#like ALL the shinee members still introduce themselves as 'shinee's (x)'

[sylusjinwoon]

{ 161 }

the dark knight.

jinwoo sung x fem.reader

you had just started out as a hunter when you were introduced to a tall man donned entirely in dark armor; a man who was shockingly hidden from within the depths of your shadow.

being labeled as an a-rank hunter, you had some skills, being highly proficient in using a weapon that you had spent most of your life perfecting, training with it ever since you first awakened as a hunter.

and by some miracle, you were accepted into an extremely well-known guild:

ahjin guild, ran by the famous sung jinwoo himself.

his story was nothing short of a miracle; a once weak, e-ranked hunter somehow managing to gain strength by unknown means, rising up the ranks with ease before quickly being labeled as the world's strongest hunter within what seemed like mere months.

unfortunately, you recall your own conference and introduction to the scene being lackluster in comparison, with your eyes remaining bright with hope as you spoke with some confidence during your interview. you promised your nation to use your strength as a sole means to protect those who could not defend themselves, earning a polite, round of applause from the audience.

you remember that day vividly, trailing your eyes across the crowd before your gaze landed on someone who stood out the most to you.

glowing, purple eyes were shining with amusement, and his applause actually seemed genuine the more he looked at you. even when you had caught him staring at you, he never once looked away from you.

and it was more than enough to make your whole body tremble with excitement in response.

shortly after your introduction, the chairman reached out to you, telling you that the president of ahjin guild wanted to speak to you, putting you directly in contact with jinwoo. the tall and handsome man then shook your hand while making you an offer you couldn't refuse.

"join my guild and you'll be paid handsomely."

the excitement that coursed through your veins was nearly indescribable, since you were so certain that you would be able to prove yourself to him; to gain some confidence as a hunter while joining jinwoo during these high level raids.

yet oddly enough-

this didn't seem to happen.

instead, you were often left at his office, working on sorting through applicants and reports for the guild while he went alone on such raids. when you asked the other members, jinho and soohyun, if this was normal, they would simply shrug and nod their head yes.

"yeah, i just help the prez look at the reports and stuff. haha, he lets me post on my insta account and has no issues with me lazing around sometimes."

"ah... the boss takes me with him on raids sometimes, but that's only to provide him with equipment. usually, boss doesn't even fight. he uses his shadow soldiers to do all the work during raids."

with both of their admissions swirling within your mind, you could feel your mounting fury growing from deep within you.

you did not become a hunter and join his guild to do mere office work.

you became a hunter to fight.

and you were finally going to do something about it.

your president was currently in his office, and when you looked into his office, you saw his grey eyes looking bored while pouring over some paperwork. with a click of your tongue, you enter his office, causing jinwoo to look up at you with a calm expression.

he says your name before looking back down at the paperwork. "hello, is there something that you need?"

red hot anger was still felt surging through your veins when you take quick strides toward him. you slam the palm of your hand against his stack of papers, preventing him from reading any further.

jinwoo meets your gaze with a raised eyebrow all while leaning back in his seat.

"you're upset."

"no shit, sherlock!" you hiss at him all while pointing an accusing finger at him, "when i first joined your guild three months ago, i had every intention of fighting by your side- not by being your secretary!"

his eyes begin to steadily glow purple again. "don't get too cocky. lately, there have been several a- to s-level gates appearing all across seoul. and you are certainly not ready to face them yet."

"w-what gives you the right to decide that for me! i have spent over 10 years training, being labeled as an a-rank! i can do these raids just fine!"

"you've had zero experience. you could get killed." jinwoo's voice was now filled with venom when he stands from his seat.

"i would have had some experience if you just let me join you on your raids!" you scoff at him, eyes practically shimmering in response to your anger. "and just why do you care if i get killed or not? if that happens, then at least i died for a good cause!"

suddenly, jinwoo's eyes flashed with an unknown emotion, the sensation being potent enough that he had to bite down on his bottom lip. you ignore the strange feeling of guilt that fills you, taking a step back, your voice shaky when you tell him.

"there's an a-rank gate that just appeared, and i'm going with or without you."

"don't you dare-"

jinwoo was about to stop you, but you were faster, flashing him your middle finger before taking advantage of your speed, running away from him and the rest of your guild. you ignore their cries of your name while following the coordinates on your phone to where the gate was.

within what felt like minutes, you arrive at the bright red gate, seeing several authorities push back the civilians that got too close to the gate. a determined expression paints your features as you duck beneath the yellow tape and step into the gate's periphery.

"halt, the members of the hunters guild has not arrived yet. i was given strict orders to not let any other hunters pass through-"

"i am a member of ahjin guild, and i was told by my president to start scoping out the gate. hunter sung says that he will be here shortly." you purposely lie through your teeth, watching with satisfaction when the man's eyes widen with response.

"you're a member of a-ahjin guild, with hunter sung's arrival being soon? then by all means, go on and enter! we're all counting on you!"

you adjust your hold on your weapon while giving him a nod, stepping through the red colored gate with your head held high.

the moment you went into the gate, you felt a little nauseous at the sensation of shifting into what felt like a different reality. surrounding you was a thick forest made even denser by the fog. had you have been a normal human, then there was no way your eyes could see through the fog-

you considered yourself lucky that you could make out the many beasts taking shape from within the fog, brandishing your weapon as you began to work, slashing through each monster that dared remain in your path.

your confidence was building; with each stroke of your weapon, you felt a strange sense of satisfaction as the monsters fell to their demise. the passing of time was unknown to you, yet you never once stopped your movements until you were certain that every monster had been defeated.

you stand amidst a pile of fallen bodies, the fog now clearing as your sight became even clearer in response. taking a step forward, your footsteps made a crunching sound against the ground when a sudden sensation of something powerful looming over you stops you in your tracks.

your breathing becomes labored when you felt an overwhelming presence behind you. you turn around slightly, only to let out a silent scream upon seeing a monstrous spider with venom dripping down its claws.

"shit!"

knowing that you couldn't properly defend yourself from its poison, you try to dash away from it-

but its gigantic form easily caught up with you, and you watch from your periphery as it raised its clawed legs toward you, slamming down on you with a slash! as it manages to pierce through your armor.

"UGH!" you let out a scream of pain, feeling the blood pouring from your wound as the poison spread through you, paralyzing you. you were filled with panic now, feeling your entire body go numb as you struggled to crawl away from the spider.

with each movement, you saw your shadow lengthen from behind you, the sight being so unexpected and strange that you stopped moving. your eyes remain rooted on your shadow, watching with wide eyes as what looked like a tall and muscular knight appear from your shadow's depths.

his glowing, purple eyes acknowledge you for a brief second before he takes a protective stance in front of you. your breathing comes out in labored gasps, watching as he brandishes two daggers before quickly gaining up on the poisonous spider.

the beast didn't stand a chance, for within seconds, the dark knight slashes through its body, seeming to make thousands upon thousands of cuts on its body. you could feel a deep breath escape from your lips in a labored manner as the beast falls, the putrid scent of its blood filling your nostrils, making you nearly gag in response.

as if sensing your distress, the knight that crawled out of your shadow faces you, taking quick strides towards you before placing your pliant form in his arms. as he held you, you became shocked at how solid he felt.

did all shadow soldiers feel this... real and alive?

unable to speak, you allow the shadowy knight to carry you back to safety, appearing within the forest's clearing as his raspy and deep voice spoke to you.

"unfortunately, the exit has closed. we will have to wait until it opens up once more. it may take a couple of hours."

he settles your body on the ground, reaching behind him to pull out a vial filled with a golden liquid. "drink this, it will get rid of the poison's effects."

the knight uncaps the vial for you, tilting the elixir into your parted lips as you swallowed the liquid, emptying the vial as the knight tosses it aside. within a few minutes, you felt the sensation return back to your extremities. testing out the movement on your arm and legs, you call out to the shadow soldier.

"did jinwoo set you up for this?"

he was silent for several seconds before letting out what sounded like a huff, "yes, you could say that."

"tch, why is your master such an asshole?"

the soldier seemed taken aback by your outburst. "a-an asshole? you view my liege in such a manner?"

you narrow your eyes a bit, noticing the slight break within his voice. thinking that it was nothing (for now), you sigh and shake your head, moving up your legs so that you could rest your chin against your kneecaps.

"what did jinwoo name you?"

the shadow soldier was quiet again, as if deep in thought before answering, "he did not give me a name, but many refer to me as 'the first.'"

you hum and look down at your torn armor. "do you respect jinwoo?"

"of course i do... do you?" first asks you in a seemingly nonchalant manner.

"begrudgingly yes." you admit to him with a pout, picking at the ends of your ruined armor. "i hate how cocky he is all the time... and how he's always right."

the last part comes off as a mere whisper, catching the dark knight's attention.

"you think he's always right? how so?"

you could feel the tears of frustration appear in your eyes, "it's just... i hated how jinwoo won't let me join him in his raids... i wanted to prove myself; to prove myself worthy of him."

"worthy?" your words seem to have piqued the knight's interest.

"yeah... i just really admire and respect him." you finally admit to the shadow soldier with your cheeks heating up in response. "i used his story as motivation for me to become brave and stronger, and i wanted so badly to fight by his side! but he never would let me..." you sigh and meet the knight's gaze, "you have no idea how happy i was when i was able to enter this gate and fight...!"

your body began to shake as you began to curl up in response to your admission, "but, i fell short. i couldn't take out the boss of this dungeon... and i got severely paralyzed because of it. jinwoo was right, i wasn't ready-"

"but you were brave and tenacious despite it all." the soldier interrupts you, preventing you from speaking ill of yourself any further.

you saw wisps of shadows appear from your periphery and a sharp hand gently framing at your face. your head was then gently tilted upwards as you were forced to meet first's gaze.

"i was wrong... you're strong enough to take on anything... and i shouldn't have held you back."

when cracks were seen in his dark armor, you felt your eyes go wide in response, the shadowy armor now disappearing as it revealed a familiar man to you.

"looks like i ran out of mana... i can't keep up this appearance anymore."

your throat turns dry, seeing jinwoo dressed only in his dress pants as his entire upper body remained bare. you kept on sputtering his name when his large hand frames at your face. jinwoo lets out gentle coos of your name, resting his forehead against yours while pressing a kiss against your skin.

"do you want to know why i was so eager to have you in my guild... and why i never let you do anything?"

feeling overwhelmed at his sudden transformation, you could only manage a nod in response.

jinwoo chuckles a bit, wrapping his arms around you as he brought you even closer to his chest. "the reasoning is simple, my dear, and it's solely because i wish to protect you while remaining close to you."

your breath hitches in response to his confession, causing you to meet his gaze once more, "y-you... you want to protect me?"

the s-ranked hunter's eyes began to glow a deeper shade of purple, seeming to shine with pure mirth before admitting to you, "of course i wish to protect you; i want to protect every single person that i love-"

"and that especially includes you."

your heart was suddenly felt racing within the confines of your chest, with you being held tightly within jinwoo's embrace with his lips hovering over your own.

"...may i?" his voice becomes uncharacteristically shy, and you manage to give him a shy nod before jinwoo dives in towards your lips, sealing it perfectly in a kiss that conveyed his love and devotion toward you.

and with his lips perfectly slotted against yours, you figured that there was no better way to pass the time than to share a million kisses with the man that you have always admired and adored.

a.n. - so re-reading solo leveling's later chapters, where he fights antares, i get so heated, remembering how hot he looked donned in armor made of complete and utter darkness, like dear god jinwoo, just take me- I AM YOURS! 😭

all stories are written by rei; reposts, translations, and plagiarism are not allowed.

[ryejifics]

Dance practice pt 2

Type: fluffy!

Ryujin x idol reader

"Y/n?.." She eagerly waited for your response. Bouncing her knee up and down. She tried staying still, but she couldn't stop shaking. She was so worried you'd reject her.

"Well.. oh, how could I ever say no. You're too cute! You went through all this trouble for me. Yes, Ryujin, I'd love to start something with you."

Her smile grew from ear to ear. Her cute whisker dimples showing. Her eyes shining as bright as the stars.

"REALLY!? I mean oh uhm really? That'd be great." She was blushing from embarrassment. "Oh Ryujin." You giggled and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. You split the check, and off you two went. She walked you to your dorm where you were greeted by your members. "Oooo y/n! What are you doing with Ryujin??" They teased and introduced themselves to her. After a few minutes, she gave you a hug and walked back to her dorm.

All night, you smiled from ear to ear. All you could look at were the beautiful flowers she gave you and the cute pictures you took together on your phone. As you were in a deep train of thought you heard a "bing!". One new message.

Ryujin: I had a great time tonight. Thank you for agreeing to this. I won't let you down! Goodnight, pretty girl ❤️.

You squealed out of excitement and happiness. Ryujin made you so happy. You hoped you made her happy. There's no one you'd rather be in a talking stage with.

Months passed, and today was the day you were gonna ask her to be yours. You wanted everything to be perfect for her. You planned to take her to the restaurant she confessed to you in and ask her there. You ran to the store to buy flowers and a gift. You picked out the perfect ones and a hoodie she's been eyeing since you started talking to her. You checked out and went back to the dorm. Your members helped you pick out an outfit and do your makeup. You did your hair and sprayed her favorite perfume. As you gave yourself a pep talk in the mirror you got a text. "Bing!". One new message.

Ryujin: I can't wait to see you tonight, beautiful.

You smiled and responded to her quickly.

As the night came, it was finally time. She picked you up at your dorm, and off you went. You walked down the streets of Seoul and looked at all the stars. She held your hand in hers, smiling as she skipped all the way there. You took the cutest pictures of her. Her whisker dimples shown throughout them.

You walked in and sat down. Ordering for the two of you. After you ate the time was perfect. "Ryujin? Can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything y/n. What's up?" You nervously pull out the flowers and gift. "We've been talking for a few months now, everyday with you feels like heaven. If this is a dream I never want to wake up. I've never been this happy with someone. With you? I feel like a princess. I want to spend everyday with you so... I was wondering if you maybe.. wanted to be my girlfriend?" You looked at her nervously. It felt like forever before she finally gave you her response.

"Uhm, duh! I was actually going to ask you tonight, too." She pulled out a necklace. It was a heart locket with diamonds on the outside. On the inside was a picture of you two from your first date. "Oh Ryujin, it's beautiful! I'd love to be your girlfriend!" She helped you put it on. "And I'd love to be your girlfriend."

You two went on many more adventures together. You knew she was your forever. Ryujin was your favorite person. She made you feel at home. Safe and sound. Dance practice really was great, after all. It brought you her.

[sotwk]

Intruders (Fili x OC fanfic, first of series)

Summary: During their sojourn at Rivendell, Fili makes the acquaintance of an elf-maid who is surprisingly familiar with the ways of Dwarves. Unlike the rest of the Company however, he is less enchanted by and more suspicious of this mysterious stranger.

Part One of a planned series about the relationship between Fili x OC elleth, called "The Only Gold".

Word count: 2.3 k 

Pairing: Fili x FemOC (2nd Person POV)

Content: Prelude to romance, friendship, fluff, mild angst, The Hobbit events, Dwarf shenanigans

Warnings: None

To Read on AO3: Link

Dedication: For @fizzyxcustard, the first Durin (Thorin) writer to befriend me on Tumblr and who introduced me to the wonderful community of Durin stans! My first foray into Erebor is rightfully dedicated to you. Thank you for being such a supportive mutual to me and others in our orbit!

The Only Gold

Intruders

Third Age 2941 June

Imladris, The Last Homely House

It was difficult to decide which amused you more: observing the Naugrim in their merrymaking around the fire, or listening to Lord Lindir’s anguished groans over their antics as he stood in secret watch right next to you. 

“I suppose tomorrow this courtyard shall have to be scrubbed as well,” the elf-lord muttered, his dark eyes scanning the blobs and heaps of food scraps that littered the normally pristine white flagstones of the circular portico. “Tis a small mercy that the Nindari fountain already empties and cleanses itself, otherwise…” He rubbed a hand over his mouth as he cut off his own frustrations. “Forgive me; it has been a long day.”

You rested a gentle hand on his arm. “Do not be so troubled, my lord,” you said, careful to whisper despite the small risk of your voice being heard over the cacophony of laughter and singing. “From my experience, Dwarves mind their manners well enough to clean up after themselves, no matter how terrible the messes they like to make.” 

“I shall have to take your word for it,” Lindir sighed, with a grimace that indicated he remained entirely unconvinced. “What odd little creatures they are! They seem to actually revel in chaos and noise and sheer tomfoolery. And from what I understand, these are not only grown males of their race, but some are also members of Durin’s royal house!”

After a while, the prim elf-lord fell silent to watch you watch the company of outsiders, and soon he picked up on the delight shining from your eyes. 

“How similar are they to Dwarves you have previously engaged with?”

His innocent question called a flood of deep memories to the front of your mind, and the mirth on your face wavered. There was no way for Lindir to have known the specifics, and if he had, his impeccable manners would have restrained him from even broaching the subject. But your most recent experiences with the Naugrim had been filled with mourning and loss and anger, of old wounds that still ached to be soothed by happier remembrances.

“They are the same people, but these are very different circumstances.” You turned back to the gathering and smiled at the scene they created, just a group of kinsmen sharing an evening repast, dining in little more than their underclothes and even less care or concern. "I very much prefer seeing them in this light."

Lindir sniffed at this but refrained from verbalizing further disagreement, as your fondness for Aulë’s Children had become all too apparent. 

After you declined the elf-lord’s offer to escort you back to the main house, he took his leave, with a parting reminder to 'be careful'. It was hard not to feel disappointed at your friend's unrelenting distrust of the Dwarves. Lindir was far older than you, and much wiser in all other matters, but in your heart you were certain his disdain was founded on hearsays and ancient prejudices. 

“Oi, Bombur! Maybe you should get off that table, I can hear the joints creaking from over here.” The shout, though spoken with jest, also carried a command behind it, a tone you often heard being used by members of your family. “If we break one more thing in this fancy-pants inn I think that butler’s head might explode.”

More than the Dwarf's tone, it was his voice itself that captured your attention, that spurred your steps forward so you crept closer for a better view. You scanned the gathering of bearded faces, one by one, but unless that voice spoke up again over the raucous din, it would be impossible to identify the owner with certainty. 

But you knew that voice. You knew not for sure from when or where, but you had heard it before, speaking to you, addressing you by name, stirring up emotions deep within you like the early rays of spring warming the frosted earth. 

The clear sound of cracking wood startled you, and yanked your gaze back to the sight of Bombur, the very fat dwarf, falling smack on his bottom and then toppling on his backside on a pile of broken oak. Your lips twitched and your eyes wrinkled at their sides, but it was the unbridled howls of laughter from the other dwarves that released your own laughter from your throat--a high, delighted giggle that was shamefully loud to your own ears. 

“Shh! Did you hear that?” A voice--the voice--cut sharply through the merriment. It lowered into a menacing growl, suddenly shifting to their ancient mother tongue. “There’s someone out there.” 

* * * * * 

Fili grabbed the knife closest to him, resting atop the pile of his belongings, and darted across the courtyard in the direction of the sound. Kili leaped up to follow his lead, and behind the brothers a mad scramble ensued as some of the others hurried to join in pursuit. 

It was easy to spot the intruder descending the pathwalk that connected their lodging to the sprawling gardens below. The tall, hooded figure had the nerve to walk calmly in their retreat, as though they cared not if they were caught or had no fear of being apprehended. The mark of an elf for sure, Fili thought, and a rush of anger within him hastened his pace. 

“You! Stop!” he shouted, and was so surprised when the stranger complied so quickly that he skidded to an abrupt halt himself. Kili ran hard into him, nearly knocking him over, and there was much grunting and yelping as the rest of the dwarves similarly struggled to keep themselves upright. 

“Who are you?” Fili demanded, raising himself up to full height and straight posture, but mindful enough to keep his knife sheathed at his side. This elf was nowhere near as tall as the riders who had accosted them at their arrival, or even the ones who had attended them at luncheon. Even if they didn’t have him outnumbered, the dwarf was confident he could take him down on his own if necessary. 

“I am a friend, Master Dwarf,” a soft voice spoke from underneath the hood. 

Next to him, Fili sensed Kili shifting his weight uneasily and heard him grunt, “Fili.” The elder Son of Durin at once knew his brother’s thoughts. That voice sounded female. This realization cooled his ire, but just barely. Danger did not recognize gender, he knew that from experience. 

 “A friend would not lurk in the shadows to spy,” Fili said darkly. “A friend would not retreat and skulk away like a thief in the night.”  He took a heavy step forward. “If you are what you say, then prove it and show your face."

A tense silence followed the dwarf-prince’s command. The collective disquiet palpable from the companions that surrounded him only fueled Fili’s irritation. Above all other emotions, he detested cowering the most. Durin’s Folk shrank before no one, no matter whose land they stood on.

At long last, a pair of slender white arms emerged from the folds of the stranger’s cloak, and two hands lowered the velvet hood. Cries and mutterings rose in a sudden tide around Fili, while his own voice failed him completely. It wasn’t until his lungs sucked in a starved, desperate gasp that he realized even breath had temporarily deserted him. 

None of their company, save perhaps Thorin and Balin, had had much contact with she-elves prior to the quest, but when they finally encountered some of these females at the Lord of Rivendell's table, they fairly matched up with the descriptions from the Dwarrowdam tales. This particular creature that stood before them now was unlike her unremarkable kin, and surpassed everything Fili’s elders had taught him to expect. 

It was her hair, above all else, that surely struck the Dwarves with greatest amazement. The color of the purest molten gold, it crowned her fair head and flowed freely down her shoulders, shimmering in waves of glorious light. It was such a sight to behold, so alarming in its unexpected beauty, that Fili dropped his gaze, momentarily doubting whether it was even safe to look upon it. 

Those standing closest to him literally bowed their heads in reverence. Ori and Dori went so far as to bend fully at the waist. Glorin choked on what sounded like a sob, while Kili found actual words to exclaim: "My lady!"

“My lords,” the elf-maid spoke again, high and clear as a wood thrush. “I humbly beg your pardon; I meant no offense by my presence.”

The sweetness that flowed from her polite words continued to charm his companions, but Fili refused to give in to the confusing swirl of emotions that crested within him, not even when her gaze turned at his utterance, again challenging his ability to breathe. “Why were you watching us?”

He felt a fist jab him on the back. “Nadad,” Kili hissed through gritted teeth. 

“It is a fair question,” Fili declared. He felt his boldness grow the longer he persisted. “Their king assured us we would be safe here, but how are we to trust that?” He turned slightly towards his kinsmen as their native Khuzdul rolled from his tongue. “Can you not see that ever since our arrival, they have been trying to uncover our secrets?!”

The only response he received were vague mumblings from dazed faces. Eyes glazed over in dopey trances seemed to pass right through him, listless and unseeing. An orc pack could have descended on them and hacked off some heads before anyone could mount a defense. 

“Stop gaping at her!” Fili snapped at them, tugging hard on his besotted brother’s arm in particular. “You’re falling prey to Elven sorcery for all we know. Don’t let yourselves be lured under her spell!”

“If I were as devious as you claim, Master Dwarf, then why should I admit to understanding your words perfectly?”

The maiden’s silvery voice speaking the guttural tones of their secret language in perfect fluency dropped upon the group like a hammer’s blow. Suddenly the lot of dreamy gazes morphed into expressions of shock, followed by anger. Even a little fear, which overtook any control the dwarves had over their better senses. 

Defensive instincts escalated to bellows of outrage, and hands rose in aggression, hands which unfortunately still clutched a menacing array of weapons. Brandishing his own dagger, Fili saw the elf-maid take a step back, and her withdrawal stirred a new emotion above the conflux in his chest: shame.  

“What is the meaning of this?!”

All heads turned in the direction of the booming shout, and they saw the Master of Imladris coming up the path in furious strides. The sight of him alone caused the dwarves to immediately lower their weapons, sheathe them, or hide them behind their backs. 

Lord Elrond cast a swift, rebuking glare over the gathered dwarves before planting himself between them and the elf-maid. He cupped her face between his hands and quietly spoke to her in indiscernible Elvish. She whispered back with downcast eyes, appearing to Fili almost like a child chastised. 

"She spies on us!" Gloin's temper erupted at the most convenient time, and Fili found himself relieved that someone else was speaking up to argue for their side.

"This is her home, Master Gloin," Elrond responded sharply. "Where you are the visitors. We practice great tolerance in Imladris to make allowances for cultural differences. But I will not abide the harassment of anyone, least of all my kin."

"Enough of this foolishness!" The next rebuke came from Gandalf, who suddenly materialized behind the elves, and looked twice as infuriated as Elrond. “It is one thing to practice table manners differently from the Eldar, but even Dwarves should know how to show a lady proper respect!” He pounded his staff on the ground, silencing any further attempts at protest from the dwarves. 

The wizard then turned and gave a sweeping bow to the elf-maid. "I beg your pardon and understanding on their behalf, dear lady, and offer no poor excuses.”

Fili was no longer surprised when the golden-haired lass smiled brightly at Gandalf, as one would at an old friend. "My heart sings with joy to see you again, Mithrandir."

The rest of their conversation continued in rapid Elvish, leaving the dwarves to cluster together and grumble and mutter in their own separate group. For his part, Fili did not have anything else to say, for he felt oddly weary. He did not even notice the elves had taken their leave until Thorin arrived, demanding explanations, and Gandalf rejoined them to resume the heated discussion about everything that had transpired.  

Fili broke away from the squabbling noise of the company to seek out the departing lord and lady. He spotted them leaving the path to go back up into one of the great houses on the other side of the roaring falls. From so far off he could still see the elf-maid’s golden hair gleaming, its ethereal glory undiminished in the evening shadows. Bitter regret bloomed in the pit of his stomach when she finally vanished from sight.

"I…I know her.”

Fili spun around and saw Bilbo standing a few paces away, staring thoughtfully into the darkness. How much the hobbit had seen of the entire episode, and how long he’d been lurking there, it was always hard to tell with their sneaky burglar. “What are you talking about?”

Bilbo scratched the side of his face, his nose scrunched up in his musing. “That elf-maid. I’m quite certain I’ve met her before. There cannot be many like her running around Middle-earth, and certainly not visiting the Shire."

“The Shire?!” Fili grabbed Bilbo’s arm and dragged him further away from the rest of the company, and out of the notice of his uncle and Gandalf. “Tell me,” he ordered the bewildered hobbit. “Tell me everything you know about her.”

To be continued...

Tagged by request: @aduialel @fizzyxcustard @lathalea @laneynoir @auttumnsayshi @achromaticerebus @friendofthefellowshipsnerdblog @blueberryrock @scyllas-revenge @glassgulls @ladyweaslette @heilith @absentmindeduniverse @laurfilijames

For more of my stories, please see My Masterlist.

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[btsqualityy]

Y.O.U (Years Of Us), Chapter 5: Old Friend

Jimin x half black/half Korean OC; Taemin  half black/half Korean OC

Genre/Rating: 21+, established relationship, idol!AU, smut, angst, and fluff

Summary: Kamaria has a night out on the town and runs into an old “friend”.

Warnings: semi public sex, unprotected sex, oral sex, dirty talk, and creampie.

