. I suppose it makes more sense to say that his sight is derived directly from his third eye at all times. That’s his gift.”

He holds San by his shoulder, meaning to comfort him without overwhelming. Wooyoung lays flat on his back, arms cradling his stomach. “I think I’m gonna hurl.”

Mingi begrudgingly mumbles “Guess I beat you to it.”

The rest of the men aren’t in any better condition— most trying to regulate their nervous system, some leaning against each other, and others cradling the walls or pillars.

Seonghwa still maintained his cold and calculating expression before turning to gaze deeply into your irises, as if searching for a semblance of an answer himself but frustratingly not coming to any conclusion.. “Strega, I believe we deserve some sort of explanation about what just happened.”

You hold his stare before turning to pull a chair to sit before them all with a sigh. “You may have heard him refer to me as a ‘divine host’ correct? Though your senses may have been too occupied.”

Raziel’s voice flows into your consciousness as if he were an extension of your very own thoughts.

‘Fate doesn’t seem to like you at all, child. Even I feel a sort of pity for you. Will you bear the burden of telling them the blood stained truth?’

You squint your eyes and glare at the air in front of you wanting to reply but opting not to. God, this isn’t fair.

Why did it always have to be you? Responsibilities that you’ve never asked for always come crashing in—the constant whiplash, emotional weariness, the scars you have to inflict on yourself and endure in order to hold dangers at bay, at the end of the day one thing remains true: it always had to be taken care of by you.

Everyone remains silent, signaling you to continue.

“If I were to explain everything to you in intense detail, it would reshape the entirety of what you currently know of the world and of your gifts— understand that what you hear is likely to throw you into a corrosive pit of despair and hatred, however pure your intentions are. It may not be your time to understand, but I cannot move forward in this conversation without unveiling a horrid truth. All else will have to wait, since the rest will take an immense amount of time to relay—and the education I was given had taken years to learn.” You see Jongho straighten up, immediately wanting to hurl questions your way and you don’t blame him, but he halts immediately when Yunho holds a hand up and shakes his head at him. “Not now, Jong. Let her speak and we’ll ask questions later.”

You take a deep breath before continuing, clamping your trembling fingers in order to try and keep still. You needed to steel yourself completely if you were going to be the one to reveal their reality, and your heart squeezed as you gazed at them. You didn’t know them at all, but you knew this— the men they came as today will not be the ones who leave your apartment today. You, you’re the one who will steal the last of their remaining innocence. You mask your nausea with an unreadable expression.

“Now tell me boys, heed my warnings—as our entwined tales reek of blood and iron. Do you still wish to know? How far will you go to save this child who you may see as a reflection of yourself after knowing what I wish to tell you. He is unnatural, yes—but so are we. The extent of The Order’s ambition is bloody and heavy in their pursuit of fighting against an inevitable apocalypse. Contrary to popular belief, while we were born of a God's creation, he has grown an animosity towards our existence. The only reason the human race still exists is because we are a means of entertainment for those up high— we are God’s favorite gamble, and so he neither aids us nor eradicates us to see what ending we eventually fall to. His interest lies in seeing how long we can fight for our very existence. The Earth is his colosseum and we are his Gladiators. The Order knows that we cannot fight as ordinary humans or with mere divinations and lukewarm abilities. The only way we can fight monsters is by creating them—becoming them. I can’t say that I don’t see the point in which they do what they do, however they too, have fallen to God complexes—choosing who lives and dies. Tell me now, do you still wish to know?”

A part of you wishes they’d say no or ask for more time, but you know this would not be the case and so yet again, you simply wait.

An uneasy silence pervades the room. Even the spirits listen with bated breath and sympathy for what’s to come—the ancestors accompanying the men in secret shake their heads fervently, knowing the despair in which will follow the unforgiving truth. You glance at them briefly in subtle apology, but it wasn’t their choice to make. The men feel their stomachs churn, intuitively knowing that whatever you’d tell them will twist their fates entirely. Glances are thrown across the room towards each other, trying to reach a consensus in the choked up silence.

Hongjoong is the first to speak. There’s a strain to his voice you don’t fail to hear.

“I’m afraid, Strega.” His eyes were unbearably clear and strong. He did nothing to hide his emotions and somehow that made him the strongest in the room.

“But I know in my heart that the truth exists whether or not we acknowledge it. As exorcists, we must bear the burden of facing the secret and omnipresent horrors of this world. It is both our blessing and our curse.” As if his words brought strength to his team, they looked at their leader and found the resolve to agree. You feel yourself choke on the words that leave you. Revisiting this old ache yourself didn’t make this any easier.

“I will not lie to you. The cruel reality of what The Order is built upon will likely rip at your loyalties. I know what it’s like— I, too, saw family in the High Priests. The utter care in which they attempt to nurture us with, almost as payment for what they themselves have taken away from us as children without our knowing. To foster us in ignorance for the sake of a better world, but we didn’t choose this. In many ways they are no better than the God that holds us as if we were pairs of dice. Understand that the child is in the same position as we were in terms of falling victim to the greater forces wanting to play with our lives and that if any one of you were to leave your positions, another child would have to replace you.” The facade of calm on your face begins to crumble and Seonghwa’s own expression grows uneasy at the sight, suddenly unsure if he wants to hear this any longer but says nothing for the sake of the others powering through their fear.

