#i swore i would not fall again for another man who wasn’t yunho but here i am

[peachyteez]

little wanderer ≫ DAY FIVE, THE MAN DRESSED IN BLACK.

this fellow stray cat hybrid has been hanging around jiyu’s condo for as long as he could remember, although jiyu may not have noticed him. the cold winter breeze and jiyu’s open bedroom window prompts him to sneak into her bedroom one night. it was just suppose to be one night, but the gods must’ve been smiling upon him.

PART OF THE HEAVEN SERIES.

✧ taglist: @defsoul15, @jaeminpeachy, @joongiebug, @sunsethw4, @t-tbinnie, @chanyeolol, @danibookmarks, @hello-its-ya-boi, @murralyn, @alienmashup, @panini, @moon8894, @koasworld, @taetae123094, @luv3rxcha, @treasure-hwa, @etherealbyeol, @hwaseongzzz, @lovely-sanie, @orbitiiny, @pirate-of-the-dark-seas, @babydolljo, @ms-starlight, @everrrlasting, @bls-luv-me, @atzgiggle, @arohabyeol, @rainbowmagicpixecorn, @soverystupid, @ayetothezee, @kingalls00, @sanstreasure0305, @sparklingmallow, @kpopnightingale, @rosesarethebest, @stillcantfindaproperusername, @bonbonhwa, @its-sarah-stark, @sanismybb, @frankenstein852, @peachseok, @woopetals, @exhofayemars, @pvrkacciosan, @c-sanshine

✧ notes: well this chapter took a turn 😭

✧ WARNING(S): mentions of misogyny, brief story of san attacking someone, a curse word (?)

back。|  next。

if jiyu had a dollar for every time she had been woken up in the middle of the night in the past week—well, she wouldn’t be rich, but she’d have a substantial amount of pocket change. 

“jiyu!” mingi whispered, gently shaking her out of her slumber. “wake up!”

groaning, she habitually scooted over to make room on the bed since mingi usually wandered into her room in the middle of the night due to nightmares. “just don’t take all the blanket—”

“no! this is urgent!” he frantically tried explaining. “i think someone’s trying to break in!”

her eyes instantly shot open and she immediately sat right up in bed. “mingi, why didn’t you just start with that?” she frantically whispered back, hurriedly slipping on a hoodie. 

“i tried, but you kept grumbling!”

“okay, we’ll have this conversation again later. let’s just see if the others are awake.” slowly opening her bedroom door, she and mingi peeked their heads out to see if anyone was outside. while they didn’t see anyone, they heard footsteps and clutters out by the front door. 

mingi clutched onto her hoodie as his eyes clamped shut out of terror and his ears were slumped down. jiyu took his hand in her’s and rubbed comforting circles on his knuckles. “shh, it’s okay mingi.”

while whispering to mingi, she noticed the others tip-toeing towards them as to not alert the perpetrator that they were awake. being the predator hybrids, seonghwa, hongjoong, and yeosang were on full alert. yunho scurried over to her and mingi, quietly whimpering, while san stood and frowned at the front door.

“i didn’t think they’d come so soon...” he mumbled once he caught whiff of the familiar human scent.

“was this the one that hurt you?” hongjoong whispered. 

san nodded. “he works for my...old owners. i thought he stopped tracking me down a while ago until the other night.” he looked to the floor, guilt flashing across his features. “i’m sorry, i didn’t mean to drag you into my affairs—”

jiyu interrupted while holding onto yunho and mingi. “san, i’ve mentioned it before, we chose to help you, meaning we won’t abandon you even if we’re also pulled into danger. so don’t apologize, okay?” 

seeing her small smile of reassurance, his guilt multiplied. but he couldn’t do anything about it now, so he just nodded while promising himself that he wouldn’t let a single hair on their heads get hurt. even if he would be the one to take the blunt of the pain.

“oi, choi san! i know you’re in there.”

they all froze at the unknown voice from the front door.

“why don’t you open the door and we can just talk this out like grown men?”

san climbed down the stairs and stood a distance away from the front door. seonghwa and hongjoong followed in case. “you beat me to a pulp the last time, and now you just want to talk? i don’t think so,” he hissed. 

the person on the other side let out a low chuckle. “ah, apologies for that. although you and i both know that it’d be a shame if you were too badly...injured. they do want you alive and well, after all. i can’t kill you, san.”

a moment of silence passed as they all held their breaths, anticipating the next move. but much to their surprise, the person showed no signs of breaking down the front door and wreaking havoc. 

“in all seriousness, san, i really did come to talk. no weapons, just to talk.”

“seonghwa,” jiyu whispered down to the wolf hybrid. “you can check the security camera over there,” she pointed to her tablet that was on the living room table. luckily, when they had first moved in, she had installed two security cameras, both so small to the human eye that anyone would just gloss over it. 

“and again, what makes you think i’d believe you?” san asked, while watching the wolf hybrid from the corner of his eye. seonghwa pulled up the security footage to see a man wearing a long, black trench coat, and his face was obscured by a black fedora hat. he stood with his hands in his pockets, and his overall figure practically screamed danger. 

suddenly, the man took out folded papers from his pockets and held it up—almost as if he knew they were watching him. “because i came with something that you’ve been after ever since you left.”

san’s eyes widened and his body froze. there’s no way—

“so what’s the move?” hongjoong asked to both san and jiyu. 

judging from his reaction, jiyu had a hunch that whatever the unknown man brought was really important to san. she didn’t know what it was, but looking at the security footage, he didn’t seem like he was hiding anything. and his voice, she could be hearing things, but it seemed as if it held a tinge of remorse.

“carefully open the door,” she decided. “but don’t let your guard down.”

despite looking he had some objections, hongjoong and seonghwa carefully walked ahead of san, who was still frozen in spot, and cracked the door open. they both anticipated either gunshots or the person to come barging through them, but they both peeked out to see the man standing there patiently.

“oh? i see you made some friends,” he commented. “meaning...you’re taking refuge with another human?”

“try anything funny, i’ll make sure you never step out of here alive,” seonghwa snarled before opening the door wide enough for the man to come in. hongjoong stood eyed the man suspiciously, as he waltzed in, stopping in front of san. 

with a better look at the man, they all noticed a mask that covered up to his eyes. the man was tall, but falling just a little short of yunho’s height, and he seemed to be in his mid-thirties or late-twenties. 

despite being terrified out of there wits, and even though yeosang was standing protectively by them, mingi and yunho stood in front of jiyu, scared that the man would try to harm her. but their shaking didn’t go unnoticed from her. she held their hands, hoping it could comfort them.

“i see you’ve aged well,” the man noted, looking san up and down. “to be quite honest, i’m surprised you managed to survive out on the streets all these years. i—no we, were sure you’d give up and come back.”

“as if i’d ever go back,” san lowly, but firmly stood his ground.

the man smirked before taking a look around at each of them. “so where’s your little human friend?”

she stepped out from behind yunho and mingi before peering down over the railings. “what business do you have here?” with the exception of yunho and seonghwa, they were all surprised at her composed and level-headed state.

letting out a huff of disbelief, he started straight up at her. “i wasn’t expecting a woman.”

“hm, sorry to disappoint then,” she sneered.

she was used to the misogynistic treatment; even back at home, people always underestimated her abilities since she was a girl. she’s heard the comments, backhanded compliments, and seen the undermining looks as people doubted her. but she swore to prove them wrong one day, even though she took five years off.

“so again, what do you want here?”

the man chuckled again at her defensive tone before holding his hands up. “i come in peace, ma’am.”

“and for your own sake, i hope that’s true,” she bit back before coming down the stairs. she left mingi and yunho with yeosang. the man let out an airy chuckle before making himself comfortable on the couch, aware of seonghwa’s and hongjoong’s preying gaze on him. 