WC: 2.8K

Song Of The Chapter: Taemin-Danger

9 Years Ago

Kamaria sat in one of the many studios in the SM building, nervously tapping her foot as she waited for one of SM’s most prolific groups to make their way inside. Although Kamaria had officially signed as an artist to the company not too long before, she still enjoyed writing music so after writing a song called “Good Evening”, she took it to the company who decided to give it to their top male group. 

“Hello?” A sudden voice called out as the door opened and Kamaria had to will herself to stay calm as the members of SHINee walked inside. 

“Hello, sunbaenims,” Kamaria smiled as she stood up, bowing politely as the members filed into the room. “I’m Minali or Kamaria, whichever you prefer.”

“Oh, no need to be so formal!” Onew exclaimed with a bright smile. “We’ve heard amazing things about you! I’m Lee Jinki.”

“Minho,” he introduced himself with a bow.

“I’m Kibum,” Key added.

“And I’m Lee Taemin,” Taemin grinned widely. “Our managers told us that you have an amazing song for us.”

“Well, I’m hoping you all will think so,” Kamaria chuckled. “I got inspired after hearing a song from an American group and after contacting them, they gave me permission to use the song and change it up so I did so and added new lyrics.”

“Well, no time like the present,” Key said as he clapped his hands together. “Let’s get started.”

Going into the session, Kamaria had been insanely nervous because SHINee was a legendary group in the KPop industry and Kamaria had only just debuted less than a year prior. However, as the session began and everything started to flow, she realized that she had been worried for nothing. The members were just as nice and funny as they had been rumored to be, not to mention the level of professionalism that they exuded when it came to doing what they loved. 

“I love this song so much!” Minho exclaimed. “And after hearing the original, it’s amazing how you made it into something completely different.”

“That’s definitely some talent there,” Onew nodded in agreement. 

“Thank you,” Kamaria replied sheepishly, feeling her cheeks warming up in embarrassment. “You guys made it effortless, though. Your voices are amazing.”

“We’re professionals darling,” Key joked, making Kamaria laugh. After a few more times of recording their verses, they all decided that almost three hours in the studio had been enough so they decided to go their separate ways. 

“Taemin-ah, you coming?” Key wondered as Onew and Minho paced out of the studio. 

“Ah, no hyung,” Taemin shook his head, throwing a quick glance Kamaria’s way before looking back at the older man. “I’ll get home on my own.”

“Alright,” Key smiled knowingly. “Be safe. Minali-ssi, amazing work.”

“Thank you so much,” Kamaria beamed as she took a break from packing up her bag to bow towards him. Key walked out of the studio then, leaving Kamaria and Taemin by themselves.

“Uh, Minali-ssi?” Taemin called out and Kamaria looked up at hearing her Korean name. “I was wondering, would you mind staying here a little while longer?”

“Uh, sure but why?” Kamaria wondered. 

“I’m not exactly satisfied with my vocals,” he explained. “But if you have plans and can’t stay, I can always have our managers contact you to set up a better time and-”

“Taemin-ssi, I don’t mind at all,” she giggled. “And please, call me Minali.”

“Only if you call me Taemin.”

“Alright,” she agreed easily as she set her things down next to her. “Let’s go over them again.” Once Taemin went back into the recording booth and put the headphones over his ears, Kamaria sat in front of the mixing table and restarted the song. As Taemin began to record his lines over again, she happened to catch the part that he was talking about. 

“So this part of the song is a build up,” Kamaria began after she cut the music off. “Your voice should reflect that but the thing is, you have to start strong to lead up to your high note. It’s not the same breathy one that Minho does in the beginning.”

“Can you give me an example?” Taemin requested. 

“Sure,” she nodded before beginning to sing. “Negero ga, negero ga, negero ga-ah.”

“Ah ok, I get you,” he said. “Restart the song?” Kamaria did then, watching with a smile as Taemin effortlessly copied the way that she had song the riff for him. 

“That’s it, you hit it,” she said. “Come on out and listen to it.” Taemin did as instructed, stepping back out of the booth and standing next to Kamaria’s chair as she replied the song. 

“Excuse my language, but that sounds so damn good,” he praised. “I absolutely love it and I know the hyungs do too.”

“Like I said, you guys make it easy,” Kamaria echoed. “Your voices just blend so well together, especially yours.”

“Am I your bias in SHINee?” He wondered and Kamaria looked up at him with a smirk. “Or at least your favorite voice?”

“Actually, Jonghyun was,” she replied with a smile. “But you and your voice are a very close second.”

“Well, would you mind if your second favorite bias treats you out to dinner?” Taemin wondered. 

“Are you asking me out on a date?”

“No, think of it as a ‘thank you for writing one of my favorite SHINee songs in recent memory’ dinner,” he chuckled. “How about it?”

“Yeah,” Kamaria nodded with a soft smile. “Ok.”

.................................................................

“I don’t understand why the two of you are doing this to me,” Kamaria muttered from her place in the back seat as she glared at Nari, who was in the drivers’ seat. 

“Because you needed to get out of the house!” Kang Seulgi exclaimed. Her and Kamaria had been extremely close friends since Kamaria’s days at SM Entertainment and with their busy schedules, they didn’t get much time to hang out together. 

“You’ve been in the house sulking ever since you had that dinner with Jimin,” Nari added, glancing in the review mirror at her best friend. “Between that and the anniversary of your mom’s death coming up, you need to keep your spirits up.”

“And you two thought a night out in Gangnam would help that?” Kamaria deadpanned. 

“Hey, good music, even better drinks, and gorgeous ass men?” Seulgi smirked. “Of course.”

“Good thing neither of you get paid for thinking then,” she muttered.

“Oh, you’ll feel better once you’re there and have a few drinks in your system,” Nari dismissed and Kamaria turned her gaze towards the window then, setting her chin on her hand. She was grateful that her friends cared enough about her to recognize when she was struggling but sometimes, she just wanted to wallow and feel all of her feelings. 

Not too long later, Nari pulled the car up in front of one of the hottest spots in Gangnam, Club Octagon. As soon as the three of them stepped out of the car, a crowd tried to form around them due to Kamaria and Seulgi’s combined star power. Luckily, security was quick to usher them inside and to their own little section. 

Nari made quick work of getting three drinks to their table and they lifted them up into the air.

“What should we cheers to?” Nari wondered.

“Friendship,” Seulgi suggested. “Existing, new, and future.”

“To friendship,” Kamaria smiled as they all pushed their glasses together. Since it was just a double shot of soju, it was effortless for Kamaria to slam it all back in one go. 

“Alright, I’m hitting the dance floor,” Seulgi announced before hopping up out of her seat. “Come with me, Kam.”

“I don’t feel like dancing,” Kamaria said before glancing at Nari for help.

“Oh no, you guys go ahead because I saw some people I know,” Nari smiled as she stood up. “I’ll meet you guys out there!”

“You have no excuse now,” Seulgi smiled as Nari walked away from them. “I’ll buy you another drink.”

“Fine,” Kamaria huffed, allowing Seulgi to pull her up into a standing position. “But I want the drink first!” After a quick trip to the bar where the two of them downed more shots, they then made their way to the dance floor. 

Club Octagon was frequented by a lot of music lovers so they played a wide array of music, both Korean and Western, that had everyone going crazy. The vibes were immaculate and even though she hadn’t really wanted to go out in the first place, Kamaria found herself feeling happy that she had allowed her friends to drag her out. 

Life was hard and unfair but moments like these would always be worth it. Always.

Before she knew it, an hour had passed and Kamaria’s high heels were starting to put a strain on her feet. Just as she found herself about to turn and tell Seulgi that she was going to sit down for a break, she felt a pair of hands station themselves on her waist from behind. 

“Can I have a dance?” The voice asked and Kamaria gasped, recognizing that voice anywhere as she turned around. 

“Lee Taemin!” She squealed before throwing herself into his arms. “What are you doing here?!”

“Kai dragged me out,” Taemin chuckled, setting her back down onto the ground before motioning behind him with his head. When Kamaria looked over his shoulder, she saw Kai from EXO talking animatedly with Seulgi and Nari. Once he made eye contact, he waved happily and Kamaria laughed before waving back. 

“How many drinks has he had?” Kamaria wondered as she looked back at Taemin. 

“Too damn many,” he huffed with a smile. “I’m starting to think he just wanted to let loose and dragged me along so that I could prevent any scandals from occurring.”

“That sounds like him,” she giggled. 

“And you? What are you doing out in Gangnam?” 

“Same predicament as you, conned by my friends,” Kamaria sighed. “Admittedly though, I needed some cheering up.”

“Ah yeah, it is February huh?” Taemin grimaced and she nodded solemnly. “Well, if it helps, you might not feel that great but you definitely look it.”

“Yeah?” She smiled softly, looking down at the black ruched bodycon dress that covered her body. 

“Absolutely,” he confirmed. “So, will you dance with me?”

“Mmm, I don’t know,” Kamaria hummed. “You could at least buy me a drink first.”

“That can be arranged,” Taemin smirked. 

.................................................................

5 Years Ago

“That’s it my love,” Taemin whispered huskily as he thrust forward roughly, causing Kamaria to moan underneath him. “You’re taking it so well.”

“Feels so good Tae, fuck,” Kamaria gasped. “Harder.”

“You’re asking or telling me baby?” He wondered as he wrapped one strong hand in her shoulder length braids before yanking backwards and bringing her face closer to his. 

“A-asking, I’m asking.”

“Rephrase that for me then.”

“P-please fuck me h-harder,” she pleaded. 

“Much better,” Taemin cooed, reaching out with his free hand and taking ahold of Kamaria’s jaw, forcing her to crane her neck and look into his eyes. “You gonna come?”

“So hard,” Kamaria nodded. 

“Rub your clit and come for me then,” he instructed and Kamaria didn’t hesitate to reach underneath herself, finding the bundle of nerves with the tips of her fingers. Not even a minute later, Kamaria’s orgasm hit her causing her body to shake and tremble. The feeling of her walls clenching around his length made Taemin groan loudly as his own orgasm bubbled to the surface and before he could even react, he felt himself spilling inside of her. 

“Holy shit,” Kamaria sighed blissfully, giggling when Taemin allowed his body to fall on top of hers. “Get off of me. You might be skinny but that muscle isn’t weightless, you know.”

“I don’t even think I can move right now,” he chuckled. “You’re too damn good.”

“I could say the same for you,” she replied, smiling to herself when she felt Taemin press an open mouthed kiss to her shoulder. 

“My gorgeous love,” he murmured.

.................................................................

“Fuck Tae,” Kamaria moaned, letting her head fall back against the wall of the bathroom stall that she and Taemin had crowded into together. After a few more drinks and dancing together to a few songs with wandering hands, Kamaria couldn’t help herself and ended up kissing him. Like any old habit, the familiar feeling came right back like second nature and it wasn’t long until they ended up in the bathroom. 

“Stay quiet, my love,” Taemin whispered from his place on his knees in front of her. “You don’t want anyone to catch us in here, right?”

“R-right,” she nodded as she looked down, biting her lip right after when he sucked her clit back into his mouth. Her dress was pushed up around her hips, her thong pulled to the side and held against her thigh by one of Taemin’s hands, and one of her thighs hooked over his shoulder. 

“You have no idea how much I missed the taste of this gorgeous pussy,” Taemin murmured. “You’re always so wet, Mina.”

“Cause of you,” she whispered, gasping when he quickly flicked the tip of his tongue against her. “Oh my gosh, that feels so good. Please keep doing that.”

“Asking so well,” he cooed before doing just as she requested. The feeling had her reaching down and burying her hands in his hair, her fingers gripping the strands tightly as her hips began to move on their own accord. 

“Fuck, you’re gonna make me come,” Kamaria whimpered and Taemin just doubled down on his efforts in response, his tongue working double time to make her orgasm. 

“God...fuck!” She burst suddenly, her jaw dropping open in a silent scream as she came on his face. Taemin, ever the considerate lover, licked up every ounce of wetness that escaped her slit before he gently removed her leg from his shoulder and stood up. 

“You ok?” He checked, smirking when he realized that her body was trembling a little bit. 

“Sorry, I haven’t had any sexual contact with a human being in like six months,” Kamaria giggled breathlessly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “My world is a little rocked right now.”

“And here I was thinking that you just remembered how good I used to make you come.”

“Oh trust me, that plays a part in it too,” she smiled before leaning forward and kissing him firmly. The kiss instantly turned into a French one, their tongues sliding against each others and Kamaria moaned at the taste of herself on Taemin’s tongue. 

“I hate to make you come and then run,” Taemin began, murmuring against her lips. “But I have to get going.”

“Really?” She pouted. “I haven’t even gotten a chance to reciprocate yet.”

“I know and it’s taking everything in me to say this right now,” he laughed. “But I have a schedule with the hyungs in the morning and wake up call is at 5.”

“I could come back to your place with you.”

“Just for me to want to fuck you all night?” He chuckled. “Tempting but I can’t.”

“Alright,” Kamaria relented. “Have your managers discussed Nari’s offer for us to do a duet together on my new album with you yet?”

“They have and I have some free time coming up soon so have Nari contact them and they can set up a time for us to further discuss it in depth,” Taemin replied. 

“That means the answer is yes?”

“For you?” Taemin asked with a smile. “Always, my love.” Not being able to help herself, which seemed to be a constant theme in any of her interactions with Taemin through the years, Kamaria kissed him one last time before he pulled away from her. 

“I’ll see you soon, ok?” He murmured. 

“I hope so,” Kamaria smiled, watching with half lidded eyes as Taemin slowly opened the door to the stall, checked to make sure that it was clear of any people before stepping out and shutting the door behind him. Taking a few more minutes to compose herself and fix her dress, Kamaria then stepped out of the stall as well before making her way out of the bathroom. She didn’t even get five steps down the hall before Seulgi and Nari came rushing up to her, both of them sporting shit-eating grins on their faces. 

“What?” Kamaria wondered. 

“You wanna tell us why Lee Taemin came out of that bathroom and practically dragged Jongin out of here?” Seulgi wondered. 

“Or why he was sporting the biggest hard-on I think I’ve ever seen?” Nari added. “Or why you happen to have a post orgasm glow on your fucking face?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kamaria smiled with a shrug. “You guys ready to go?”

“Yeah, ready to go so you can tell us all about what happened in that bathroom,” Nari smiled. As the three of them made their ways out of the club then, Kamaria couldn’t help but to think how happy she was that she had come out after all. 

[jjaelly]

X-Change Project

Episode Watch Time: ~10 Minutes

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🦋🦋🦋🦋

“Project: X-Change. Mixing 9 of the most popular bands in kpop for 4 months. Let’s see how well they work together. 9 bands with one common goal: entertain.

Currently unaware of the circumstances they will soon be put under, our idols prepare for a drop into the shark's nest.

Which of our idol bands will be the first to enter the stage? My name is Eric Nam, and I will be your host on this season of X-Change Project,” his voice stays professional, yet endearing as he speaks.

“Each of the idol groups have been assigned the name of one of eight competing bands to choose a song sung by the artists. They will have the option to perform as they wish, as a way of musically introducing themselves.”

“I truly have no idea what to expect, but we wish to show who we really are,” Yunho, from ATEEZ says to the camera.

“It's a very nerve racking experience, but we are also very excited to find out what has been prepared for us,” New, from The Boyz speaks.

“We want to show people that just because we have been performing for almost half our lives, that doesn’t mean we can’t still have fun, and a show that we have no idea what is going to happen—what better way to express it?” Onew, from SHINee states.

***

A large performance room is shown, LED screens littering the walls and floor. The room has stands, running parallel to each other, beside the floor LED, that resembled large black stairs, however the cushions sat out made them seem like seats. The large LED floor has camera tracks running along each side of it, for the camera to move along it with ease, making it resemble a stage. The LED screens above the seating area show a black screen.

The large LED wall perpendicular to the parallel seating stands opens from the middle, and from behind it, a 5 member group walks through to the centre stage.

“We’re the first ones here,” Soobin says to his members, looking around the large room along with Huening Kai. Taehyun begins picking at the button on his blue top—a similar style to the other members—finding a small piece of fluff attached to it.

Yeonjun and Beomgyu try to ease their nerves through rehearsing the dance that they had been told to prepare for tonight’s meeting.

Suddenly a loud ‘swish!’ sound effect blares through the speakers making the boys jump and Yeonjun let out a small scream.

“That startled me,” he said as he held a hand over his heart and closed his eyes.

Looking around the room again, Soobin spots the band logo for ‘Tomorrow by Together’ on the LED screen above one of the left seating areas.

“I think that’s where we’re supposed to sit,” he says calmly, going to sit down before pausing in his tracks. “We should probably introduce ourselves first.”

He stands back in line with the other 4 members, pointing to the camera ahead of him for the members to realise that they should look towards said camera.

“One team! Hello, we are Tomorrow by Together!” They all bow towards the camera, after doing their hand sign.

Soobin once again walks towards the seating area that has their band logo above it, the members following him.

The members talk between themselves for a minute before a loud ‘bang!’ sound effect is played again, the boys having a similar reaction to the prior noise.

The LED wall opens once again, revealing a larger group of boys than before.

“Wahhh!” Sunwoo’s voice echos within the room, as The Boyz follow their leader, Sangyeon to the centre of the stage.

As they reach the centre stage, they notice the silhouettes of the 5 boys that had already been seated, watching their entrance.

Their movements become more awkward, seeing another band in the room.

“Best We The Boys!” They speak, mocking confidence in front of their juniors, doing their own hand gestures before bowing to the cameras and the other idols, who in turn, return the respectful gesture and begin applauding the large band dressed in all white.

“This is just like ‘Kingdom’!” Juhaknyeon says to his members.

“Do you think we’ll see anyone from ‘Kingdom’?” Q questions excitedly.

“I hope so! It would be awesome to see any of them again!” Eric says.

The loud swishing sound effect plays again, startling everyone in the room. Sunwoo lets out a scream, similar to Yeonjun’s scream earlier, jumping behind Q, making the boys in the room laugh.

Movement on the LED screen above the seating area caught The Boyz’s attention after their fit of laughter, noticing their band logo now lit up.

They quickly find their way to their seats and sit down.

“Hello!” Kevin says to the band of 5 boys, sat awkwardly beside them, hoping to strike a conversation and dull the tension.

“Hello, it’s nice to meet you,” Huening Kai says to the boy, a smile streched across his face.

Before any more words are passed between the groups, the loud ‘bang’ sound effect is heard again, however the idols have little reaction this time, growing used to the sound.

The LED wall opens again and a group of 7–dressed similarly to the previous band—walks to the centre stage, the wall closes to become a single LED screen behind them.

“One, two, connect! Hello, we are Enhypen!” they bow to the darkness.

The 16 idols hidden in the darkness behind the spotlight applaud the 7 new boys, welcoming them to the stage.

When the applause dies down, the swishing sound is heard once again, surprising the 7 new boys in the room.

Upon the sight of their band logo beside The Boyz’s, Enhypen begins walking to their seats.

With the tension still thick in the room, the silence becomes awkward quickly.

Soon, the loud bang sound is heard again and the LED wall is opened.

8 boys are seen walking to the centre stage, the shortest in the middle, all dressed in black and red attire.

“8 makes 1 team, hello, we are ATEEZ!” they bow to the idols ahead of them, introducing themselves.

Another applause is heard for the boys from the seated idols, welcoming them. ATEEZ bows at the idols once more before the swishing sound is heard, making the idols look to the LED screen above the seating areas, finding the logo for ATEEZ’s band set above an empty seating area, beside Enhypen’s seating area.

The awkward tension continues as the next 6 member band dressed solely in black, introduces themselves after walking through the LED wall.

“All the way up! Hello, we are TNX!” they bow to their seniors, gathering an applause from them.

They find their seating area after their band logo appears above the seating area.

Stray Kids are the next to walk through to the centre stage, dressed in black attire, introducing themselves.

“Step out! Hello, we are Stray Kids!” they bow to the idols behind the spotlight who in turn applaud and return the respectful gesture.

The swish sound is heard for the sixth time, startling only the new idols in the room. Following the LED band logo that appears after the sound plays. Stray Kids find their assigned seats–parallel to Tomorrow by Together.

The air is still thick with tension and curiosity for the show to begin.

Before long, the loud bang sound plays again and the LED wall opens again, showing 4 people wearing black and white attire with a gold butterfly belt on each of their waists.

“2, 3, Fly free! Hello, we are Nymph!” they bow to the darkness behind the spotlight.

An applause is heard as the other idols bow in return before the swishing sound is heard again.

The 4 idols are startled by the sound, but look to the LED screens above the seating area to find the butterfly of their band logo shining beside Stray Kids’ band logo, across from The Boyz’s.

They make their way to where they are to be seated and sit with the youngest 2 in front while the elder 2 sit behind them.

“Hello,” Y/n bows in her seat to the members of the band beside them.

“Hello,” Han replies awkwardly to them, returning the bow.

Before anymore words are thrown between the 2, the loud bang sound is heard again, making the second youngest of Nymph, Fawn, jump in fright.

The LED wall is opened once again and another 4 member band walks to the centre of the LED floor stage dressed in artsy clothing, however this time, the idols in the room stand to applaud them as they walk.

Smiles grow on their faces and they bow as they continue walking.

“Hello! We are Shining SHINee!” They bow again once they finally reach the centre of the stage and the applause dies down, only for it to reignite after their introduction.

“I feel so welcomed,” the maknae says to Minho, who stands beside him.

The swishing sound plays again, stopping the idols from their applause for the band in front of them.

Their band logo soon appears beside Nymph’s butterfly, and they walk to their seating area, sending smiles to each of the idols they walk past.

Soon the bang sound plays a final time, and all of the idols turn to welcome the final band as the wall opens again.

Upon seeing the 7 members dressed in black and green attire, the idols stand to applaud the band.

Nymph’s member, Jelly, is seen looking to her right at another member, Fawn, in shock before returning her gaze to BTS.

“2, 3! Hello, we are Bangtan Sonyeondan!” RM begins the introduction and all of the members follow, bowing to the idols in the room, causing them to cheer louder for the band.

The swish sounds again, causing the applause to die down.

They idols notice the new band logo lit beside SHINee’s, and across from ATEEZ, who look starstruck.

BTS makes their way to their seating area and soon, the wall opens again, revealing 1 person, holding palm cards in his hand.

“Good evening, everyone!” Eric Nam says to the idols. “I hope you are excited for this show, because I sure am. Or perhaps you are nervous? Curious? However you may be feeling right now, I hope you won’t be leaving with any emotion other than excitement tonight, because I will be telling you the circumstances of this show. But first, we have had you all prepare introduction stages to cover another band’s song.

We have prepared a relay performance. Each band has been given another band—that is present tonight—to choose a song from. The way this will work is, we will randomly pick the first band to perform. The band who’s song is performed by that band will be the band that performs next, and so on and so forth.”

The idols look around at each other, realising that each of them will have a song that they created be performed by another one of the amazing bands present.

“But before we randomly choose our first performers, shall we get some input on how you are feeling?” Eric tilts his head as he speaks, looking at each of the idols. “Our maknaes! Nymph! How are you feeling tonight?”

The members of Nymph’s eyes widen as their band name is called.

“I think I can speak for all of us in saying that we are very excited to perform for our idols tonight, and I believe that our performance will be greatly appreciated by the band we are covering,” Fawn’s voice wavers as she speaks, clearly showing her nerves as she speaks, despite her obvious attempts to hide them.

“I know I’m very excited to see you perform! I’m sure everyone is wondering what you decided to do with your performance,” Eric replies. “Shall we get into the performances then?”

A small black box is presented to Eric and he takes it, seeing the strips of white paper inside, prepared for a random pick.

“I have here,” he gestures to the box as he speaks, “each of your band’s names on pieces of paper. You all should know how this works, I choose one without looking and that band performs.”

Eric closes his eyes and places his hand into the small box, moving the paper around before finally grabbing hold of 1. He pulls the piece out of the box and opens his eyes again.

“And our first band to perform tonight is…” he pauses in anticipation, opening the piece of paper from its folded state, reading its contents, “Enhypen!”

The band stands as they hear their name and all of the other bands applaud, exhaling breaths of relief that they hadn’t been called upon.

Enhypen walks back to behind the LED wall to prepare for the performance.

Upon their arrival back on the stage, the idols are waiting in anticipation for their performance.

As they arrive back to the stage, the LED screens dim, and Ni-Ki stands in the middle of a circle that the other members stand in, around him.

After a few seconds, a familiar song plays through the speakers and on each beat, the LED’s light up with different patterns. On the first beat, Ni-Ki looks up from his position of staring at the ground, and begins gracefully raising his left hand as his members surrounding him start moving along to the music, in sync with each other.

“Modu hal mareul irhji like you,” Ni-Ki begins singing along to the song, dancing slowly to the music.

“SHINee!” “Ah, it’s View,” comments of recognition of the song spread through the Enhypen’s audience.

“Sachawon isangui gijeogui view,” Ni-Ki spins out of the centre of the dancers and Sunoo spins in, replacing him after he finishes his lines.

“Dalkomhi jjigeo mun biccui pongdyu,” Sunoo begins walking foward as he sings the line, as the other members begin clicking their fingers along with the music. “Boigi sijakhan eumui saekdo.”

“Yeminhaejin geol neukkyeo,” Sunoo joins the clicking with the other members as Heeseung begins singing.

“Tturyeoshan saekgamgwa yeoseot beonjjae gamgak, Tonight is the night.”

“Jom geochireodo joha,” Jungwon begins singing his lines as the other members walk quickly to their position for the chorus to begin. “Deo mingamhi gureobwa, Deoneun sumgiji marajwo.”

Jungwon quickly gets into his position within the members as he finishes his lines.

The chorus begins and all of the members sing along while dancing to SHINee’s original choreography to the song.

After a few minutes of performing, the song ends, and each of the members do their ending fairy with smiling faces, showing the aura of the performance. The audience rises to their feet to applaud the performance.

After a few seconds of holding their ending fairies, Enhypen moves to go back behind the LED wall, and SHINee follows, being given the instruction by a staff member behind the camera.

After a few minutes, Enhypen arrive back to the stage without any of the performance microphones, making their way to their seating area, and a few minutes more, SHINee arrives on the stage.

They each kneel at the ground in a diamond formation with their backs to each other and as the familiar music begins, they slowly turn to face each other, rising slowly.

Key begins singing the first line of the song, as the other members dance in sync with him.

“Oh! It’s Anti-hate! SHINee is doing our song!” Y/n shakes their member beside them by their arm, in excitement of recognition of the song.

SHINee continues performing and by the end of the performance, Nymph begins to look nervous, realising that their performance was next.

After doing their ending fairies, SHINee walks back behind the wall with Nymph following, who bow to each of the other idols as they pass.

SHINee returns to their seats after a few minutes and soon, Nymph is on the stage.

The music begins almost immediately after they had taken their positions, lined up beside one another facing the idols.

“Neverland, my love, ijen annyeong, and i’m free falling,” Y/n begins singing. “byeoldeul-a modu pyeonhi jalyeom 'til I be calling.”

“No matter where I go, yeogin no home,” Jelly picks up the singing and the other members begin gracefully dancing along to the choreography for the performance. “dulyeowodo nan deo alaelo, annyeong Neverland, my love.”