“I’m unsure why The Order sent you all to me— what you’d just witnessed is under strict confidentiality and my existence isn’t supposed to be known by most, with the exception of the council of High Priests. I was trained, educated, and raised alone—unlike you and the other exorcists of your clergy. They molded me into the perfect militant dog that would unquestionably work itself into exhaustion because of the devotion I held for them, as they were the only humans I had the chance to interact with after my brief childhood. It’s easy to say that my attachment to my… role was unhealthy but it all changed when I came across a strange book. I’m unsure how I came across it really, but depending on who sent you— I can finally unveil who tried their best to expose the truth of my existence to me. I suspect that they sent you here in secret to expose the truth to you all, as they did for me. Maybe it’s so that whatever decision you all make moving forward is an informed one— so that you have a choice, no matter what consequences and sacrifices you face.” You’re shaking now, moving your arms to embrace yourself, and feel yourself drift far into the dark abyss of your memories.

Raziel speaks quickly

‘Breathe child. You are strong— remember this.’

Nodding, you continue to push through.

“Since childhood, I have acted as both a portal and defender of the gates to the ‘other world’ up until I left the Order. Whatever you exorcised, I ensured it remained locked away. Demons, spirits—anything you exorcised would have had to pass through my body in order to return whatever realm it came from. It’s not to say that exorcisms wouldn’t be possible if there wasn’t a person to act as a vessel or had my ability, but this process made it immensely easier due to it being the best way to ensure that the spirit was fully returned. Though lower class demons tend to perish during exorcisms—this isn’t often the case with higher classes. My role was similar to the Ferryman who steered the skiff and carried souls to the underworld in Greek myths. The skiff (meaning small boat) is my body. Yes, the souls could swim and take the journey back home themselves if the exorcism was well performed and fully severed any trace of its existence from our realm, but the time it’d take for them to reach their destination could muddle the process if I weren’t there and it comes with the risk of it being able to still psychically attach to something else if the veil is thin enough, especially for stronger ones. This leads us to the next part, are you still with me?”

The fairy-like boy, Yeosang, looks at you with pale wonder. “How is that even possible?”

Smiling sadly, you utter “…For a multitude of reasons, but I still don’t fully understand it either.”

San stares at you with pale eyes, the closest mimicry of the colors that washed across the expanse of the Aegean Sea you’ve ever seen—his abilities though the weakest in terms of offense were still in some ways the most dangerous depending on how he utilized them. All the more so if paired with a strategic mind.

“Strega, what is it that you host inside of you?”

Softly his words carry the weight of a premonition and you feel the shifting tides of the conversation to come. For now—this is the last and the hardest stretch of the race. The choice is here and you were the one to deliver the fatal blow.

“I would need to explain how exorcists are truly made before I can tell you that—and this will not be easy for me to relay to you, so please understand that this fate was also mine.”

Yunho catches the detailing of your words, his eyebrows curling together in confusion. “What do you mean by made?” At this point, you’ve bitten the skin of your lip raw. You notice how Wooyoung’s eyes widened in fear, a strange emotion of denial dawning on his face but didn’t have it in you to acknowledge it just yet without pulling through the task.

Swallowing hard, you exhale before continuing.

“Exorcists aren’t born with their abilities. The process of choosing which child is a candidate for being initiated into The Order starts with a psychic gift— those who show potential and natural skill. In order for an exorcist to be made, a ritual of mass sacrifice must be conducted by the council of high priests— but it comes at a hefty price, Yunho. It wasn’t coincidence that you all became orphans nor was it fate.—“ As their expressions slowly distort into ones of anxious confusion, your breathing grows heavy with grief

“—S-special children who exhibit psychic prowess are…selected by The Order— and they are able to be located by an individual who bears a gift they call “The Eye.” It’s a divinatory ability, able to foresee and locate the gifted by the brightness of their energies and it manifests once in each generation as its role is meant to be passed down. The Eye is capable of seeing things from a bird's eye view, the expanse of its ability can be frightening once sharpened into its full potential. It can track anything that has a heat signature, energy, sound—it’s also accompanied by a certain clairvoyance due to the exorcists' sharpened senses with the lack of sight in the physical realm. They have the makings to be deadly trackers. The Order most likely would’ve recruited San for this role once his predecessor passed away.” San’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“W-wait, are you saying that I have that same ability? Strega just because I’m a blind man doesn’t mean that I—“

“San, I can’t fully confirm nor deny the nature of your gifts because I am not you. But based on what Hongjoong explained— it sounds to me that The Order has yet to inform you of your impending future. The true extent of your abilities will only be revealed once your predecessor passes away and you inherit the entirety of the gift. The Order also keeps the existence of The Eye concealed.” There’s an apparent shock in his features and you pity the boy when you think about how confused he must have been navigating his gifts alone. The training for an exorcist is usually catered to more offense based abilities and maneuvering physical defenses, but that wasn’t the most suited for long distance and strategy based gifts.

Fuck. This is going to be so hard to say.

You harden yourself as an old anger begins to rise from its depths within you. Telling yourself ‘This is the last stretch Y/N, just fucking do it.’

“—However, the order does not tell anyone what truly happens once a child is located.

Do you know what separates us from the other gifted? Have you ever questioned why only a select few are recruited by The Order, despite the fact that we need as much manpower as we can possibly get as the amount of demons running rampant on the Earth continues to grow?

It’s because many are spiritually gifted but none of us are inherently born with abilities that manifest the way ours do. Even we weren’t born originally with the predisposition to manifest what we do now, only with the potential to have a greater gift form if the perfect conditions were to take place. In order for an exorcist to be created, we pay the price in blood.

