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drunkewok · 2 months

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Tiger Inside Chapter Thirty-Two

Stray Kids Mafia (ongoing)

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WC: 4.5k

Pairing: Lee Know x reader

Genre: Series, Enemies to lovers, non-idol AU, Mafia AU

Warnings: 18+, Minors DNI, drinking, swearing, graphic depictions of violence, weapons

Disclaimer: Any portrayal of Stray Kids or any other idols in this story is purely fiction and do not at all reflect their own personalities or how I view them as a person, it is purely for the sake of the story.

Please do not copy or repost my work

Y/N POV

Grief comes in waves.

At first they are so strong you feel swept away. The tides kicking your feet out from under you and forcing gasps from your throat as the water rushes in. Pulling you under. You grow angry with each failed attempt to stay upright. A scream to the skies every time the waters win.

Grief comes in waves.

A more gentle splash of water once you’ve regained your footing in the sand. Now you can finally feel the warmth of the sun hit your skin, and be able to view the sunset in its beauty. When the joyful moments hold you close and laughter replays in your ears. The waters will calm. Ripples diminish as the waves turn into gentle rolling waters, keeping your body swaying but still rooted.

The fight in the beginning feels pointless. To try and hold steady as you’re tossed aside. But every time you’ve fallen in, you’ve pulled yourself back up. Your legs strengthen and the large waves don’t feel as cumbersome as they did before. They still hit, forcefully trying to push you off balance. But you’ve learned how to plant your feet, how to push back against them. Letting them merely sway you as each day you take a step forward toward the shore.

Grief comes in waves.

My head snapped toward the door, startled by the sudden knocking. I sat frozen in place for a moment, fingers gripping the edge of my bed as my eyes stayed focused on the locked handle.

I had started to find myself constantly sitting in a state of alert. Each sound feeling amplified as if my mind was in permanent sensory overload.

I just needed the world to be quiet.

“Y/n? Are you in there?” Felix’s voice was soft on the other side of the wood, almost timid as he spoke up. I pulled myself from the sheets, slowly clicking the lock out of place and pulling the door open.

Felix’s head rose. The look of concern quickly faded as his eyes squinted, a gentle grin growing across his face.

“Hi there!” He chirped, a smile stretching further up his cheeks. His hands gripped my puffy jacket close to his chest, fingers tightly securing a hat against it.

“Hello to you too, can I ask why you have my jacket?” Without a word he held it out to me, stifling a smile giggle.

“Get dressed. Jeongin and I wanna take you out for the night.”

“Wha-” He shoved the jacket into my hands when I failed to take it from him. “Lix… I need to get down to the gym I was just about to meet up with Chang-”

“No no. We told him we’re stealing you. He can’t have you.” He reached out, grabbing the door handle. “Chop chop! We gotta get going!” He pulled the door shut, before the sounds of his feet running away could be heard.

I stared down to the jacket in my hands, the faintest smile trying to break through.

Normally, the mystery behind the mischief the two boys were up to would leave me unsettled, nervous, and concerned. Yet in this moment it manifested in something akin to excitement. A twinge of hope in my chest that today might be an easier one.

Stepping foot outside the house might do me good, no matter how difficult it may feel.

Positive.

Just stay positive.

I repeated the mantra in my head as I stepped down the stairs, jacket in hand as I poked my head into the living room.

Felix and Jeongin bounced up from their spots lounging on the couch, both crossing over to me and Felix excitedly shook me by my arms.

“Where are you all heading off to?” My eyes fell on Hyunjin on the couch, sitting beside Jisung who had his leg propped up on the coffee table.

But the other body beside Jisung didn't look my way, the same coldness radiating off of him as the first time we met. Minho's arms were crossed, eyes fakely focusing on the television instead of us.

“Yeah, where exactly are we going?”

“It's a secret!” Felix practically skipped down the hall towards the front door, giddy with every step.

Jeongin reached out, arm stretching across my shoulders as he held me close and looked to the others with a proud smirk.

“We're taking her out on a date!”

Hyunjin and Jisung let out soft chuckles at the two's excitement. Minho on the other hand was finally looking in my direction, not a single readable expression on his face as we held eye contact. His gaze turned back to the television, completely unphased.

Jisung leaned towards Minho, whispering something to him before his sentence was quickly cut off by a punch to the arm.

“Ya! No punching the injured one!” He sunk into himself, his hand nursing the spot on his arm where Minho had made contact.