The performance continues and finishes smoothly without mistakes making the band’s seniors applaud the idols.

The following performance is the song ‘Wave’ originally by ATEEZ, performed by Tomorrow by Together, followed by ATEEZ’s performance of ‘Reveal’ originally by The Boyz.

As more performances happened, the less nervous the idols becomes, and the more their nerves turned to curiosity for the show.

The Boyz, who are the next to perform, performs TNX’s hit debut song ‘Move’, then TNX performs BTS rap unit song ‘UGH!’.

BTS performs Stray Kids’ song ‘Charmer’ without mistakes and with much applause, and Stray Kids, having the last performance of the night, performs ‘Tamed-Dashed’ originally by Enhypen.

With the performances finally over, Eric comes back onto the stage to finally tell the idols what the show is about.

“Those performances were fantastic! I loved the way each of your voices fit with the original songs!” Applause is heard from Eric's compliment.

“Tonight marks the beginning of a 4 month journey that you will share with the idols around you! You will all be put into 4 teams. I’m sure a few of you are aware of how I-land worked? It will be a little bit similar to that. You will be performing within your teams and each team will be within their own living area. However, I will clarify, this is not a survival show. We just want to create content for all of your fans to enjoy.

Each day, there will be different challenges and activities prepared for your team to complete, tonight included. However, there are a few of you that cannot participate in tonight's activity.

Each of your teams will be getting on a team bus that is waiting outside to take each team to your team houses, which have staff setting up cameras as of right now.

Each of the houses have 9 rooms. Each band within the team will have their own room, so SHINee and Nymph, our two four member bands, will be the only ones getting single rooms, aside from a few members from each band that has less than 8 members,” he addresses the 2 smallest bands. “I suppose I should introduce your teams now, shouldn’t I?”

Sounds of affirmation come from the idols who are sitting in excitement.

“Your teams will be shown in the next episode, so stick around.” He addresses the last part of his sentence towards the cameras.

Next time on X-Change Project:

“I’m on a team with THE world wide handsome, what do you mean ‘calm down’!?”

***

“Ring ding dong ring ding dong ring digga ding digga ding ding ding!”

“Stop dancing like that, you’re going to make the driver crash the bus!”

***

“You can’t have tomato soup without toast, are you insane?”

***

“We have to take care of Ni-Ki? My god, it’s like ‘Hello Baby!’ all over again.”

***

“Bulleo bulleo, uri jigum bulleo!!”

“We may not be at our own homes, but we still have neighbours.”

***

“Who am I? You won’t tell me because I’m Bang Si-Hyuk, right?”

***

Stay tuned!

🦋🦋🦋🦋

Next Episode ->

Series Masterlist

Credits:

Created, Written and Produced by: jjaelly of jjaellynet

Edited by: “Big Daddy” (that is what she wanted to be called)

Taglist: @layzfeelit

(Feel free to send a dm or ask to be added)

[sanstropfremir]

do u think that twice will fall under the same curse of bts where the members are so tied to the group name, it’ll be hard for them to branch out?

not really. there already are some twice members that are well known on the variety circuit and one of them did literally just launch a very successful solo, so they're already ahead of that and they have been for a while. but also the other members that are less popular are probably not going to be able to branch out at all, but that's just the reality of the industry. tbh it's not really a comparable situation because the contexts are too different. bts is tied to their group identity because they made that their brand intentionally and heavily courted an intl audience without paying the dues back home, so to speak. twice has a massive domestic audience and are likely just to age like any other popular gg, with some members that will be more popular in different fields than others. some will have successful solo careers and some won't, them's the breaks.

[a-simple-gaywitch]

“I’m SO Fired”

Spencer Reid x Reader

Summary: Spencer falls in love with Dave Rossi’s adopted daughter

Word Count: 2038

Warnings: canon-typical violence, mentions of brutal case, mentions of death of parents, that’s it. it’s mostly fluff

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” -Anton Chekhov

~

Spencer was leaning over Emily’s desk, helping her with some details of her paperwork. He glanced up and noticed a beautiful woman briefly talking to Anderson before entering through the glass doors. 

“Reid. Reid!” Emily said, snapping her fingers to get his attention. 

“What? Oh, sorry.”

Emily shook her head. “And just like that, 187 gets slashed to 60.”

The woman walked over to the desk with the two. “Uh, hi,” you said. “Is Dave Rossi here?”

“Oh, um, he should be here. Did you- do you have a meeting with him?” Spencer asked. 

“Kind of,” you said with a small laugh that made Spencer’s stomach flutter. “I’m-”

“(Y/N)!” Hotch said when he saw you. 

“Aaron!”

Emily and Spencer exchanged glances as you gave Aaron a brief hug. 

“Are you here to see your dad?” he asked you. 

“Yeah, is he here?”

“He should be in his office. How long are you in town?”

“Just the weekend,” you said. “But I’m coming back in June for vacation.”

“Well, I’ll let you go see your dad,” Hotch said. As you walked up the stairs, he turned to see Spencer gawking at you. Emily looked at Hotch apologetically. Hotch sighed and said, “Reid, focus on your paperwork, not (Y/N) Rossi.”

~

You knocked on the office door, waiting to hear your father’s voice. 

“Come in!” You pushed open the door and your adoptive father’s face lit up. “Tesorina!” he said, getting up to kiss your cheeks. “I was wondering when you were getting in. How’s work? And what about that boyfriend of yours? Anything-”

“Dad,” you said, cutting him off. “I’ll tell you everything you want to know at dinner. But you promised you’d introduce me to your team the next time I was in town.”

“I did promise that, didn’t I?” he said, pushing up from his desk. He slung his arm around your shoulder and steered you out of his office. The team was gathered in the bullpen, and they all turned to face Rossi when he cleared his throat. “Guys, this is my daughter, (Y/N).” He then introduced each team member to you, save for Aaron.

“Wow, Rossi, I didn’t know you even had a daughter,” Morgan said. 

“Gee, Dad, you don’t talk about me to your coworkers? I’m hurt,” you said, pressing your hand over your heart. 

Rossi rolled his eyes. “Drama queen.”

“So, you’re a Rossi?” Emily asked you. 

“Not biologically. Dave adopted me when I was five,” you explained.

“Initially, I was just fostering her for a little while, but I fell in love with this little rascal,” he said, ruffling your hair.

You set about fixing your hair. “Well, I gotta run. See you at the house for dinner?”

“Yeah, I should be done around 6. Don’t get into trouble.”

“Me, get into trouble? When have I ever been known to do that?” You shot a wink at the man you now knew to be Dr. Reid before leaving the BAU.

Spencer’s cheeks turned pink and he felt Rossi’s eyes on him. He looked down at his desk, busying himself with organizing his pen cup. When he heard Rossi’s office door close, he let out a breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding. 

Derek rolled his chair over to Spencer’s desk. “You’re looking a little flushed there, Pretty Boy. That wouldn’t have anything to do with Ms. Rossi, would it?”

“Shut up, Morgan,” he muttered, focusing on folding a small piece of paper on his desk into even smaller squares.

~

Dave walked into his house (mansion) to the smell of garlic bread and tomato sauce. He smiled and set his coat on the rack by the door. 

“You know, I would have cooked!” he called as he made his way to the kitchen. You were setting the table for the both of you. 

“Yes, but how often do you actually cook?” you asked him as you poured two glasses of red wine. “You’re always away on cases, I know how much fast food and takeout you eat. Now shut up and enjoy my carbonara.”

Dave chuckled and sat down at the table across from you. “So, how’s work going?” he asked you. 

You shrugged. “You know, there’s good days and bad days. We had a brother and his little sister get adopted together this week, which is always one of the big wins for us.”

He nodded. “What about that boyfriend of yours, Chad?”

“Oh, we broke up,” you said. “About a month ago.”

“Good, I didn’t really like him.”

“Dad, you say that about every guy I date.”

“And it’s true, I haven’t liked any of the guys you’ve dated.”

“Yeah, the only guys you’ve liked have been the ones you’ve tried to set me up with.”

“That’s not true!”

“Dad, remember Stephen?”

“I thought you would be a good match, honest. And before you say it, it’s not just because I’m overly protective.”

“So, we can admit you’re overprotective of me?” you said. 

“Of course I am. And can you blame me?”

“I guess not,” you said with a shrug. “And you could be worse. I could still be living here.”

“Oh, come on. Would that be so bad, having a huge house mostly to yourself?”

“Well, no, but I like living in Pennsylvania,” you said. “And I like having an apartment.” Your father gave you a skeptical look. “Stop profiling me.”

“Sorry, it’s hard to turn it off.” He took a sip of his wine. “You’re planning to go to the cemetery tomorrow, aren’t you?”

“I do every year, you know that.”

“Yeah. They’d be so proud of you, you know.”

You smiled down at your plate and pushed the pasta around. “I know. I, uh, I don’t have many memories of them anymore,” you said. “But the one I’ve been trying to get rid of is still there.”

Dave reached across the table and grabbed your hand. “Hey. Your parents loved you, so much. That’s all you need to remember, okay? They loved you so much that they sacrificed themselves for you.”

“Yeah.”

You lost your parents when you were five. There was a serial killer in the Greater DC Area, a family annihilator. He’d called himself the Orphan Maker. The man would seek out young families with kids no older than 8 and kill the parents first, in front of the children. Then he would kill the children. 

Rossi had been on that case, and had found that your family was the next target. Unfortunately, they did not get to your family before the man killed your parents. But fortunately, they caught him before he could get you. 

Rossi felt guilty they didn’t make it in time. When the law officers found that you didn’t have any family to take you in, Dave offered to bring you home. The plan was to originally just be a foster parent to you until CPS found a place for you to stay officially. But he fell in love with you. You were a little spitfire, a little troublemaker. Dave adopted you and dedicated the rest of his life to taking care of you and protecting you.

~

“Hey, Rossi!” Morgan said as he met the man in the kitchen to get coffee. “How was your weekend with (Y/N)?”

Rossi noticed Reid’s back straighten at the mention of (Y/N)’s name. He smiled to himself, a plan forming in his head. It was a bit of a convoluted plan, but it would work out for everyone in the end. 

“Oh, it was fine. She made me watch an episode of that show Reid and Garcia like.” He glanced over at Spencer’s desk and noticed he was listening intently. “I agreed since she’s still recovering from a recent breakup.”

“Is she okay?” Derek asked. “I know breakups can really suck.”

“She’ll be okay, she bounces back quick. I didn’t like the guy anyway. He was a meathead jock who thought being the high school quarterback was his entire personality. I want her to find a guy who’s smart and kind, someone I like.” He walked out of the kitchenette and passed Reid’s desk. He clapped his shoulder. “Morning, Reid.”

~

You were back in the area for a week-long vacation, and Dave had promised to go sight-seeing in DC with you. 

You walked into the bullpen and were greeted by Penelope, who had quickly become your friend. She wrapped you in a hug before Rossi made his way over to you. 

“Hey, Dad. You ready to go?” you asked after giving him a hug.

“Um, actually, I have to work late. But, you know, Dr. Reid here,” Spencer’s head snapped up from where he was packing his bag at the mention of his name, “knows more about the area than anyone I know. He can show you around. Right, Reid?”

Spencer looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah. Yeah, sure.”

You smiled at him and Spencer felt the butterflies that were already in his stomach go crazy. The two of you walked out of the office, Spencer nervously gripping the strap of his bag while you walked alongside him. 

Penelope looked at Rossi narrowing her eyes. “You don’t have to work late.”

Rossi smiled. “No.”

Penelope gasped. “You’re trying to set them up, aren’t you?”

“I will neither confirm nor deny,” Rossi said before walking back to his office. 

~

“So, Dr. Reid,” you said as the two of you walked out of the FBI building, “I heard you’re a huge Doctor Who fan.”

Spencer turned to look at you, losing his footing and tripping on the sidewalk. He straightened himself up and cleared his throat. “You, uh, you can call me Spencer. And yeah, I’m-I’m a fan.”

You smiled and Spencer thought the sun had come out again with the brightness you radiated. “Who’s your favorite? Personally, I’m a Tennent girl, but Baker is a close second.” Spencer was staring at you, his jaw dropped. “What?”

“You might be the hottest girl I’ve ever met.”

~

When Spencer woke up, the first thing he noticed was the beautiful woman asleep next to him, her head on his bare chest. He smiled and ran his hand through your hair as you started stirring.

“Morning,” he said as you looked up at him, resting her chin on his chest. 

“Morning, Pretty Boy.” You saw his smile falter and his eyes go wide. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m so fired,” he said. “I slept with my boss’s daughter. I’m so fired. No, I’m more than fired. I’m dead. Rossi is going to kill me.”

“Hey. Spence, breathe,” you said, cupping his face in your hands. “He’s not going to do anything to you. And if he tries, he’ll face my wrath.”

Spencer chuckled. “Well, after that guy drove through that puddle and splashed you last night, I believe it.” He was silent for a moment as the two of you sat up in the bed. Spencer wrapped his arms around you, pulling your back to his chest. “What are you going to tell him when you go home?”

You shrugged, leaning your head back. “The truth. I got to know a sweet guy last night and I stayed the night at his place.”

Spencer smiled and gave you a soft kiss.

~

You slipped into the Rossi Manor, feeling like a teenager missing curfew again. You got about halfway through the kitchen before hearing Dave clear his throat. You spun around to see him standing by the kitchen island with a cup of coffee. 

“Oh, uh, morning, Dad.”

“So, you were out all night.”

“Yep.”

“And you’re wearing the same clothes.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Who is he?” When you didn’t answer, he said, “Spencer?”

Your face paled. “How did-”

“You didn’t really think you could hide that from an old profiler, did you?” He handed you the mug. “Don’t worry, I approve. I’d be more than happy to have Spencer as a son.”

“Dad!”

~

“I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone.” - J.R.R. Tolkien 

[viastro]

in the spring | jeon wonwoo

ミ★ synopsis: in which you suffer from a car accident and have amnesia when you wake up. wonwoo is your current boyfriend, but you keep remembering your ex. [inspired by the numerous tiktoks i saw with this prompt]

ミ★ genre: angst, some fluff, some humor

ミ★ warnings: minor (?) character death

ミ★ word count: 7,663

ミ★ pairings: wonwoo x female reader (featuring ?? x female reader)

ミ★ notes: hi guys ! i wanna start off by saying that this is not realistically accurate ! i did some research on amnesia, but i’m not sure if this is still accurate at all. i also didn’t want to mention who the other member is, so it’ll be a bit of a surprise. i hope you guys enjoy this one, make sure to give wonwoo lots of love !

“Oh! She’s waking up! Go get Wonwoo!” 

“I already told him and he’s quite literally sprinting up three flights of stairs.”

“Why would he do that? There’s literally an elevator?!” 

“Guys, if you could step to the side so that I can do a proper checkup on the patient.” You let out a quiet groan when you open your eyes, just to immediately close them when you see how bright it is. The numerous voices don’t lessen when you attempt to open your eyes again, and you lock eyes with an older woman in a white coat. You frown when you realize she’s a doctor, and you look around the room to find three other guys staring at you with tears in their eyes around your hospital bed. 

“Why am I-” You cough at how dry your throat is, and the doctor immediately hands you a plastic cup filled with water. You give her a tight-lipped smile as a thank you, before taking a long sip of the liquid. Once the cup is empty, you hand it back to the doctor before glancing at the three guys again, and you tilt your head when you find that they’re all incredibly handsome. 

“What am I doing in the hospital? And why are there three handsome guys crying as they stare at me?” You ask as you turn to glance back at the doctor, and you raise an eyebrow when you hear one of them let out a loud gasp.

“Oh my God, she doesn’t remember us-”

“YN!” You jump slightly at the loud voice, turning your head to see a man with blue hair at the doorway to your hospital room, tears filling his eyes as he stares at you. 

damn, he’s handsome too.

“Sir, please let me do a full check-”

“Y-yn, I’m so fucking sorry.” The blue haired man cries as he walks over to your side and grasps your hand. Your eyes widen slightly, and you glance around at the other guys to see them crying as well. 

“W-who are you?” You tentatively ask, and you feel his grip on your hand freeze. He slowly looks up into your eyes, and you watch as more tears escape as he stares at you with a shocked expression on his face. You internally pout to yourself, he’s too pretty to cry over me.

“As I expected, excuse me sir.” The blue haired man steps away from you to make room for the doctor, but the expression on his face remains unwavering as he stares at you. The doctor proceeds to do a checkup on your vitals, as well as shining that bright light in your eyes that makes you wanna pass away. 

She leans back after she’s done and tilts her head at you. You mimic her, and she lets out a chuckle before her expression turns more serious again. 

“Yn, do you know why you’re here?” She asks, and you shake your head no. The doctor purses her lips and begins to softly explain how you ended up in the hospital, and how long you’ve been here. Your mouth slowly drops open at the news, and you raise a hand to touch your head, but the blue haired man stops you before you can do so. He reluctantly releases his grip on your hand, and your arm falls back to your side.

“I-I was in a car accident four days ago and went into a coma? And I just woke up?” You ask, and the doctor nods her head solemnly. You bite the inside of your cheek, “And I have amnesia?” 

She nods again, and you glance at the four handsome men who are staring at you with swollen eyes. Feeling guilty for not remembering who they are, you find that you’re too shy to ask for their names. The one with black hair seems to notice, and he attempts to give you a reassuring smile, but you can see the pain in his eyes as he steps forward towards you. 

“Yn, I’m Vernon, your best friend. We met in our first year of uni, six years ago.” He tells you, and you recite his name to try and ring any bells, but you come back with nothing. He gives you a grin and shakes his head at you, “It’s okay, you won’t regain your memories just like that. Don’t stress too much about it.” 

You clench your fist at your side and nod your head, feeling grateful that he’s being understanding, but upset that you’re putting him and the other three in pain. One by one, the other two boys introduce themselves to you, Mingyu and Soonyoung, until you’re left with the last guy. The blue haired beauty who seems to be in the most pain out of the four of them. He slowly walks up to your side and sits in the seat beside your bed. 

The two of you stare at each other for a moment, and he bites his lip, looking down at his hands when tears fill his eyes again. You find tears filling your own eyes at his sadness, and you grip the bedsheet between your hands when he looks back up into your eyes.

“I-I’m Wonwoo. Your boyfriend of two years.” He tells you, letting out a sad smile. You stare blankly at him for a moment, letting the information sink in, before you turn to glance at the other three and the doctor. You turn back towards Wonwoo, and you find yourself incredibly confused at how you managed to pull this man.

So being in shock you ask, “My what?” 

The guys let out a quiet laugh from beside you, and you watch as an amused smile etches itself onto Wonwoo’s face at your question. He runs a hand through his blue hair before nodding his head, “Your boyfriend of two years.” 

You squint at him, “You’re capping.”

He chuckles and shakes his head at you, leaning back into the seat. “I’m not. You were the one who begged me to be your boyfriend though.”

“Aye, don’t lie to her Wonwoo. We have the videos of you swooning for her when you first laid eyes on her at my birthday party.” Soonyoung says, and a smile forms on your face when Wonwoo scowls at the blonde. You shake your head, but let out a little groan at the throb you feel in your head. Wonwoo immediately stands up and leans closer to you, asking if you’re okay as he checks your head, and you give the pretty man a small smile. 

“I’m okay Wonwoo, don’t worry. It’s probably just because of my concussion and receiving all this information too.” You tell him, and he purses his lips. The doctor nods her head at your statement, telling Wonwoo and the other guys that it’s true. 

“Dr.Park, do you know when yn might get her memories back?” Mingyu asks after she checks on the bandages on your forehead. She leans back and gives them a small smile, “It shouldn’t be long. It won’t come back all at once like a wave, but small bits and pieces will come back until she can remember. Showing photographs and videos, or telling stories can help speed up the process as well. Don’t stress that much about it though.” 

The five of you nod your heads, and the doctor gives you a grin. “I’ll go and tell the nurses to bring you dinner, if you need anything, just press the button or have one of your bodyguards go and ask for us.” 

You let out a chuckle at the term she used and nod your head. She bows towards the four guys before stepping out of the room, leaving the five of you alone. You watch as Vernon nudges Mingyu and Soonyoung, before motioning towards the door with his chin. 

“We’ll leave the two of you alone.” Vernon says, and you nod, watching as the three of them exit the room as well, leaving you and Wonwoo alone. You turn your head to glance at the blue haired man, just to find his catlike eyes already boring into yours. The two of you sit in silence for a moment, just gauging each other's presence, before you squint at him again.

“There’s no way you’re my boyfriend.”

“I’m literally your boyfriend.”

“Proof?” Wonwoo chuckles, pulling out his phone and turning it in your direction. Your eyes widen slightly when you see that his lockscreen is a photo of the two of you at the beach, with you laughing and him staring down lovingly at you. 

You bite the inside of your cheek, “So you are my boyfriend.” 

Wonwoo smiles, nodding his head. He turns the phone towards his face to unlock it, before turning it back towards you so that you can see his lockscreen. You pout at the sight of it, just a photo of you in the kitchen doing a heart with your arms towards the camera. 

“I wish I could remember this.” You mumble sadly as you stare at the photo, having no recollection of what occurred. Wonwoo bites the inside of his cheek at how dejected you look, and he reaches out and tentatively rests his hand over yours, causing you to look up at him. 

“I can tell you about my lockscreen and homescreen, if you want?” 

The two of you stare into each other's eyes for a moment, and you find nothing but love in his gaze as his eyes bore into yours. Letting out a hopeful smile, you recall what the doctor told you about how photos, videos, and hearing memories can speed up the process of regaining your memory, so you nod your head. 

Wonwoo grins before beginning to explain the extremely eventful history of the photos he showed you until your food arrives.

“Good morning, yn.” You glance up from your phone to find Wonwoo walking in with hot cocoa in his hands, and he watches your face light up when he hands it to you. You smile up at him, “Thank you, Wonwoo.” 

He nods his head and settles down in the seat beside your hospital bed, and the two of you converse quietly as you each drink your hot beverages. 

It’s been a couple days since you’ve woken up, and Wonwoo has come to visit everyday. You learned from the nurses who have been watching over you that Wonwoo would take care of you when you were in a coma, and would even end up falling asleep beside you until visiting hours were over. However, you haven’t been able to remember anything about him. 

“Oh, Wonwoo.” You say when you notice a few strands of his blue hair sticking up. He glances up at you from the video he was showing you to find you pointing to his head. “Your hair is a bit messy.” 

He raises an eyebrow, and raises his hand up to fix it himself, but you stop him with a grin. “I’ll get it for you.” 

Wonwoo smiles when you reach out to flatten the strands of hair, feeling like this is a step forward since you’ve been cautious with him since you’ve woken up. While you may not know it right now, you would always pat his head whenever you saw him or fix his hair for him. 

As soon as your hand rests on the top of his head, a patchy memory floods your brain, causing you to immediately retract your hand and grasp your head. Wonwoo looks up and stands from his chair as soon as he sees the grimace on your face.

“Yn? Yn??”

“Yn!” You let out a laugh at his spiked up hair that you did with the wet blue hair dye on the top of his head, and his mock anger turns into a giggle at the happiness on your expression. The two of you lock eyes in the mirror, and you flash him a bright smile. 

“I said you can dye my hair blue, not make me look like sharkboy from sharkboy and lavagirl.” You don’t respond, but instead shoot finger guns at him in the mirror and he laughs at your silliness. 

“You should have never given me this power.” You say with a grin, and he lets out a sigh, making you pinch his shoulder as you take off the plastic gloves from your hands. He smiles, turning to you and puckering up his lips. 

You raise an eyebrow, “You wanna do the Kylie Jenner challenge too?” 

He scoffs at you, and you giggle, immediately bending down to press a soft kiss against his lips. He smiles, muttering the three words that always make your heart burst. 

“I love you, yn.” You open your eyes and stare into his deep brown ones that always seem to hold mischief in them. You peck his lips one more time before muttering back, 

“I love you too-”

“Yn, what’s going on? Are you okay?” Your eyes open and you immediately look up to see Wonwoo staring at you with a concerned expression on his face. Your hand lowers from your head and rests over your beating heart, “Yn, take deep breaths. Follow me, okay? In…”

You copy Wonwoo’s lead until your breathing finally goes back to normal, and he lets out a sigh of relief when you’ve finally calmed down. He sits back down in his seat beside your bed, and watches as you just stare blankly at the white bedsheets. 

“Yn, what happened? Did you remember something?” Wonwoo asks after a moment, and you have an internal debate with yourself on whether or not you should tell him that you didn’t remember him but someone from your past. You bite the inside of your cheek, knowing that it would only hurt him.

but i should be honest, he’s my boyfriend.

but his feelings would be hurt…

aaaAAAAAAAAAA DAMN YOU AMNESIA !

And so you turn back towards Wonwoo and shake your head with a reassuring smile, “No, just a small headache. Dr.Park told me that the small bursts of pain would be a common occurrence, so don’t worry too much, okay, Woo?” 

Wonwoo bites the inside of his cheek at the nickname that slipped past your mouth, a burst of hope in his chest at the fact that you said his nickname unconsciously. He lets out a small smile and nods his head, the worry now disappearing from his face as he begins to show you the video again. 

All while you watch it with the feeling of guilt in your heart, wondering who that person was in your memory, and why it wasn’t Wonwoo.

“You’re joking.” 

“I’m literally not.”

“No, you’re joking.” 

“Yn, you quite literally almost confessed your feelings to Wonwoo while you were drunk off your mind.” Vernon tells you, and you continue to shake your head. Soonyoung, Mingyu, and Wonwoo laugh beside you, and you scowl at the three. 

“There’s absolutely no way I did that-”

“W-Wonwoo,” Soonyoung begins, mimicking your voice as he starts to sniffle and fake some tears. You watch in horror as he turns towards your boyfriend, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Curse you and your pretty face and nice personality! Fuck you Wonwoo!” 

“Stop…”

“What are you doing, yn?” Wonwoo asks, immediately fulfilling his role as the two recreate the night you absolutely humiliated yourself. Soonyoung sloppily grabs Wonwoo by the collar of his shirt, and shakes him slightly, and you raise a hand to your mouth in shock. 

“Do you know how-” You immediately close your eyes and cover your face with your hands when you begin to remember something. Wonwoo and Soonyoung stop their roleplay as soon as they see you doubled over, and Wonwoo sits on the side of your bed and begins to rub your back. 

“Yn, you need to stop drinking.” Vernon says from your side, and you push him back, drunkenly holding the half-empty bottle of soju as you squint at your handsome best friend. “N-” You let out a burp mid-sentence, and Vernon’s lip quirks up slightly. “No.” 

Vernon rolls his eyes, stepping over and grabbing the bottle from your hold easily, before walking back into his kitchen and placing it on the highest shelf. You curse to yourself, knowing that you can’t climb up onto the counters when you’re drunk. 

“Tell me why you’re drinking so much when you know how bad your hangover is going to be tomorrow.” Vernon says as he sits down in the seat beside you at his kitchen table. You bite the inside of your cheek when tears fill your eyes after a moment of thinking, and Vernon’s amusement immediately turns into concern when he catches sight of this. You rest your cheek onto the table, and Vernon watches as a single tear slips past your eye. 

