breadedloafs

[breadedloafs]

EEEK YESS ahhh it’s so cool to see mc interacting w other idols, i’m so excited to see her w hongjoong also the reaction to the new tattoo!!! mc’s mom meeting san after he got scared is so funny lolll😂 aaa i’m so happy whenever i see your updates pop up on my notifs🥰

Chapter 22 

Beyond the Lens - Logbook Videographer!Reader x OT8 Ateez

W/C 11,915

🎥 Series Masterlist 🎥

☽ Masterlist ☾ 

Inspiration Pictures

Pinterest Board Masterlist

Previous Chapter (Chapter 21)

Disclaimer: This story is purely a work of fiction. It is not meant to assume or mock anything about Ateez, Atiny, or anything relating to what I do not know about being a videographer. This story will follow several of the events that Ateez have done in the past year for Golden Hour Part 2, that being said I will not be able to include everything. 

Contains she/her pronouns.

The logo in the center is mine. Please do not reuse or copy.

I strongly recommend looking at the inspiration pictures and the Pinterest boards linked above (which will be updating as the story goes on).

General Warnings: slow burn, cussing, conflict, angst, fluff, and obliviousness. 

CHAPTER WARNINGS - None, let me know if I should add any.

Let me know what you think! <3 Moonie

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

You finally landed in Paris, after being in a plane for upwards of 10 hours you were absolutely exhausted and stiff. Most of your time was spent rotating between sleeping, watching shows, catching up on some of the editing you could with the shotty Wi-Fi, and switching between listening to your most current audiobook and your favorite playlist. As soon as you landed you started moving to get your bags. Thankfully you had been in one of the first rows so you got off the plane quickly. When you got out and into the main portion of the airport you pulled out your phone to message everyone that you made it safely to Paris. They rapidly fired responses back to you shortly after. You knew it was early in the morning for them because of the time difference so you told them to get back to bed. 

When you got out of the airport after grabbing your bag from the baggage claim you made your way out to get a cab. You finally flagged one down after a few minutes and the little old man was smiling at you, after a little while you safely made it to your hotel. Checking in was a breeze as this was a hotel you had frequented when you came up here. The older woman had recognized you and already had some of the things ready as you made it up to her counter. You thanked her with your very limited French and she giggled at your thick accent. 

Your room was the perfect size for you as always. You took off your Beyond the Lens Studios baseball cap, threw it on the bed, and ruffled your hair out before you started to unpack your things. First you hung your clothes so they wouldn't wrinkle too badly, then you got your computer set up on the desk on the far side of the room right next to the door to the balcony. At one point you found a stray Jjongrami and Hetmongi, those sneaky bastards; you set the two of them up by the pillows on your bed. When you had those things set up you started getting more of your smaller things out, plugging in your cameras and all of the chargers for your electronics. You changed out of your airport outfit and into the blue space sleep set you brought. Flopping yourself into bed you sent off another message that you were in and settled at your hotel and that you would update them as you could throughout tomorrow.

While you were sprawled across the bed you checked your emails and some of your socials. There were several confirming the schedules of the shoots you were participating in. You shot off responses stating that you just landed and got settled and that you would be there at the requested meeting time. There was something that you were CC’d in from Aurora but that could wait until tomorrow. You responded to some of the other emails you had before getting on your socials. In the end you were watching edits and all sorts of things until your brain had slowed enough that you could get to sleep. With heavy lidded eyes you took off your glasses and plugged in your phone. Shortly thereafter you fell into a dreamless and restless sleep. 

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

You woke up freely which generally meant early as hell. With a groan you moved to grab your phone. It had been lit up with several messages from everyone back in Seoul. They were already into their afternoon while you were just waking up. Forrest had updated you on the filming he was taking over for you with the Ateez boys. Willow told you about all of the things she was doing to keep you updated on the progress of the edits for the first logbook Beyond the Lens was in charge of as well as the other things you have filmed for them. She was nearly finished with her part and would be sending it back to you soon for final edits, sadly you would have to hang onto it until they debuted the music. Aurora was messaging you about the project you and her collaborated on giving you a general rundown of everything including the CC’d email. The boys had been giving you little updates on how everything was going throughout their day. Some of them had taken to sending you ridiculous selfies and odd blurry pictures of some of the other boys. You smiled and responded to all of them with a blurry selfie of you with the covers pulled up to just under your eyes the Jjongrami and Hetmongi next to either side of your head. The responses were immediate, most of them protesting that you brought only those two, the team was rolling as they watched the chaos. You had to explain that you hadn't packed them and the two in question were smug as they admitted to sneaking them into your suitcase. San and Wooyoung had sent a selfie together saying the real thing was better. You responded by telling them if they wanted to be that way you would buy plane tickets for Yeosang to come up here; you left Hongjoong out of it because he already was coming up here. They immediately stopped their ranting and instead sent good mornings and a few other stray pictures. You rolled your eyes at them and couldn't stop smiling. 

Despite the initial chaos it felt like you were finally a part of a family, one that loved you as much as you loved them. You layed in bed for a little bit before you decided to get up and start getting ready. You threw on your cropped tank top, comfy shorts and one of your zip up hoodies as well as a few of the necklaces and rings you brought with you. When you finished getting dressed you grabbed your small backpack and put one of your cameras in it along with your essentials for going out on the town. Today was going to be a jet lag recovery day, you always planned a day into your schedule so you could adjust so you would be at your best when you were working. It also was the day you had been anticipating for weeks, something that you were extremely excited about.

As soon as you were ready you headed down for breakfast in the lobby. With a wave to the front desk people you started piling your plate high with some of the breakfast foods they had. In all honesty the food here was one of your favorite parts of the trip. As you sat down in the back corner of the dining room you brought out your phone and took a picture of your breakfast to send out to the Never-ending Nonsense group chat formerly known as the Ministry of Chaos. The name changed as soon as the boys Forrest and Aurora started arguing in the chat about something you can't even recall now.  You dug into the breakfast and watched people as you ate. It was almost too quiet, the chaos from the boys was missing. It was weird how much the few days of chaos seemed to have ingrained itself into your mornings. Just as you were finishing up you were met with multiple vibrations of your phone. You checked it and your heart warmed with more cute responses of your favorite people.

After you finished your breakfast you started to make your way over to your first and most likely only stop for today. On the way you got sidetracked and decided to go into a small shop to grab some snacks for throughout the day. You snagged some danishes, croissants, a couple of donuts and macarons. As soon as you got to your destination you couldn't stop smiling. One of your acquaintances owned the shop you stood in front of; Midnight Inkworks. She must have seen you because shortly after the door opened with a cute ding. Aurélie was standing there with a large smile on her face as she peaked at you. Her tan skin and black hair was gorgeous as always. The colorful tattoos and silver piercings stood out against her darker outfit; very similar to your own. While she peeked out the door she was just about a head shorter than you. It always cracked you up how short she was compared to you. You laughed at her and started stepping toward the open door. As soon as you passed the threshold she hugged you.

“Long time no see dear,” You hugged her back and started chatting with her as she started asking her normal questions. You fell into conversation easily with her, the two of you had found common ground the first time you came here for the moon tarot card piece on your hip. She was thoroughly impressed with you because you sat through it in one sitting; she had said you were one of the best clients she had after the fact. 

You set down the bag of snacks you procured while she pulled out the design you had been working on together. When you laid eyes on it your jaw dropped. It was absolutely perfect. This was the first time you got to see the finished product, the two of you had been shooting it back and forth working on it together for the past few weeks. The last time you saw it it was still fairly raw and unpolished, she had taken your visions and drawings and made them into a masterpiece. The sword through the middle was beautifully detailed with stipple shading. The yin and yang koi looked absolutely amazing with the small amount of shading she added to your initial drawings. The small flowers she added made the entire piece come together. (Tattoo it’s the last one) It was going to look perfect on the back of your left leg. You turned around so she could place the stencil. Before she did she took the first of several before pictures. After she placed it you stepped away from her and took a look at it in the large mirror and absolutely fell in love with the way it flowed. 

Aurélie brought you over to her chair and made you stand there for a second set of before pictures. When she was satisfied with the amount of them she started her work. 

You got to watch as her partner came in and had several clients throughout the morning, each time they left with large smiles on their faces. The two of them were the reason this business was constantly busy. They both were amazing artists with the kindest souls; even if they could be intimidating at first with their multiple sets of piercings and tattoos. You saw through them immediately because you were almost one in the same. People were always too quick to judge but if they truly got to know the people behind the ink they would realize that they were some of the best people you could have at your side. 

There were only a couple of times you took a break for her and for you. At one point she sat in front of you while you snacked on some of the small pastries you brought. She asked you about how life was going in Seoul and how you were doing in the photography business. You filled her in about your old company and how you got Beyond the Lens. Throughout the story she was telling you how proud she was of you as she was once in a similar situation; which is how she ended up having a very successful tattoo shop. She also asked if you had any luck in the dating pool; to which you told her yes without giving too many details. You talked about all of the qualities of the different boys making it seem like it was one person you were discussing instead of eight. She was absolutely swooning at the mention of how you were treated. 

While you were laying on your stomach in the chair you kept up with messaging everyone so none of them would get suspicious. Thankfully every time one of them asked how you were doing you could give a short noncommittal answer and then ask them what they were up to. Which generally resulted in a flurry of a bunch of different messages with everyone’s replies. 

Before too long the constant chatter of a couple of other people, the buzzing of the tattoo gun, and the soft lofi music lulled you into a light sleep. Apparently you hadn’t gotten enough last night; like always. 

You were awoken with light pats on your arms. Aurélie was squatting in front of you with a large smile on her face. The first time you fell asleep in her chair she panicked, almost calling the medics. After talking her off that ledge you told her that you fell asleep for most of your tattoos especially the large ones; which is what most of your body was covered with. This time was no different, “You're done doll, it came out amazing if I do say so myself.” 

She helped you stand and you turned to look over your shoulder at the large tattoo spanning from your thigh just under your butt down to your calf and to your achilles. The way she made the koi fall on either side of the bend of your knee made it look perfect. You couldn't stop smiling and immediately lunged at her to give her a hug. The two of you laughed and you praised her talent while you rocked back and forth in her arms. 

You separated from her and put your hands on her shoulders. “You are a saint, it looks absolutely magnificent. It is better than I imagined it being, I can't wait to show everyone back home!” 

“I'm glad you like it Y/n! Let's get some after pictures!” You nodded at her and let her stage you for the several pictures she was going to take for her profiles. After she had enough pictures you pulled out your camera from your backpack and took one over your shoulder with her standing proudly in the mirror. Then came the large clear bandage to keep it from drying out for the next couple of days. When the two of you were finished you made your way over to the register as she was half assed explaining the aftercare to you; she knew you already knew what she was telling you anyway. When you got to the register you pulled your cash out and handed it over to her, making sure to tip generously. She had tried to give some of it back but you were already halfway out the door. You waved to her and stepped out of the store as she was protesting the amount; she was worth it for the work she did. By the time you got out of the shop it was already close to two, you had been in there for just about six hours. You decided to head back to the hotel to possibly get some of your work done. 

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

When you stepped into the hotel you were met with the smiling face of the front desk receptionist. She watched you as you passed and went to the elevator. You unlocked your door and as soon as you stepped in you were met with the overwhelming scent of roses. Peeking around the room you spotted the bouquet of beautiful deep red almost black roses on the desk next to your laptop. You approached the desk and looked over the roses, there was a small note attached. 

Our Treasure,

We are happy you made it safe and sound.

With love, your Pirates 

How in the fuck did he even know where you were? You pulled your computer forward and turned it on so it could get booted up. While it was booting up you opened the balcony door so the fresh air could get into the room. Before you got too into work you decided to call the boys, it was getting late in Seoul and it felt odd not having them around.

You pulled up facetime on your Mac and clicked into the 9 Makes 1 Team group chat to start a group call with them. When it started ringing you moved over to the horizontal monitor on the left side of your laptop to see which projects you could help with in the Beyond the Lens Cloud. There were still some photos that needed editing for one of the shoots you were helping Willow with. You clicked into a few of them and brought them into Photoshop on your vertical screen which was on the right. While you were in the middle of adjusting the brightness of the first photo you heard the call ping alerting you someone had joined. Glancing over you realized Wooyoung was the first and only one to answer the call so far. 

“Noona! Hi! How is the city of love?” 

“Hi Woo, it's beautiful as always. It was absolutely gorgeous outside so I went out for a bit of a trip around the area and visited some shops.” You hadn't quite looked at him just yet, when you had the picture to a spot you wanted it to be you fully looked over.

“Did you get anything interesting?” He was watching you with a cute small smile. You grabbed one of the pastries you had leftover from earlier today and showed it to him before taking a large bite. 

“That looks really good!” You covered the bottom half of your face and you nodded while Wooyoung laughed at you and your chipmunk cheeks. Yunho and Mingi popped up onto your screen next. The two of them looked slightly out of breath like they had just been dancing. They both waved at you as they took large drinks of water. 

“Hi Princess! How are you? Is jet lag kicking your butt?” 

“I’m doing really well. It was but I got a decent amount of sleep on the plane and took a nap earlier today so I’m good to go.”

“Yuyu took one too, he was worn out from being up so early.” Yunho lightly smacked Mingi for revealing that bit of information. You and Wooyoung laughed at the two who started to lightly bicker. Hongjoong popped onto the screen and immediately clocked the twin towers bickering, he shook his head with a click of his tongue. 

“Hi Shutterbug, what are you up to?” He was looking at something beyond his phone, from what you could tell he had his phone propped up against his monitors in the studio. Sometimes you forget how similar you were to him. Workaholics at their finest.

“I think I am doing just about the same thing as you, talking to our loves while piecing some work together.” You started clicking around to see the before and after your quick edits. They looked good but there was still something you wanted to do to bring the focus to the model in the middle. There were a couple of clicks that came through his call as well. The two of you looked back at your respective devices at the same time which prompted a giggle from you and Wooyoung who was just watching everything. Mingi and Yunho’s bickering match paused hearing the two of you laughing. Hongjoong smiled at you before looking back up and speaking to someone. Shortly after, Yeosang popped into your view on Hongjoong’s call. 

“Hi Sangie! Having fun recording?” He gave you a small wave before looking at Hongjoong and taking a step back. He motioned violently that he wasn't, you could tell it was in a joking manner. Hongjoong was watching him from the reflection in the monitor. He turned around quickly in his chair and Yeosang froze. Your eyes widened just like Yeosang’s did as he stood up deliberately slowly and murmured something that the microphone on Hongjoong’s phone couldn't quite pick up. Yeosang turned beet red and his mouth was in a tight line trying to suppress what you could assume was a smile. You could only imagine what he had said to him. You looked at Wooyoung’s little box and he was watching it with a sly grin. Mingi and Yunho were doing the same. San popped up behind Mingi and Yunho and startled them, they must not have been paying attention. 

“Hi Sannie!” 

“Hi Y/n-nie” He gave you a small wave and kissed Mingi and Yunho on the cheeks before squeezing himself between the two of them. You looked back to your right screen and a lightbulb went off, you knew exactly what you needed to do to get the picture where you were imagining it. A smile and a noise of triumph left you before you started furiously clicking around in Photoshop to adjust the things you needed. When you zoomed back out from the picture you clapped your hands, it came out perfect. You saved it quickly and sent off the several saved versions to Willow and put them into the cloud under the correct file. When you focused back on the laptop screen you realized that you were being watched by all eight of your boyfriends; even Hongjoong had looked away from his computer to watch you. When Seonghwa and Jongho had gotten there you had no idea. You felt the heat rush to your face as you tried to suppress your bashful smile. 

“You're cute.” the words fell from the maknae’s lips before he could think anything of them. You crossed your arms with a small huff. 

“You're one to talk, Aegiya (baby). I have to repress the urge to squish your cheeks any time I am in your presence” The responding laughter at your muttered phrase made the smile you were suppressing finally slip free. With a quick glance you saw that he was suppressing a smile and his face may have been just a little red. He was also rolling his eyes at you and the rest of your boys. The teasing of the maknae never stopped. 

Your afternoon consisted of most of the boys chattering with you while you listened and worked. For the most part you have been productive until someone demanded your attention away from your photos. The first time it was Wooyoung, when he finally got your attention he made several aegyo faces at you. You rolled your eyes at him and continued your work with a smile. A while later the second time was Jongho who had taken you into one of the practice rooms with him. He serenaded all of you while he practiced. You had stopped all together to watch him while he sang, the smile never left your face. The third and final time was when Mingi, Yunho, and Yeosang had demanded that you watch them practice next. As soon as the music started you were absolutely a blushing mess as they started the choreography to Wake Up. When they finished they picked up the phone and took you with them to head back home. Most of the other boys did the same within the next 30 minutes. San had sent you pictures of the giants as soon as he made it to your house. There was also a video of Toothless screaming at him while he stood in the kitchen which made you laugh.

As it got later they slowly trickled out of the video call to go to bed. You had given them warm goodnights as they left. The only one that was there now was Hongjoong, he looked absolutely exhausted but you knew his mind was flowing with creative ideas and that he wouldn't stop any time soon. A little while later you glanced down and saw that it was just about 6 p.m. where you were, which meant it was almost 1a.m. there in Seoul.

“Joongie, you should probably go home to sleep some time soon.” He was in the middle of putting something together when you spoke. The only indication that he had heard you was the quick flicker of his eyes to his phone and then to something behind it. He opened his mouth like he was going to speak but as soon as the track he was working on started playing he muted himself. You tilted your head at him but after a minute of not being able to hear him shook your head and continued working on the last couple of photos in the album. You continued like this for a while before your stomach rumbled. 

“Joongie, I know you can hear me. If I have to I will call someone to go pick you up and drag your ass home if you continue much longer. I know it is nearly 2 a.m. there.” He looked down at his phone and then to the computers behind it, the dark circles under his eyes were fairly prominent. He leaned forward like he was going to unmute himself and started speaking, not even glancing at you on his screen. You tried to get his attention to let him know he was still muted, you spoke, you waved your hands in front of your camera but nothing was working. 

After a few more minutes of this continuing you decided to get up and go to your room’s phone. You called down and ordered yourself some room service for dinner. When you finished you looked back at your screen to see him still talking, but now you could see someone in the frame. That’s why, he was talking to someone and most likely deafened you. You made your way to the bathroom in the hotel room and looked at the back of your left leg. There were a couple of spots under the wrap that had blood on them but other than that it looked amazing. You ran your hand over the wrap that was on it, there was a slight twinge of pain as you made your way toward the back of your knee. It honestly surprised you that Hongjoong hadn't seen it when you were on the room phone. There was a small knock on the door to your room. You smiled widely at the man as he rolled the cart into your room. 

“Thank you!” He sat the dinner on your dresser as the desk was full of electronics. 

“Of course, have a great evening.” He nodded to you and started back out the door. You followed him and closed the door to the room. The food smelled absolutely divine. With quick steps you moved to the desk to push your computer back so you had enough room to eat; taking special care to avoid the roses. When it was situated at a good place you grabbed the tray of food and sat down to eat. Hongjoong was bopping to something while you ate. You just watched him quietly. He was so in his element but he really needed to go to sleep.

“Joongie, I don't know if you can hear me but I think you should go home, you have other schedules tomorrow morning and a packed full week. You need sleep if you're going to survive it without making yourself sick.” He was looking at something off the screen. You continued to watch him while you finished your meal, he had been completely silent and you had no idea if he could hear you anyway. With a sigh you decided to just hang up the call, “Please take care of yourself.” you whispered. Maybe if the light changed and you disappeared he would finally realize what time it is. 

When you were completely finished with your food you took the plate and placed it outside the door. You decided to grab your camera and go sit on the balcony. The air was warm as you stepped outside from the open sliding door. You lifted your camera up and started taking pictures of miscellaneous things. First it was the small flower shop across the way, then it was the couple standing in front of it smiling at each other while they picked out flowers for a bouquet. You turned to look at the beautiful one that was sitting on the corner of your desk. With a small smile you turned back to look over the city, your eyes caught on the Eiffel tower. Your body moved before your mind registered, your camera came up to your face and you had taken off your glasses and set them on top of your head before snapping the picture. Most of the time you had the camera close enough to your face that you didn't need your glasses, it was either that or you smacked into them while moving quickly. You watched as the photo popped up and quickly disappeared. It went on like this for what felt like a few seconds, it could have been an hour for all you know. There was no concept of time to you when you were taking pictures. You followed the streets and captured the genuine interactions of the couples coming out of the restaurants with large smiles. You almost wished at least one of your boys was here right now so you could do the same. 

A vibration came from beside you on the chair you tossed your phone into. You picked it up and held it extremely close to your face to see Hongjoong calling you. With a light roll of your eyes you answered the facetime call and put your glasses back to their normal place. He was pouting on the other end, before you could greet him he spoke. “You left.”

“You were in the middle of something, I tried talking to you but you had me deafened and you were muted.”

“I'm sorry Shutterbug, Maddox came into the room and was asking me a bunch of questions about the track I was working on.”

“That’s okay Songbird, I just figured I would be one less distraction you had to worry about while you were working, even though the both of you should be asleep because it is nearing” you tapped your phone which showed it was about 7:30 pm here, “2:30 am. You especially because I know you have a schedule tomorrow morning and then a flight here soon thereafter.” he rubbed the back of his neck with a small sheepish smile. 

“I’m heading home now, I promise.” He flipped the camera and showed the back of one of the company vans. You nodded to him and flipped your camera to show the city, more specifically the Eiffel tower. 

“Wahh, you've got a great view of everything! I love that you can see the tower without being too close to it.” He was leaning in close to his phone as he inspected the view. The wonder on his face was almost comical. You took a screenshot of him with a small smile. 

“That’s why I chose this hotel forever ago. Every time I come here I use this hotel, I've been here enough that some of the long term staff recognize me at this point.” You flipped the camera to focus back on yourself. He moved away from the screen slightly and you smiled at him. 

“Now that is a breathtaking view.” Your smile turned bashful and you could feel the heat creep up the back of your neck. When he saw that you were blushing his smile widened. The simplicity of the compliment made your heart flutter in your chest; it really didn't take much to make you blush like a schoolgirl talking to her crush. 

“Joongie, I have a question for you.” He nodded at you indicating he was listening as he got out of the vehicle. 

“How did you know where to send the bouquet you got me?” A small laugh left him at your question. 

”Magic.” You rolled your eyes at his answer. Of course he wouldn't tell you, you should have known. 

“Stalker.” There was a small snort of laughter that came from him as he walked in a door. You watched as he brought the phone up to his face and peered into your soul. All you could see was his eyes and forehead for just a brief second. He took you with him as he made his way through the darkness of the dorm. He changed out of your view and ended up carrying you to the bathroom and set it down on the counter while he brushed his teeth. It was so domestic, something that despite the several days they had spent at your house you haven't seen. 

“Shutterbug, you're staring,” you straightened slightly, zoning back in and looked everywhere but the phone in your hand. What you didn't see was he was watching you too. You moved and settled yourself on the seat your phone was previously on. When you looked back at the phone he was laying in bed. The small smile that graced his face was beautiful. 

“Stay with me?” You nodded at him as he settled. His small whisper showed how tired he was. You watched as his eyes slowly started to droop as soon as he was completely comfortable. There was just a little movement behind him that caught your eye. An arm moved around him and pulled him closer; you may or may not have wished that was you. There was a small sigh as the two of them got comfortable with each other. Hongjoong’s eyes had finally fallen closed and his breathing was just beginning to even out. The phone started tilting and before you knew it you were looking at the ceiling of his room. You stayed just a little longer making sure he was actually asleep before you hung up. 

The warm air had kept you comfortable as you basked in the quiet, the only noise was the bustling city below you. For as much as you loved the chaos, you also loved the quiet. It may have felt odd before but now as you were sitting in the quiet you realized how much you almost missed it. The same quiet that sometimes destroys you. You sat there for a while just watching the sky change. Mother nature was always the best artist; you grabbed the camera from around your neck and started adjusting the settings to be able to capture the beauty. When you were finally satisfied that it looked good you took several shots. 

Something overtook you then, the want to take more pictures. Your body was moving before you completely realized. You had slipped on your shoes, put on your Beyond the Lens ballcap and started making your way to the first floor. As soon as you stepped off the elevator you heard the laughter and clinking of glasses from the restaurant to your right. With a small smile you walked out to the street. The hustle and bustle almost overtook you but knowing how the flow worked here worked to your advantage. Falling into the rhythm of foot traffic you made your way wandering wherever you could. There was music coming from somewhere and you paused to listen for where it was coming from. When you found the source of the music you had completely stopped and watched the people dancing to the violin and piano. Everything was alive with joy, the people dancing, the crowd and the musicians. The warm lighting was perfectly shining to create soft shadows from the people scattered around. You lifted your camera and started taking pictures of the beautiful moment. The people were all smiling while you took pictures, you captured the genuine love in their gazes. You started garnering more and more attention as you took more pictures. This made you happy that you were wearing the hat that had your company logo, your personal photography social, and the QR code that brought people to your website. 

While you moved expertly through the crowd the smile didn't leave your face. This, this is what you are meant to do. You are meant to capture people’s favorite memories. You moved toward the people playing the violins and piano. You took several action shots of the three of them, there aren't many people that would ever think of capturing the people that were creating the moments for others. That’s where you always wandered, someone needed to take care of the people taking care of others. As you were taking pictures the pianist glanced at you with a large smile, it was the perfect opportunity to capture his picture. With a quick movement of your fingers your camera shuttered. You tipped your hat to him before wandering over the duo playing the violins together. A man and a woman who were smiling at each other as they played. You captured the moment from several different angles before they caught sight of you. When they did they slightly bowed as they kept playing. Just like the pianist their fingers were moving quickly over their instrument. 

You needed to move fast if you could capture the picture you wanted to. Gently you moved through the crowd to some of the chairs at a nearby cafe. You grabbed it and set it up so you could stand over the crowd that was laughing and clapping. Just as you were getting up onto the chair the end of the song was nearing, your movements were quick and precise as you brought the camera up above you. With a quick flip of the viewfinder you held and adjusted it to get the best angle. This was going to be either an amazing shot, or a blurry one. You took the chance anyway. Holding your finger over the button you let the shutter do its job. The musicians finished the piece with a flourish. You came off the chair and clapped along with the rest of the people. 

There were a few of the couples that had seen you approaching you. You smiled at them while they approached. When they asked about where they could find the pictures you told them about your socials and the website QR code. There was a general spiel that you started spewing without thinking. 

“We are a photography and videography business based in Seoul, South Korea. We travel all over the world for our clients and when we visit anywhere we always make a point of getting some more genuine pictures instead of the posed ones we always see. We do this not for the clout or money but for the people beyond the lens. We want to be able to make your memories come to life through our pictures. It will take a little while before I can get the pictures up but I promise it'll be within the next couple of weeks.” The couples listened to you while you spoke, the most rewarding thing was being able to show some of them their pictures. The gasps and general excitement that flowed from them made your heart happy. You took off your hat and offered the back of it so they could get the link to your website. When they had dissipated you slid one of your business cards to the man still sitting at the piano chatting with a couple of people. You did the same by dropping one in the violin cases for the violinists who were standing near a table talking animatedly with some people. 

After you had made it away from the crowd you meandered around. Somehow you ended up in front of the Eiffel tower. You took a seat and just watched the people mill by you, some were dressed casually some were dressed to the nines. There was a couple that you saw standing together just looking everything over. You quickly got up, a gut feeling was telling you that you needed to capture the moment. When you got close enough the man separated himself from the woman. You knelt and brought the camera up to your face as quickly as you could; smacking into your glasses in the process. After a moment’s hesitation so you could recover you started snapping the pictures as he knelt in front of her. 

Her hands flew to her mouth in shock, the man was grinning so widely as he held a box out in front of him with a gorgeous ring. The tower was perfectly behind them from this angle, the lights twinkling like starlight just like the ring in the box. You watched in real time as she nodded and threw herself into his arms. The both of them tumbled to the ground in a fit of giggles, she was laying on top of him just smiling while he slid the ring on her finger. You continued getting pictures intermittently as you approached the couple. They had gotten up by the time you finally got to them. They shared a sweet kiss while they held hands, you took one more picture.

You got closer to them and they both acknowledged you. “Hi, I’m so sorry for interrupting your absolutely beautiful moment, congratulations by the way. I just so happened to be nearby when I saw the two of you and felt the need to capture some pictures for you.” The woman squealed and looked over to her now fiance who was staring at you gaping. You let out a small chuckle at the two of them and moved forward to show them some of the pictures you captured of their life changing moment. The woman’s enthusiasm reminded you of San and Wooyoung. She was bouncing around excitedly and every once in a while she would smack her partner’s shoulder lightly when a picture came out particularly good. You stood there for a couple of minutes showing them the pictures, in the end you exchanged emails with the woman and gave her one of your business cards. They both thanked you several times before you parted ways. 

There was a perpetual smile on your face the entire way back to the hotel. As soon as you walked in there was a younger woman who greeted you as you passed. In the elevator you hummed to yourself a tune that had no name. When you stepped into your room you started getting changed and plugged in your camera so it would be charged for the first of many shoots tomorrow. You pulled out your favorite all black suit and hung it on the back of the bathroom door for tomorrow. After doing your nighttime routine you got under the covers and cuddled down grabbing the two small plushies and squishing them as close to you as you could. Your mind took a little while to shut down but as soon as it did you were brought into a dreamless sleep. 

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

Your alarm woke you up, you smacked around blindly and grabbed it before turning off the offensive sound and getting up. Trudging your way to the bathroom you checked your messages. Most of them stayed fairly consistent with yesterday but this time there were more pictures of the boys being professional from the team. With a light smile you saved all of the pictures you could. You did your morning routine and made quick work of light makeup. When you were done fixing yourself up to look at least somewhat professional you made your way over to your cameras and started packing everything up for the day. Before you left you grabbed your glasses chain and put it around your neck before attaching it to your glasses then you clipped your name tag to your blazer. You and the team had these made so people would recognize you and put a face to the name. Yours was a black name tag with white text; the other’s had colors corresponding with their alias’ Aurora with white, Forrest with gold, and Willow with purple. On your way out of your room you snatched your sunglasses and settled them over your normal glasses. You walked out of the hotel after grabbing a small breakfast to take on the road with you. Thankfully hailing a cab was fairly quick, you gave her the address and were there within thirty minutes.

You walked into the building closest to the bridge and immediately the woman at the front desk greeted you and asked for your credentials so you could get back to where everyone was. Once you got all of the things sorted and had a photographer’s pass you made your way back. When you walked in it was absolute chaos, the models were sitting at their stations with makeup artists surrounding each of them. The stylists were surrounding the racks of clothes and there were people running around trying to cater to everyone’s every whim. The chaos from your boys seemed to pale in comparison to this. You were approached by someone who held an air of confidence among the chaos. It was an older woman holding a clipboard, one that you recognized as the manager. She was beaming at you while she walked. 

“Onyx, wonderful to see you again. We are preparing for the initial shoots and then the show later. We are going to be taking the pictures on the bridge so once you get everything taken care of here we can head outside. Let me show you where you can get yourself set up.” You nodded to the woman and followed her through the crowd of people. You and her weaved through it with expert precision having done this many times. When you got into the makeshift studio you relished in the quieter nature of the room. She smiled at you and left you to get yourself set up. First the harness, then the extra lens holders, and finally your cameras. You made your way back out of the room and were met with her standing there speaking to someone. When she realized you were ready she led you back to the large room everyone was in. she already knew how you ran things so she let you take the lead. You grabbed a chair and stood on top of it and put your middle finger and thumb into your mouth to let out a loud whistle. Some people gasped and others completely froze at the high pitched noise. Perfect. 

“Alright everyone, my name is Onyx. I am the designated head photographer for today. I will be relying on all of you to help me make this go smoothly. I know all of you are stressed for the show later tonight, so if we can make this as quick and seamless as possible you will have less on your plate to worry about as the clocks tick down. I know that there is a tentative schedule all of you have for the shoot. That being said, I am going to be relying on all of you to help me through this process. Stylists, I am relying on you to have each model ready for me as we finish the shoots and get approval of the pictures. If there are group shots it will be your job to coordinate them with each other. Makeup artists, I would like a few of you on hand just in case we need touch ups. The reason I request only a few is because I need all the room I can get without having to worry about tripping over people. Staff, I will be counting on you to keep everything in a decent order, I will need you to be bringing out the models as they are finished among other things like keeping everyone on schedule. While I know that is a monumental task considering how many people we have here I know you can do it. Models, pre-show jitters are normal, in my years of working in this industry I have seen them in even the most experienced models. Do not forget you are the stars of the show today, I know this is stressful so I will try to make it as easy on you as I can.” Your voice carried over the large room and as you spoke each of the groups you spoke to were smiling and nodding along with you. Some of the crowd was whispering amongst themselves as you spoke to them, hopefully to create their gameplan. 

“All of that being said, I look forward to working with all of you. Let's make this a memorable shoot and kick ass on the runway together!” You held up your fist in a fighting motion like you had almost every other time you had photographed someone in Seoul, it was an unconscious habit at this point. There were cheers from some of the people as you stepped down off the chair. You made your way out and past the large group of people with the manager. The first model appeared shortly after and you gave him a smile. You gave light instructions to each model as they came through. When they finally got into the flow you smiled and joked with them; something you found made them loosen up a little. When you did this it made for the best pictures. 

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

Most of your day consisted of getting the pictures taken care of. Throughout the entire thing the miscellaneous staff kept you informed of the time and some of them even brought you things to snack on between the models. At one point between models you had gotten too warm so you ended up taking off your blazer, after adjusting your nametag and harness, and threw it over your shoulder. The woman who had become like your assistant gently took it from you shortly after. Some of the people gaped at your tattoos, most of the models had come closer to inspect them as you waited for the approval of their shots. It was endearing how they were fascinated by you, most of them expressed the want for a tattoo but they couldn't because it was a one way ticket out of their industry. 

When the final pictures got approval everyone started celebrating, yourself included. It had been a fast paced eight hours, but this is what you loved. Most of the models were laughing and celebrating having enough time to be able to relax before the chaos of show time started. You made your way away from the large crowd of people toward the back of the large bridge. When you were finally far enough away you pulled out your bluetooth headphones and hooked one of them up to your phone. You grabbed your phone out of your vest pocket and clicked on one of the members you knew you could just bask in the quiet with. 

After a couple of rings Yeosang appeared on the screen. “Hi Y/n-nie!”

“Hi my Sangie, how are things back home?” 

“They’ve been hectic. Joongie-hyung is trying to cram lots of things in before he leaves.” There was a lingering exhaustion in his gaze. “How are things in Paris?”

“It's also been hectic, I just finished an eight hour shoot for Louis Vuitton and then I have their runway show at eight. I wanted to at least see one of you today, and you are okay with just being in the quiet so I thought of you.” He nodded with a small smile. The two of you just sat there with each other, soaking in the moment of peace between your hectic schedules. In the background you could hear some of the other boys rustling around. His eyes flickered to who you could assume was Jongho by the sound of his voice. Just a second later the man in question appeared on the screen. 

“Hi Sojunghan,” you tilted your head at him.

“It means precious,” Yeosang was quick to come to your rescue. The flush that came to your face was instant at the realization of what Jongho just called you. You thought he would have been more reserved with nicknames. He had just proven you so absolutely and utterly wrong. 

“Hi, Aegiya (baby), how are you?” The small smile on his face widened just slightly at your term of endearment. Yeosang was looking back and forth between the two of you as you just looked at each other for a second. 

“I’m surviving the chaos of the rest of the children around here.” Yeosang let out a noise of complaint and you laughed at the irony of his complaint. Of course he was ‘suffering’ through the childishness of the other boys. You shook your head at the two of them. Jongho was snickering at his own joke as he leaned back with an arm around Yeosang. 

“Onyx, we are about to order some food for the staff, do you want anything?” The woman that approached was someone you had worked with in the past; you just couldn't for the life of you remember her name. 

“I'd love some,” you gave her your order and she took it down in her phone before offering a small wave goodbye. 

You turned back to your phone, Seonghwa had joined the two sitting in the frame. You smiled at him and gave him a slight wave. He returned the gesture and continued to look at something beyond your field of view. The three boys were just chatting quietly while you watched them. Being in their presence, although not physically, brought you a calm in the middle of the chaos. There were several voices that echoed toward you, with a glance you saw several of the staff coming your way. They probably wanted to escape for a little while too. 

“Loves, I think I should probably go. It is getting close to the chaos starting back up before the show.” the three of them whipped their heads to look down at Yeosang’s phone as you spoke. There was a slight pout on Seonghwa’s lips when he realized what you said. 

“Okay our treasure, good luck with everything. We can't wait to hear about it when you get back.” Seonghwa was the first to speak up after his exaggerated pout. The other two boys echoed something similar before you hung up the call. You stood up and slid the phone into your vest pocket before getting up and making your way back to where the main portion of people were hanging out. As you were walking you procured a couple of the younger models. They had asked you several questions about how things worked and what you did in the field. You animatedly answered them, happy to be able to talk to someone about your interests. The other models rotated in and out of the conversation as you walked telling you that they had fun and that you did an amazing job. When the food finally got here you sat in a large circle of stylists and makeup artists and ate.

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

It had been about an hour before people started showing up. You were led to where you would be taking pictures of the celebrities that were showing up. When you got into it the moments blurred by. You recognized several of the people you got to take pictures of. They were all kind to you, especially the ones who recognized you from your work in Seoul. BamBam and Jackson Wang in particular were a couple of the people that gave you some of the most dazzling smiles before they gave you quick hugs and left you with a pat on the shoulder. 

When everyone had finally trickled in you had to bust your ass to get out to the opposite side of the bridge. You passed some of the models on the way and gave them a large smile and thumbs up. At this point you were practically running to make sure you got to where you needed to be on time, your cameras were in your hands as you were moving. Some of the people you passed cheered you on, there was a shout of that's my friend from someone that had a very thick Korean accent. You didn't have time to look and see who it was but you had to guess it was BamBam. When you finally skidded to a halt you were met with some of the other photographers lined up. There was a space in the middle for you held by a couple of the staff members. As soon as you got yourself planted there the music started and Pharrell Williams made his appearance. Your brain was already moving your hands to get your long shot lens. When it was connected you started getting the shots. 

Your night consisted of much of the same thing. This was one of the times you had been happy to have two cameras on you. When the models were walking you used the long range, when they were closer you used the closer range. You expertly flipped between the two while the models walked. Amid some of the shots you took off your glasses and let them hang from the small star and moon chain around your neck. You moved with some of the models as you were getting their pictures. One of your favorite moments was when all of the models walked in a large group, it gave you some of the best shots from the night. Some of the people were blurred while you focused on one in particular, it gave it a sense of movement that you always loved to capture in pictures. There were a couple of times you directed some of the other photographers so they could get some more sideline shots. They surprisingly listened well. Generally there was a power struggle when a woman, who was obviously younger than most of the other photographers, was bossing people around. The camera crew that was filming above you was a well oiled machine, you didn't even have to worry about them. 

When the show came to an end you lingered and took more pictures. At one point someone was yelling your name through the crowd. It confused most of the photographers in the group that didn't know you well enough. The staff had been laughing at the confusion before BamBam and Jackson appeared in front of you. A large smile appeared on your face as they approached you at a quick pace. You gladly accepted their hugs. 

“You've grown from the little shy photographer from forever ago.” You rolled your eyes at Jackson. BamBam was just standing there nodding along with him. You were happy to have people that you knew here. Crowds of this size generally freaked you out a little bit, but knowing that someone you knew and appreciated was here eased your mind a little. 

“You did amazing! I can't believe you were heading this whole thing! Y/n-nie, I am so happy for you. It's awesome watching someone that is like a little sister to me doing such big things.” 

“Yah, I’m only a few months younger than you.” you were smiling the entire time you interacted with the two men. They had stuck by you while you were making your rounds. After a while a lot of the crowd had cleared. Some of the other photographers said their goodbyes while others continued to take pictures; your time was officially over as the show was over. You had been walking toward the building your things were in while talking animatedly. There had been a couple of people that looked at you weird as they passed, they must have been confused as to why you were speaking Korean. Oh well. BamBam had insisted on getting a picture with you and Jackson before you had to part ways. You posed with the pair holding up your camera and a finger heart. They continued taking pictures, both rotating doing some sort of cute poses while you laughed at them. You smiled as you watched them leave, they had unknowingly provided you with a little calm amongst the storm. Your phone pinged and it was a message with the pictures you just took with BamBam and Jackson. Your smile grew as you saved the pictures. 

Quickly and methodically you packed your things up and made your way out. Several of the models and other people stopped you and thanked you for making the day go so well. Most of the staff gave you waves as you passed. Even Bernard Arnault stopped you and thanked you for your services. In the time that you worked with Louis Vuitton you had only met him a handful of times. You were smiling ear to ear and offered him a polite bow out of habit. He chuckled at you and gave you a small pat on the head before he was called over by some other people. Finally you made it outside and far enough away from the event that you could hail a cab. When you did it was fairly quiet on the ride over, you could feel your shoulders slump as more time went on. As you walked into the hotel you could feel the exhaustion of the day physically weighing on you. When you finally made it to your room you gently set your bag on the chair in front of the desk and plugged everything in. Muscle memory took over for you at that moment. You checked your phone and realized that most of the boys had sent you goodnight messages. You sent a couple of pictures BamBam had taken with the caption “Look who I ran into!” Before plugging in your phone and flopping into the bed. You fell into memory lane, a good one this time. 

Today was one of the longest days you have had in a long time. You wouldn't trade it for the world. This opportunity was huge for your little on the rise company.

You had gotten many opportunities in college to intern with your professors, which gave you connections with JYPE, BigHit, Pledis, and Dreamcatcher Company. You were integrated on the idol side but you also knew that if you wanted to excel in the field you would have to be well rounded. You had come out of college and immediately chosen your old company for their rap sheet within the fashion and idol worlds not knowing it was going to be a shitty place to work in. Your extensive portfolio had impressed them and they almost immediately hired you after your initial interview. You excelled there because of the freelance work you did, and with the help of the professors that personally vouched for your skills. It also may have been because they could barely keep anyone on their teams. 