The ritual calls for the sacrifice of one’s closest living relatives— the direct lineage must be eradicated so that they could fulfil the requirement of the subject being the final barer of its ancestors blood. Our families were killed for the sake of inheriting these abilities. Those who are sacrificed don’t extend to distant relatives—but first cousins, grandmothers, grandfathers, siblings, aunts, uncles, mothers, and fathers? This is the disgusting and bloody reality of what we are, but The Order is cunning and methodical. There are exorcists hidden in the ranks with the ability to cause natural deaths for most of the family, but they’ve never told you this, did they? But our mothers, fathers, siblings?— their blood is needed at the altar. I’m sure I don’t need to go into more detail.” You grit your teeth. You hear Wooyoung's shaky sobbing and see Mingi crawling towards him to seek comfort as he shakes his head in horror. Seonghwa covers his mouth to run towards the kitchen sink—bile rising as the entirety of his body shakes and empties itself. Hongjoong, however, is frighteningly still.

Knowing they could still hear you, you continue on. You can’t afford to stop now, else you’d break permanently.

“—But just why do you think such a horrific ritual has to be done in order for an exorcist to exist? This ritual in particular is meant to summon and imprison a demon within a gifted child's body and soul so they could foster its abilities. Think of it as if the demon were a power circuit, an outlet— you exorcists are the plugs pushed into the circuit to derive power from it, but the qualities of your body and spirit make it so that the exchange can happen. The Order tries to find us as young as possible so we’re trained and sharpened enough to fight as soon as we can, and because development is crucial to the process of fully integrating into its powers. The demons you inherit, however, must choose you. Well, maybe saying the demon has a choice isn’t the right term— it’s dependent on what demon’s specifically drawn in by your psychic energy before it’s trapped in the ritualistic circle. Since it’s a high cost ritual, it often attracts higher classed demons and since we were born with an immense amount of spiritual energy, it’s hard for them to resist the bait. Inside of you all, right now, at this very moment is an unconscious demon—only to be released from you and awoken with your death.”

All sorts of emotions fill the room: existential crisis, anger, hatred, grief, denial, confusion, and profound betrayal. The adrenaline pulsing through your veins shows in your dilated pupils and the fast movement of your right leg, a repetitive thump, thump, thump reverberating through the room. Words continue to spill from your mouth

“It’s rare for exorcists of different generations to have the same abilities as another. The one anomaly is The Eye as it’s an ability that can be passed on and inherited without any blood ties, though I’m unsure why— it could either mean that there’s a possibility that The Eye is a demon that means to assist mankind’s fight for survival or that The Eye’s source is not a demon at all. Which would make it the only case in which this happened other than my own.”

Seonghwa clenches his fists so hard that his nails dig into the thick of his palms deeply and his blood drips onto your hardwood floor— the room is deathly quiet following your explanation. His eyes and tone are grim, as the entirety of his body tensed. He asks a question he fears he knows the answer to.

“Strega, what happens if we try to leave?”

Pure anguish falls onto your features and you don’t hesitate to reply.

“Then they will try to find another child to replace your vacancy, Seonghwa.”

Seonghwa turns to bang his head and fist onto a nearby wall, squeezing a sob out of his throat in an attempt to stifle an incoming wail. Some of the others shut their eyes in despair, turning away from the sight of the typically reserved Seonghwa. They find themselves crushed into a tight space with a clear way out, but not without a hefty cost in exchange for freedom from the corruption at hand.

Hongjoong calmly rises from his seat on the floor to stretch his legs. “Why does it have to be another child?”

“The other exorcists of your clergy— they’re bound to The Order by sheer faith. They’re regular priests with a decent amount of spiritual energy who are dispatched to take care of lower class entities. Through prayers and invocations, they’re able to exorcise with faith. However, those born with the amount of spiritual energy you’ve all had since birth is exceptionally rare. Typically, there are significantly less of you—but this generation had been “blessed” with eight successful vessels. Your true denominations are referred to as an ‘Infernal Hosts.’

Hongjoong, the eight of you are the only ones in this world who fall under this category—“

Every face in the room grows pale and cold, recognizing the unfathomable truth and gravity of the situation at hand. They were trapped unless they decided to trade places with a child—and therefore would contribute to another lineage’s annihilation.

“—This is why the child poses a threat to The Order and the worlds beyond the veil, and depending on what path this child takes—should he remain alive, the tides of this ongoing battle of survival could completely turn. The spirits told me…t-they told me that the child was born with the greatest amount of spiritual energy seen in the last few centuries. Even more than you and I, Hongjoong. The Order says they want us to save the child from possession, but they intend to do to him what they’d done to us. This is also not done without running the risk of him attracting something concerningly powerful, and therefore, becoming too powerful—but should the demon overtake or manipulate him… it’s likely that humanity will greet the dawn of its ending.

The one beneficial factor at hand is that The Eye hasn’t been able to locate any living relatives—most of them have passed away and he was orphaned shortly after his birth due to his own circumstances. The Order needs ancestral blood for the ritual so they’re scrambling to research an alternative and this buys him time. Time to either die or find another way out somehow, some way.” His eyes are unreadable and not nearly as clear as they were earlier.

“You said that there are only eight Infernal Hosts in this world currently. Where is your place in this equation? Why have you suffered the same fate as us? How did you get away from The Order?” He asks. Eyes widened around the room in realization, forgetting that you’d left the association five years ago—when you were freshly twenty two years old. They quickly turn their heads to gaze at you warily. Even Seonghwa turned from his position on the wall to gaze at you with unabashed judgement.