“I think I love Wonwoo.” You mutter quietly, so quiet that Vernon almost misses it. He lets out a soft smile at your confession, and nods his head, having already sensed this by the way you look at the man. 

“I think he loves you too, yn.” You bite your bottom lip, sitting up and resting your head in your hands as more tears spill from your eyes. Vernon reaches out and pulls you onto his shoulder, whispering words of comfort.

You suck in a breath once you open your eyes again, and immediately turn towards Wonwoo, who is already doing the breathing exercise to try and get you to calm down. Once your breathing goes back to normal, you rest a hand over your heart, and turn towards Vernon, who’s staring at you in concern. 

“Did you remember something?” Mingyu asks, and you nod your head slowly. The guys all perk up in interest, and you let out a pained smile as you look at Vernon, before turning to glance at Wonwoo. 

“I remembered me crying over you in Vernon’s kitchen, I think it was probably a few days after I humiliated myself in front of you.” You tell Wonwoo, and you watch as a bright smile slowly forms on his face. He pulls you into a hug, and your eyes widen slightly at the contact. 

“This means you’ll start remembering things soon.” Wonwoo says excitedly, and you let out a close-lipped smile, nodding your head as you rub his back softly. Your eyes trail over to Vernon, whose eyes also appear to be sad as they stare into yours. Biting the inside of your cheek, you look away, now filled with more questions than answers.

“So you remembered most of your memories with Vernon, Mingyu, and Soonyoung?” Wonwoo asks as the two of you walk around the garden at the hospital, and you nod your head with a small smile. Wonwoo nods his head happily, feeling grateful that your memories are slowly coming back. 

“Maybe you haven’t remembered most of our memories because you’ve known me the shortest?” You purse your lips in consideration of his question, nodding your head as it does seem to make sense. The two of you walk quietly, just soaking in the warm, Spring sun. 

You’re going to be discharged soon since your concussion seems to be almost 100% gone. They just have to do a few more scans and you should be good to leave by Saturday. You’ve been dreaming of most of your memories from the recent years with the boys, but you haven’t remembered most of the memories with Wonwoo. 

“Oh!” You turn to see Wonwoo bend down and pluck a daisy from the ground. He turns back towards you, a shy smile on his face as he tucks it behind your ear. The heat rushes to your face, and you open your mouth to say thank you, when that familiar feeling floods your head again. 

You raise a hand up to your forehead, and Wonwoo immediately grasps your hand and leads you over towards the bench nearby so that you can sit down. You double over, covering your face with your hands as the memory floods your brain.

“You really wanted to fulfill your weeb fantasy, huh?” You tease, and the blue haired beauty rolls his eyes at you. You laugh, pressing a kiss to his cheek to reassure that you’re just joking around with him. The two of you walk around the square, looking at the brilliant shades of pink from the fully bloomed cherry blossom trees surrounding the two of you. 

“I can see why cherry blossoms are your favorite flower.” You mutter softly, extending your hand out and watching as a soft, pink petal falls onto the palm of your hand. He smiles at the sight, taking a picture of you as you stare at the petal. You turn towards him when you hear the sound of the camera shutter, and you squint your eyes at him. 

“What? You look pretty.” He tells you easily, and you bite the inside of your cheek at his honesty. You glance back down at the petal, only for the wind to push it off your hand. You watch as it flies in his direction, before landing on the top of his head. You let out a smile, and he chuckles, picking it out of his hair. 

“Did you know that catching a falling cherry blossom makes your first love come true?” You ask, and he raises an eyebrow, stepping over and wrapping his arms around you. You smile brightly when he steals a quick kiss from your lips, and you wrap your arms around his middle. He lets out a sigh, “Does that mean we’re gonna get married?” 

You shrug your shoulders with a chuckle, before the two of you pull away and begin walking around the square again.

“What if we got married in the Spring? So we can have a cherry blossom wedding.” He asks after a moment of the two of you walking around in a relative silence, and you giggle at his idea. He turns towards you, pinching your shoulder with a smile on his face, “Why are you laughing at my dreams?” 

You pinch him back, eliciting a slight squeak from him, causing you to laugh. Letting out a sigh, you smile softly at the premise of the two of you getting married one day. “We’re two broke third year university students. I don’t think we should be so ambitious just yet.” 

“Let me dream.” He tells you pettily after a moment of silence passes between the two of you, and you stop walking, causing him to raise an eyebrow at you. You wrap your arms around his waist, nuzzling your head into his chest without another word, and he lets out a soft smile, before wrapping his arms around you. You mutter, “I’m kidding, I like the idea of a cherry blossom wedding.”

He kisses the top of your head, “I know.”

“Let’s take a picture before we go and get food, mm?” He tells you after a moment of the two of you just holding each other, and you nod your head, pulling away so that he can pull out his phone. He holds his phone down so that the cherry blossom trees can be seen in the background, and the two of you flash bright smiles as he takes a couple pictures of you both. 

“I’ll add this to our wedding slideshow folder.” He says, and you let out a loud laugh at the joke, slapping his shoulder, causing him to giggle. You double over in laughter when you see him actually add it to an existing folder titled wedding slideshow <3333, and he laughs beside you. 

“Happy three year anniversary, yn.” He tells you once the two of you calm down, and you smile brightly up at him. You lean in and press a soft kiss to his lips as the cherry blossom petals fall around the two of you, before pulling away with a bright smile on your face. 

“Happy three year anniversary.”

“Yn, breathe.” You let out a loud gasp once the memory stops, and you lock eyes with Wonwoo who is sitting beside you with a concerned expression on his face. Wonwoo’s eyes soon fill with worry, and he reaches up and cups your face, thumbs swiping under your eyes, “Yn, why are you crying?” 

You didn’t even realize you were crying until Wonwoo mentioned it, and you rest a hand over his wrist as he continues to wipe away more tears spilling from your eyes. You find that you don’t have an answer to his question as he pulls you into his arms, and your head rests into his shoulder as more tears continue to pour out. 

You don’t have an answer.

You and Wonwoo quietly read together in your hospital bedroom, with you being able to be discharged in a couple days. The two of you haven’t spoken on why you were crying the other day, as Wonwoo saw that you didn’t know yourself. 

You roll onto your side so that you’re facing Wonwoo, who is sitting on the small couch beside the window. You peek over the pages of your book, just to find your blue haired boyfriend deeply engaged with what he’s reading. Letting out a small grin, you continue to watch fondly as he turns the page, only for his eyes to look up from his book and lock with yours. 

“Like what you see?” Wonwoo asks, and you roll your eyes, hiding your face with your book again. 

“You wish.” You answer, and he chuckles. It’s only when you glance over your book to take another peek, that you feel the familiar sensation fill your senses. Wonwoo looks up from his book when he hears you let out a curse, and he immediately stands up and walks over to your side when he sees you covering your face with your hands.

You glance up from your homework when you feel his fingers intertwine with yours. You let out a small smile at the neutral expression on his face, as if he didn’t just initiate skinship with you as the two of you study for your finals. 

You look back down at your book, before falling back into the rhythm of taking notes at a decent pace. That is, until you hear a loud snore beside you. You choose to ignore it at first, until you hear another one escape his mouth after a few seconds. And so you turn your head to find your pretty boyfriend fast asleep on his Chemistry book, hand still holding yours as he does so. 

Pursing your lips, you check the time on your phone, just to find that it’s 2 in the morning. The two of you have been studying for at least 12 hours now, you both deserve to sleep. You move to let go of his hand so that you can gently wake him, but his grasp on your hand tightens instead. 

“Are you awake?” You ask with an amused smile on your face, and you watch as he slowly opens his eyes and stares into yours. You giggle, reaching your hand up and patting his head fondly as he groggily sits up from the table. Not letting go of your hand, he rubs his eyes with the back of his free hand before standing up. 

“Are we going to bed now?” He asks groggily, and you nod your head. He smiles, before dragging you over to your room without another word. You mutter out protests about how the two of you didn’t clean up your workspace yet, but immediately get shut down when he plops down under the covers and pulls you into his side. 

“We can clean up tomorrow morning.” He tells you softly, pressing a kiss to the back of your head and closing his eyes. Biting the inside of your cheek, he squeezes your hand, and nuzzles his head into the back of your neck. 

“Goodnight, yn.” He mumbles, and you smile, before closing your eyes as well. 

“Night night.”

“Fuck.” You curse to yourself through your heavy breathing, still unsure of what his name could possibly be. Wonwoo soothingly rubs your back as you rest your head onto his chest, harshly biting the inside of your cheek as you’re filled with even more questions rather than answers. 

“Did you remember something?” Wonwoo asks after a moment, and you don’t respond. You just silently wrap your arms around his waist, nuzzling your head into the crook of his neck for comfort. “Can we just stay like this? Please?” 

Wonwoo nods his head, tentatively wrapping his arms around your frame. He cradles your head with his hand, and whispers soothing words into your ear. “It’s okay yn, it’ll be okay.” 

You squeeze your eyes shut when you feel that familiar feeling again, and you tightly grip Wonwoo’s shirt. His eyebrows furrow in concern, and he tries to pull away to check on you, but you continue to hold onto his waist. “Yn? What’s wrong? Yn?”

“Yn?” Wonwoo watches as you wordlessly walk to the bathroom after slamming your laptop shut. He follows after you, and his eyes immediately widen in alarm when he sees you grab a pair of scissors and raise it to your hair.

“Yn!” You stop when you hear Wonwoo’s voice, and you turn your head to see Wonwoo standing at the entrance to the bathroom, staring at you with worry. You bite the inside of your cheek, and drop the scissors back onto the bathroom counter. Feeling your eyes brimming with tears, you attempt to hold them back. 

“I-I’m okay-” You get cut off when Wonwoo steps over and wraps his arms around you, immediately cradling your head with his hand. The rest of your excuse dies in your throat when Wonwoo nuzzles his face into the crook of your neck. 

“You don’t always have to be okay, yn.” Wonwoo tells you, and that’s when the tears spill from your eyes. You wrap your arms around his waist, crying out that you can’t get along with anyone at work, and that your boss seems to hate you. 

“I bet she doesn’t hate you.” Wonwoo reassures, and you shake your head as you sniffle into his shoulder. 

“She absolutely does! I,” You sniffle again, and Wonwoo lets out a small smile when you mutter out how gross this is before continuing. “I got tea yesterday and forgot to get her a donut like I always do, and she hasn’t smiled at me since!” 

“Yn, I don’t know how anyone could hate you. She might’ve just been having a bad day.” Wonwoo says softly as he runs his hand through your hair. Shaking your head, you let out another wail about how you’re going to get fired, and he bites the inside of his cheek at how silly you’re being. 

“Try and talk to her tomorrow, mm? And invite your co-workers out to get lunch or something. Friendships always blossom over food, trust me.” You close your eyes once your breathing goes back to normal, and Wonwoo slowly pulls back so that he can get a good look at your face. He lets out a fond smile when he sees your puffy eyes, and a little bit of snot that escaped from your nose. 

Not letting go of you, he leans back and grabs a tissue, and begins wiping away your tears. He places the tissue over your nose, “Blow.” 

And so you blow your nose, not to say that it’s your proudest moment, but Wonwoo doesn’t care. 

“Everything will be okay, and if you wanna cut your hair then make sure that you’re in the right frame of mind when you do so.” Wonwoo tells you, and you softly slap his shoulder, eliciting a chuckle from him. You finally let out a small grin, “Thank you, Woo.” 

He nods his head, leaning down and pressing a kiss to your forehead. 

“Anything for you, yn.”

You open your eyes and loosen your hold on Wonwoo. He pulls back and examines your face, “Did you remember something again? In just a span of a few minutes?” 

You nod your head, giving him a small smile. You reach out and pat his head, making his eyes soften immediately. “I remembered me almost chopping my hair, and you convincing me not to.” 

Wonwoo’s eyes brighten, before he lets out a little chuckle, causing you to raise an eyebrow. He turns his head and presses a kiss to the inside of your wrist, eliciting a squeak from you, and warmth to rise to your cheeks as you slowly lower your hand back down.

Smiling at your shyness he says, “That’s happened multiple times. You have to be specific.” 

To which you scowl, slapping his arm, causing him to laugh and tell you he’s only partially joking. Even through the joy you and Wonwoo feel for you remembering something about your guys’ relationship, the heavy feeling in your heart is still prominent. 

“I’ll come back a bit late tonight.” You pout at him, and he giggles at your cuteness, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to your lips. His big, bright eyes are filled with love as he stares at you, and the roots of his black hair are beginning to show. The two of you don’t mind though, you both think the blue and black looks nice.

“We’re supposed to watch the new episodes of Haikyuu! tonight though.” You say, and he grins, squeezing your face between his hands. 

“We can still watch it tonight, I just have to meet with my group for econ to discuss our project.” He tells you, and you purse your lips, before you nod your head. You know that this project is crucial for this course, considering the rumors you’ve heard from the fourth years at uni who took the class the year before. 

“Okay, make sure to text me, mm?” He nods his head, before pulling you into another hug. You let out a small sigh, knowing you won’t get tired of this feeling. 

Home. Home is wherever he is.

“You want me to buy you any drinks when I’m on my way back to your apartment? Tea? Boba?” He asks once the two of you pull away, and you purse your lips in thought. He lets out his melodic laugh at the expression on your face, and you break out into a smile. “Can you buy fried chicken? So that we can eat it as we watch?” 

He nods his head, before grabbing the doorknob and turning it. He pauses though, and you raise an eyebrow when he turns back towards you and presses another kiss to your lips. 

“I love you, yn. I’ll be back later.” He says against your lips, and you nod your head with a soft smile on your face. 

“I love you too. Be safe!” And with that, he walks out of your apartment. 

You glance at the time, seeing that it’s 10 PM. You knew that he was going to be a bit late, but you didn’t expect him to be this late. You open up your messages with him, just to see the last texts between you two where he asked what kind of fried chicken to get. 

You’re about to turn off your phone when your screen lights up with a call, and you see that it’s Vernon. Raising an eyebrow, you answer and place the phone to your ear.

“Hello?”

“Yn.” You frown at the sound of his labored breathing, and you slowly sit up when you hear him sniffle. 

“Vernon, is everything oka-”

“Yn.” He cuts you off, and you bite the inside of your cheek nervously at the shakiness to his voice. His next two words send an icy feeling through your heart, and you find yourself scrambling towards the front door without a second thought.

“It’s Joshua.” 

You wake up with a loud gasp, resting your hand over your heart as you stare at the light beginning to stream in through the hospital window. You raise your hands up to your face, feeling the wetness of your cheeks as you hear your heart pounding against your ears. 

You feel a sob building up in your chest, and you double over as you begin to cry. Grabbing the pillows, you chuck them across the room as you start to scream. You don’t know how long it takes until someone walks into the room, finding you screaming and crying out Joshua’s name in agony. 

You don’t even realize that it’s Vernon who is holding you to try and calm you down, telling you that it’s okay, that it’ll be okay.

All you know is that you remember. 

You remember everything. 

“Hey.” 

“Hi.” 

“How are you feeling?” 

You stare up at the white ceiling, looking at the numerous holes as you try to think of your answer. You turn your head to see Vernon staring at you with a small smile on his face, chin resting in his hand. You let out a grin at the sight, feeling a sense of comfort from Vernon as you look at him. 

“I don’t know. Feeling like I’m going through the five stages of grief again.” You mutter quietly, turning back to count the number of holes in the ceiling. 

So far you’ve counted 457, nope. 458 now. 

“When you didn’t remember me, I knew you most likely didn’t remember Joshua.” Vernon says, and you bite the inside of your cheek at the memory of him. 

Your first love.

“Do you still think of him?” You ask quietly, remembering Joshua’s bright smile whenever he looked at you. Vernon lets out a sad smile, nodding his head as he adjusts himself in the seat beside your hospital bed. 

“Everyday. I think of him everyday.” Vernon answers, and the two of you stay silent for a moment, letting everything soak in. You sit up in the bed, running a hand through your hair as you pull your knees up to your chest. “Do you think he hates me?”

Vernon immediately shakes his head ‘no’ at you, and you let out a sigh. Vernon reaches over and pats your knee, making you turn to look at your best friend. “Remember when we had that talk? The night you cried on my shoulder?” 

You purse your lips, nodding your head as you remember the full story now. Vernon gives you a reassuring smile, “Everything I told you then, still applies now.”

“I think I love Wonwoo.” You mutter quietly, so quiet that Vernon almost misses it. He lets out a soft smile at your confession, and nods his head, having already sensed this by the way you look at the man. 

“I think he loves you too, yn.” You bite your bottom lip, sitting up and resting your head in your hands as more tears spill from your eyes. Vernon reaches out and pulls you onto his shoulder, whispering words of comfort. 

When you finally calm down, you pull away from Vernon’s hug, and wipe away the tears on your cheeks. You do a bad job at it, so Vernon reaches out and wipes away the rest with a tissue. Letting out a tired sigh, you slam your fist on the table. 

“I can’t love Wonwoo, Vernon. I can’t do that to Joshua.” You say, and Vernon shakes his head at you. The two of you sit in silence, with your leg shaking underneath the table at the memory of Joshua. 

“Yn, you know how much Joshua loves you?” Vernon asks after a moment, and you turn to glance at him, waiting for him to tell you. Vernon smiles sadly, reaching out and patting your head. 

“He loves you so much that he’d do anything for you to be happy, even if you find happiness being with another person.” Tears fill your eyes as you stare at Vernon, and you look down at the table. You cover your face with your hands, and Vernon sucks in a breath. 

“You and Joshua will forever deserve better than what the two of you got, but he wouldn’t want you to risk your own possibility at happiness for the sake of him.”

You bite the inside of your cheek at the memory, and rest your head on the top of your knees. Vernon lets out a small smile and glances over towards the door, seeing that familiar blue head of hair waiting by the window. Vernon motions for him to come in, and he slowly opens the door. 

You look up at the sound of the door opening, and you break out into a smile when you lock eyes with Wonwoo. He smiles softly at you, and his eyes slowly widen when you get up off the hospital bed and immediately wrap your arms around his middle. 

“Is everything alright?” Wonwoo asks after glancing at Vernon to see the black haired beauty shaking his head ‘no’ in his direction. Wonwoo tentatively wraps his arms around your frame, cradling your head softly. 

“I remember everything.” You answer after a moment, and Wonwoo freezes in your hold. He slowly pulls away to get a look at your face, and he sees you looking up at him with that familiar twinkle in your eyes. “Really?” 

You nod your head, and you watch as Wonwoo’s face slowly breaks out into a smile. His hands trail up to cup your face with pure joy on his features, “You remember everything? Even the time you jumped into the pool to try and avoid me when we weren’t dating yet?” 

You immediately frown, “Who told you that?” 

To which Wonwoo’s eyes flick to the right, before glancing back at you.  You let out a gasp of betrayal when you comprehend why he looked in that direction. You turn towards Vernon, who is now slowly raising his hands up in surrender. You point at him, “You told Wonwoo?!” 

“It ain’t me.”

“It was you.”

“Wonwoo!” The three of you begin to bicker, with three different arguments going on at the exact same time. The three of you are so loud that you fail to notice Mingyu, Soonyoung, and Dr.Park step into the room with congratulatory gifts for you getting discharged. 

“Should we… step out?” Soonyoung asks quietly when you move to put Vernon in a headlock, only for Wonwoo to hold you back from doing so. It’s only then that the three of you realize that you have company, and you all pause your movements. 

“Oh my God… heyyyyy…” You say when Wonwoo sets you back down on your feet. Mingyu lets out a giggle when Vernon reaches out to move away a strand of hair on your face, only for you to slap his hand away. 

You still feel betrayed.

“I see that you have your memories back?” Dr.Park asks, and you nod your head with a small smile. She grins as she hands you a bunch of documents about your stay, and the tests you took. “I’m glad you’re doing alright. Wonwoo already checked you out, so you just have to change into your clothes and you’re all set to go.” 

You nod your head, telling her thank you as she steps out the door. You glance at the four guys all staring at you, and you squint your eyes at them. “I have to change.” 

They don’t understand at first, until Wonwoo’s eyes widen and he immediately grabs Vernon by the arm, and begins shoving Soonyoung and Mingyu out the door. You let out a smile and wave your hand at the four once the door closes behind them. 

“Well, it’s time to go.” You mutter to yourself, before heading into the bathroom to change. 

“Where should we eat as a celebratory dinner on yn getting her memories back and getting discharged?” Soonyoung asks as the five of you head towards the hospital exit. You glance up at Wonwoo when the guys begin spewing out different food options, and you grin when you see the soft smile on his face. 

“Fried chicken?”

“Nah, that’s for tonight’s celebration. How about pho?” 

“Oh! Oh! What about bbq?” Your stomach grumbles at the mention of grilled meat, and the guys let out a laugh. Vernon pats your head softly, “Guess we have a winner on where we’ll eat lunch.” 

The five of you finally exit the hospital, and you stop your movements right when you lay eyes on the numerous pink petals on the sidewalk before you. You slowly glance up to see the fully bloomed cherry blossom tree. Out of habit, you lift your hand so that it faces up towards the trees. And you watch as a delicate, pink petal slowly falls from the beautiful flowers and lands right in the middle of the palm of your hand.

You let out a soft smile at the sight of it, feeling your heart warm when the wind pushes it away. You turn your head in the direction it flies off to, watching as it swirls in the wind as if it were dancing to a song. It finally lands right on Wonwoo’s blue hair, who is standing by and watching you with a fond smile on his face.

You grin, running up to your blue haired boyfriend and immediately grasping his hand. He presses a kiss to your temple once the two of you begin walking in Soonyoung, Mingyu and Vernon’s direction.

“I love you.” Wonwoo mutters against your head, and you feel heat rush up to your cheeks when you turn to see the overwhelming amounts of love in his gaze as he stares down at you. You stand up on your tiptoes and quickly steal a kiss from his lips, before pulling away with a soft smile.

“I love you too, Wonwoo.”

[pwarkluv]

❝ crush on you - l.mk ❞

lee mark x reader | fluff | 1.4k words

WARNINGS | lowercase is intended, idol au, love at first sight au, mature language/cursing, westernartist!reader, mark is a shy bby, soft!mark, lowkey shy!reader bc lol, ANOTHER REQUEST YAY!!

REQUEST | “love your writing! do you mind taking a request of mine? it’s where mark sees a western artist at an award show or function and he has a crush on her and wants to get with her before nct goes back to korea… thank you” - anon <3

SUMMARY | his little heart has a crush on you :)

AUTHOR’S NOTE | inspired by the song “crush on you” by soul fro and dum di dum! IM SO EXCITED THIS IS ANOTHER REQUEST!! THANK YOU ANON ILY <3 hopefully this meets your expectations :) i actually don’t know how award shows in the states work even though i’m literally from america so this might be slightly inaccurate lol. anyways thank you for supporting me crappy writing ahfkjdh i love you <33

mark had no idea what it was about you that captured his fragile little heart. you, the tiny first time nominee at the ama’s.

nct 127 was once again nominated for an award at the western convention, the team touring around the area as well. the red carpet was flooded with cameras, flashes and intense yells for attention was the only thing mark could hear.

but the moment you started walking down the silk road, it was like all of the sound buzzed down to a silence.

❝ my heart has a little crush on you ❞

you were the only thing the boy could see.

your soft pink gown clashed with the intense red on the floor, the pretty floral print around the chest and waist of the dress all the more brought out your skin tone. your hair was left in pretty curls and mark could’ve sworn he saw a pink flower pin somewhere in there too.

the shy smile you let out the moment the paparazzi noticed you made mark’s heart race, hearing them ask you how you felt about your first ama’s since your debut.

so she’s a newbie, mark thought knowing that was the reason he’s never seen you before.

“how does it feel to be nominated for your first award?” a man asked, flashes all around you. your heart was racing with fear.

don’t fuck up now, you thought to yourself before smiling.

“if i’m being honest, i’m terrified.” you answered truthfully, watching as the group of people in front of you nodded in understanding. “but i’m super excited and grateful to be here, so the nerves don’t really matter.” you awkwardly continued as some cooed at your shyness.

“now i must say that’s a beautiful dress you have on.” a woman with a microphone said causing you to blush.

“ahh thank you!” you gushed, turning to her with warm cheeks. “i was scared it might be too much but my stylist insisted i wear it.”

“well you’re stunning.” the woman winked before a certain group of boys caught her eye. “good luck today y/n! hopefully this will be your first win.” she said before floating to the korean boys a couple feet away.

“thank you!” you called out, watching her go to the group of boys ahead of you.

curiosity struck you knowing you had no clue who they were. once you made it past the runway, you sneaked a look at the group only to have your breath taken away.

they were gorgeous, especially the one in the front.

his big brown doe eyes were shining under the lights and even though they were all wearing the same back suit and tie, this boy seemed to stand out to you.

❝ so immature but these butterflies they keep me laughing ❞

“hey lauren?” you nudge your manager. “who’s that?” you secretly point, not wanting to draw attention.

“oh that’s mark lee from nct 127. they’re the korean boy group that’s nominated for an award.” your manager replied.

she then pokes your sides as she smirks. “don’t tell me you have a thing for the canadian dude!” she says and you yelp from the impact.

“HE’S CANADIAN TOO?” you whispered-shouted to the girl, a little taken aback. so he’s handsome and most likely knows how to speak english?

“it’s always the damn canadians.” you grumbled under your breath as your manager laughed knowing this might be the start of something new.

-

“hyung remember that girl from the runway with the pink floral dress?” mark asks one of their managers. the man nods, a little confused by the question.

“how can you not?” the man jokes, mark nodding with a small smile.

“do you happen to know her name?” the boy asks as

his manager gives him a look. “where is this going mark?”

“no where i swear i just want to know who she is.” mark said, holding his hands up in surrender.

“hmm okay well i’m pretty sure her name is y/n.” his manager responds before being asked by another staff member for something.

“y/n.” mark said hazily, liking how your name sounds on his tongue.

-

mark was in love. there was no other way to describe this feeling. while waiting in their waiting rooms for the show to start, mark took the time to look up your music.

and god was he mad he didn’t know who you were before.

your songs were incredible and your voice held a certain fragility that made mark wanna give you a hug.

she better win, he thought to himself as they were ushered out of the waiting room and into the award show.

-

“oh my god oh my god oh my god.” you whispered to yourself as your heart raced. the award you were nominated in was about to be called and you wished you could hide in a hole and disappear from the crowd.

your manager sensed your nerves and squeezed your hand, silently letting you know she’d be there for you through anything. you softly smiled as you felt your nerves subside.

“and the winner is…” the man called out, purposefully slowing down a bit to create suspense.

mark knew this was the category you were nominated in, and the moment they were about to reveal the winner he held his breath.

please be y/n, he thought in his head as the announcer took another breath.

“y/n!” and if it wasn’t for his self-strength, mark could’ve sworn he would’ve jumped up in joy.

❝ my heart wrote a little song for you ❞

mark couldn’t keep his eyes off you throughout the entire award show. in fact, he was a little worried someone would notice because of how painfully obvious he was being.

but it’s not like you were any better. whenever mark would look away, you’d be looking at him.

“just talk to him.” your manager lauren complained, sick of the heart eyes you’d send to the boy.

so oblivious, she thought rolling her eyes. even she had seen the way he’d sneak glances at you as well.