That's where you came in, your attitude was different. You didn't tolerate too much bullshit, you helped where you could and you made it so they were not competing with each other. That company thrived while you were there and sometimes you wondered what happened. If you had to guess they lost a lot of their business when your team left. You didn't have many things you were thankful for with that company, but the opportunities they gave you was one of the few. Those thoughts led you into sleep, a small smile gracing your face. 

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

You were awoken by your phone vibrating incessantly on the bedside table. You reached for it and squinted at the name. San? You sat up and answered the facetime call, the look on his face was worrying. He was wide eyed and ramrod straight. The first words out of your mouth were “Are you okay, is everyone okay?”

“I think there is someone in the house.” It felt like a bucket of ice water was poured over your head as the words left his mouth. You were definitely awake now. You grabbed your glasses and quickly put them on your face, almost stabbing yourself in the eye in the process.

“Where are you at right now?” 

“I'm in your room with the giants, we were cuddling before I had to get up like we have been for the past couple of days and then I heard someone shuffling around on the first floor.” 

“Fuck, okay. I need you to go close and lock the door.” You watched as he got up out of the bed, this was the first time you noticed that he had been shirtless. Now is not the fucking time for admiring your beautiful boyfriend. You heard the soft click of your door closing and the lock turning. 

“Okay, there is a bat in my closet. I want you to grab it and hang out while I figure out what the hell is going on okay.” He nodded at you while you clicked out of the facetime app and got into the cat cams you had all over the living room and kitchen. When you looked through all of them you spotted the culprit. Your mother. For fucks sake, you told her that someone was watching your children, generally that means you don’t need to show up. You clicked back into the facetime app and saw him sitting on your bed with the bat next to him. He looked like he was in the middle of debating his life choices.

“Sannie, everything is okay, the person downstairs is my mom. I guess she decided she needed to come check on the giants even though I told her someone was taking care of them.” His shoulders sagged and you heard a heavy breath leave him. 

“Jagi, this is not how I wanted to meet your mother.” You let out a laugh at his frazzled state. 

“I know Sannie, it's not how I wanted it to go either. But here's what we are going to do. You're going to put on a shirt and we can go downstairs and scare the shit out of her like she did to you. Don't worry, she's pretty chill.” He gave you a questioning look before nodding, he set the phone down on your bed while he moved around the room. Beans was investigating San’s phone as you cooed at her. She had gotten up fairly close and you took a screenshot of her while you waited. A minute or two later San had gently relocated Beans and grabbed his phone. You smiled at him and he matched it. 

“Before you start going to scare her, are you okay with me telling her you're my boyfriend and then telling her about the rest later?”

“Yeah, I'm okay with that Y/n-nie. This really is not how I expected my morning to go,” he muttered while walking toward the door. He was being silent as a cat while he made his way through your house, he had you looking out the back camera. You caught sight of your mother looking in the cat treehouse for the giants. San’s simple greeting to your mother elicited a scream from her, she leapt back and whipped around. Your laughter rang through your hotel room and you slapped a hand over your own mouth. You had neighbors that most likely wouldn't like being woken up by your giggles. You watched with amusement as she sized San up, she greeted him and looked into the camera. Your view moved to San’s pretty face as he approached her and handed her the phone. 

“Hi mom, having a fun drop in?” She shook her head at you and fixed you with one of the most motherly glares she could muster.  

“You are just like your grandmother I swear. You even got him into it.” Your grin widened, that was the ultimate compliment. 

“Yeah well you scared him first so we are even. Mom, this is San, my boyfriend.” She gaped at you, her gaze flickered between the two of you several times before she settled it back on you. 

“Boyfriend? You haven't told me about a boyfriend.”

“It’s fairly new, I wanted to be able to introduce you in person but since you decided to make a drop by visit you moved it up.” Her face turned just a little red at your comment. Serves her right, she should have just left well enough alone. 

“It’s wonderful to meet you,” You could just picture the polite man he was being. The small bow that he had most likely just given her was stuck in your head. You could also see the smile on his face clear as day, even if you couldn't physically see him, his dimples on full display. 

“Likewise San, when Y/n gets back we will have to go out to dinner to get to know each other better. I’m sorry that we had to meet like this and that I scared you. I just wanted to see the grand kitties and wasn't expecting anyone here.”

“I look forward to that,” She had transferred the phone back over to him after giving you a knowing look. The smile on his face was exactly how you pictured it as they chattered while he walked her to the door. Honestly, you couldn't have thought of a better one of your boyfriends to meet your mother first. While you absolutely loved the other boys they could be a little too chaotic, San had perfect manners and it really showed here. As soon as they had parted ways San looked fully at you. You were grinning already at him. He seemed to have recovered from the shock of everything. You heard the deep breath he let out like he had been holding it the entire time she was in his presence. 

“You did good Sannie, I’m sorry she just popped in.”

“That's okay jagi, I’m sorry for waking you up in the middle of the night.” You shook your head at him.

“I would rather you have called me than you scaring yourself shitless, and then scaring my mother shitless with your shirtlessness while you walked around my house.” That was a damn tongue twister. San was laughing at you while he made his way back to your room. 

“Jagi, you should go back to bed, I can see how tired you are.” You took stock in your body and felt the exhaustion pulling at you, you could feel your eyes drooping without you even noticing it. 

“Alright, I love you Sannie, I hope your day goes a little better than this morning has.” 

“I love you too, jagi. Have a good day when you actually wake up for it.” You smiled at him before he hung up the call. When he did you set your phone on the bedside table and cuddled back down into your comforter. You would have never expected your mother meeting one of the boys like that, but life had a weird way of taking the reins. A little while later when your body had gotten rid of the little bit of adrenaline in your system you fell into sleep. 

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Next Chapter (Chapter 23 Coming Soon)

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[breadedloafs]

i do a little happy dance whenever i see YOUR fics

You know when you get one of those readers who comments on every chapter of your fic, pointing out their favorite parts and quoting lines that really resonated with them?

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ariadne's thread ⎯ pt. 13: the shadow of the castle.

pairing(s): hyunjin x fem!reader series summary: when tempted by an intoxicating offer by hyunjin the goblin king of the underground, you fight against him to find your own sense of self once more while in his labyrinth. glimpse: you are left alone with only hours left in your quest. turning towards the castle, all you can see is a long stretch of darkness, but all you can feel is a flame in your heart. warnings/tags: inspired by the 1986' movie Labyrinth, follows majority of the movie's plot points with lore divergence, 3rd person POV, use of Y/N, mature, suggestive adult content, faerie lore, world-building, explicit language, canon-typical violence, fighting, battle, uneven power dynamics, blood, injury/burns, toxic relationships, darkness, vague mentions of dissociation kinda, angst, fluff, hurt with comfort, crying, magic, ateez cameo!! (including ateez tidbits if you like them!), Knights!Ateez, word count: 7.6k previous chapter <- -> next chapter series masterlist

Iron-blood dripped into the dirt of the Underground. The streams of sunlight that had trickled through the large sky-lights of the cave’s ceiling dimmed as the dragon’s fire-smoke tumbled out into the beyond. Great plumes of smoke heavied the air, stinging her eyes. The Runner was alone once more with only the sounds of I.N’s mournful wails as her company. Her hand rose to rub at her fire-hot face, scorched by the dragon’s flames. Her hair dripped from the rainfall Hyunjin had called upon the Underground; her clothes were soggied and sticky to her body. The sizzling of the City of the Forgotten was loud even from her embankment, and she couldn’t help but let the flare of concern rattle her bones.

Concern for herself, for the roars of the dragon I.N, for her friends.

Her predicament was beyond her. Her quest was seemingly endless and yet she was running out of time. Adrenaline-rushed, she faced Hyunjin, but, with the sounds of the forgotten crying and the fire embers fizzling, she realized how out of her element she was.

Bravery clung to her bones, but she wasn’t fearless or emotionless. There were folk down there – innocent fae and goblin, perhaps deluded by a false king, but innocent nonetheless – suffering. Han had been manipulated and who knew where he was now? Did Hyunjin have his claws in him too? So many souls are entangled by this kingdom of twisted truths and unwinding unfortune. Jisung, Chris, Changbin… even those she had met and left behind. It all showed a land unfair. She didn’t want their suffering. She didn’t want her friends to face consequences once she left. Would things change once she was gone? Hearing I.N’s regretful roars rumble into sobs, Y/N wished that she could see this world turn to the better.

After all, I.N’s cries were terrible mortal - somewhere she believed he had transformed into nothing but a fae once more, the hollow sobs sounded far more… gentle. It was a genuine sobbing. A heartbreak. Fae and human weren’t so different she thought. She had made it this far and despite their delusion and disillusions, the fae she had met were unhappy with their lives… just as she had been in the Aboveground. The sobs ached her heart, squeezing it like an over-ripened peach. She glanced away from the destruction.

They deserved better.

She felt it in her soul.

There was a reason I.N sought out a tool against Hyunjin.

Hyunjin. His dark eyes burned her compared to the warm ocean she had seen in her fantasy. Because that was all it was. A fantasy. Everything he offers, it was just a fantasy. Everything about this image of a righteous, good-hearted fae king was a fantasy. She sighed out again, the sound coming from deep within her.

Y/N knew that when she started this quest; she knew if she lost, she’d lose something greater than her life Aboveground. Perhaps her sanity she had thought – getting lost into a daydream he could spin. But now, seeing the aftermath of the King’s actions, the Labyrinth, the Challenge, the Underground, she knew this King was cruel – and if not, on purpose, on accident. His own subjects lived in ruins, lived forgotten, lived banished.

They were a moment away from his envy, a moment away from his jealousy. He was a new king – or newer in his reign - if anything could be drawn from the statues, the tiles, the stories. The once Prince of the Underground granted the powers of his defeated father. Despite the years the fae had compared to her mortal years, he wasn’t an ancient being. He was a young fae compared to the previous king – in everything. His actions and decisions proved it. He even swore his victory at every moment like a child crying out they were the winner before a game was finished.

Perhaps they were suited after all. A mortal and a kingling locked in battle.

Turning away from the City of Forgotten, a place she swore to not forget on her journey forward, Y/N thought of the task at hand. Two hours and forty minutes were left according to the magical clock, and the Goblin Castle seemed further than ever. Up on a little hill in the distance, its silhouette had shifted since the last moment she looked towards it. For now, she was looking at it from the backside. A long draping shadow cast over the Labyrinth’s path ahead like the Castle itself had a royal cape. No floating lamps lit the way ahead, dotting the world with flaming stars. Instead, a sea of darkness was ahead.

Shutting her eyes, she tried to ignore everything that hurt – her aching new injuries, her burns, her sore feet, the wet clothes that clung to her skin…

“Y/N!”

She heard her name, a whisper on the wind at first. It was so faint that she almost didn’t believe her ears.

“YYYYY/NNNN!”

Then, there was a loud call, a tad grating. But insistent.

Sir Changbin?!

The Runner’s eyes fluttered open, and she turned to look towards the sound. Sure enough, making their way through remnants of forgotten junk, she could see the shining armor of Sir Changbin and the hulking form of Chris. Looking for her, calling for her.

“Guys?” she let out in surprise, blinking.

Chris was the first one to spot her, nose flaring before his head snapped to capture her in his gaze. The animalistic furrowed brow and bared teeth he sported moments ago disappeared. A bright relieved smile crossed over his face instead as he nudged Changbin who loudly grunted in dramatics before sighting her as well.

“My fairest Lady!” Changbin called out, breaking into a sprint.

Chris joined him but, instead of running, the ground beneath his feet came alive. In a rolling wave of dirt and rock, he rode the earth towards her. In no time, they were in front of her. Together, they engulfed her in a bear-like hug. A grunt escaped her as she was juggled between cave-cool skin and hard metal armor. Their breaths were icy against her burns. Chris’ head nuzzled into the crook of her neck, a strange chuffing sound escaping his throat like a grumble. While he didn’t speak, Changbin did.

“Oh, my Lady! Where did you run off to? We’ve been searching for you!” Changbin exclaimed, helplessly, while squeezing her so tight that she let out a grunt of pain. “Oh, oh, I’m sorry; I’m sorry!”

He softened his hold, leaning back, and smiling at her, kind-heartedly. Chris remaining hugging her, head tucked into her shoulder as his arms shifted to curl around her waist. Like she was some sort of teddy bear. His huffs shook him, a rumble coming from his chest.

Changbin’s eyes widened at the sight of her. His gaze flickered over the wounds on her arms, half blistered over by now before it zeroed in on the dripping blood on her chin.

“Sweetest maiden, you’ve been hurt!” Changbin retorted, pouting concernedly.

Fumbling around his pockets, he withdrew a strangely-pristine white handkerchief to dab at it. His hands went to cup her face with all the chivalry a knight possessed, treating her with respect and dignity.

“I’m alright, I’m alright,” she tried to reassure as he began to fuss over her chin.

As she shifted, Chris let out a whine of sorts, more like a creature’s whine than anything she had heard from him since their first meeting. He hugged her closer as Changbin went to wipe at the blood on her arms next.

“Brother, please, you are getting in the way!” the smaller eventually chattered at Chris who had remained by her side loyally, almost fearful to let her go again. “Can you not see she is injured?”

There was another low whine of disdain, and she saw Chris’ face for the first time since their embrace. Upturned brows, a genuinely heartbroken look, and trembling hands as he pulled away.

“Oh, Chris,” she whispered, softly.

“I was so scared!” he admitted, a fae’s truthful declaration. “What happened, Y/N?”

“I’m okay really,” she tried to reassure them. “There’s no time to explain what happened… we need to--  wait, where is Han?”

In her elation of sighting her friends, she had noticed there was no Jisung. At first, she had thought he lingered slowly behind them – after all she had heard from Hyunjin, she wondered if there was guilt clinging to him. A strange tug of hoping it was and wasn’t so. She didn’t want his guilt but she also wished for his honesty. She had thought they were closer now than before. Even if she knew he was not at fault for his betrayal, she wished he had just told her… something? But she didn’t have time to think of that now as Changbin spoke.

“He disappeared with you!” Changbin insisted. “We’ve been searching for ages!”

Fear struck her stomach. Where could he be? Caught by Hyunjin’s grasp? Did he run off without a word once more? She didn’t know, and she worried about him. He was her friend. Deep down, she knew he cared. His jewel eyes said more than he did.

“It was another of the King’s… of Hyunjin’s tricks. I think Han has been manipulated or captured or worse,” she said before shaking her head softly. Time was ticking, and they were just standing here. “The Challenge is still on. We have to keep going!”

And instead of staying still, feeling the minutes slip away, she began to walk onwards.

“Manipulated? A man on the inside has been compromised?” Changbin exclaimed, dramatically outraged. His lips formed a pout, his brows furrowed.

“I’m not sure – I don’t know. I just know that—Hyunjin played us.”

Chris growled out as he and Changbin followed after her.

Y/N glanced around. Hoping that perhaps Han would be there… It felt like there was something following her. Something tingled the back of her brain. There was a lingering shimmer to her skin in the fleeting candle light of the Labyrinth. It shifted and sparkled like crushed starlight before fading quickly into her being. Changbin’s mouth opened and closed like a fish as his eyes looked up and down her.

“My Lady!” he exclaimed in cautious awe.

She was too busy looking this way and that to clock it as anything more as concern. She pushed aside an old wheel from the path, huffing.

“What is it?” she asked, grunting.

“Where were you?” Changbin asked tentatively, slowly. “Before you arrived in the City of the Forgotten?”

“Somewhere between a dream and a nightmare,” YN snorted out. “Hyunjin thought he could distract me with a fake ball.”

“Huh?” Changbin managed to splutter.

“It was this-this dreamscape,” she clarified. “A distraction.”

It angered her the more she thought of it. Hyunjin used her fantasies to his advantage and made the perfect version of himself – even amongst the debauchery of the ballroom. He was a savior there just as he wanted to be her savior early this night…

No, she’d save herself.  

Y/N shook her head defiantly. She wasn’t going to go down without a fight. If not for herself, for Han, for Chris and Changbin, and for the innocents of the Labyrinth, she’s seen manipulated by this King. Every Runner that had failed. Every Forgotten soul.

Each step forward, she felt like the Castle’s walls were much closer. Like, with each person she was determined to save, the path grew shorter and shorter. In fact… it did. It was like they were breezing past hillsides, covering more land than they had before.

Chris glanced about, watching as the landscape changed from the forgotten remnants of the Forgotten to the sparkling trade routes of old in a fantastical blur of muted colors. He never recalled moving so quickly in the Underground; his gaze settled back on Y/N.

The Labyrinth worked in strange ways; fae worked in even stranger ways.

As they crept forward, the trio passed forgotten dustied, sparkling vargo wagons that sat abandoned on the trail route. The dirt road became uneven with ancient muddied wheel tracks overlapping over and over. Then, the darkness of the shadow of the Castle cast over them. An unnatural dark settled over them, the only source of light was the fractals of magic dusted over the remaining trees, wagons, and rock work they passed. It twinkled just enough to catch her eye, like tiny microscopic stars. They shimmered with a rumble.

“This way.” It whispered.

The magic glinted a path through the shadows – giving them a multi-colored sparkling path.  As if the magic of the Labyrinth were leading them along.

A bell tolled in the distance, clanging out loud and ringing through the air. It reverberated endlessly. Y/N glanced up at the Castle; its silhouette was closer than ever. For the first time since entering the Underground, she could see faintly lit windows within the Castle. Baubles of starlight danced throughout the Castle – like the glass orb that she had seen in the oubliette. It was Hyunjin she knew.

Her stomach curdled at the thought of the Castle; at the thought of facing him in his domain, a domain from here, she could see he manipulated. But, soon, they were so close the grand wall of the Goblin City seemed to climb higher and higher ‘til the peaks of the Goblin Castle’s highest tower was no longer visible. It was just the wall and the unnaturally dark shadow.

Lingering magic twinkled, floating about like light beetles before one by one they too dimmed as they entered into the pure darkness. There was no road, no trees, no wagons left abandoned.

Chris grasped her hand tightly. There was the sound of a sword being unsheathed, schling! Changbin’s hand went to the small of her back. The sound of their footsteps echoed and echoed as if their very own shadows were walking after them.

“Stay close, my Lady,” Changbin warned.

There was a reverb in the void. His voice sizzled through the air, shaking, trembling, growing. It made everything feel strange. Like she was in space.

The further they went into the shadow of the Castle, the sounds echoed into nothingness. It was just Darkness. Their footsteps faded into nothing; their own breaths twisted into silence. In the Shadow of the Castle, there was no living being. No township, no evidence of civilians. Darkness. Magic even dimmed. It felt forevermore.

Somehow, Y/N wasn’t afraid. Even in the shadows, her heart didn’t race. Her breath didn’t catch. She took a deep breath in and felt… invigorated. Her friends’ hands tightened around hers; she wasn’t alone. A breath kissed her face.

The magic whispered in the air,” This way. This way. Don’t fear, Y/N.”

She continued ahead, blindly.

Soon, the footsteps that once echoed rang back into existence. She squeezed Chris’ cool hand. He squeezed back. Her eyes blink, blink, blinked. Darkness remained but she could see faint shapes in the shadows, unmoving and large. Fuzzy grey surrounded them, fizzling and undulating. As they continued onward, the grey faded into a soft blue. The shapes turned into figures, gaining dimension. They were statues guarding a large door.

Monstrous gargoyles, tall as the trolls beneath the Labyrinth, towered at the City’s entrance. Their fanged mouths bit into large glowing-blue lanterns. Buzzing bugs circled dizzily around the glow. The darkness swallowed the hued light; it seemed like the lights were dancing, trembling, shaking. For a moment, she eyed the gargoyles cautiously. Their large grotesque faces of unknown beasts didn’t tremble or speak. Nothing was ever as it seemed here, she wearied. But as they continued onward across the rockwork bridge and past the guardians, she realized they were nothing but stone. No following eyes. No growling warnings. Just… light sources and frightening figures of lore. It felt almost ordinary or perhaps, simply, old.

The large wooden door was ancient looking. With heavied iron decorating its belly, it shimmered metallically in the rolling blue lamp-light.

“Open the doors! Open up!” Changbin crowed out.

“Changbin,” her voice hissed out, almost unfamiliar to her.

“Wah—” he let out, his head swung to look at her. His lone milky eye gleamed even in the darkness.

“We must go quietly… the King doesn’t want us to enter.” She lamented softly. Her tone gentled at his uncertain, kicked pup look.

“Oh,” Changbin whimpered. In the dark light, she could barely see his pout. “I didn’t think of that.”

“We’ve always been welcomed at these gates,” Chris reminded softly. “It’s alright, brother. We must prowl now.”

“Yes, prowl,” he repeated.

In the past, YN would hesitate. She’d wait; she’d question Perhaps she’d eye the gate ahead with wonder and worry. There was an ozone bite in the air, something metallic in the back of her mouth. Taunting.  Yet instead of pausing, she pushed forward. Her hand pressing against the metal-gilded wood. Its chill burnt as she shoved the door open; it creaked as it swung on its hinges.

Inside, there wasn’t much to see. Dirt and brick. Light tumbled lit the space thanks to the ambered-flames of watch towers high above them and the scattering of torches that flickered alive as the door creaked open. Ahead of them was another courtyard of sorts – similar in its simplicity. However, unlike the Gardens and the Labyrinth, there were no shatter brick or dead flora crawling up its walls. Instead, it was clean, empty. Dirt scattered over brick-work and sturdy brick neatly maintained in repeating lines. The walls were high on all sides, too high to scale; large fire pits stood at their peaks for the passing guards to see. And guards did pass – tiny furred creatures with long spears waddled about, lazily – but, when they heard such a creaking from the door, they jumped into action.

“Oh no! Intruders!” A goblin squeaked out.

“Is that the Runner?” Another croaked.

“Goddess Below!”

A loud stumbling was heard; grumbling and gab overlapped one another before clawed footsteps ran off… and then, then goblins were gone atop the barricades.

She paused in her step. Changbin and Chris stopping beside her, defensively.

…

It was uneventful. She expected something more… big. Not just creatures running off in fear.

Glancing over at Chris and Changbin, she watched as the duo steadied themselves. Chris’ fists flexed; he had let go of her hand in the process of the outburst. Changbin’s hand went to his weapon carefully.

A long moment passed. And nothing happened.

Huh.

So, Y/N continued onwards, stepping into the courtyard. The dirt floor was untouched with no foot prints, big or small. The grit crunched beneath her shoes; the ground was hard, no longer the compacted dirt of the Labyrinth or loose sand of the Desert Sea or even the weathered brick roads she had become familiar with. It was solid, hard, structured here.

In the center of the courtyard, a sudden gentle breeze brushed aside dust to reveal a symbol carved into the ground. Walking towards it, she peered at it curiously. Lines carved into a rock-centerpiece. It was too covered still.

“Trust yourself.” The whisper in her ear aided.

Stepping closer, she squatted and reached a hand out, prepared to swipe away the grime to read the signa. As soon as her hand outstretched, the air stilled. Dust rose from the symbol, hauntingly. The grains of dirt trembled about her, levitating as she got closer and closer to the carved symbols. Her hand froze mid-air. The crystalline pieces of sand froze too, stuck in the air in a snapshot of growing tornado.

There was a magnetic tingling through her arm. A wonderous feeling trembling through her as she breathed out. It felt like power; it felt dangerous. Her eyes flashed to the symbol. There was long lines, a circle and triangulation… Blurred beneath the dirt, she couldn’t make out any words but it looked like an hourglass?

“Y/N…” she heard Changbin warn from nearby.

There was a creaking ahead of her, a taunting metal rumble. Her gaze flashed from the symbol to the wall ahead. A lattice portcullis gate laid shut in front of her – their only way into the City, locked. Was this the key?

The signa suddenly glowed tauntingly, whispers of an ancient text encircling the hourglass in the circle. Strange. In this world, she knew clocks were the preferred time-keeping. An hourglass.

“Huh…” she peered closer to try to make out the words while Chan and Changbin took steps on the other sides of the circle, squatting beside her. Together, she tried to read the ancient language encircling the symbol. With every blink, she swore the words rewove to spell out something she could understand. It was no longer an ancient language but it wasn’t English either.

The dust shifted. “ Who…Who—wears the crown…”

Her hand moved once more, reaching out to wipe at the dust when -

“Y/N! Wait!”

A familiar voice shouted out.

“Han?” Y/N glanced over her shoulder, mouth dropping.

“You’re going to get hurt! It’s the symbol of ATEEZ!” he called to her as the door behind them began to close as if sensing his approach. Magic was a funny thing like that. “It’s a battle enchantment ring!”

The door quickened its pace at his words.

“No!” she exclaimed moving from her spot and lunging forward.

Her hand reached out as if she could stop the door from so far away. Han sprinted faster than her vision. He was nothing but a blur of color before the city of the doors to the City shut with a loud mechanical clank.

He huffed barely glancing back at his nifty escape for a moment’s breath; his head panged from the nearby metal’s influence, but that wasn’t what he was focused on. Y/N. Her… His head swiveled to set his sights on her. Before he sprinted towards her, pulling her away from the seal. The dust remained frozen in a spiral, almost like a spotlight over the sign.

“Did you touch it? Get away from it – it’s-“ His hands touched over blood, the damp sticky iron-blood burning his fingertips. His jeweled eyes zoomed in on that. His mouth trembled. “Are you okay? You—”

“I’m okay,” she told him. His panicked breaths only increased. Her hands went to his that held her at arm’s length. “I’m okay.”

In a quickness only fae had, he tugged her close at those words. A crack of his voice pierced his throat. He held her like she’d fade away, reminiscent of Changbin and Chris’ fond embrace not long ago.

“You’re okay; you’re okay,” Han breathed out; breath cold against her ear. He breathed her in before pulling back just a smidge. Blood-shot jeweled eyes met hers.

“You’re really okay?” he clarified.

He was speaking about more than just the bodily wounds, she knew.

“I am.” She reassured even if her body ached. She squeezed him by the middle, tugging him close. “Are you? What happened to you? How’d you find us? How did you know that was—No, no, that doesn’t matter; are you okay?”

Y/N rambled over herself, focusing on the most important thing – his well-being. She pulled back to look him over. Had Hyunjin captured him? Was he under his influence now?

Jisung let out a strangled breath at her words, suddenly, as if all air had been sucked from him. His jeweled eyes looked her up and down, taking in every cut, every bruise, every wound, everything and something shattered. How could she ask about him in this state?

 He began to cry. Diamond tear-drops, sparkling, he fell to his knees in front of her.

“Forgive me,” Jisung pleaded. He took her hand in his. “Keep the jewels. Keep them. I’m so s-sorry.”

His ribs heaved and he swore he felt like the world was falling down as the guilt crashed over him. He had caused this. And she still asked of him? Her pain, her blood-soaked skin, her everything. It was his fault. His fault. His fault. He felt like he was going mad. It was all his fault and her kindness remained. Her blessing, her grace.

He caused this – why did he listen to the king? Why couldn’t he be stronger? He was nothing but a tool- no…

A fool. A King’s fool.

He was weeping openly. His tiny-claws dug into her hand as he sobbed apologies. Chris and Changbin stood beside them, eyes wide and bewildered.

“Lord Han?” Changbin started carefully. His hand outstretched to place itself on the other’s shoulder.

Jisung flinched away. “No. no. I’m not--” he argued out, pushing the other’s hand away. The wild hand then swiped over his wet eyes, wiping at the tears that dripped from his jeweled eyes.

“I’m not his. I’m no Lord. Not to him, never again.”

Jisung’s gaze was frantic as he looked at Changbin, blood-shot eyes locking on his once-friend. Uncertainty bloomed in the air; Changbin’s chest rose and fell with adrenaline. No one had expected this reaction. Jisung’s eyes shifted to look at the goblin’s crest over his chest. Changbin wasn’t free from the Underground, but he was free from one thing – the King. In the name of Magic.

He turned to look up at Y/N. The same Y/N he had berated and mocked and ignored and betrayed. Here he sat knelt at her feet, staring up at her like she was some far-off star only myths spoke of. Kindness dripped from her own face.

“Han,” she reached out again, and he didn’t feel worthy.

“Jisung,” he corrected her, quietly. “I’m Jisung - to you. Forevermore.”

It was an act of trust giving one’s name. She knew that the moment they met, and now it only resonated deep in her chest. Like something snapping into place. He licked his dry lips, big eyes wide on her as he scooted on his knees towards her once more.

“I, Jisung of the Goblin City,” he breathed out. “- will live by the oath to protect you ‘til your last breath – Y/N, Only of Her Name, Runner of the Labyrinth. By the way of Mag—”

Her hand reached out to cover his mouth shut, to stop him.

“Jisung.”

She commanded, and he stopped mid-sentence, mid-oath. He blink, blinked at her.

“I don’t want a protector,” she told him. “I want a friend.” Her head shook at herself as she corrected herself. “I have a friend in you.”

He was silent, upturned brows speaking volumes for him.

“I know what you did,” she admitted. “Hyunjin ratted you out. It’s okay.”

He protested with a soft soggy sound, but she kept her hand clamped tight over his delicate mouth.

“It’s okay,” she reassured. “I know it was him not you. Right?”

He nodded tearfully.

“Everything here is controlled by him – and I don’t want… I don’t want to be like him. I don’t want to control you.” She told him.

His eyes looked down to the hand clamping his mouth shut and she let out a damp chuckle before she removed it. “Sorry.”

“I can’t promise he wont use me against you.” He whispered. “Again… and again. Unless I swear fealty to you.”

Fealty. Such a fantastical word for an ordinary woman.

She let out a soft smile. One that seemed bittersweet. “Later. We have to hurry onwards.”

“No.” Jisung pleaded again, grasping at her hand.

“We don’t have much time. Every second matters now.”

“This matters beyond that,” he insisted. “Please, I want to swear fealty.”

“Jisung.” She whispered, pleading.

“As your friend.” He pushed before licking his lips. “I, Jisung of the Goblin City, swears to be the bestest friend he can be to Y/N, Only of Her Name, Runner of the Labyrinth.”

“That’s all I want,” she told him. “If it is your wish?”

“By the way of Magic, it is said.” he whispered.

The sparkling remnants of magic that always surrounded them, lingering on the stonework, rocks, and what not suddenly trembled, making the whole world shimmer for a moment before the air settled once more. Jisung sniffled, and Y/N urged him to stand, grasping his hands tightly to hoist him up.

He clung to her for a moment, and she let him squeezing him as she took in a steadying breath.

“What a touching display,” an unfamiliar voice crowed out. “I’m all for loyalty, but interrupting a rite of battle… that’s just bad form.”

A wild cackle of a laugh echoed out into the air, a taepyeongso belted out. The frozen-tornado of dust that stood still above the symbol they had momentarily forgotten burst into a raging sandstorm. Outward, it sliced into the air, growing and growing into a blinding mess. The party flinched back, grunting out as they hid their faces.

The loud clanking of mechanical mechanisms clanked and clunked. The nearby walls screeched as an armor slid down over brick. Makeshift slabs of metal, twisted and wrought, slide around the brickwork haphazardly. Like a patchwork quilt, it overlapped into a shield of sorts – some pieces mottled iron, still gleaming silver, while some had turned a rusted sunset orange. The air felt hot, sizzling with a chemical bite. Chris hissed out but did not falter while Jisung grunted and wilted just a smidge at the iron’s proximity, trembling.

The nearby portcullis rose with a creaking aged sound. The sandstorm relented as it rose. The taste of sand heavied in their mouths as it swirled like a fog in the air as eight figures broke through the dust.

The Knights that approached looked fearsome. Some wore armor while others simply wore dark leathers. Metal – iron gilded – embellished their forms. She had only seen Changbin wear iron down here. Yet these fae were dripping in it. One had a sparkling piercing in his lip; another had rows of earrings up and down his faintly-pointed ears. One of the Knights wore heavy layers of iron; its styling reminiscent of the very shields that had tumbled down over the courtyard. He was bulky and clanked lightly, like he was a steampunk robot.

Iron covered them so easily. It was frightening.

“Oh no, it’s ATEEZ,” Jisung whimpered into Y/N’s shoulder.

“ATEEZ?” she repeated.

“They’re the fiercest fighters the King has!”

The Knights came to a stop in a human wall in front of them, blocking them from the now-opened gate facing Y/N and her party. Y/N’s gaze grazed over each and every one of the fae.

The bulkiest seemed to make up the outer edge of the line. The one decked out in armor bore a heavy axe of iron, the hilt twisted and sharp. His eyes seemed hefty as they stared at her. It reminded her of Chris’ rock-heavy gaze. He twirled his weapon in his hands, the metal clunking as it hit his flesh. On the opposite side, a fae man with blood-red hair raised his brows at her when their eyes met, flashing his fanged teeth. Taunting.

There was one – the tallest who stood simply. He did not glare or peacock about or prowl. His hand, covered in a twisted arrangement of metal décor like make-shift brass knuckles of sharp iron, raised to sweep his dark hair from his forehead. He almost smiled at her. Not a smirk, not a growl. A light sweet smile. It baffled her as her gaze flickered to the folk next to him, eager for a fight.

The shortest Knight came to the front of the group. His hand tip-tapped over a cutlass blade’s hilt at his hip, lazily. Tap, tap, tap. He swaggered up to her slowly. His voice rang out in a melodic, sweet tone.

“Hello.” He smiled; it was far from the gentle lopsided quirk of his lips like his fellow Knight. Instead, it was a wicked sugared thing, so sharp it was like the blade at his waist.

“Hello,” Y/N echoed. “May we pass to the Castle?”

One of them chuckled, shaking his head like she was a child; he had a long musket-like weapon slung over his shoulder. His long face sneered with amusement; a flash of a polished iron fang – was his mouth full of metal rather than enamel? - visible as he grimaced a smile.

“No,” the short one said, clearly, smile ever sharp on his soft face. “You and your party may not, Runner.”

“Can they pass without me?” she clarified, nodding to her group.

Words mattered here; she knew that.

“I wouldn’t recommend it,” another Knight chimed.

This one had long blonde hair styled in a messy mullet; he was muscular despite his lithe form. Flashes of his flesh showed through his relatively light armor. Yet the less armored he was, the more dangerous he seemed.  

“You’ve angered the King quite a bit, little human,” another Knight chuffed out, his voice deep and masculine.

He had leather armor with a delicate almost decorative chain-linked iron vest over it. He leveled her an almost lazy gaze as he shifted on his feet, anxiously? Maybe he was just excited for a fight as he shifted his feet, as if stretching his form. His tongue lolled out wickedly, sliding over his fangs, as he kept his gaze on the Runner.

Chris took a step towards the Runner at that - as if he could shield her from the many Knights of ATEEZ’s gazes. He bared his fangs; a Knight with a split-dyed hair, silver on the bottom and black hair on the top, grinned in return. Another Knight shifted his posture animalistically, as if preparing to launch himself at them. Her hand went to push Chan aside gently, giving him a reassuring look. Y/N took a step forward and every figure seemed to step back. As if she were the opposite end of a magnet.  She paused, careful in her movements.

There was a moment of silence; dust grazed the concrete loudly and the Knights froze. The Knight at the forefront took a step forward after a glance to his men; he creaked his neck as he slid the blade out of his holster.

“I don’t want to fight you,” the Runner told them.

“We will fight for you, my Lady,” Changbin proclaimed sincerely – despite this.

The Knight Leader tilted his head. He did not attack; in fact, he seemed far more in control unlike the prowling energy behind him. His Knights were eager for a fight, shifting on their feet. From the corner of her eye, she could feel her own traveling party behind her move anxiously. Jisung’s fingers grazed her hand before she stepped face to face with the Captain of Ateez closer.

He didn’t move this time, neither away or closer. He instead was frozen by her closeness. His head tilted soft. His smile was almost condescending as if her joining him, breaking her own rank, was juvenile. His gaze could dive into her soul, intense and calculating.

“What has the King sent you to do?” she asked.

“We have been ordered to not harm you, Runner,” the Captain reassured. He didn’t tease nor taunt. He did not touch her, not like the wild faeries of Direwoods. Not like their King. There was a hissing sound from within his Knights. Disappointment. She didn’t break their eye contact to look over at his men.

“That was his orders?” she questioned. It seemed oddly simply – do not harm her?

“To some extent – no Runner-blood shall be spilt upon the holy ground of the Goblin City nor shall she enter the City without a fight.”

“What is your name?” she queried after a moment.

His smirk only grew. With pride, she noted.

“Captain Hongjoong of the Knights of Ateez – the Protectors of the Goblin City, fiercest in all the lands,” he introduced. There was no fan-fare, no dramatic bow.

“Protectors of the Goblin City,” she murmured back softly.

Licking her lips, she sought a way out of this– without a battle. 

“I have no quarrel with the City. That is your domain.” the Runner wordplayed. “So, I should be able to pass.”

There was laughter over the Knights. One – with split dyed hair - rallied up beside their Captain. Too casually for it to be proper. His eyes were wild as he licked over his fangs. His arm went to rest on Hongjoong’s shoulder.

“You can’t trick us, human,” he taunted, eyes flashing a magical red gleam.

Another Knight, the one with the musket, went to grab him by his gauntlets to shove him back into line.

“Excuse them,” Hongjoong requested, gentlemanly. “Runner, there is no way for you to defeat us. I can guarantee that. However, we shall do all we can to stop you and your allies.”

No way for her to defeat them… But she didn’t want to defeat them, did she? She wanted to pass them.

“I’m tired of waiting; can’t we start?” It was the same one from before that was shifting back and forth, prowling like a caged tiger.

“Mingi,” Hongjoong sighed. “She’s playing quite nice now; it’d be a shame to jump into a battle unprovoked.”

“Bad form,” the beautiful Knight with dark midnight locks commented to the other warningly, shifting his musket once more to sling it over his shoulders.

“I’m tired of good form – I crave sacrifice.” The one with red hair was the one to breathe out such vigor. He eyed the opposing Sir Changbin.

Her Knight’s face hardened at such threats.

“You shall not harm anyone here,” Changbin warned lowly.

“Touchy, Sir Changbin,” the Knight with split-hair commented. “So far from your post, fair Knight of Magic.”

Changbin took a step forward in defense.

“If they move further forward, my men will have no choice.” Hongjoong warned. His eyes flashed with red, unnaturally.

The Knights of ATEEZ chuckled, magic glistening through their forms as they shifted their weapons – a musket, a broadsword, daggers, an axe, long swords, fists of iron.

“Binnie.” She warned, glancing back.

Y/N refused to make the decision to harm her party, unmoving. Changbin obeyed his Lady, pausing in his own movements. Each one of her friends met her eye from various points in the courtyard. Chris was prowling, hunched and moving more animal like than man already. Changbin had drawn his blade. Even Jisung had his dagger at the ready in his palm.

“You have no choice, Y/N.” Chris said with a hint of despair in his tone. It came out in a gruff growl, as if he was already half-something else. The Beast-Hunter’s instincts were more primal than human at this point. “You have to make it to the Castle.”

“No matter what, Y/N.” Jisung encouraged. “We have your back.”

“Aye,” Changbin agreed, spinning his sword in his hand. “Push forward, fair lady. We shall protect our own and you.”

Four against eight was never a fair fight and yet – the battle still began.

Her footstep daring pass the unspoken boundary made all hell break loose. The Knight shifted forward, not towards her but her companions. It was a blur of figures – fae moved faster than her at times, stronger than a simple human. She shifted and dodged their bulky forms as her friends set upon them. One lunged to try to grasp her in his arms and she broke free, dodging to the side to hear Changbin enter battle.

“We meet again, Sir Changbin,” one of the Knights crowed out, bowing dramatically.

“Always a pleasure, Sir Wooyoung,” Changbin retorted, slashing out at the other in a dramatic whirl of his blade.

The one called Wooyoung cackled out a laugh as he flung himself into battle. Their swords clashed in a kaleidoscope of technicolor sparks. The blonde-haired Knight launched into battle, a dagger of sorts flinging its way towards Changbin. With ease, her friend raised his gauntlet to block it expertly. His eyes locked with his enemies as he swung broadly towards them both.

Chris had leapt in front of Y/N the moment Hongjoong took even a simple step towards her. Hulking muscle hunched over as he glared at the Knight Leader.

“Hello, Hunter,” Hongjoong growled out as Chris jumped towards him to stop the Captain in his tracks.

“Captain,” Chan genuflected.

The sword at Hongjoong’s waist was drawn with flair and Chris wrapped his own chains around his hands, a make-shift weapon better than his own claws in that moment. He swiped his chains as the blade was brought down.

“Go.” Chris growled to Y/N.

Quickly, she listened, dodging around the two fae fighting and ran forward. Jisung swept into her a moment later, pushing her away from a stray blade that was flung towards her. Ducking her under his arm, they spun and circled about the battle on the outreaches of the Knights.

“Get to the Castle,” he encouraged.

A gunshot was heard.

Jisung dodged a bullet, literally. Shoving Y/N towards the door, he flung his own dagger towards the assailant. The tall-elegant man with the musket who had loaded and fired his weapon with ease grappled for Jisung’s dagger, catching it before it sliced through him.

There was clanking and clashing of iron all around. Sparks flew as they screeched against one another. The way they all were able to withstand metal was amazing – but Jisung felt dizzy being around so much iron already. His heart jumped with fear at the thought of a bullet piercing his form. He didn’t have long to worry as he watch Y/N nearly run into a Knight – his blonde hair whipping around him majestically. A whisper of an incantation was on his poutful lips.

“Y/N, move,” Jisung called.

The Runner listened and dodged away from Yeosang’s magical capabilities. Chains had crawled from the ground, looking like the tentacles of a squid as it sought its victim – her.

“Yunho, guard the door!” she heard Hongjoong bite out.

Jisung shoved Yeosang aside with surprising strength as he dodged another sword that sliced through the air.

Changbin swept in, his arm grasping her waist to spin her away from a sword’s slice through the air. The red haired man grinned at her, bulking muscles flexing as his blade crashed into Changbin’s armor.