Raziel chuckles a bit.

‘This one’s discreetly a bitch. Careful— I have a feeling that the demon he hosts has something to do with his speech. You’ve probably noticed by now that his spiritual energy is also off of the fucking charts. Just an inkling, but keep that in mind.’

“That’s because I’m not an Infernal Host.”

He quirks a brow “Okay and?” Eyes around the room bounce back and forth between you two frustratedly.

You roll your eyes at him but are partially relieved that you don’t have to deliver anymore painful news.

“I’m referred to as the Divine Host. I don’t know how it happened, so don’t ask— all I know is that during the ritual I ended up attracting something completely different than they originally planned.”

“Which is?” They ask in unison.

You sigh shakily before confessing the information for the first time in your life outside of The Order.

“An Archangel. I attracted an Archangel.” The room goes still as they try to process the fact that there's an Archangel resting inside of you— which also meant that it was right there in the room with them…and they all apparently housed demons within themselves. “This is why The Order couldn’t find a replacement for me and why they didn’t want to risk defying my choice. Raziel’s mere presence, as you’ve noticed, is absolutely frightening—and both psychologically and physically horrendous for anyone with enough spiritual energy to sense him within several kilometers from him. Paired with the fact that I’m regularly in communication with him? They didn’t know what would happen if they opposed my leaving. There are other factors, but let’s leave that for another day.”

“—and no he has no desire to attack you. Not yet, at least.” You say and peak their interest.

“How do you know that?” Yeosang presses a bit, eyes brightening a bit with interest despite the melancholy that drapes his body language, elbows resting on the knees of his wide spread legs, hands locked together as he gazes upwards at your figure.

“Because I can hear him whenever he’s awake. He’s usually in a resting state but can be awoken by the drawing of my blood above the skin that bears his mark. Before I became a vessel, I had an affinity for clairaudience and spirit communication— so I suppose that might be the reason why I can speak with him candidly but Raziel won’t tell me any specifics. I speak to many spirits to pass the time and in return spirits also tell me many things. Which is where I got the information about the child.”

San pipes up slowly. “Raziel…he sounds familiar. Is he one of the Archangels listed in the Torah?” His voice is soft in volume and asks more questions to distract himself from the gravity that weighs heavy himself.

You lightly smile at him before agreeing. “Yeah, he’s also mentioned in some Kabbalistic texts— but we can talk more about Raziel later.” Expression dimming slowly as you accept the calling of your fate.

“I will help retrieve the child from the clutches of whatever is attaching itself to him, but I will not return him to The Order.”

Hongjoong knowingly smiles, almost as if he were waiting for you at the finish line, and you arrived exactly where he expected you to. The multiple thick silver hoop earrings hitting against each other as he shakes his head a bit.

Seonghwa eyes you with confusion, brushes his long dark hair back with bony fingers “What do you mean you won’t return him to The Order?”

Resolutely, you gaze at them all. Smiling as you sign your life away, name on the dotted line—

“I won’t return him to The Order, because I will take on the role of his Guardian. If anyone could hide his presence, it’d be Raziel.”

The man himself is quick to interject.

‘I don’t care for your affairs nor do I care for your stupid little apocalypse, child. I’ve been waiting for mankind to die out. It took way too long.’

You scrunch your brows together, replying to him out loud now that everyone knows about his existence.

“I’d beg to differ. I think you do care about my affairs because it’s fun and you’re unbearably nosy. Not to mention the fact you clearly made the brilliant decision of willingly inhabiting me because of your distaste for your own kind to begin with, you old buffoon. This is practically a visa marriage. Anyways—think about what mysteries this may hold, will you?” Jongho’s jaw dropped at your rudeness after realizing that you were having some sort of telepathic conversation with the Archangel.

Raziel ponders and momentarily considers calling onto a singular lightning bolt to eradicate you but it was in his nature to cave to his curiosities.

‘The one thing you will surely die with is the audacity’ He says and scoffs a bit before going silent. You smile because that means yes.

“I don’t want to watch everyone else play God anymore. If the world burns, so be it— if the child lives and disrupts the balance, so be it. He deserves the choice to exist or disappear when the time comes—but until then, I won’t let The Order make it for him. Nothing will succeed in touching a single hair on his body.

We have to stop this because we’re the only ones who truly can. Our true goal is to protect the innocent.”

Hongjoong extends a hand out to grasp your own as he waits for you to return the favor before layering his palm over the back of your hand as a sign of camaraderie.

You’re unsure if the reason you’re so compelled to die for the cause in order to find retribution or release yourself from the guilt of ignoring the responsibility that accompanies one blessed with power. Maybe a part of you also wanted to take part in the great cosmic gamble. The rest of the men slowly rise and stand tall, leaning over to meet your palms in the middle of the forming circle. All in favor of the task and deciding in silent unison that your shared horrors could only be ameliorated and forgiven by preventing it from happening again. It’s all or nothing.

Wooyoung speaks for the first time, a palpable darkness twisting in his eyes—an old rage swimming at the surface of his reflection. His gaze flickers and burns hot as he gazes at the stack of palms lining his point of vision. His voice tense as he utters the joining phrase—

“We who are forged from Iron and Blood. May our blades strike upon those who have dared to touch our earthly makers. We pay the price—blood in exchange for innocence. Ancestors, please watch as we avenge your faultless souls and make right the unintentional sins of our youth.”