“shhh.” you hushed her, looking around. it was nearing the end of the convention but you didn’t want to risk anyone over hearing her.

“i don’t know laur, he probably hasn’t even noticed me.” you quietly sighed feeling a bit down.

why would he? you’re just a newbie while he’s been in the industry for years.

“oh you’d be surprised.” the girl responded, shaking her head at your stupidity.

-

“are you y/n’s manager?” a man asked, stopping the woman. raising an eyebrow lauren motioned you too keep walking backstage to your dressing room.

how odd, you thought walking away.

“yes i am. why what’s going on.” lauren replied hesitantly.

the man let out a sigh of relief before continuing. “i’m one of the managers for nct 127 and let’s be honest,” he said letting the woman relax. she saw where this was heading.

“mark and y/n are head over heels for each other.” they both said at the same time.

“you noticed mark’s glances?” he asked in surprise.

“duh who wouldn’t?” she replied causing the man to laugh.

“y/n wouldn’t.” he said back causing them two to formulate a plan.

“y/n i have someone i’d like to introduce to you.” your manager said walking into your dressing room. you sat lazily on the couch still in your dress, your toes aching from being in those heels for hours.

“what’s up lauren?” you asked looking up from your phone.

“meet mark from nct 127.”

and just like that your heart jumped.

❝ won’t you take a listen ❞

the two of you stood awkwardly in front of each other not really knowing what to say. your managers had set you up, playing off the fact that they themselves have gotten along quite well and would like for their artists to meet.

“hey-“

“hi-“

you both started at the same time. you immediately flushed rushing to let him go first.

“uh you can go first.” you timidly responded.

“no you.” mark replied just as embarrassed.

“good grief just ask for each other’s numbers.” the two managers hollered in unison, cringing at the awkwardness in the air.

“y-you wanna get lunch sometime soon?” mark asked with sudden confidence.

❝ and dance with me to the rhythm ❞

you smiled causing him to smile back. “duh.”

[jinx-jade]

Meeting the Titans... And getting a date?

“Not that I don’t enjoy hanging out with you Dames, but why, I can’t stress this enough. Why did you call us to the tower on a Sunday at nine in the morning!” Jon asks exasperatedly.

“Sorry Damian, but I have to side with sup’s here. It’s a weekend and way too early in the morning.” Wally claims through a yawn.

“Stop complaining. It’s not that early, we would have already been at school if it was a weekday.” Raven chastises beast boy and kid flash.

Robin just rolled his eyes at the people he reluctantly called friends.

They ended up starting an argument about whether it was too early in the morning or not, for a meeting that wasn’t about a mission, or an emergency. After about five or so minutes of chaos, the titans heard someone giggle. Their attention snapped towards Damian, or more specifically, the person behind him.

The person was using Robin like a shield to hide behind. She has blue eyes and hair so black it shined blue.

Damian’s annoyed look softened when he caught sight of her. He gestured for her to step forward, to which she complied after a few seconds of hesitation.

“Tch. The reason I called this meeting in the first place was to introduce you to our new member. Titans, this is Mockingbird. Mockingbird, these are my teammates, Raven, Kid Flash, Superboy, and Beast Boy.” Robin introduces everyone.

“Hello, it’s nice to meet you all,” Mockingbird greets shyly.

“How come we were never told about getting a new teammate till now?” Raven questioned with her eyes narrowed in her boyfriend’s direction.

“Sorry, that would be my fault. I was having a game of tug-of-war with my nerves about joining or staying at home. Sorry, if I caused any trouble.” Mockingbird apologizes.

“Tch. what did we say about apologizing all the time,” Damian reminded her.

“Sorry. Ah no sorry, I meant… Ahh, I mean Ughhh….” Mockingbird shifted from her human form to her cat form, easily running and hiding under the lounge’s couch from embarrassment.

“What the heck… just… happened,” Jon asked, crouching down to look under the couch.

Sure enough, there was a small black and blue cat curled up as if she was trying to disappear.

“Mockingbird gets flustered easily, and when she’s flustered, her natural response is to hide in small places,” Robin informs them letting out a sigh.

“You seem to know a lot about Mockingbird,” Rachel claimed with a hint of jealousy in her voice.

“She’s my little sister. Why wouldn’t I know everything about her?” Damian questioned his girlfriend with a raised brow.

“Since when do you have a little sister?” Wally explained in question.

“Since she was born? Mockingbird is my only biological sibling, even if we’re only half-blood siblings.” Damian informs them.

“Ok, but like, when did your family find out about her?” Wally asked.

“Father has been aware of Mockingbird since she was born. However, Mockingbird’s mother had full custody over her till about seven months ago, when the mother and step-father were found to have been extremely negligent and emotionally abusive.” Damian states, clearly displeased with the topic.

Turning their attention back to Mockingbird, they all looked under the couch only to find a green cat laying next to her. They weren’t touching and there are about two or three inches between them, but the size difference was easily noticeable. 

The green one is bigger and seemed to be watching the black and blue one with curiosity. The black and blue cat was still curled up into a tiny ball and seemed to have been stressed but calming down. The green cat was letting out a low purring noise that seemed to be the source of what was calming the black and blue one.

“Mockingbird will most likely stay there till she’s completely calm.” Robin guesses, moving to take a seat on the couch. The other titans followed his lead.

“How about we watch a movie!” Superboy suggests. Receiving a cheer from Kid Flash, a shrug from Raven, and a groan from Damian.

About halfway through the movie, Beast boy took a seat on the couch in his human form. A sleeping Mockingbird was settled in his lap in cat form.

Damian glared at Garfield but did nothing to remove his sister from Beast boy’s lap, not wanting to accidentally wake her up.

After the movie, the group moved to the training room, Mockingbird turning back into a human.

“So, what kind of powers do you have?” Jon questioned excitedly.

“Oh. Uhm… I can shapeshift and create illusions.” Mockingbird answers, shifting her weight nervously between her feet.

“Cool! I’ve never met a shapeshifter that wasn't Beast boy! … Actually, I don’t think Beast boy has ever met another shifter either.” Jon states.

“Tch. That’s why father wanted Mockingbird to join the Teen Titans, to begin with.” Damian says while glaring at Garfield. “Mockingbird has never met a shifter and father believed it would be beneficial for her to be able to interact with someone of a similar skill set.”

“Makes sense,” Wally states with a shrug.

The teens started an everyone for themselves spar, only for Mockingbird to disappear into thin air with a giggle.

The giggle made the corner of Robin’s lip turn upwards the slightest bit, as he automatically dropped into a fighting stance. Since no one knew what to expect from Mockingbird, the titans followed Robin’s lead.

At the end of the spar, the only ones standing were Raven, Beast Boy, and Mockingbird. Despite Robin’s advantage with knowing Mockingbird’s fighting style, he was at a disadvantage due to his lack of abilities.

Kid flash was in a similar boat due to his only ability being the speed force and healing fast. His weakness was cold temperatures, so Mockingbird froze his feet in place with ice.

Superboy’s weakness is kryptonite and magic, so he ended up losing due to a magic-user attack him while also being attacked by someone he can’t see, even with his x-ray vision, Superboy couldn’t see Mockingbird, 

If the spar continued, it was clear that Mockingbird would have won.

“Uhm… Hey! How did you create the ice out of nowhere?” Garfield asked Mockingbird.

“Oh! I was using an ice dragon shift.” Mockingbird answered.

“You… used an ice dragon shift… and it can spit ice...” Garfield repeated what Mockingbird had said, impressed.

“Yup! Wait, is that not normal?” Mockingbird questioned.

“I’ve never been able to do it before. Maybe you can teach me sometime?” Garfield responded with a soft smile, full of curiosity, and nervousness in his tone.

“... Are… Are you asking me… on… on a date?” Mockingbird asked, dumbfounded and full of nerves.

“Yes? If you want to, that is. We can always actually work on shifting if you don’t want to…” Garfield was the one to seem nervous now.

“Sure! I’m pretty sure practicing shifting with you would be fun, and … maybe after we can get ice cream?” Mockingbird asked in a hopeful tone. “I’m Marinette, by the way, so you don’t have to call me by my code name all the time.

“Ya, that sounds great! I’m Garfield,” he says, smiling at her, ignoring the glare that was drilling a hole through the back of his head.

“Damian, let them be,” Rachel stated, leaning against him, Damian naturally wrapping his arms around her waist. “Besides, I’m pretty sure she can handle herself. Have a little faith.”

Damian let out a frustrated sigh. It always got him in trouble when he didn’t listen to his girlfriend, so he figured he would leave Garfield be.

For now.

[scriptaed]

bygones of the sun. 08 (m)

genre: angst/fluff/(future)smut || dance captain!hoseok, bad boy!au, uni!au

pairing: reader x hoseok;

length: 4.6k;

synopsis: Jung Hoseok was once the sweetheart of the school, the dance captain whom every girl, including you, can’t help but fall head over heels for. But like the force of the ever-glowing sun, everything that rises must also set. A year of inactivity later and he’s now the school’s resident bad boy. You’re a firm believer of allowing the past be the past, and yet you can’t help but wonder where the risen sun has gone into hiding—because perhaps its shadows have out-shined its own radiance.

Regardless of the endless praying in the waking hours of midnight and desperate texts to Hani and Junghwa for help, the sun rises nevertheless; rather than replacing, the radiant glow of the sun blinds the darkness of the cold night into nearly nonexistence and the morning comes along with it in an inevitable solar system bound to revolve around its center.

After hours of rolling around in bed—too hot, kick one leg out over your blankets, too cold, bury yourself under the heat you had insulated from tossing and turning—you manage to barely get in a few hours of sleep before waking up only to look into the mirror in dismay over the dark circles drooping under your eyes.

Well, at least that might turn Hoseok off from doing whatever the needy, mischievous, and maybe even horny bad boy deprived of action side of him did to you last night.

A few splashes of fresh, cold water in the sink of your motel room and a messy albeit best bun you could every tie up are all that you figure you would need before marching off into the dining hall just three flights of stairs down; after all, who are you trying to impress? Certainly not Hoseok…

...or at least that’s what you tell yourself; because nevertheless, even after chanting to yourself under your breath that you would do everything and anything to avoid garnering his attention today, and perhaps the rest of eternity, you still take a quick glance in the mirror to assure yourself that your casual black tank top and gray sweatpants are of at least a presentable state. Maybe it’s the lack of sleeping getting to you or maybe it’s the adrenaline mixed with shock from last night’s incident with the boy you’ve been dreaming of since last year that endorses your self confidence that you smile at yourself after a quick scan in the floor length mirror and proceed to skip your way down into the first floor of the niche motel where Jimin had informed you last night that he and the rest of the boys would be getting breakfast.

As you jog down the stairs like a child on the eve of Christmas, you find yourself subconsciously humming to an oh-so-familiar tune; although you can’t quite put a finger on the exact title of the track, the image, the senses, the serenity that comes along with the nostalgic tune floods you into a timeless reverie. An earphone plugged in your right ear while the laughs of others and the tires rolling against the gravel rushes into your left, you can practically feel the cotton of a sweater wrapping you in warmth along with a crisp, spicy masculine scent as you lay your head against the comfortable crook of someone’s shoulder. The squeaking of broken in sneakers against the hardwood floor and the beats of the track echoing in a vast, empty room. You can imagine it all, evidently too real to be conjured up in your head.

“Y/N! Over here!” Taehyung’s voice snaps you out of your daze. Stepping a foot into the relatively small, cozy dining room, the enticing aroma of warm soup mixed with traditional spices and herbs fill your nose and state of mind as it pulls your growling stomach closer than ever. You find Taehyung, Jungkook, and Jimin already decked out in workout attire as they seated themselves with three other less familiar faces before you quickly skid your way to their table. Taehyung flashes you his signature warm, boxy smile, “morning!”

“Good morning,” you press a smile at the five other greetings which follow shortly after.

“Oh?” Jungkook quirks a brow and you reciprocate his gestures. “You’re pretty dressed up today, Y/N.”

“Dressed up?” you nearly choke, eyes popping at your supposedly exact opposite intentions. “Uh no, no, I just threw on whatever I found first in my luggage. Dressing up is the last thing I wanted.”

“Uhuh,” Taehyung drawls, winking at his partner in crime Jungkook. “So, who’s the lucky boy? Is it someone you met at camp yesterday?”

You sigh, “I don’t have my eye on anyone—”

“—oh my God,” both Taehyung and Jungkook gasps, gaping and turning their head in sync, “is it Hoseok?”

“What?” you nearly yell and it feels like your heart is about to fail you. “No!”

“I know we were the ones who asked you to talk to him and convince him to return to the club, but that’s only because we heard you two were a thing… or that you two went out on some dates. But you said you guys didn’t, so…” Jungkook’s voice trails off as he ponders over the rather imaginative albeit somewhat accurate thoughts of his, whereas Taehyung picks up where he left off, “did you catch feelings? Or did you already have feelings for him? You know, how did you convince him to attend camp anyways?”

You gulp. There’s no way you’re telling them the absurd offer Hoseok had proposed, a kiss in exchange for his presence, not to mention the fact that you actually gave him what he wanted and more. The recalling of the tender scene in the kitchen flushes your cheeks to rosy hues as you mumble, “I just begged him until he was too annoyed to decline.”

The boys glance at each other in wariness before Jimin chuckles to break the silence, “where is Hoseok anyways? I told him to meet us here last night, but he left me on read. Do you know what happened to him, Y/N?”

“Huh? Me? Hoseok?” you say louder than intended.

The grim look on his face after he had unexpectedly pulled you in for a session you could only imagine in your dreams just a year ago, when he answered your last question, when you turned your back and left him in the jacuzzi out of shock flashes before your eyes; regardless of having witnessed the sudden change in Hoseok’s demeanor, even you can’t quite explain the reasoning behind it. You thought you were done worrying for him throughout the entirety of last night, however, now that everything around you seems to always come back to Hoseok, you can’t help but wonder what you can do to help him… despite how much he has changed.

“Oh, there he is,” Jimin calls out and your entire body freezes in place, too scared to turn around and face him after last night. “Hoseok—”

“—Y/N,” you can hear the familiar voice of his as his low uttering resonates in your ear and rumbles throughout your chest.

You take a deep breath and gulp, pretending as if you had heard a apparition and turning to grab a plate and utensil to fetch some steamed vegetables in the hotpot placed in the middle of the wooden table.

“Y/N,” Hoseok mutters sternly. You can see his maroon tee and grey sweatpants in the corner of your eyes while Jimin glances between you and Hoseok as the latter takes a step closer to you. “Y/N, we need to talk. I’m sorry about last night. Please, at least listen to what I have to say—”

“—I see we have hot pot for breakfast today,” you interject, turning to Jimin and stuffing your mouth with boiled food which burns your mouth, but not before blurting, “kind of unusual, but I’m not complaining. Thanks for the meal.”

Hoseok sighs, looking the other way in lack of amusement for a split second before placing his hand on your shoulder, “Y/N—”

“—actually, Y/N, guys,” Jimin cuts in and gently extracts Hoseok’s hand from your shoulder. “Hoseok and I have to discuss our plans for today and the rest of the camp. You guys eat first and we’ll join you afterwards in the practice room.”

With that, Jimin ushers Hoseok out of the dining hall, dragging him forward as your eyes briefly lock with Hoseok’s as he reluctantly looks over his shoulder to glimpse at you for a few times. A part of you pangs with guilt for blatantly ignoring him like that, especially since you could sense the sincerity in his apology, but it was just too soon, too awkward for you; and while you know Hoseok as a person completely unaffected by the public’s eye, you’re less than willing to review last night’s moment of intimacy in front of the other boys.

One of the boys clears his throat to break the silence, and everyone turns to stare at him wide-eyed. Chestnut hair and tan skin, you manage to recall him as one of the main albeit in need of Hoseok’s guidance members, Namjoon. He reaches his hand out to firmly shake yours before gesturing for you to take a seat next to him on the wooden bench, “I don't think I've ever introduced myself yet. I'm Namjoon. I've heard a lot about you… Y/N?”

“Yeah, Y/N. That's the name,” you grin and seat yourself next to Namjoon. “It's nice I'm finally meeting the oh-so-popular dance group of our school.”

The boys chuckle at your remark when the rather fair skinned, blond and petite albeit carrying a mien years more mature than boys his age leans forward next to Namjoon to give you a pressed smile and a small wave, “the name's Yoongi.”

“And I'm Jin,” the boy across from you and next to Taehyung and Jungkook waves both jointy hands at you before digging his chopsticks into the shared pot and chiming, “now let's eat already. I'm starving here!”

-

The rest of breakfast passes by smoothly as you and the boys laugh over small talk and gather your things to head over to the first practice session of the day. While Taehyung and Jungkook went to find Jimin, you stayed behind with Namjoon, Jin, and Yoongi. Although they’re not as energetic and bubbly as the other three, you soon find your new friends to be just as dorky as they goof off and even tease Hoseok as he leads the practice through stretches and choreograph; but even through all the teasing and giggling, Hoseok never seems to lose his cool over something which happened all too much back in his days as the captain, for he simply rolls his eyes and directs his attention elsewhere.

Everything passes by smoothly, or at least you think, because shortly after laughing at Jin’s less than sufficient, duck-with-a-broken-leg looking spin, you become determined to show him how it’s properly done before placing one leg over the other and somehow managing to trip over your own feet in midspin. It all happens too fast for you to register, but what you do recall is your right foot twisting at the weirdest of angles, sending a crack echoing in your vicinity and a spike of pain traveling from your feet up as your body tumbles to the floor. You’re grasping at your ankle and hissing at the wincing pain still numbed by adrenalin when you look up from the ground to suddenly find Hoseok right next to you after having dropped all things and rushed to your side, scanning you up and down in worry while the rest of the boys peer over at you from behind Hoseok in sympathy.

And the next thing you know, you find yourself hoisted into the air as Hoseok carries you in his firm arms out of the dance room. The spur of the moment prohibits you from protesting, for all you can do is lie there and peer up at Hoseok in complete awe. You don’t know if it’s the return of the glimmer in his eyes when times of crisis lures out the former captain in him, but the stern, serious and worried expression of his furrowed brows and pressed lips enables you to put your full trust in him. The Hoseok you’re looking at now is more capable than you’ve ever seen him before; war scars, adversities, sympathy and empathy, he’s gone through it all.

The fact that he doesn’t even notice you ogling your eyes at him, or at least the fact that he chooses not to comment on it, only further supports your observation as he carefully lays you on the floor of the empty hall right outside the practice room where a vending machine remains buzzing throughout the silence.

“So,” Hoseok finally says, your eyes widening and darting up to stare at him as his own line of sight remains on the first aid kit and your swelling ankle. “Mind explaining to me how this happened?”

“I… um…” you mumble; something about his new mien akin to a stern captain tells you to be cautious of how you answer. “I accidentally tripped—”

“—tell me the truth,” Hoseok deadpans, glimpsing up from your injury to lock eyes with you and you swear your heart had never panicked more.

Clearing your throat, you bashfully look down at the ground in shame, “okay, fine. I was playing around with Jin and lost my focus, which caused me to trip midspin.”

A few seconds of silence pass, and it feels like an hour of intense pondering over endless penalties or scolding are running through his unamused eyes before he finally sighs and his body language along with his aura softens, “really? You tripped because of that? How clumsy can you be? I used to encourage everyone to dance if they wanted to, but maybe it’s safer if I don’t do the same with you. You really aren’t cut out to be a dancer.”

“...well, sorry I’m not as good as you,” you mumble and pout when you recall the contradiction between what he’s saying to you now and what he had to said to you a year ago.

Another moment of silence passes, and whether it’s from exhaustion having practiced for an hour and a half or from this entire stressful situation playing out right before you, you can feel beads of sweat trickling down your temple.

“No,” Hoseok finally utters as he wraps a roll of cloth tape bandage over your throbbing ankle. He follows his statement without looking up at you, “I should be the one apologizing. I’m sorry about last night. Whether you liked it or not, I shouldn’t have forced myself on you. I don’t really have the explanation you deserve, so an apology is all I can give right now.”

His words freeze you in place. You don’t think you’ve ever heard him as genuine and serious as he is now, at least not since the tense moment you two had shared in his car after your first date with him. You don’t what to say, because it’s not like you’re mad at him. You’re completely worried over his mental well-being, and the grim look on his face only worries you more.

“It’s okay. I understand and I forgive you,” you meekly say, and you can hear a soft sigh of relief escape his slightly curved lips.

He continues wrapping your leg until your ankle is fixed into the right position and the bandage prohibits you from moving it for as long as it’s on while you intently gaze at him out of your subconscious. Sweat thinning his bangs and dripping from its ends, his chest rises steadily with each intake of breath as his eyes and focus completely fixates on your injury. It takes you a while to notice and admit, but your foot isn’t the only thing swelling, for your heart swelters and grows tender at the sight of him.

Unlike the bad boy demeanor of Hoseok you had come to know, there’s something so attractive about a boy who’s ambitious enough to reach for the skies, tough on the outside but soft to the weak, and stubborn but willing to own up to his mistakes. This isn’t the dance captain you had fallen for in the dance studio last year. This is a mix of all the unknowns and wonders of the universe, the sun and the moon collided into one.

Why does he have such an effect on you?

Why are you so weak to someone as confusing as him?

Why can’t you convince yourself that the only persona of his you’ll ever like is the one you had fallen for back then? 

It’s as if the mystical moment when the sun reached its zenith high in the sky and its rays showered upon you and him in the midst of the night fallen dance room refuses to leave the back of your mind?

“You know,” Hoseok lowly states, finally trailing his eyes up to find your own wide ones before cracking a smug grin, “I can take you out to dinner as an apology, if you’d like.”

You scoff, jaw slacking wide open, “uh, no thanks. I wouldn’t have been so careless and gotten myself injured if I knew this was the comforting I was going to receive.”

“The ‘if you’d like’ part isn’t a question. It’s mandatory,” Hoseok chuckles before the stern look on his face returns along with the lopsided, pressed smile. “But as much as it pains me to hear that, I’m glad to hear you won’t be so reckless anymore.”

The deafening silence filled with the buzz of the vending machine behind him pushes you to finally address the thought that had kept you up late into the night. “Hoseok,” you utter, and maybe it’s the tone of pity or concern he spots in your voice, but his head and his eyes remain lowered to the ground. “Is something bothering you? Are you okay? Yesterday… you didn’t seem… right.”

Hoseok then settles into stillness, even his fingers stop in the midst of tying a knot in the bandages; but after a couple of more dreadful seconds, he resumes the work at hand without looking up at you. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he mutters before tying the knot and lightly patting your foot to signal the completion of your treatment. He glances up at you and gives you a small smile, “Be more careful next time, okay? For the sake of my poor heart, please stop being so clumsy.”

You snort and lean back with hands planted flat on the ground behind you, “I only sprained my ankle. You’re acting like I broke my leg or something.”

“You might’ve just sprained your ankle this time, but that’s because you lucked out,” he shakes his head. Then, his eyes flicker to gaze straight into yours, as if speaking from the heart, “injuries can be detrimental to dancers, and I know I said you’re not cut out to be a dancer, but if you really want to dance or even remain in this world with me, then please be more careful. Alright?”

“...okay, but be in the same ‘world with you?’ Please, don’t flatter yourself,” you refute, and he chuckles. “Plus, I’m not a dancer.”

Hoseko sits back with his hands spread out on either side of him, planted on the hardwood floor. He cocks his head to the side along with a brow, “who says?”

“You.”

“I was just messing around with you as always. You know that I don’t mean it.”

“But I bet you really meant it. Most of the newcomers aren’t even half as good as you,” you remark. Seeing how swell the mood had become, you decide to test the waters. “In fact, you’re probably thinking I’m just another one of those silly girls who always watched you in dance practice and is hoping for you to make a return.”

Hoseok raises a brow and chuckles with minimum effort, “I never said that.”

“But dancers are…” you struggle to find the right phrase, “dancers are like… you.”

Silence ensues as he watches you with a void hole in his eyes and an amused smile dancing in the corner of his lips.

“Hm…” he hums and lolls his head back and around the other side of his neck. “How so?”

His question catches you off guard, because while the Hoseok you had gotten to know would have gotten irritated and brushed off your question, this Hoseok seems intrigued by your constant pestering.

What should you do? Should you really tell him how you felt? About how you were one of those silly girls who watched him during dance practice? About how you had fallen head over heels in love with the old him?

This is all or nothing; and while something in your gut tells you not to, the irrational part of you follows the spur of the moment and decides to embark on a final mission to retrieve the sun that had long fallen and given rise to the dark night.

“I don’t know… I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s… it’s something about the way you dance. When you dance,” your brows knit as you struggle with your words, but Hoseok remains still as he patiently waits for you to finish your thought, “it’s like the entire room lights up in your presence. Even at night with the shades closed, you manage to somehow brighten the room, as if… as if you’re the embodiment of the sun itself.”

Hoseok maintains his silence, so you continue to fill up the awkward aftermath of your confession.

“You probably don’t get what I’m saying, but it just amazes me what you can do with your dance,” the more you speak, the more you can envision the enlightening moment you had first taken a peek through the cracks of the dance room’s door, “when people watch you dance it’s like the sun revolves around you and time slows, manipulated even, because you’ve suddenly become the center of the universe.”

Getting ahead of yourself, you decide to shut your mouth where you had stopped and fold your hands uncomfortably in your lap as you sheepishly stare the ground; you can feel the piercing gaze of his boring a hole into the top of your head.

“You’re right, you’re not a dancer; you’re a God damn poet,” Hoseok snorts, averting his eyes as he chortles at your splurge of awe-inspiring words before returning to lock his eyes with yours, a mix of amusement and lack of amusement, maybe even irritation, filling the dark orbs of his irises. “You know, you sound awfully like one of those girls who’d always watch me at practice back in the days… sometimes makes me wonder who you really are what your purpose is. Tell me, why are you trying to get me to dance again?”

With the tick of the clock’s hand, the entire world turns upside down. The soft, empathetic Hoseok had dissipated and the curious yet mysterious bad boy had returned. Even with warm, yellow lights illuminating the hallways, all you can see is pitch black and all you can feel is the wrath of the cold at being caught red handed.

Does he know? Or is he merely speculating? You had completely forgotten his previous more than suspicious speculations regarding your identity, but now all of it has resurfaced once again.

“...what?” you barely manage to utter.

And out of the blue, your world reverts to its normal state like the flick of a lightbulb. The warmth of his pressed smile and the shake of his head brings you back into relief, but your panicking heart never fails to initiate the flight-or-fight response in your veins.

“Nothing,” Hoseok laughs and pats your ankle once again before standing up. “There, all wrapped up and good to go. I’ve got errands to run. I’ll see you later, then.”

The extended conversation proves to be rather taxing when you stumble over your own foot the second you get up. Figuring your wrapped ankle and lightheaded state would only hinder you further, you decide to skip the rest of practice and retreat back to your room.