“Not everything is as it seems, Y/N!” Jisung called from nearby as his leg kicked out to trip, the one who was tall and walking towards the gates. “Think!”

Not all is as it seems. What did he know that she didn’t?

Changbin huffed as he took another blow to his armor, an axe clashed down where she had been. Quickly, Changbin tossed her toward the gates – his weapons raising to protect her. Three knights were upon him now, two upon Chris. One was on the ground, another in battle with Jisung.

Catching her footing against the dusty floor, she ran towards Jisung who was now on the ground, dodging blow after blow. Her hand grasped the Knight’s arm, wrapping around harsh twisted armor. As she pulled him away, the Knight shifted his blade to her. And froze. 

The blade didn’t come closer; it was like a whisper of a threat, but as her wild eyes met the dark-eyes of Mingi she saw something burn red deep in his eyes. Magic. She leaned into the blade; the wild knight’s eyes widening in shock as he pulled back quick. His plump lips pressed and fluttered in anxiety as he stumbled back.  

“They’re can’t hurt me.” She murmured.

They can’t hurt her, but they can hurt her friends…. They’re ordered to stop her… Is the battle only occurring because she is near? If she left, would they leave her friends alone?

Taking a step towards Mingi again, his hand trembled. His blade rose but did not slice or stab.

“Cease, Runner.” He warned in his deep-voice.

She pushed herself into the blade of the Knight. Magic willed, he backed away. They hadnt been trying to harm her she realized – her friends perhaps but never her. Even the spells thrown at her were simple freezing spells. Nothing inherently dangerous.

She wasn’t going to be able to beat them – but she didn’t need to in order to escape. Yunho’s arm grasped hers, the gentle features of his face sullen with a deep frown as he hauled her away from Mingi.

It didn’t last long as Jisung barreled into the Knight, shoving him aside and into Mingi.

“Go, Y/N!” Jisung cried out.

Y/N stumbled from the force watching as Mingi did attack Jisung. Her breath caught as Jisung raised his dagger to block and tried to slice at the other. Yunho lept into battle to support his brother.

“Go now!” Jisung urged.

So, she did. She ran with taunts on her tongue.

“I’m over here!” she called out to the Knights.  

A hiss of anger echoed into the court yard.

“Yeosang!” the Captain called.

A buzz of magic, like popped champagne, whittled through the air. The lattice gate began to close, slow and old as it creaked with rusted cogs to lower it down. Running faster, she pushed forward. The sound of iron armor clanked as they shifted from their battles to focus on the Runner once more. Changbin’s blade sliced and Chris shoved the Captain to the ground with a huffing push.

“Get to the Castle!” Chris cried. “We’ll find you!”

The gate tumbled faster and faster as she sprinted. Before the gate should shut with a deafening clank, she slid beneath it, diving for safety.

And she made it.

Now, separated from her party and the Knight of ATEEZ, she turned to look through the rusted lattice gate.

“Open the gate!” Seonghwa growled upwards. She could hear the goblin guards high above stumble and trip in fear. There was the sound of footsteps above her; dust fluttered from the ceiling at the force.

“The Runer is the focus, not these folk. Capture the Runner – that’s an order,” Hongjoong commanded.

He glanced at Chris who swung his chains to whip at the Captain’s face. There was a glower of pain; his grin one of anger.

“Retreat.” Hongjoong persisted.

“Run, Y/N! GO!”

[breadedloafs]

ooooooo plot twist, wasn’t expecting san to be a snake, but i’m loving thisssssss!!!

accidentally have 8 pets || ateez || chapter 7

| genre: fluff. slice of life. small tinge of angst. kind of supernatural(?) | mentions: sannie the cutie snake.

back to masterlist || chapter 8

Six months had passed, and with them, the pain of recovery. My sprained ankle was fully healed, and I was back to my usual routine at the bakery. The scent of freshly baked bread and warm pastries filled my days, grounding me in a comforting sense of normalcy. Mornings started early, with the rich aroma of cinnamon and vanilla filling the air as I kneaded dough for cinnamon rolls. The soft, pillowy texture beneath my fingers was familiar, almost therapeutic. As they baked, the golden swirls darkened at the edges, the sugar caramelizing into a perfect glaze. Drizzling them with warm icing was the final touch, the scent alone enough to make anyone's mouth water. Yet, beneath the surface, an unshakable anticipation lingered—something I couldn’t quite place.

The door chimed again, and a woman stepped in with a warm smile, walking up to the counter. “One cinnamon roll with glazed donuts and one matcha, please,” she said, her tone gentle as she scanned the pastries behind the glass.

I keyed in the order and smiled politely. “That’ll be $5.47, ma’am. Is this for takeout?”

She nodded, digging into her purse for her wallet. As she fumbled with the bills, a small breeze from the open door sent a few of them fluttering to the floor.

“Oh—oh no,” she gasped, reaching for them quickly.

But before she could bend down, Yunho had already trotted forward from behind the counter. With a soft woof, he carefully picked up one of the stray bills in his mouth, tail wagging proudly. The woman froze in surprise, then let out a delighted laugh as Yunho padded over and gently offered her the crumpled bill.

“Oh my goodness—what a gentleman!” she cooed, taking the bill from his mouth and giving his head a fond scratch. “You’ve got yourself a very well-trained boy.”

I couldn’t help the smile tugging at my lips as I looked at Yunho, who sat tall, chest puffed, clearly proud of himself. “He likes to help out where he can,” I said softly, my eyes crinkling with fondness. “Thank you, Yunho.”

The woman returned to the counter and set down the rest of her payment, but instead of collecting her change, she slipped the coins into the tip jar with a quiet clink.

“For his treats,” she said with a warm smile. My eyes widened, hands waver— uncertain in the still air, “Oh, no, that’s really kind but you don’t have to—”

She waved her hand playfully, silencing me with a look that held a mixture of nostalgia and quiet sorrow. Her gaze returned to Yunho, lingering on him with a softness I recognized all too well from a fur parent.

“If this is the sign that I have to move one, then I think it’s time I moved on from my pup,” she whispered, her voice thick with memory. She reached out once more, brushing her hand through Yunho’s fur. “Give him all the treats he deserves, alright?”

I watched her walk out the door, a soft weight pressing against my chest. Yunho nuzzled my side gently, his warmth grounding me, “I will,” I whispered, placing a hand over his head. “I promise.”

The golden afternoon light streamed through the bakery windows, casting a warm glow over the wooden counters. The rich aroma of cinnamon and vanilla lingered in the air as I carefully crafted a pup cup, layering whipped cream into a small dish before topping it with a sprinkle of crushed biscuits. At the back, Yunho lay on his makeshift bed as he rested after a long hour of guarding the cafe. 

I place the pup cup in front of him. Ruffling his fur, I pressed a soft kiss to his forehead before stepping away. "Good job today, babe!" I praised, my voice filled with warmth. Unbeknownst to me, his tail wagged proudly, a silent but clear acknowledgment of my words. The comforting aroma of baked goods still lingered from the morning rush, now fading into a hushed stillness. That peace was briefly interrupted by the soft jingle of the bell above the bakery door.

I looked up and saw a familiar face—Douyin’s old college friend, Johnny—stepping into the bakery with a bright smile and an envelope in hand. The corners of the envelope were slightly crinkled, like he’d held it too tightly during his walk over.

“Hey, long time no see,” he greeted with a casual wave, his voice easy and familiar.

“Johnny! Oh my gosh. Hi!” I grinned, leaning on the counter. He returned the smile, lifting the envelope slightly.

“I tried contacting Douyinie, but he said he’s stuck at the office. Told me to hand this to you instead,” Johnny said, stepping closer. I took the envelope, glancing at the elegant calligraphy on its surface. My eyes widened. “Wait—is this your sister?” I asked, already piecing it together.

He chuckled softly, eyes twinkling with brotherly pride. “Yup. She’s turning eighteen this weekend.”

My mouth opened in surprise, then curved into a smile. “She’s all grown up? Already?” I brushed my thumb over the gold-embossed lettering, my heart warming at the thought. “Of course we’ll come. I wanna see her all grown up—like, actually a young woman now.”

Johnny nodded gratefully, his tone softening. “We’d love to have you both there. She still talks about you sometimes, you know. Said you always made her feel like one of the ‘cool girls.’”

That made me laugh. Stella—Johnny’s little sister—was our first customer when I opened the café. She’s also the reason Johnny and Douyin reunited. Stella’s always been a huge supporter of my business, even though her parents expect her to follow the family’s surgeon legacy, being a pastry chef has always been her number one dream.

“Stop, I’m gonna cry,” I said, voice thick with emotion. Johnny chuckled. “She’s been quite rebellious lately, wanting to follow her dreams instead of the family legacy.”

My mouth fell open in disbelief. “She’s taking pastry classes?”

He nodded. “I’m the one paying her tuition so she can keep chasing her dream.”

“Such a big brother.”

He shrugged. “Things we do for them.” I nodded, agreeing with him. Despite the years of struggle, I was the one who had paid for Douyin’s tuition. Seeing him up on stage, graduating and achieving the dream he’d always wanted, was a proud moment for me.

All the sacrifices and tears had finally paid off.

We had a small conversation, even asking for what coffee he wanted (of course in the house) but he declined gently saying he has to pick up Stella in cram school. As I waved at him goodbye, I held the envelope in my hands, something about it tugged at me—an energy I couldn’t explain. Maybe it was just nostalgia, or the sentimentality of watching someone grow up. But deep down, as the gold ink shimmered in the light, a subtle unease curled at the edges of my thoughts. Like a whisper brushing against my consciousness.

This wasn’t going to be just another birthday party.

The afternoon sun was gentle when we arrived at the small, warm-lit house tucked between two blooming cherry blossom trees. The scent of something sweet lingered in the air—fresh flowers maybe, or anticipation. In my hands, I held a modest cake. Not from a store, not from a famous bakery, but something I had poured myself into. A homemade cake, wrapped in pastel ribbon and a flavor that Stella loves—Caramel.

Douyin and I made our way to the grand hall, both of us dressed in a mix of casual and formal attire. Douyin adjusted his collar, which seemed a little too tight for him. "I told you to buy a new one," I remarked. 

He shot me a side-eye before scoffing, "And who's paying for that? I have a job." I rolled my eyes and tightened my grip on the cake I was carrying. 

"Exactly, you have a good-paying job, and yet here you are wearing the same outfit. Can't you at least treat yourself a little?" He just shook his head in response, “Come on. The party is about to start.” Douyin guides us both around the pasio where the party is being held at the backyard. As we rounded, we met Johnny halfway— his eyes lit up in surprise.

“Douyin!” 

“Johnny!” Both of them pull each other in a tight quick hug, both patting their backs; their smiles were wide enough to tell that they have missed each other. I chuckle, waving whilst still having my hands full because of the cake.

“Hey there … Wait, is that caramel cake?” Johnny looked at the cake, then at me, a surprised smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “You really went out for her.”

I nodded shyly. “Of course I have to, she’s like my little sister too.” He reached over to carry it inside, muttering a soft thank you before disappearing into the house. 

Stella has always been the rebellious type whenever she sets her mind into doing things and people interrupt or intervene. When she found out that her brother’s best friend has a sister that also bakes, she didn’t waste time to find me and ask for any classes or if I hold classes for baking— for sure there was a small debate before she cried about wanting to become a pastry chef rather than following the legacy.

Despite not wanting to have a bad name towards their family, if it’s passion, no one should kill or doubt that one thing that keeps us alive. So with small courage, I gave her a list of online classes and schools that provide short courses. 

It was as if light showed in her eyes and ever since then.

The celebration was already alive—laughter, chatter, the clinking of juice glasses. Warm fairy lights were strung across the ceiling, giving the room a golden glow. I stood quietly near the entrance of the pasio, holding on a glass of champagne as Douyin spoke with his old classmates, letting the mood settle into my bones.

But just as Johnny called for everyone’s attention for the gift-giving portion of the evening, something strange happened. The air around me shifted. Slowed. My heart lurched in my chest.

Almost dropping the champagne glass but managing to steady myself as I hold onto the wooden pole. Everything around me blurred into the distance—and I felt as if I had been pulled, lifted, and dragged out of my body. Like my soul had been snatched and flung into another space entirely.

I wasn’t here anymore.

I was standing somewhere else—still this room, but not in the present. My vision had turned translucent, ghostly. And in the far end, standing just behind the stack of wrapped presents, I saw him.

San.

His profile was sharp, and though the edges of him flickered like an old film reel, the energy was unmistakable. He wasn’t looking at me, but I felt him.

Suddenly—snap—I was pulled back into my body. In a dizzying rush, my breath caught in my throat, and I stumbled slightly. A warm hand rested on the small of my back as I gripped their forearm tightly, my other hand holding the glass much too tightly.

“You okay?” Douyin whispered beside me. He took notice of her near the door, it was like she had seen a ghost— pale and shivering— before it returned in just a flash. He had to excuse himself as soon as he saw her stumbling backwards. He knew that she had seen something. Felt it, maybe. His brows knit together in concern. “You looked… gone for a second.”

I didn’t respond right away. My hand instinctively curled around my wrist. The symbol of Ateez. It was slowly forming new strokes each time I met those boys in their forms and besides that fact— it also shows that I am near meeting them. Each mark on my skin means—a sign, a connection

As I took in the symbol, there was a new stroke. A fresh, bold line added to the symbol. Not random, not meaningless. It shimmered slightly, catching the reflection of the fairy lights. 

San and Jongho were the last missing pieces. I was so close. I stared at it, heartbeat pounding louder than the party music in the background. “It changed. The person I saw—that wasn’t a memory. That was now. That was real.”

Unable to stand idle, I drifted through the party, my feet moving on instinct as my eyes swept every corner with desperate hope. The laughter and music faded into a dull hum as I made my rounds—pausing by the cluster of visitors speaking to one another, hovering silently near the lounging friends of Stella. I wasn’t sure what I was searching for exactly, only that I’d know when I saw it.

Douyin noticed. With a sigh weighed down by worry, he reached out and caught my wrist, his touch grounding me for a moment.

“I know what you’re doing,” he murmured, a trace of exasperation softening the corners of his voice. “You can’t force this.”

“But I’m so close,” I whispered back, my eyes meeting him, wild with something between hope and confusion. The wind blew softly through the open terrace door behind us, catching my hair and sending it flying behind my shoulders like a silk banner. My fingers tightened protectively around the mark etched on my wrist—the symbol that had recently grown another stroke.

His expression shifted, tension easing just slightly, as if he could see the longing radiating from me. But before he could speak again, the atmosphere in the room shifted—subtle at first, like a ripple under still water.

A quiet stir of voices turned heads toward the entrance.

“She wouldn’t like it,” someone murmured, barely above a whisper. “The birthday gift.”

Douyin and I both stared at one another, hoping what we had in our minds were similar. We moved closer to where the voices were and to our surprise, it was the staffs. A few staff members were whispering and one of them was holding a small crate. Disapproval prickled in the air. 

When one of them moved, Douyin was quick enough to pull me to the side as we watched the staff member, who looked pale with confusion, approach Stella.

“You could have just got rid of it,” another voice said, colder. “Take it to a shelter or something. That’s a snake we're talking about!” They whispered yell. I didn’t know why, but my entire body froze. The words echoed in my ears like a warning, a pull from something unseen. Then—flash. A flicker of light crossed my vision, like a spark skipping across the surface of water. My heart lurched.

Stella was happy to notice another gift in her hand, thanking the staff and her friends before they encouraged her to open. When she did, it was like a quick snap of the fingers, her emotion from being joy turned into a terrified one.

She screams, throwing the crate away from her as her friends and family all scramble away. Some were also screaming and some were gasping— Johnny running toward Stella, placing a guard arm around her back as she trembled in his arms.

As the crate was thrown on the ground, the contents of it slither outside. Everyone present all gasp and started running away from the scene. “Get that thing away from my sister. Now!” The same staff who gave Stella the gift, tried its best to grab it but fear gets the best of them.

The animal is coiled in a loose, uncertain spiral, and is a black corn snake. His scales shimmered like onyx beneath the muted lights, catching glimmers of silver and midnight blue. He was the same arm size as mine, his tongue flickering nervously in the air.

His size could be mistaken as a black mamba but to my eyes, he wasn’t near those dangerous species. He was just a soft corn snake. But his eyes… they weren’t afraid. No, when they met mine—round, dark, curious—they seemed to recognize me.

It wasn’t fur and ears I usually found. The moment stretched into eternity. Something different stirred within me, something quiet and sure and aching. Not in the form I remembered, but in essence. Undeniable.

That was him. That is San.

MEET THE OLDER BROTHER OF STELLA:

TAGLIST: @soso59love-blog . @yoongisgirl69 . @forever-atiny . @ateezswonderland . @fr34k4c1dr41n . @breadedloafs . @k1xiara . @nkryuki . @beabatiny . @berryguks . @miniverse-zen . @fight-me-uwu . @xh01bri . @eclipwze . @blue-angel24 . @nkryuki . @matchahintonagar . @asyamonet22 . @szakias . @sanaegi . @notyaelly . @wolviejex . @bby-boo4u . @popcatx0 . @vtyb23.

[breadedloafs]

dude this is literally🤯 the lore is so fucking wild im loving every update😍🥰💚💚💚

accidentally have 8 pets || ateez || chapter 6

| genre: fluff. slice of life. small tinge of angst. kind of supernatural(?) | mentions: literally being bed ridden because of sprained ankle. sleepy seonghwa. hongjoong literally in love with bunny seonghwa.

back to masterlist || chapter 7

Douyin had to take himself home first when the first light of the day came in, after a night of spending time on the couch inside Taehyun’s clinic— monitoring the puppy’s condition, before bringing the golden retriever back to our shared apartment. He had work to do and couldn't afford any distractions— most especially that he had a conversation with Taehyun just last night and it could be actually true but he still has to go through deeper investigations for that matter. 

Both of them walking in, I was sitting on the couch after cruel hours of moving around trying to give Wooyoung and Hongjoong their food plus having Mingi to put on his collar which made everything is easy as they listened and were waiting patiently—my sprained ankle ensuring that I wouldn’t be going anywhere anytime soon. 

With the café closed for a while, I had nothing but time on my hands. I glanced at Douyin, uncertainty gnawing at me. “Are you sure it could be them?”

He sighed, adjusting his backpack as he ruffled the golden retriever’s fur absentmindedly, “If they ever remember their past life, then I’d be certain,” he muttered.

I frowned, sensing the sarcasm in his tone, and in retaliation, I tossed a couch pillow at him. He barely reacted. The golden retriever, on the other hand, had already begun responding to the name I had given him just last night. It was a strange coincidence—or perhaps something more. We had named him after the tall member of ATEEZ, someone who, oddly enough, shared a similar spirit with my newly adopted dog, “Yunho, baby, come here.”

The retriever perked up, trotting toward me before letting out a soft bark. I glanced at Douyin, whose expression was unreadable—though the look in his eyes told me he had the same thoughts circling in his mind.

“Douyin…” I started. He exhaled deeply before nodding. “I’ll look into this more,” he promised. He gave me a quick hug. “I have to go.”

And with that, he gathered his things, preparing for another long day as a prosecutor at the Justice Court. His mind was already elsewhere—on the case he had been studying, on the evidence he needed to piece together. 

Time inside the courtroom felt endless, a blur of arguments, defenses, and evidence. At some point, exhaustion caught up with him, and he found himself dozing off at his desk. His head was just about to hit the table when the door burst open.

“Douyin! Man, I need a favor!” Douyin jolted upright, groaning as his knee slammed against the desk. Rubbing the sore spot, he squinted at the figure standing at the doorway—Yeonjun, one of his more energetic colleagues.

With a hand behind his back, Yeonjun swayed on his feet, clearly up to something. Douyin raised an eyebrow as he straightened his papers. “What is it?”

Yeonjun hummed, drawing out the suspense. “You remember that rabbit my girlfriend owns? Turns out, uh… they multiply fast—like, almost a dozen. Can you believe that? How quick they—”

A sharp smack echoed through the office as Douyin’s hand met his desk. His cheeks burned at the implication, but his glare was razor-sharp. “I get the life cycle, Yeonjun. What do you want?”

Yeonjun only chuckled, unbothered, and finally revealed what he had been hiding. Resting in his palm was a tiny, sleeping bunny, its fur bathed in the soft glow of the office light.

Douyin’s frustration wavered, then melted entirely. His breath hitched for just a second before instinct took over—his fingers reached out, skimming gently over the bunny’s delicate snout. It twitched but remained asleep, its small body rising and falling with quiet ease.

Yeonjun grinned, carefully placing the bunny into Douyin’s hands. “Take care of him for us.”

Douyin frowned slightly, cradling the warm bundle against his palm. “Why?”

For once, Yeonjun’s usual cheer dimmed. His expression softened, a weight settling in his eyes. “There’s just too many of them,” he admitted, his voice quieter now. “We want them all to grow up together, but… they deserve homes that can give them more than we can.”

Something about his words struck deeper than Douyin expected. Without hesitation, he reached out—not in obligation, but in quiet understanding—pressing a firm, reassuring hand against Yeonjun’s back. A steady warmth in the space between words.

“You have my word,” Douyin murmured.

That same afternoon, I winced as I scrubbed at a stubborn stain on my plate. The water ran warm over my hands, yet the dull ache in my ankle remained—a constant reminder of my clumsiness. I had been told to take it easy, to rest, but sitting still had never been my strong suit.

A soft whimper from below made me pause.

I glanced down to find Yunho nudging my leg with his cold nose, his warm brown eyes fixed on me with quiet insistence. His golden fur shimmered faintly under the light, his tail giving a hesitant wag as if unsure whether to scold or comfort me.

I sighed, shaking my head as I reached down to run a hand over his head. “Sorry, baby. I just—” My words trailed into a tired chuckle as he leaned into my touch. “I have to make myself useful somehow, or things around here will start feeling weird.”

As if the universe had been waiting for that very cue, something flickered in my peripheral vision.

I stilled.

The apartment was quiet, save for the distant hum of the refrigerator and the occasional drip of water from the sink. The golden hues of the setting sun filtered through the curtains, casting long, soft shadows across the wooden floor. But something felt… wrong. A flicker of light caught my eye. My head snapped toward the corner of the room, where my shelf of albums stood against the wall. My breath hitched.

More specifically, my Lightiny.

The official ATEEZ lightstick, securely tucked between my signed albums and photocards, pulsed with a soft, rhythmic glow. A pale blue hue bled into the dimness of the room, flickering in and out like a heartbeat.

I hadn’t touched it. Hadn’t even changed the batteries. Hadn’t used it in weeks. Hadn’t used it in years—ever since they disappeared.

A shiver crawled up my spine. My breath came in slow, measured exhales as I carefully dried my hands on a dish towel, my gaze locked onto the shelf as though it would move if I so much as blinked. Yunho let out a low, uneasy whine, his ears pinning back. He shifted closer to my leg, his body tensing—not out of fear, but something else. As if he sensed something I couldn’t.

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. “Okay…” My voice was barely above a whisper. “That’s… not normal.”

The glow didn’t waver.

It wasn’t the flicker of a dying battery, nor was it the sporadic light of a device short-circuiting. It was steady, unwavering—almost deliberate. Almost as if it was watching me. My pulse pounded at the base of my throat, my fingers curling into the fabric of the dish towel. A creeping sensation gnawed at the edges of my thoughts, one I couldn’t shake.

My mind drifted back—back to the conversation I had with Douyin earlier.

"Are you sure it could be them?"

At the time, I had laughed it off. It was absurd, wasn’t it? The idea that there could be something more to this—something beyond coincidence? And yet, standing there, bathed in the glow of something that shouldn’t be glowing, I wasn’t so sure anymore.

The room felt different. Not empty. Not alone.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

I sighed, glancing once more at my Lightiny before turning to answer the door. To my surprise, Bangchan stood on the other side, Yeo at his side. The moment I opened the door wide enough, the curious pets inside rushed forward, sniffing eagerly, confirming the presence of another creature.

They all crowded around Yeo, who responded with playful antics before greeting them properly. I chuckled, stepping aside to let Bangchan in. He clicked his tongue, shutting the door behind him before gently grabbing my elbow and guiding me toward the couch.

“You won’t heal in time if you keep moving around,” he chided, positioning my leg on top of the coffee table with a cushion underneath. I sighed, leaning back. “It’s not like me to just sit around doing nothing.”

Bangchan walked into the kitchen, moving with the familiarity of someone who had been here countless times. “Then you have to get used to it. Besides…” He returned with two glasses of water, handing one to me. “You need to learn how to take things slow. Nothing’s going to run away.”

I glanced at the pets—particularly at Hongjoong, who sat perched atop his cat house, watching Yeo and Mingi wrestle over a toy while Wooyoung tried to tag along. Smiling, I grabbed a feathered toy and swished it in front of Wooyoung’s face, his attention snapping toward it as he eagerly tried to catch it.

“Ateez, huh?” I sighed, continuing to flick the toy as Wooyoung pounced. Bangchan had heard about the missing group months ago. It reopened old wounds, ones he had tried to bury—ones that had been festering for five long years. He had moved on, or at least tried to. He had stepped into a new life as Christopher, the dog trainer, yet some part of him still longed for the past.

As Bangchan of Stray Kids.

“If it was them… it could just be a coincidence,” I murmured.

Bangchan scoffed. “It’s not a coincidence if there are this many signs.”

He reached for my hand, stopping me from playing with Wooyoung. I looked up, meeting his serious gaze as he turned my wrist over, revealing the mark etched into my skin—a symbol so close to something familiar, yet just out of reach.

“This is them,” he said firmly. “They’re reaching out to you, one by one. You have to find them, rescue them. They’ve been waiting for someone to hear them, and no one has—until now.”

I frowned, my gaze flickering between the mark on my wrist and the lively animals in front of me.

“What if—”

Bangchan shook his head, his frown deepening. “Don’t. Doubt will only hold you back. You’ll regret it.”

I stared at him before feeling a familiar nudge against my arm. Looking down, I found Yeo pressing his cold nose against me, his sharp features softened by the gentle look in his eyes. A sigh of relief escaped me as I ran my fingers over his snout, scratching behind his ears. He leaned into my touch, a silent reassurance.

“This isn’t just about you,” Bangchan murmured. “It’s about all of us.”

My gaze flickered back to him, remembering his quiet departure from the music industry after the disappearance of his members. The weight of old grief settled between us. And the animals—their sudden appearance—this wasn’t a coincidence.

They were them.

Sighing, I looked once more at the symbol on my wrist before meeting Bangchan’s expectant gaze, “Okay…” I exhaled. “I’ll trust them.”

That night, Bangchan assured me that Yeo could stay until the mystery was solved. I sighed, preparing a makeshift bed for him, but when I turned to call him, he was already sprawled on top of Mingi and Yunho, all curled up together.

My hand hovered over the empty bed before a small smile tugged at my lips. I walked over to them, fingers gliding through their soft fur, feeling the steady rise and fall of their breathing. The warmth radiating from their intertwined bodies brought an odd sense of peace, as if, despite everything, this moment was safe.

A quiet chuckle escaped me. “Guess you guys won’t be needing that extra bed after all,” I murmured before draping a blanket over them. Slipping into my own bed, exhaustion pulled me under.

But peace never lasted long in this house.

Because when the moon is on its way to set and the sun hasn’t yet risen, a faint jingling sound stirred me from sleep. I am pretty much sensitive to the smallest sounds going around inside the apartment despite the building being next to the main roads where cars honk each red light. My eyes blinked open, adjusting to the darkness.

The door. Someone was at the door.

I sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Out of the three canines, Yeo’s ears twitched, his body tensing as he lifted his head. His sharp gaze locked onto the door, his nose twitching. I frowned, glancing at the clock—4 AM. My stomach twisted. It couldn’t be Douyin—he was known to stay out late for his search and would contact me that he will be here around this time before 12 hits. What our new rule added to the house rule, but coming home at this hour? He wouldn’t risk it.

Yeo sniffed the air, and then his ears flattened. A deep, guttural growl rumbled in his throat.

That sent a shiver down my spine.

Across the room, Mingi and Yunho stirred, their heads lifting in alarm. Even the feline in the cat house stood with arched backs and fluffed tails. Something was wrong.

“Yeo… what is it?” I whispered, reaching out hesitantly. But before I could touch him, he let out a sharp bark and bolted toward the door.

“Yeo!” I gasped, scrambling after him. My limp made me slower, but the urgency in my chest pushed me forward. By the time I reached the living room, Yeo had already tackled someone to the ground. A man dressed in black. His hood obscured his face, but Yeo had him pinned, teeth bared dangerously close to his throat.

“Yeo, stop!” I shouted, my pulse hammering. In the scuffle, the hood slipped off.

My breath caught in my throat. A familiar mess of hair came into view. My eyes widened in horror.

“Yeo, stop! That’s my brother!” At the sound of my voice, Yeo whimpered and backed away, pressing against my leg as if seeking forgiveness. I sighed, resting a hand on his head in silent acceptance before shifting my attention to Douyin.

I offered to help him up, but he waved me off, pushing himself up with one arm while the other remained oddly occupied. His movements were stiff, as if he was trying to hide something, “Sorry about that,” he muttered, brushing off the fact that he had nearly been mauled. “I forgot my charger here.” Then, as if nothing had happened, he settled onto the couch with a sigh, his gaze flickering to Yeo. “Wait… is that Yeo? Mingi’s fur buddy?”

The casual shift in topic made me frown. I nodded, watching him closely.

“Sit down, sis. Your leg,” he added, motioning for me to take a seat.

That made me pause. Normally, Douyin would go straight to his room or busy himself with something else. But tonight, he was… fidgety. His eyes darted around as if checking the shadows of the room, and his fingers flexed nervously around whatever he was holding.

“Are you okay?” I asked, my suspicion growing. He grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment before exhaling through his nose. His grip on whatever he was holding tightened.

My gaze flickered to his hand. “Is that what’s making you uncomfortable?”

“Ah… No—well… Yes– No!,” he admitted, shifting in place.

Something about his hesitation made my stomach knot. Yeo sniffed the air again. His ears perked before slowly folding back, nose twitching as he stepped closer to Douyin’s arm. He didn’t growl this time—just watched.

Douyin placed a hand on Yeo’s head, stroking him absentmindedly. “Yeonjun gave me… another pet.” His voice trailed off. “At first, I wanted to say no. We’re already piling up with all these sudden new additions to our apartment. But… I couldn’t refuse. Not when…”

His voice softened as he carefully uncurled his arm. Nestled against his side, barely stirring, was a small, sleeping bunny.

My breath hitched.

The little creature stirred as if sensing my presence, blinking open a pair of the most endearing doe-like eyes. Its delicate nose twitched, taking in the new surroundings. Yeo let out a soft whine, stepping forward as if fascinated. He sniffed toward the tiny bundle in Douyin’s arms, and the bunny, in response, gave the faintest twitch of its ears.

“Oh my gosh…” My voice was barely above a whisper. “She’s adorable.”

Douyin chuckled, his previous tension melting away as he carefully transferred the tiny baby into my hands. I cradled the bunny gently, feeling how small and fragile he was. He stretched in my palms, his little paws pressing against my fingers as he adjusted himself. My heart melted instantly. Hongjoong climbing up on my lap as he nudge his nose on the baby bunny on my palm.

“It’s a he,” Douyin clarified. “I stopped by Taehyun’s clinic to check—he’s completely healthy.” I looked up at my brother, then back down at the newest member of our ever-growing household.

“Well,” I murmured with a soft smile, running a gentle finger over the pink of his tiny nose and the tips of his ears. There was something oddly familiar about him—something that tugged at a distant memory. My breath hitched as realization settled in, my heart pounding against my ribs. Unbeknowst to the two of us, a new stroke is added on my wrist.

The words left my lips before I could stop them, quiet yet certain.

“Welcome to the family, Seonghwa.”

TAGLIST: @soso59love-blog . @yoongisgirl69 . @forever-atiny . @ateezswonderland . @fr34k4c1dr41n . @breadedloafs . @k1xiara . @nkryuki . @beabatiny . @berryguks . @miniverse-zen . @fight-me-uwu . @xh01bri . @eclipwze . @blue-angel24 . @nkryuki . @matchahintonagar . @asyamonet22 . @szakias . @sanaegi . @notyaelly . @wolviejex . @bby-boo4u . @popcatx0 . @vtyb23 .

[breadedloafs]

the poor babyyyyyy🥺 i’m so glad they all have each other, i’m so excited to see them in paris!!! i can’t wait for mc to fucking slay the runway even if she’s just a photographer!!!!!!

Chapter 21 

Beyond the Lens - Logbook Videographer!Reader x OT8 Ateez

W/C 12,311 

🎥 Series Masterlist 🎥

☽ Masterlist ☾ 

Inspiration Pictures

Pinterest Board Masterlist

Previous Chapter (Chapter 20)

Disclaimer: This story is purely a work of fiction. It is not meant to assume or mock anything about Ateez, Atiny, or anything relating to what I do not know about being a videographer. This story will follow several of the events that Ateez has done in the past year for Golden Hour Part 2, that being said I will not be able to include everything. 

Contains she/her pronouns.

The logo in the center is mine. Please do not reuse or copy.

I strongly recommend looking at the inspiration pictures and the Pinterest boards linked above (which will be updating as the story goes on).

General Warnings: slow burn, cussing, conflict, angst, fluff, and obliviousness. 

CHAPTER WARNINGS - ANGST, overthinking, abusive "Father".

I am going to be trying to use a color system for labeling the angst in this part. Red is Heavy. Orange is moderate, and Green is okay. Please read this at your own risk, these are heavy topics. Let me know if you think they need to be changed, the labels were created on my opinions so others may have differing thoughts.

There are lots of links in this chapter, I would recommend you check them out but they are not necessary I just like having references for what things look like. Let me know what you think! <3 Moonie

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Cracking your eyes open, you took in your surroundings, somehow you ended up in your room. You were tucked under Wooyoung who was extremely warm in the mid morning light. Peeking over your shoulder you saw Yeosang was just behind you hugging you like a koala. Both of them were knocked the fuck out. In the bend of your knees was a weight that was most likely Mocha; as it was her favorite place to be on anyone. With a quick glance you saw her dual colored eyes already watching you. She must have noticed you moving around just a little differently. There was muffled chatter somewhere downstairs, and the unmistakable clatter of people in the kitchen. Would it really be worth it to disturb the three of them to go make sure your kitchen wasn’t a mess? Maybe? But it’s so comfy here. You settled back into the embrace of sleep with the thought that it would be a future Y/n problem. 

What felt like only seconds later there was a small jostle to the bed. Something that typically indicated one of the giants had gotten up and there were the heavy paws, which could only mean one thing; Toothless was here. You peeked your eyes open as he walked all over you and the other boys vying for attention, he nearly stepped on Mocha in the process. He got up to your face and sniffed your eyelashes before you groaned and gently pushed him away. After you got him out of your face he moved over to bug Wooyoung who didn’t fare much better. The only indication that he had even registered that there was a 23 pound cat on him was the small groan and him shifting to grab him to cuddle him to death. You snickered as Toothless was pulled into your cuddle fest, he was now between you and Woo purring his big head off. 

Wooyoung peeked his eyes open and quickly shut them again because of the intrusion of light. Yeosang had attempted to scoot closer to you which didn’t yield any kind of different result as he was already almost on top of you. Footsteps alerted you to someone approaching, when they got close enough you could make out two blurry forms of who you could assume were the twin towers. The tell tale snicker from Mingi is what gave them away. They approached the bed and were trying to get the three of you up. Wooyoung groaned and pulled Toothless tighter to him, effectively burying his face in the giant fur ball. You glared at the two of them the best you could without seeing them properly. Then one of them yanked the covers off of you. The cool air of the room immediately invaded your body, the cold threatening to seep into your bones. 

“Noooo, it was so warm. Why would you do that?” You cuddled closer to the two black cats almost squishing Toothless in the process. Wooyoung’s arm wrapped around you protectively and Yeosang just tightened his hold on you.

Before too long and with the help of a couple of the other boys they had dragged you out of the bed. San had a hold of Yeosang, Jongho had a hold of Wooyoung and Yunho put your glasses gently on your face before picking you up in a princess carry to go down the stairs. You tucked yourself into the juncture between his head and shoulder and his responding chuckle vibrated against you. As you got to the foot of the stairs you were met with the aroma of food which immediately perked you up. Looking around the kitchen was spotless, there was absolutely no way they cooked in here without leaving a mess, they must have ordered something. 

Yunho gently settled you in one of the chairs outside and the rest of your boys gave you cheery good mornings. Without a word you immediately took a sip of the drink in front of you. You watched as the boys were passing around plates of food for breakfast, most of them had given you the first portions. When you made sure everyone had enough of the food you started eating; and they followed. The chatter among the boys became more lively as the breakfast went on. You sat there in silence as they continued to talk about upcoming schedules and the Paris Fashion week. 

You fell into your thoughts, their chatter merely becoming background noise. These were your boys and you were theirs. If you could wake up like this every morning for the rest of your life everything that previously happened will have been worth it. All of the abuse, all of the toxicity, all of the heartache, all of the people who used you. Every single bit of it is worth it if you get to be with these eight men that chose you. Maybe one day you could tell them about everything, maybe one day you could show them more of the real you. 

Would they stay if they knew the real you though? The one who still flinched at harsh tones of voice. The one who flinches if people move too fast. The one who gets thrown into memories and it is hard to break them out of said memories. The real you that was only okay less than half the time. The real you that almost always wore a mask, and when it came off it scared people. Would they continue to love you through it unlike everyone else? 

“You okay Kit? You’ve been awfully quiet this morning.” Your eyes trailed over to Yunho’s, he was looking at you intently as he spoke. You could see the lingering worry in his eyes, with a glance over the rest of the boys they held the same look. You let your mask slip into place.

“Yeah, I’m just basking in the moment reminding myself that this is real.” When the words slipped from your mouth their expressions changed just minutely. A warm large hand settled itself on top of yours and gave it a squeeze. Your gaze moved over to Mingi who was smiling softly at you. You intertwined your fingers with his and returned his gesture. The conversation shifted away from you and to Yeosang who was going to be making all of the decisions on what you were going to do today. As soon as the word pool slipped from his mouth you knew the rest of them would be on board with it.

After the delicious breakfast the boys were scattered around the house and in the pool while you were in your room gathering things for your trip. Your flight leaves at some ungodly hour at the buttcrack of dawn so having everything together and ready would be the best idea. You could feel the slowness of your brain, the fog was settling in; you needed to get this done before it took over. Everything was all over on your bed, your largest garment suitcase and your travel backpack. You made your way downstairs and to the mudroom where Yeosang had left your backpack. Throwing it over your shoulder you made your way to your office to grab your secondary camera and a few of your other supplies. You turned around after grabbing what you needed and were met with all three of the giants sniffing around. 

“Shoo, out hooligans,” you waved your hands to get them out of the room so they wouldn't eat the plants. When they had finally made their way out, with a shit ton of persuasion; you closed the door. You made your way back upstairs humming the How to Train Your Dragon theme song, falling asleep during that movie always did this to you; it always stayed with you until you finished it. While you walked back up the stairs you heard Wooyoung shouting, you paused for a second to hear what it was he was yelling about. He was screaming marco. With a shake of your head and a small smile you continued on your way. 

When you got back to your room you set all of the things aside and started organizing your cameras and other equipment. Your hands moved with quick efficiency, due to years of practice this came easy to you; it was also something you could do on autopilot. You paused; a mistake really. Your brain took over and you just stood there unseeing. Everything around you disappeared as you fell into your blank mindscape. You could faintly see the thoughts whirling by almost like text on a jumbotron. 

Would they stay if they knew the real you? The one who still flinched at harsh tones of voice. The one who flinches if people move too fast. The one who gets thrown into memories and it is hard to break them out of said memories. The real you that was only okay less than half the time. The real you that almost always wore a mask, and when it came off it scared people. 

Would they continue to actually love you unlike everyone else? Unlike the boy who had been your solace in high school until he saw your scars. Unlike the family that dismissed you as a burden when you brought it up. Unlike the people that pushed you away when you finally let your guard down to show them your true self. Unlike the man who used you to get a better spot in your class and upcoming companies. 

Would they see you as a burden? Someone who is too much to care for. Someone who can barely hold her shit together unless absolutely necessary. Someone who needs constant reassurance. Someone who can't believe things so easily because of the lies she has been fed. 

A rolling chirp broke you out of your thoughts. Your eyes refocused to see your hands just sitting there holding the dual camera harness like it was a lifeline. You held it long enough the leather was warm with the heat of your hands. You looked over your shoulder and saw Hongjoong and Seonghwa petting Beans while she laid in the giant cat tree. Turning back to your task you continued to pull things out of the backpack to transfer to your traveling backpack; one that had a little more padding. Footsteps approached and you were wrapped in a warm back hug, the person was just barely taller than you. 

Hongjoong appeared next to you, you looked over to him with a small smile. The energy was draining from you fast as the impending break was getting closer. “Are you sure you are okay? Your demeanor seems off this morning” His soft words struck a chord in you, something registered his genuine concern but the other part of you just didn't care; you were numb. 

“I’m fine, just sleepy.” You started moving around again, reaching for the equipment in front of you. Seonghwa’s hold tightened on you almost effectively stopping you all together. 

“Don’t lie, I can tell you aren’t,” Hongjoong’s words were sharp with an undercurrent of worry. You turned to look at him fully, your face was a mask of calm. His face was serious but his eyes; they gave him away. 

“Then why did you ask?” You shrugged yourself out of Seonghwa’s hold and walked over to your bathroom to grab some of the other things you would need for your trip. Most of it was things you wouldn't need to use until you got there so there was no point in waiting to pack it. 

“Because I wanted to give you the opportunity to tell us about it without prying.” He followed you and stood in the doorway; trapping you. This was too familiar.

“Please move,” you muttered with your hands full of miscellaneous things. He stepped aside and watched as you passed him to dump everything on your bed. A small breath of relief left you. You had to be strong here, this isn't something they should have to deal with. 