Meeting your eyes with exhilaration, Hongjoong’s lips fold into a toothy half-smile. The sharpness of his teeth make something inside of you shiver.

“Welcome to the team, Strega. Let’s have a fun time dying.”

Let’s have a fun time indeed.

ahh i hope you all enjoyed the first chapter and that it hopefully made sense. please like, reblog, or leave comments to let me know what you thought about it! <3

[ihavethedreamiesx]

Birthday Surprise | Baekhyun [NSFW]

Byun Baekhyun - EXO

Rating: M (18+) MDNI

Word Count: ~3.5k

Pairing: Baekhyun x AFAB!Reader

Genre: Reader-Insert, Fluff, Smut, Cute, Sweet

!!This is smut…if that much isn't clear you should probably leave now!! MDNI!

Warnings: She/Her Pronouns used, Kissing, Bit of Swearing, Oral (F! Receiving), Fingering, Wall Sex, Unprotected Sex (Don't!)

Author's Note: This a story requested by/written for my friend @sadfragilegirl! I hadn't written something to post for EXO yet. It’s a little early for her actual birthday, but she didn't mind, so here is this as well~

Revised (1/31/25) - I forgot to change the name to (Y/N), so I fixed it!

I am cross-posting this on Archive. Please reblog! Share, even if its to the other sites! Let me know if you want to be on the taglist!

Sighing again, you find your eyes drifting to your phone again. Tapping the screen, there’s still no new notifications. You understand with the time difference and his busy schedule that your boyfriend doesn’t always have a second to spare to reply. You don’t take it personally; it’s just hard when you miss him as much as you do. The first week of a touch is always the hardest, but then it gets easier. After time passes through, the harder and harder it gets again. At least with Baekhyun’s solo career he’s gone for a shorter time than with the whole group. You also never keep close track of his tours, only what he tells you. It’s too difficult to watch fancams others post because they get to be there and not you. You have to work yourself though, and can’t go with him.

Another sigh leaves your lips, and you reluctantly go back to watching the show on TV. You don’t even remember what you had put on initially, but it’s changed. Your phone dings and you nearly give yourself whiplash looking at it, but your shoulders slump. The food you ordered has arrived. Grumbling, you get up from the couch, shuffling in your slippers to the door. When you open the door, there’s the food you ordered and you grab the bag, but there’s something else too. A box is set next to your food, and it looks like it might have been there before. It’s white with a red ribbon and a red envelope stuck to it. Picking it up with your other hand, it’s not very heavy, you head back inside. You hadn’t ordered anything…

Setting the bag of food down on the dining table, you pluck the envelope off the box, a bit of the paper tearing from where it’s taped on. Your name is on it, but that’s it, no address; yours or otherwise. Pondering on what the heck it could be, you gently tear the envelope open, pulling the card out. Your eyes widen, then sting a bit as tears spring to your eyes. You recognize the handwriting immediately.

Hello, Sweetheart, I’m sorry I haven’t been able to talk with you the way we both want, or as often. It’s harder for me to leave you at home each time I do, even more than it is for you, believe it or not. Everything I see wherever I go that reminds me of you, I buy. I know your birthday is tomorrow, but you’ll have to wait for the presents when you see me. I did prepare a surprise though. There’s a dress in the box, please wear it and a driver will come to pick you up tomorrow night at 7 pm. I miss you, and happy early birthday. ~Love Baekhyun

You sniff, trying to hold the tears back, feeling foolish. Why do you want to cry so hard? You wonder though what the heck he has planned. Did he set up a party or something for you so you won’t notice his absence as much? Finally going to the box that came with the card, you open it and remove the tissue paper inside to see the dress. A huff of surprise leaves your mouth, it is clearly not cheap. Flipping the tag over to see the brand, you’re then for sure. It’s a beautiful, light blue, bouffant-style dress, the fabric has a dull sparkle throughout and is made from a smooth silk. Of course it’s just perfectly your size.

“Oh, Baek…” You sniff again, holding the dress up to yourself, wondering what shoes you’re going to wear.

~θωθ~

“Are you (Y/N)?” The sharply dressed man stands by a very nice car asks you. You nod, and he opens the door for you. You smooth your dress down when you get in, adjusting it as you sit to keep it looking nice. It hits you right at the knees and you paired it with a simple set of gold kitten heels. You’d curled and put up your hair and added some gold jewelry to finish off the look. The driver get back in the car and begins to head in the direction of the fancy part of town. You fiddle with strap of your bag, watching the buildings and lights pass. Maybe ten minutes later, the car pulls into the entrance of an extremely fancy hotel. You guessed it was a party, but maybe it’s actually a meal in the restaurant?

“Have a Happy Birthday, Miss (Y/N).” The driver smiles, opening the door for you and you shyly thank him, once again adjusting your dress as you enter the lobby.

“Are you Miss (Y/N)?” one of the hoteliers asks as the automatic doors slide closed behind you.

“Yes.”

“Please, follow me.” She smiles, motioning for you to do so, leading you toward the elevators. You get in and she pulls a card out of the pocket of her vest, sliding it into he reader of the elevator, then presses the button for the roof.

“Have a Happy Birthday, Miss (Y/N).” She smiles once again and the elevator doors close, heading straight up. You’re feeling a bit overwhelmed with the glitz and glam of the night already. You know that your boyfriend’s an international celebrity and has been for years, granting him plenty of clout and capital, but this…

The elevator doors open, a polished hallway leading to a set of glass doors, and presumably, the rooftop venue. You can’t see anything past the doors, not even lights, just those in the distance of nearby buildings. Tilting your head a bit in confusion, you walk forward, heels clicking on the floor. When you get to the door, you for some reason feel your heart surge. Resting your hand on the handle, you take a deep breath and open the door, stepping out into the night breeze.