“...did you really bring it?” san asked, not wanting to get his hopes up. this was the same man that hunted him down for years on end, yet he came here, claiming that he managed to retrieve the items san really wanted? it was near to impossible that he was telling the truth, but there was that sliver of hope.

bringing out the papers once again, the man laid it on the coffee table in front of him. “you can check for yourself. i may work for them, but i’m a man of my word.”

jiyu waltzed over and peered at the papers the man laid out. her eyebrows furrowed at the contents. his birth certificate and adoption forms? 

coming up next to her, san stared at the forms with widened eyes. they were indeed what he had been after for the past few years, and the man really did bring it to him. so many questions ran through his head that he couldn’t even form a single sentence. the home was dropped into a tense silence, the only sound being the ticking of the clock above the dining table. 

seconds turned into a minute before san could croak out a sentence, or rather, a question. “b-but, why—”

“i’ve had a lot of time—years—to think,” the man leaned back on the couch and stared up at san. “it’s pretty stupid and childish to chase you down for something that wasn’t even your fault, don’t you think?”

san was still cautious. “so you took these for me to do...what?”

“well, what do you think?” the man leaned forward, resting his arms in his lap.

jiyu’s eyes slightly widened with surprise. “you want to set him free, don’t you...” 

“that’s one way of putting it, yes.”

“there’s a catch, there’s always a catch,” san sarcastically scoffed. “no way you’d give these to me for free after all these years—”

the man let out an exasperated sigh before leaning back on the couch and throwing his hands over his face. “oh my god, i ended my contract with them, you fucking idiot.”

san just silently stared at the man with the most comedic look on his face—widened eyes and his jaw slacked open like it was unhinged. meanwhile, jiyu just facepalmed at the revelation. 

“now why didn’t you just open with that?” she grumbled. leaving out important information seemed to be the night’s theme. 

“i thought i’d make it a little more fun. it’s not all that fun to just say my piece and go, now don’t you think?” the man mused before standing up. “my contract was ensued until i brought you back. i just told them a little white lie about how your trails went cold after a while so i just assumed you were dead. and poof, took these and left,” he gestured to the papers on the table.

“...will they still look for him though?” jiyu asked, unsure that they’d just give up looking for san just like that. 

“probably not. they were one to never get their hands dirty anyways. especially since their daughter’s in the hospital—”

san tensed at the mention of hospital, something that certainly didn’t go unnoticed by the man. “so she doesn’t know, does she?” he referred to jiyu. “or all of them for that matter.” at some point along the way, yeosang, mingi, and yunho had joined them downstairs, yet they still stuck close to yeosang just in case things went downhill again.

san silently shook his head, mentally preparing for the worst when they found out about his sins. 

“san here,” the man started, “is the one that put the family’s only daughter in the hospital.”

they glanced at san with the same thought. how did a cat hybrid manage to put a human in the hospital?

“to put it short, something provoked him to go feral, and he ended up attacking her until she almost bled out. we don’t know what provoked him to this day, but the family turned on him after that incident. and since he has no memories of the moments right before and when he was feral, it was hard for him to defend himself, so he ran away.”

taking a look at san, who looked like he just wanted to disappear, she felt her heart ache for him. he’s been alone for so long...all because of a potential misunderstanding. 

“either way, i’m still the reason she’s been injured for so long. not only physically, but probably mentally, too. imagine the trauma from being attacked by a feral hybrid.” a deprecating chuckle escaped san’s lips. 

seeing him look so down, she stroked his head. “hey, it wasn’t your fault. hybrids can’t help themselves when they go feral. it’s like you’re trapped out of your own body, so don’t blame yourself. you might have attacked her, but it wasn’t you.”

it was amazing to him how reassuring her words were, and how it was so easy for him to almost believe. there always will be that small part of him that will always blame himself for what happened, whether he liked it or not.

the man stood up and brushed his pants. “i believe i’ve overstayed my welcome, so i’ll take my leave now,” he bowed to the six of them. “and i apologize for the fright i might’ve caused.”

before the man could open the door to leave, san felt compelled to at least thank him for what he’s done. “wait! thank you...for everything...”

after a moment’s pause, the man turned around, and judging from how his eyes turned upward, it seemed as though he was smiling. “it was the least i could do after everything i’ve put you through the last few years. i’ll see you around, choi san.”

and with that, the man took his leave. 

once he closed the door, he heard their muffled voices, most likely discussing san’s future. he smiled before looking up to the sky. “well now, where am i to go next?”

[atinytokki]

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐥𝐥

Chapter 9: Ghosts and Shadows 

(Warnings: Violence, blood and gore)

Day and night were the same to San where he was chained in the dank mustiness of the brig. It was one long cold stretch of time, as indistinguishable as San and the demon had become.

Or so it seemed.

San knew why he was imprisoned here, and he didn’t resent Hongjoong for it. The demon’s plan was exposed to him, and he knew he was a danger to Seonghwa. It was worthwhile suffering in his eyes, as long as it gave the others a chance. 

The moments that the demon stole from him presented as gaps in his mind, empty shells where there should be time.

For now, the evil he harboured in his body was contained, judging by his own bloody wrists, chafed from pulling against his restraints. He didn’t remember injuring himself. He didn’t remember a lot of things.

The door clanged unexpectedly and then swung open to reveal Wooyoung. He approached with a bowl of food and slid it over to him, settling against the wall to watch him eat.

San was frozen to the floor, watching wide-eyed as Wooyoung’s face hardened. It was like he had put up some wall between them, enclosing himself in a tower that protected him from San.

He knew it was warranted, but to see that harshness directed at him... it dampened San’s own hope for a quick solution.

“Thank you,” he said quietly, drawing the food tray into his lap. 

Wooyoung’s eyes lit up on the other side of the bars.

“You’re yourself!”

Immediately, his posture changed and his entire body spoke to his relief. He took a seat across from San and scooted as close to the bars as he could.

You are not yourself.

San paid the demon’s voice no mind and fully embraced the moment he was in. The demon could wrest control back at any second, and it was better to lay everything out now.

“Yes, but I don’t know for how long,” San smiled tiredly. The relief was infectious. He had missed this— being himself.

“Sorry if the food tastes bad,” Wooyoung chuckled. “Yeosang pawned breakfast duty off to me. Something about needing to entertain Seonghwa-hyung. That man has been entertained plenty, in my opinion.”

His withering humour was very welcome, even if it made San’s eyes sting with jealousy. “How is he?”

“Just fine,” Wooyoung’s laugh softened to a smile. “Ready to be allowed out of his room.”

You and I both know what to do the moment that happens.

San ignored it and took Wooyoung’s hand through the bars. If he was squeezing too hard, Wooyoung’s face didn’t betray him.

“And everyone else?”

Wooyoung’s smile faltered. “All doing well.” There was something he wasn’t telling him.

Smart boy. What he tells you, he tells me.

San grit his teeth. “I should tell you how to find my house,” he suggested, voice a couple registers higher than usual. “In case I’m... not me, by the time we get there.”

Wooyoung nodded enthusiastically. The plan was unspoken between them. No amount of poking around on the demon’s part would help him.

He spoke grandiosely, but he didn’t have as much power to back it up as he purported to.

San did his best to describe the location and Wooyoung committed it all to memory. The genuine investment on his face told San he was drinking in every second he had. 

“I’m not supposed to be talking to you,” Wooyoung admitted, taking the empty tray back into his hands. “Hongjoong’s orders.”

The demon’s scathing laughter went ignored again, until its pounding reverberations sent San’s head into his hands.

“Are you alright—“

“Fine. You should probably go.”

Look at his concern for you.

San’s eyes were wrenched open against his will. They were shining red again, judging from how Wooyoung stepped back.