-

Complete darkness envelops you into a dazed state of mind as you awaken from what you discover to be a lengthy nap. Your entire room is pitch black, your head throbs along with your ankle, and you can barely weave your way through your room without stubbing a toe on a furniture hidden in the dark. Your eyes peep open, dry and heavy as if weights were suspended on the edges of your lids, and you clear your throat in a futile attempt to rid the sore scratches of its walls. Unfortunately for you, water isn’t one of the many things you had packed on this trip, so you grab your wallet and keys and stumble your way down to the vending machine.

With each step deeper into the dark halls illuminated by the moonlight pouring into the windows which lines the wooden walls, your consciousness becomes clearer and clearer and your senses begin to pick up things that had only been registered as blurs; the patters of your footsteps, the chirps of the crickets high in the mountains, the buzz of the vending machine, and the distant groans echoing from down the hall…

...the groans and hisses of pain which shouldn’t have even resonated in the halls hours past midnight.

Whether it be a member of the club breaking the rules, an employee of the motel, or maybe even an outsider intruding upon private property, your pulse races at the thought of someone within the vicinity of you. Crouching low, you cautiously and ever-so-slowly tiptoe as much as your injured foot could muster towards the dance room where the noises are coming from.

A few squeaks of sneakers inciting friction between itself and the polished, wooden floor are followed by ample panting and heaving before one last loud squeak and a pitiful yelp which tugs at your heartstrings—collapse.

The sympathetic side of you kicks you into action, and just as you’re about to go running into the room at full speed to aid the person in need, the sight which lies ahead keeps you locked behind the doorway—eerily similar to the past you, peering into the dance room and fearing confrontation…

...except this time, there’s nothing so enchanting about what lies before you.

Something in your stomach falls, pain gnawing away at your gut as if to tell you you should have known. Fallen, head low, chest heaving and lips grunting. Pitiful, vulnerable, helpless, turned against the wrath of the entire world. No one can understand him. No one can feel the mental and physical pain he’s experiencing right now.

The moonlight floods through the windows and showers the sun rays which contaminate him of the looming past until all that remains are the shadows of the facade of the old him he had tried to put up for the sake of you throughout camp. Alas, the full moon reaches its zenith tonight and there’s something about its blinding presence which tells you it’ll be a while before you see the sun.

Teeth gritted and jaws clenched, he crawls his body back against the mirror walls and curls into a state of vulnerability you had never seen before in the tough Hoseok you knew and had reluctantly fallen for; but the thing is, this isn’t that Hoseok. The boy brings one of his legs into his chest and his hands grab helplessly at his lower swelling leg, groaning in pain.

The only reason he isn’t dancing anymore is simpler than you would’ve ever thought. It can’t be the complete story, for the only thing you could see outside of his flooded, frantic mind is the sudden revelation that the only reason he isn’t dancing anymore is because he can’t; however, what lies underneath is of utmost complexity akin to the origin of the sun, the moon, and the universe itself.

[lovelybarnes]

family- p. parker

pairings: peter parker x reader, reader x ocs, peter parker x ocs

warnings: none? ig peter with glasses and a little freaking out at the beginning

about: requested! peter meets your family

a/n: thank you so much for requesting!! i hope you like this!

your eye twitched as you stared, hearing the words peter was saying but being unable to process them. this was not as serious as you were making it out to be, you knew that, but dammit, were you still nervous. your fingers were drummed lighty on your thigh, watching peter hunched over his desk, scrawling sentences on his notebook.

“y/n?” peter asked, suddenly at your legs. “are you okay? you kind of spaced out for a second there.”

you let out a long breath, squeezing your eyes shut, “i’m leaving to go visit my family for a weekend, and- i love them so much, but i’m going to miss you, and it’s so many people, i’m just really nervous, i haven’t seen my aunt gloria in like four years and my aunt maribel always ambushes me about the boyfriend and the-”

“hey, calm down, it’s- you’re gonna miss me?” peter asked, cutting himself off and you glared at him. “okay, not the point, why are you so nervous about this?”

you shrugged, nuzzling your head into his shoulder when he sat down next to you, “i love them but they’re just a lot. it’s just-” you sighed, a stray conversation between you and your mother from a few days ago coming back to you. “hey,” you started, lifting your head off of peter’s body. “do you have plans this weekend? my mom told me to extend an invitation to you if you were free.”

peter’s face lit up, and you relished in the shine in his eyes. “yeah! yeah, i’m free! you really want me to meet your family?”

you sucked in a small breath in remembering that fact but nodded, “yes. i kind of breezed over that fact, which i shouldn’t have, but now that i can think about it, i do. i’m so sure they’re going to love you.”

“i hope they do,” peter said, nerves laced within his voice and you pouted, pressing your lips to his jaw. “they will. i doubt anyone couldn't.”

peter snorted, “yeah, well ask flash. or the vulture. or-”

“they’re literal villains! and flash- they’ll love you, you’ll see.”

-

you were still nervous on the day you left for the huge cabin you and your family would be staying at; although considerably less so with peter’s arm wrapped around you and his lips repeatedly pressing kisses to your cheek in the backseat of your mother’s car. you could practically feel your anxiety melting with each press of his lips against your cheek.

as he rested his head against your shoulders, you twirled his hair around your fingers, appreciating the effect the shower he’d taken hurriedly had had on his hair; leaving it damp and curlier than usual. he was silent for the most part, until he lifted his head and you dropped your hand.

“so, tell me about your family members! what are all their names?” peter requested, and your mother raised an eyebrow, “that’s going to take a lot longer than this trip.”

you nodded, “she’s right, it’s better if i just introduce them to you when we get there.”

you whisper now, “i will tell you that my aunt lauren- really skinny and small- will ask you if you’re a secret superhero. she doesn’t know anything, she asks everyone that, don’t panic.

“i have a bajillion little cousins that will be all over you, so hopefully you don’t get too annoyed by children. my uncle carlos will clap you really hard on the back, my aunt lola likes to be called lolita and will bake you too many cookies to eat. please eat them even if you hate them, she’s just trying to make everyone happy.”

peter is nodding along, as focused as you’ve seen him in class. “she sounds sweet, and i doubt i’ll have any problems with your uncle carlos, seeing as i’m spider-man and all.”

you laugh softly, rolling your eyes. “yes, well, let’s see how well spider-man can handle twenty or so relatives throwing themselves at him.”

-

you almost feel dumb for stressing out so much about the event while you watch peter interact with your family- key word almost, when you notice the pleading look he’s sending you while being trapped in your grandmother’s embrace. you walk over to him at once, tapping your grandmother’s shoulder lightly, “grandma? pete needs to breathe,” you point out, and she pulls away, “oh, i’m sorry!” she exclaims, patting him on the cheek, “i have to attend to rosa’s mess of a dinner in the kitchen, it was nice to meet you,” she tells peter. he nods, and your grandma begins to walk away, stopping next to you. “he’s so cute,” she whispers to you, but, of course, peter catches it and beams.

your grandmother strokes your cheek before slapping it gently as a form of goodbye, walking away.

“they do like me!” peter whispers excitedly, and you smile at him, grabbing his hand, “of course they do, but these are the easy ones.” he tilts his head at you, looking so much like a puppy that you nearly coo. “what do you mean?” he asks, and you tug him by the hand, heading to another room.

you bite your lip, “my cousins. the first boyfriend i brought here, they told me they didn’t like him, and two months later, i found out he cheated. it’s happened two times, they’re, like, psychic.”

“this is making me nervous,” peter mumbled, drawing small circles on your hand. humming, you  turn to him, promising your next words, “you’re going to be fine, you’ll see.”

you kiss his nose and give his hand a squeeze, “they’re just little kids.”

you open the door, “with surprising intuitive abilities,” you mutter before your favorite little cousin spots and immediately runs to you. “y/n!” she screams, and you grin, bending down to her level and picking her up. “hi, kami!” you greet, kissing her cheek, and she giggles. she pauses for a second, squinting at peter standing behind you. “who’s this?” she asks, and you turn slightly, “this is peter, he’s my boyfriend.”

peter extends his hand to her with a dorky smile, and she looks at him for a moment before taking it.

other small people are beginning to crowd around you, and you put kamila down, gasping at all the barbies being shown to you and eventually being directed to sit down at a chair, nodding along to an explanation of a video game you’d seen peter play before.

after a little while, diego is distracted enough for you to be able to look up and see peter, in his absolute element, playing with kamila, liam, and veronica. he’s smiling, watching kamila color with veronica in his lap. liam is poking at his arm, directing his attention to the tablet in his chubby hands. veronica swipes at peter’s glasses, which sit perched on his nose.

with brown curls falling over his forehead, black rimmed glasses on his face, and surrounded by your little cousins, you can feel yourself falling even deeper for him, because how can you not? how can you not love the boy who is sitting in a cabin with your family, entertaining the cousins you love?

before you can freak out properly, you are pulled away by kamila, who has appeared by your side and instructs you to play in the play kitchen with her.

not five minutes after, while you are in the middle of making a fake salad, peter appears beside you, offering his help to kamila. he gets right to work, turning the knobs on the plastic kitchen, and he turns to you and mouths trophy husband with a goofy smile.

seeing him mixing a bowl of plastic food, you’re reminded of the alarming realization of just how in love you are with peter parker.

[eirikaanemo]

Heavy Is The Crown

Warnings: None

Venti x GN!Minstrel!Reader

3.1k Words

Venti's a servant boy at the palace that you fall in love with... right?

You’re the apprentice of the renowned Minstrel Chapman of the Riverside Performers Company. And recently your company was invited to go perform at the palace for the royal family of Mondstadt. It’s understandable really, they probably need some joy and relaxation in their lives considering the difficult war that is waging on. Of course, you’re one of the few to see it that way.

“People are dying on the battlefield every day, and the King and Queen want to make merry?” Archibald scoffed. “Peace, Archibald,” Grisela soothed. “This war is difficult for them as well.” Archibald scoffed again but chose not to respond further. These sorts of discussions were common now-a-days, and a gap of misunderstanding and hurt is starting to grow between the rulers and their people.

This really concerned you because you’d once known the son of a Baron and he had explained these sorts of difficulties to you. Your goal was to try and help bridge the gap. Since Master Chapman has charged you to write a song yourself for the royal performance, you have decided to write a song that could help with that. But the problem is that you have no idea what to write! And you’re running out of time.

When your company reaches the palace the next day, you are no closer to having written the song than you were before. Thankfully you all had arrived at the palace a couple days early, so you still had some time to come up with your song. However, you were feeling so nervous that you couldn’t even focus on trying to compose it at all.

So you decided to take a break and wander around the palace grounds, as you and your company had been invited to do when you arrived. As you did so, admiring the beautiful flowers and bushes of the garden, you ended up running into someone. Literally as in one moment you were standing up, and the next you were sitting on the ground clutching your head.

“Sorry! I’m so sorry,” someone apologized to you. “I should’ve been better about looking where I was going. Are you okay?” Peeking up, you see a servant boy with black hair in braids with teal tips and a flower tucked behind his ear. “Yes, I’m fine,” you assure him. “A little stunned, but I’ll be alright in a minute.”

“Are you sure?” He asks worriedly. When you nod he breathes a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear, Head Maid Maribel would have my head if I hurt a guest.” You smile and laugh a little. “Well we can’t have that,” you tease. “I’m sure you look much nicer when you have your head on your shoulders.” He stills for a moment from his fiddling from a moment before, a blush spreading from his cheeks to his ears.

Spluttering some, he manages to squeak out, “Oh, um, thanks?” You look at him oddly. “Don’t tell me no one’s ever teased you like that before,” you say. “I, um, won’t tell you then.” He jokes, calming down some. You smile some and give him a wink, “Well, I’m honored to be the first then.”

“Oh!” He exclaims. “I need to be pruning some bushes right now.” Your smile drops a bit, you’d been hoping to spend some more time with him. Noticing that, he adds on, “Would you like to come along? We could talk more while I prune.” You easily agree, “I’d like that very much, thank you.”

More confident now that he had something to focus on, he continued to make small talk with you. You introduce yourself and the two of you get to know each other better; he is ecstatic to know that you’re a minstrel and play the lyre. “I’m learning to play the lyre too!” He declares. “Maybe you could teach me a thing or two.” You smile at him, happy to know that you have that in common.

“I would like that! But,” you admit, “unfortunately, I’m afraid I don’t have the time right now. My master has told me to write a song and I’m struggling to get it out. With the war going on, I want to write a song to help bridge the gap between the royals and the commoners. From my experiences with the son of a Baron I knew, this war is just as hard for them as it is for us.”

He pauses from snipping away at the bush he’s working on. “You know, I’m glad you see it that way,” he tells you with an oddly grateful look in his eyes. “My p- Their majesties have really been struggling recently, especially with the loss of support from the people. For all the life of nobility looks wonderful, it comes at a cost. You lose freedom, always have to put others before yourself, can’t show any weakness, and bear the weight of every death on your shoulders.”

The odd phrasing and sudden correction go straight over your head as your muse suddenly rears its head. “I think I’ve got it now,” you blurt out. He blinks and tilts his head, confused. “Well I’m not sure what I did or said to help,” he replies, “but I’m glad I could help.”

You give him a big hug. “Really, you helped a lot,” you admit. “I need to go get started composing! But, uh, do you think I could see you again later?” He returns the hug. “Sure thing,” he murmurs in your ear. “I should be out here for the rest of today and all of tomorrow, but you’ll need to find me.”

“I think I can do that,” you murmur back and pull away from the hug. “See you tomorrow,” you call out to him as you start heading back to your Company. He watches you until you’re out of sight, before he goes back to pruning. “Well, that was fun,” he cheerfully tells himself. “I hope they do come back tomorrow. It’s not everyday I get to talk to someone like that.”

Composing the song was child’s play once you pick your lyre back up and get to work. The boy’s words repeat over and over in your head as you plan out lyrics and try different tunes. Master Chapman was thrilled when you played your song for him and assured you that the royals would love it. “It’s a wonderful tribute to all they do for us. And it helps us understand them and makes them more relatable to us,” he confirms. “I’m sure it will help you achieve your goal of helping bridge the gap between commoners and royals.”

When you find the boy the next day, you’re nearly vibrating in excitement. “Hey you,” you call. “Guess what?” His head turns to see you mid-snip and the branch lands on his head. You run over to make sure he’s okay. “Are you alright?” You ask him. “Yeah,” he responds sheepishly. “I guess this time it’s you who has to worry about getting me hurt.”

“Well that’s good,” you state, pouting at his teasing. “Oh! I realized yesterday that I don’t know your name!” He rubs the back of his head, embarrassed. “Ehe, sorry, I can’t believe I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Venti, it’s nice to officially meet you!”

“That’s a wonderful name,” you reply. “I like it a lot.” He smiles wide, “Thanks!” As the day continues you continue to talk with each other. Eventually he ropes you in to helping him with his chores. Thanks to that he gets done early and, after reporting back about finishing, he’s able to just spend the rest of the day with you.

After a certain point you’re able to admit to yourself that you’re falling for him. He’s cute, free-spirited, and makes you laugh. And maybe it’s just your imagination, but he seems to enjoy your time together too. The days left leading up to the performance are spent practicing and spending time with him. He’s tried to get you to play the song for him, but you insist that he wait for the performance to see.

The day of the performance comes very quickly, too quickly in your opinion. For all the compliments everyone who has heard your song gives you, and all the minds it has changed, you’re still incredibly nervous to perform it. What if they don’t like it? Will they find it presumptuous for you to write such a thing? When the time comes, will you mess up?

But the moment it’s your turn you take a deep breath, remind yourself that this is what you’re training for, and take your place on stage. Looking at the audience, you see the King and Queen, but, oddly enough, Prince Barbatos did not seem to be present. You strum your lyre and introduce yourself and your song. The audience seems intrigued that you would write such a song, so you take courage and start singing.

The stars are very beautiful, above the palace walls,

They shine with equal splendour, still above far humbler halls.

I watch them from my window, but their bright entrancing glow,

Reminds me of the freedom I gave up so long ago.

Although I am the head of state, in truth I am the least,

The true royal knows their people fed, before they sit to feast.

The good royal knows their people safe, before they takes their rest,

Thinks twice and thrice and yet again, before they make request.

These tears that burn my eyes are all the tears a royal can't shed,

The tears I weep in silence as I mourn my soldiers dead.

Oh gods that dwell beyond the stars, if you can hear my cry—

And if you have compassion—let me send no more to die!

(See: The Cost of the Crown by Mercedes Lackey, Debra F. Sanders)

As the last note fades the crowd stands with roaring applause. You feel a warmth spread across your cheeks as you bow deeply and return to your place standing with your company. Those standing around you congratulate you quietly as the next member steps up to perform.

Soon the performance is over and your Company is preparing to leave. Surprisingly many members of the Company had changed their minds about royals and the Company Head, Ferdinand, approached you to pass on the gratitude and appreciation from the King and Queen themselves. Venti showed up one last time, and Master Chapman allowed you to go speak with him as a treat for a job well done.

“That was amazing!” Venti shouts. “Did I really help you write that? I was hiding behind some curtains to listen and it was so amazing that I cried.” He grins so bright that you almost have to close your eyes. “I’m glad you liked it!” You say as you smile back. His happiness was contagious, and it didn’t help that you were completely smitten with him at this point. But alas, it was not meant to be.

Master Chapman called your name, letting you know that the Company would be leaving soon and that you’d have to come back within the next minute or two if you didn’t want to be left behind. Venti’s smile dims. “Are you sure you can’t stay?” He inquires. “Yes,” you sigh. “But who knows? Maybe I’ll see you again some day. But until then…” You trail off. He looks at you curiously, tilting his head again. Quickly, so as to not chicken out, you peck his check and run back to the Company.

“Until then!” You call out to him. The Company leaves as soon as you get there, so you’re not able to look back to see him. But if you could have, you would have seen him blushing as red as a rose, with a hand on his cheek where you kissed him. “Until then,” he whispers quietly. “I’ll make sure I’ll see you again.”

---

Years pass, and your apprenticeship ends. You make quite the name for yourself, and your song has worked wonders to heal the relationship between the people and their rules. Of course you write many more songs, but your first is always your favorite. Because he helped you write it. Many people have asked to court you, but you have turned them all down. Even after all these years, Venti the servant boy still holds your heart.

One day a messenger comes to speak with Ferdinand, bringing both good and bad news. Ferdinand calls the whole company together to share it. “Good friends, I’m sad to say that the King has passed away.” He announces, and the Company breaks into whispers and conversation. You think you may have even seen Gwenivere crying. “However, we have been invited to perform at Prince Barbatos’ coronation!”

This was wonderful news! Perhaps you could take this chance to see Venti again! You’d missed him dearly. But the more you thought about it, the more worried you became. Maybe he’d moved on and married someone else already. Would he still remember you? Will he want anything to do with you now? What if you didn’t like you and is upset about the kiss you gave him before you left?

You shake those thoughts out of your head and take a deep breath to calm yourself. Then you feel a hand clamp down on your shoulder and you must’ve jumped several feet in the air in your surprise because the person behind you burst into laughter. Embarrassed, you turn around to see Ferdinand, now laughing so hard that he was having trouble standing up.

“Yeah, yeah,” you grumble at him, good naturedly. “I’m sure startling me was very funny.” Finally calming down, Ferdinand gave you a great big smile. “It most certainly was,” he assured you. “But I didn’t come to you with the intention to startle you.” You raise an eyebrow as you continues. “I wanted to let you know that you were actually mentioned by name, so you may want to prepare something special.

Your jaw dropped. It wasn’t exactly uncommon for someone to be specifically named, but this was from the Prince himself! Still stunned, you nodded. “I’ll write the best song I can,” you promised him. “I’m sure you will,” he replied confidently. He didn’t stay long after that, just letting you know the basics of when the Company would be leaving and how soon the coronation would be.

As you travel you do your best to compose a song. However, you soon find yourself stuck. Your muse is gone again, just like it was the last time you went to the palace. Oh well, perhaps Venti could help you again. It would be wonderful to spend more time with him anyway, so you don’t worry too much about it.

The Company reaches the palace after a week of travel. You look for Venti in the gardens all day, but can’t find him anywhere. ‘Perhaps he got moved to working in the castle?’ You wonder to yourself. But either way, that meant he wouldn’t be able to help you write your song. So you sat down that night and did your best to compose.

It wasn’t really working, but you did your best. The next morning was chaotic, as the Company had been informed that the Prince himself would be coming out to welcome you all. You hurriedly joined in making the company camp look presentable and changed into your best clothing before going out to stand with everyone else.

The Prince was announced before the palace doors opened to reveal… Venti. Your eyes went wide and your jaw must have dropped to the ground. Those who were in the company before very carefully didn’t turn to look at you, though the newbies couldn’t help but look at you, confused. You quickly composed yourself as he scanned the crowd, though the smiles of some of his guards told you that your reaction did not go unnoticed.

It was very much him. The same dark hair with teal tipped braids. His eyes brightened as they met yours. He strode forward and the crowd parted before him. You were about to move as well until he stopped before you, fell to one knee, took one of your hands, and gently kissed it. Your face warmed again in a way that it hadn’t since you last saw him.

His eyes sparkled with mirth as he saw the look on your face. “Hello again,” he said gently. “Hi,” you squeaked. “It’s, uh, it’s good to see you again?” He laughed, “It’s good to see you again too. I know I kept my status a secret before, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth then, but could I ask you a question?”

“O-of course,” you respond. He smiles charmingly. “Will you marry me?” That’s it. You must’ve died and gone to heaven. Or maybe someone had put something in your breakfast. Or maybe he had the wrong person. You looked side to side to see if there was anyone else he could be talking to before you point to yourself. “M-me?” You ask, hesitantly. “You,” he says confidently. “I fell in love with you all those years ago, and I could never imagine myself with someone else.

“Though I would understand if you’re with someone else. It’s been so long and you’re so wonderful that you must have received many invitations to courtship.” A shy smile spreads across your face. “I have received many offers,” you admit, and his face falls a bit. “But I’ve turned them all down. My heart was taken years ago by my dear Venti the servant boy.”

You get down on your knees and kiss the hand that is holding yours. “I would love to marry you, if you’ll have me.” He smiles brighter than the sun. “Nothing would make me happier,” he declares, and he pulls you in for a kiss. You pull away for air and nuzzle your nose against his. “I do have one request though,” you continue. “Anything, my love,” he swears. “Court me properly first, please,” you request.

“I can do that,” he laughs as he pulls you in for a hug. “How about we start with having lunch together,” he whispers in your ear. “That sounds like a great plan,” you agree. He gives you another quick kiss before standing up, pulling you to your feet, and leading you back to the palace.

You ignore the whistles and applause of your Company as you follow him, grateful for their support but wanting to give your suitor all your attention. This was the first day of the rest of your life, and you wanted to appreciate every minute of it. And every minute was just as wonderful as you’d ever imagined.

As queen, you were able to bring the kingdom together and closer than ever before. The people loved their rulers because they knew their rulers dedicated themselves to them. And the rulers responded in kind. The war ended, peace prevailed, and you got your perfect happily ever after.

[wandasleftshoe]

Too Young Too Burn

Mobius x Female Reader

A/N: so my account was deleted lmao and this is a re-upload. this post was originally getting some likes so I decided to repost it, and hopefully this time my stuff doesn’t wack out. But for first time readers, this is my first ever fic lol! I was cracked out on nicotine and red bull when I wrote it, so it might be all over the place. alsooooo if any of u like this, I turned on my asks so feel free to request something! I’ll do any Marvel character, male/female/gender neutral, so feel free to ask lol turns out I enjoy writing

Word Count: 2.5k 

Triggers: bad language, kinda sort angst, a tragedy ending in suicide, death

It started off as a simple school boy crush.

She was a new member to the office, a new analyst that would train alongside Mobius, nothing was supposed to come of it but a friendly coworker relationship. (The only kind of relationship allowed in the office, the Time Lizards have sticks up their asses.) The first day he met her, she was in a standard TVA uniform, beige slacks and a button up shirt of another drab color. Though when she entered the room, an air of confidence came with her, sweeping him off his feet like something out of a Midgard fairytale. She was introduced to him as [y/n] [y/l], newest to the TVA’s section of analysts, preferring to study dangerous variants, much like himself. He was immediately taken by her attention to detail, he felt her eyes studying him the entire time his bosses boss introduced them to each other.

Her attention to detail, as mentioned before, was brought to his attention when she mentioned his hands fiddling with the hem of his blazer. She noted that he didn’t give off a nervous energy, but with the way his hands were going you would have thought that the boss had caught him doing something he wasn’t supposed to. As they continued their conversation, more and more was pointed out that he didn’t even notice himself; she seemed to be a perfect fit for his team.

Their first day consisted of standard paperwork and the general office tour, Mobius introduced her to his boss, Ravonna Renslayer, as well as a strew of other office members they pasted in the hall that Mobius could remember a name for. Let’s be real, he just rambled on so that he could try to forget how kindly she smiled at him and how her eyes twinkled when talking about the job at hand. He thought if he could get past the first day and the excitement of gaining a new coworker, the odd feeling creeping into his heart would go away.

As the day went on and he got to know his new coworker better, he believed the relationship would grow into an unstoppable workforce bond. As the nice coworker he is and to start this unstoppable force off right, he offered to buy her dinner at a restaurant not far from the office (totally not to hang out with her for a little while longer). The time they spent both at the office and eating dinner, Mobius couldn’t quite help but find this new girl fascinating and for lack of a better term, lovely.

But it was just a school boy crush, right?

Time went on, sooner rather than later, Mobius and [y/n] found themselves working together quite often on cases. New cases left and right, most of them being Loki variants, surprise surprise. The more difficult they grew, the more time Mobius spent with the (not so) new girl. Between late nights in the office and many almost death situations, the two found themselves becoming close friends amongst the sea of the neverending bureaucracy. Though still as before, he felt that odd feeling in his heart growing stronger each time she brought him his coffee just the way he liked it or added fuel to his jetski fantasies.

What solidified that feeling in his chest was the night he and [y/n] went on a smaller mission by themselves, July 29th, 1890.

It was a clear night, though somber, both knowing what was supposed to happen. The air was warm and the moon was shining bright over the quiet fields of Auvers-sur-Oise. No, they weren’t looking for a variant of Vincent, he did indeed die tragically in this nexus event. No, no, they were looking for the person who burned all of his paintings in a rage, hence throwing off the timeline. Without the paintings, no memory of Van Gogh would be left for the future, and that’s not how the Time Lizards wanted it to be. So they were there, under the melancholy skies of France.

It was taking longer than planned, they ended up having to spend the night in an old cabin near the edge of the old town. A slow fire burned in the den of the cabin where [y/n] was reading, while Mobius was trying to find some sort of food to keep the two of them from going to bed with their stomachs rumbling. To no avail, there was nothing in the abandoned cabin so he gave in and entered the den of the cabin. There, he was met with the serene and abnormally domestic [y/n] in front of him. Usually the new girl was like a chicken with it’s head cut off; running around the office to put her wild theories to the test or just the general hectic vibe that went along with their job that made her hair stick out on all sides of her head from her running her hands through it in frustration. But this scene sitting quietly in front of him was something he didn’t know he wanted in his life. She was sitting on the ancient furniture with a book in her hands, hair down and surrounding her face in a way that made his heart palpitate. She was relaxed for once, not an ounce of stress weighing on her shoulders as she immersed herself in the world of whatever book she found on the old shelves. He could even see that her work shirt was untucked and her shoes were off, showing off her mix matched socks. He didn’t even know mix matched socks were a thing, but she pulled them off perfectly.