“Surprise~!” You startle, only somewhat unprepared. The lights have come on, the pop of confetti poppers and loud cheering welcomed you. It’s hard to hide your smile, seeing all of your and Baekhyun’s friends.

“(Y/N)!” An extremely loud voice heralds the action before you register it, then find yourself engulfed by a Chanyeol. You let out an ‘oof’ as he hugs you, and you rock back on your feet from the force of his hug.

“Let her go!” Kyungsoo huffs, hitting the other man on the back, who recoils in an overdramatic fashion. You shoot the shorter man a grateful look, but then they both look behind them. You can’t see over them, but when they move-

“Baek!” You beam, tears once again hitting your eyes and he catches you when you dash forward.

“Hi, sweetheart~” He hugs you close, and you hear various voices coo at the reunion, “Happy Birthday.” He kisses your forehead when you finally pull away, then scoffs.

“Hey, you’ll ruin your mascara…” He swipes his thumb over your cheek, and you sniff.

“I-I knew you’d probably planned a party or something, but I didn’t know you were going to be here, too!” Your smile brings out his own and you hug him again as he chuckles.

“Ah, what?!” He shouts suddenly and if you hadn’t known him for as long as you did, the volume would have startled you. He turns to look behind aggressively only to have Minseok whisper something in his ear after hitting him to get his attention.

“Oh, right…” He calms down and Baekhyun pulls away from you some.

“I did not time everything right, so we’re going to eat now, then do the rest.” Your boyfriend smiles, leading you over to the table set up in front of all the others.

“The rest?” you ask, sitting down in the seat he pulls out for you. He joins you and everyone else sits at their own respective tables. He points to the side table piled with gifts and you gape.

“You guys!” You speak loud enough, lacing fake annoyance in your tone and your guests laugh.

“Kyungsoo picked out the menu.” Baekhyun tells you, servers coming out with the food. It’s all your favorites and taste amazing. When everyone is done with the meal and the plates are cleared, another group of servers come out with a beautiful two-tier cake. They rest it gently on the table in front of you and light the candles before excusing themselves with a bow.

“Make a wish, sweetheart.” Baekhyun wraps his arm around your shoulder, kissing the crown of your head and you press your hands together, eyes closer. Let is be that I can stay happy with him, forever. You blow out the candles and everyone claps and cheers and then the real part of the party begins. Another set of chairs are at the gift table, so you move over.

“Half of these are from you!” You send a look to your boyfriend who chuckles a bit.

“So? Just start!” He brushes it off and you start. You get a lot of things like skincare, makeup, and other such toiletries. There’s some stuffed animals, a few sets of earrings, a few nice perfumes and a tennis bracelet. Like you had said, half of it is literally from him, several different countries were the origin of many. One of the boxes you open, you slam closed immediately, face heating. You send him a side-glare and he seems to realize which one you opened.

“Oh, uh, you can do that one later.” He grabs it from you, setting it on the pile and hoping no one noticed that it was purposefully hidden.

“It works with a phone app, from anywhere…” He whispers in your ear, and you want to interrogate him further, but decide to do it later. After the presents are opened, and the cake is cut, you finally get to eat it. Trying not to make a mess with the frosting, you enjoy the champagne that’s brought out as well. People are already dancing in the large open area in the middle of the rooftop venue, and when another nice, slow song starts, Baekhyun grabs your hand.

“I thought it would be weird if we danced to one of my songs.” He whispers to you as he brings you to the dance floor. It’s the second slow song, but you understand why he did that. While he literally dances for a living, you’re not nearly as graceful nor practiced as him. You set your hand in his, the other on his shoulder, his other hand resting on your waist.

“Just follow the rhythm.” He coaches as you dance, several of your friends dancing with their significant others. You smile as you pass Jongdae and his wife, somewhat envying what they have. That’s something to think about later though.

“I think you got something on your-“ Baekhyun brings your attention back to him and he smirks before quickly kissing the corner of your mouth and you scoff.

“Geez~” You can’t help but smiles, resting your head on his shoulder as you sway. When the song fades to a close, you reluctantly pull away from him, but his hand stays linked with yours.

“Yeol!” He shouts, catching his friend’s attention. He flashes an ‘ok’ gesture and Chanyeol sends a thumbs up back and you frown a bit.

What are they planning?

“Come with me.” He looks like a kid in a candy store, a wide grin spread over his pretty face, and you follow after him as he leads you inside. Chanyeol has started something on the little stage set up for the band, everyone’s attention focusing there.

“I was going to wait till after, but I can’t.” Baekhyun tells you, pulling you with him through the only door of the rooftop shelter other than the one outside or the elevator. It’s a small staging room it seems, there’s mostly just extra tables and chairs. When you turn toward him to ask what he’s talking about, his lips capture yours, and your words slip into a whine. Your back hits the wall by the door, hands flying up to his shoulders and up the nape of his neck into his hair. One of his arms wraps around you, hand on the small of your back, the other on the wall to steady you both. You’re glad you chose a lip stain rather than lipstick since none of it transfers over to him. You sigh and his tongue slips into your mouth, his leg coming between yours, pressing his thigh about your covered mound. You moan, letting him pull back from the kiss reluctantly. His lips kiss the corner of your mouth again, then down to your jaw, and further to your shoulder. The off-shoulder sleeves leave plenty of skin open, so he takes the chance and sinks his teeth in slightly. You try to hold back your moan, not sure how soundproof the room is, grinding down on his thigh between yours. It’s been way too long, and the little points of contact through the night are not nearly enough.