He’s the first one I will kill.

The demon’s promise emboldened San to reach out his hand through the bars. He wanted to warn Wooyoung somehow, but his mouth was glued shut.

Wooyoung left quietly without another word or touch and San was once again alone with the evil inside him. 

We must be close, the demon whispered as he calmly relinquished his control over each limb at a time. He had no use for them now. San lay, exhausted, and tried to stop the tears from gathering.

The two of us will be one by the time we arrive. And your soul will be completely lost.

“But you will be weakened,” San whispered back weakly, almost all the fire snuffed out of him. “And your plan will get nowhere.”

I am patient, the monster hissed back. Eventually they will let their guard down. And when they do, their lives will be ended in the blink of an eye.

San could only shake his head and heave breaths in and out. He had sent them all to his hometown and lasted this long. The strip of white in his hair was growing.

He could hang in there a little bit longer. San would rather die than let his body be used for whatever violence the demon swore to enact on his crew— his family.

He hoped with every fibre of his being that he had bought enough time. Because the demon was biding his own time, and as their beings became one, San saw more and more of the destructive plan revealed to him. 

Hell on Earth, if he couldn’t stop it.

So he would stop it, even if it claimed his life.

...

The unspoken agreement was that the three of them acted like Eden wasn’t there. It wasn’t difficult, considering that he sat at the tiller and said nothing, for the officers to fall into their usual carefree rhythm of travel.

There just happened to be the most feared pirate in history in the boat with them.

“Why did you bring so much food?” Yunho laughed from where he was rifling through the stores for lunch. 

Mingi shrugged and checked the sail. It was a fickle thing and could easily be blown down if the weather turned sour.

“I figured we have bigger appetites than the others. Besides, we don’t want to have to be cooking on the island.”

“I second that,” Jongho snorted, not looking up from the little book he faithfully clung to. “Your cooking is... among the less appetising meals I’ve had in my life.”

Mingi punched him in the shoulder lightly and sat down next to him. “Anything legible in that magic book?” He asked, leaning over a little too far into Jongho’s space for his liking.

“I’m fairly certain this page has instructions for an exorcism,” he replied, sobering at the question. “See these symbols? I’ve seen this one before, it’s for the underworld.”

Mingi followed along as Jongho pointed out several illustrations. “But I can’t read any of the writing,” he sighed. “And I don’t think we could perform such a ritual ourselves, even if we wanted to.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Yunho told him softly as he passed him his lunch rations. “I know you think you need to be extra helpful now that you don’t have prophetic dreams anymore, but you’ve already done well.”

Jongho blushed at this and hid his face in his food.

They passed the afternoon lazing around, telling stories, and occasionally singing. Eden only spoke once, in the evening when the wind direction changed, to notify Yunho who promptly adjusted the sail.

He was like their silent sentinel, guarding them stoically while they journeyed on into the night. Mingi insisted he join the rotation and get some sleep instead of sitting up for all four watches, but it was hard to keep his own advice.

He lay awake worrying about the others on the ATEEZ. It was his job to be focusing on the mission he was currently leading, but everyone knew Namhae was the Navy’s backyard. It was almost impossible for them to make it there and back without trouble of some kind. And it was likely the prices on their heads had only gone up since they ran into the Navy last.

Admiral Kim was bloodlust personified. To have his greatest prizes walk right into his arms would delight him to no end. Mingi anticipated his punishments to be infinitely worse than the last time he got their hands on them.

Sleep caught up with him an hour or so into Eden’s watch, and when he was awoken for his own, land was on the skyline.

“There’s her island,” Yunho nodded in its direction. “Right on schedule.”

The winds had been merciful for the journey there. As the sun rose and all of them stirred to greet it, Mingi called them together to create the plan.

“We’re coming at the island from a different angle than last time,” he pointed out. “The mystic’s residence is on the other side, so we’ll have to cross the island to get there.”

“Well, what about sailing around and landing on the west beach?” Jongho threw in, nudging an oar in that direction. “Then we don’t have to walk as far.”

“And risk being torn to shreds on the rocks? Not worth it,” Mingi argued back. Jongho squinted at the distant island and finally made out the aforementioned boulders. 

“I agree with Mingi,” Eden spoke up from the back, prompting the other three to exchange puzzled looks with each other. At what point had he learned their names?

“There is a path through the woods that reaches her temple,” he went on. “A back door, if you will. I can guide us through it once we land.”

Mingi and Yunho traded glances before nodding in unison. Eden had been sent with them for a reason, and so they trusted him.

“The breakers are close,” Jongho informed them, bringing their attention back to the approaching island. “We should prepare to land.”

...

It fell to Yeosang to entertain Seonghwa for the few hours left before the anchor was lowered.

“I don’t know how edible it is,” he informed the older boy cheerfully as he handed him his breakfast. “Wooyoung made it.”

Seonghwa snorted and took the bowl. “At least it looks cooked... whatever it is.”

He dragged Hongjoong’s chair over to the window and opened it for some fresh air. Yeosang pulled up alongside him and ate his own food quietly.

“This is a waste of autumn, laying locked away in here,” Seonghwa sighed. They had passed most of the meal in a comfortable silence, but it seemed Seonghwa had a lot on his mind as he ran his fingers over the stained glass of the windowpane gently. 

“I know it feels like you’re doing nothing,” Yeosang rested his hand on Seonghwa’s knee and tried to meet his eyes. “But we’re almost there. You’ll be able to come out of hiding soon.”

“I hate feeling useless,” Seonghwa admitted, rubbing the scar on his neck before Yeosang snatched his hand and removed it. The stitches had been removed last week and Seonghwa had a new habit of unconsciously touching the little pink line. There was a beat of silence before Yeosang gathered the empty bowls.

“Well, why don’t you help me navigate then?” He suggested, standing and crossing over to Hongjoong’s maps. He picked up Eden’s compass and waved it at him.

Yeosang didn’t miss Seonghwa’s eyes lingering on the compass. “You know what he said the other day? He told me to get rid of that thing,” the older mumbled with a bewildered shake of the head.

“What? You mean Hongjoong?”

An exasperated sigh escaped Seonghwa without his notice and he nodded along.

“You two are arguing again,” Yeosang stated flatly, drawing himself up. “Why?

“It’s just...” Seonghwa took a deep breath before giving in and letting out his complaint. “He refuses to make up his mind. One minute he wants me to go to the mainland, the next he’s hinting that he wants me to stay. He chases after Eden for years, but now that he’s found him, he flinches at the mere mention of his name. You’ll have to forgive me for tiring of putting up with it when he’s so hot and cold all the time.”

Yeosang nodded graciously at the outburst and returned his gaze to the compass in his hands. “I probably shouldn’t tell you, but I know why he’s uncomfortable with Eden now,” he admitted softly.

Seonghwa’s head snapped up with a speed that told him yes, he very much should tell him why.

“There was something off about Eden from the moment I met him,” Yeosang began, checking over his shoulder at the door and sitting next to Seonghwa again. “Hongjoong was elated to have stumbled across him- the happiest I’ve ever seen Hongjoong- and yet Eden seemed only bittersweet. He carried this regretful air with him as if he had done something to hurt Hongjoong. Clearly, he didn’t believe he deserved to come back with us.”

Seonghwa’s brow furrowed at this, but from what he had seen of the man, it checked out. Quiet, withdrawn... maybe even guilty. But guilty of what?

It’s just that he’s not who I thought he was.

“On the return journey, Jongho and I fell asleep. I awoke at some point during their conversation and listened in covertly. Eden was admitting that he gave up and fled to the East. He came back to finish Babylon, but at Hongjoong’s begging he admitted why he had truly run away. He admitted to being there, the night Hongjoong’s parents died. He admitted to being there and doing nothing.”