“What aren't you telling us, love?” Seonghwa’s hand gently grabbed your wrist. Before you could think, you wrenched your hand out of his hold and covered your head. Your knees hit the floor with a sickening crack, the pain barely registered and the old surgery sight sang with odd numbness. Make yourself as small as possible, there will be less damage that way. A gut reaction. Something that you tried to get rid of. Your heart hammered in your chest and through your ears as you were vaulted back in time. 

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

He caught you. He was furious. He was storming around the house following you menacingly, tracking what you were doing like an animal on the hunt. All you were trying to do was get away from this hell. You were holding many miscellaneous things trying to pack as quickly as possible. Trying to avoid his wrath. 

He was trying to keep you from leaving, trying to keep you from escaping. You were in front of your bed, hands trembling as you packed the final essentials. Your room was nearly barren, a testament to how much he actually paid attention unless it was something of interest to him. 

A rough hand grabbed your wrist and violently tugged you to turn to look at him. He stood over you, his breath reeking of alcohol. Before you could even fathom protecting yourself a hard slap landed on your cheek. Pain bloomed. Strong. Overwhelming. A voice that didn't feel like yours yelped while you held the side of your face. Your mother wasn't here, she couldn't save you; not this time. He landed another hit on you, this one knocked you to the floor. As soon as you hit the hardwood he swiftly kicked you in the stomach. The air left your lungs like a balloon popping; quick and brutal. Your ears were ringing as you looked up to the man who raised you.

“You leave, you aren't allowed to come back, if you do I'll make you regret it.” 

Hearing him was going to be an issue right now, just nod and agree with whatever he says. You weakly nodded to him, your stomach was on fire. The same fire was traveling up your throat as bile threatened to come up. You harshly swallowed before responding. “I understand, sir.” 

“You speak a word of this to anyone, I'll find you.”  

Your eyes couldn't meet his, not if you wanted to make it out. He scoffed at your hesitance and kicked you again, this time it hit your hand instead. “I won't say anything, sir.” 

“If I see you again after this disgrace you're dead.” He marched out of the room leaving the door open. 

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

“–We won't hurt you. Please.” Hongjoong’s voice cracked on the last word, it rang through you bringing you back to this reality. Your entire body was trembling as you were kneeling at the foot of your bed covering yourself with your hands. Everything was blurry, your breath was coming out in spurts. With everything you had you turned your head to meet Hongjoong’s eyes which widened slightly as they met. He was sitting on his knees next to you, there were tears pouring down his face as he looked you over. All he could see was absolute utter terror in your gaze. The tears streaming down your face were dripping down your neck; you couldn't care to stop them. 

You did this, you caused this, he was in pain because of you.

His hands were hovering over you like he couldn't decide what to do. Loud footsteps echoed up the stairs which made you flinch back into yourself. They were getting closer and then immediately stopped. The steps that were once loud and fast slowly approached you and Hongjoong, they must have seen you flinch.

“Y/n, please look at me.” Your eyes flickered over to Hongjoong. He was offering you a trembling hand. You shook your head and turned back into yourself, resting your head against your bed in an attempt to ground yourself and bring yourself fully back. 

“Boo? Are you there? Boys, what is happening?” 

Willow. 

There were hushed whispers behind you before she spoke again. “Boo, I need you to listen to me. You don't have to do anything but listen okay? You aren’t there, you are here. Your home outside of Seoul, the one you built with the help of your grandparents. You are with your eight boyfriends, the boys who chose you. You are here with us, not with him. He can't get to you. You are thousands and thousands of miles away from him. You are here, not there.”

You listened, focusing on her voice. Her words echoed around in your head. You aren't there, you are here. You repeated the mantra that had engrained itself in your brain for moments like this; sometimes you just needed a reminder. You didn't know how long you sat there just barely whispering the mantra to yourself. Once you felt secure enough in your own mind and skin a shaky breath left you as you leaned your head back just slightly. Hongjoong’s form came into view from the corner of your eye. He was just watching you quietly. As soon as he saw you looking at him he held his hand out again; this time you hesitantly accepted it. He ran his thumb over the back of your hand in circles. There were a couple of whispers before you heard the end of the phone call. 

“I’m sorry.” The voice that left you sounded like your inner child; quiet and small. The child that was still stuck and terrified in that time; tucked away to only barely ever make her appearance. You wiped your cheeks and the tears that lingered in your lashes with the hand that wasn't holding his. The pain was starting to register from your knees. You shifted to fully sit back with your legs outstretched, angling just a little in Hongjoong’s direction. 

“Never apologize for this, not to us, not to anyone.” You nodded at him and turned in an attempt to look at whoever was behind you over your shoulder. Before you could even see who it was, a large set of paws settled themselves on your back and black cat head appeared and bonked you in the face. You let out a watery laugh at Toothless before letting go of Hongjoong’s hand and grabbing Toothless and forcing him to cuddle you. 

“You know when I need you the most, you know that bud.” You were whispering to the giant in your arms and the two men with you chuckled lightly. He kept head butting you to get you to continue petting him. Nothing was ever enough for him, the giant cuddlebug. He absolutely loved to bug as many people as he could for pets. 

“Do you feel like moving?” Hongjoong’s soft question made your heart ache. 

“I can, I might be a little shaky but that's nothing I haven't dealt with before.” You held Toothless like a lifeline. His purring was soothing you as it always did.  

“Okay, do you want to get into your own bed or would you like to go in one of the other rooms?” 

“I don't want to be in a bedroom anymore, can we go to the nook?” 

“Of course, wherever you would be most comfortable. Can I help you up?” You nodded and released Toothless. He didn't wander far from you, stuck in protective help mom mode. He never left you alone when you had something like this happen. As soon as you had scooted Toothless away Hongjoong stood and offered you both of his hands to help you up. You took them and he pulled you up, he was watching you intently something crossed his eyes but before you could decipher it it was gone. You turned to look at Seonghwa, you could tell he had been crying. Before you could think anything of it you walked over and gave him a hesitant hug. He fully relaxed against you, his head dropped onto your shoulder as he held you. 

“I know you. I know your heart and I know you would never hurt me. I know I scared you, and I am so sorry. My reaction was because of my past. I swear it.” He let out a shuddering breath. You stood like that with him for a few minutes. His hands were stroking up and down your back as you stood there. You couldn't quite decide if he was trying to ground you or himself. He gently separated himself from your shoulder and looked you in the eyes. His eyes were swimming with unshed tears, the silver lining his eyes made them pop. He was beautiful in a melancholy way. You leaned your forehead against his while closing your eyes. 

“Let’s go to the nook my moon. If you feel like it, you can talk about it. If not that’s okay too. As long as you are comfortable.” You whispered your agreement and he gently took your hand, hesitating just enough to give you the space to pull away; you didn’t. The two of them escorted you down the stairs and to the nook. There was laughter echoing outside, the complete opposite of the silence you and the eldest of your boyfriends were walking in. Seonghwa crawled up first and immediately opened his arms to you. You crawled up and into his lap, settling yourself between his legs with your left ear over his heart. When you were settled he wrapped himself around you. Hongjoong joined the two of you on the side you were facing. Toothless appeared a second later, squishing himself into your lap. You let out a small laugh and held your arms up so he could curl up with you and against Seonghwa, who also needed his comfort. 

“You don't have to hide yourself from us.” Hongjoong’s soft words shattered your mask, the tears started falling; tears of relief. They didn't hate you, or look at you in disgust. They cared. Seonghwa’s arms tightened around you slightly. Hongjoong’s hand rested on yours that was curled around Toothless. 

“We are here. No matter what, no matter where, no matter when. You are ours to take care of and we won't let you suffer in silence; not now, not ever.” Seonghwa’s words rolled over your mind and heart with warmth. Gentle hands were moving through your hair and lightly detangling as they went. You squeezed Toothless, he was purring and just content being here. From the shift in the large bed you could tell the girls were here too. You looked over and saw Mocha approaching you, her yellow and blue eyes assessing you before she came up and laid against you on Seonghwa’s leg. Beans had looked you over before approaching Hongjoong. Since your lap and side were already taken she went for the next best thing; his lap. Your tears had dried slightly, the tracks were stiff against your cheeks as you smiled at the three giants. The comfort they brought was something you cherished always; especially in moments like this. 

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

This was something you had to tell them, something you needed to trust them with; a step toward healing your inner child. After a couple of deep breaths you began. “My dad, he abused me.”

You took a shuddering breath in before continuing. “I know I have mentioned it in passing but the full extent of it many people don't understand or know about. He hit me, kicked me and slapped me. He once almost choked me out too.” The two of them sucked in a breath, their grip on you tightened just barely. 

“The time I was thrown back into today was the last time I saw him. I had been squirreling my things away for months so I could quietly leave and never look back. I had been in college for a few months and with the help of my then roommate I got a storage locker out there. He had finally figured out I was leaving completely and was furious; to put it in the simplest terms.” You let out a small dry chuckle looking up so the tears wouldn't fall as you had just gotten them to stop. 

“He started by grabbing my wrist and wrenching me around, he continued with two hard slaps— The second knocked me down, he kicked me in the stomach when I hit the ground. He threatened me and while I was protecting my stomach he kicked me again. He broke a few bones in my left hand with how hard he kicked me.” Hongjoong’s hold tightened on said hand. He lifted it up and kissed the back of it, right where the ghost of the kick still lingered. 

“I know this is a hard thing to tell anyone, and I am so beyond proud of you for telling us, even if it wasn't under the best circumstances. You are stronger than you think you are. You survived, that is one of the hardest things you can do.” Hongjoong’s grip on your hand was tight, but not uncomfortable.

You nodded solemnly at him. “I almost didn't, I almost gave up.” That was something that you had never admitted out loud; a well kept secret. Seonghwa’s head leaned against the top of yours, you felt a shaky breath leave him. 

“We are so happy you didn’t.” he pressed a light kiss to the crown of your head. 

“You are so brave Shutterbug, so unbelievably brave.” 

“Thank you.. Thank you both.” You took a deep breath, noticing the scratchiness of your throat and the burn in your lungs. 

“Please don't tell the other boys, I want to be able to do it myself.” They both solemnly nodded at you. You didn't want them to see you like this if you could help it; not yet at least. Having these two find out was enough for the time being. 

“Would you maybe want to see something that helps me remember I survived?” They both nodded to you. You gently moved your hair up and away from your ear. They took in the sun and moon semicolon behind your left ear. 

“That’s one I never noticed, you also didn't show it to us.” Hongjoong’s fingers were gentle as he traced the tattoo. It gave you goosebumps. Seonghwa was just smiling softly at you, his eyes were still shining with unshed tears. 

“I don’t show it off, it is one that I keep just to myself most of the time.” 

“Either way it is beautiful, just like the rest of you.” Seonghwa’s words shocked a giggle out of you. The mood lightened just a little as he and Hongjoong shared a small look of accomplishment. You settled your head back against his chest and just listened to his steady heartbeat. The three of you just sat there, Hongjoong’s unconscious habit of messing with your rings was shining through. You looked at the one he was messing with, Yeosang must have snuck your ring back on your finger sometime last night. Hongjoong had discovered the moon phase one that spun and hadn't stopped messing with it since. Seonghwa was leaning his head against yours and watching Hongjoong mess with it. You gently grabbed the one from your thumb and offered it to Seonghwa after making it a sphere. He gently took it from you and started to fiddle with it. The two of them were like children keeping themselves occupied with little things as you sat in comfortable silence. The morning began to wear on you, after having an episode like that you always rode on the adrenalin high until you crashed. It had been enough time that you knew it was coming, you tried to fight the exhaustion; but it wasn't a battle to be won. 

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

Before long the boys had noticed that you fell asleep. You were lying there with your cheek pressed against Seonghwa’s chest. You looked peaceful, a large improvement to the state you were in earlier. 

“I can't believe that she went through that. It shattered my heart when she flinched away from me like I was going to hurt her.”

“I know, star. I understand completely. After the time she flinched away from me when I was just trying to comfort her I had my suspicions. I don't think I realized how good she is at hiding things. Looking at her you would never have thought she fought so hard when she was supposed to be living free as a child should.”

“I don't think she wants people to know.” Hongjoong looked like he was thinking; connecting the dots of things you had unknowingly shown him to hint at this. 

“It’s got to be a defence mechanism, there were some things that struck me when I confessed our love to her. Something that I haven't been able to shake and it has to be connected to this.” he took a deep breath remembering the questions you asked in anguish. The look on your face as you asked was something he could never forget. The way you looked up at him with tears running down your face, your eyes were red rimmed behind your thick framed glasses.

“She asked me why we would pick someone who has so many years of emotional baggage. She told me we would be better off with someone who didnt box away their emotions to forget about their past. She asked why we would choose someone who scares people away, why we would choose the disappointment. She wholeheartedly believed every terrible thing coming out of her mouth that day. This can't just be physical abuse, it is mental as well.” Seonghwa’s jaw dropped, his hand that was running through your hair paused momentarily. He looked down at you, this beautiful woman who had been through so much was fighting battles that no one knew about or could even dream about. 

“Is that why you never told us about how the confession went?”

“Yes, I don’t want to expose how she thinks of herself to the rest of our boys; it isnt my place. She will hopefully show us the rest of herself in due time.” Seonghwa nodded before resuming his gentle combing through your hair.

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

“Did you notice the scars on her arms?” Seonghwa’s small question out of the blue after several minutes of silence almost startled Hongjoong. His eyes immediately went down to look at your arms. The one that was trapped between Toothless and Seonghwa was just barely visible. He trailed his eyes to the other that was cuddled against your chest, he saw them then. Hidden under the ink of your camera tattoos were scars that ran up your forearm, they were faint enough that you had to really look for them against the inked skin. 

Nothing could have prepared him for the thoughts that invaded his mind. She really did almost give up. They had almost lost you before they even knew you. The thoughts solidified his resolve, if he could help it he would never let you fall that far again. He would do absolutely anything to keep that from happening. His eyes met Seonghwa’s over your head and he knew that the same things were running through his mind as well. 

You were theirs to protect, even if it was from your own mind. 

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

You woke a while later with the large patchwork blanket draped over you. There was soft breathing above you, before you could move their arms tightened around you. You were in the same position you fell asleep in, a rare feat as you were prone to rotating like a rotisserie chicken when you slept. 

“Hi, my moon. How are you feeling?” Seonghwa’s gentle voice rattled against your ear. You took stock of yourself, there was minute pain in your knees, a comforting weight against your chest and warm arms wrapped protectively around you. Your mind was still foggy, but nothing like it was earlier. It was clear enough to listen to your logical mind.

“I’m better than I was earlier that’s for sure, but I won't lie and say I’m one hundred percent okay. How long was I out?” 

“I’m glad you are doing better. It has been about an hour. Also, I think Hongjoong may have started rifling through your closet in an attempt to help you pack.” He placed a sweet kiss on the top of your head.

“Oh boy, that’ll be an interesting sight. How much of a disaster do you think my room is?” 

“Knowing him it's going to be like a tornado went through it.” You laughed as you took your head away from his chest and looked fully at him, he was smiling at you. The remnants of earlier had disappeared from his beautiful face. 

“We should probably go do some damage control.” It was his turn to laugh as you started moving to get up. Toothless and Mocha both scampered off to god knows where when you started moving. When you got up your knees popped loudly. Seonghwa was watching you carefully from his place in the nook. You offered him a hand to help him up, he took it and you tugged him over. He almost fell off the nook with your tug. Both of you dissolved into a small fit of giggles as he recovered. 

“I forget my own strength sometimes.” You muttered looking at your hands dramatically between giggles. He was looking at you with a large grin before he hugged you gently. It was the kind of hug that could put someone back together. One that if you could you would stay in forever. After a couple of minutes just standing there and rocking back and forth you both decided to go upstairs. As soon as you made it around the corner you noticed all seven of your other boyfriends in your room picking and choosing through your extensive wardrobe. 

You slapped a hand over your mouth as Hongjoong was leading the raid of your closet. Demanding anything of yours that looked professional and was all black. You glanced at Seonghwa who stood there in shock at the total chaos. They had set aside your equipment and some of the other things you already had packed and were attempting to figure out your large garment bag for your clothes. Yeosang was the only calm one in the room, he was sitting cross legged in the chair close to the foot of your bed with Mocha curled up in his lap. Slowly you both approached and saw the entirety of the disaster. Seonghwa was right, it did look like a tornado went through your room. As soon as Yunho caught sight of you he froze prompting the rest of them to do the same.  Their eyes were wide like children caught with their hands in the cookie jar. 

“We were just trying to help, please don’t be mad Noona!” Wooyoung’s shrill voice pierced your shock and it immediately changed into amusement. You started laughing. The rest of the boys nervously joined you. When you got a grip on your giggles you smiled fully at them. 

“You boys are very sweet to help, but did you really have to turn my room into a war zone?”

“We didn’t know what you wanted so we just started pulling things out.” You turned to look at Mingi who was peeking his head out of your closet with a small half innocent smile. You really hoped he hadn't gone poking around in your dresser.

“What if you did a fashion show for us to show us what you typically wear to things like this?” The rest of the boys immediately vehemently agreed with Hongjoong’s million dollar idea. He stepped forward with one of your suits. 

“Will you try this one first?” You couldn’t ignore the pleading eyes he gave you. You knew that if any one of them looked at you like that you were done for. Gently you took the hangar from him and shooed Mingi out of your closet. It was one of your favorites, the all black suit really made your curves pop. You checked yourself in the mirror and added a few accessories to it, once you were finished you opened the door. As soon as you stepped out you saw most of the boys lounging on your bed. Their eyes got wide as they took you in. The smiles that spread across their faces made you feel warm and fuzzy, a welcome contrast  to earlier in the day. It was something you hadn't really experienced to this level before. 

“You are stunning!” Wooyoung was the first to get up. He took your hand in his and raised it above your head to make you do a twirl. When he was finished showing you off he smirked at you and pulled you into a chaste kiss. Hongjoong handed you another one of your suits and before you could completely walk away from the two of them Wooyoung smacked your ass. You rolled your eyes and didn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing the reaction from you. 

When you stepped into the closet you realized that it was your newest addition that you had yet to wear professionally. The three piece suit was similar to the first one but it had small slits at the bottom of the pant leg for more breathability. You quickly slipped it on and made your way out. When you stepped out San was the first to move, shoving Wooyoung back on your bed. He smiled sweetly before placing a quick kiss to your lips. His quick movement caught you off guard as he tugged you to stand in front of the large mirror you had against the wall not too far from the closet door. 

“You look breathtaking” his breath fanned over your ear as he spoke from behind you. His chest was pressed against your back as he held you by the hips. The entire thing sent a shiver down your spine. You took in your appearance, you really did look good. Other than your hair being a little bit of a rat's nest. Yunho moved to stand behind San, you met his eyes in the mirror and he smiled at you. 

“He’s right Haebalagi (Sunflower), you look beautiful. Very professional and sexy.” The rest of the men scattered around your room hummed their agreement. That compliment turned you into a blushing mess, you had been called all of the more normal names, but never sexy. The butterflies in your stomach started to make their rounds and you could feel your heartbeat pick up as well. 

Hongjoong appeared and handed you another outfit, this was the off the shoulder jumpsuit you had. You gently took it and stepped away from the duo behind you. As you walked toward the door you could feel their eyes on you, with a glance over your shoulder you caught a few of them staring at your ass. With a small snort you closed the door to the closet. You set the jumpsuit aside and a flash of black and red caught your eye. Their rustling around must have exposed one of your more hidden gems. It had been hidden in the back of your closet for the longest time, maybe it was time to let it breathe a little; for the fashion show of course. You pulled out the red and black anatomical heart and dagger suit you had only worn once to an awards show. When you held it out in front of you you knew that the boys would like it as it was a little more promiscuous in the chest area. It also showcased just enough of your Luna moth tattoo to keep someone wondering. 

Gently you tugged it on and adjusted the small corset to yourself before completely attaching the chains that hung in front of it together. You pulled out the dagger necklace and earrings you specifically bought to go with this set and put them on. As soon as you checked yourself out in the mirror you knew they would freak the hell out. Before you stepped away you tugged your hair into a low ponytail to at least somewhat tame it. 

You mentally prepared yourself to show off a little. With a deep breath in and out you opened the door. Something hit the floor and several people sucked in a breath as you stepped through the threshold. You looked up to see all of them with their jaws slack. Yeosang was the first and only one to move. He gently took Mocha off his lap and set her on the floor. As soon as she waltzed away he stood and crossed the room to you. His eyes were dark as he stood in front of you. Before you could say anything he muttered “best birthday present ever,” and grabbed your face to pull you into a burning kiss. 

When his lips met yours a small sound left you. He moved his hands to settle on your waist as he pulled you impossibly closer. The nervousness you were previously experiencing increased tenfold with the thought of all of the other boys watching you. It was completely silent in the room other than the pounding of your heartbeat your ears. His head tilted just slightly in an attempt to deepen the kiss. He had almost no shame doing this in front of the others. You may have been new to the whole thing and it may have scared the shit out of you, but you know what; fuck it. If he wanted this kind of kiss you would give him this kind of kiss. His head tilted again just enough to deepen the kiss which you gladly accepted. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders and immediately let your fingers run through his hair giving it a slight tug. As soon as you did a small groan left him and the kiss intensified. 

It was a beautiful dance between the two of you, when one pushed the other pulled. You got completely lost in each other as you moved in perfect harmony. His mouth and tongue were working against yours perfectly. There was a split second of panic as someone came to stand behind you, slotting their hands over Yeosang’s. Before you could process what was happening there were light kisses down the side of your neck. Something akin to a gasp left your mouth and Yeosang took his chance and separated from you to watch whomever was behind you. The kisses were light against the skin that was starting to heat up under the touch of two of your boyfriends. Unconsciously you tilted your head to the side to allow whichever man it was to have better access to your neck. There was a small pain as whoever it was lightly bit the spot connecting your jaw and neck. A stuttering breath left you and a tsk left someone’s mouth. Then the connection to both boys was severed.

You opened your eyes and looked at Yeosang, he was grinning. His kiss swollen lips were a pretty shade of pink as he smiled at you. You turned around to see who had come up behind you and you should have known. Wooyoung was standing behind you grinning like a madman. 

“Okay, I think this outfit needs to stay hidden so these two can keep it in their pants.” You looked at Hongjoong who was a little red faced, most likely from the small show you had been dragged into. You couldn't keep eye contact with him for very long, the thread of shame started tugging at the end of your conscious mind. You nodded and stepped back into the closet. As soon as you closed the door you marched over to the small chair in front of the vanity and leaned heavily against it looking at yourself in the mirror. Your lips were just as bad if not worse than Yeosang’s and there was a small red mark where Wooyoung bit you. Your hair was a little messier than when you fixed it earlier. You took a deep breath trying to quell the rising shame in your body, some of it may have been heat from the makeout but you didn't need that thought right now. Your head hung between your shoulders as you collected yourself, fuck they were too enticing. 

After a couple of minutes you changed into the jumpsuit Hongjoong originally gave you. You took off all of the jewelry and put your normal black studs in. When you walked over to the door a light knock sounded on the other side. You opened the door and standing on the other side was Seonghwa. He smiled at you and stepped aside to let the other boys see you. You smiled at them bashfully and before anyone else could move Seonghwa pulled you into a light hug. 

“Are you okay?” He murmured against your shoulder only for you to hear. You gave a slight nod against his shoulder in answer. He gave you a light squeeze before releasing you. 

“Y/n-nie that makes your paws tattoo stand out! I really like it.” The rest of the boys agreed with San. 

“Thank you Sannie, that's actually why I chose this one. This is really all I have for fancy professional outfits, I have one other jumpsuit but it is almost the same as this one but instead it is a sleeveless one.” Some of the boys pouted at the unofficial end to the fashion show you were doing. You smiled at them and gave Seonghwa’s hand a gentle squeeze before going back in to change into your matching pj set. You stripped everything off and pulled the comfortable outfit on. As soon as it was draped over your frame you took your hair out of the pony tail. You stepped out of the closet with a small smile to your boys before you started making your way out of the room toward where you assumed the boys had hid your small gift for Yeosang. Several pairs of footsteps followed you down into the basement, when you got to the piano room you immediately spotted the tiny gift bag on the bench in front of your piano. You snagged it and made your way back out of the room and Yeosang was only a couple of steps behind the rest of the boys coming down the stairs. As soon as he saw the small present his face lit up with a smile. When he got to the foot of the stairs you handed it to him. 

“Happy birthday Sangie, I know I've technically already told you but still.” He gently took the tissue paper and put it into your outstretched palm. When he got to the present he immediately started laughing and clutching the bag to his chest. The other boys were looking at him with confused but amused looks. When he had recovered from his little laughing fit he reached into the bag and procured the 3D silver doberman chain. The rest of the boys started laughing as well. Their laughter was like music to your ears. 

“Want to see something even better?” Yeosang nodded his head and you stepped around him to go grab your motorcycle keys. The group of boys followed you to the mudroom. You immediately moved to your keys which were hanging on the hooks by the garage door, you held them out to Yeosang. He took them from you and started inspecting them, as soon as he caught sight of the I love my doberman keychain he looked up at you with a large grin. 

“I snuck it onto my keychain the day I got it, I am surprised you didn't see it while we were riding Ink.” His smile only grew the more he looked between you and the small tag. He pulled you into a hug with a small laugh. 

“I love it.” 

“I’m glad,” you hugged him back with a smile at the boys watching from the hallway. When you separated from him he handed your keys to you. As soon as you accepted them you tossed them toward the boys in the doorway and San snagged them out of the air. He started looking them over and burst into laughter, which was followed shortly by the rest of them. 

“That’s amazing, you have great taste in gifts noona” Wooyoung was the first one to speak between giggles. The rest of the boys chorused their agreement. San threw them back to you and you caught them and hung them back up. 

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

After you had gotten the chaos of your room sorted, with the pouting faces of the boys as you refused their help, you packed your bags. You packed all of the professional black outfits you had done the fashion show with, choosing to leave out the red and black suit. After those were in you grabbed several more casual outfits, a couple of sleep sets, and three pairs of shoes. When you were happy with how everything was packed you moved to the smaller things and started organizing them. You may have dumped them earlier but the scattered way they had landed was not acceptable for you. Your computer, cameras, and lenses were packed into the large backpack as well as some of the chargers you weren't using for the moment, you would put some more small things in there tomorrow morning. The dual camera harness and the extra lens holders were shoved into the suitcase because you didn't really need to have them in the carry on backpack. When everything was finished you turned around surprised to only find Seonghwa sitting in the room with you. He hasn't let you out of his sight this morning.  You remembered the small lego keychain you had for him hidden in your nightstand, you moved over to said nightstand and grabbed it out of the small drawer.

“Hi Hwa.” He was watching you with curiosity as you hid the small gift in the palm of your hand.

“Hi Y/n-nie.” He held out his arms for you and you walked over to the chair by the foot of your bed. As soon as you got close enough he pulled you into his lap in the large chair. 

“I got you something,” you held out the small black and white lego heart keychain. You watched his entire face light up in a smile. He gently took it from you and inspected the two pieces, he separated them and handed you the black one and kept the white one. 

“Thank you my moon,” he gave you a small kiss and put his half in his pocket, probably to add to his keys later. You held on to yours for the time being. He was rubbing your back up and down while you sat in comfortable silence just existing together; something you rarely had time to do anymore. You looked up at the beautiful man who was already watching you. He smiled softly at you before leaning down to press a kiss to your forehead. Just as he was pulling away Mingi burst into the room.

“Yah! Hwa hyung stop hogging our Y/n-nie!” He was marching over to where you were both cuddled together. He stopped short of the two of you and you snuck a glance at Seonghwa to see the glare he was giving him. You let out a small huff of laughter, he was being protective of you; and maybe a little possessive. Mingi looked at you for help which came in the form of puppy eyes. With an over exaggerated roll of your eyes you got up out of Seonghwa’s hold and motioned for the tall man to lead the way to wherever he was going to take you initially. He started out the door and you held your hand out for Seonghwa, he took it and you started following Mingi. 

He led you down the stairs and into the basement which was in absolute chaos. Jongho and Yunho were in a heated match of some game on the console. Hongjoong was yelling at Wooyoung while they were playing foosball and Yeosang and San were bickering while playing air hockey. You let out a small laugh as you took in the chaos. Letting go of Seonghwa’s hand you made your way toward your favorite spot in the corner of the couch. You had moved quickly in front of the boys who smiled at you before resuming their heated match of what you discovered was Rocket League. Beans and Toothless were stretched out on the top of the couch and Mocha was curled up against the arm. 

The afternoon and into the night carried on in a similar way, sometimes you would get drive by kisses as the other boys were rotating around the other games. You had shown them the extensive collection of board and card games, some of them now sat on the floor in the middle of the large rug playing Uno. There was a rule that had started, god knows when, whenever one of the boys placed a +4 card down the person receiving it had to do some cringy aegyo. You were glad you hadn't joined the game, there was absolutely no way you would have participated in that. Wooyoung had just performed some of the worst goo goo gaga bullshit you had ever seen while staring into your soul. You launched a pillow from the couch at him after he finished. As soon as the pillow met his face everyone froze and the chaos started anew. 

He got up and launched himself at you on the couch. You were laughing as he was trying and failing to bite you. Somehow you managed to turn the tides and now you were trying to bite him. When you finally got him he was yelling loudly for someone to save him. Out of the corner of your eye you could see the rest of the boys laughing and shaking their heads at the two of you. The match ended shortly after as Wooyoung had just quit playing and settled himself on top of you. You were laying there with him on top of you resting his head on your chest. Not too long after he had settled he grabbed one of your hands and put it against his head indicating that he wanted head scratches. You obliged him and watched as another game started up between everyone but Yunho, Jongho and Wooyoung. 

“Y/n-nie want to play something with us?” You looked at Yunho who was sitting close to your head. He was looking down at you with a smile. You nodded and started shifting so you could sit up fully against the corner of the couch, Woo let out a small protest but got quiet as you settled and lifted your arms for him to lean against you while you played. 

“Can I pick?” Both Jongho and Yunho nodded. “Will you turn on the Switch and grab some joy cons for us then?”

Yunho got up and grabbed the joy cons, he handed you the gray one and Jongho the red one while he kept the blue one. Once he was settled and all of you signed in you made your way over to one of your favorite games; Boomerang Fu. The boys watched as you started the game, immediately they were ecstatic because the characters of the game were cute foods. Yunho chose the bacon, Jongho chose the ramen, while you chose the salt and pepper. You showed the boys the ropes and began with a few bots so they could get practice without absolutely annihilating each other. You went easy on them for several rounds, at the end of each match you got some of the accessories you didn't have. This carried on for a while until you decided to fuck with them a little bit. You started letting them get up to the last few kills then you came up from behind, absolutely kicked ass, and let them win after a hard battle. After a couple of rounds they started getting mouthy with you. 

“Yah! Why are you going after me?! The bot is right there! I thought we had an understanding of them first and then we battled it out!” Yunho was vehemently running away from you while you chased him around the map. Wooyoung was watching with amusement as you tormented Yunho, a few huffs of laughter had already come from him which earned him a glare. Jongho, to no surprise, was already dead having lost to the bot Donut who had an exploding boomerang; you always hated that powerup. They had it out for each other since the beginning of the match. You finally caught Yunho in a corner and killed him. He was huffing and puffing which thoroughly amused you. 

The next round was much of the same thing but the two boys had made a silent agreement that you were going to be the first to get eliminated after the bots. When you were running around you grabbed a powerup before they noticed it. It gave you the disguise powerup, while they focused on the bots you stayed still and it turned you into an object. They were running around looking for where you could be, as soon as they lined themselves up you threw your boomerang and got both of them in one shot. Yunho and Jongho burst up and off the couch yelling at the tv. They almost stepped on Hongjoong and Seonghwa while they watched the slow mo playback of you getting both of them. Mingi who had been watching was laughing his ass off. Wooyoung was squeezing the calf he had wrapped his arm around while he laughed just as hard as Mingi. His squeaks made you laugh as well. 

“Y’know what would make this even better?” They all looked at you with raised eyebrows. “If three more of you grabbed joycons and joined us.”

San, Wooyoung, and Mingi immediately leapt up and snatched the other three joycons. Before Wooyoung could get back to his spot Yeosang had taken it with a small smile. Seonghwa squeezed himself between you and Yunho on the couch. He threw his arm around you and patted Yeosang’s head with his other hand. 

“Birthday boy gets dibs, sorry Aein (Sweetheart)” Wooyoung pouted and stomped around for a minute before he settled himself on the floor against the leg you had hanging off the couch. You started up the game and the other boys chose thor characters. Wooyoung picked the eggplant, Mingi chose the boba, and San had chosen the chocolate bar. As soon as you got into the game the three original players took it easy on the new boys. After a few rounds it started getting closer to pandemonium. Wooyoung and San were targeting each other, Mingi and Yunho had teamed up against you, and Jongho was trying to get anyone he could like the menace he is. You had pulled a few moves with the teleporting boomerang which sent the boys into shock. When you started teleporting around all of the boys were yelling about getting you out first; you ended up winning that match anyway. 

The first time the battle royal powerup was activated all of the boys were screaming as they were getting picked off. You just stood in the tiny little box and listened to them complain about you not telling them. San ended up in a perpetual shield bubble because he was being picked on, Wooyoung was surprisingly good at the game, Jongho was cackling every time he got someone. Mingi and Yunho had gotten into a lock of hitting off each other's boomerangs several times. They got up to six or seven times and then Yunho reacted just barely quicker than Mingi which resulted in his death. You were patiently waiting for them to finish and then you nailed Yunho with your multi boomerang. He almost lunged over Seonghwa to get you, before he could Seonghwa grabbed his hand and put it back in its place on the joy con. 

Each time you got eliminated you ended up giving Yeosang light head scratches. He would lean his head back against your chest just enough to look at you with a cute smile each time. He may have been rooting against you for that reason alone. You also gave some to Wooyoung which sometimes distracted him enough that San could finally get him. 

“Hwa, Joongie or Sangie do you want to play?” Yeosang took the joy con from you and took your place as salt and pepper. When he started the boys tried to avoid getting him so he could get the hang of it, once he finally did he became a sniper. You laughed your ass off as he picked off some of the other boys from long range. Seonghwa and Hongjoong traded places with Jongho and Yunho shortly after Yeosang took your joy con. You watched the absolute mayhem that ensued. There were many protests of who got the power ups and why they kept getting stolen. At one point Seonghwa had the frozen boomerang and was singing Let it Go as he was killing the other boys, much to your amusement he ended up winning that round. You had almost jostled Yeosang off of you with how hard you were laughing as the other boys pouted. 

Hongjoong ended up in some kind of alliance with San because they were both in a shield bubble constantly. The two of them, despite the shields, had almost always been eliminated first by Mingi and Yeosang. Wooyoung was just causing chaos and sometimes complained when he fell off the side of the map while he was trying to lunge at the other boys. You were content just watching them play, something clicking in your heart just being a part of the moment with them. 

Before too long you checked your watch and realized that it was getting close to the time you needed to go to bed to get decent sleep before your flight at 6 tomorrow morning. It may have been decently early in the evening but you knew if you didn't sleep now you would be a grump for your flight tomorrow. You patted Yeosang’s shoulders and gently pushed him up into a sitting position. They were in the middle of a hide and seek match so you didn't want to disturb them too much. You gave him a light kiss on the back of the head and got up. 

“Where you going, kit?” You turned to look at Yunho as you got across the maze of limbs. 

“I've got to head to bed so I can wake up at the asscrack of dawn for my 6 am flight to Paris.” Yeosang ended up pausing the game so all of them could focus on you. 

“Are you driving yourself?” 

“Who is taking care of the giants while you are gone?” The boys had started rapid firing questions at you, you stood there looking at them with a small smile on your face. 

“I planned to. I was going to message my mother to let her know tomorrow morning, she already knows about the trip. Unless you guys want to watch them for me, but you don't have to unless you want to.” You responded to Hongjoong and San’s questions as quickly as they fired them off. 

“I can drive you. That way you don't have to pay for parking.” 

“That's a really early thing for you to be up for when we all know you need the sleep. I am okay driving myself, it's nothing I haven't done before.” You were shaking your head at him and some of the other boys snickered at how you called him out. 

“It wasn't a question, Shutterbug, I’m driving.” You rolled your eyes at him and nodded.

“I would be more than happy to take care of the giants!!” You turned to San who was wearing a large grin. 

“Sounds good Sannie, I can let my mom know that someone is taking care of them.” he made a small celebration motion.

“Alright Haebalagi (Sunflower) let's get you to bed so you aren't grumpy tomorrow. I would absolutely hate to see you grumpy, seeing you mad was enough for me” a round of small chuckles came from all of the boys and you stuck your tongue out at him. 

“Okay Haetsal (Sunlight). You all are welcome to anything and everything here and you can stay as long as you like. Sangie, I hope you had a great birthday. Sannie, I expect pictures of my children while I am gone. I love all of you, get some good rest and don't cause too much trouble while I’m gone if I don't see you tomorrow before I leave.” The remaining boys got up and gave you light kisses on the forehead or lips before Yunho started escorting you to your bedroom. 

When you made it to your room you did your nightly routine before crawling into bed. Yunho had disappeared into one of the other rooms when you got to the landing. Before he got back you dug around in your nightstand for the cute lego keychains of Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy. As soon as he stepped into the room he was smiling at you. You waved him over and he crawled into the middle of the bed. He tucked you under his arm pulling you closer, you threw your leg over his and cuddled as close as you could to him. You gently placed the Miles Morales on his chest, he looked down at it and a dramatic gasp left him. He quickly snatched the small lego keychain and inspected it. You held up your hand with the Gwen Stacy keychain hanging from around your index finger. The giddy noise that left his mouth was adorable, he grabbed your face and started quickly placing kisses all over it. You were giggling at his ambush, letting him do as he pleased. When he recovered he gently placed the keychains on your nightstand and turned back to you.

“Thank you, I love the gift.” his voice was soft as he spoke while he brushed some of your hair out of your face. 

“Of course Yuyu, I saw it and couldn't pass it up.” The small smile he had grew again. He leaned in and kissed your lips gently. As soon as the kiss started it had ended, which was probably a good thing. He pulled you close again and rested his cheek on the crown of your hair. You took off your glasses and settled yourself completely against him, his heartbeat was a steady presence against you. His long fingers were running through your hair lightly massaging at your scalp as he went. Now you understood why they liked it so much, it was soothing. He was lulling you into sleep quicker than you ever were able to fall asleep by yourself. There was a small jostle of the bed, you were too far gone to register if it was a human or a giant. 

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

Your blaring alarm woke you, as soon as you could you grabbed the damn thing and cursed at it. You looked at the two men that were cuddling close to each other. Hongjoong must have been the one that joined you as you were falling asleep. He was cuddled against Yunho much like you had been a minute prior. His small frame looked absolutely tiny compared to Yunho’s tall one. You gently separated yourself from the two of them, grabbed your glasses and phone, and made your way over to your closet to change into your designated airport outfit. A baggy shirt, cargo pants, a hoodie, and a hat all of which were black. When you get to the airport you would put on a mask so you were covered, most of the time it worked out that people didn’t want to speak to you if you were completely covered. A small groan alerted you that one of the boys was awake. You dimmed the lights in the closet and peeked your head out the door to see Hongjoong sitting up and rubbing his eyes. When he caught sight of the small sliver of light from the closet his eyes immediately went to you. He smiled at you and stretched out as best he could, Beans had taken up residence as close to his side as she could be. The movement from Hongjoong must have been enough to rouse Yunho who peeked his eyes open and rubbed his face. You held back the noise bubbling up your throat at your two very cute boyfriends. 

There were some small protests from the two boys they had gotten themselves up as you put the rest of your things in your bags. Once you were finished with them you lugged the two slightly heavy bags down the stairs and to Aria. With quick efficiency you got everything loaded up and situated, you set the bags in a specific way so they wouldn't move too much. After everything was situated you pulled the two lego keychains out of your pocket where you had hidden them while the boys were getting up. Quickly you got them attached to your keychain and made your way back into the house. When you stepped back in, the kitchen light was on and Hongjoong was standing in front of the coffee maker waiting (im)patiently for it to brew. Yunho was sitting at the island still squinting at the brightness of the lights. You chuckled and moved to lay yourself against his back, wrapping your arms around him and resting your chin on his shoulder. He lightly leaned into you. Hongjoong had turned toward the two of you and held out two travel mugs. The smell of your drink made a small smile worm its way onto your face as you grabbed it and took a sip. 

The three of you had made your way out to Aria. Hongjoong had held his hand out for the keys which you dropped into his waiting palm. Yunho was getting himself into the back seat while you made your way to the passenger seat. You scooted your seat up a little so the tall man would have plenty of legroom, not that he couldn't stretch out in the backseat anyway. When everyone was settled you pushed the garage door opener on the sun visor. Hongjoong had waited until it was done moving to start backing out of the garage.

It took you a little while to get to the airport but when you arrived there weren't many people. The boys had immediately gotten out of the car as soon as it was parked. Yunho opened your door with a smile before you had the chance to. Hongjoong was already at the trunk grabbing your bags for you. You rolled your eyes at the princess treatment. Hongjoong had settled your backpack on the top of the suitcase attached to the handle. He gently scooted it over to you before pulling you into a quick hug. He planted a short kiss on your lips before he stepped away. Yunho was next, he gave you the same treatment and straightened your hoodie. 

“We love you, be safe and message us when you land.” You nodded to Hongjoong and placed a kiss on his cheek. 

“I will, I promise. I will also let you know when I am settled in my hotel.”

“Good.” Yunho was just quietly watching you with a soft smile as you spoke; he was still half asleep. You stood on your tiptoes and gave him a small kiss on the cheek as well. 