“How am I going to get out of here?” You scold lightly as he moves across your collarbone, having most likely already left three or four marks.

“You can use my coat.” He offers quickly, barely pulling his lips off your skin to speak, also removing said item. Baekhyun rolls his sleeves up, lips finding yours again. When his task is done, you giggle as he lightly smooths his hand up your thigh. His finger hooks over the hem of your panties, snapping the elastic. You squeak slightly when he presses into you, pinning you to the wall further, teeth nibbling your ear lobe, licking over the golden hoop earrings you have in.

“You’re already wet~?” He gives a huff of smugness and you just hum, exhaling in bliss when his fingers run through your soaked folds.

“Baek-!” You’re going to try and rationalize your state, but it’s a moot point because your breath leaves you when he sinks his finger inside you. You’re tighter than usual, not having been able to get off yourself, you need Baekhyun. The remote vibrator he bought you made more sense right now. By the time he adds a second finger, spreading them tot get you ready, there are probably three more marks on your upper chest. Your little mewls are obviously getting to him, but the night is for you, not him. He stops his fingers, and you want to protests, but he sinks to knees.

“Oh.” You whisper, letting him gently pull your panties down and over your feet, tucking them in his back pocket. You might have scolded him, but all words leave as he buries his tongue inside your wanting pussy.

“Baek~!” You shudder, slumping further into the wall, hands on his shoulders to stabilize yourself. He tries not to laugh at your squeal as he hikes one of your thighs up and onto his shoulder to get you open even more for him. His tongue leaves your core, flicking at your clit, two fingers finding home inside you again. Your walls flutter around the digits and he can tell you’re close. With one more expert crook of his fingers, and a kiss to your clit, you cum and he helps you ride through it, eagerly lapping at your essence flowing down his hand. By the time the waves of your orgasm fade, you’re shaking, and he smirks, standing while licking off his fingers. You notice his hardened cock straining against his dress pants, fingers finding the zipper.

“Wait-“

“Can’t. Do it better later.” You insist, and he’s not going to argue. Just as soon as you free him, the head of his cock is at your entrance, and he pushes in. Your gummy walls pulse around him; the stretch stung from you going so long without him. The same leg he had over his shoulder he hold up over his elbow and you’re so glad you’re flexible. His thrusts are shallow and hard, trying to get to the crest for both of you fast so he can get you back to the hotel room and fuck you properly.

“Shit, Baekhyun.” Your breaths come out in pants, trying to stay quiet, but it’s hard. Your peak is getting close again, your tight core around his cock feels like heaven, so he’s close too.

“Come on, sweetheart. Cum for me.” His sweet voice in your ear is all it takes, and he has to still as you cum. He lets go as well, the squeeze too good. Catching your breath, you startle when someone knocks on the door hard. Baekhyun must take it as a signal for something, because he gets himself fixed up and lets you have his suit jacket to cover your shoulders. In the low light he can see the rising deep red and purple welts, a few with light teeth marks.

“Okay, let’s go.”

“What-?”

“Yeol got everyone distracted, so now you don’t feel good, so we’re leaving!” He grins like a goof, and you scoff, shuffling after him to the elevator. Chanyeol seems to be guarding the door, back to you, and you giggle as the lift doors close. Your boyfriend looks at you, his hair a bit messy and you both laugh. He still has your panties in his pocket… When the elevator gets to the floor for the room he booked, you slip out, slinking past a group of what looks like college guys walking down the hall. You hold his jacket over you tighter, following Baekhyun as he leads you. When he’s got you into the hotel suite, your giggles turn into a full laugh, and he can’t help but join.

“Come on, sweetheart. The bed is all ready…”

After unwrapping you like you’re a present, he sits behind you on the bed, leading you to rest your back to his chest.

“What are we doing?” you ask, letting his hands on your hips guide you. He sits on his knees, having you straddle his lap, and he sinks lower as you settling on him, cock filling you back up. Sighing at the feeling of him inside you again, he kisses over your shoulder again, sucking another mark at the base of your ear. Resting your head on his shoulder, his hands guide you to grind down onto him, the angle has the head of his cock right in the best spot, rubbing and pressing you into a tizzy. You wonder why it feels so much more intense than normal, more intimate.

“You looked so beautiful tonight. I knew that dress would be perfect.” His voice, low and soft in your eyes, seems to vibrate over you and your hips stutter through the rhythm you both set. Baekhyun leans back a bit more, you follow since you’re resting on him, and the shift lets him slide in even deeper and you gasp at the rapidly rising pleasure.

“I love hearing your laugh in person, being able to hold you…” One of his hands slide up over your stomach, cupping your breast.

“Feeling your soft skin, kissing you, tasting you…” You whimper, his hips shifting to meet yours, thrusting up to meet your rolling hips.

“Wanna see you…” You whine and he hums, smirking.