Seonghwa gasped at this revelation, but Yeosang went on. “Hongjoong’s upset because, well, it seems Eden only ever took him in as a way to absolve himself for allowing his parents to die. And he only trained and apprenticed him out of guilt.”

A silence stretched over them as Seonghwa considered what he knew from Hongjoong’s dreams. A pair of eyes spectating, watching him but doing nothing to help. Whatever the result, being told you were essentially lied to for years was as valid a reason as any to be conflicted about someone.

“Eden mentioned on the boat that he’s realised piracy is no life for us,” Yeosang hummed pensively. “He regrets allowing Hongjoong to become mixed up in all of it in the first place.”

“Do you think he’s still trying to make up for the past now?” Seonghwa asked, looking up again at Yeosang who nodded after a moment to think it over. “He’s obeying Hongjoong’s orders,” he answered. “Accompanying the others to perform the exorcism. He could have walked away again, but I think he’s realising exactly how much pain he caused.”

It was pain he had caused all of them. None of this would have happened if they hadn’t chased him East, as unwaveringly sure as their Captain that he was a treasure worth finding.

But then again, had they not set out on their voyage, they would never have met each other.

“I think Hongjoong has known all along, somewhere deep down,” Seonghwa sighed, taking the compass in hand. “He suppressed that part of the memory. He suppressed the truth so he wouldn’t be hurt by it.”

“I don’t blame him,” Yeosang chimed in. “At least it resulted in the formation of this crew. This is where we belong.”

Seonghwa smiled softly at him. Yeosang hid behind the cool exterior of the facts, but he knew what he was saying. This journey was no accident, whatever Eden might say, and Yeosang was glad to be on it with them. 

“That solves one mystery,” he concluded. “As for whether he wants me to stay or go—”

“Clearly he wants you to say,” Yeosang interjected. “But he considers your feelings and what’s best for you to be more important. So if you elect to go, he’ll support you.” He added more softly, “He wants you to make peace with your past. All of us do.”

Seonghwa blinked at him, amazed. When had Yeosang become so adept at handling emotions?

The sound of the door opening startled him out of it, and both looked up to see Hongjoong entering. His focused expression softened at the curious sight of the two, clearly in deep conversation.

“We’ve arrived,” he informed them simply before gathering some necessities to bring to shore with them. 

Yeosang nodded and rose to put his equipment away. Seonghwa stood as well but remained where he was, an air of authority washing over him. “I’m going with you,” he declared, unflinching.

Hongjoong paused where he was checking his gun and looked up at him. A tense silence filled the room, and Yeosang used the opportunity to head for the exit.

“Very well,” Hongjoong finally said, holstering the weapon and turning for the door. “I’ll leave Yujin care of the ship.” He left without further comment.

Seonghwa exhaled and turned back to the open window. He closed it with a sense of finality after breathing in the sea air one last time and went to his chest to arm himself.

It was time to re-enter the playing field.

...

It took all four of them to drag the boat up onto the sand, high enough that it wouldn’t be washed away but low enough that they could quickly disembark if need be. Without a pylon to secure it to, the process was a fair bit more work for them.

They packed the day’s essentials on their backs and set off after Eden.

An hour in, it became clear to Jongho that this island was a lot bigger than it looked to be from the shore.

“Can we stop to eat?” He finally asked when his feet were aching too much to stay silent.

“It’s safer not to,” Eden responded without even looking back. “There are wild animals in these woods. You won’t want to waste your ammunition on them.”

Mingi immediately shivered at the prospect of wild animals and he and Yunho launched into a hushed discussion, leaving Jongho once again bored with no one to talk to.

The dirt path stretched up the side of the hill, wooded on both sides and bathed in a thin vapour of fog that waned with the coming of mid-morning. By the time he reached the top of the hill, Jongho could no longer see the beach.

The forest thickened on the trip down into the valley, the array of bamboo stalks giving way to dense foliage. Each tree and bush practically crawling on the next one, desperate for a drop of sunlight to descend from the heavens, where the crowded canopy blocked out the life giving rays.

It was a magical place even just on the surface level, and Jongho felt a twitch of reverence bloom inside him at the way the light filtered in.

The hike stretched on for a couple hours more before Eden called for them to halt and replenish themselves.

They had reached a clearing-like area, a thinning of the forest that only stretched a few feet, but was enough for them to sit and eat for a few minutes.

Jongho forced himself to drink slowly, sure to save enough water for the next time he might need it. There was no telling how long supplies may need to last out here in the wild.

“Are we close?” Yunho asked, swallowing a bite of lunch. “We’re almost to the trough of the valley.”

Eden nodded even as his eyes darted around their surroundings, inspecting the path he had led them on. This was the only way in from the eastern shore, but it wasn’t used very frequently and could easily have been destroyed.

“Her temple is halfway up the other side,” he informed them, already packing up to set off again. “The markings on the trees are still there, so we shouldn’t have to— look out!“

Suddenly Eden was catapulting into Yunho, knocking him out of the way as a massive shape flew out of his blind spot and into their tiny clearing.

A jaguar.

It had been stalking them since they left the taller grasses and had waited until now to ambush, leaping for Yunho’s skull. A second later and he would have been dead.

Yunho shook too much to stand on his own, but Mingi dragged him along as he and Jongho took off down the hill.

There were no words to share between them. That was a coastal jaguar attack. They needed to run.

A scream pierced the air behind them and the three came to a halt, whipping around to see who had been caught.

It was Eden, with his leg trapped in the jaws of the beast, and a deadly canine piercing into his flesh.

...

The streets were much busier than Seonghwa expected for a small island town.

As the five of them walked, coats wrapped tightly around them and heads bowed to conceal their identities as much as possible, the crowds thickened so that even Seonghwa couldn’t see above the tops of heads. Someone up ahead was shouting.

“Make way! Make way for the crown prince!”

Seonghwa’s stomach dropped. He froze to his spot while the others debated where they were to head first and the name echoed all around him in the whisperings of the crowd.

“Crown Prince Junhee!”

From the gossip that spread down the sidewalk like wildfire, he had come with his entourage to meet his betrothed, who apparently lived on Namhae. What an unbelievable coincidence this was.

“My brother, the crown prince, is here,” Seonghwa mumbled. Only Yeosang was close enough to hear it. “That’s why Hongjoong let me come.”

“Peace with your past,” Yeosang repeated quietly. “He must have seen the ship in the harbour.” Seonghwa shook his head in amazement. The opportunity was literally right in front of him. 

But if he failed to prove his true identity, if his brother didn’t care, if the others were caught— if any of the many things that could go wrong did, would that opportunity be worth it?

What was he supposed to do?

“Make way!”

Seonghwa obediently stepped to the side, but not before he caught a glimpse of the man through his palanquin.

He recognised that face.

Yeosang had to take his hand and lead him down the back streets after the Captain, Seonghwa had delved so deep into his memories.

“That man,” he realised, stopping and spinning Yeosang around to face him. “He was the Navy officer I tricked— years ago when it was just the three of us. He was disguised as a Navy officer and I was disguised as a sea merchant... you’ll have to trust me,” he explained when Yeosang couldn’t see through the thick fabric protecting the prince from the rest of the world.

It registered with Seonghwa what this would mean for him. “He knows me as a merchant. He’ll never believe that I’m his brother.”

Yeosang’s eyes shone as he looked between Seonghwa and the passing prince. The ghosts of the past were returning in full force, and it was frustratingly difficult to see the path ahead.

“There’s an inn this way,” Wooyoung broke in softly, pointing down the street. “We should get indoors before we’re recognised.”

...

Without a second thought, Mingi turned and sprinted back.

Yunho and Jongho’s terrified yells telling him to wait were ignored. Eden had saved them, they couldn’t just leave him for dead.