“I’ve gotta get moving, I love you and the rest of our boys. Keep me updated and I'll see you soon.” You reached into your bag, pulled out and put on your black mask. They nodded and stepped away from you and back toward the car. You gave a small wave at them as you walked through the doors. The way through the airport was thankfully quick, you knew this place almost like the back of your hand at this point. Your passes made it even quicker than the poor souls that were standing in the waiting line. When you finally made it through the security you took out your over the ear headphones and turned on your music. 

You were only waiting a little while before you started boarding. The timing was perfect, your group was being called just after you arrived. Your steps echoed in the long hallway toward the plane. You slightly bowed to the pilot as you entered before making your way to your designated seat. When you settled into your small suite you paused your music to listen to the announcements and the approximate times you would be arriving, weather permitting. It was going to be a long flight and you would be getting to Paris late for them and early for the people here. You cuddled down after the plane was in the air, the music from your boys lulling you back into sleep. 

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Next Chapter (Chapter 22 Coming Soon)

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[breadedloafs]

oh. my. GOD. YES LITerally YES, UGH THE ANGST THE AMAZING TJRBFJSJDBFJEEJBDBD I CANT OMGGGGG YES JONGHO GET THEYRE ASSES YES (also yeosangs wife being the real one, love you queen💚)

𝐜𝐫𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞

pairing: ot8 x f!reader x jongho au: non idol | friends to ??? genre: angst with comfort word count: 5.7 k synopsis: always the bridesmaid never the bride warning(s): mean girls, cursing

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You’ve been friends with the boys for as long as you can remember. You were there for their first heartbreaks, their walks of shame, even their full-blown fuckboy eras. People always assumed you’d end up with one of them, but the truth is, you only ever saw them as friends—nothing more. Sure, a few of them confessed along the way, and maybe you even gave it a shot once or twice, only to mutually agree that you were better off as just friends.

You remember it clearly: standing as a bridesmaid at Hongjoong’s wedding. Not because she wanted you there—no, but because Hongjoong begged you to be part of it. And honestly, it only made things look worse between you and her. You had to reassure her over and over that there was nothing between you and Hongjoong. But you still remember overhearing her talking behind your back, telling her friends that you were desperate for him, that you begged to be part of the wedding. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Then came Seonghwa’s partner. The sweetest girl—you had to admit, you liked her a lot more than Hongjoong’s wife. When she found out just how close you were with the boys, she didn’t waste time confronting you. She invited you out for coffee, and the two of you sat across from each other at a quiet little café.

“So, tell me… do you like any of them? Just be honest with me,” she asked, her voice so gentle it twisted your stomach.

“No,” you answered, keeping your tone steady. “We’re just friends. But if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll distance myself so you can feel more comfortable.” You offered it freely, even though you knew deep down she just wanted you gone.

When Seonghwa proposed, she didn’t waste any time asking you to be her bridesmaid. How could you possibly say no, especially when Seonghwa’s eyes lit up at the thought of having his closest friend by his side? You couldn’t deny him that.

Still, it felt like déjà vu. Hongjoong’s wife was the maid of honor, and while you didn’t care—not really, far from it—you couldn’t shake the worry gnawing at you. Deep down, you feared they’d team up and start speaking ill of you, just like before.

Everyone had gathered at your house to celebrate Yunho’s recent proposal to his girlfriend—the one he’d kept a secret from you. And it stung. God, it hurt more than you wanted to admit, because you had always been the closest to Yunho.

But when you met her, you swallowed that pain and offered her your genuine congratulations. Only to be met with a sharp dismissal.

“Thanks,” she replied, a tight smile on her lips. “But I’m sure you’re jealous. I mean, that’s what Hongjoong’s and Seonghwa’s wives keep telling me.”

Your eyes flicked to Yunho, silently pleading for him to step in. But he only let out an awkward laugh before gently guiding her away, leaving you standing there, humiliated. Not only had he failed to defend you—he let her insult you, as if you meant nothing at all.

Once again, you were handed the role of bridesmaid. Without hesitation, you pushed the gift basket back toward her and Yunho, who looked genuinely confused.

“But… you were there for hyung’s weddings as their bridesmaid,” he said, his brows furrowed.

“And I’ll still be there, Yunho,” you replied softly, “as a guest.”

“I want you there by my side, Y/n. I mean… like a bridesmaid,” Yunho mumbled, almost as if he was embarrassed to admit it.

You let out a quiet breath, keeping your tone gentle but firm. “Yunho, this is about you and your fiancée. You can’t just choose her bridesmaids for her. That’s not fair.”

His fiancée looked at you, surprise flickering across her face—as if, for the first time, something finally clicked. Like she could finally see the truth: you really did love the boys, but only as friends.

Gently, she pushed the basket back toward you, her eyes meeting yours properly now. "It would mean a lot to me," she said softly, "since you mean a lot to Yunho."

And once again, you found yourself at another wedding—another bridesmaid.

Seonghwa’s and Hongjoong’s wives watched you from across the room, seething, as Yunho’s wife laughed freely beside you on the dance floor. Her hand curled around yours as you danced together, pure happiness on her face, while Yunho twirled Mingi nearby, both of them grinning like kids.

It felt… lighter this time.

Earlier, Yeosang had introduced you to his girlfriend. To your surprise, she’d been nothing but warm, extending an olive branch you hadn’t expected. She knew about your history with Yeosang—that the two of you had tried, had cared, but ultimately chose friendship over something more.

“I trust him,” she’d told you sincerely, “and I understand his love for you. It’s different, and that’s okay.”

Relief washed over you like a breath you hadn’t realized you’d been holding in for far too long. For the first time in a while, you felt like maybe, just maybe, not everyone saw you as the enemy.

The three wives sat stiffly in Yeosang’s shared home with his now fiancée, the air thick with unspoken tension. Yunho’s wife shifted uncomfortably in her seat as Yeosang’s fiancée set down the glasses of wine in front of them, her movements calm, deliberate.

She took a seat across from them, her gaze steady as she raised a brow at the trio.

“So,” she began, her tone light but laced with something sharper beneath, “do you all just hate Yn, or am I missing something here?”

Yunho’s wife hesitated, her eyes flicking between the others. “It’s not that simple,” she said weakly, voice low. “I… I don’t hate her.”

But Seonghwa’s and Hongjoong’s wives scoffed almost in unison, sharing a glance heavy with unspoken bitterness.

Yeosang’s fiancée smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Hmm. Feels pretty simple to me.”

Seonghwa’s wife bristled, her lips curling into a tight frown. “She’s always there,” she snapped. “Always in the middle of things that don’t concern her.”

“And don’t act like she’s innocent,” Hongjoong’s wife added sharply. “She plays the friend card, but everyone knows she wants more.”

Yeosang fiancee eyes twinkled, " that's so funny because if i recall, she didn't date any of your husbands. In fact, she dated my fiancée,” Yeosang’s fiancée finished smoothly, her gaze sharpening like a blade behind her polite smile. She let the weight of her words hang heavy in the air, watching as Hongjoong’s wife stiffened and Seonghwa’s wife frowned deeply.

“Yet here I am,” she continued, her tone light but cutting, “perfectly content, because they ended things like adults. Friends. No lingering feelings, no sneaking around, no secret messages at midnight.”

Her eyes flicked pointedly to Hongjoong’s wife, then Seonghwa’s. “Can you say the same?”

The question wasn’t loud, but it didn’t need to be.

Yunho’s wife shifted uncomfortably, her gaze dropping to the untouched glass of wine in front of her. “That’s not fair,” she murmured, though even she didn’t sound convinced.

Yeosang’s fiancée’s smile widened, never reaching her eyes. “What’s not fair,” she replied smoothly, “is dragging her name through the mud because you’re all too afraid to admit she’s never been the problem.”

She let out a sigh, taking a long gulp of her wine, the glass lingering in her hand as she looked at each of them, one by one. Her voice was calm, but there was a certain finality in her words that made the room feel heavier.

"Imagine how it must feel," she began, her tone softer now, almost pitying. "To be the only girl in a male group. She's already fighting the world on the outside, so why would you want to be her enemies?"

Her eyes flicked across the table, a small smirk tugging at her lips as she continued, “She knows more about them than any of us ever will, and you know what? I’m perfectly okay with that. She’s earned it.”

The room felt smaller somehow as she spoke, as if her words were slowly closing in. She paused, glancing down at her glass before looking back up.

"And I think she must be so lonely," Yeosang’s fiancée added, her voice quiet, but carrying a weight all its own. "Because she has no other girl friends. When I asked about you three, she never once spoke ill of you. Not a single word. She always talked about how you made the boys happy, and that's all she ever wanted for them—happiness."

There was a quiet shift in the room, the silence pressing down as her words sank in, leaving a strange kind of tension in the air. The wives exchanged uneasy glances, but no one spoke.

“Now, I’m not expecting any sudden friendships between you two,” Yeosang’s fiancée continued, her voice cutting through the heavy silence. “Considering when Yeosang introduced us, you two were quick to bad-mouth her. Honestly, it’s trashy and childish. Grow the fuck up.”

She let the words land, her gaze unyielding as she turned to Yunho’s wife, who had remained quiet up until now. Her eyes narrowed, sharp and calculating.

“As for you…” She said, her tone softening just a touch, but the warning was clear. “You cannot let them walk all over you. I’m not saying pick a side, but I am saying—be a grown-ass woman. Make your own decisions.”

The room fell silent, Yunho’s wife looking down, caught in the weight of her words.

Yeosang’s fiancée didn’t wait for a response. She simply took another sip of her wine, her composure unwavering.

Here you were, at another wedding—this time, for San. And once again, you found yourself as a bridesmaid. But this time, it was different.

She asked for your opinion on everything, as if her dream wedding had become a reflection of yours. She molded it into something that felt so familiar, so personal, it nearly broke you to see it. She didn’t even realize it, of course. She was too wrapped up in the excitement to notice the way it stung. The way it felt like something that should’ve been yours was now being worn by someone else.

Yeosang’s and Yunho’s wives wanted to step in, wanted to say something. They saw it too—the way you seemed to shrink with each decision she made, each choice that echoed what you’d once dreamed of. But you asked them not to. You begged them, not wanting to make a scene, not wanting to ruin her day.

But as the wedding decorations unfolded, it felt like your heart was being shredded piece by piece. Things you’d once shared with San, things you had trusted him with, were now part of someone else’s reality. She didn’t even know.

Later, in the bathroom, you broke down. Alone, hidden away, the hurt poured out of you in quiet sobs. The betrayal you felt was overwhelming. You cried into their arms—Yeosang’s and Yunho’s wives, who had quietly followed you when they saw the tears. They held you, their silence speaking volumes.

They didn’t need to say anything. The weight of the hurt was too much to put into words.

Mingi's wedding came and went, and honestly, your mind blanked out on most of it. It wasn’t because of how the wedding looked—it was beautiful in its own way—but because of what it represented: one of the worst weddings you’d attended for the boys.

It wasn’t the ceremony or the decor, no. It was the way his now-wife bullied you into being her bridesmaid. When you first said no, it wasn’t just the end of it. Mingi showed up at your door the very next day, tears in his eyes, asking if you hated him so much that you couldn’t be by his side on his special day.

You knew it wasn’t about the wedding for him. It was about not wanting to disappoint his fiancée, about the pressure to make her happy, about his need to make sure everything was perfect—even if it meant pushing you into a role you didn’t want.

You held back your own tears as you let him in, your heart breaking for him even as you tried to explain how hurtful it felt. But the more you tried to explain, the more he seemed to spiral. You couldn’t say no to Mingi—not when he looked at you like that, not when he asked you, so vulnerably, if you were turning your back on him.

In the end, you reluctantly agreed. But the truth was, every step you took down that aisle, every moment you stood there, was a reminder of how you’d been cornered into something that felt wrong. The fake smile you wore couldn’t hide the ache in your chest.

And Mingi? He never noticed. He was too wrapped up in making his fiancée happy.

You honestly didn’t know how you got here.

One moment, you were simply attending another fitting for Wooyoung’s wedding, and the next, you were holding a maid of honor card, your name written in elegant calligraphy that felt like it mocked you.

You had declined it. Again and again and again. Politely at first. Then firmly. Then desperately, hoping they would understand.

But now, here he was, sitting in your living room like he belonged there—because, in truth, he always did.

“Why do you keep saying no, Yn?” Wooyoung asked, his lower lip jutting out into a pout that almost broke you. “Did we do something? Did I do something?”

You felt your heart squeeze painfully tight in your chest. Quickly, you shook your head, offering him a soft, bittersweet smile as you reached for his hand. He let you take it, his thumb brushing over your knuckles in a way that was so comfortingly familiar it almost made you cry.

“God, no, Woo,” you whispered, voice tight with the storm of emotions you were barely keeping at bay. “I’m so excited for you. For her. For your future together.”

He smiled, but it faltered as you continued.

“I just… why not her best friend?” you asked softly, voice almost breaking. “Why me? She barely knows me.”

Wooyoung’s brows furrowed, his eyes searching yours with a sincerity that made it even harder to hold your ground. “Because it was her choice,” he said earnestly. “I asked her to pick whoever she wanted, Yn. And she chose you.”

Your breath caught in your throat.

“She said… no one knows me like you do,” he continued, squeezing your hand gently. “No one knows how to calm me when I’m nervous. No one’s seen me at my worst and still rooted for me the way you have. She wanted me to have you by my side, because you’ve always been there—even before her.”

Your eyes burned as you swallowed back the lump rising in your throat.

“But Woo… isn’t that exactly the reason I shouldn’t?” you whispered. “Because I’ve always been there? Because I’ve carried every part of you that someone else should’ve carried by now?”

His face softened even more, pain flickering behind his eyes. For a moment, he was silent. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, he said:

“I need you there, Yn. Please.”

And how could you ever say no to Wooyoung, when he said your name like that?

You should have said no. You should have.

But here you were, at the head table, lights a little too bright, eyes a little too many, your heart barely holding itself together beneath the practiced calm of your expression.

The glass in your hand trembled just the tiniest bit as you smiled — wide, warm, convincing, you hoped — directing your words as much as you could toward her.

“I have to say,” you started, your voice bright, almost cheerful, though it rang hollow in your own ears, “from the moment I met you, I knew you were special.”

A pause. A swallow.

“You make Wooyoung shine in a way even the stage never could,” you continued, eyes glistening. “You make him better, stronger. And, selfishly, I’ll admit — I’m grateful to you for that.”

The crowd let out soft, fond laughter. Wooyoung beamed, his eyes never leaving you, but you refused to look at him. You kept your gaze pinned to her, like she was the only person in the room. Like she was your whole audience. Maybe she was.

“I know what it means,” you pushed through, lifting your glass higher, “to stand beside him, to know his heart, to carry his wild, beautiful chaos. And I know you will do it with a grace I never could.”

You bit your cheek hard enough to taste copper.

“To the woman who holds Wooyoung’s heart,” you finished, your voice thick but steady, “may you cherish it always. And may you both have a lifetime of laughter, of joy, of love.”

You raised your glass. The room erupted in applause. She smiled at you — a smile that made your stomach twist — and for a second, you felt something inside you crack wide open.

Then, to your surprise, she stood as well.

The applause faded as she set her glass down, her eyes warm and glistening as they found yours.

“If I can say something,” she began, her voice gentle but clear, “I want to thank you, Yn.”

Your breath hitched.

" for always being the bridesmaid, and never the bride." She said.

a few gasp came from the table as your eyes widen with fear. Wooyoung looked shocked but he stayed silent.

She smirked, like the words had been sitting on her tongue for months just waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

“You see,” she continued, her eyes glinting as she slowly picked up her glass again, turning it thoughtfully between her fingers, “it’s funny how you always end up in this position. Right beside our boys… but never with them.”

The gasp from the table lingered in the air like thick smoke, choking.

Your throat tightened painfully, but you forced your chin up, tried to mask the sudden rush of heat prickling behind your eyes. You wouldn’t cry. Not here. Not in front of them.

Not again.

Wooyoung's face twisted into something unreadable — part confusion, part panic, and part something much deeper that you couldn't name. But still, he said nothing. He didn't move.

Her eyes flicked to him for a brief moment, just enough to catch his reaction, before landing back on you like a predator enjoying the final moment before pouncing.

“You've been so patient," she purred, "watching us all find our happiness while you cheer from the sidelines. Always the best friend. Always the supportive one.” She took a sip of her wine, her lips curling as she swallowed. “But let’s be honest, Yn. No matter how hard you try, no matter how many speeches you give, or dresses you wear — you’ll never be the one in white.”

Silence. Utter, deafening silence.

It felt like the whole world had stopped breathing.

Your chest burned, your hands tightening so hard around your glass you were afraid it might shatter. You felt the sting of humiliation rise up your neck, hot and sharp, threatening to drown you whole.

And still, no one — no one — came to your defense.

Not even Wooyoung.

Not even the man whose wedding you stood at, heart bleeding out quietly inside your chest.

So you slowly set your glass down, giving your best smile. " i wish you and wooyoung nothing but the best... thank you for inviting me."

and you walked. When you reached the entrance doors, your footing got caught as you caught yourself onto the building, a choked sob finally releasing.

Your hand trembled against the wall, the cold surface grounding you for a moment as your breath stuttered out, shaky and raw. The echo of her words — “never the one in white” — slammed against your chest over and over, like cruel waves dragging you under.

Your vision blurred, hot tears finally spilling free as you pressed your lips together to muffle the sob clawing its way out of your throat.

Behind you, the wedding roared on like nothing happened. Music. Laughter. Glasses clinking.

Their celebration.

Your heartbreak.

You squeezed your eyes shut, praying the ground would just swallow you whole. Maybe then, you wouldn’t have to carry the weight of this moment forever.

“Yn!”

A voice cut through the haze.

Not hers.

Not his.

You didn’t turn right away, too afraid of who it might be. Too afraid they’d see you like this — broken, humiliated, and small.

But you felt a hand, warm and familiar, curl around your wrist.

“Yn, please,” Yunho’s wife whispered, her brows furrowed in worry. Her eyes searched your face like she was looking for the pieces to put you back together. “Come with me.”

Before you could protest, she gently tugged you away from the entrance, shielding you from the glances of curious guests.

Her grip never wavered, not until she found a quieter corner, far from the celebration. Yeosang’s fiancée was already there, pacing like a storm ready to break. When she saw you, her expression crumpled into fury and concern all at once.

“They’re monsters,” she seethed, coming to your side. “She humiliated you on purpose, Yn. And he—” her voice cracked with disbelief, “Wooyoung just let her.”

Your lips parted to respond, but nothing came out. You could only shake your head, tears still streaming silently down your cheeks.

Yunho’s wife swallowed hard, blinking back her own tears of frustration as she cupped your face with trembling hands. “You don’t deserve this,” she whispered fiercely. “You never did.”

Yeosang’s fiancée stepped closer, fire blazing in her eyes. “You’ve always been there for them. For all of them. But who’s here for you, Yn? We are.”

You let out a shaky breath, finally allowing yourself to collapse into their arms. They held you tightly, as if their embrace could stitch back the pieces of your shattered heart.

And for the first time that night, you let yourself fall.

You swiped at your cheeks, but the tears wouldn’t stop. The photos stared back at you — bright smiles frozen in time, laughter captured on glossy paper. You and Wooyoung, arms slung around each other. San making silly faces behind you. Mingi, mid-laugh, eyes crinkled with pure joy. Yunho, Yeosang, Jongho, Seonghwa… all of them.

Your boys.

Your family.

Your heart squeezed painfully in your chest. Were these ever real? Or were you just a stand-in, the eternal placeholder until someone better came along? The girl who was always convenient, always supportive, but never the one.

Your phone buzzed again. And again. And again.

You didn’t need to look to know the names lighting up your screen. Missed calls from Yunho. Voicemails from Yeosang’s wife. Messages from Mingi, San, Jongho, Hongjoong even Seonghwa.

Wooyoung too.

A fresh wave of pain crashed over you at the thought of him. Of his stupid pout when he asked you to be maid of honor. Of the way he smiled at you like you were irreplaceable, like you mattered — only to watch him sit there at that table, silent, as his bride took a knife to your heart in front of everyone.

Your hands trembled as you pressed them against your face, muffling the sound of your sob.

Why didn’t he say anything? Why didn’t any of them?

The unfairness of it all lodged in your throat like glass shards. You’d given them everything. You were there when they cried, when they fell, when the world turned its back on them — and now, they let the world laugh at you.

You dragged your knees to your chest, curling into a tight ball as your phone finally fell silent.

But even in the quiet, your mind screamed.

Was it all a lie? Were you ever really loved?

Your gaze flickered back to the wall of photos, a single tear trailing down your cheek.

And for the first time, instead of seeing memories — you saw goodbyes.

Jongho stared at his hyungs who were all seated at his apartment, all of them looking like a kicked puppy as they stared at the table. Jongho let out a sigh as he finally spoke.

" what the fuck happened you guys? I leave to the states for a few years and i come back to a shit show?"

Jongho’s voice cracked through the thick tension in the air like a whip, sharp and unforgiving.

The rest of the boys flinched as if they’d been struck.

No one answered at first. Just the heavy weight of regret sitting on their shoulders, pressing them further into their seats. Yunho ran a hand through his hair, eyes red-rimmed like he hadn’t slept in days. Mingi's leg bounced anxiously under the table. San chewed at his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. Wooyoung — normally loud and brash — looked like a shadow of himself, hollow and pale.

Seonghwa finally cleared his throat, voice hoarse. “It’s... complicated.”

“Complicated?” Jongho snapped, eyes narrowing dangerously. “No. What’s complicated is you all were supposed to protect her. She 's our friend.”

Silence.

Painful, suffocating silence.

Hongjoong’s hands were clasped tightly together, knuckles bone-white. He swallowed thickly, eyes pinned to the grain of Jongho’s table. “We let her down.”

“That,” Jongho spat, “is an understatement.”

His fists slammed onto the table, making everyone jump.

“She’s not answering my calls,” Jongho went on, voice strained between fury and heartbreak. “You know why? Because the only family she had humiliated her in front of an entire room full of strangers. Because of you guys.”

Wooyoung’s head shot up then, his eyes glassy. “I-I tried to stop her—”

“Did you?” Jongho cut in coldly. “You sat there. You fucking sat there, Woo. She needed you.”

“I didn’t know she was going to say that!” Wooyoung's voice cracked as he nearly shouted, chest heaving. “I swear, Jongho, I didn’t know—”

“That’s the problem!” Jongho fired back. “You should’ve known.”

The weight of his words dragged the room deeper into despair.

Yeosang, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke, his voice soft but sharp. “She asked us not to intervene, Jongho. She begged us to let it go.”

“That was her protecting you,” Jongho snapped bitterly, pacing now. “That was her, as always, thinking about you first.”

Another long pause.

“You know what’s the worst part?” Jongho whispered, his gaze lowering. “She loved you guys more than herself. Always has. And this is how you repaid her.”

They all sat frozen, like statues carved from guilt and shame.

“She deserved better,” Jongho finished quietly. “So much better.”

Silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating.

And then, softly — Wooyoung’s voice broke through.

“What do we do now?”

Jongho looked at him, jaw tight. " nothing. Do nothing until i figure it out."

The knock at your door startled you — you weren’t expecting anyone.

But the moment you swung it open, your breath caught in your chest before it came rushing out in a joyful gasp. Without thinking, you threw yourself into Jongho’s arms, a bright smile stretching across your face. His familiar chuckle rumbled in his chest as he caught you effortlessly, spinning you around like you weighed nothing.

“You’re back,” you cried out, your voice trembling with relief.

His smile — that gummy, heart-flipping smile you’d missed so desperately — made your pulse stutter. He set you down but kept you close, his hands cradling your face before he pulled you into a deep, breath-stealing kiss.

You melted against him, all the pain, the loneliness, and the weight on your chest slipping away as his lips moved with yours. For the first time in what felt like forever, you felt like you were home.

“God, I’ve missed you,” he whispered against your lips, his forehead resting against yours.

Your eyes fluttered shut, your fingers curling into his shirt as you whispered back, voice thick with emotion, “I’ve missed you too…”

Jongho gently brushed your hair away from your face, his fingertips lingering as his eyes roamed over your features. His heart clenched at the exhaustion etched into you — in the dullness of your eyes, the faint tremble in your smile. Guilt twisted in his chest, sharp and relentless.

“You look so tired, sweetheart,” he murmured, his voice soft but thick with concern.

You hummed softly, snuggling closer to his chest, letting his warmth soothe the lingering sting in your heart. “You have no idea…” you whispered, your voice laced with quiet exhaustion.

His chin rested gently on top of your head, his arms tightening around you protectively. “I just might,” he murmured, a bittersweet edge in his tone. “I missed you at Wooyoung’s wedding.”

He felt you froze as he pulled you away noticing the tears flow down once again. " you were there?"

Jongho nodded his head, " and i heard everything. Honey, i'm so sorry - if i had known"

You shook your head, "no one could of known jjongie.."

You froze in his embrace, your body tensing as he slowly pulled you away just enough to see your face. His heart twisted at the sight of your tears slipping down once again.

“You were there?” your voice broke, barely above a whisper.

Jongho’s expression softened with guilt as he nodded. “I was,” he admitted quietly. “And I heard everything. Honey, I’m so sorry—if I had known…”

You shook your head, cutting him off, your eyes glistening. “No one could’ve known, Jjongie…” you murmured, your voice trembling as you forced a small, sad smile.

Jongho gently took your left hand in his, his thumb brushing over your bare ring finger with a tenderness that made your breath hitch. You looked up at him, eyes meeting his with silent questions swimming beneath the surface.

A small, hopeful smile tugged at his lips. “Well,” he said softly, voice full of quiet conviction, “maybe it’s time you put the ring back on?”

Your heart stuttered at his words, your gaze flickering from his eyes to your hand, and back again, as if you were afraid to hope—but unable to stop yourself.

Your leg bounced nervously, the anxiety twisting in your chest as you fidgeted with the ring on your wedding finger. Your eyes stayed fixed on Jongho as he buttoned up his shirt, every movement of his steady hands a quiet contrast to your restless energy.

He caught your gaze in the mirror, his expression softening. “We can cancel,” he said gently, turning to face you fully. “Keep us a secret a little longer, if that’s what you want.”

His voice held no pressure, only concern — an offer of comfort in the storm of your nerves.

You shook your head, a quiet but firm no, as you rose to your feet and closed the space between you. His hands instinctively found your hips, grounding you, while you looped your arms around his neck, drawing him closer.

“We’ve been a secret for so long,” you murmured, your forehead resting against his, “and then we didn’t invite anyone to our wedding…”

A soft smile tugged at his lips as he nodded, his eyes warm with certainty. “Which,” he said, his voice gentle but sure, “I have absolutely no regrets about — it was just us, and our family. Exactly how it should’ve been.”

You hummed softly, a small smile curling at your lips. “Plus… I already put our wedding pictures up.” Your fingers brushed lightly over his chest. “We’re doing this.”

His eyes softened even more, his hands tightening just slightly on your hips as if to hold you closer to him — to anchor you both in this moment.

“I’m so proud of you,” he murmured, his voice rough with emotion. “You held the fort down while I was away… And if I had known any of this was happening, sweetheart…” His brows furrowed, regret shadowing his expression. “I would’ve come for you. No hesitation. I would’ve brought you with me.”

Downstairs, Hongjoong’s wife paced idly around your living room — until she froze mid-step, her face draining of all color. Her eyes were locked onto something across the room, wide with shock. Without a word, she motioned frantically for Seonghwa’s wife and Wooyoung’s wife to come closer.

“What is it?” Seonghwa’s wife asked, but as soon as her gaze followed, she stumbled over her own breath. “H-holy shit…” she stammered, eyes glued to the wall in disbelief.

The confused chatter of the boys and their wives faded into the background, none of them noticing yet as the three women stood frozen, staring at the unmistakable sight in front of them.

It was your wedding picture — clear as day, hanging proudly on the wall. You were beaming, your eyes bright with love, as the man beside you held you close. His face was unmistakable to anyone who knew him, even after the years apart.

Hongjoong’s wife’s breath caught in her throat as she hurried toward the frame, calling over her shoulder, “Honey… honey, come here. Who’s this man in the picture?”

Hongjoong, still distracted by the quiet conversations in the room, walked over without much thought. His gaze landed on the photo. Casual, at first.

“Oh,” he answered easily, “that’s Jongho.”

There was a beat of silence. Then—

"jongho?!" Hongjoong’s voice cracked with shock as he snatched the picture off the wall, holding it closer like the frame might offer an explanation. His eyes darted between the photo and the faces of his friends, like they might somehow piece this puzzle together for him.

“W-when did Yn and Jongho—when did they even get married?!” he stammered, panic rising in his tone as he rushed toward the other boys, shoving the photo toward them.

Their wives were frozen, glancing between one another with growing fear, their voices dropping to urgent whispers. “Is that the Jongho?” Wooyoung’s wife asked, her voice shaky. “The one who missed our wedding because he was overseas?” Seonghwa’s wife added, barely above a breath.

And then—

A sharp cough cut through the commotion.

All eyes snapped toward the living room entrance.

There you stood with Jongho, his hand resting securely at your waist, as if to anchor you against the tidal wave of chaos swelling in the room. His gaze was calm, protective, unwavering. Yours, a storm of emotions beneath a composed facade.

You swallowed thickly, feeling their eyes on you, but you stood tall beside your husband.

“Surprise,” you said softly, your voice carrying across the stunned silence.

[breadedloafs]

my heartttttttt💚💚🫠🫠🫠🫠💚💚💚

Chapter 20

Beyond the Lens - Logbook Videographer!Reader x OT8 Ateez

W/C 16,169 

🎥 Series Masterlist 🎥

☽ Masterlist ☾ 

Inspiration Pictures

Pinterest Board Masterlist

Previous Chapter (Chapter 19)

Disclaimer: This story is purely a work of fiction. It is not meant to assume or mock anything about Ateez, Atiny, or anything relating to what I do not know about being a videographer. This story will follow several of the events that Ateez has done in the past year for Golden Hour Part 2, that being said I will not be able to include everything. 

Contains she/her pronouns.

The logo in the center is mine. Please do not reuse or copy.

I strongly recommend looking at the inspiration pictures and the Pinterest boards linked above (which will be updating as the story goes on).

General Warnings: slow burn, cussing, conflict, angst, fluff, and obliviousness. 

CHAPTER WARNINGS - Fluff and slight panic. Let me know if I should add anything else.

Let me know what you think! <3 Moonie

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

You woke up with a smile on your face well before your alarm. This is one of the first times in for-absolutely-ever that you were happy about waking up before your alarm. Today was Yeosang’s birthday stream and party. You gently separated yourself from Seonghwa and got out of bed to start getting ready for the day. You reached over him and grabbed your glasses and phone off the shelf in the bed frame. Thankfully you set out the outfit so all you had to do was grab it off the back of the door. After taking a shower you put on the red cargo pants and the black and red ACDC shirt. When you were finished making sure the outfit looked okay you put on some light makeup, Dutch braided your hair into pigtails and made your way down the stairs. You may as well let the other boys rest before their alarms. 

You went down to the basement and triple checked that everything was here and that the giants were not messing shit up. As soon as you were satisfied you had all of the things in decent order you made your way back up the stairs. You checked in on all of the sweets Felix prepared, they looked absolutely perfect. The black and red theme was going to be so much fun. You grabbed the camera you used last night and went to plug it in so you could upload everything to your personal cloud. As that was uploading you made sure to turn on the TV in the great room and get into YouTube so the boys that were here could watch the live. After getting to the loading screen for the live you left it be.

Following the visits to the greenhouse and garden the past couple of days you knew two things. One, that the fruits are falling and that would be a great healthy snack for the boys and two that you would need some of the vegetables for side dishes for dinner. You grabbed your Beats and turned on some music to walk to and you slipped your phone into one of the pockets on your thigh. When you got situated you started toward the back door, Toothless was sitting there just staring outside wanting to be let out for some fresh air. With a chuckle you opened the door to the porch for him and let him wander outside and take up residence on his favorite spot for sunning. You left the door to the house open for him to wander in and out as he pleased before you slipped on your Hey Dudes and made your way out toward the familiar path. As you were walking you watched some of the birds flying over, it was going to be absolutely gorgeous today. 

When you made it to the fork in the path you went to the right for the greenhouse. As soon as you stepped in you could feel the heat and humidity which just barely fogged up your glasses. You grabbed the large basket you had for days like today and started walking around to gather some vegetables. Once you were satisfied you had enough for cooking you went out to the plum tree. There were several that were just in your reach. You set down the basket and reached up for them. After you got a few of them you felt someone pick you up. You let out a scream and almost toppled out of the hold someone had you in, you looked down to see San who was grinning mischievously at you. 

“Sannie, for the love of fucking god you scared the absolute shit out of me.” You paused your music, took your headphones off and let them rest against your neck. He was casually holding you on his shoulder like you weighed nothing. 

“Good morning Jagi (sweetie), having a nice morning?” 

“I was doing great until you nearly gave me a fucking heart attack, How about you? Have fun scaring the shit out of me, Thing 2?” 

“I’m doing great! You want to continue to get some more plums or are we moving on to your next mission?” You reached up and grabbed a couple more of them. 

“Do you think we need more than five?” You looked back down at San who was just watching you with a small smile. 

“Grab four more just in case,” he moved toward another spot that had four really good looking plums. You grabbed them and he gently let you down. As soon as your feet touched the ground you moved to the basket to drop the plums in. When you were satisfied that they wouldn't go anywhere you moved to him and lightly smacked his shoulder. 

He laughed at you before grabbing your hand and pulling you into a kiss. You immediately melted and closed your eyes as he pulled you closer with a hand on your lower back, you wrapped your arms around his neck and moved your hands to tangle into his hair letting your nails lightly scratch his scalp. He let out something akin to a whine into the kiss before tilting his head and pulling you even closer. Both of his hands were on your back as he kissed you, you arched up into his touch as he led the kiss. One of his hands traveled down over your ass and settled itself in your back pocket giving you a light squeeze. At the same time his other hand tugged the bottom of one of your braids. You let out a gasp and he separated from your lips to place kisses down your neck, as he did he let his other hand slide down into the other back pocket. Your breathing was beginning to get ragged and your poor heart was going absolutely insane as he placed gentle open mouthed kisses against your neck and pulse point. 

You unconsciously tilted your head to the side to let him continue. He trailed back up to your lips and connected them again. Your lips moved perfectly in sync with his, you could feel his smile against you. He slowly pulled away without opening his eyes. His breath was shaky as he opened his eyes to look into yours. He gently set his forehead against yours while his deep brown eyes were seemingly searching for something in your expression to show that you didn't like what he did. He didn't find anything akin to that whatsoever as he looked into your eyes, the only thing he could see was adoration; and maybe a little bit of heat in your e/c eyes. He seemed to realize he still had his hands in your back pockets because he quickly let you go and stepped away.

“Fuck,” you brought your hand up to your kiss swollen lips. You could feel the blush on your face and you were absolutely sure that you were as red as a tomato. 

“That was hot as hell.” His eyes flickered up to yours before he looked back down again, he was red and adorably bashful like he committed a cardinal sin. You let out a small laugh at him and stepped away toward the basket. After picking it up you made your way to him and put your hand on his shoulder. 

“I'll leave you to recover from that amazing kiss, I am going to go get some of the flowers from the garden for Yeosang if you would like to eventually join me.” He nodded at you and gave you a quick glance and a small smile. You lightly kissed his shoulder before you walked back down the path. 

As you walked you listened to everything around you, the birds were singing their songs and the small critters in the forest scattered as you walked. It took you a few minutes to get to the first moongate. You walked past it and the rest of them toward the gazebo, there was a pair of shears you had up here for occasions like this. Setting the basket down you moved to the small storage chest nestled in the back corner. It came open with a small squeak and you grabbed the shears from the top of the small pile of other gardening tools. You grabbed your second basket for the flowers and as you walked back past the first basket you grabbed it as well. Both baskets were hanging in the crooks of your arms as you made your way over to the roses. You had all of the colors that were possible in the region, white, pink, red, orange and yellow. Making your way over you started snipping several of the red and white roses. When you had a few of each of them in your basket you moved over to the hydrangeas. You clipped some of the white and green ones choosing to leave out the pink, blue and purple ones. When you were satisfied with the ones you clipped you placed them into the basket. Lastly you moved over to the peonies. You clipped some of the red and white ones and checked to make sure there weren't ants on them before placing them gently into the basket. 

You looked up as you heard footsteps, San was making his way through the trees. He was smiling at you as he approached.  You could feel the smile worm its way onto your face as you took him in. He was gorgeous in the morning light, the soft shadows that were being cast on his face made him look even more ethereal. He was dressed in the clothes he wore yesterday over to your house, it was almost disappointing to see him out of the matching set all of you had worn to bed. As he got closer you could see that he had something hidden behind his back.

“Hi, Sannie, What do you have there?” You motioned to the way he was holding one of his arms behind his back. He brought it around his body and you saw a small perfectly in bloom cluster of jasmine. Your heart melted as he got close and tucked it behind your ear, making sure to not catch it on your plethora of earrings. You let him fuss around with it to make it look perfect. 

“Flowers for my flower” The heat immediately rushed to your face at the simple words. God damn this man was too sweet for his own good. 

“You are such a romantic Sannie,” you leaned to him and placed a kiss on the spot his dimples generally are. As soon as you pulled away they appeared with his beautiful smile. You just stood there looking at each other taking in the twin smiles on the other’s face. 

“We should probably head back to the house so you can put those in a vase and get going so you can make it on time for Yeosangie’s live.” You nodded at him and started walking, just as you passed him he took the basket with all of the vegetables. He switched the hand he was holding it in and grabbed your hand to intertwine your fingers together as you walked. You glanced at him and he was smiling at you already, a sweet soft smile. The two of you just walked in a comfortable silence back the way you came. As you approached the house you didn’t even notice that Wooyoung and Seonghwa were watching the two of you approach with large grins on their faces. There may have also been a couple of pictures taken.

As you stepped into the house you were immediately hit with the aroma of food. Wooyoung was standing in the kitchen proudly wearing the Bone Appetit skull apron. You laughed at him and set the basket of flowers onto the island. You gently took one of the three extra red roses you cut and handed it to Seonghwa. His eyes got wide and he smiled wholeheartedly at you. You moved over to Wooyoung who was already watching you with a grin on his face. As you held it out to him he took it in the hand that didn’t have a cooking utensil in it and gave you a quick kiss on the cheek. Lastly you turned to San who was watching both interactions with a lovesick grin and look in his eyes. You held out the rose to him and his face immediately got a little more red. 

Without a word you moved over to the cabinet under the sink to grab a beautiful black vase. You started gently preparing and cutting off the extra leaves of the flowers. The boys were watching you in awe of how you almost expertly arranged the flowers; putting your artistic mind to good use. As you were finishing up you immediately thought you should check the time. With a glance at your watch your heart dropped to your ass. 

“Shit, I gotta go loves. Woo, everything should be here to prepare some fried yangnyeom chicken among other things for the party. I have everything set out on the couches downstairs, the presents I got for him need to be put in the small gift bag I have in one of the other bags. All of the snacks and the are in the fridge but leave the cake in there cause I have a plan. Like always you are welcome to anything here. Please for the love of whatever is up there do not let the other boys spoil the surprise, if they do, no kisses for any of you whatsoever, with the exception of Yeo, until I get back into town.”

They nodded at you while you quickly pressed a kiss to each of their cheeks and ran toward the mudroom. You skidded to a halt before getting into the hidden cabinet and grabbing your red leather jacket. As you were getting your jacket on you stepped into your shitkickers. You were perfectly balanced as you got your shit together, the years of practice propelling you. Once your jacket was zipped up you bent over to zip your shoes up before grabbing the keys to Ink.

“That threat also goes for Joongie, just cause he is going to be in Paris with me doesn't mean I won't ban them.” You said as you opened the door and reached around to smack the button to open the garage door. Before you made it out the door you peeked back in and shouted “Hwa, don’t you dare touch my lego set, we can do it together when I get back from Paris.” 

You heard a noise of complaint and the laughter of the other two boys on the way to Ink. Quickly you snatched your black helmet off the top of the rack, you also grabbed the silver helmet and put it into your spare helmet bag. You gently took the jasmine out from behind your ear and set it in the bag. Throwing it over your shoulder you did your glasses routine as you walked between your cars, as soon as you made it to Ink you threw your leg over her and started her. She roared to life and you sped off trying to make up for lost time. 

It took you just about five minutes less than normal to pull up to KQ. Thankfully you thought ahead and had Willow bring over your things from the office so you could film Yeosang’s birthday live. You knew she would be in the office a little bit earlier this morning; it only took a bribe of paying for her coffee to get her to do it. You pulled up right next to her SUV and shut Ink down. As she rolled her window down you flipped up your visor. She carefully handed you your camera which you put over your head; it almost didn't make it over your helmet. Next was your shoulder bag. You took it and put it over your shoulder before digging around in the pocket of your jacket and pulling out a twenty. Before she could hand you the tripod you handed her the twenty.

“Thank you! You’re the best!” You took the tripod and smiled at her. 

“Of course, you would do the same for me; maybe minus making me pay for coffee. I would have done it either way, I just wanted to see what you would do for it. I've got one thing I need to get finished up and then I'm done for the weekend. I'll see you in a couple of weeks, be careful in France and take pictures for me. 

“You know I always am and that I will. Have a good weekend, I'll see you soon.” Your voice dropped to a whisper, “You might also get bombarded with matching PJ pics from the party tonight for Sangie be fair warned.” She laughed at you as you stepped away from the car. She waved before rolling up her window and pulling out of the parking space. 

You walked back to Ink and set down the tripod so you could take off your helmet. Once you had it off you opened the helmet bag and grabbed the jasmine before putting your helmet in. You tucked the jasmine bunch back behind your ear, picked the tripod back up and started making your way into the building. As soon as you stepped off the elevator you were immediately spotted by Maddox and Eden. They tilted their heads at you with small smiles. 

“Yes oppas, I know, I look absolutely fabulous, take a picture it'll last longer.” You walked past them offering a small bow of your head. Over the time you had been here at KQ they had become almost like brothers to you. 