“Have fun you guys! Behave!” Hyunjin waved us off with a smile as Jeongin turned me down the hall, hands on my back as he pushed me towards the door.

“Where are you guys taking me!?”

“Shh. We said it's a secret, now go get in the car.” Jeongin grabbed a set of keys from the hooks, leading the two of us outside to see Felix eagerly waiting by the locked car.

My eyes scanned the snow littered landscape as we drove closer to the city. Night had already started to envelope the streets, the occasional street light flashing above head. Jeongin pulled the car alongside the curb, placing it into park as he clapped his hands together with a smile as he shut off the ignition.

“Alright! Let's go!”

“I still don't get any hints?”

“Not at all.” Felix grabbed my hand, pulling me alongside him as I tried to hold my jacket tightly closed in front of me in an attempt to maintain any body heat in the chilly air,

We meandered down multiple alleys, our destination starting to feel like it didn't actually exist as we continued on. Jeongin must have purposely parked far away, trying to keep their surprise for as long as possible.

Jeongin took a sharp left as we exited the last alley, Felix still tightly secured to my side as I looked forward to what was ahead of us.

Twinkling lights were strung across the trees, creating a ceiling of light against the night sky. Multiple vendors lined the walkways and pedestrians for as far as the eye could see. A soft melody played from hidden speakers, welcoming us in.

A winter night market.

Felix giggled as he looked at me, taking in the scenery as a smile slowly tried to stretch across my cheeks. It was a magical sight to observe, everyone cheery and laughing together as their fingers grasped their cups of hot chocolate or their sugary confections.

Jeongin stopped a few strides ahead of us, turning around to my frozen state as his eyes vanished behind his smile, arms opening wide.

“Surprise!”

Felix's hands found their place on my arms, rubbing them as if he was trying to transfer heat to me through the layers of my jacket.

“We need to get some cocoa!” He chirped, arms wrapping around me and giving a tight squeeze from behind.

Jeongin stepped forward in agreement, grabbing my hand and pulling me with him, Felix following close behind.

As we stood in line at a kiosk, I turned around to take in more of our surroundings. Only now do I notice the large skating rink at the far end, full of groups skating side by side and the occasional fall.

It had been years since I found myself at the holiday market, working nights definitely consuming my time and preventing me from attending. It must have been my childhood that I was last able to take in the joy that they held.

Jeongin turned around, handing me a cup topped with whipped cream and marshmallows, a candy cane sticking out from the top of the sugary white mountain.

I smiled with a thank you as I let my fingers wrap around the warm cup, bringing it to my lips and letting the flavors of chocolate and peppermint drench my taste buds.

Felix giggled as I pulled the cup away, motioning with his finger to my lip before I licked away the remnants of the whip cream.

“It's delicious, I don't even know the last time I had a quality cup of hot cocoa.” I turned to Jeongin with a grin “and the peppermint was a good choice, thank you”

“We gotta keep you sweet somehow.” Jeongin reached an arm across my shoulders, pulling me close to him in a side hug.

“I'm perfectly sweet as I am, thank you very much.” I let out a humored scoff, feigning offense.

“Whatever you say, darling.” With a chuckle, Jeongin tapped the tip of my nose, before leading us down the walkway side by side.

Booths lined the pathway as we continued on, an array stretching from street foods to hand crafted goods. Children hollered in front of the game booths, placing metaphorical bets against their siblings in lighthearted rivalry.

“Oh my god.” Felix abruptly stopped in his tracks, eyeing the hanging array of prizes above a particular booth. “I need it.”

My eyes followed his line of sight up to a long bodied pink animal pillow, before he ran up to the booth and wasted not a single moment before handing his money over to the teller to begin his game.

My head craned to the side as I tried to study the figure, eyes squinting in confusion.

“What even is that thing?” Jeongin slightly spoke down to me, also focused on the long pillow.

“I thought it was a bunny… But it’s got a pig nose… I don’t get it.”

“Neither do I but I need it!” Felix pointed back to us, eyes wide in determination. “He’s coming home with me!”

He juggled the ball in his one hand, focus pinned on the tower of bottles as he readied his aim. He grumbled in frustration as only the top few bottles fell with his throw, quickly digging into his pocket and handing over another dollar before attempting again. I watched as he tried time and time again, each throw leaving him short of leaving with his soon-to-be prized possession.

“Com’on Felix, you know these are all rigged anyways.”