The older pirate was barely conscious from the pain, but at the sudden intrusion of someone else the jaguar released its prey momentarily and let out a low growl.

Blood gushed from the wound and made Mingi’s stomach turn but he averted his gaze, meeting eyes with the beast.

It was a beautiful creature. A fully grown male, the apex predator of the island no doubt. But it had attacked one of Mingi’s men, and that meant he had no choice but to kill it. 

He swallowed his fear and drew Hongjoong’s knife. Eden’s head hit the ground. He had passed out, and getting him away was the first priority. So Mingi waited until Yunho and Jongho caught up with him and told them to grab Eden on the count of three in a quiet, low voice.

He inched closer to the beast, who lowered its head threateningly. A cornered jaguar was more dangerous than a hungry one. 

“One...”

Mingi clenched the knife in his grip. One wrong move and the jaguar could kill him instantaneously. Skull crushing strength biting down into his skin.

“Two...”

All he needed was to get close enough, to stab the beast and get away with his life. He remembered Hongjoong’s stories, jaguars are hunters not chasers.

“Three!”

Mingi lunged in unison with Yunho and Jongho. From his peripherals, he saw them scoop up Eden and head down the hill with him. He allowed himself a smile of relief that withered as soon as his stab missed its target.

The great cat roared deep in its throat and spun to fully face him. Mingi stumbled back and raised the knife high again. 

The jaguar was too quick to take out in one blow. He needed to misdirect it. A sheen of sweat appeared on his face. This was going to be more difficult than he thought.

“Come on, come on,” he whispered. “We can’t circle forever.”

The fleeing sounds of the other three had faded. Mingi wasn’t sure if they had stopped or simply run out of earshot. In a moment of weakness, he prayed that he wouldn’t have to die alone.

Feigning a lunge to the left, he drew the jaguar in. Just as it reached its massive paws for his throat, he twisted it out of the way and stabbed into its back.

The yelp it screeched was painful to hear, and took Mingi by surprise, throwing him off and loosening the knife in his grasp. Reluctantly, he released it and the jaguar went careening into the underbrush, escaping to take its own chances at survival. 

Mingi collapsed in the dirt. He refused to feel guilty for losing Hongjoong’s knife, not when all their lives had been spared in return. Jongho’s head popped into his vision. His smile rivalled the sun.

“I can’t believe you just did that, hyung.”

Mingi smiled and took his hand as he helped him up. “Just another day,” he laughed before remembering. “How is Eden?”

Yunho returned to the clearing, the older pirate unconscious in his arms. “Not good,” he answered quietly.

Mingi helped lower Eden while Jongho rifled through the bags for medical supplies. He spared one last look in the direction the jaguar had fled.

That knife had been necessary after all.

...

“One room please.”

Wooyoung slid a wad of cash across the counter. The others had all remained huddled near the door, and it was his job to act as the voice of the group.

Hongjoong was branded with a massive price on his head, Seonghwa was still out of sorts, Yeosang was wary of risking being recognised for his status, and San was demon possessed. So the duty fell to Wooyoung.

“That’s a lot of you to fit into one room,” the woman smirked, collecting the money and handing over the key.

“We’ll make it work,” Wooyoung returned sarcastically. Honestly, he would prefer camping out somewhere to lingering in public like this. The town was crawling with Navy officers, especially now with a royal presence. But hiding in plain sight was far less suspicious than hiding on private property, so they took their chances.

The motley crew made it to their room, locking the door and drawing the curtains closed to conference with each other.

Wooyoung was just about to open his mouth to ask for the next course of action when San caught his eye.

He had been silent and complacent the entire trip up the docks, but now he twitched with a dark energy that warned the demon was almost completely merged with him. 

“Wooyoung, did he tell you where to find his old house?” Hongjoong asked in a low breath, eyes fastened to San’s twitches which grew into convulsions again. He didn’t expect Wooyoung to have followed the no talking to San orders.

Seonghwa itched to go help San before he hurt himself, but he knew that was what the demon wanted and remained stuck to the bed where he sat.

“Yes,” Wooyoung murmured back. “I should be able to find it.”

“Take Yeosang with you and be careful,” Hongjoong instructed, moving to the pile of sheets in the corner. “I’ll stay here with them.”

He tore two shreds off the extra sheet and went about tying one to San’s wrists, approaching Seonghwa with the other.

“No, not the blindfold again, please...”

He protested weakly but Hongjoong shook his head apologetically and blindfolded him regardless. “No chances,” he repeated firmly.

“Will you be alright?” Yeosang asked anxiously from the door. He didn’t want to come back to a possessed Seonghwa after all they had just been through.

He knew in the back of his mind that this was the best option. Hongjoong and Seonghwa certainly could not leave the building, but if he and Wooyoung were careful, they could investigate effectively.

“I’ll stay with him,” Hongjoong promised, taking Seonghwa’s hand and showing it to Yeosang before he and Wooyoung acquiesced.

It was dark again and he had nothing else to cling to.

...

It had taken hours to stabilise Eden enough that they didn’t have to hold their breath for him to die on them at any point.

Again, Yunho bemoaned San’s absence as a doctor. He knew how to stop the bleeding but he didn’t have the faintest idea how to help Eden recover from this. Or if he even could recover from this.

Jongho had collected all their packs and suggested they move into the trough of the valley. At least if they were on the move, they were getting closer to the mystic’s temple. She would know what to do.

Mingi agreed and led the way. The path was clear enough for now, but he couldn’t help but worry that it would split and he wouldn’t know which way to take. Eden was still out like a light in Yunho’s arms.

Yunho shifted the weight of the older pirate, trying not to jostle his bandaged leg. Eden wasn’t exceedingly tall or heavy, but hours carrying him were starting to weigh on Yunho’s back.

Just when he was about to suggest a quick stop for breath, a snapping sound came from all sides and he was lifted off his feet. The sky came closer and then suddenly his flying stopped. He squeezed his eyes open.

They were caught in a net.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

It was Jongho, voice muffled from underneath the four bags he was carrying. Eden was still on top of him, so Yunho shifted him to the side and peeked out.

Mingi was already trying to stand and failing miserably. “My foot is stuck in the netting,” he grit out in exasperation, grabbing his leg with both hands and pulling.

“Who would put a trap here in the middle of a path?” Yunho whined, turning to look at how far away the ground was through the netting.

“Eden said it wasn’t used very often,” Jongho pointed out, wriggling out from under the bags. “Whoever it was clearly meant to trap jaguars, not people.”

“Yunho, that’s your elbow in my ribs,” Mingi grunted in annoyance. “Can you move?”

“No, not really!” Yunho shot back. “Eden’s still on top of me over here!”

“Mingi, what happened to Hongjoong’s knife?” Jongho suddenly said, stilling in his struggles to sit up straight. “Why don’t you cut the net?”

“The jaguar ran away with it,” Mingi moaned, throwing his head back at the injustice. “I knew I should’ve pulled it back out.”

“So now what?” Yunho sighed. “We wait here like this until whoever trapped us comes back?”

“Eden is dying, we can’t wait that long,” Jongho insisted, throwing his weight back and forth and trying to swing the net and get some momentum.

“No, no, no,” Mingi yelled as the net hurtled toward the tree next to him. “Don’t—”

They slammed into the tree, Mingi’s back making the most contact with it. The wind was knocked out of him but at least his foot was free.

“Let’s just wait,” Yunho concluded after they came to a stop again. Jongho sighed and pulled some food out of the nearest bag, passing it around.

Minutes turned into hours, and soon the sun had set and fireflies had come out.

They danced around the net tantalisingly, their golden glow lighting the dark canopy they were trapped in. 

There was no need to keep watches, so they let each other sleep. Yunho checked Eden’s wound again, but it was too dark to see if the leg was infected or not.