“You look like a pack mule,” Maddox shot off after you. You rolled your eyes as you opened the door to your office. Making your way over to your desk you plopped your helmet bag down and started taking off the other bag. You unzipped the leather jacket so you could move around without hearing the creaking of the leather. As soon as everything was in decent order from the chaos you had it in originally you grabbed the travelling desk. You set your laptop bag and tripod on it, choosing to leave the camera around your neck. When you made sure you had everything you made your way to the elevator to go down a floor to the room they were getting set up in.

You walked in and you immediately snickered at the amount of Yeosang pictures scattered across the wall. Some of the staff were still getting things set up and ready for him to arrive. You started to set up the camera making sure to avoid the people bouncing across the room making sure everything was perfect. 

Setting up your tripod you adjusted it to the approximate height you would need it to be before settling your camera on it. As soon as it looked like it was in a good place you plugged it into your computer which was booting up. The side monitors came to life and you started getting all of the windows you would need pulled up. Something hit the back of your knees which almost made them buckle. You turned around ready to tell someone to be more careful but you were met with the smiling face of the boy you were celebrating today. Your scowl immediately changed to a smile at your beautiful boyfriend. 

“Happy early birthday!!” His smile got more bashful, you really wanted to hug him but being surrounded by staff that wasn’t the best option. You settled for taking his hand that was resting on the back of the chair and giving it a squeeze, which he returned. 

“Thank you Y/n-nie,” he was smiling at you still. His eyes flickered to the computer that was situated behind you. You turned to look at what caught his eye and immediately felt the heat rush to your face. Between now and when the boys had left you at your house you had taken all of the polaroids from the MV out and took a wide shot picture of them to set as your background. Front and center of the picture was the polaroid you cherished most, the one they took and left a heart on for you. 

“Y/n, we are almost ready to start.” You nodded to the woman who was leading today. You took a seat in the chair Yeosang offered you and turned to make the desk shorter so you could properly see everything. The camera was working and positioned well and Youtube streaming was up and running whenever you were ready to get started. She stepped over close to you to check where everything was and as soon as she saw everything up and ready she turned to speak to Yeosang. 

“We are ready for you, can you please take a seat.” He nodded and moved away from you. As he left he put his hand on your shoulder and squeezed lightly. He sat down and you reached up to the camera to make a couple more adjustments to the camera angle and height before you would start the stream. Everyone was watching you as you started the stream. You gave a thumbs up to the silent room to let them know you were live. You watched with a small smile as he greeted Atiny. He may not have seen your gesture because shortly after he looked at you and asked if it had started. You nodded to him barely concealing your smile. He started again by greeting Atiny and then he started to sing himself happy birthday. You had to fight with every molecule in your body to not sing with him. 

As he was speaking you zoomed in slightly so he was more of the focus. He was motioning with his hands, it almost seemed like a nervous habit. Once he finished his spiel about being busy he turned to read the comments. Most of them were wishing him a happy birthday, but there was one that stood out to you. Someone asked him if he could speak English, you watched him hesitate and his eyes flickered to yours briefly before answering with a small gesture. 

“A little bit” he switched back to Korean immediately after. You almost wanted to reach through the screen and slap the person who asked that question. He moved on effortlessly reading a few more comments before getting to the theme of the live. One of the staff members brought over a monitor and set it to his side. You adjusted the camera so you could read the text on the monitor but still keep Yeosang in the center of the view. The next thirty minutes of the live continued this way. He was conversing with the camera and Atiny so well. You caught him looking at you on more than one occasion throughout it. 

The next segment of the live was quotes from the rest of the boys. You knew this would either embarrass the shit out of him or make him laugh; there was no in between. As he was going through the quotes from the other members he was taking a little bit of time to speak about each of them. You were smiling the entire time and wondered if the boys were watching. The live continued for a while longer before the staff indicated that he could end it. Your eyes were glued to the beautiful man sitting behind the table and surrounded by his own pictures. He said his goodbyes and many thank yous to the Atiny watching before you cut off the stream. Everyone surrounding you let out a small collective sigh as soon as the camera was off. 

Yeosang gently stood up and started thanking the staff and by extension you. Some of them ended up giving him small cards or gifts while you just sat and watched. As soon as everyone finished their doting on him he approached you with a small smile. 

“The flowers in your hair are really pretty Noona, is it jasmine?” 

“Yeah, good eye Sangie,” You gently took out the small cluster and tucked it behind his ear just like San did to you earlier this morning. He was watching you with wide eyes and trying to hide his smile as you did so. God you wished you could kiss him in this moment. You broke eye contact before turning back to everyone else who was taking things down already. You had half a mind to snag some of the things they decorated with. 

“Do you guys need anything else from me before I go put my things away?” You spoke to the room and the woman that headed up the operation shook her head at you before resuming her prior task. 

“Perfect,” you started taking all of your things apart and putting them back into their respective positions. Just as you were going to grab your camera you noticed Yeosang taking it off the tripod. Generally you wouldn’t let people touch your things, especially your very expensive camera, but the way he was gently taking it off the tripod made your heart melt. When he finished he turned to look at you with a small smile before gently setting it over your neck and tugging your braids out from under the strap. 

“Thank you,” he nodded at your almost whisper. You had to get out of here before you did something absolutely reckless. Turning back to the portable desk you adjusted the height so you could walk with it and started making your way back to your office. As you were walking you heard a small snicker from one of the offices you passed. The hushed whispers followed you as you made your way toward the elevator. As soon as you turned around when you settled yourself in the elevator you were met with a pouty Yeosang. You tried to contain your smile as he stepped into the elevator with you. The doors closed and you let the grin free.

“Why are you pouting Sangie?” You tucked a strand of hair away from his face. 

“Cause you left without saying anything,” 

“Sweets, I don’t think it would have been a good idea for me to stand there like a lovesick fool. I would have done something that would get the both of us in trouble if I had.” He cracked a small smile as you spoke. The elevator dinged and the doors opened, you were the first to step off the elevator and he immediately followed you and then made his way to your side. Much like Hongjoong did several weeks ago he tried to take the desk away from you so he could push it. You gently checked him with your hip and he looked at you offended. You let out a snicker and continued the walk to your office, passing by several of the producer’s studios. 

When you made it to the office you opened the door wide and ushered him in ahead of you. As soon as the door was closed he walked over to you and wrapped you in a hug. You smiled as he tucked his head into the crook of your neck. The smell of jasmine wafted up your nose as you leaned your head on his. He let out a content sigh while you ran your hands up and down his back in a comforting motion. “You’re wearing my favorite colors,” 

You hummed in agreement as he pulled away with a cute dopey grin. He was looking at you like you hung the stars but he was also taking the opportunity while you were alone to fully study the outfit you were wearing. A lick of heat rushed up your spine as he looked you up and down. Before anything else happened there was a small knock at the door. You turned and headed toward it. As you opened it you saw Bora standing there. You stepped back and allowed her into the room. She looked around the room before her eyes fell on Yeosang who had moved from standing in the middle of the room to Aurora’s chair. 

“We need to have a chat,” those words immediately sent you into a panic. Your heart leapt to your throat and you could almost physically feel the room tighten with tension. 

“What’s going on, is everything okay?” Your almost motherly instincts overrode your anxiety as you asked. You were surprised that your voice was somewhat level. She looked over at you and then went back to Yeosang.

“We were informed this morning about your addition to their relationship.” For the second time this morning your heart dropped to your ass. Fuck. The color drained from your face and you stood there like a fish out of water opening and closing your mouth. A gentle hand settled itself on your back and you knew that Yeosang could feel you trembling.

“All of the higher ups of the company have discussed this at length with Hongjoong—” the click of the door drew your attention away from the woman in front of you. It opened and Hongjoong stepped in, when he noticed Bora standing there he immediately moved into action.

“Bora, what is going on here?” He moved quickly to step gently in front of you and cupped your cheeks. The look he was met with was heartbreaking, your eyes were wide with panic and terror. He looked at Yeosang who was wearing a carefully constructed mask of calm while looking at you. That look gave Hongjoong all of the information he needed. 

“I was just about to speak to the two of them about what you and the CEO have discussed in regard to your relationship.” He turned to look at her and was standing in front of you protectively as she finished her sentence. If your heart wasn't dancing around in your stomach you would have smiled at the motion. 

“And you thought that it would be best that you do it and not one of her own boyfriends? That I wouldn’t want to discuss this with them as a group instead of scaring the shit out of our newest partner by approaching her first without being warned?” There was quiet fury laced in his tone and you watched as she shrunk back a little. 

“No one informed me that you would like to speak to them instead of having one of us do it.” 

“Tell me why you think that I wouldn't have handled this like I have every other time in the past.” He pinched the bridge of his nose before looking back at her, “you should've known better; especially with how long you have been with us. One of you approaching her about it makes it seem like she was going to lose her job, especially coming from someone who clearly didn't like her in the first place.” She flinched at his harsh words, you knew she saw her wrongdoing. 

Her eyes met yours, the regret seemed to be minute. “I apologize. It was not my intention to scare you.” She bowed deeply to you and you nodded at her as she came back up. 

“You may go,” She immediately took her leave after he dismissed her with a wave of his hand. He turned back to look at you and his gaze immediately softened into the loving one you often saw. 

“Are you okay, our treasure?” You immediately grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug. He let out a small squeak before wrapping his arms around you. 

“Thank you,” you let out a shaky breath “thank you so much, that scared the living shit out of me.” He started stroking your braided hair gently, which helped calm your heart from its erratic pace. Yeosang’s hand never left your lower back as you stood there with Hongjoong. As soon as you calmed enough you stepped away and offered him a bashful smile. The worried look on his face seemed to dissipate the more he looked you over. 

“We can talk about what she was going to say with everyone after you and I get back from Paris,” you and Yeosang nodded at him. A couple seconds later Yeosang took both of your hands and led you to the couch in the front corner of the room. Without saying a word he settled himself in the corner of it and held his arms out to the two of you. Immediately without thinking you crawled into his lap and rested your head on his shoulder. Yeosang’s eyes widened a fraction before he wrapped his arm around you. Hongjoong settled himself as close as he could and you stretched your legs out and over him. 

The three of you just sat there basking in the quiet room and each other’s presence. Hongjoong had reached over and grabbed your hand, he began inspecting your nails closely. 

“These look even better in person. Whoever did them did an amazing job.” He placed a kiss on the back of your hand and just kept it with him to mess with your fingers and rings. At one point while he was he took one of your rings off and slid it onto his finger. You gently moved your hand from his and slid your thumb ring off; the one you always wore no matter the occasion. He was watching you intently to see what you were doing. As soon as you had it off you twisted it to reveal the sphere it turned into. 

“Wah,” both of them said in unison. Hongjoong gently held his hands out and you handed it to him. He was thoroughly inspecting it and how it worked. He seemed to also be attempting to read all of the phrases that were engraved as well as the zodiac signs. You took the moon phase one you had on your pinky and showed Yeosang how it spun. His eyes widened and he gently took it from you. Both of them were so entranced by the rings you couldn’t help but to let out a small huff of laughter. The quiet was short lived as Mingi appeared chattering excitedly about something as he walked through the door. As soon as he saw the three of you curled up on the couch together he got quiet. You looked at him with raised eyebrows.

“Meetings all morning and then ditching me for these two? I see how it is Hongjoongie.” You let out a snort at his pout. Yeosang hid his head in your shoulder, you could feel the smile on his face as he rested there. 

“Princess, are you jealous?” The words that came out of your mouth seemed to catch him off guard. His face turned beet red and he couldn’t even look at you. Yeosang was shaking with his repressed laughter. You could feel him trying so hard to not laugh out loud. Hongjoong didn’t win the battle with his laughter though, shortly after you asked Mingi he burst into laughter. His pout only got deeper as he listened to you and Hongjoong snickering. 

“He definitely is, there’s no doubting it.” Hongjoong muttered just loud enough that Mingi caught it.

“Yah, don’t team up on me like that! That’s not fair.” He stomped his foot like a child. All three of you dissolved into giggles at his exasperation. Yeosang’s full bodied laughter was shaking you, Hongjoong had a tight grip on your leg to keep himself from falling to the side. You were not much better. You ended up having to move slightly so you could grab a hold of the back of the couch so you wouldn’t fall off of Yeosang’s lap with how hard you were laughing. 

Yunho decided that this exact moment was the best time to burst in unannounced. He froze in the doorway at the state all of you were in. He was watching the three of you on the couch with confused curiosity which only made you fall into heavier laughter. 

“Yuyu they’re being mean to me,” Mingi whined to the taller man. He raised his eyebrows at Mingi before looking back at the three of you. Hongjoong and Yeosang seemed to have recovered but you were still giggling lightly. You had let go of the back of the couch anticipating being able to completely recover.

Hongjoong snorted, “Jealousy green doesn’t look good on you princess.” 

“Neither does aegyo when you are pouting at us,” Yeosang deadpanned.

The rapid fire shots at Mingi’s pride sent you into more uncontrollable laughter. Before you knew it you had fallen off of Yeosang’s lap and onto the floor. Which sent everyone, even Mingi, into laughter. Yeosang was looking down at you in shock while you were spread out like a starfish on the floor wheezing. Your arm was over your eyes as you laid there, choosing not to look at the boys. If you would have done so you would not have recovered. They had become just like Aurora in that regard, not being able to keep a straight face in their presence was going to be hard in a professional setting. After a few minutes of laughter and checking that you were okay, Yunho helped you get back up. You took your previous spot on Yeosang’s lap and smiled at him. 

“Alright come on you little green monster, let's leave these three menaces alone and go on our lunch date like we planned.” Mingi nodded at Yunho and started toward the door. Right before he left he took one more glance at the three of you with a smile showing he wasn’t really mad at you. You stuck your tongue out at him and he made a flabbergasted noise before Yunho pushed him out of the room while throwing a smile and wink your way. 

“Speaking of lunch, I am treating you both to a lunch date.” You both looked at him with your heads tilted. Hongjoong had grabbed your hand and placed the sphere ring back on your thumb as well as the other one he had stolen. 

“Where are you planning on taking us Joongie?” 

“Sangie’s favorite rameyon place just down the street. I’ve already called and let them know we are coming so they could get one of their back rooms ready for us, that way we won't be disturbed.” You could practically feel the excitement radiating from Yeosang. Hongjoong was the first one to get up and he offered you a hand to help you. As soon as you were up Yeosang leapt up off the couch and said something about going to change into normal clothes before practically running out the door. Both of you shook your heads at his excitement. 

“Shutterbug,” he grabbed your hand and looked you in the eyes. The gaze you were met with was one of gentle certainty.  

“I want to quell the fears I know you haven’t acknowledged just yet. The company is okay with you being in our relationship. Your job is not in jeopardy whatsoever, neither is the team’s. The only thing that they stipulated, if you even want to go public with it, is that you choose only one of us to be public with.” He squeezed your hands while he spoke, grounding the both of you into the moment. 

“How in the fucking world could they expect me to choose?” The words came out of your mouth like venom. “If I cant be public with all of you I won’t be public with any of you, that is utterly fucking ridiculous.” You were speaking before your mind even caught up with the thoughts floating around in your brain. You could never and would never choose, the thought of the discourse it could cause within the dynamic between all of you made you almost sick to your stomach.

“I agree with you, I also told them you would say something like that, minus the cussing of course.” he let out a small chuckle and you cracked a smile. 

“I have one other question,” he nodded at you. “Who knows about us?” 

“Really it's only our personal teams. Only the upper management, our team management, some of the stylists, and Edenary. Aside from whomever you have told.”

“I’ve told my team and a few of my friends.” Both of you jumped as Yeosang burst back into the room. He was barefaced, dressed down, and absolutely beaming at the two of you. 

“I assume someone is excited to go get some food," you said as you passed Hongjoong to walk over to Yeosang who’s hair was slightly messed up. As you approached him he tilted his head down so you could have better access to his hair and the flower that was precariously hanging from behind his ear. 

“I tried to get it to look as good as you had it but I couldn’t quite get it," he  watched you closely from under his eyelashes. 

“That’s okay Sangie. There you go, it’s perfect, just like you.” You placed a quick kiss to his cheek and he let out a noise of surprise before trying to hide his smile behind his hands. Hongjoong approached and started ushering you out the door. 

You walked over to the restaurant that Hongjoong picked and immediately smiled at Yeosang’s joy to be here. Some of the staff recognized him and greeted him with smiles. You were escorted to one of the small back rooms so you guys could have some privacy amidst the lunch rush. As soon as you were in the room you sat in the chair facing the door, an old habit you still had yet to shake; and most likely never would. You smiled at both men standing and speaking to the waiter that they must have known. When they finished speaking to the waiter they settled on either side of you at the table.

“What is good here? I haven't ever been here.” Yeosang’s head immediately shot to you with wide eyes, almost like you slapped him. Out of the corner of your eye you saw Hongjoong lift up his menu to cover his face. The responding snicker told you he was enjoying this a little too much. 

“You are looking at me like I just did some of the worst aegyo you have ever seen.” He straightened slightly trying to hide his shock and grabbed his menu before scooting closer to you. When he brought the menu closer to you you realized that you really needed to brush up on your Hangul. Speaking it and reading it was completely different. You listened to him talk about each of the dishes he was pointing at giving a general description of the taste. 

“I’m so sorry sweets, I thoroughly enjoy that you are showing this to me but my Hangul isn't the greatest so I don't quite know what I am looking at or what is in it.” 

“Kkulbeol (Honeybee) you have no reason to be sorry. I understand completely; especially after that one comment asking me if I could speak English. We are from two different places and learning the other’s language is hard but at least we are trying, that's all that matters.” You let out a small sigh of relief and smiled at him. Immediately after he switched up his approach and started thoroughly describing the contents of each dish. You could have melted into a puddle, he was being so considerate of you. Hongjoong was just watching the two of you, happy that you could be open and honest with them. 

“Y/n-nie, if you don't mind me asking how did you get into photography and videography?” You looked over to Hongjoong who had his chin resting on his palm just watching you. 

“It isn't really very interesting, but I'll humor you. I have always been drawn to the arts. I tried a lot of things, painting, sculpting, drawing, pottery, writing among shit tons of other things. None of it ever really caught my eye until I was helping with the school newspaper. I was pulled in because I had an extra block in my schedule I needed to fill. When I started taking the pictures for the class I knew then that it was what I wanted to do. That I wanted to be able to capture the moments that people were living in and give them that memory and the joy that was behind it. It is a lot like what I was telling you guys the other day. I strive to be able to create things that inspire people, not only to create other beautiful things but to share their memories and thoughts as well. I only do this partially for myself, most of it is for everyone else.” 

“That is really beautiful, you might not think it is interesting but I think it is. Where you are from and where we are from are so completely different that I will always love to hear about your experiences.” Hongjoong was smiling at you now, his hand was resting over yours while he spoke. 

“I wish I could tell you more of what it was like. I really can't quite remember a lot of the details.” What they didn’t know wouldn't kill them. 

“You can tell us on your own time, we plan on sticking around to hear everything whenever you remember.” You looked over to Yeosang who was smiling at you sweetly. Without hesitating you grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. 

The rest of the lunch consisted of many laughs and tales from the two men with you. All of you conversed about things you loved to things you hate. One that was specifically brought up was your absolute hatred of going down any set of stairs; which resulted in light teasing from them. Yeosang ended up ordering his favorite dish for you and you immensely appreciated it because damn was it good. 

After the three of you had finished, and you begrudgingly let Hongjoong pay, you made your way back to KQ. Just as the three of you got into Hongjoong’s  studio your conversation was interrupted by the absolutely obnoxious sound of Hongjoong’s ringtone. He stepped away and pulled his phone out of his pocket. You just barely caught sight of Seonghwa’s nickname on the screen; you knew what the call was about. They were summoning all of the rest of the boys from their schedules. He was nodding and pretending to be a little exasperated from the call, knowing him, he was smiling; being the simp for Hwa he was. 

“That was Hwa, he was just telling me that the stylist he is with wants to make changes to one of my outfits and this is the only time we are available at the same time for the next few weeks. He also told me that Yunho and Mingi are trapped in the studio perfecting one of their tracks and the rest of our boys are scattered absolutely everywhere.” You let out an exaggerated huff and out of the corner of your eye you could see the slight pout on Yeosang’s lips. 

“I’m sorry my loves, why don't you both go to treasure’s house and have a relaxing date night and we will be there as soon as we can to join you.” the both of you nodded at him as he was grabbing his things. Before he left he gave you both a peck on the cheek. You watched him leave and before he could step out of your field of view he winked. Not even a few seconds later your phone pinged. You checked your watch to see it was Bias, the thought passed across your mind that you needed to change his contact name. You opened the message just as Yeosang plopped onto the couch. You hid your smile at the perfect decorations before you shot off a response to him.

“Sorry Sangie, they were just confirming a couple of things for my flight in a couple of days, why don't we head to my office and get ready to go.” You offered him a hand and he accepted it. The small perpetual tremble rattled your hand just a bit, you placed a kiss to the back of it before stepping away and toward the door. You walked out of the studio and ran straight into Maddox, he steadied you with hands on your shoulders. 

“Definitely not who I was expecting to walk out of the Hongjoong’s studio, His voice dropped down into a whisper “you having a secret rendezvous with your boyfriends in there?” You lightly smacked him and felt a hand at your back. Yeosang was looking over your shoulder to see who you were talking to. As soon as Maddox caught his eyes he burst into laughter. 

“You totally were! How did I know? I guess I’m just that good.” You rolled your eyes at him and promptly put a hand over his mouth as he went to say something else.

“If you don't keep your voice down the rest of KQ will know about us. I don't need or want more slut shaming than I am most likely already going to get from some of the people that haven't liked me since I started. You can tease us all you want in private but I would prefer it not be in the middle of a decently busy hallway. You might be a few years older than me but I have no problem putting you in your place if you continue, so respectfully shut the hell up.” His eyes widened just barely at the almost threatening tone you had before he nodded. You gently took your hand away from his mouth and he looked at Yeosang over your shoulder. 

“She's got balls, I see why you love her.” Yeosang let out a small laugh and you could feel the small nod that came from him as he rested his head on your shoulder. 

“You don't even know half of it. You remember that one weird kid Youngsik with the Xikers security crew?” Maddox nodded, “she actually put him on his ass after we were finished for the day at the MV shoot because he grabbed her when she told him not to. Then she verbally filleted him after he insulted us and her in front of his boss and he ended up getting fired off of his probationary period.”  

“God damn, I would have loved to see that.” His eyes trained back on you and you smirked at him. 

“That’s not all of the shit I've done to protect the people I care about, maybe another time we can sit down over coffee and I can fill you in on all of the fun shit I get up to.” he nodded at you with a large smile. 

“I would love that, sorry to cut this conversation short but I was actually heading to speak to Eden before we ran into each other.”

“That's fine, go before you get into trouble,” You waved him off and he stepped away with a wave. When he was out of sight you felt Yeosang relax behind you. 

“Can we get going Y/n-nie, I think I have had enough of people today.”

“Of course Sangie, I think I have too, other than you and our boys of course.” you stepped out of the doorway and started making the short walk to your office. When you opened the door you smiled as you remembered you would get to take him on Ink. Making your way over you started to transfer your computer into one of the backpacks that was more fit for someone to wear on a motorcycle. When you got that situated you grabbed one of the hard cases for your camera. After you were satisfied with how everything was laying in the backpack you tugged both it and your helmet bag over your shoulder and turned back to Yeosang. He was watching you intently, his brows furrowed as he took in the bags. 

“I brought Ink today, and I may have planned you riding with me as a small early birthday present; if that is okay with you of course. If it isn't, I can arrange for a company car to take you.”

“No no, I would absolutely love to ride on Ink with you!” He was waving his hands frantically in front of himself. The smile that was on his face was absolutely adorable. You walked up to him and pinched his cheek just barely as you passed. He trailed after you like a cute puppy, he was almost bouncing off the walls with his excited energy. As soon as the elevator door closed he grabbed your hand and squeezed it lightly before dropping it again. 

You stepped out of the elevator and started making your way over to where you parked Ink. As soon as he saw her he practically ran over to it. You shook your head at him and continued at your own pace. When you got to Ink he was beaming at you. You took off both backpacks and gently set them onto the ground so you could pull out the helmets. Yours was on the top so you gently set it to the side and grabbed black fingerless gloves out of it and put them on. You took the silver helmet out of the bag and set it on your hip while you gently removed the jasmine from behind his ear and placed it into one of the smaller pockets of the computer backpack. Standing back up you saw his tiny pout because you took it away from him. 

“Alright pouty, I know you watched me do this with Joongie, it is going to be the same process. Also, I need to make a quick stop at Beyond the Lens to grab another one of my cameras and my dual camera harness so I don't have to go back the day of my flight.” He nodded at you and gently settled himself sidesaddle on Ink, without you having to ask he bowed his head and let you settle the helmet onto it. When you had it on he tilted his head back so you could easily access and adjust the strap on his chin. 

“Such a good boy,” the words had fallen out of your lips before you could even process them fully. His head snapped to yours and without even being able to see his eyes you knew he was looking at you in shock. Your jaw was slack as you listened to the words as they echoed in your brain. You sounded absolutely ridiculous. 

“Sangie, oh my god I am so sorry. I don't know why I said that. If I made you uncomfortable I completely understand if you don't want to ride with me anymore. Fuck I have no idea why I said that. I'm so sorry.” At this point you were rambling while stepping back. The only thing that Yeosang could think of to get you to shut up was put his hand over your mouth; just like you had with Maddox. Your eyes widened as you looked at him, not being able to see his eyes worried you further. He held his hand over your mouth and with the other he gently pushed the visor up. The look in his eyes was surprised and maybe a little embarrassed; you expected him to be angry. You could just barely make out the pink tinge on his face. 

“Stop panicking, it was unexpected, but I liked it.” Your shoulders immediately dropped and you let a sigh out through your nose. He took his hand away from your mouth and moved it to squeeze your glove covered hand. You gave him a weak smile and from what you could see he returned it. After the almost awkward pause you grabbed your helmet off the ground and did your glasses routine. Reaching out to Yeosang you turned on the bluetooth on his helmet shortly after you did the same with yours. 

“Can you hear me okay?” His slight jump was enough to give you the answer you were seeking. “If it is too loud we can adjust it, generally I keep the volume level at the best one for while we are riding, the wind can be a bit of a pain,”

He nodded at you and quietly asked if you could hear him as well. With a quick nod you moved around to get things situated. You quickly rolled up the helmet bag and stuffed it into one of the pockets of the computer backpack. 

“Okay, since I am going to be driving and you will be behind me I will need you to wear this for me. It is a little heavy but nothing you shouldn't be able to handle. It has a chest strap so you do not have to worry about losing it. Are you okay with that?”

“Yeah, I can handle a little extra weight.” You opened the straps of the bag and he quickly put it on. When it was settled on his back he turned around to you and let you clip and adjust the chest strap. Your fingers may have lingered on his chest a second more than they needed to; you couldn't help it. 

“Alright sweets, just like I told Joongie when I get on the bike I want you to sit behind me and put your feet here.” you pointed to the pegs where he could rest his feet; he nodded. “Any time we take a turn I need you to lean with me. And if you need to stop or take a breather please let me know and we can stop anywhere. There is no judgment here, I understand riding is not for everyone.”

“I understand Kkulbeol (Honeybee)”

“Perfect! Let's get going then.” you put the visor down on his helmet before swinging your leg over Ink and getting settled. After you waved him over he settled himself behind you and immediately hugged onto your back. His arms were wrapped around you lightly on your stomach. You smiled as you started Ink and put her into drive. His grip tightened on you as you moved and his legs squeezed yours just barely. You could tell he was going to absolutely love this if his small giggle was anything to go by. You weaved through the streets of Seoul over toward your Studio. He did really well while you were moving through traffic; he was a natural at leaning with you. 

When you got to the studio you had him get off first. The two of you left your helmets on and walked into the building. When you unlocked it all of the lights were off and it almost gave it a spooky feeling. You flicked the lights on as you wandered toward the storage closet in the main portion of the studio. It was bathed in golden light from the skylight which meant you didn't have to worry about turning on the lights. As soon as you made it over to the storage doors you flicked on the lights and took in the mostly organized space. You knew the approximate place of what you were looking for. After a couple of minutes of digging around you found your black double camera harness. Yeosang had followed you in and was looking at the plethora of cameras in the cabinet. You let a small smile make its way to your face as you approached him. 

“Sangie I’m going to put this into the backpack okay?” Just as you finished the sentence he turned his back fully toward you. You unzipped the bag and shoved the harness into the space the helmet bag was occupying. Zipping the pocket back up you surveyed all of the cameras with him, looking for one of the more specific ones for long shots. As soon as you spotted it you made a noise of triumph and snatched it off the shelf with the lenses that went with it and that matched the ones you already had in your bag. You grabbed its hard case and swiftly put it in. The moment you had finished you closed it up and turned back to Yeosang. He saw you turn back to him and immediately turned around again. When you were finished getting it situated you patted his shoulder. He quickly turned to you and lightly bonked his helmet against yours. You let out a giggle and did the same to him before stepping away. He followed you through the studio and back to the front door. 

When you got out to Ink you thought it would be a good idea to let the other boys know you were heading that way, nonchalantly of course. “Sangie, want to take a picture together and send it to our boys?” 

“Of course! What do you have in mind?” 

“How about I put my phone on the ground and we make a cute heart while leaning over it?”

“I think that is perfect!” After getting his confirmation you pulled out your phone and set it on the ground with the screen facing you in selfie mode. You gently took his hands and showed him the heart you wanted to make. After a couple of tries you both perfected the pose you wanted to do. Reaching down you turned on the timer and got into position. The camera clicked and you both immediately moved to look at it bumping your heads together in the process. Both of you looked at each other in shock before bursting into laughter. 

“I guess it is a good thing we had the helmets on, otherwise I am sure we would have goose eggs on our heads” He burst into more giggles as you picked up your phone. The picture was perfect and you immediately messaged it to the rest of the boys.  

You watched the chat with a fond smile, Yeosang was resting his head on your shoulder reading the conversation. The both of you started back to Ink when you sent off the last message. You followed the same initial routine and took off toward the direction of your house. Yeosang was acting a lot like Hongjoong was the first time he rode the motorcycle. Every once in a while you would feel him move so he could let his head lean back and just take in the feeling of the wind on his skin. When you took some of the more sharp turns he leaned with you and laughed at the rush he would get as you sped back up. As you were trailing some of the more rural roads you took off and his responding laughter was music to your ears. As you got closer to the gate you reached into your pocket and pushed the button so you didn't have to completely break your speed. When you got up close to the house you realized that they had hidden their cars, they must have found the small offshoot of a road leading up to your house. You revved Ink’s engine as you pulled up to the house, hopefully alerting the boys in the basement that you had arrived. When you got close enough to the garage door you slowed and reached for the other remote stashed in the pocket of your jacket. 

As the door opened you scooted forward slowly so you could get Ink situated perfectly in the space behind Onyx. When you were satisfied with the way you parked you cut the engine. Yeosang got off first and offered you a hand to get off which you accepted. After getting the helmet off of him you did your glasses routine and held your helmet against your hip. 

“What did you think of the motorcycle ride sweets? Everything you could have imagined?” 

“Yes! It was so much fun, I loved being able to not have to worry about people seeing me and wondering what the hell I was on the back of a motorcycle. Riding like that is so freeing, I am so happy you trusted me enough to be able to do this with you.”

“Sangie, I would trust any one of you boys to do this with. Also, the perks of having a dark visor really come in handy when you are not wanting to be recognized. Maybe instead of face masks you could just wear biker helmets, lord knows I would absolutely love it.” You nudged his shoulder while he was smiling at you. Before long you had gotten yourselves settled and headed into the house. When you did, Yeosang gently placed your bag on the bench in the mudroom before taking off his shoes. You grabbed his hand and gently led him around to the basement. 

“I’m going to make you the best mudslide you have ever had and then we can do whatever you want okay?” He was grinning at you as you led him down the dark staircase. As soon as you stepped into the room the lights flicked on and all of the boys jumped out in their matching pjs screaming surprise. You were watching Yeosang’s face go from absolute horror to shock and finally to a heartwarming smile. Wooyoung was standing a little farther back and recording the entire thing while Seonghwa and Hongjoong were standing side by side holding hands. San and Jongho were the closest and absolutely beaming. Mingi and Yunho were situated by the snack bar and grinning like madmen. 

“Oh my god,” Yeosang muttered before turning to look at you. He was absolutely shining as he smiled fully at you. 

“Surprise sweets, I'm sorry for the secrets but we wanted to show you how appreciated you are and how much we love you. I figured this would be the perfect way.” before you could even finish your sentence you were pulled into a bone crushing hug. Shortly after you heard Wooyoung yell “group hug,” the rest of the boys approached you and encompassed you in one of the most comforting hugs you had been in. All of you just stood there for a minute basking in the moment. When they finally started to pull away you almost immediately separated from them and approached the table you saw the matching sleep sets on. You grabbed them and offered Yeosang his, he was looking between all of you and the outfit; like he couldn't believe someone would be doing this for him. 

“Go on, go get dressed so we can take cute matching photos!” You looked over your shoulder to Yunho who was smiling as wide as he could with his arm around Mingi. Turning back to Yeosang you caught the small amount of silver lining his eyes. Before any one of the others could notice it you gently took him by the hand and led him up the stairs to your room. When you got to your room you gently shut the door and enveloped him in a hug. He settled himself against you and let out a small sigh.

“Thank you, for everything, I really didn't expect this at all.” You almost didn't catch the small words that came out of Yeosang’s mouth. All you could do was hug him tighter as he burrowed into your neck. 

“Sangie, all of us pitched in to make this happen. We wanted to spoil you rotten. I’m sorry if it was a little overwhelming.”

“It’s perfect, I just wasn't expecting it, all of you make me feel so loved and I’m not quite sure what to do with myself.” 

“I completely understand that feeling, how about we take this one step at a time and learn together okay?”

“Okay, I still don't think I can say thank you enough.” 

“You don't have to thank me, but I will accept it. Just so you are aware, there are more surprises for you.”

“This is more than enough. Spending time with the people I love most in the world is enough for me.” 

“I know, but you should let us spoil you a bit so we can show you you mean the same to us.”

“Okay,” He released his hold on you and you wiped the small stray tears from under his eyes. You handed him the set of clothes before motioning to the bathroom. He took them with a watery smile and placed a kiss on your cheek before going to the bathroom to change. You made your way to the closet and did the same. When you stepped out of the closet you were met with a smiling Yeosang; much better from a few minutes before. You approached him and gave him a sweet kiss before taking his hand and intertwining your fingers to lead him back down to your basement. 

As soon as the two of you reappeared the boys started cheering and swarming Yeosang. You gave his hand a squeeze before moving so they could give him all of the love he deserved. Settling yourself against the bar you watched your boys. All of them had approached and gave him hugs and kisses. They all started chattering about their day and how hard it was to keep the secret from him. Wooyoung told him about you threatening them to go without kisses if they told him. He glanced at you with a smile and continued listening to Wooyoung spout his story of today.

If you could, you would just stand here and watch them all day, their happy chatter being one of your favorite sounds. You knew eventually that it would turn into absolute utter chaos but you were here for it. You caught your name and zoned back in to see a smiling Mingi in front of you. You returned his smile with a tilt of your head. 

“You did amazing with the planning of this muse, all of the decorations are perfectly Sangie.” 

You took a look around the room and finally got to take in how everything fell together. Above the bar was the shit tons of balloons. Sitting on top of the secondary alcohol cabinet was all of the sweets and goodies; most of which the other boys must have gone out to get to add. On the wall facing the archway of the dining room the Happy birthday streamers were perfectly centered. You were surprised that the giants hadn’t torn those things down yet. Finally hidden in the corner right next to the karaoke machine you could barely see the self care cart. 

“Honestly, it was all Hwa, Sannie, and Youngie, I just got the decorations, activities and some of the home made sweets.” 

“You still went through the process of planning everything. And you got all of us matching pjs, thank you for these by the way, they are super comfy.” 

“That was Aurora’s idea, she is the self care guru. Her and Meadow have weekly self care nights when Meadow isn’t out of town on business.”

“Stop making it seem like you didn’t do this. You put in a shit ton of effort and most likely money to make this happen. Just take the compliment.” You rolled your eyes with a smile at him. 

“Fine, thank you.” He smiled back at you and gave you a kiss on the forehead before wandering back over to the snacks. They must be getting hungry.

“Hey Woo,” All of their eyes fell to you from the large group they were still huddling in. “Did you get dinner all done and dusted?” 

His eyes widened and a huge smile almost split his face. He didn’t even give you confirmation he just shoved all of the boys out of the way and ran up the stairs. With a muttered curse you followed him up. As soon as you got up the stairs you saw him piling up several large plates and bowls to take down. 

“Woo, you are going to make this harder than it needs to be, let me help.” You stepped toward him and took the large platter of chicken. He watched as you went through the small archway and into the nook. Curiously he followed you to see what was going on. When you opened the dumbwaiter he let out a dramatic gasp. You turned to look at him over your shoulder with raised eyebrows. His jaw was slack and his eyes were nearly popping out of his head. 

“It's a dumbwaiter into the basement, I had it custom added so I could host people and not have to make a shit ton of trips up and down the stairs.” 

“You are a genius. I didn’t even know this was here, I just thought it was extra storage.” He stepped closer to investigate the space you were setting the chicken into. 

“So I have been told, I am going to head downstairs so I can grab things as you send them down. All you have to do is push this button and it will do all of the work for you. If you need some shelves there are some in the top of the pantry.” You pointed to each of the things you discussed and he nodded at you enthusiastically.

You made your way down the stairs and heard it moving through the walls. When you made it to the bottom of the stairs the other seven men were looking around confused as to where the sound was coming from. Making your way past them you went to the picture of you pouring a drink right next to the bar and pulled it open. All of them made noises of shock as you pulled out the chicken and pushed the button to send it back up for Wooyoung. Yeosang’s eyes widened as he took in the dish you were holding. Before he could approach San was already taking the tray from you and making his way into the dining room.  

After a couple minutes of rattling you heard it starting to make its descent. When it came into view several bowls and a couple of plates of sides were set onto the different shelves. You grabbed them but before you could move Yunho and Mingi took them from you. You gave them a smile and watched as they brought the plates and bowls over to the dining room table. You hadn’t even noticed the large bouquet you put together in the center of it all until just now. 

When everything was send own and neatly organized on the table, thanks to the several men that wouldn’t let you lift a finger, you sat and started eating. Despite being the oldest you let Yeosang take the first bite. Shortly after he did the rest of you started eating. Everyone was praising the food Wooyoung prepared and he waved them off. You sat and watched as they almost completely demolished the food in front of you. Hongjoong, who was sitting to your right, had fed you a couple of pieces of food while he was dishing them out to the other boys that were asking for seconds and thirds. Seonghwa ever the sweetheart had his hand on your thigh as you ate. Every once in a while he would squeeze your thigh in a silent thank you and an I’m here gesture. You knew that he knew you still were processing this entire thing, his hand was a comforting presence reminding you that this was real. 

Everyone finished their food and leaned back in their chairs rubbing their full stomachs. You snickered at Wooyoung’s complaint of a food baby. You grabbed Seonghwa’s hand and gave it a squeeze before getting up to go get the cart of self care goodies. When you walked into the room you gently took out the cart from the back corner and settled it in front of the entertainment center. It was then that you noticed that the boys had raided all of the closets and places in the house for every blanket and pillow you owned. There were at least fifteen blankets and the pillows scattered absolutely everywhere across the space. 

“Boys!” You heard the scraping of chairs and several groans of protest before they started appearing one by one into the area you occupied. As soon as Yeosang saw what you had next to you his eyes lit up. 

“Alright, I have a shit ton of products and facemasks for all of us to do with each other, that being said, I really have no idea what I am doing with this so someone else can take the lead.” The boys surrounding you snickered and Yeosang was the first to approach and choose out of the plethora of things you had before them. He grabbed two facemasks and a serum that interested him before grabbing your hand and bringing you over to the arm of the couch. Apparently he was going to be your babysitter tonight. 

He gently settled you on the couch and threw the large celestial patchwork blanket over you. It was the one your Granny customized with your name on it for your eighteenth birthday. As soon as he was content that you were thoroughly tucked in he set the products to the side and started moving around to gather more supplies. The rest of the boys had grabbed different facemasks and started putting them on. Some of them made jokes that they looked like ghosts while others giggled about how absurd some of the character ones were; specifically the bear one Jongho was about to put on. When Yeosang appeared back in front of you he had cotton pads and a couple of other things. 

He quietly asked if he could take care of you, to which you nodded. What he did next thoroughly surprised you and most of the other men in the room as well. He gently crawled into your lap, his legs were on either side of yours as he was straddling you. The heat from your entire body went immediately to your face as he settled. You were trying so hard to repress your shocked facial expression, your lips were in a tight line and your eyes wide while you watched him. He gently took your glasses off and set them off to the side. The only thing you could see at this point was his blurry form. He gently started wiping down your face with a dampened cotton pad, the chill from it made you shiver slightly. 

Everything surrounding you faded as you attempted to focus on Yeosang’s face. It was like the world disappeared and he was now the center of your universe. He was being so incredibly gentle as he cleaned your face of any makeup. You closed your eyes as he was getting closer to them, you trusted all of the boys surrounding you wholeheartedly. Something that you could never say for the people of your past, to be able to allow yourself to do something like this in the first place was a feat in itself. You could feel the tension leaving your body as you relaxed into his gentle ministrations. You were almost quite literally melting into the couch cushions. There was a dip in the couch next to you and you felt someone gently take your hand. From the feeling of the rings you could deduce it was either Hongjoong or Mingi. Judging by the size of the hand as it held yours it was Hongjoong; Mingi’s hands generally absolutely dwarfed yours. He gave you a light squeeze and started messing with your rings, you felt as he gently slid your thumb ring off; presumably to either show the boys or to mess with it himself. 