“Okay, sweetheart.” While you’re not pleased that he pulls out, you’re quickly filled back up when your back hits the bed. His hands wrap around yours when they go to cup his jaw, mouth meeting yours again. Linking your fingers, he pins your hands up by your head with his, pulling back just enough so your lips still brush slightly. You wrap your legs tighter around his waist, and he snaps his hips hard, picking the pace up immediately. You can’t hold back your moans, writing in pleasure under him, the bed frame groaning from the force. You want to touch him too, but his hands on yours prevent it. He smirks against your lips, switching to using his one hand to hold both your wrists in place. The free hand grips your thigh, shifting your leg up higher so he can get even deeper inside of you. It’s hard for you to get out anything intelligible other than his name, and your orgasm is rising faster that you anticipated.

“God, you’re so beautiful. I love you so much, Mina.” His pace is stuttering, the vice of your core sending him closer to the edge as well.

“Love you too~” You manage to get out and your voice crests into a high moan as you fall over the edge. He groans himself, spilling inside, filling you with warmth and swallowing your noises with a sealing kiss.

“Happy Birthday, sweetheart.” Baekhyun smiles warmly and you giggle tiredly.

“You really didn’t have to do so much…” You pout playfully and he hums, shaking his head.

“I did. I love you, and whenever I’m gone for so long, so far away, you’re all I think about. I honestly wish I would have done more.”

Master-List

[pascaloverx]

FELLINGS — EXO K.J

PREVIEW

Summary: You and Jongin live wanting what you two can't have. For example, he wants to win over your best friend and you want him.

Warnings: This fanfic will describe some hot romantic moments and use of inappropriate language. In the future there may be both smut and moderate use of violence. Readers are warned. This fanfic will feature some members of EXO as characters but they are not part of a Kpop group in this scenario.

CHAPTER ONE

The imperfect day definitely exists. Not that your routine days are good, but today is proving to be a challenge. Your best friend was late to tell you that there will be an engagement dinner tonight. She is engaged to her newest boyfriend, who, by the way, despite being handsome, is also controlling. While I was responsible for confirming who will appear. You then went to the office where you work as a secretary for one of the most renowned businessmen.

"You're late, you know?" Kai says as soon as you enter the office. He is wearing a suit that is somewhat clinging to his body. Not that you should notice your boss's body.

"It won't happen again, sir. But I must point out that you almost lying under my desk is unprofessional." You say almost laughing, very subtly. He looks at you with a knowing look as if he liked what you said.

"Blessed is the day I accepted you into the company. That way I wouldn't have met one of the best people in my life and fortunately because of you, I met Luna." Luna is your best friend. Kai is kind in thanking me for having met Luna, as they actually knew each other before I became his secretary. Luna is a friend I made at school where I was a scholarship student during my adolescence. Kai and she were neighbors before Kai's parents sent him on an exchange program to a foreign country, and they lost touch. Years later, at a company gathering, Kai and Luna reunited because of me.

"I don't know if you can thank me for that. I was just the reason for your reunion. Which brings me to remind you that Luna invited you to her engagement dinner. Yes, I've already checked your schedule, and you have the evening free. In fact, you have a meeting with the majority stakeholders in an hour and lunch with that international model who was being considered as our next spokesperson. And your tie… it's a bit crooked." You speak while looking closely at Kai, reaching for the iced Americano he drinks every morning in Kai's hands, fixing his tie and collar. You can never quite explain it, but your fingers always tremble a bit when you touch your boss.

"What would I do without you?" He asks, genuinely smiling, of course, trying to pretend that Luna's wedding isn't affecting him.

"Probably get your own coffee and check your own email. Should I have someone bring your fancy black suit, in case you decide to attend the dinner?" You say as you finish tying Kai's tie. He looks surprised that you already know he's going to decline the invitation but will likely reconsider later.

"Am I going to be judged if I don't go?" He asks, and you laugh. How could your opinion matter in a matter that doesn't concern you?

"Kim Jongin. You're a grown man, and Luna is a grown woman. You have a past that I can't even specify. How could I judge you for not wanting to see the woman you have feelings for getting engaged to someone else?" You speak in an authoritative tone while staring at Kai with the most judgmental facial expression you can muster. After all, shouldn't he be the one to swallow his feelings and witness the person he desires loving someone else, just as he can't see an old flame getting engaged to another?

"I love it when I stress you out enough for you to call me by my name instead of the nickname. Go ahead and have them bring the gray suit I wore to that dinner where I reunited with Luna. I'll be at the damn engagement dinner. I hope you'll be there too," Kai says seriously as he sips his coffee, and you step back a bit. Knowing him for so many years has given you a certain confidence in predicting his actions.

"I'm the maid of honor, of course, I'll be there. But I'm not sure about the time I'll arrive; my boss tends to be very relentless and bossy. You might get there before me." You say in a playful tone. He looks at his phone, replies to two messages, and then turns to you as he prepares to enter the meeting room.

"Send me the address of the dinner, and you can take the rest of the day off. I'll be looking forward to seeing how you handle being a maid of honor." He says seriously, watching your reaction. You shake your head in disbelief.

"I don't need the day off; I'm perfectly capable of handling both business matters and personal affairs. Thought you knew that already." You say, not wanting to spend the day overthinking the upcoming dinner. Kai smiles slyly, as if to say he knows you quite well.

"Y/N, you're my employee and friend. If I give you a day off, just say thank you. And if you want, I'll let you buy a new outfit with the corporate card as a bonus for the hard work you've been putting in. Now, I'm off to my meeting, and if you're not heading home, consider yourself fired. See you later." He says authoritatively, staring at you. You're left speechless, and he walks away while you accept the offer. Sensing that tonight promises several complications, you grab your things and head home.

Continues...