Yunho prayed to whoever was listening that it wasn’t.

He tried to ignore the cramped pains in his limbs and closed his eyes.

Sleep was fickle.

...

The door flying open grabbed Hongjoong’s attention. 

He hadn’t let his eyes stray from San’s seething form, crouched in the corner and glowering at him for standing between him and his prey.

For a brief moment of panic, Hongjoong feared it was the Navy. They’d found him at last, they were going to take him away—

Wooyoung and Yeosang entered, breathless.

“We’ve found it.”

 ...

Taglist: @serendipityunho @celestial-yunho @nightynightnyx 

A/N: Hmm things are coming to a head here... Hope you’ll stick around for the conclusion of this bit! Don’t forget to comment and I’m always available here or on twt :)

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[every1studio]

SPECIAL: “pirates + kidz: attention” [ateez]

genre: misc. + mafia!au (mafia: violence, MORE hints of spice, foul language) + female reader

ficstyle: bulletpoints + long scenario + alternate versions + series [INTRO] [ATEEZ] [STRAY KIDS]

requested:  “detective y/n gets involved with two conflicting mafias and has the hearts of the leaders”

note: I hate how messy this is but I hope it’s something 

you pulled Yunho’s arm away from Jisung’s

“please don’t fight..” you tried your hardest to be as scared as possible; giving him you infamous puppy-eyes 

Hangyul said was the quickest way to the hardcore chief of police of yours, was your puppy-eyes

if you could use it to get through that stone-cold chief, you were so sure that it was going to get through Yunho 

and yet to your surprise, it did

he felt like he was melting with happiness; no treasure could ever make him feel that elated, that euphoric 

Yunho “playfully” shoves Jisung one last time in the chest, “guess she choice me, pipsqueak.. see ya later, alligator~”

they both stuck their tongues out at each other like little kids 

Jisung shoved his hands in his pocket and looked over his shoulders at you to wink at you 

will you ever see him again? probably 

but now all you had to focus on was getting to know about both Pirates and KidZ through Yunho

speaking of Yunho, he sweeps his arm around your waist and hovered over the nape of your neck, next to your ear, “do you wanna get out of here?”

you knew this moment was going to arise but you needed to get some sort of information about either gangs

“didn’t you come here with your friends?”

Yunho looked surprised; he starts to chuckle at you obliviousness 

“you probably wouldn’t know my friends and I if you aren’t a regular here at this club but... we are patrons of this club.. well us and Jisung and his friends...”

you looked up at him through your long, flirty lashes, trying to get more information 

“you and Jisung aren’t friends?”

Yunho was getting bored of the questions but he wanted to keep your attention on him, “did we seem like friends to you, baby girl?”

you shook your head, innocently

knowing that you were interested in who he was, Yunho didn’t seem to think there was any harm in telling you about his occupation 

he playfully twirls your hair as he gets incredibly closer to you; you had your eyes out for the hidden gun he had under his jacket in his gun holster  

“let’s just say, I am a dangerous guy with some dangerous friends who have a dangerous job..”

you had to find some way to make him say more than just that

“I like dangerous...” you murmured softly; even though it was loud in the clubs, Yunho found the quietness of your voice EXTREMELY sensual 

it’s like he hit the jackpot

all of the other girls he tried to score every time at the club were mediocre; basic, predictable, tried too hard for his taste

he took your innocence as a new sort of kink he wanted to explore

he wanted to see if you had it in you to break out of that shell

“you better not back out on me, kitten~” 

you shook your head in response as he led you to the VIP floor of the club; it was an upstairs, with access of looking over the crowded dance floor

it was separated into two different sides

the north side belonged to KidZ 

while the south side belonged to Pirates 

Yunho brought you along to meet his crew

each of them had some female company with them but when they all turned to see who was exiting out of the south elevators

they all whistled and gaped as they saw you; you could feel the penetrating glares of the girls that were sitting closely to the men in suit 

“Yunho, introduce us to your beautiful friend there~” you recognized as that taller guy as Mingi, the files told you that he was someone that was in charge of dealing with fighting off anybody that got in his way 

but he didn’t look like it; he definitely had a baby face

Yunho pulled you closer as he noticed the guys leaning in to hear more about or from you 

“this is Aurora..”

they repeated your name after him; completely enchanted 

but Yunho didn’t like the way they looked at you; you were his and he didn’t like sharing 

“hi-” you began, reached your hand out; this was a good start for you to get a good look at all the members of Pirates and analyze their behaviors 

but Yunho tugged you back from any of them trying to take your hand, “we’re leaving”

they all started to pout and complain 

“she just got here!!!”

“and now she’s leaving,” Yunho pulls you towards the elevator 

“wait but I want to meet your friends..” you tried to do what you could to get intel, you couldn’t let this opportunity slip away 

but he had other plans, “you’re not interested in me, but my friends?”

you opened your mouth to respond to him but the way he closes in on you with your back to the elevator door and his body caging you in 

“sounds like you’re just using me to get to my friends..”

you showed no facial expressions when he was spot on about your intentions

you had to get yourself out of this situation or you could get hurt one way or another 

with fumbling hands, you found the button to go up; you didn’t know where it led to but you hope it would give you enough time to change his mind about you

the elevator door dinged

you felt the doors open behind you and you pulled Yunho by the collars into the elevators 

you used the rails in the elevators as leverage to wrap you leg around him, you could feel his gun hitting your inner thigh, “you think I’m not interested in you?”

his eyes went wide by the switch in your behavior 

“I knew you were hiding something.. this kitten was hiding under that innocent little act all along~”

and that surprised look was morphed into a playful smirk, “what’s the rush baby?” 

Yunho turns to press the button to close the elevator doors as you try to keep his attention on you 

you really went out of your way to be overly flirty and sensual 

this was soo out of your character; but isn’t that what going undercover is all about?

he occupied himself in the crooks of your neck, going up and down from your jawline to your collarbones; intoxicating himself with your scent 

“is this all you do when you’re here? showing off some new girl to your “dangerous” friends, just to be upset when they get interested..” you managed to mutter without getting TOO hot and bothered 

you felt him smirk against your skin, “you just want attention and I’m giving it to ya..”

you heard the loud music of the club blaring through the doors

that was when you gently tugged on his hair to push him off towards the doors, “well I want more..”

the doors open and you were met again by the loud, drunk music of the club, you led him to the dance floor 

but he tugs you to the bar, “I think I need some more drinks to handle someone like you..”

every time he got you shots, you stealthily threw them so that you could be as lucid as possible 

minute by minute, he was getting tipsier and tipsier 

usually people are more sexually teasing and they would have a sensual aura to them

but Yunho became extremely cute and flirty

“Aurora~why don’t girls wanna be with me~” he pouts as draws circles on your hands 

you almost forgot that you were on the job when you saw how adorable he was, like you were falling for him

but you didn’t answer him at first because you were so star-struck by him 

“is it because I’m a mafia man? and they’re scared??” he looks up at you with huge puppy eyes 

you immediately gulped down your emotions; the job comes first, you kept on telling yourself 

“a mafia man?” you echoed his words, trying to get more information out of him 

Yunho does a little gasp as he covers his mouth, “I shouldn’t be saying that out loud!”

only a couple seconds went by as he slumped onto you, you could smell the booze and his cologne 

you had your rental car out in the front and a go-bag for you to sleep at a hotel if needed

you couldn’t risk any of your personal life while being on such a risky job 

you were stuck between taking him up to the Pirates’ wing of the club and just heading to the hotel

“Yunho? where do you want to go? upstairs? or-”