“Okay Kkulbeol (Honeybee), I got everything off and I am going to start putting on some of the other things you got, are you okay with that.” You slowly nodded, keeping your eyes closed, afraid that if you opened them you would be a blushing mess. You heard the pop of one of the lids of something in front of you, which prompted a small jump. Yeosang soothed you and then gave you a small warning that he was going to touch your face now. As soon as he did you could feel him working the product into your face before he lightly started tapping your cheeks to get the product worked into your pores. When you peeked your eyes open you saw his concentrated face and you couldn’t help but to let out a giggle because his tongue was sticking out of the corner of his mouth.

His eyes shot to yours and he stopped all of his movements momentarily before he gently squeezed your cheeks together with one hand and gave you a quick peck to the lips. There was a cool sensation on your cheek and you glanced down to see that he still had your moon phase anxiety ring on his pinky. You let out a small snort at the fact and because he kept squishing your cheeks. Movement out of the corner of your eye caught your attention when you saw Wooyoung sneakily take a picture of the two of you. You rolled your eyes and looked back at Yeosang who seemed to have let his cuteness aggression take over. He gave you another squeeze and peck to your lips before continuing what he was previously doing. 

Shortly after he was satisfied that your face had absorbed the products well enough he grabbed a rose hip oil face mask and gently applied it to your face. The facemask was cool against your skin as he applied it and gently pushed it into the space around your nose. When he was finished he sat back and smiled at you, you were sure you looked absolutely ridiculous; just like the rest of the boys with theirs on. 

“Sangie, aren’t you going to do some?” You slowly turned to look at Wooyoung who was grinning at the two of you. He had one of the charcoal masks on and was trying not to move his face too much so it wouldn’t crack. 

“Yeah, I just wanted to take care of our treasure first.” Jongho was the one who made his way over to the two of you and helped Yeosang off your lap. The warmth he was emitting suddenly left you and you pulled up the blanket to cover yourself up to your neck. When Hongjoong noticed he lifted the blanket and got under it with you cuddling up to your side. You smiled gratefully at him and threw your arm around his shoulders. Being perpetually cold was never fun, but having eight boyfriends that were willing to warm you up was what made it bearable. 

Jongho and Yeosang both debated on the face masks that he would do. In the end Jongho had convinced him to do one of the character ones, specifically one that looked like a puppy. As soon as the two of them had situated themselves after getting Yeosang taken care of, they made their way over to the couch. Just as they sat down you decided to get up to turn off the lights and grab the remote so you could watch something. As soon as you had all of the lights from the basement off the boys noticed your star ceiling. Most of them were staring up at it in awe, Seonghwa was just watching you as you walked back to the couch. He had taken your spot on the corner of the couch and as soon as you approached he held the blanket up for you to curl up under. When you got situated you started scrolling through the movies, you passed your large selection of disney movies, pixar movies, and some of the Barbie movies. Most of the boys weren’t completely paying attention so you just picked one of your favorites, Anastasia. As the movie started it caught the attention of the boys, all of them put their phones away and started watching the movie. As soon as it started getting to the songs you were singing softly. All of the boys were watching with fascination at the animated film, it seemed like San had seen it before but you couldn't be quite sure. 

About thirty minutes into the movie Yeosang got up and took off your facemask. You smiled up at him and some of the other boys took that as their cue to get theirs off as well. They did so without looking away from the screen. There were several comments that carried on throughout the show. 

“Look at the puppy!!” Yeosang was the first to comment on the movie, leave it to him to absolutely love Pooka.

“Really, bugs, He had to get bugs to sing with him?” You laughed at Jongho’s comment of disgust. Most of the other boys murmured their agreement as they continued watching. 

“Dimitri is such a dumbass.” It was Yunho this time that made the off handed comment. Mingi agreed with him and cuddled farther under the blanket with him. 

“That dress is absolutely stunning!” Seonghwa was absolutely fawning over the navy blue dress from over your shoulder. You tilted your head back to look at him with a smile.

“I actually dreamed of having a dress like that when I was little, honestly I still would love to at least look at one similar in this lifetime.” You watched in silence as Anistasia was telling Dimitri how it was, and when she slapped him all of the boys collectively gasped in shock. You snickered as they all started to speak in hushed tones about the slap. 

“Oh, our treasure, we should get you a crown like that! What do you think? We could spoil you like the princess you are.” You turned to look at Hongjoong who was grinning up at you. 

“You already spoil me as it is, I don't need a crown songbird. Also, Mingles is the real princess here, I never could take that title from him.” Hongjoong burst into laughter and Mingi smirked at you. 

“True love always prevails, I am glad that he finally came to his senses. Who wouldn't love a beautiful woman like that? A princess no less.” All of you looked over to Wooyoung. San gave him a small slap on the shoulder and all of you burst into giggles. 

“Yah, What? Her attitude reminds me of Y/n-nie, strong, independent, sarcastic, not afraid to tell people how it is and even slap a bitch when needed.” 

“Nice save Woo, way to be a kissass.” You snickered at San who was still lightly scolding Wooyoung. 

This time you let the other boys pick out a movie, to your absolute horror they picked Frozen. You were definitely in for a long night. During Let it Go San and Wooyoung had gotten up and serenaded the rest of you obnoxiously. You were laughing the entire time while a couple of the other boys were peeking through their fingers with second hand embarrassment and amusement. Throughout the movie all of them were singing dramatically and eventually when the temptation was too much to resist, you sang as well.

“I prefer the second one to this one, this one is kinda depressing.” All of their heads whipped to look at you like you personally insulted their mothers. 

“What? I am entitled to my opinion.” You huffed and crossed your arms. Seonghwa just chuckled airily behind you and wrapped his arms tighter against you. As the end credits were rolling you looked at your watch and realized that it was nearly midnight. Stretching yourself out from Seonghwa, and Hongjoong who had cuddled up to you in the middle of the movie, you gently got up. Taking special care to make sure not to disturb the two men too much. You muttered something about needing to go to the bathroom before heading up the stairs. When you made it up the stairs you made your way to the fridge to grab Yeosang’s cake. It took you a minute to find the lighter in your miscellaneous junk drawer. After you finally found it you placed the tall candles into the cake. It turned out perfect, the black icing was smooth and the cute red hearts just made it even better to show your love for Yeosang. You kept an eye on the time and as soon as the clock hit 11:59 you lit the candles and started to make your way down the stairs. When you rounded the corner into the main portion of the basement you started singing happy birthday. The other boys joined in and Yeosang had the bottom of his mouth covered, the smile on his face was easy to see even though most of it was covered. 

You finished the song just as you got to him, you knelt in front of him and offered him the cake. He blew out the candles with a little help from Wooyoung, which earned him a glare from you. All of you celebrated and you rose to take the cake over to the bar to cut it with one of the knives stashed behind the bar. You cut it and gave the first slice to Yeosang, the remainder of the boys had grabbed slices as you cut them. The chocolate cake tasted absolutely delicious, Yeosang had some of it smeared on his mouth and you watched as Jongho leaned in to clean it with the pad of his thumb. After he had gotten it off he placed a quick peck to Yeosang’s lips, which made you smile; Jongho’s simple affection was sweet to watch. 

“Y/n-nie, who made this? It is so good!” 

“His name is Felix, he is a good friend of mine. I'll tell you all about him another time, right now it is my turn to pick a movie.” You excitedly made your way back over to the couch to see Mocha and Beans curled up where you and Seonghwa just were. 

“Either you both like the smell of butts or you are just a glutton for a warm spot,” you muttered while grabbing the remote from between them. Yunho and Mingi who were sitting on the couch peacefully eating their cake sputtered at your comment. Some of the cake had made its way onto the floor in front of the two of them who were almost choking on their laughter, and the food in their mouths. You tilted your head at them with a raise of your eyebrows, “What?” 

Yunho was the one who recovered first “what did you just say?” 

“I didn't say anything,” the small smile on your face was the giveaway, you were about to pull some stupid shit.

“Why is there cake on the carpet?” Seonghwa’s voice floated over your shoulder to the two that were red in the face. 

“Y/n-nie said something weird and we may have spit it out laughing.” Mingi had finally recovered and stood up to go get a napkin to clean up the small mess they made. 

“I didn't even say anything. I have no idea what you are talking about. I think the two of you are just messy eaters.” You glanced at Seonghwa who was looking at you curiously. 

“Don't believe her, she said something about Mocha and Beans liking the smell of butts.” Yunho was standing up at this point, his form towered over you slightly. He was standing there daring you to deny it again. 

With a smirk up at him you turned back to Seonghwa with the most innocent looks you could muster. “I would never.” 

Before any of you could react Yunho had taken some of the cake that was still on your plate and smushed it against your face. You slowly looked over at him, your jaw hanging open in a half smile, you ran your tongue over your teeth before tilting your head at him. You took your thumb and wiped off some of the cake before popping it into your mouth. He was smiling at you before he realized the almost murderous look in your eyes. You handed Seonghwa your plate and took the rest of his cake and smashed it in his face. He laughed at you as he reopened his eyes. 

“I step away for two minutes and the two of you somehow now have cake on your face, what happened?” Hongjoong was approaching the three of you with a fatherly look of something akin to disappointment, but not really disappointment more like amusement. You and Yunho both pointed at each other before claiming the other one started it. He shook his head at you before turning to Seonghwa who was smiling at the two of you like he couldn't believe you. 

“Joongie, I didn't do anything and he smashed the cake in my face.” Yunho made a strange noise, something between a gasp and a protest. Hongjoong looked over to him with a raised eyebrow. While he was momentarily distracted you quickly stuck your tongue out at him. He looked between you and Hongjoong quickly before sputtering about how you were gaslighting all of them. 

With a mocking gasp and a hand against your heart you proclaimed “I would never.” 

Yunho’s eyes went wide before he scooped you into his arms and threw you on the couch. You almost landed on the girls who had started this whole mess. He sat on your stomach and started tickling you. Your eyes widened and you started thrashing around trying to get out of his hold, your laughter was contagious to the other boys. 

“Admit what you said and I'll stop.” He was grinning at you while viciously attacking your sides. You could barely keep your laughter from going silent while you laughed. 

“I didn't say anything, I dunno what you are talking about” Your huffed words came out between laughter. He continued tickling you and you had half a mind to kick him off the couch. 

“Say what you said!” The rest of the boys had gathered to witness the chaos you had started. All of them were giggling or just smiling while watching you and Yunho struggle. It was getting to where you couldn't breathe properly. 

“Fine, fine I said it,” his fingers immediately stopped dancing across your sides. You finally could take a full breath of air in. 

“That wasn't so hard was it now princess?” He got close to your face and just before he could do whatever it was he was going to do you shoved him off of you and by extension off the couch. You peeked over the couch at him and he was smiling up at you. 

“Alright you two children, let's get back to the movie, Y/n-nie what are we watching?” You took the hand Seonghwa offered to you and let him help you up. As soon as you were standing he gently handed you your cake back and started wiping the remnants of cake off your face. Once a mother, always a mother. 

“I wanna watch How to Train Your Dragon.” His smile widened exponentially as you mentioned the movie both of you love. 

“Then How to Train Your Dragon it is, little bear can you please turn on the movie.” Jongho moved with quick efficiency to grab the remote from the spot it fell to on the floor. As he was getting it set up Seonghwa gently guided you to the couch and curled up against the corner so you could sit between his legs and lean against his chest like you had been earlier. This time instead of Hongjoong cuddling up to you it was Mingi. You let him adjust as he needed, he ended up on his stomach with his head directly over your heart and arms wrapped around you. You gently ran your fingers through his hair which made him melt against you. Before too long you had slowed once you realized he was out like a light. Not too shortly after, with the music you used to fall asleep to flowing through the speakers, you fell asleep with your head under Seonghwa’s chin. 

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Next Chapter (Chapter 21 Coming Soon)

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Thanks for reading! <3 Moonie

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@breadedloafs @a-short-ass-disappointment @ateezswonderland @staytinyluv @cherryangel-coke @11glitch11 @neivivenaj @herpoetryprincess @premverse @starryjoong-jeongcheollie @sol3chu @diouysns @beccaskz @bands-r-my-heros @whatdoyouwanttocallmefor @vtyb23 @juicyjaxxy @latisthegenderfluidwannabealone

[breadedloafs]

ooooh i hope more people come to know this amazing story! absolutely deserve more recognition💚

Beyond the Lens on AO3!

🎥 Series Masterlist 🎥

Hi Moonpies!! I have decided to add Beyond the Lens to AO3! That being said this is going to be my first work on there so please give me some grace as I work out the way things go. Currently I have uploaded the first five chapters including the prologue.

I just want to say I truly appreciate every one of you that has followed me through this journey. This work has gotten me through some of the hardest parts of my life; just like Ateez has. I really look forward to continuing this story and expanding my horizons in the world of writing.

Likes, comments, and reblogs are greatly appreciated!

Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!

Thank you for everything Moonpies, truly.

<3 Moonie

Taglist:

@breadedloafs @a-short-ass-disappointment @ateezswonderland @staytinyluv @cherryangel-coke @11glitch11 @neivivenaj @herpoetryprincess @premverse @starryjoong-jeongcheollie @sol3chu @diouysns @beccaskz @bands-r-my-heros @whatdoyouwanttocallmefor @vtyb23 @juicyjaxxy @latisthegenderfluidwannabealone

[breadedloafs]

ahh wooyoung is as dramatic as usual

Pairing: Hongjoong x reader, Seonghwa x reader, Yunho x reader, Mingi x reader, Wooyoung x reader.

Summary: Five eight-year-old boys aboard the slave ship Crimson Serpent form an unbreakable bond with five-year-old y/n. before she's sold at auction. Despite their failed rescue attempt, they swear a blood oath on her teddy bear to find her.Fifteen years later, now feared pirates leading the ATEEZ

Warnings: Slavery/Human Trafficking, Separation/Loss, Violence, Eventual Smut. SA(not by any main characters) mxm

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Masterlist

Chapter 16

Recovery

Morning sunlight streamed through the large windows of Yeosang's medical suite, casting a warm glow across the polished wooden floors and pristine white linens. Unlike the cramped medical bay aboard the ATEEZ, this space had been designed with both functionality and comfort in mind—high ceilings, ample natural light, and enough room for proper equipment without feeling clinical or sterile.

Y/n paused at the doorway, taking in the scene before her. Mingi was propped up against several pillows on a bed that actually accommodated his tall frame, unlike the narrow treatment table on the ship. His eyes were closed, but his breathing indicated he was merely resting rather than sleeping.

The change in him after just one night in proper accommodations was remarkable. Color had returned to his face, and though bandages still wrapped his torso, the tension of constant pain had eased from his features. Even in repose, he looked more like himself—the quiet strength that defined him evident in his relaxed posture.

"Are you going to stand there all day, or come in?" Mingi asked without opening his eyes, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Y/n smiled, not surprised he'd sensed her presence. "I was wondering if you were asleep."

"Just enjoying the quiet," he replied, opening his eyes to look at her. His gaze was clearer than it had been since the injury, alert and present in a way that relieved her more than she'd expected. "Yeosang doesn't hover as much here. Too many rooms to organize."

She approached the bed, noting the various wooden carvings that had already found their way to his bedside table—likely brought from his workshop by Yunho or one of the others. "You look better."

"Feel better," Mingi agreed with his characteristic economy of words. His eyes followed her as she settled into the chair beside his bed. "You got my ship?"

Y/n reached into her pocket and withdrew the small wooden ATEEZ Yunho had delivered to her the previous day. "It's beautiful. Thank you."

Mingi nodded, satisfaction evident in his expression. "Wanted you to have something. To mark the journey."

"Yunho told me you made it while you were still in the ship's medical bay," she said, running her thumb over the intricate detailing of the tiny vessel. "You shouldn't have been working while injured."

"Needed to." The simple statement contained volumes, his eyes holding hers with quiet intensity.

"I know," Y/n acknowledged, understanding the deeper meaning behind his words. Like Seonghwa with his precise arrangements and Wooyoung with his exuberant cooking, Mingi communicated most authentically through his craft. The wooden ship was more than just a gift—it was a statement, a welcome, a physical manifestation of his feelings that went beyond what words could express.

"Your room," Mingi said after a moment. "Does it suit you?"

The question sounded casual, but Y/n recognized the vulnerability beneath it. Of all the areas in their home, her room had been the one where Mingi's influence was most evident—from the carved animals on every surface to the intricate woodwork on the bed frame and furniture.

"It's perfect," she assured him, reaching out to take his hand. "I've never had a space like that before. Something created just for me, with such thought and care."

"Good," he said, satisfaction evident in his tone. His fingers curled around hers, warm and slightly calloused from years of working with wood and metal. "We built it for you. From the first stone."

The simple statement brought a lump to her throat. "Yunho told me. Five years ago."

Mingi nodded. "Fifteen years searching. Needed somewhere for you to come home to. Even if we never found you."

"But you did find me," she said softly.

"You found us," he corrected, a hint of humor lighting his usually solemn eyes. "At an auction. Very efficient."

Y/n laughed, the sound echoing pleasantly in the sun-filled room. "I suppose I did. After you all spent fifteen years searching, I just walked right into your path."

"Worth every minute," Mingi said, his voice dropping lower as his eyes held hers. The simple statement contained no flourish, no theatrical presentation like Wooyoung might have delivered, no careful phrasing like Seonghwa would have chosen. Just pure, unvarnished truth.

Y/n felt her heart beat faster at the intensity in his gaze. Unlike their interrupted encounter in the medical bay, there was no urgency here—just quiet certainty and a depth of feeling that transcended their fifteen-year separation.

"How's your injury?" she asked, partly to focus on something tangible amid the emotional current flowing between them.

"Healing," Mingi replied, shifting slightly to a more comfortable position. "Slower than I want. Faster than Yeosang expected."

"He mentioned the facilities here would help," Y/n remarked, glancing around at the well-equipped room.

"Better than swaying on a ship," Mingi agreed. "And I can work from here soon. My workshop is close."

The mention of his workshop sparked her curiosity. "Is that part of the house?"

A small smile touched his lips—a rare expression that transformed his solemn features. "No. Better. Come see when I'm stronger. Built it myself. Into the cliff."

"Into the cliff?" Y/n repeated, intrigued by both the concept and the enthusiasm in his usually measured voice.

"Natural cave," Mingi explained. "Expanded it. Perfect workshop. Water access below for testing mechanisms. Privacy for experimental designs."

The description painted a vivid picture—a space carved from living rock, a sanctuary where Mingi could create without constraints or interruptions. A place as unique as the man himself.

"I look forward to seeing it," she said sincerely.

They fell into comfortable silence, the kind that had always existed between them even aboard The Crimson Serpent. Unlike the others, Mingi simply accepted stillness as its own form of communication. It was one of the things that had drawn Y/n to him as a child—his willingness to just be present without demanding speech or performance.

Mingi's thumb traced idle patterns on the back of her hand, his gaze thoughtful as he studied her. "You and Seonghwa," he said finally, no judgment in his tone. "Wooyoung mentioned."

"Yes," Y/n confirmed, not surprised by the directness of his observation. "Does that bother you?"

He considered this for a moment, his expression contemplative rather than troubled. "No," he decided. "Different connections. All important."

The simple assessment cut through what might have been a complex emotional tangle for others. Unlike conventional expectations where such relationships would be seen as competitive or exclusive, Mingi approached the situation with the same straightforward clarity he applied to his mechanical designs—seeing patterns and connections where others might see conflict or contradiction.

"You and Yunho too?" he asked, again without accusation or jealousy.

Y/n felt her cheeks warm slightly, but she met his gaze directly. "Yes, though not in the same way. We... talked. And other things."

Mingi nodded, acceptance rather than resignation in the gesture. "Makes sense. You're the center."

"The center?" she repeated, not quite understanding.

"Of the compass," he explained, making a five-pointed star gesture with his free hand. "Balance."

The imagery struck her forcefully—the same compass design that had become their symbol, the five points representing the five officers arranged protectively around a central point. Mingi saw their current situation not as a romantic complication but as the natural fulfillment of a pattern established fifteen years earlier.

"Is that how you all see it?" she asked, genuinely curious if this perspective was shared among them.

"Don't know," Mingi admitted. "Don't discuss feelings much. But makes sense to me. How we've always been arranged."

His honesty touched her deeply. There was no manipulation in his assessment, no attempt to claim exclusive connection or establish hierarchical importance. Just a recognition of pattern that felt inherently right to him.

"And if I wanted to be with just one of you?" she asked, not because she did, but because she needed to understand the boundaries of his acceptance.

Mingi's dark eyes studied her face for a moment before he answered. "Your choice. Always. Freedom means deciding. Even if it hurts others."

The unconditional nature of his response created unexpected emotion in her chest. After fifteen years where choice had been systematically denied, this simple acknowledgment of her right to decide—even if her decision might cause pain—represented a form of respect deeper than mere desire or affection.

"And if I want to be with all of you, in different ways?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.

"Then we're fortunate," Mingi replied, his own voice dropping to match hers. "And the compass is complete."

He tugged gently on her hand, drawing her closer to the edge of the bed. Unlike their passionate encounter in the medical bay, this gesture held no urgency—just simple invitation, leaving the choice entirely to her.

Y/n moved from the chair to perch on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb his injured side. This close, she could see the flecks of amber in his dark eyes, the tiny scar above his left eyebrow that had been there even as a child, the subtle lines at the corners of his eyes that spoke of years spent in sun and wind aboard ship.

"I missed you," she whispered, the words containing years of separation. Y/n leaned forward, her lips meeting his in a kiss that held none of the desperate urgency of their interrupted encounter aboard the ATEEZ, but something deeper—recognition, connection, homecoming.

Mingi's hand moved to cradle the back of her neck, his touch gentle despite the strength in his fingers. Mingi kissed her with quiet intensity—present and focused in a way that echoed his approach to everything that mattered to him.

When they finally separated, Y/n remained close, her forehead resting against his. "I should let you rest," she said, though reluctance was evident in her tone.

"Stay," Mingi requested, the single word containing more than mere invitation. "Just talk. Want to hear about you. Years to catch up on."

The request touched her deeply. Unlike potential expectation that might have demanded more physical connection despite his injury, Mingi sought the equally intimate exchange of stories and experiences—connection beyond mere physical presence.

"Where would you like me to start?" she asked, settling more comfortably beside him.

"The beginning," he replied simply. "After the auction."

And so, in the warm morning light of a room designed for healing, Y/n began to share the story she had kept tightly guarded for fifteen years. Not all at once—some chapters would require more time, more trust, more healing before she could speak them aloud. But it was a start—opening doors that captivity had kept firmly locked.

As she spoke, Mingi listened with the same focused attention he gave to everything that mattered to him—present, observant, absorbing each word without judgment or interruption. His hand remained clasped with hers, a physical anchor in the sometimes turbulent waters of memory.

Outside the windows, sunlight danced across the sheltered cove where the ATEEZ rested at anchor. Birds called from the gardens, and distant sounds of activity drifted from other parts of the house—Wooyoung's theatrical exclamations from the kitchen, the rhythmic sound of Seonghwa directing the unloading of supplies, San and Jongho's voices raised in friendly argument about the best way to repair the garden wall.

Life continuing, ordinary and extraordinary all at once, as healing began for both body and spirit in this place that had been created for exactly this purpose—a home where the lost could be found, where the wounded could heal, where the scattered could reunite despite cosmic forces aligned against such possibility.

For Y/n and Mingi, recovery had many meanings beyond the physical mending of injured flesh. And in this sunlit room, the process had truly begun.

"Blackwell kept me for seven years after the auction," Y/n continued, her voice steady despite the weight of the memories. "I was too young to be useful in the way he usually... employed girls. So he decided to train me for domestic service for the time being."

Mingi's hand tightened slightly around hers, a silent acknowledgment of what remained unspoken in that simple statement.

"That's where I met Yeosang," she said, a small smile touching her lips at the memory of her childhood friend. "He was apprenticed to Blackwell's physician. Eight years old and already learning to stitch wounds and set bones."

"You were friends," Mingi observed, not a question but a recognition of a connection he'd noticed aboard the ATEEZ.

"Yes, though we had to be careful about it," Y/n explained. "Blackwell deliberately kept his household isolated from each other. Connection meant resistance, and he couldn't have that."

"But you found ways," Mingi said, understanding flowing beneath the simple statement.

Y/n nodded.

Mingi's expression remained calm, but Y/n could see something shift in his eyes—a deep understanding of what she wasn't explicitly saying. Unlike others who might have pressed for details, Mingi seemed to sense what lay beneath her careful words without requiring her to expose every painful memory.

"The worst part wasn't the work," she continued, needing to explain what had truly damaged her during those years. "It was the constant reinforcement that I was property. Not a person with thoughts or feelings, just an object to be used until I broke or became inconvenient."

"You never broke," Mingi stated with absolute certainty.

"I came close," she admitted, vulnerability flowing without calculation. "Especially after Blackwell sold Yeosang when we were fifteen. He discovered our friendship and decided it was too dangerous to keep us together."

"Seven years you were together," Mingi calculated quickly. "Then separated."

"Yes," Y/n confirmed. "Neither of us knew what happened to the other after that. I was eventually sold to one of his associates and Yeosang..." She hesitated, not wanting to tell Yeosang's story for him. "Well, he had his own journey before joining the ATEEZ."

"He never mentioned knowing you," Mingi said thoughtfully. "Even after two years with us."

"We both learned to keep our histories private," Y/n explained. "Sharing your past makes you vulnerable. And neither of us knew you were looking for me specifically."

Mingi nodded, understanding flowing beneath the simple gesture. "Must have been shock. Recognizing each other aboard the ATEEZ."

"It was," she agreed with a soft laugh. "Though Yeosang hid it better than I did. He always had more control."

"When did you tell each other?" Mingi asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.

"When Yunho took me to the medical bay for the first time. We recognized each other immediately, but kept it hidden until we could speak privately." She admitted. 

"Explains some things," Mingi mused. "His extra attention to you. Different from how he treats other rescues."

"We protected each other for seven years," Y/n said simply. "That kind of bond doesn't disappear, even with years of separation."

"Like us," Mingi observed, his dark eyes finding hers. "Different people now. But connection remains."

The parallel struck her forcefully. Despite the different circumstances of their separations, both relationships had survived against impossible odds—bonds formed in childhood proving strong enough to withstand time and distance.

"Yes," she agreed softly. "Like us."

A comfortable silence settled between them, filled with the gentle sounds of morning and the distant activity of the household. Mingi's thumb traced idle patterns on the back of her hand, his expression contemplative as he processed everything she'd shared.

"Not saying everything," he observed after a while, his tone free of accusation or pressure. "Some wounds still private. Understand."

His perception—that he recognized she was holding parts of her story back without demanding she expose them—created a surge of gratitude in her chest. Unlike an approach that might have pressed for complete disclosure or offered false reassurance, Mingi simply acknowledged what he saw without judgment or expectation.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "For understanding that some stories take time to tell."

Mingi nodded, his dark eyes holding hers with quiet intensity. "When ready. If ever. Your choice."

The simple acknowledgment of her freedom, touched Y/n deeply. After being denied any choices, this recognition of her right to decide what she shared and when represented connection and respect. 

"Build something for you," he said after a moment, his tone shifting to something lighter. "When I can work again. Something special. For your room."

"You've already made me so many beautiful things," Y/n protested gently, gesturing to the wooden ship in her hand and thinking of the countless carved animals that decorated her new bedroom.

"Different," Mingi insisted. "Something new. To mark new beginning."

His determination brought a smile to her face. "What did you have in mind?"

A rare, full smile transformed his usually solemn features. "Surprise," he declared, an uncharacteristic playfulness in his eyes. "Need to design first. Test ideas."

"Now I'm intrigued," Y/n admitted, charmed by his enthusiasm.

"Good," Mingi replied with obvious satisfaction. "Like when you watched me carve as children. Same curiosity. Same eyes."

The observation—that he recognized something of the child she had been in the woman before him—created a warmth that spread throughout her chest. Unlike potential focus solely on how she had changed, Mingi saw continuity beneath transformation—essential aspects that had survived despite fifteen years of systematic attempts at erasure.

Before she could respond, the medical suite door opened to admit Yeosang, carrying a tray of supplies for changing Mingi's bandages.

"I see my patient is awake and talking," he observed with professional satisfaction. "A significant improvement from yesterday."

"Good company helps," Mingi replied, his gaze remaining on Y/n.

"I can imagine," Yeosang said, his typically composed expression softening as he looked between them. His eyes met Y/n’s with the silent understanding that had characterized their connection since childhood—recognition flowing without requiring words.

"Did he behave himself?" Yeosang asked her, a hint of warmth breaking through his professional demeanor.

"Perfectly," Y/n assured him with a smile. "Though he's making mysterious promises about building me something once he's recovered."

"As long as 'building' doesn't involve getting out of bed before I approve it," Yeosang replied, giving Mingi a pointed look that held equal parts warning and affection.

"Reasonable condition," Mingi conceded with the barest hint of a smile.

Yeosang set his tray on the bedside table, their familiar interaction speaking of the bond they'd formed over the two years Yeosang had served aboard the ATEEZ. Despite their different temperaments—Yeosang's precise formality and Mingi's quiet intensity—there was genuine respect flowing between them.

"I need to change his dressings," Yeosang explained to Y/n, his voice gentler than his typical professional tone. "You're welcome to stay if you'd like, but it might be more comfortable for everyone if you return later."

Where others might have simply ordered her out or made her feel unwelcome, Yeosang created space for her choice while acknowledging practical reality.

"I should let you work," she agreed, rising from her seat. "And I promised Wooyoung I'd visit him in the kitchen once I'd checked on you."

When she leaned down to place a gentle kiss on Mingi's forehead, Yeosang turned away slightly, busying himself with arranging his supplies—a small gesture that offered them privacy without making an obvious show of it. The subtle consideration brought a smile to her lips.

"Come back later?" Mingi asked, his dark eyes holding hers.

"Of course," she promised, giving his hand one final squeeze before releasing it.

As she reached the door, she paused to look back. Yeosang had moved to Mingi's side, his hands already unwrapping the old bandages with practiced efficiency. Despite his professional focus, he glanced up and caught her watching, a small smile softening his features.

"He'll be here when you return," Yeosang assured her, understanding without being told what she needed to hear. "And in slightly better condition, if I have anything to say about it."

"I'm counting on it, Angel," she replied, using the childhood nickname that had once been their secret in Blackwell's household.

Something flashed in Yeosang's eyes—recognition, warmth, shared memory—before he dipped his head in acknowledgment. "I've never let you down before, have I?"

"Not once," she confirmed, the simple truth encompassing seven years of childhood protection and their recent reunion aboard the ATEEZ.

With a final nod that contained promise rather than merely acknowledgment, Y/n slipped through the door, leaving Mingi to Yeosang's capable care.

One conversation, one connection, one day at a time.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Y/n followed the sound of clattering pots and theatrical exclamations to the kitchen. Unlike the cramped galley aboard the ATEEZ, this space was expansive and sun-filled, with large windows overlooking the gardens and multiple workstations designed to accommodate several people cooking at once. Copper pots hung from a rack overhead, and open shelves displayed an impressive collection of herbs and spices arranged in rainbow order rather than alphabetically—Wooyoung's doing, no doubt.

The cook himself stood at the center island, dramatically waving a whisk in one hand while tasting something from a wooden spoon with his other. Three different pots simmered on the massive stove behind him, and the air was filled with the mingled aromas of cinnamon, cardamom, and something citrusy Y/n couldn't immediately identify.

"This," Wooyoung declared to no one in particular, "is an absolute TRAVESTY! How can I be expected to create culinary masterpieces without proper saffron? That shipment from the eastern markets was clearly mislabeled!"

He hadn't noticed her arrival, too caught up in his passionate soliloquy to the spices. Y/n leaned against the doorframe, enjoying the opportunity to watch him unobserved. There was something endearingly authentic about Wooyoung's theatrical nature—unlike the calculated performances she'd witnessed during her years in captivity, his expressiveness flowed naturally, without manipulation or hidden agenda.

"Cinnamon, my faithful friend," he continued, addressing a jar of spice with earnest intensity, "you must bear more of the aromatic burden today. Can I count on you to rise to this momentous occasion?"

Y/n couldn't contain her laughter any longer. "Does the cinnamon usually answer back?" she asked, pushing away from the doorframe and entering the kitchen.

Wooyoung whirled around, surprise quickly giving way to delight. "Little bird! My savior! My muse! The only person in this house who truly appreciates the ARTISTRY required in my domain!" He swept into an elaborate bow, narrowly avoiding knocking over a bowl of what appeared to be cake batter. "And yes, the cinnamon frequently consults on important culinary decisions. Unlike SOME people, it never suggests I'm using too much spice."

"High praise from a jar of bark," Y/n observed, walking closer to inspect the bubbling pots. "What are you making that requires such intense negotiations with your spice collection?"

"Only the most magnificent welcome feast in the history of piracy!" Wooyoung declared, spinning back to his workstation with fluid grace. "Fifteen years of missed celebrations, condensed into one glorious evening of culinary ecstasy!”

His enthusiasm was contagious, bringing a smile to Y/n’s face. "You've been planning a meal for me?"

"Meals are memories made manifest," Wooyoung said, his theatrical delivery not diminishing the genuine sentiment behind his words. "Each dish tells a story—where we've been, what we've seen, how far we've come. And YOUR story, my dear, deserves nothing less than my absolute best."

He handed her a spoon dipped in something golden and fragrant. "Taste. It's honey from the islands where we first started tracking rumors of a girl sold at auction in Halazia."

Y/n accepted the spoon, the sweet flavor blooming on her tongue with unexpected complexity. "It's wonderful," she said, genuine appreciation in her voice. "I've never tasted honey like this."

"The bees feed on flowers that only grow on volcanic soil," Wooyoung explained, a rare moment of straightforward information without theatrical embellishment. Then, just as quickly, his dramatic persona returned. "Now! Since you've graciously offered your assistance, I shall put you to work! These spices need grinding, and I trust no one else with proper measurement."

"I don't recall actually offering—" Y/n began, amusement warming her voice.

"Details, details!" Wooyoung waved dismissively. "You're here, I'm here, CLEARLY the universe has aligned to place you at my culinary disposal!"

As he arranged various spices and a mortar and pestle before her, Y/n noticed something she might have missed in the past—beneath his exuberant exterior, Wooyoung was watching her carefully, gauging her reactions, adjusting his energy to match her comfort level. Unlike the overbearing personalities she'd encountered during captivity, his theatrical nature contained genuine awareness of others—performance with perception rather than merely seeking attention.

They worked side by side for several comfortable minutes, Wooyoung chattering about his garden and the new varieties of herbs he'd planted during their absence, Y/n grinding spices with the careful precision that years of domestic service had ingrained in her. The familiar motions were oddly comforting—similar actions but in an entirely different context, freely chosen rather than compelled.

"You're good at that," Wooyoung observed, momentarily setting aside his dramatic persona as he watched her hands work the pestle. "Your wrist motion is perfect."

"Years of practice," Y/n replied without elaboration. She didn't need to explain; they both understood what those years had entailed.

Wooyoung's expression softened, his usual animation giving way to something more genuine. "I used to imagine finding you in kitchens wherever we went," he admitted. "I'd walk into taverns and merchant houses when we were gathering intelligence, and my eyes would always go to the kitchen staff first. Looking for a girl, then a young woman, with your particular way of moving."

The simple confession—delivered without his usual theatrics—touched something deep within Y/n. Unlike elaborate declarations, this quiet admission revealed the reality of their fifteen-year search—the constant looking, the persistent hope despite repeated disappointment.

"Did you ever come close?" she asked.

"Once," he said, stirring one of his pots with uncharacteristic stillness. "Four years ago, in a northern port. There was a girl with your coloring working in a merchant's kitchen. I watched her for hours, trying to decide if it was you. She had a similar way of breaking bread—always in half before eating."

"What happened?" Y/n asked softly, recognizing the weight of the memory in his unusually subdued tone.

"I finally approached her," Wooyoung continued. "Asked about her past. She'd been born in that port, never traveled south. Had a whole family there—parents, siblings. It wasn't you." He looked up, meeting her eyes with rare seriousness. "I think that was the closest Seonghwa came to giving up. He'd been so sure from my description... the disappointment hit him hardest."

The glimpse into their years of searching—the hope, the disappointment, the persistence despite repeated failure—created an unexpected knot in Y/n’s throat. These men hadn't just made a childhood promise; they had actively pursued it through years of increasing difficulty, refusing to abandon their oath despite every reason to believe it was futile.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"For what?" Wooyoung asked, genuine surprise breaking through his momentary solemnity.

"For all those years of searching. For all those disappointments."

His expression transformed, seriousness giving way to something warmer as he stepped closer. "Don't you understand yet?" he asked, his voice gentler than his usual theatrical delivery. "Finding you now makes every disappointment worth it. Every false lead, every setback, every moment of doubt—they were just parts of the journey that brought us here."

Before she could respond, Wooyoung moved with surprising swiftness, stepping behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. Unlike his usual exaggerated movements, this gesture held a different quality—deliberate rather than impulsive, intentional rather than merely theatrical.

"Besides," he continued, his breath warm against her ear as he rested his chin on her shoulder, "the best stories always have complications before the happy ending. Makes the finale so much more satisfying."

The casual intimacy of his embrace—comfortable yet undeniably purposeful—created a flutter in Y/n’s chest. Unlike the others, Wooyoung's approach carried a playful warmth that somehow made it easier to accept, less weighted with expectation or significance.

"Is this a happy ending, then?" she asked, leaning back slightly into his embrace. "Finding me after fifteen years?"

"Oh no," he replied, his lips brushing against her neck in a touch so light she might have imagined it. "This isn't an ending at all. It's a beginning."

His mouth found her pulse point, pressing a deliberate kiss against the sensitive skin that sent an unexpected shiver down her spine. Y/n’s breath caught, her hands stilling on the mortar and pestle as Wooyoung continued a trail of feather-light kisses along her neck.

"I should warn you," he murmured against her skin, "that unlike our stoic quartermaster or our solemn gunner, I have absolutely no intention of maintaining dignified restraint or composed distance."

Another kiss, this one at the junction of her neck and shoulder, his teeth grazing the sensitive spot in a way that made heat pool low in her belly. "I've spent fifteen years imagining finding you," he continued, one hand leaving her waist to brush her hair aside, exposing more of her neck to his attention. "And in none of those fantasies did I stand politely across the room engaging in profound conversation."

The declaration—playful yet unmistakably sincere—drew a soft laugh from Y/n. Despite the desire building under his touch, there was something refreshingly straightforward about Wooyoung's approach. Where Seonghwa's careful control and Mingi's quiet intensity could feel weighty with significance, Wooyoung's playful directness offered connection without unnecessary complication.

"No profound conversation at all?" she teased, turning in his arms to face him. "Just straight to this?"

"Well," he conceded with an exaggerated thoughtfulness that didn't quite mask the heat in his eyes, "perhaps SOME conversation. I'm quite talented with words, after all. But they'd be considerably less philosophical and significantly more... descriptive."

His hands settled at her waist, thumbs tracing small circles against her ribs as he leaned closer, their faces now inches apart. "For example," he continued, his voice dropping lower, "I could tell you exactly how I've been dreaming of kissing you since you came to us. How I've imagined the taste of your lips, the sound of your breath catching  I—"

Y/n closed the remaining distance between them, cutting off his words with her mouth. Unlike her other encounters aboard the ATEEZ, this time she initiated the contact, choosing rather than responding. The simple act of deciding, of acting on desire rather than calculating advantage, felt like another small reclamation of self after fifteen years of having choices systematically denied.

Wooyoung made a sound of surprise against her lips before immediately responding with enthusiasm, his hands tightening at her waist as he pulled her closer. Where Seonghwa had been precisely controlled and Mingi quietly intense, Wooyoung kissed exactly as one might expect—with theatrical passion that somehow remained genuinely heartfelt, expressive without being overwhelming.

When his tongue traced the seam of her lips, Y/n opened to him without hesitation, her arms winding around his neck as the kiss deepened. He tasted of cinnamon and honey, warmth and spice blending in a combination that seemed perfectly suited to his nature.

Wooyoung backed her slowly toward the massive center island, his hands never leaving her waist as he guided her across the kitchen. When her lower back met the edge of the counter, he lifted her effortlessly to sit on its surface, stepping between her legs without breaking their kiss.

"I should warn you," he murmured against her lips between kisses, "that I have absolutely no intention of stopping unless you tell me to."

His honesty—delivered with characteristic directness despite the playfulness in his tone—gave Y/n a moment of clarity amid building desire. This was her choice, her decision. After fifteen years where such autonomy had been systematically denied, the simple power to say yes or no represented freedom more profound than merely physical pleasure.

"Good," she replied, her fingers threading through his hair as she pulled him back to her. "Because I have absolutely no intention of telling you to stop."

Something flashed in Wooyoung's eyes—heat mingled with something deeper, more significant than mere desire. Then his mouth reclaimed hers with renewed passion, one hand sliding up her back to cradle her head while the other traced the curve of her hip with deliberate appreciation.

Unlike her encounter with Seonghwa, carefully conducted behind closed doors, or her interrupted moment with Mingi in the medical bay, this was happening in the kitchen—the heart of the house, a space anyone might enter at any moment. The thought should have concerned her, yet Y/n found it oddly liberating. After fifteen years of secrecy and calculation, there was something powerful about not hiding, about claiming connection openly rather than in shadows.

Wooyoung seemed to read her thoughts, a smile curving against her lips as he pulled back slightly. "Scandalous, isn't it?" he murmured, eyes dancing with mischief. "The quartermaster would have heart failure at such impropriety."

The mental image of Seonghwa's horrified expression made Y/n laugh despite her quickened breath and flushed cheeks. "Hongjoong would probably just take notes for strategic purposes," she countered, surprising herself with the ease of the teasing.

"And Mingi would watch silently, cataloging every detail for future reference," Wooyoung added, his grin widening. "While Yunho would blush magnificently and try to decide whether to leave or stay."