She looked up when he hadn’t said anything for a solid 4 and a half minutes, he was too busy taking in the scene in front of him to notice he was just open mouth staring at her. It didn’t bother her really, though silence with Mobius around was quite unheard of, so she filled it.

“Suis-je trop vieux pour alimenter cette passion et la laisser me consumer - ou suis-je encore trop jeune pour savoir quels dommages cela fera?”

“I’m sorry, w-what?”

“Am I too old to throw fuel onto this passion and let it consume me — or am I still too young to know what damage that will do?” She said again, in english this time. She knew he could understand her, everyone in the TVA could speak and understand a multitude of languages. She just wanted to see what his reaction would be when she said it to him. “It’s a quote from this diary. The person who wrote it was in their mid 20s when they did this entry, they’re writing of their partner. They were in love, but poor and couldn’t afford to be married. The writer got an offer to marry into a wealthy family, but they turned it down, hoping for everything to work out in the end.”

The explanation of the words she spoke before hit Mobius a little harder than they should have, the author of the diary was caught between a rock and hard place. Much like he found himself in right now, even if he refused to believe it before tonight. Seeing the domestic life he could have right in front of him made his head spin, his heart hurt, and his love for his job lessen a bit. He was grateful to the Time Lizards for creating him, for giving him the life he has in the TVA, but seeing what life could be like on Earth startled him. He didn’t know he wanted it until it was right in front of him, taunting him like a cat chasing a laser light. A life on Earth, with the girl sitting right in front of him; that was all he wanted. Jetski be damned (not really, he would love to have a jetski alongside this lifestyle). Even if he couldn’t live a normal life on the Sacred Timeline, he wanted to be with her. After all this time getting to know her and the little details of her soul between official meetings and paperwork piles, he finally realized what that feeling was in this moment.

But he knew it could never happen. Not here, not in the TVA. It simply wasn’t allowed. So he swallowed his feelings, but he never forgot that sweet, peaceful night. They talked, laughed, and even cried together that night, both of them tucking that memory in their hearts and reliving it in times when they most missed the feeling they didn’t know they could miss.

Again, time passed from that night in France, they did eventually catch the variant and reset the timeline. After, they only grew closer as the late nighter grew later and newer, tougher missions appeared on their radar. Their biggest being the Loki variant killing more and more Minute Men, and the case was beginning to take a turn. They brought in a new Loki variant, one front 2012 just after the attack on New York. He was cunning and a very good liar, but he grew on both Mobius and [y/n]. It wasn’t long before they actually found the dangerous Loki variant with 2012 Loki on their side, but he betrayed them and followed the other Loki into the portal, losing both a friend and a lead.

This devastated Mobius, it was his last chance to prove to the Time Lizards that their Loki could be trusted, that he was changing and doing good for the TVA. But he’s a Loki, and they all should have guessed something was going to happen. But they guessed what would happen next.

They found the two variants, out of sheer luck in the Lamentis apocalypse. When both were brought in, it wasn't long before all hell let loose. Mobius found out the TVA was actually just made up of variants, they were all variants, and none of this was what it had been told to them. It was all lies. At first it gutted him, he didn’t believe Loki, but after some snooping, he found out they weren’t lying. Then, hope sparked in his chest. Life without the TVA meant, eventually, he could live out his domestic dream. With the girl of his dreams, [y/n].

With the (fragile) trust in Loki and hope in his heart for a new life with [y/n], he flew into action. He busted Loki out of the loop he had originally put him in, and swapping his Tempad with Renslayer, he now had the proof that Loki was telling the truth. With this renewed faith in his friend, he was going to expose the truth to everyone. They had a right to know, they had a right to their former memories. They had a right to free will.

Only, he didn’t get that far. Suddenly, he and Loki were being escorted to Renslayers office. If there’s one thing about Mobius, he had good intuition, and the feeling he had in his gut was telling him something was very wrong. Of course Renslayer knew he switched their Tempads, he knew he wouldn’t have much time, but it felt like only a matter of minutes before he was caught. He didn’t even have time to go find [y/n] and explain to her what was going on, he didn’t have time to tell her his feelings, and he knew he was going to get pruned if Renslayer found out before he could spread the truth.

But once he stepped into Renslayer’s office, the feeling in his gut froze, sending goosebumps all over his body.

Not only were he and Loki standing in the middle of her office, but so was [y/n]. She was thrashing against G-17, who had her in a chokehold. The scene made his blood boil, [y/n] had no idea what was going on, she was innocent. The thought of anything happening to her gutted him, he wasn’t going to let that happen.

“I uh, I think I grabbed yours by mistake,” he starts out, trying to get out of this smoothly, but he knew Renslayer was going to take that obvious lie, he was no god of mischief. She gave him a cold look that only the devil himself could forge, and ordered D-90 to take the Tempad from him, shaking her head at Mobius in disappointment.

“Mobius, what’s going on?” [y/n] asked, her voice wasn’t faltering, but her usually confident demeanor was gone. She was worried, she knew something bad was going to happen, she knew something was going on with the two variants, it just hadn’t been disclosed how fucked the situation was. All Mobius wanted to do was take her away from this place and tell her what she meant to him. Before anything could happen to him.

“Tell her, Mobius. Tell her how you’ve betrayed the TVA and joined forces with the two Loki Variants. Tell her how you betrayed her trust,” Renslayer says with a silver tongue, looking coldly at not only Loki (the usual) but also Mobius, a look he’s never received from her before on any other occasion than a joke. He could feel his time ticking away, he could only stall so much and there was nothing left to stall. All he had was the truth.

“Look, [y/n], they’re all lying to us. We’re all variants, all of us, they took us from the Timeline. This place- this place isn’t what we think it is.” He says, begging her with his voice to believe him. In all the time they’ve known each other, this is the first time he’s begged her. Though he didn’t need to, [y/n] trusted Mobius with her whole being. Time and time again, she’s saved his ass and he hers. They were bonded in a way she didn’t know was humanly possible, she knew he wouldn’t lie to her. She felt it in her soul he was telling the truth.

“I believe you.” Her voice was soft, even in this terrifying moment, she still found a way to calm him with a gentle smile even as she was being held by the throat.

But that was all taken away when he saw the pointed end of the pruning stick going through her. A guttural roar that escaped him was animalistic, loud enough that surely the entirety of the TVA heard it. Her body was thrown to the ground by D-90, and it took every Minute Men in the room to hold Mobius back from Renslayer. That was it, his whole future ripped away from him right before his eyes, and he didn’t even get to tell her every secret feeling he held for her. No promises of the future they could have together without the TVA. There was nothing left.

He didn’t even hear Renslayer telling one of the Minute Men to prune him through his weeping, and before he knew it, a searing pain took over him.

[keigoslovebird]

Three’s Company

Pairing: Sakusa x Atsumu x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Manga spoilers and aged up characters, but that’s it. It’s very soft

Genre: Fluff

Word count: 2.5k

Author’s note: This is just something short and sweet that I wrote for a friend who wanted some fluffy Sakatsu. I realized there’s not much on this blog, so I wanted to upload a little something. A much longer Ushijima fic will be coming soon, so enjoy this little taste for now~

It’s nearing the end of the volleyball season and the Black Jackals are finishing up one of their final practices. This season has been one of the best in the team’s history, so they’ve decided to go out for dinner to celebrate.

Bokuto is still sweaty and out of breath when he claps a hand on Atsumu’s shoulder. “Hey Tsum-Tsum, is your girlfriend still coming to dinner tonight?”

“Sure is!” Atsumu confirms, smiling and giving him a thumbs up.

He shouts across the court to the man who’s quickly retreating to the showers. “You have a girlfriend too right, Sakusa?” Sakusa stops and turns to nod to him. “Will she be there?”

“Yes, she will.” 

Their teammates don’t notice the knowing look he exchanges with Atsumu.

“Great! We all get to meet both of your girlfriends tonight!” Hinata exclaims, his eyes shining with excitement.

“Yeah. Both.” 

--

You’re standing in the kitchen of your shared apartment, questioning your boyfriends with your hands on your hips. “You still haven’t told them?”

The taller of the two speaks first. “Why should we? Our personal lives aren’t any of their business.” 

You sigh, running a hand through your hair. “Omi, you know how some people react to relationships like ours.”

Atsumu reaches his arms out, a wordless gesture for you to come to him. You do, of course. “Babe what they think doesn’t matter,” he says, nuzzling the top of your head with his cheek. “The only people’s opinions who matter are standing right here.”

You nestle deeper into his broad chest. “I know, but… What if they don’t like me? What if they don’t like me with you, with both of you?” When you look up, both of your partners are looking at you with soft, reassuring eyes. 

“They will love you, we know they will. You’re so smart and beautiful and funny and you keep the both of us grounded.”

Sakusa brings your hand to his lips, gently kissing your knuckles. “Not that their opinion matters anyway. We love you and nothing they have to say will change how we feel.” It’s rare for him to speak so openly and poetically but when he does, it’s just what you need to hear.

--

Atsumu drives you to the restaurant, you in the passenger seat and Sakusa in the backseat. He initially protested when he was told he’d have to sit in the back, insisting that he’d drive by himself and meet everyone there. He eventually caved when the blonde told him how funny it will be when you all arrive together. 

Atsumu had also stolen his keys so he was forced to ride with you anyway.

When you pull up to the fancy restaurant your heart is in your throat and you’re nervously bouncing your leg. The man sitting next to you places his hand on your knee, stilling your anxious movements.

“Babe, don’t be nervous,” Atsumu reassures you, “They’re not nearly as intimidating as they seem.”

That’s when you spot a man, who you recognize is Bokuto, walking down the sidewalk. You assume it’s him based on all the times Sakusa has calls him a dumb owl with stupid hair. The rest of the team is following right behind him, each of the members looking more massive and daunting than the last. Each of them towers over the crowd of people, with the exception of the slightly smaller man with orange hair. Seeing them all in the flesh for the very first time causes insecurity to brew in your chest, feeling small and inadequate compared to the men who seem so much larger than life. They're so strong and talented and accomplished and successful and—.

Sakusa reaches for your hand from the backseat, lacing his long fingers with yours. “Everything will be fine. Don’t worry so much, alright?” You nod sheepishly and take a deep breath to steady your nerves and your racing heart.

The three of you step out of the car, making your way towards the restaurant together. When you enter, you aren’t looking where you’re going and end up smacking straight into a broad, muscular back. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” You squeak, bowing and sputtering apologies as fast as you can. 

The massive wall of a man turns, giving you a reassuring smile. “That’s quite alright. Don’t worry, I’m used to it.”

Atsumu comes up from behind you and offers his hand to the man, grinning. He takes it, giving your boyfriend a firm handshake. “Captain, fancy seeing you here.” He wraps a long arm around your waist, pulling you toward him. “I see you’ve already acquainted yourself with my lovely girlfriend,” he says, rubbing your shoulder affectionately. He turns to you, “Babe, this is Meian, the captain of the team.”

Meian bows at you and you return his gesture of acknowledgement. “It’s nice to meet you, Meian. Sorry for bumping into you again,” you say, rubbing the back of your head sheepishly.

Suddenly, there’s a flurry of activity and an outburst of shouts that makes you jump. Bokuto elbows his way through his team members, his spiky hair coming into view before his face.

“Hey hey hey! No fair Captain, I wanted to be the first one to meet Tsum-Tsum’s girlfriend!” He whines, pouting at his senior.

Atsumu pats him on the shoulder to try to calm him down. “Now, now Bokkun. Everyone on the team gets to meet her so it doesn’t matter who meets her first.”

You nod, bowing in his direction to introduce yourself. “Hello Bokuto, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” You look over at your boyfriend, smiling.  “Atsumu has told me so much about you.” 

Bokuto puts Atsumu in a one-armed headlock, giving him a noogie. “All good things I hope!”

You giggle as your boyfriend wrestles out of Bokuto’s grip, grumbling about his hair as he fixes it. “Of course!” you insist cheerily. 

Hinata, Inunaki, and the rest of the Black Jackals introduce themselves, names and respectful bows passed among your group.

All eyes snap to Sakusa as he makes his way through the mass of bodies, face twisted in disgust at how densely packed the restaurant is. “Sorry, I left something in the car.” He thrusts his hand at you, offering you your purse. “You forgot this in there too.” You gingerly take it from his outstretched hand, bracing yourself from the flurry of questions that are sure to erupt.

“Oh Omi-san, you drove here with them?” Hinata asks and Sakusa makes a noise of agreement. He suddenly gasps, “Did you make your girlfriend drive here alone!?”

Sakusa sighs and shakes his head. “Not quite,” he replies, bending down to give you a kiss on the cheek. You go ramrod straight, a furious blush spreading across your cheeks.

You can feel the shockwave that ripples through the whole team, each member trying to figure out what’s going on.

“Omi-omi you finally made it! You really like to make us wait, don’t you?” Atsumu teases, planting a smooch on Sakusa’s cheek. He sighs, patting the blonde’s hand.

“I just had to get something from the car. I wasn’t trying to make anyone wait on me.”

You’re holding your breath, anticipating some sort of disgusted reaction from at least one of their friends at your unorthodox relationship. Your heart is thudding in your ears and you can feel how sweaty your palms are.

“Ohh I see what’s going on. Sakusa, Atsumu, and this fine little lady here are what’s called a manager of trost!” Bokuto exclaims, a confident look on his face.

Sakusa clears his throat. “I think the word you’re looking for is a ménage à trois.” He pinches the bridge of his nose for a moment, exhaling loudly. “It’s a crude way of putting it but I suppose that’s one way of explaining it.” 

Hinata’s eyes are bulging so hard you’re afraid they’ll pop out of his head. “Wait, hold on. Wait a minute. Hold up. Wait. I need a minute.” The three of you watch as the gears in his head slowly turn, trying to process this new information. “So you’re—” he starts.

Sakusa quickly cuts him off, simply giving a curt, “Yes.” He’s used to these types of reactions by now.

Pointing at Atsumu, Hinata attempts to connect another dot. “And he’s—” 

“Yup,” Atsumu replies, dramatically popping the ‘p.’ 

He gestures in your direction, waving his arms around haphazardly, almost smacking Bokuto in the face. “And you three are—” 

Atsumu grins and wraps an arm around each of your shoulders, hugging you and Sakusa to him. “That’s right! We're polygamists.”

Sakusa corrects him, rolling his eyes. “You mean polyamorus, Atsumu.”

Atsumu releases him and waves his hand dismissively. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever, same thing.” 

“They are most definitely not the same thing,” he grumbles under his breath.

Hinata turns to you, a serious look on his face. “So when you three cuddle at night, who’s the little spoon and who’s the big spoon?”

You nearly burst out laughing at how earnest he looks, eagerly awaiting your response so he can learn the logistics of three-way cuddling. You internally let out a breath of relief, thankful the team’s reaction seems so positive. “Ah, well, it changes. Sometimes I sleep between them, sometimes Omi spoons Tsumu and I spoon Omi. It depends on how we’re all feeling.”

For the next several minutes Hinata bombards you with question after question about the arrangements in a polyamorus relationship, including, but not limited to, who wears the pants, who cooks and who does the dishes, and who chooses what to watch on Netflix. His seemingly endless interrogation begins to exhaust you, but you do your best to answer all of his questions. Sakusa can sense you’re getting overwhelmed and puts his hand out in front of you, shielding you slightly with his body.

“That’s quite enough, Hinata,” he cautions, “If you have any more questions you can ask me.” The warning look in his eye says otherwise and Hinata visibly bristles, sensing Sakusa’s silent threat if he keeps bothering you. 

Hinata repeatedly bows in apology, clasping his hands together in a pleading gesture. “I-I’m really sorry if I was rude! I didn’t mean to offend y-you,” he stammers.

You’re flustered by his sudden change in demeanor, waving your hands emphatically and trying to get him to stand back up. “It’s okay! I know you don’t mean any harm, don’t worry. You can stop bowing now.”

You silently thank the forces above when the hostess calls your party to be seated, saving you from having to endure more the interaction that was quickly going south. Everyone takes a seat at a large table, all engaged in lively conversation as menus are passed around. You’re seated between your boyfriends, Sakusa to your left and Atsumu to your right. Bokuto is directly in front of you and Hinata is right next to him, both involved in a slightly too loud debate about whether or not ketchup is soup.

The waiter comes around and takes everyone’s food and drink orders and you’re appreciative that the attention has shifted from you to old stories from some of the team’s high school days.

Hinata reveals that Bokuto almost kidnapped him from their training camp one year by convincing him the Fukurodani bus was actually the Karasuno bus. He had been so tired and exhausted that he listened, not questioning why the entire Fukurodani team would be on the bus headed back to Miyagi. They had made it a couple miles down the road before Suzumeda noticed the redhead sleeping in the back of the bus, immediately notifying the bus driver so he could turn back around before the Karasuno team left. He made it back just in time, narrowly avoiding being stranded in Tokyo but unable to avoid Sugawara’s lecture about being more aware of his surroundings. 

Bokuto pouts, insisting he didn’t mean to steal Hinata away from his team, he just wanted to borrow him for a bit. 

The spiky-haired man eventually sets his eyes on you, propping his head up on his hands. “So whose dick is the biggest? My money is on ‘ol mask face over there but I’ve never been able to confirm because he’s such a stickler that he showers and gets dressed before we even get to the locker room!” 

Stunned by such a bold question, you stay silent for a moment, a slightly horrified expression on your face. Once you recover, you dodge his question by asking about how he styles his hair every morning and he takes the bait with enthusiasm, immediately sharing the various products he uses and stresses how it’s so important to deep condition.  

As Bokuto goes off on a tangent about scalp health you nudge Sakusa with your elbow, leaning over and whispering, “Are they always like this?”

Sakusa gives you a pained look. “Yes, they are.”

A few hours go by, dinner filled with laughs, more stories, and even a few tears when the men recall some of the tough times they had. Soon yawns and the rubbing of tired eyes becomes contagious, signaling everyone’s desire to go home and sleep. Once checks and cards are exchanged and each tab is paid, each person at the table looks ready to take their leave.

Sakusa stands and clears his throat. “I think it’s about time we headed home. Are you both ready?” he asks, looking at you and Atsumu. You both nod and get up to join him, others following your lead and heading toward the exit. Everybody lingers in the parking lot for a few minutes to exchange goodbyes, patting each other on the back and saying they’ll see them at practice on Monday.

Your boyfriends lead you to the car, each of their hands on your waist. Atsumu opens your door for you and gives you a kiss on the cheek before you get in, a dreamy look on his face. Once all three of your doors close you let out a tired sigh and lean your head on the headrest.

“I know babe, but you did so well tonight. I could tell they all really loved you, especially Hinata!” Atsumu smiles from the driver’s seat, patting your thigh lovingly. 

Sakusa huffs from behind you, “A little too much if you ask me.”

You turn to look at him, giggling. “Omi are you jealous?”

He crosses his arms, sulkily looking out the window. “I’m not jealous, he was just too enthusiastic.”

The drive home is peaceful, all of you too tired to carry on any sort of conversation. 

When you get to your apartment, you and Atsumu simply strip out of your clothes and flop into bed, Sakusa joining you after he brushes his teeth and takes a shower.

“You had nothing to worry about. You definitely charmed them,” Atsumu murmurs, dangling on the precipice of sleep. You cuddle further into his side so you’re firmly sandwiched between your boyfriends.

“For once Atsumu is right, you really had no reason to worry they wouldn’t like you,” Sakusa adds, wrapping his arm around your middle.

You hum contentedly, hugging the both of them tightly. “I love you both so much, you know that right?”

Sakusa kisses your shoulder. “I love you too, sweetness.”  

You wait a few seconds before realizing Atsumu is asleep, snoring softly. Giggling, you close your eyes and fall asleep quickly, comforted by the two solid, reassuring bodies next to you.

[i-stan-nct-and-satan]

Not Broken Part 15 (Jaehyun Mafia AU)

Jaehyun X Reader

Not Broken Masterlist

Y/N is a burlesque dancer living in Seoul. Jaehyun is one of the most powerful mafia men in Seoul. How will Y/N survive when Jaehyun suspects that she is involved with a rival gang?

Reasons to read this story: Ten’s a cross-dressing madam so….. yeah read it ya freaks.

This chapter is dedicated to @rinzennie​ who designed a lovely banner for the Not Broken Masterlist. Thank you so much for your support!

Trigger warning: Mentions of abuse. Light depictions of self harm and suicide 

Taeyong led us into the parlor room where Jeno was already waiting for us along with two other staff members.  

Mere moments after we arrived, we heard the sounds of an approaching car engine. Jeno nodded at Taeyong and then towards the two staff members who quickly positioned themselves in front of the two large entrance doors.  

Taeyong leaned in before whispering, “Don’t look so nervous. You’ll be fine.”

I nodded, grateful for his words of encouragement though my nerves were anything but soothed.

As the two men opened the doors, bright ribbons of light began to shine violently through the increasing gap. After having spent several days cooped up inside, my eyes were more irritated than appreciative towards the unanticipated blast of vitamin d.  

Before my eyes could fully adjust to the light, both Taeyong and Haechan were gone from my side. Once I caught a glimpse of their vanishing figures, I began to follow shortly behind.  

“Mrs. Lee! What a pleasure it is to see you!” Taeyong greeted, opening the door of the sleek black Hyundai.

Despite it being bright out, I was unable to even see anything except darkness stirring from within the car. When Taeyong extended his hand out, I realized why that was the case. A black glove covered hand reached out towards Taeyong’s, only instead of accepting the gesture, it handed him a large black leather bag. Taeyong was caught off guard by the action and almost fell forward from the abrupt weight he had been entrusted with holding. I instinctively took a step forward, intent on helping him out but Haechan held me in place by my arm.

“Watch, you’re not gonna wanna miss this,” He chuckled, a wicked grin etched on his face.  

A thin figure dressed head to toe in black slowly emerged from the expensive car which sported a similar hue.  

I didn’t know what I was expecting, but I definitely wasn’t expecting this.  

Her outfit looked like that of a 19th century widower still mourning the loss of her husband... but sexy?  

Crushed velvet wrapped itself around her curvy frame. The dress’s hovered only a few inches above the pavement. Every inch of her skin was covered, but by a fabric so tight I could easily see the Madam owning such an ensemble. Everything except for the hat at least, which was draped in a loose charcoal colored netting that covered the wearer’s face completely.  

I watched as she pulled the netting away from her face, lifting it to reveal a face much younger than I had been expecting. From the looks of it, she couldn’t have been older than 36, even though that couldn’t be the case as Jaehyun was 22. That’s when I remembered that Jaehyun was adopted when he was eight years old, so it wasn’t impossible for her to only be in her mid-thirties.  

She looked around, paying no mind to Taeyong as he continued to greet her. When her eyes caught sight of Jeno unloading her bags, she cried out his name.  

“Jeno!”  

Jeno had just finished setting down a rather large suitcase when he was ambushed by the former lady of the house. I watched her pull the taller towards her, causing him to stumble into her embrace.  

“Oh, how I’ve missed you!” She squealed, only allowing him to withdraw from her arms so she could get a good look at him.

“Goodness, Jeno! You’ve lost so much weight! Your cheeks are practically concave!”  

Her hands reached out to grab at the fleshy tissue which was painted red with embarrassment. I couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. I wondered how anyone could ever look at Jeno and see someone who was slowly withering away.  

Despite his flustered state, Jeno smiled at the woman, his eyes disappearing into little crescents.  

“How are you Mrs. Lee? It’s been quite a while since we last spoke.”

“Mrs. Lee?! Jeno, I needn’t remind you again. I will not be referred to by my former title, especially not by you.  I am no longer the lady of the house and nor is my late husband the current master. Thus, I shall not be referred to by hisfamily name. Let the staff know that I shall only be addressed with my given name, Ho. You, however, are family. You may call me by either of my first names.”

“Ah. Yes, Hyun-ju.” Jeno corrected himself.

There was something off about her voice, something I couldn’t quite place. While her manner of speaking wasrefined in nature, her nasally accent made her sound more thuggish in a way. Despite the apparent roughness in her tone, I found it almost comforting in a way I didn’t understand. It felt familiar.  

“How are things going with that that boyfriend of yours? Is he adjusting well to working with the children?” She whispered to Jeno.

Jeno nodded.  

“I had yours and Mr. Lee’s old bedroom prepared for your arrival,” Taeyong announced, interrupting their reunion.

“Why on earth would you think I’d want to sleep in a room filled with reminders of my late husband? I mean really, Taeyong. Use your head for once!”

“Ah. Sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” Taeyong apologized sheepishly.

“I will be staying in one of the guest rooms in the north wing so that I can be near my daughter-in-law. Now, where is she?”  

Haechan’s elbow dug into my side reinforcing that I had been summoned.  

To say that I was nervous would have been an understatement. If I wanted Jaehyun to keep his word, I’d have to make as good of an impression as I could on.  

“Hello,” I quietly greeted, drawing her attention to my presence.  

The woman slowly strutted towards me, pausing to take in my appearance I as I had done with hers. Her cold eyes were somehow more frightening than even her son’s. I didn’t know that such a stare could be passed down from parent to child, especially those who lacked common blood.

I held my breath, sure that I had already somehow managed to spoil her first impression of me. I braced myself for whatever cold response was coming my way when her eyes began to crinkle.  

She was smiling. No, not just smiling; she was laughing.  

“Oh sweetie, don’t look so scared! I don’t bite! And speak up, will you? I know you can, us being cut from the same cloth and all.”

Suddenly, it became clear as to why her voice sounded so familiar.  

“You’re American?” I asked, making sure to speak clearly.  

“Born in N’York but grew up on the streets of Jersey. At least till’ I got a nice gig here in Seoul. H’bout you? Where ya from?”  

I was taken aback when Mrs. Ho’s formal Korean was suddenly replaced with crass English. I was so caught off guard that I could only gawk at her in response.

“What’s wrong with ya? Cat got ya tongue?”

I swallowed before responding in English.

“Oh, umm. I moved around a lot, but I guess you could say I grew up in Colorado.”

I became aware that Mrs. Ho was smacking her gum as she listened. I explained the states that I had lived in, heronly interjecting to say, “uh huh,” “yeah,” or “I see.” When I was done, she looked at me expectantly.  

“Yes?” I asked, still nervous.

“Well, go on then.”

I stared blankly.

Mrs. Ho rolled her eyes, though telling from the smirk on her face, she seemed more amused than annoyed.

“Introduce ya’self. Tell me ya name.”  

“Oh! Umm.”

“Come on now, spit it out. I ain’t got all day.”

“Y/N,” I finally answered.

“Y/N, huh? Well, you can call me by my English name, Jessi.”

I hesitated, unsure whether it was really okay for me to refer to her so casually.  

“Why? What’s the matter? Don't tell me ya surprised. We’re family now after all.”

“Oh, okay.”  

Wow she really has a lot of names.  

“Great, now that that’s settled.”

Jessi turned back towards the car where Jeno and Taeyong were standing idly by.  

“Taeyong, bring my bags to my room,” She ordered, switching back to Korean.