“Excuse me,” My eyes snap to a woman stepping up to us with a friendly smile, pointing down to the hot chocolate in my hand. “I’m so sorry to ask, but where did you get those?”

“Oh!” I turned around in the direction we came, pointing back to the booth. “Right back there! I highly suggest you try it with the peppermint! It’s so good.”

She grinned as I turned back to her, a soft thank you as she passed by us and down toward her own sweet treat.

Felix let out another long groan with the crashing of bottles. Jeongin stepped up behind him, trying to usher him away from the booth.

“Let’s go skate or something before you waste your entire wallet on this game.”

Jeongin outstretched his hand, his other firmly grasping the half wall, as he guided me over the threshold and onto the ice once we had finally donned our skates. My feet slipped beneath me as I tried to gain my footing, my hands tightly gripping into Jeongin’s arm as I steadied myself.

As the uncontrollable sliding became manageable, I let my tight hold release as I tried to pull myself to the wall. Jeongin chuckled at my newborn deer-like state before Felix’s yelp caught our attention as he unsuccessfully made his way onto the ice, and not a moment later partially falling into the splits as he clamored.

I pushed myself from the wall, slowly gliding across the ice in his direction as I struggled not to keel over laughing. After hauling Felix back into a standing position, Jeongin slid up beside the two of us, holding his stomach laughing.

“At least she can help me while laughing instead of just watching me suffer.” Felix grumbled.

“Listen, I just wasn’t expecting you to come out here immediately flailing your arms like a baby chick.”

Felix quickly proved to be no better once we began to make our way around the rink. Jeongin on the other hand was surprisingly stable as we progressed. In no way would you put him up for competition, but I would not have expected him to have been experienced on the ice to the point of looking comfortable.

My fingers slowly untied the laces secured around my ankles, leaning back on my hands as I kicked the skates off. Jeongin’s cackling beside me brought my eyes up, just in time to witness Felix clumsily sliding to the edge of the rink and falling forward once his skates hit the edge.

“And he sticks the landing!” Jeongin cheered, doubling over in pain from his laughter. I shoved his arm lightly before pulling myself from the bench, trying to haul Felix’s body up out of the snow as he let out a dramatic holler.

I bit my lip in an attempt to suppress my own laughter, settling Felix onto the bench beside Jeongin. Retrieving his lost beanie to his lap as he flipped his disheveled hair from his face.

“You realize you're supposed to stop before the curb, right?” A snicker finally escaped my lips, watching as he tried to settle his snow covered beanie back onto his head.

“They need to make it more visible. That was not my fault.”

“There's a reason he's usually not directly in battle, he's not the most graceful of the members.”

“Ya!” Felix hollered as his arms crossed his chest. “I wanna see any of you do what I do, especially when all of you break out in nervous hives at just the thought of scanning through my codes.”

“That aside, give me my shoes. My socks are drenched and yes, I will be bitching about it for the rest of the night.” I struggled as I attempted to replace my boots back onto my feet over my wet socks. The quick thinking as I flung forward to assist Felix, created a momentary lapse in judgment that I was without shoes and about to trudge across the cold snow.

We continued on from our icy activities, on our journey back to the car as we wrapped up our night before Felix's eyes glistened at the sight of an elaborately lit up sign before us.

He stopped in his tracks, halting me next to him as his grip on my arm tightened. I followed his gaze to a tent beside us, a large sign reading FORTUNE TELLER posted above the entrance.

“We've got to go in.” He mumbled, eyes not straying from the tent.

“Seriously? It's all just a scam as they tell you the same mumbo jumbo that they repeat to everyone all night. Great riches are coming your way, your romantic life will flourish, danger is coming for you.” My fingers wiggled in the air, swirling the artificial magic around me.

“Oh come on! It’s still fun to hear. And you never know, maybe they’re the real deal?”

I rolled my eyes as he tugged me forward, pulling the door flap to the side and dragging us into the dimly lit tent.

The psychic sat on the floor behind a small table in the middle, eyes closed with her palms resting on the surface. The candles in front of her barely illuminating her face from below as the rest of the tent sat in shrouded darkness.

Felix eagerly sat on the cushion in front of her, crossing his legs beneath him and leaning in.

Her eyes slowly opened and met Felix's, a gentle smile growing before looking up to me still standing. Without a word she gestured to the cushion beside Felix, summoning me to begrudgingly sit down.