“I wanna go where ever you wanna go~” he slurred

maybe this was a good chance to head to the hotel room, so you did

carrying a guy that was more than 6 ft was already hard enough, but you had to carry a guy that was more than 6 ft that was completely shitfaced

you took a breather when you entered the car, contemplating if this was worth it 

Yunho slings his arm over you and breaths into the area right below your ear, “you’re so pretty... I think for the first time... in a long, long, long, long, loooonnnggg time... I’m in love....”

you looked over at him and although he was slurring at his words, his eyes were so clear; you swore you could see your reflection in them

you leaned it 

Yunho thought you were going in for a kiss but you reached over to put his seat belt on

he gave out a huffy sigh in annoyance; how is this man even apart of a mafia???   

you tightened your grip on the steering wheel as you made your way to the hotel  

it took all of your last energy to throw him on the second set of bed that was standard for any hotel bedroom

Yunho was passed out; his long limbs were hanging off of the bed 

you made sure that he was sound asleep when you decided to carefully take his gun, while searching for other weapons, you place it across the room, then you proceeded to slip his wallet out of his pocket 

no cash, a couple of luxury cards, and a couple of fake IDs 

you used to work in the branch of the police that worked with identity theft and fake ids; you finally found his real ID

he wasn’t even old enough to be in a bar in the first place; he still had one more year 

and the fact that he was in a mafia for so long made your heart hurt

how long has he been involved with the mafia?

“snooping around, sweetheart?” you heard a groggy voice coming from the side of the room that Yunho was in 

you didn’t turned around but you eyed his gun that was in front of you; you knew that you searched him for all weapons

so knowing you were safe, you slowly turned around

he was sitting on the bed, leaning back with the buttons of his shirt popped open; exposing the top of his toned chest 

“who are you with? the KNPA (Korean National Police Agency)? the KCIA (Korean Central Intelligence Agency)? KMP (Korean Military Police)?” his voice was deep and quiet; but not scared

you sharply exhaled, “I’m working with Interpol....”

you didn’t know what came over you, maybe it was the remaining alcohol in your system but you felt inclined to tell him the truth; partially 

he exhaled the same way you did, “so your name isn’t really Aurora?”

out of all the questions a mafia man could ask, he asked about your name

“no...”

Yunho stayed where he was; showing you that you could trust him, but you were trained to be cautious 

“is it wrong to ask what your real name is?”

“it’s wrong for a detective and a criminal to be together?” you were fumbling with his wallet 

you threw it at him as you took your go-bag and walked backwards towards the door

“since I got caught, there’s no reason for me to stay around...” you couldn’t cause a scene, this was suppose to be a quiet job 

but when Yunho got up, you quickly grabbed the doorknob; ready to flee 

“w-wait.. don’t leave...” he placed his hands up to surrender, “if you don’t trust me you can take my gun...”

you did what he said, but you were still vigilant 

“look.. Yunho.. my only job here is to get intel... about you, your gang and the KidZ too... I don’t want to cause any trouble and-”

“I can give you information..” there was a strong indication in his voice that he wasn’t going to hide anything from you

“why?” you were confused; did he somehow call for backup and was wasting your time so that they could get here to dispose of you? or is he trying to devise a plan to get rid of you? or?

“I like you... I don’t... I don’t want this to be the last time I see you...” his eyes softened, he began to wipe his sweaty hands on the sides of his pants 

he was young, problem is, he probably never had the time to be a normal kid his age growing up 

you had to make sure you weren’t being set up, “how do I know you’re not lying? you are apart of something way too big to just drop and give up...”

“aren’t we both?” 

he slowly walks up to you; takes your wrist that was holding the gun so firmly and placed it on his temple, “you can pull the trigger if you don’t believe me...”

a couple seconds went by and you didn’t do anything

“God please stay with me...” he mutter as he threw his head back and squeezed his eyes shut

he was so beautiful; you convinced yourself that there were many ways to gather information, including one that satisfied your unprofessional urges 

“fuck it...” you dropped the gun and your bag

you grabbed his face and latched onto his lips 

Yunho let you push him onto the bed, “I would give you everything and anything even if you didn’t ask me to...” 

you haphazardly smirked, “even about your business?” 

he nods as he’s waiting for you to do something more for him, to him 

slowly, you reached for something in your back pocket and you preoccupied him with soft, erotic kisses going back and forth between his lips and his jawline 

you pushed his jacket off in an upwards motion so that his arms were in front of the headboard

click; you handcuffed his wrists to the headboard

“still don’t trust me?” he tugs on the cuffs as it makes clinking noises 

“better safe than sorry. you are a big guy..” you shrugged, “let’s play a little game..”

you dragged your nails from his jawline down to his belt in an excruciatingly slow pace, “you tell me all I need to know about your gang.. and anything you know about KidZ.. and euphoria is yours..”

Yunho was getting antsy and impatient, waiting for you to do anything.. “what do you want to know, sweets?”

you both knew it would be a short night or a long night depending on how well he can give you information

the more you egged him on, the clouded his mind became 

but the more his mind was clouded, the less information he was able to give you

and you would stop, and he didn’t want that

the whole time, he asked you for your name so he could chant it as if it was the only thing he knew, but you wouldn’t give it to him 

you had to be the one in control here 

sometimes all it takes is a slightly dominate female to get the job done 

when you got enough information, you put your clothes back on and cleaned yourself up

“you’re not going to get these off of me?”

you raised your brows at him, “you could do that yourself, hun...”

you continued to collect your things; when you grabbed your bag, Yunho knew that you were going to leave him

“wait.. what did I do wrong? I did everything you asked of me!” you knew if he really wanted to, he could break the headboard and free from his restraints 

you had the key to the handcuffs in your hands as you drew it along his face, “I love my job and that comes first.. you’ll see me around.. maybe sooner than I would like... but since, you could be liable to get in trouble with your people, I’ll give you my name..”

you placed the key so that he could clamp it with his teeth 

you made your way to the door as you winked at him, “Y/N.. the name is Y/N...” 

when the door closed, Yunho pulled his body up so that he could unlock the cuffs with the key that you placed in his mouth

he got all of his things as fast as he could so that he could try to catch up to you

he remembered where you parked your car but the moment that he got out there, you zoomed passed him

he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration; he checked if he had gathered all of his things from the room

Yunho checked his wallet to find a white card with nothing but a phone number and a note

“you know I can’t give you my personal phone but if you ever want to share some more information with me.. here’s how to get a hold of me..”

Yunho smiles in relief; what’s scarier than a mafia man who doesn’t get what he wants?

a mafia man who’s in love; and not just in love with anyone, in love with an undercover detective 

@utopiamiroh

[ masterlist + guidelines ]

[peachyteez]

mint chocolate chip ice cream ≫ EPILOGUE.

this abandoned, shy bunny hybrid loves hanging around the open field area of the recovery facility. one day, with the help of jungkook, another bunny hybrid, jiyu meets mingi. after days of mingi being too shy and running away from her, a bag of carrots and mint chocolate ice chip cream was all it took to seal the deal.

PART OF THE HEAVEN SERIES.