“Mrs. Lee- I mean, Hyun-ju, I can bring your bags in,” Jeno vocalized.

A relieved look spread across Taeyong’s features.  

“Nonesense! Jeno, honey, you and I need to go over the plans for this week. Let Taeyong do it, he could use a bit of weight training.”

“PFFFFT!”  

Haechan struggled to maintain his composure as a string of muffled giggles escaped from the short male.  

“This is going to be a hell of a week, isn’t it, Y/N?”  

<><><>

Haechan led me back to my room while Mrs. Ho, or Jessi as she told me to call her, got settled in. A few hours later Jeno came by to inform me that I had been summoned to her room. As we walked, Jeno took the time to give me advice on how to get along with the former lady of the house and also to quiz me on my backstory.  

“She says that she wants to get to know you before jumping straight into matters regarding the wedding,” Jeno informed me.

When we got to the door, Jeno knocked a few times before entering.  

The room was smaller than what I had anticipated. It was still much larger than the bedroom I was staying in, but I couldn’t imagine that Jaehyun’s mother would turn down the master bedroom in favor of more modest accommodations. The bed was littered in neatly folded clothing, which Jessi was currently organizing into drawers. Though she was well aware that we had entered the room, Jessi continued to place the articles one by one into the dresser as we stood and watched.  

Once the top drawer was closed shut, she turned to face us.  

“Sorry about that, I guess I still had a bit more unpacking to do when I asked you to come.”

“It’s no bother,” I replied humbly.  

Jessi hummed in approval before switching her focus onto Jeno.  

“Jeno, do be a sweetheart and leave us ladies to engage in a bit of gossip.”

She smiled sweetly at Jeno who nodded before making a swift exit from the room.  

It was just us now.  

Jessi gestured towards a nearby chair which I promptly sat in. Instead of sitting in the chair across mine, she began to walk away.  

“Now I know that you were probably nervous to meet me and that you probably just as nervous now,” She spoke using the same formal manner she used earlier,

She paused, glancing back at me expectantly.  

“Oh, um I-” I couldn’t help but stutter.  

“Oh, no. I understand completely. It can be a daunting thing, meeting your mother-in-law. Let me assure you that I am very much impressed with what I’ve seen so far. I mean, why wouldn’t I be? You’re beautiful, polite although a bit tense, and anyone who can manage to win my Jaehyun’s heart has to be interesting. Plus, I heard from Taeyong, that you’re more than willing to challenge him when you see fit.”  

I allowed myself to relax a bit.

“That’s always a good thing in my book,” She chuckled.

“Thank you,” I replied, feeling more at ease with myself.

“But...”

My eyes widened; my relief short-lived.  

Uh oh.

“But I must say that I find performative niceties to be more tiring than charming.”

Jessi pulled her purse from the ground and began walking back towards me.

“If you plan on putting on a façade to earn my approval, then you won’t get it. Agreeable people bore me.”

Jessi pushed the open chair closer to mine so that when she finally sat down, her knees were mere inches away from mine.  

“I want to get to know who’s really marrying my Jaehyun, not who you think I want marrying him.”

My heart felt like it was sinking deeper and deeper into my wounded ribcage. She opened her bag, reached inside,and grabbed onto something choosing to not yet free it from its leather confines.

“So, I guess what I’m asking is...” She began pulling out a bottle of Jack Daniels.

“Are ya gonna waste my time? Or are we gonna have a real honest drink?”

<><><><>

“Wait really?!”

“Really! I swear it’s true! When Louis died, none of us had the heart to tell him, so we just adopted a new cat and told Jaehyun that Louis had a rare condition that made his fur change color.”

I guess that’s why Taeyong told me not to pick the name Loius when he offered to get me a cat.

“Wait so did he ever figure it out?”

Jessi took another swig from the Jack bottle before bursting into laughter.

“That’s the thing. The first time we did it, Jaehyun was 9 years old,” She revealed.  

“The first time?” I gawked, unable to keep myself from joining in on the laughter.

“Louis number two got into a scrap with a stray dog and lost. Damn, I shouldn’t be laughing. That’s not the funny part, the funny part was that after three days after Louis went missing, Jaehyun came rushing into the kitchen shouting ‘I found Louis, his fur changed color again!’ The boy was 13!”

The two of us toppled over one another drowning in our own laughter. As the conversation went on and the liquor bottle became lighter, Jessi and I found ourselves entangled in each other on the floor. I didn’t know what I was expecting, but I never thought meeting my future mother-in-law would go like this.  

“So, what happened then?” I asked, pleading for her to go on.

“We kept the cat for a week before missing cat posters starting poppin’ up all over the neighborhood. Ji-eun and I considered buying a new cat and just telling him that his fur changed again, but Sooman decided that it was time for Jaehyun to grow up. The poor boy, he was always a sensitive one, but ya could tell he was holding back in front of his father.“

“Sensitive? Jaehyun? Please, there isn’t a sensitive bone in-”  

I stopped myself, worried about what possible reaction she could have to me badmouthing her son, the man I was supposed to be “in love with,” but when I looked at her, she had on a soft smile.  

“I know that Jaehyun can be a hardass sometimes, but would you believe me if I told you he wasn’t always like this?”

Without waiting for my response, Jessi stood up from the floor, leaving the Jack bottle behind. She walked over to the nightstand and picked up a small picture frame.

“I’m sure you’re aware of this, but from the moment we signed the adoption papers, Jaehyun’s fate was sealed. He was to be the future of NCT. Although Sooman was already thirty-four at that point, I was only twenty-four years old, not much older than you. I tried to give him as much love as a mother could give, but Sooman was focused more on being his mentor than on being his father.” She explained, switching back to formal Korean  

She lifted the frame in order to get a better look at it, smiling as she did so.

“You know, sometimes Ji-eun seemed more suited for the role of successor than he was, not that it mattered. You see the Mobb world is one ruled by outdated values,” She continued, handing me the frame.  

“This was before Jisung and Chenle joined our family.”  

It was a simple family portrait, the picture itself was no bigger than a postcard. There were four people in the photo. I recognized one of the subjects to be Sooman. I only knew what he looked like because of the few pictures of him I came across within the estate. Nothing about him particularly stood out to me. He looked like a normal middle-aged Korean man. His hair wasn’t dyed an unnatural color like his son’s was, nor did he have the most handsome features.  

Also, in the picture was a younger looking Jessi and a much younger looking Jaehyun holding in his arms what I assumed to be Louis number two. I took notice of the small divots that centered his cheeks. His face was much chubbier than it was now and his body much less developed. From what I could tell he must have been around thirteen years old at the time the photo was taken. Standing next to him was a young girl much taller than he but seemed to be only a few years older.  

IU.

Despite hearing about IU from a few of the members, I hadn’t ever seen any pictures of her around the house. The only time I had ever seen her face was after it had been bloodied and beaten, the night I met Lucas.  

She was a very beautiful young girl. She wrapped one of her arms around her brother’s shoulder in a manner that seemed protective in nature. They all smiled in the picture, but her smile was the brightest.  

They looked happy.  

“Jaehyun was a sweet child, although he was quite the troublemaker. Ji-eun on the other hand was so well behaved, it was almost heartbreaking. She was well aware that her adoption was a product of Sooman’s wishes to find an heir so she did whatever she could to keep from being a bother. I wish she would have acted out just a little bit though, just so that I could have shown that my love for her wasn’t conditional.”

Jessi pressed her back against the wall and slid back down to the floor where I was sitting. We both leaned against the wall staring off into space. She continued to speak, while I continued to quietly listen.  

“Her and Jaehyun were inseparable at first. He relied on her to communicate for him since he still struggled with his speech. We hired speech therapists, language teachers, psychologists, you name it, but he still wouldn’t say a word unless he was whispering it into his Ji-eun's ear. In the end, it was her who got him to start speaking. I don’t know how she did it, but she did. After that, he slowly became more independent. Even then, they were still closer than twins. He was a bit of a crybaby if you can believe it, which obviously didn’t please my husband. He wanted nothing more than for Jaehyun to be the cold-hearted fighter that he was at that age but Jaehyun had no interest in the family business; he wanted to be an idol.”

I felt more confused than surprised. Were we really talking about the same Jaehyun? It seemed like every time Jaehyun’s childhood was brought up, young Jaehyun was described as the total antithesis to the man I knew.  

“An idol? Like a Kpop star?”  

“Yes, exactly. Jaehyun always had an interest in music. I used to catch him sneaking out at night to go busking in Hongdae. Luckily his father never found out about that.”

Jessi let out a long drawn out sigh as she stared at the Jack bottle. Although we both made a significant dent in it, neither of us were more than a tipsy at most. Probably for the best since Jeno came by to remind us that there was going to be a formal dinner to welcome the former lady of the house.  

“When Jaehyun had just turned 14, he asked Ji-eun to give him idol makeup. Sooman was furious when he walked in on them. I told him that it was harmless fun, but all he could focus on was the fact that the future of his organization was playing makeup. After that, Sooman practically threw him into the family business, forcing him on his first mission just a few weeks later.”

Jessi laughed.

“Men, right?” She joked in English, giving me a glance.  

“He thought the mission would toughen him up a bit, ya know, teach him some responsibility. The mission was different from what NCT was used to. Basically, they were trying to in smuggle guns using fishermen’s boats. Jaehyun was supposed to stand watch by the docks. Sooman gave him a tranquilizer gun and a walkie talkie, told him to stun anyone who might be poking their nose in the wrong place then to let everyone know.”

I quirked my head to the side wondering why her story sounded so familiar, like I had somehow heard it before.  

“Well, you might have guessed it, but someone did come by. Instead of doing what he was instructed, Jaehyun got scared and hid under a table. The poor boy was scared beyond belief. He didn’t want to give away his position by talking into the walkie talkie, so the guy ended up walking into the middle of everything and the whole mission blew up. A few men were killed either by the dock guards themselves or the police who came shortly after. Over twenty of our men were arrested, most of which were from Wayv.”

“Oh my god!”  

Surprised by my outburst, Jessi’s eyes shot from the liquor bottle back to mine.  

“It was Jaehyun? He’s the one who got Lucas’s dad locked up?”  

Jessi’s surprised expression melted away as she let out a dry chuckle.  

“Guess someone already told you this story. I’m surprised they didn’t tell you that little detail.”

“Lucas told me the night he...”  

I paused, not sure if I wanted to finish my sentence.

“Don’t worry, pumpkin,” She hummed reaching a hand out to cup my cheek.

“We don’t have to talk about that anymore.“

She spoke in English, but it wasn’t in her usual tone. It was somehow softer.  

I felt strangely comforted by the gesture. It had been so long since anyone spoke that softly to me. I unconsciously placed my hand over hers, not wanting her to let go.  

“My mother used to call me that,” I choked out.

My stomach clenched as her face contorted in confusion. I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, but the wave of emotion that washed over me was almost too much to bear. I felt relief when, instead of pulling away, Jessi brought her other hand to my face, wiping away a stream of tears I didn’t realize were staining my cheeks.  

She smiled.  

“Jeno told me about your parents. I’m sure they would be so proud of you if they were able to see the fine young woman you’ve become.”

The tears only fell faster after hearing her kind words.  

I had no idea what my parents would think if they saw me today. Would they be embarrassed that their only daughter became a burlesque dancer? Would they feel shame hearing how badly my life has gone since their deaths?

My worries were instantly vanquished as I felt strong arms pulling me into their embrace.  

“Just knowing that their little girl is alive and healthy would be enough for them,” She cooed.  

Jessi held me, allowing me to cry in her arms until the tears had run out. When she released me, I became mortified at the sight of the snot and tears that stained her dress sleeve. She merely laughed it off and changed into a dress that seemed to be an exact copy of the first. When she finished changing, she sat me down in front of her vanity and began fixing my braid which had become messy from my crying.  

“I still can’t believe that Jaehyun stepped in to save you from that customer,” Jessi laughed.

“Yeah... I can’t really believe it either,” I replied, forcing the words out with an equally forced smile.  

Jessi smiled but I could tell that she had a lot on her mind.  

“What are you thinking about?” I asked.  

I made eye contact with her reflection.  

“That obvious, huh?” She chuckled.

I looked down at my lap.  

“If I’m honest, hearing the story of how you two met gave me quite the bit of relief.”

I lifted my head back up to look at her.  

“After Ji-eun died, Jaehyun didn’t have anyone left who could fully understand him. The mistakes he made during that mission weighed heavily on him. Sooman sent the both of them to America to wait until things blew over. His father was the one to push him into a role he wasn’t ready for, but he could only blame himself for the lives that were lost due to his actions. He began to take his role as his father’s successor more seriously even changing his name from Yoon-oh to Jaehyun in an attempt to distance himself from his past self. He only allowed himself to be his honest self when he was with Ji-eun, and sometimes not even with her. When Sooman died, everyone thought he was still too young, too inexperienced, so he had to become a colder, more hardened version of himself. I remember even Ji-eun struggled to break down his walls at that point. He blamed himself for her death thinking he was the reason Lucas’s dad died and why Wayv betrayed NCT in the first place, but that wasn’t the only reason he blamed himself.”

Jessi paused the story to wrap a hair tie around my newly braided locks.  

“What do you mean?” I asked.  

“Well, a few months after Jaehyun took over his father’s role as leader, he held a ball here at the estate.”

“A ball? Like some Cinderella type shit?”

Jessi let out a snicker at my crudeness.  

“I guess you could say that. Balls are commonplace in the mob world. They’re often used as political tools. Host a ball, seal connections, earn trust. This ball was meant to keep up the appearance of a strong front. To show that even after Sooman’s death, that NCT was in good hands. That’s why, when Ji-eun said she didn’t want to attend, Jaehyun wasn’t pleased.”

“Why didn’t she want to go?”  

“Who knows? She wouldn’t say. Jaehyun practically had to force her to attend. That’s when-”  

“That’s when she was taken, right?” I chimed in.  

Jessi could only stare back at me.  

“Oh. Sorry,” I apologized, aware that my interruption was insensitive.  

“Don’t apologize. You’re right after all.”

The two of us stayed in silence for several moments. Me sitting down, her standing up. I racked my brain, desperately trying to find a way to change the subject without it sounding forced. Luckily, I didn’t have to.

“Y/N?” Jessi voiced.

“Yes?”

“Promise me that no matter what, you’ll try to be understanding of Jaehyun. I know that he can be a bonehead sometimes, but he really is a good man.”

I was caught off guard by the sudden request.  

“Hearing the story of how you two met, it made me hopeful for the future. Jaehyun isn’t one to poke his nose in other people’s business, but the mere fact that he intervened to save you from that man brings me great comfort. It’s been years since I’ve seen a glimmer of the old Jaehyun, but from what it sounds like, you’ve been able to get him to open up, even if just a bit.”

Jessi scootched out from behind me and took a seat on the vanity table.  

“He obviously wouldn’t have brought you here if he didn’t care for you. I just hope that you’re able to keep chipping away at the walls he built around himself. He could use a friend now that Ji-eun is gone.”

Jessi stared back at me.  

How was I supposed to tell her that the story of how Jaehyun was all an elaborate lie made up to keep her from know the truth? That her son wasn’t the one who had saved me but the man I needed saving from. The man who kidnapped me, beat me and was still holding me captive in order to further his own self-interest. How was I supposed to tell this woman that her son was a monster?  

That was it though. I wasn’t supposed to tell her any of that.  

My only role was to keep up this deranged façade in the hopes that it would get me out of this mess, so keep it up I would.

“I promise.”

“Thank you, Y/N. Jaehyun might have Taeyong, but I’m glad that he’ll have someone like you to keep him in check as well.”

I was ridden with guilt. Here Jessi was, comforting me and treating me like her own daughter and yet all I could do was lie to her, not only about who her son was, but about who I was as well. I could barely stand myself right now.  

“Hey, Jessi?”  

“Yes?”

“Since you brought him up, I wanted to ask. Who is Taeyong to Jaehyun?””

“Oh, you don’t know?”

I shook my head.

“Jaehyun and Taeyong have been friend since Jaehyun and Ji-eun came to live with us.”

“Really? That long?” I asked.  

“Well, Taeyong’s lived here at the estate since he was a little boy. Even longer than Jaehyun and Ji-eun. His parents were actually members of our staff.”

“Oh, so do the staff’s children often live at the estate?” I asked.

“No, never. Taeyong was a special case. His father, Jong-in, was one of Jaehyun’s guards while his mother, Jennie, was head of staff. When Taeyong was only five years old, there was an attack on the manor and his father died after taking a bullet for my husband. To repay Taeyong’s father for his sacrifice, Sooman covered all of their family's expenses and allowed them to move into the estate. Sooman always makes a point to repay his debts, but if we’re being honest, I’m pretty sure he just didn’t want to lose her as a staff member. Like Jeno, she was very good at her job.”

I nodded as she continued to talk about Taeyong. I knew that he and Jaehyun were close, but I had no idea they grew up together.  

“Besides, Ji-eun, Taeyong was Jaehyun’s closest companion although they didn’t get along at first. Taeyong was a bit rebellious growing up but he wasn’t a bad kid. He got into fights nearly every week and even got kicked out of school. We ended up having to send him to the same private school as Jaehyun. When Jaehyun started talking, he’d always try to play with Taeyong but I think Taeyong saw him as more of a nuisance than anything else. The only reason they got close was because of Ji-eun. Taeyong had such an obvious crush on her, it was adorable, really. He’d follow her around all day like a puppy dog, asking if she needed anything or if anyone was bothering her at school. Instead of asking anything for herself, she’d ask him to take care of Jaehyun when they were at school. Since Jaehyun was the sensitive type, he was often picked on by his peers. Ji-eun was in high school so she couldn’t do anything while Jaehyun was at the middle school. So, despite him being the same age as Jaehyun, Taeyong became Jaehyun’s protector. Now that Jaehyun’s become so much larger than Taeyong, it’s hard to believe that he was ever the one who needed protecting.”

Jessi stood up from the vanity to head to the nearby dresser.  

“Taeyong and Ji-eun.” Jessi hummed their names.

"I always thought they’d end up together. It’s too bad. I know I’m hard on the kid, but you really couldn’t ask for a better son-in-law.”  

Jessi picked up a pair of earrings, taking special care to put them on.  

“I hope you don’t mind me asking but what type of man was his father?”  I asked.

“To say that he was a kind man would make even the devil laugh He did have his moments though. You might have heard already but our marriage to one another wasn’t out of love, or at least not out of mutual love. I apparently caught his fancy at an event meant to celebrate my parent’s gang joining EXO. He asked them for my hand before even asking me. Despite my wishes, they agreed. I tried to get out of it, but you can probably guess how that worked out. It was hard at first, but I eventually accepted my new life. It wasn’t all bad. Sooman was a fair man who respected my boundaries and he never made me feel guilty for my inability to have children.”

“Ah.” I reacted, not knowing what to say back.

“As you’ve probably already guessed it, we didn’t adopt Jaehyun and Ji-eun simply out of the kindness of our hearts. Finding out about my condition was extremely hard for the two of us but Sooman never showed me any resentment. If anything, he was more worried about me and my feelings about it than about his lack of an heir. After we found Jaehyun and Ji-eun, we had no need for any more children, but we adopted them out of respect for their fathers.”

“Wait, what do you mean?” I asked, genuinely curious.  

You see, after the mission failed and several NCT member’s lives were lost, Sooman did everything he could to make up for his apparent negligence. While most of his reparations came in the form of financial assistance, for two of his men, repaying his debt wasn’t so easy. Both of the men had sons. Jisung’s father, Taemin, ran away from his family when he was only 12 years old and his wife died during childbirth so there was no one to take care of his son when he died. That’s why Sooman and I decided to adopt him.”

“And Chenle?”

“Chenle’s father had a similar situation. He was one of the Wayv members that ended up in jail following the mission. He was killed in the prison yard by a rival gang. Unlike Jisung, Chenle had an older sibling, but the two had never met. His father had an affair with a woman outside of his marriage and had gotten her pregnant. He rented out an apartment for them in Itaewon so he could keep their existence a secret from his main family. Sooman only found out about this when he received a call from the man’s lawyer. The lawyer gave him an unofficial version of his last will and testament which specified where to find the son and mother. It requested that the two of them be taken care of if anything were to happen to him. He also requested that Chenle be kept away from anything relating to NCT or gang activity in general.”

“Wait so Chenle’s mother is still alive?”

Jessi noticeably hesitated before going on.

“Sadly, no.” She answered.

“Oh.”

“Instead of calling, Sooman immediately went to the address listed on the document and thank god he did. Nobody answered the door when he knocked but he could clearly hear a child crying on the other side. He ended up breaking the door down to find Chenle lying beside his mother’s body.”

“Holy shit. What?” I blurted out.  

“She must have found out about her lover’s death and decided life wasn’t worth living. At first, Sooman wasn’t even planning to support the two. He thought that the will had been a scam and that the woman was trying to get a free lunch or something. Once he realized that he was responsible for not only the father’s death, but the mother’s too, he accepted Chenle as his own son. Jisung was six and Chenle was seven when we adopted them, so they were old enough to remember some details regarding their past lives but thankfully Chenle wasn’t old enough to understand what happened to his mother that day.  

“Does he ever ask about his parents?”

“A few questions here and there. He knows that they died but he doesn’t know how. We told him it was a car accident. Apparently, his father must not have visited often since he wasn’t able to recognize him from any of the photos we showed him. He doesn’t even know that his father worked with NCT and I’d like to keep it that way. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

“I won’t say anything.” I promised.  

Jessi stared at me as if gauging her trust in me.

“Good, Let’s head down to the dining room. We don’t want to keep everybody waiting now, do we?”  

<><><>

Jessi and I made our way downstairs where we were greeted by a staff member who escorted us towards the dining room. When we entered, I was surprised to see that all the members were already seated and cheerfully conversing among themselves. Well, almost all of them.

Johnny was the first to notice our presence. He cleared his throat, catching the attention of those around him and thus towards us as well. The only thing keeping the room from falling silent was the sudden chorus of soft scraping sounds emitted from the men’s chairs as they all stood up to greet us.  

Jeno pulled out a chair for Jessi to sit in next to the head of the table while the staff member who escorted us did the same for me. As we sat down, so did everyone else. There was only one empty chair remaining next to where Jessi and I sat across from one another. I didn’t have to look around the room to know who the empty chair belonged to.  

I kept my head forwards unsure of what to do. Nobody was speaking and I didn’t want to be the one to break the silence.  

I quickly looked around the table. A mixture of concerned and bored faces stared back.  

Next to Jessi was a very anxious red head who greatly juxtaposed the disinterested medic sitting next to me. I turned towards him expectantly yet Winwin only continued to look forward.  

I didn’t know what I was hoping for, “Are you okay?” “How are you feeling?” or even just a simple “Hello,” would have sufficed. Anything that would let me know whether I could consider him an ally. What I was met with instead was apathetic indifference.

“If I wanted to attend a funeral setting, I would have visited my husband’s grave. Seriously, what’s with this solemn mood?” Jessi marveled, poking fun at the intensity that dominated the room’s aura.

“I’m sure they’re all just waiting for you to tell them one of your stories, mother.”

Everyone turned towards the sudden voice to see the head of the estate as he approached the table. Once again, the members of NCT stood up. Even I was about to stand up until Winwin placed a hand on my shoulder queuing that it was not my place to stand. I felt a tinge of reassurance from the unanticipated gesture though it didn’t do much to ease me otherwise.  

“You may be seated,” The man announced.  

I felt an alarming amount of anxiety from the room’s newest occupant, but that didn’t stop me from blatantly staring at him as he made his way towards the head of the table.  

His rose gold locks, which had been fading more and more with each day, had been replaced by a light shade of natural brown similar to that of a chestnut. It was styled in its usual fashion; pushed back and out of his eyes, with not a strand out of place. His attire, while not as formal as it was the night of the performance, still gave off an air of aristocratic poshness. A black button up tucked into black slacks held up by a black belt. Not exactly something the average son would wear to have dinner with his mother, though this was far from the average family get together and Jaehyun was far from the average man.  

Jaehyun smirked, aware of the eyes that were on him.  

“It’s good to see you, mother.” He asked as he bent down to give his mother a kiss on the cheek.

“It’s good to see you too, especially since you’ve finally gotten rid of that ridiculous pink hair of yours.”

Jaehyun gave an honest laugh in response to his mother’s words.  

“Please excuse me for not being able to welcome you myself. I had some business I needed to attend to.”  

"Oh no, it’s fine. It gave me a chance to spend some alone time with the lovely Y/N, here.” She responded, gesturing towards me from across the table.  

Jaehyun hummed in response, having fixed his gaze onto me.  

“Am I to assume that your first meeting was a pleasant one?” He asked, flashing his charming smile.

Though his expression was what one would expect from that of a loving fiancé, I knew the true meaning of his words.  

“I’d say it was more than pleasant. Y/N is a well-rounded young lady with the kind of spark you don’t see much of nowadays. I must say I’m a little suspicious.”

“Hm? What on earth do you mean?” Jaehyun asked, keeping his cool.  

“You’re not being held hostage are you, dear?” Jessi asked as she turned towards me.

My breathing hitched and I instinctively looked up at Jaehyun who seemed just as surprised by the question as I was.

I opened my mouth to reply but Jessi beat me to the cut.

“I mean how else could you find someone to put up with your snappy temperament,” She snickered.

Several of the table’s occupants, began to laugh awkwardly, Jaehyun and I included.

“As always, mother, your humor is second to none,” Jaehyun said, leaving his mother’s side to take his place at the table.  

“And how is my little mouse?” He asked reaching a hand towards mine.  

Before I could think better of it, I quickly withdrew my hand from his.  

Big mistake.

Realizing what I had done, my eyes flickered between Jessi’s furrowed brows and Jaehyun’s menacing glare.

“Honey, not in front of everyone.” I whined, doing my best to make a cute but bashful expression.

Jaehyun’s threatening stare swiftly turned into one of bewilderment. His eyes only left mine once Jessi began to laugh whole heartedly.

“Oh, you don’t have to act shy in front of me, dear. I know how kids are when they’re engaged,” Jessi insisted.

I smiled at her and looked to Jaehyun who nodded in approval. He held his hand over the lower half of his face to hide the smirk that wouldn’t seem to leave his lips.

<><><>  

Dinner lasted around an hour. Jessi took turns asking each of the members questions and simply catching up with one another. I was happy to listen to them all talk about things not having to do with me since it meant less chances for me to mess up. The liquor that lingered in my bloodstream granted me a bit of comfort though it did little to protect me from the unease that came from Jaehyun’s constant stare.  

When dinner was finished and everyone was dismissed, I stood up only to be pulled back down by an abrupt hand. I turned towards the hand’s owner.  

Jaehyun didn’t say anything. He instead waited for everyone to leave the dining room including the staff whom he waved away.  

Once it was just the two of us, Jaehyun stood up, throwing his napkin onto his plate.  

“Training starts at 5 a.m. Get there early if you have to, just don’t be late. I don’t think you want to know what will happen if you make me wait.”

He began to walk away from the table, leaving me behind. Once he reached the door, he paused.

“You should wear something blue. The color suits you.”

I stared blankly at the now empty doorframe.  

“Something blue?” I echoed, staring down at the baby blue dress.