I nervously settled into the seat, not quite sure why the atmosphere of the small tent left a knot deeply rooted in my stomach.

Her hand slowly reached forward, trying to take mine in hold, before I tried to dismiss her as gently as possible.

“Oh no, he's the one who wanted to visit you, thank you though.” I turned to Felix, who was motioning to her hand with his head, his eyes darting between mine and her palm.

With a sigh I reached out, putting my hand in hers as she closed her eyes once more, taking a deep breath.

Still without a single word uttered, she released me, taking out a stack of cards and handing them to me.

“Shuffle.”

At this point I figured it might just be easier to play along, being so quickly targeted not being in my original plan when stepping in.

Felix's hands settled in his lap, intensely watching the cards as they transferred between my hands, before I handed them back to the woman.

“Your energy was strong the moment you stepped in. You carry a powerful aura with you.”

I hummed in response, forcing a smile as I nodded along with her. The same line coming from her that she probably utters a millions times in one night.

“By the act of shuffling you've put your energy into the cards, and they're eager to give you the answers you seek.” She held the deck between her hands. “What would you like to ask the cards tonight, my dear?”

I stuttered as I tried to come up with a response, trying to look to Felix for any sort of guidance.

“I'm sorry…” I look back at her hesitantly, “I've never done this before.”

“No worries my dear.” She laid the cards out in a spread in front of us, slowly flipping over cards one by one. “We’ll just see what the cards would like to tell you then.”

Each flip of a card caused her to give soft hmm’s and ha's as she studied them, and I tried to press my lips together in an attempt to stifle a giggle.

"I see you've experienced great loss, a burden that you carry on your shoulders even now. You need to forgive yourself and those around you who are trying to share the load. It's the only way you will be able to conquer the shadows I see in your future. What's happened in your past will find its way back to you, and it will not be a pleasant reunion. It will take all your courage to confront it. And having those who love you near will make the process smoother.”

"Wow...um wow okay...aren't you supposed to just tell me to sell me some bs about loving myself or some tall dark handsome stranger is waiting for me just around the corner”

She gave a soft chuckle, pulling another card and flipping it face up.

“Hmm, handsome, yes. But not very tall.” She looked up to me with a sly grin, “Seems like he may be closer than you think though.”

“Ah yeah, okay there it is.” I patted my legs before rising, trying to make my exit before Felix reached up, wrapping his fingers around my wrist. I stared down at him, “What? Like I said, it’s all just the same mumbo jumbo she tells everyone. You stay and get your fortune read, but I’m gonna go wait outside with Jeongin.”

Felix's quick shuffling to stand was clear as I pulled the tent flap to the side, giving thanks to the psychic and following me out.

Jeongin stood as he noticed us nearing again, head slightly tilting in confusion.

“You guys weren't in there very long?”

“Nah, no need.” I crossed my arms across my chest, stopping just before the bench and turning to see Felix catching up to us.

“You're gonna brush that off? She just told you so much!”

A scoff blended into a chuckle as I looked around the crowded plaza, a humored smile growing on my lips.

“I told you, she says the same thing to everyone. None of that was specific for me.”

“Oh com'on! Great loss? Your past will find its way back to you!?” Felix reached out, taking both my arms in his hands as he gently shook me. “HANDSOME MAN IS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK!?”

“Lix, buddy. Don't look too far into this.”

He pushed air through his teeth, the softest eish coming from him as he accepted defeat and crossed his arms. I playfully rolled my eyes, nudging my arm into his side and forcing it to wrap around his and pull him close.

“Com'on, let's head home. It's getting late. We don't want Chan sitting in a chair in the dark corner waiting for us to walk in the door.”

Felix laughed softly, nodding in agreement. I turned back with my other arm, linking it with Jeongin's and pulling him alongside me as we strolled back to the car.

Shrugging my jacket from my shoulders, I placed it on its hanger and quickly started to rid myself of my boots. The uncomfortable wet feeling that grew between my toes being far too much to bare from my soaked socks.

“I’ll be right there! I just need to get changed!” I called out to Felix and Jeongin as they made their way into the lit living room, Felix barely waving in response behind him.

“You guys went ice skating without me!?” Jisung’s voice rang out as I later entered the living room, freshly changed with new socks, his eyes big to accompany the dramatic pout on his lips.

“You can’t even skate right now! You’re still on crutches!” Hyunjin heckled as he settled a pillow into his lap, head falling back into the couch cushions.

“And yet I could still skate circles around you.”