✧ taglist:@defsoul15, @jaeminpeachy, @joongiebug, @sunsethw4, @t-tbinnie, @chanyeolol, @danibookmarks, @hello-its-ya-boi, @murralyn​, @alienmashup​, @panini​, @moon8894​, @koasworld​, @taetae123094​, @luv3rxcha​, @treasure-hwa​, @etherealbyeol​, @hwaseongzzz​, @lovely-sanie​, @orbitiiny​, @pirate-of-the-dark-seas​, @babydolljo​, @ms-starlight​, @everrrlasting​, @bls-luv-me​, @atzgiggle​, @arohabyeol​, @rainbowmagicpixecorn​, @soverystupid​, @ayetothezee​

✧ notes: this epilogue actually focuses on jiyu a bit more and what’s going on behind the scenes (sort of) 😅

back。

“this phone call’s a week late, miss,” yuta’s teasing tone came from the other end. 

jiyu playfuly rolled her eyes. “be glad i even called,” she retorted. she could feel yuta’s small pout and see his drooped ears. “i’m kidding, it was a busy week since we get a lot of new hybrids in the facility during the winter every year. but thank you for bringing me the papers.”

yuta hummed in acknowledgement. “i will say, though. for someone who mistreated their hybrid, she put up a pretty good fight in trying to keep him for herself, even though she made no attempts to even look for him in the first place,” yuta remembered the rigourous process it took for him to force the woman to hand over mingi’s adoption documents. 

jiyu’s face hardened as she thought about yuta’s words. “it was probably leverage over him. she knew that he couldn’t actually leave her if she still had his papers, so she kept them as a way to have mingi still obey her. it’s quite disgusting.” a shiver—both from disgust and the chilly breeze that blew by—ran through her spine. 

jiyu sat on the couch of the penthouse terrace, looking out at the bright lights of seoul during the night. even though she was adorned in her puffer jacket, she still felt the wind biting at her skin. taking her eyes off the view of the city, she turned in to look at her four hybrids curled by the fireplace, their eyes glued to the tv. it warmed her heart seeing them relax without a care in the world. 

“your father doesn’t know, does he?” yuta carefully asked. he knew the topic of her father was a sore spot for her.

biting the inside of her cheek, anxiety began to creep up in her heart at the thought of her father finding out what she’s been up to. it wasn’t that he hated hybrids; but because her late mother was also formerly a hybrid caretaker before getting married, her father’s views on hybrids soured over the years. they reminded him of his wife. 

“no, he can find out when i come back,” jiyu firmly said. “has he...said anything about me?” she meekly added. the reason she asked: she never responded to her father about her choices in potential suitors, so she had a feeling her father was up to something behind her back. 

she heard yuta sigh, and her heart slightly dropped. “i wasn’t supposed to tell you, but your father grew impatient and chose someone for you. he had me visit them and everything.”

“...oh.” she pinched her nosebridge and her grip on her phone tightened. “who did he choose?” she asked. as much as she wanted to scream, protest, anything, she knew it’s be useless. her father’s words were final, no one could go against them, and it made her blood boil everytime he played her like a puppet for his own benefits. 

“kim, sunwoo...?” yuta said, hoping it’d ring a bell in her head. “he’s the son of one of our long-time business partners.”

jiyu remembered his file on the list. he was the heir to kim corportations. no doubt her father chose him since combining the shares of both hwang enterprises and kim corporations would indeed boost both companies. it’s a win-win situation. 

“hm, i see.” she also knew her father would call her soon to relay his decisions to her. 

the terrace door slid open and a half-asleep mingi waddled out. he rubbed his eyes with his fists. jiyu’s face immediately melted from a stone-cold expression into a smile. “i’ll call you back, yuta. thanks again for everything.”

“of course, miss,” yuta added before quickly hanging up before jiyu could give him an earful about the title again. 

“this kid...” jiyu mumbled under her breath with a wry smile before putting her phone down. she pat the seat next to her, telling mingi to sit down since he looked like he was about to fall asleep standing up. 

mingi gratefully took her offer and plopped down next to her. his head dropped onto her shoulder and he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. her scent relaxed him—the smell of her peach shampoo and body wash was way better than his previous owners smell of heavy, dizzying perfume. 

“what’s up, buddy? sleepy?” she chuckled as she ran her hand through his fading-red hair, ignoring the ticklish feeling of his bunny ears against her cheek. she noted his thin layer of clothes and frowned. reaching up, she turned on the heat lamp that was next to the couch. “you’re going to get sick, bubs.”

mingi hummed as he curled closer to jiyu. “it’s okay...i’m used to the cold,” he mumbled, his eyes fighting to stay open. 

jiyu’s heart ached when the words left his mouth. i wonder if anyone cared for him if he did get sick...i mean maybe yunho...but what about when yunho wasn’t there? 

before her thoughts could grow any deeper, the door slid open again, only this time, the other three came out carrying a heap of blankets and handwarmers. jiyu cocked her head in confusion. 

“what are you all—”

“blanket pile!” yunho laughed as he threw a blanket onto jiyu and mingi’s lap before sliding in next to mingi. seonghwa and hongjoong sat by jiyu’s side, and soon, the fivewere cuddled together on the couch covered by blankets to keep them warm along with the heating lamp. 

soft snores came from mingi, making them smile as they fondly looked at the bunny hybrid resting on jiyu. the fire and the lights from the inside bathed the terrace in a warm, orange color. jiyu contently sighed; everything was so peaceful and perfect, she hated for it to all change soon. 

seonghwa rested his cheek on top of her head, careful of hongjoong’s body slightly leaning on his. “everything okay?” he quietly asked. he had taken several glances at her when she was calling yuta, and he noted her emotionless, yet angered expressions. 

jiyu nodded. “don’t worry, everything’s okay,” she reassured, although she was trying to convince herself more than she was telling seonghwa and the others. “what movie did you guys watch?” she quietly asked as to not wake up the sleeping giant bunny. 

“yunho wanted to watch avengers so we watched the first one,” hongjoong replied, his tone growing languid and lazy the more he relaxed. “were you calling yuta?”

jiyu smiled before reaching past seonghwa to gently pet hongjoong’s head. “yeah, i never thanked him for helping us with mingi since the recovery center grew pretty busy this week.”

“he’s a black cat hybrid, right?” yunho curiously asked as he gently leaned onto mingi. “i’ve never seen one before, but i heard they were really elegant. and they were right!” he smiled. 

jiyu stifled a chuckle. yuta? elegant? that’s what he may seem like to strangers but he was the same man that trips over his own two feet when they were just walking. “elegant may not be the best word to describe yuta, but it fits during some ocassions,” she joked. “i remember once he bumped into a man carrying a stack of files and he let out the most ungracious yelp and his arms flailed everywhere when he fell.” she chuckled at the memory. 

they all chuckled, surprised of the cat’s clumsiness when he seemed all cool and mysterious to them when he visited to hand over mingi’s papers. “he sounds like mingi,” yunho chuckled. “he gets scared pretty easily and can let out some ungracious yelps, too.”

that i have to agree with. she thought with a smile when she remembered their first meetings.  

“now my only concern,” she suddenly said, catching their attention, “is how we’re going to get mingi inside.”

“can we honestly just sleep out here?” hongjoong asked, too comfy and relaxed to move. “it’s really comfy...”

“we’re all going to catch colds though, even though we’re drowing in blankets and the heat lamp is on,” jiyu reasoned. 

“we’ll keep you warm!” yunho added as he leand more onto mingi, causing him to press closer to jiyu. “sleeping out here won’t be that bad of an idea! it’s pretty warm, too.”

“hm...for once, i’m actually okay with this idea, too,” seonghwa mumbled, his eyes and ears drooping tiredly. “we’re all too comfy and sleepy to move...so sleeping out here doesn’t seem too bad...” he yawned as he nuzzled his face into the other side of her neck. 

"alright...but don’t blame me if you all get colds tomorrow,” she quietly laughed as the four hybrids drifted off to dreamland. she looked at their sleeping faces as if etching the scene into her memory. everything was perfect. 

“but nothing stays perfect for long...” she whispered under her breath. she knew that soon, everything would change once she had to return home. but until then, she swore to all the stars in the sky that she would make their time worth it; she swore that she would give them all the love that they deserve. 

now and forever. 

✧ notes (cont.): our lovely mingi is complete! i miss him so much but i hope he’s okay and doing well 🥺❤️ i’m really glad kq let him rest to take care of his mental health. mental (and physical) health should always be a priority!

next up on the list, yeosang!