“Oh please! It’s been years.” Hyunjin shot up, sending a glare in Jisung’s direction. “Do you really think I haven’t gotten better since then!?”

“All I’m saying is maybe you should skate better.”

“Maybe you should shoot better!” Hyunjin chucked the pillow, hitting Jisung in the face and sending him falling backwards into Minho dramatically.

“I doubt Seungmin even clears you before the end of the season for something like that.” Minho lifted the pillow from Jisung’s face, tossing it onto the couch beside him.

“You’ll see! I’ll heal in no time and after that you’re on Hwang!”

“So you guys just impulsively decided to go to the night market?” Minho settled himself into the couch, Jisung tucked snuggly beside him with a pout.

As I crossed to the couch, Jeongin pulled me down into the seat between him and Felix, pulling my back flush against his chest in a tight back hug.

“I told you, we had to take her on a date!”

Minho scoffed, picking up the remote and turning his focus to the television as he avoided eye contact with the three of us.

“What? You mad that they took her on a date before you?” Jisung squealed the moment the words left his mouth, quickly turning into a ball as Minho picked the pillow back up, attempting to nonchalantly smother it into Jisung’s face without pulling his attention from the screen.

“Ohhh from that reaction I think we know the answerrrr.” Felix chimed, giggling as I struggled from Jeongin’s grip.

“Um, hi! Hello! You do remember I’m right here, right?”

“You guys took her on a date and didn’t even get her flowers?” Hyunjin scoffed, crossing one leg over the other and arms across his chest. “Rookie move.”

“Oh my god, why didn’t you get her flowers!?” Felix’s head shot towards Jeongin, nudging his arm.

“ME!? The whole thing was your idea. Why is it my job to get the flowers?”

“Just know that if I took you on a date you’d be greeted with flowers and chocolates.” Hyunjin scoffed in disapproval as he directed his attention away from us and back to the screen.

“Yeah and if I took you on a date it would have been a nice little picnic by the Han River! The Han Jisung at the Han River! You can’t beat it!”

“You guys act like I’m about to go on dates with everyone in the house, chill out.”

“You never know! Your secret lover is closer than you think” Felix nudged into my side, “So it very well could be one of us in the house!”

“Secret lover?” Hyunjin’s brow arched, interest piqued.

“Yeah! Tell them all about your fortune!” Felix grew giddy at the resurfacing of the topic, still deeply rooted on the final statement of my reading.

Minho crossed his arms across his chest, poorly trying to act uninterested, and keeping his head facing the TV but the smallest of side eye in our direction as he tried to listen in.

“Oh please, I’m not going to repeat all of that nonsense.”

“Fine! I will!” Felix turned to Hyunjin, leaning in close. “We went to a fortune teller! And she said that y/n has a very handsome lover who might be closer than she thinks.” He decorated his last words with air quotes as he giggled gleefully.

“Huh, never took you for the fortune teller type.” Jisung chuckled.

“I’m not! He dragged me in there against my own free will!” The boys stared at me with doubtful glances, each looking as though they were attempting to suppress their giggles. “Okay, whatever. You all can keep debating the hypotheticals of me going on dates with each of you for whatever reason. I'm gonna go get ready for bed, I bid you goodnight!”

I quickly hopped up from my seat, trying to quickly divert my way upstairs and away from whatever that conversation would be morphing into.

I set my phone on the counter beside the sink, finding myself with a small smile as I settled in front of the mirror.

Pulling my hair back from my face, I let the faucet run. Patiently waiting for the cold water to gain its heat as I washed my face. The unexpected venture away from the home had done more good than I expected, the exact push I had needed to put pain temporarily in the rearview and let a different emotion finally take the wheel.

As I leaned forward, dipping my hands into the water, my phone screen lit up. A text message scarcely legible. I rinsed away the last of the soapy residue and shut off the water, dabbing the towel across my face before finally picking up my phone and unlocking the screen.

Unknown: Little birds shouldn’t stray far from the nest.

My brows furrowed as I stared at the screen, trying to decipher who it may be who had sent the cryptic message, as I watched the tiny bubbles reappear at the bottom of the screen before another message came through, causing my stomach to drop.

Unknown: The peppermint was a good choice though.

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Taglist:

@leagreenly @jamlessstars @moonlight-the-writer @ishz @minbinboo @felixslostfreckle @venusmoonxnight @caillout24 @linocz @stayceebs97 @trinityceleste8

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