The shared humor—comfortable despite their intimate position—created another layer of connection beyond physical desire. Unlike calculated seduction meant to achieve specific outcome, this held genuine enjoyment of each other beyond merely physical response.

Wooyoung's expression softened, his theatrical mask slipping to reveal something more vulnerable. "I missed you," he said simply. "Not just these past fifteen years, but these past days when you've been reconnecting with the others. I've been waiting my turn, trying to be patient—not my strongest quality, as you may have noticed."

The admission—delivered without his usual elaborate flourish—touched Y/n deeply. Unlike a manipulative attempt to claim exclusive attention, his honesty acknowledged the complex reality of their situation with straightforward acceptance.

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting," she replied, her hand rising to cup his cheek. "I'm still adjusting to... all of this. To having choices. To being allowed to want."

"Never apologize for taking the time you need," Wooyoung said, turning his head to press a kiss to her palm. "Contrary to my dramatic nature, I can actually be quite patient for things that matter." His smile returned, wicked at the edges. "I just prefer not to be, when there are much more interesting alternatives."

His mouth found hers again, this kiss deeper than the ones before, his hands growing bolder as they explored the curves of her body with appreciative attention. When his fingers found the laces at the front of her bodice, he paused, pulling back just enough to meet her eyes.

"May I?" he asked, theatrical persona giving way to genuine care.

The simple request—acknowledgment of her autonomy in even this small matter—created another surge of warmth in Y/n’s chest. This wasn't the calculated compliance of captivity but authentic choice freely given.

"Yes," she breathed, the single word containing fifteen years of reclaimed agency.

Wooyoung's fingers made quick work of the laces, loosening her bodice with practiced ease that suggested considerable experience. Yet despite his obvious desire, his touch remained attentive rather than demanding, invitation rather than expectation.

As the fabric parted beneath his hands, exposing the thin chemise beneath, Wooyoung drew in a sharp breath. "Even more beautiful than I imagined," he murmured, reverence replacing his usual theatrical delivery. "And believe me, I have a VERY vivid imagination."

His hands moved to her shoulders, thumbs tracing her collarbones with careful appreciation. Unlike potential focus on physical attributes alone, his attention felt like recognition of her entirety—desire for the person rather than merely the body.

"I should tell you," he said, uncharacteristic hesitation entering his voice, "that I've also been imagining this moment for fifteen years. And in my imagination, I was always much smoother and more sophisticated than I'm managing right now."

The confession—vulnerable beneath his typical playfulness—created an unexpected tenderness in Y/n's chest. This wasn't calculated seduction but genuine connection, nerves and all.

"I like you exactly as you are," she assured him, fingers tracing the line of his jaw. "Theatrical and honest all at once."

Something flickered in Wooyoung's eyes—gratitude mixed with deepening desire. Then his mouth found hers again, kissing her with increasing hunger as his hands resumed their exploration of newly exposed skin. When his thumbs brushed the sides of her breasts through the thin fabric of her chemise, Y/n gasped against his lips, her body arching instinctively into his touch.

"Responsive," Wooyoung observed with evident appreciation, his mouth trailing down her neck as his hands grew bolder.

His lips followed the path his fingers had taken, trailing along her collarbone before dipping lower, kisses pressed against the swell of her breasts above her chemise. When his teeth grazed a particularly sensitive spot, Y/n's fingers tightened in his hair, a soft sound escaping her throat that seemed to encourage rather than deter his attentions.

Wooyoung's hand moved to cup her breast through the thin fabric, thumb circling her nipple with deliberate pressure that sent sparks of pleasure through her body. His mouth continued its downward journey, hot kisses trailing along the edge of her chemise until he reached the peak of her breast. Even through fabric, the heat of his breath made her shiver with anticipation.

"Tell me what you want," he murmured against her skin, looking up through his lashes with an intensity that belied his playful nature. "I want to hear you say it."

The request—invitation to express desire rather than merely receive attention—represented another form of freedom after fifteen years where her wants had been systematically disregarded. Choice extended beyond yes or no to include preference, desire, active participation rather than passive receipt.

"I want your mouth," Y/n replied, voice husky with desire as her fingers tightened in his hair. "Here." She guided him to her breast, the word transforming from request to demand as her confidence grew.

A smile of genuine pleasure curved Wooyoung's lips at her directness. "With pleasure," he replied, the theatrical cadence of his usual speech giving way to something more primal as his mouth closed over her nipple through the thin fabric.

The sensation drew a moan from Y/n's throat, louder than she'd intended in the open kitchen. Wooyoung's responding groan vibrated against her sensitive flesh, his hand raising to attend to her other breast as his mouth continued its deliberate attention.

The combination of his clever hands and talented mouth sent waves of heat skittering across Y/n's skin, building a tension that coiled low in her belly and spread outward in pulsing waves. Her back arched, body seeking more contact as her breath came in quickened gasps, every nerve alive with sensation.

When Wooyoung drew back slightly to blow cool air across the damp fabric, her entire body shuddered, a broken sound escaping her lips that held both protest and need. "Already so sensitive," he marveled, voice filled with admiration and something deeper. "I can only imagine when there’s nothing between us."

He raised his head to capture her mouth again, the kiss fierce with shared hunger as his hands slid beneath the loosened bodice to finally touch her skin directly. The absence of barriers heightened every sensation, his touch electric against her bare flesh.

Lost in sensation, neither of them heard the approaching footsteps until a theatrical gasp broke through their absorbed focus.

"Well, WELL, WELL!" San's voice rang through the kitchen, amusement and surprise mingling in his animated tone. "Apparently Jongho owes me twenty gold pieces! I TOLD him you'd claim the kitchen as your domain in EVERY possible way!"

Wooyoung pulled back reluctantly, though his hands remained at Y/n waist in a gesture that managed to be both possessive and supportive. Unlike Seonghwa's mortified reaction to being discovered with Y/n, Wooyoung merely looked over his shoulder with an expression of theatrical annoyance.

"Your timing is ATROCIOUS," he informed San with dignified outrage somewhat undermined by his disheveled appearance and the flush on his cheeks.

San leaned against the doorframe with a grin that matched Wooyoung's usual mischief. "On the contrary," he countered, "my timing is IMPECCABLE. Any later and I'd have been treated to a FAR more comprehensive display of your culinary techniques."

Y/n expected embarrassment to overwhelm her—being discovered in such a compromising position by someone she barely knew should have triggered the protective withdrawal that fifteen years of captivity had ingrained. Instead, she found herself laughing, the absurdity of the situation somehow liberating rather than mortifying.

San's eyebrows rose at her reaction, then he joined in with his own laughter, warm and genuine rather than mocking or judgmental. "I like her," he declared to Wooyoung, approval evident in his tone. "She handles interruptions much better than you do."

"She hasn't had fifteen years of your INFURIATING habit of appearing at precisely the wrong moment," Wooyoung retorted, though there was no real anger in his voice, only fond exasperation.

He turned back to Y/n, helping her retie her bodice with unexpectedly gentle hands. "I apologize for my friend's complete lack of manners," he said loudly enough for San to hear. "He was raised by particularly ill-behaved wolves."

"Wolves with EXCELLENT timing," San corrected cheerfully, making no move to leave despite Wooyoung's pointed glares.

Once Y/n was properly covered again, Wooyoung pressed a kiss to her forehead that managed to be both chaste and deeply intimate. "To be continued," he promised in a whisper meant for her alone. "When we can ensure NO INTERRUPTIONS." This last part was aimed directly at San, who merely grinned wider.

"I look forward to it," Y/n replied, enjoying the flash of heat that returned to Wooyoung's eyes at her directness.

"Now," Wooyoung declared, theatrical persona fully restored as he turned back to his neglected pots, "since you've RUDELY inserted yourself into my kitchen, San, you can make yourself useful. These spices won't grind themselves, and I have a feast to prepare!"

As San pushed away from the doorframe with exaggerated reluctance, Y/n found herself watching the easy camaraderie between the two men with a sense of wonder. This was friendship without calculation, teasing without cruelty, connection without exploitation—the natural flow of relationships built on mutual respect rather than power imbalance.

Another piece of normal life she was gradually reclaiming after fifteen years where such simple human interactions had been systematically denied. Like the private room with its personalized touches, like the freedom to choose intimate connections, like the ability to laugh openly without fear of consequences, these small moments of ordinary happiness accumulated into something extraordinary—a life rebuilt from fragments, a self reclaimed from captivity.

As Wooyoung drew her back into the cooking preparations, his hand occasionally brushing hers in touches that promised more to come, Y/n felt something unfamiliar yet welcome settling in her chest—not merely desire or affection, but genuine belonging. This house, these men, this new reality they were building together—it was becoming home in every sense of the word.

Taglist: @hopeless-lovex0 @frankielou02 @jilxxasu @kur0kki @lezleeferguson-120 @uniquecloudbread @miniverse-zen @symmieangela @monstacheol @ateezswonderland @comicnerd557 @pixie0627 @fumaluvr @princesscallie @green-moon @starryjoong-jeongcheollie @wiccanmetallicrose @atinyapple1117 @sassy-snassy @soulphoenix1618 @wxnderingthoughts @mdurir @awkward-fucking-thing @herpoetryprincess @stickystickyjam @0-beemzy-0 @prettypeachprincesz @thuyting

[breadedloafs]

ignore me as i giggle in the corner here

Under Your Touch - Chapter 1

Pairing: poly!Ateez x makeup artist!Reader (Fem!Reader)

Warnings: Implied childhood trauma/parental issues

Summary: Down on your luck, you pack up your things and move to Korea on an impulse. With no job and no money, you have no clue what your future could hold—until you’re scouted by two employees from a company you’ve never heard of, KQ Entertainment, looking for a new makeup artist. With the opportunity of a lifetime and the offer to work with a group named Ateez, maybe there’s hope for you after all. But what your future holds may be even more exciting than you expect.

Author’s Note: Hello everybody, and welcome to my new series, Under Your Touch! This is my first fic EVER, so please tell me what you think! I already have so much in store for you guys ;) —Planning to update with a new chapter every Sunday! Leave a note if you want to be added to the taglist for UYT~

Join me on ao3 @frflyavenue <3

WC: 5.1k

Without further ado~

Chapter 1: The Beginning

The chill of the Seoul winter air hits you immediately as you step out of your apartment, sending a chill down your spine as you turn to lock the door. It’s your first winter in Korea, and while you’ve loved the moderate weather of the summer and fall, the winter chill alone is making you reconsider your choice to pack up and live here. Or maybe it would, if you hadn’t finally scored a job.

You smile lightly to yourself at the thought. You moved here 8 months ago, just toward the end of spring, wanting to get far away from your home country to start afresh. On an impulse, you packed up two suitcases, the most you could carry on your own, and booked a flight to Korea. You found a reasonably priced studio apartment during your first night at a hotel in Seoul, and with the small amount of money you had, you signed the lease the next day. It really all happened too fast for your own good. You were panicked—you didn’t really think ahead. For a month you stayed in your apartment with basically no money and no job, desperately studying Korean and looking for jobs. And for a while, your only source of comfort was your art.

You’ve always loved art. You grew up with nothing much to do except go to school, come home, and draw, not the type to stay around your parents too long. You always stayed away from them, in fact. That’s the reason you’re here in the first place. But regardless, drawing got you through it all. It was your first love, the first time you felt that you could forget about everything else and immerse yourself in a different world entirely. And even when your parents and teachers scolded you for doodling on your papers instead of doing your schoolwork, you continued. It was everything to you, why care about school? Not that you were a bad kid—you did everything you possibly could to make your parents and teachers happy. But you drew the line at abandoning your art, no pun intended.

As you got older, that passion carried into makeup. Considering your artistic background, it came as no surprise to you that you had a knack for makeup, and in that month trying your best to survive in Korea, that’s all you did. Makeup, different styles and different techniques, over and over, just to pass the time.

Mastering the Korean idol makeup style was easy. As was mastering pretty much any style, all around the world, you name it. But particularly, maybe because you now live in Korea, you loved the modern Korean idol makeup styles. Truthfully, you knew nothing about Kpop aside from the music you had heard in passing through the streets of Seoul. Your knowledge ended there. But that didn’t stop you from practicing and mastering the makeup, putting your own spin on it based on techniques you had learned from practicing other styles.

Regardless, you weren’t any less surprised when two women approached you during your weekly trip to the grocery store, speaking in rapid Korean and smiling excitedly, pointing to your face. With your limited knowledge of Korean, you managed to pick up a few things: “Your makeup—I like it!” Unsure of what to do, you smiled politely and thanked them, turning to leave. But they quickly shook their heads, stopping you and typing something into a translating app.

‘Are you a makeup artist?’

You shook your head and smiled awkwardly. “No, sorry.” You responded in what you hoped was an understandable Korean accent. They continued typing, seeming more excited now.

‘We work for a K-pop entertainment company called KQ Entertainment. We would like you to train with us and show the company your skills so we could hire you as a makeup artist.’

It seemed too good to be true. You accepted their business cards, typed back to them in whatever app they had that you would give them a call, and went home. It took you a while to confirm that the whole thing wasn’t a scam, but when you did, you were ecstatic. You had just received the opportunity of a lifetime.

The next few months went by fast. You were given what you compared to a scholarship—a free pass to attend a small class on makeup techniques. All for free under their eyes, you learned how to adjust different styles to different face shapes, how to do hair, learned what products to use on different skin types, how to utilize colors to make features pop. You studied Korean and were immersed enough in the language to be able to communicate effectively, which was a plus. You studied color theory, something you knew from experience but were interested to learn technically. And you had fun. So much fun. You didn’t think it could get any better, even if you weren’t getting paid.

But six months later, during an observation from one of the higher ups in the stylist and makeup department, it did get better. They complimented you on your hard work and your abilities, saying that your work was some of the best they had ever seen. And on the spot, they gave you a job offer to work at KQ Entertainment as a personal makeup artist for one of their boy groups, Ateez. It seemed too good to be true. You? Really? You accepted the offer without hesitation, thanking them profusely for their opportunity, and you were sent home. That was two weeks ago. In the meantime, you researched as much as you could about this group, Ateez.

You learned that there are eight members: Park Seonghwa, Kim Hongjoong, Kang Yeosang, Jeong Yunho, Song Mingi, Choi San, Jung Wooyoung, and Choi Jongho. And all eight of them are possibly the most stunning men you have ever laid our eyes on. The perfect canvases. You were giddy at the thought. Your job description noted that you would be the personal makeup artist for Jung Wooyoung and Choi Jongho, the two youngest members. Jung Wooyoung is an incredible dancer, apparently known to be more energetic and lighthearted in nature. He has the visuals of a black cat, incredibly elegant and colder in appearance, though his personality is anything but. Choi Jongho is the youngest member and the lead singer of the group, and his voice is the most beautiful thing you have ever heard. You silently wished to yourself that you would get to hear him sing in person. He’s visually like a teddy bear, an adorable face with the sweetest smile you’ve ever seen. But it seems that his style is cool and simple, which you kept in mind.

Over the two weeks waiting for your paperwork to go through and finishing up interviews with their managers, you spent your time practicing. You drew models of their face shapes, testing out different styles on your drawing tablet and getting to know the curves and geometry of their faces while keeping in mind personal style and their group concept. All things considered, you would think that now, as you walk down the street in the freezing cold toward their makeup studio, that you would feel at least a little bit prepared.

False.

You’ve never been more nervous in your life.

While maybe you didn’t fangirl over the members like much of their fan base, this was your first proper job ever. Your Korean is nothing better than understandable at best, and while you’ve practiced with drawings, you’ve never actually done makeup on these two before. So even though what you’re doing today is nothing more than just a consultation with the two, you can’t stop the shaking in your hands, glad that you will be able to blame it on the cold. You need to do well today. Whether or not you really get the job depends on it.

No pressure.

It’s still dark out when you make it to the address the company sent you, an obscure studio in Seoul supposedly nearby to the Ateez dorms but still hidden from the public’s prying eyes. You check your phone. 6:45am. Perfect, 15 minutes early. You go to your contacts, calling Bae Hyerin, the agent you had been working with during this whole process.

“Good morning Hyerin-unnie! I’ve just arrived at the studio.” You call out into the phone, hoping your usually cheery tone overrides the shakiness in your voice.

“Ah, you’re early! One moment, I’ll let you in!” She hangs up, and you smile to yourself. Hyerin has been a lifeline since this whole ordeal began, possibly one of the sweetest people you’ve ever met. She’s two years older than you, and even though you haven’t known her long, she’s helped you like an older sister, standing up for you when others undermined your abilities or made snarky comments about your Korean, and always praising you for your hard work. You can’t help but feel some of your nervousness dissipate when she greets you at the door with an excited smile.

“Y/N-ah! Welcome!” She says happily, gently pulling you inside. “It’s freezing out, please come in!”

You obey, familiarly holding her arm while she gives you a brief tour of the studio. There’s a large space inside past the entrance with two spaces—one with a couch, some seating, a small fridge, and a TV, presumably an area for the members to relax or sleep while they wait. But you’re more interested in the other side, a slightly smaller space with clean tile floors and four neat stations, three of which are clearly occupied with various products and tools. The fourth is completely empty, with nothing but the vanity, a chair, one staple hair tools, and a large lit mirror. You nearly drool at the sight. Assuming all goes well, this station would be all yours. Hyerin seems to notice, and she ruffles your hair lovingly with a laugh. She lets you set your large makeup bag on the empty vanity, getting a few things set up before they arrive for their consultation.

You blow hot air onto your freezing hands, relieved to finally have a bit of time to yourself to prepare. Unpacking a few things onto the vanity, you count once again to make sure you haven’t missed anything. Their respective foundations and concealers—check. Clean brushes for each of them—check. Palettes—check. Respective lip products—check. Everything is still unopened.

Phew.

Ater reassuring yourself that, yes, you brought all of their hair products too, you relax a bit, taking a seat on the couch in the other side of the studio. Now there’s nothing to do but wait.

——————

It’s still quiet in the Ateez dorms when Wooyoung begrudgingly wakes up to his alarm. 6:00am. Gross. He sighs and manages to get himself out of bed, cringing as the cold air hits his torso while he desperately searches for a hoodie. He struggles to get it on as he trudges over to find Jongho, knowing the younger member probably snoozed his alarm.

Entering his room, he smiles affectionately at the younger man still laying comfortable in bed, his squishy face pressed against the pillow and his blankets pulled all of way up to his chin. The serene moment is interrupted quickly, however, as Wooyoung climbs onto Jongho’s bed, effectively laying on top of him and wriggling around in an affectionate attempt to wake him up. Jongho groans and turns onto his back, sending Wooyoung rolling of to the other side of the bed. Puffing his lips out in a pout, Wooyoung shakes Jongho’s shoulders in another attempt to wake him up, making him grumble outa string of curses before opening his eyes. “What?” He asks, annoyed.

Wooyoung sighs. “We have to get ready to leave. Another makeup artist consultation.” Jongho reciprocates a sigh. Last month, the makeup artist responsible for taking care of the two men’s hair and makeup quit unexpectedly, leaving the company in a desperate search for somebody to fill the position. Over the last few weeks, Jongho and Wooyoung had to wake up early countless times in order to meet with potential candidates for consultations, the company wanting only the best for their prized members. Unfortunately for the two men, their company is picky. Jongho has lost count of how many artists they’ve consulted with over the last few weeks, and he’s tired of waking up earlier than everybody else everyday just to meet with another candidate that ultimately gets rejected. He has no doubt that today wont be any different.

Wooyoung seems to be thinking the same thing, because he nods sympathetically while he slides off of the younger members bed. “I know. But we have no other choice. Get up and get ready, we have to leave in 45 minutes. If we’re lucky, we’ll find a good candidate soon and we won’t have to do this shit anymore.”

Jongho sighs, but complies, forcing himself awake.

Now showered and clean shaven, the two men meet with their manager outside of the dorms, greeting him and climbing in the back of his car with less than eager expressions.

“Who’s the candidate this time?” Wooyoung asks, not doing much to hide the bitterness in his tone.

Manager-nim buckles up and starts the familiar drive to the makeup studio, looking at the tired men in his rear-view mirror with a sympathetic expression. “It’s somebody new, no experience. She’s foreign, moved here less than a year ago from what I gathered, so she speaks little Korean.”

The two men sigh, tired. Out of respect they say nothing, but their thoughts are clear. Why are we wasting our time doing this again? Manager-nim seems to take notice, and he adds quietly, “Hyerin-ssi recommended her.”

Jongho’s eyebrows raise slightly, though his face is still skeptical. Hyerin is known for being rather harsh when it comes to perfecting makeup—its part of what makes her such a good leader. So if she were to recommend somebody so unqualified to even consult with the members�� she must see potential there. Still skeptical, the two opt for saying nothing.

Wooyoung nudges Jongho’s shoulder, waking the poor, tired boy as the car pulls into the lot of the studio. Wooyoung, deciding to be optimistic, smiles as he exits the car, hissing through his teeth at the cold but giggling regardless. No point in making yourself any more miserable, is there? Jongho couldn’t care less about looking towards the bright side of things. He’s tired, cold, and pissed off, and quite frankly he doesn’t want to be here. His face only prolongs Wooyoung’s fit of giggles.

Entering the studio, Bae Hyerin greets the three at the door, taking their coats.

“Good morning! Thank you two for coming in so early.”

Wooyoung nods, less grumpy now that he’s woken up a bit. “Of course! We’re excited~” It isn’t a complete lie, he justifies to himself. Jongho says nothing.

Hyerin isn’t blind to the air of annoyance eminating from the two youngest members, but she decides not to mention it. “I’m excited for you guys to meet her, too! She worked as a student under the studio for a few months, but honestly there wasn’t much we could teach her that she didn’t know already. She’s amazing.”

The two blink, a bit surprised. It’s the first time they’ve ever heard Hyerin speak so highly about anybody. Wooyoung smiles, looking forward to this visit a little more now. “What’s her name?”

Hyerin smiles fondly. “Y/N. She’s foreign, but I’ve had no difficulty communicating with her. She’s really cute, I hope you guys like her. I sincerely want her on our team.”

Wooyoung laughs softly, a bit entertained by how fondly their usually strict coworker is speaking about this new candidate. “Are you sure you don’t just have a crush on her?” He asks teasingly, making Hyerin roll her eyes and playfully smack his shoulder.

”Hush.”

Jongho opens his mouth to speak, but is suddenly interrupted by the sound of a new voice calling out from the doorway.

“Unnie, I’m sorry but is there any water I can- …uhm…” You blink with your wide doe eyes as you meet the gaze of two stunning men standing in the entrance speaking with Hyerin, confused. Hyerin turns around and smiles sweetly at you, walking over and gently pulling you toward the two men. Unable to do anything else, you let her.

“Good timing, Y/N, our members just got here! Wooyoung, Jongho, this is Y/N, the makeup artist you will be consulting with today.”

——————

A bit flustered to be meeting them so unexpectedly, you just blink for a second with your pretty, flustered eyes, before remembering yourself. You bow deeply.

“I’m sorry, you surprised me. My name’s Y/N, I’ll be taking care of you two today.”

Wooyoung giggles softly, finding the whole situation rather endearing, and Jongho can’t help himself as he, too, smiles at the scene. You’re nothing short of adorable, with deer-like features and a welcoming closed-lipped smile. Your hair falls short around your shoulders, fluffy as it frames your face, though it doesn’t appear to be particularly styled. Your face is adorned in a subtle, natural makeup, not appearing to be much more than a simply base, natural eye makeup, and some pretty pink lip gloss, but Jongho notes to himself that it suits your face perfectly. Your outfit is also simple, a cream colored, tight-fit turtleneck sweater tucked into light-wash baggy jeans topped off with a simple brown leather belt. Nothing about your appearance is necessarily astounding, but your girl-nextdoor vibe leaves the two finding themselves admiring how pretty you are.

Nervous as you feel their eyes on you, you instinctively reach to hold Hyerin’s hand, making Wooyoung press his lips tight together in an attempt to suppress his sudden cuteness aggression. Jongho smiles after only a few seconds since your introduction, bowing in return. “Good morning, Y/N, my name is Jongho Choi.” He responds in English. You blush from the cute gesture, giggling in slight surprise. Picking up on it, Wooyoung does the same. “I’m Jung Wooyung. Or… Wooyoung Jung. Nice to meet you!”

You laugh softly, giving the two the opportunity to admire your smile, which they find equally as endearing as the rest of you. “Nice to meet you too. Jongho, Wooyoung.” You nod in each of their directions, making them laugh. You feel Hyerin squeeze your hand happily, and you return the squeeze. “Which of you would like to work with me first? I can give you two some time to relax before we start while I get set up. I know it’s early.” You say politely, this time in Korean. You take your time with each sentence, wanting to pronounce everything correctly.

“Me first!” Wooyoung replies eagerly, interrupting Jongho snaps his head to look at Wooyoung in protest. Wooyoung shut him down quickly, stating simply, “I’m older.”

You laugh lightheartedly, enjoying the scene. “Alright then, Wooyoung-ssi first. I’ll give you a few minutes to eat something and get settled in while I set up, yeah? Just let me know whenever you’re ready.” Both men nod and thank you politely as you turn to leave, silent for a moment.

As soon as you’re out of sight, Wooyoung whispers excitedly, laughing in spite of himself. “She is cute!’

Hyerin laughs. “I know, right?”

——————

You hum to yourself as you get Wooyoung’s makeup ready on the vacant vanity, looking over your drawings one more time for good measure while Wooyoung and Jongho laugh over a small breakfast in the other room. Convincing yourself that you know his daily makeup by heart, you turn to rehearsing different hairstyles in your head, knowing it’s your weak spot. Wooyoung usually uses this mouse… or was it the other one? No, he likes the coconut one, right. And he recently got his hair bleached, so use an extra strength heat protectant for good measure. You jump as Wooyoung suddenly appears behind you, tapping your shoulder with a bottle of water. You wince as your jaw clamps down and you bite the inside of your cheek, but smile as you turn around.

“You okay?” Wooyoung laughs, sorry to have scared you. “Here, you were asking for water earlier.”

“Ah, thank you!” You feel a bit relieved, suddenly remembering how dry your mouth is. “Sorry, I was in my own world for a moment. Ready?”

Wooyoung nods, and you smile up at him, pulling the chair out for him and gesturing for him to take a seat. He obliges, sitting down and letting you drape a light cape over his front to protect his clothes. You pump the chair up a few inches, steeling yourself with a few breaths. God, I’m dramatic. You think, exhaling in slight annoyance at how nervous you are. It’s really not that serious.

“Any specific styles you want for today?” You ask, unable to bear staying alone with your thoughts any longer.

Wooyoung thinks, blinking. “Mmm… cool… sexy style.” He replies with a hint of bravado, making you smile. He lifts his hands, pushing one side of his hair back. ”Maybe half slicked back hair like vintage American TV actors, you know? And for makeup just… simple. Handsome..”

You nod, relieved to know exactly the style he’s referring to. You smile, and, unable to handle feeling awkward, you mock a salute. “Aye aye, captain.”

Wooyoung laughs, his eyes a bit surprised, but he quickly shakes his head through fits of giggles. “No, I’m not the captain! That title is only for Hongjoong-hyung.”

You blink, a bit confused for a moment. Hongjoong. As in Kim Hongjoong, the leader of Ateez? Probably. Thank goodness you did at least a little research. “Ah, your leader is the captain? Apologies.” You reply smoothly, your doe eyes sparkling with humor.

Wooyoung nods, clasping his hands in his lap and smiling with intrigue. “Do you know anything about Ateez?” He asks, watching as you squeeze some sun cream onto the back of your hand.

You laugh awkwardly. “Only what I researched when I found out I would be consulting with you two today.” You admit, gently applying some of the sun cream onto his face with the pad of your ring finger. “Eight handsome members with a pirate concept working hard to bring badass stages all around the world.” You say simply, summing up what you know.

Wooyoung laughs, endeared by your description. “You think we’re handsome?” He finds himself asking, wanting to tease you.

You nod, humming affirmatively without hesitation as you blend the cream on his face. You make brief eye contact and smile cheekily before refocusing on his makeup, making him blush.

Well, that backfired, he thinks, cursing himself internally for his failed attempt at flustering you. “How old are you?” He asks suddenly, almost without thinking.

You smile. “I was born 1999.”

He blinks, suddenly excited. “Oh, we’re the same age! Shall we drop the honorifics?”

You meet eyes with him, equally surprised, before nodding eagerly. “Ah, I would like that.”

Conversation comes easy with Wooyoung from that moment onward, as you introduce yourselves and get more comfortable with joking around. Jongho observes with slight surprise from the lounge portion of the large space, taking note of every laugh and blush from Wooyoung at your occasional remarks. He smirks, capturing a picture of the moment and sending it in the Ateez group chat, wanting to tease his hyung. But as he looks closer at the photo, he gasps slightly, catching a glimpse of his completed makeup while you finish up his hair. It’s nothing special, just what appears to Wooyoung’s normal, daily makeup. But something about the harmony of his features looked different… it was the closest thing to perfection he’d ever seen. He looks up from his phone, squinting to try and see him from across the room as if to confirm what he’s seeing. Unfortunately for him, you turn the chair around almost as soon as he does so, done with Wooyoung’s hair and eagerly showing him the finished look in the mirror.

Wooyoung’s reaction is equally as surprised.

He gasps as he sees the job you’ve done, taken aback as he leans forward to look closer at his makeup. The base is so flawless it may as well be his skin, and he reaches up to poke his cheek as if to make sure it isn’t a filter. His eye makeup is minimal, but the product is placed perfectly to accentuate the sharpness of his eyes rather than change the shape, something makeup artists have done commonly in the past. His lips are done in a perfect color for his skin tone, with gloss placed subtly in places where it can only be seen when the light hits it at certain angles, sculpting his plump lips beautifully. Even his nose, one of his proudest features, is perfectly carved out, again accentuating the feature just enough for it to harmonize with everything else. It’s shocking, frankly.

You knot your hands together, fidgeting nervously. Mistakenly taking his silence for dissatisfaction, you bite the inside of your cheek and shuffle on your feet.] “Ah.. is there anything you would like me to change…?” You ask tentatively, worried you might cry if he doesn’t say something soon. He seems to notice, because he pries his eyes away from the mirror and turns to face you, excitedly grasping your hands.

“No… this is amazing. How did you even do this?” He asks, no sign of his usual teasing smile on his face—only sincere shock.

You blush, suddenly looking away, feeling shy and…relieved. “Ah, really? I’m glad you like it.” You say quietly, hoping he can’t feel the nervous tremble of your hands. If he notices, he doesn’t say anything.

He lets go, turning back to look at the makeup in the mirror again. “Jongho-yah, come here. Look.”

Jongho stands up, also eager to get a closer look. He gasps in the same way as Wooyoung, gripping Wooyoung’s chin and tilting his head side to side in admiration. “Handsome…”

Wooyoung nods, meeting Jongho’s gaze with wide eyes as he communicates silently what he’s thinking. Jongho’s eyes say the same thing.

You clear your throat nervously, checking the time. “I’m sorry, if you don’t mind, can I get started with Jongho-ssi? We only have 45 minutes before you have to leave to get ready for your next schedule.”

“Ah, sorry.” Wooyoung says, removing his cape and handing it to Jongho while he swaps positions with the younger man. “Go ahead~”

You nod in thanks, and get to work with Jongho, starting the process all over again.

By the time you’ve finished up with his makeup, turning him around to style his hair, he’s already as energetic as Wooyoung, laughing at almost every silly remark you make and rebutting with ease. Wooyoung notices, noting to himself how easily you manage to adjust to different member’s humor. For reasons unbeknownst to him, that thought makes his cheeks feel warm. You speak comfortably as you style his hair, this styling a bit cuter than Wooyoung’s, per Jongho’s request. It doesn’t take long before you’re done with his hair as well, and you gently pat his shoulder before turning the chair around so he can see the final result.

The two men’s reactions are no different this time. Again, his features are balanced perfectly, with lips a perfect shade of pink, super soft nose contour, and puppy eyes accentuated with bits of subtle sparkles Jongho has never worn before, though he can’t help but like them. It’s perfect.

Wooyoung is quick to run over and admire the work as well, unable to close his jaw as he looks it over. “Jongho-yah, I don’t think you’ve ever looked so good.” He says, a hint of teasing in his tone.

You shake your head, laughing. “His bare face is my favorite. Both of you are perfect canvases to work on, seriously. So handsome. All I do is make that handsomeness pop for the cameras.” You explain, wiping excess makeup off your hands with a wet wipe. “But I’m glad you both like it.”

Both of them blush, unable to say anything in response as you excuse yourself to go wash your hands, struggling with just the wipes. Now along, the boys can finally speak in private.

“Hyung…” Jongho says softly, his voice carrying a tone Wooyoung’s maybe heard only once or twice before. “She’s perfect, seriously.”

Wooyoung nods, agreeing with a hushed, but still undeniably excited tone. “And also she’s so-“

“Cute, right?” Hyerin interjects, walking in the room. The two nods unashamedly. Hyerin steps closer, admiring your work on their faces. “Perfect, as usual. To think she was so nervous she would mess up today…” She shakes her head, smiling proudly as you return. You chirp happily at seeing her and rush over, quick to hug her arm.

“You did a good job, Y/N. You managed to make these two sleepy fools look like idols.” She praises sweetly, making Jongho scoff playfully.

You laugh nervously, shaking your head. “Thank you, Unnie. I’m glad you like it.” You turn as you hear the chime of the front door’s bell, presumably their manager re-enter the building to pick the two members up. You let Hyerin go so she can bring them in, and you’re surprised to see a few new faces instead of their manager. Hyerin clears her throat.

“Y/N, these are the people I was telling you about that would observe your work. No need to be nervous, they’re just going to talk with the members for a bit and make some final decisions.” She winks, but your shoulders still tense slightly at her unspoken words.

They’re going to determine whether or not you get the job.

You feel a sudden poke on your hip and look down to see Jongho smiling. You let out a breath at his sweet thumbs up, smiling slightly in return and bowing your head in silent thanks.

“Y/N, why don’t you go ahead and head out for the day? You did well.” Hyerin interjects, her face sympathetic. You nod, quickly moving to clean up the vanity and pack everything back into your compactable makeup bag. You give a quick bow to Wooyoung and Jongho, grinning sweetly before turning around, quick to leave the building.

Wooyoung and Jongho look at each other and smile, silently crossing their fingers while their hair and makeup is being observed.

They like you.

…

Yeah, they like you a lot.

This fic belongs to @frflyavenue and nobody else—please do not steal this work or any other works by this author <3

[breadedloafs]

waiting for us — chapter sixty two. i lived bitch

cw. probably medical inaccuracy, idk i’ve never been in a coma

[breadedloafs]

giggling, kicking my feet, smiling, all for an amazing story made by an amazing author💚

Chapter 19

Beyond the Lens - Logbook Videographer!Reader x OT8 Ateez

W/C 16,739 

🎥 Series Masterlist 🎥

☽ Masterlist ☾ 

Inspiration Pictures

Pinterest Board Masterlist

Previous Chapter (Chapter 18)

Disclaimer: This story is purely a work of fiction. It is not meant to assume or mock anything about Ateez, Atiny, or anything relating to what I do not know about being a videographer. This story will follow several of the events that Ateez has done in the past year for Golden Hour Part 2, that being said I will not be able to include everything. 

Contains she/her pronouns.

The logo in the center is mine. Please do not reuse or copy.

I strongly recommend looking at the inspiration pictures and the Pinterest boards linked above (which will be updating as the story goes on).

General Warnings: slow burn, cussing, conflict, angst, fluff, and obliviousness. 

CHAPTER WARNINGS - A little bit of embarrassment, CUTENESS (that will give you aggression)

Author's notes - Long chapter, new nickname drop, trying something new, and special guests!! You are in for an exciting chapter!! Shout out to @breadedloafs for one of the cute snippets!! Let me know what you think! <3 Moonie

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

You woke up the next morning in San’s embrace. In the night you must have shifted because now your back was to Yeosang who was clutching you tightly and you were buried in San’s chest. Both of them were absolutely dead to the world and you didn't want to disturb them by getting up. You laid there for a few minutes before your alarm went off which startled the two men out of their deep sleep. As quickly as you could you grabbed your phone to turn off the alarm. Reaching back up you also grabbed your glasses and put them on your face. The two of them settled back against you and murmured their good mornings. You smiled at their sleepy deep voices. 

“Loves, I have to get up and get around for the day” you said quietly, the both of them squeezed you tighter and didn't let you move an inch. 

“Just a couple more minutes?” You sighed against San’s chest and agreed to Yeosang’s plea. A few minutes later you heard someone shuffling around in the hallway. Picking your head up you saw Wooyoung standing in the doorway. He smiled at you and approached the bed. 

“Youngie, will you trade with me so I can go get ready for the day?” He nodded and helped you separate yourself from the two that were trapping you. As soon as you were up and away from the two of them Wooyoung slipped into your place. Immediately San and Yeosang curled up tightly with him in the middle. 

“Go back to sleep sweetheart,” you reached down and ran your hand over Wooyoung’s hair before reaching over his head and handing him Wooyonyang. He smiled sleepily at you and closed his eyes, tucking his baby under his chin. You moved toward your closet with quiet efficiency. Grabbing one of your long skirts with a slit up the leg and your flowy sun and moon shirt you made your way over to your bathroom. You turned to look at the boys curled up on your bed with a smile before closing the door. Making your way through your morning routine you turned on the shower and did a full body care day. As soon as you were finished you did your skin care routine and got dressed. Deciding you wanted to be a little extra you applied some light makeup to suit your features. Once you finished that routine you peeked through the door and saw that the boys were still asleep on the bed. You tiptoed across the room and out the door.

When you made it to the kitchen you gathered some of the things you could to make some smoothies for the boys to wake up to. Knowing how loud the damn blender is it would be best to just go down into the basement to do it. If you did that you would also be able to listen to some music as you got ready for the day. Grabbing most of the fruits and some vegetables you made your way down the stairs. Thankfully for you the giants weren't running around quite yet so you didn't have to worry about getting your ass knocked over again. 

A little while later you had prepared several kinds of smoothies for the boys. You had a faint idea of what they might like but you made several variations just in case. Just as you were about to walk back up the stairs you heard someone coming down. Jongho appeared at the base of the stairs. He must have been up for a little while because his hair was damp like he took a shower. 

“Good morning Jjong, I've got several smoothies if you want one for breakfast.” He greeted you, gave you a gummy smile and made his way over. You gave him the general run down of what each of them was, he gently took one of them and tried it. If his hum was anything to go by he liked it. Just as he was about to take another sip of the drink the song playing over the speakers changed. (listen to it as you read, it'll make the next bit so much better)

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

The first thing I heard was the music coming from the basement. Letting curiosity get the best of me I peeked down the stairs and heard Jongho singing. Taking a few more cautious steps I was met with the most heartwarming sight. Jongho was dancing in the middle of the basement floor with Y/n. They both were staring at each other like the other hung the stars; a rare moment of vulnerability from him. 

Pulling out my phone I silently hit the record button and set it down where they couldn’t see it but it could see them. After getting it settled like an absolute ninja I took a seat just at the bend of the stairs. Peeking my head around the corner I watched them silently. The two of them moved in simple harmony with Jongho taking the lead. Her beautiful hair was slightly swaying and her eyes were sparkling with something akin to awe as he sang to her. In the quiet moments is when Jongho tends to shine; and be the most romantic. He may put off being a tough person but in reality he is so kind and attentive. The two of them fit so well together, like something out of a movie. Their smiles were both shining as they looked at each other. These moments are the heart of the love we shared. Being able to share that with her is going to be one of the most rewarding things in life.

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

Jongho paused mid-motion, his eyes turned distant as if he was internally debating something. Your eyes widened as he looked up at you while setting down his drink and holding his hand out to you. You took his outstretched hand and he pulled you out to the middle of the basement floor. He gently settled your hand on his shoulder and took your other one in his. His other hand settled itself in the middle of your lower back and he pulled you closer as he started slowly swaying in time with the song. The smell of orange blossoms and jasmine with something else wafted over you as he pulled you close. He started to softly sing to you as you swayed together. His eyes held yours the entire time, there was an intensity behind them but not the normal intensity you saw from him; it was something softer.  This was the first time you got the opportunity to study him up close. His beautiful lips as they formed each syllable; the soft skin that just barely had laughing lines surrounding his eyes and mouth. Your eyes trailed back up to his, the brown of his eyes was like a rich black coffee and the lights made them twinkle. They were calm but held adoration within their depths. 

This was the Jongho you hadn't seen very often; one that you hoped you would see more. His voice was carrying across the basement and it sounded absolutely angelic. You couldn't stop the smile that split across your face as he kept singing to you and leading you around in a small circle with the melody of the song. As it came to an end you expected him to pull away from you; he just watched you without saying a word. You leaned your head against his shoulder and after a moment’s hesitation he set his head on top of yours. The music you were once focused on faded into the background, a mere memory from the present you basked in with him. The both of you just stood there in the middle of the basement for a few minutes. Your hand was still intertwined with his, he held you with a firm but gentle touch. You pulled your head away from his shoulder and looked at him. 

“Your voice is absolutely breathtaking, I could listen to you sing all day.” He smiled fully at you before leaning in and capturing your lips. You froze, the initial shock wore off quickly as you closed your eyes and melted into his warmth. His lips moved in perfect sync with yours as he leaned back into you. He let go of your hand and brought it to rest between your shoulder blades. You brought the hand he just released behind his head to run your fingers through his slightly damp hair. The kiss was blissfully intense. He had you tilted back just slightly but was supporting you fully. Your stomach and heart were fluttering all over the place as he held you as close to him as he could. He separated himself from you and immediately moved to hide himself in your neck. You could feel the heat radiating from his face and saw the red tips of his ears. Someone  approached down the steps and you saw Hongjoong with his cute bed head. He raised his eyebrows at you and Jongho which you smiled bashfully at. Shaking his head he walked past the two of you and to the bar where the several colorful smoothies were. 

“They are for everyone, you can try them all if you want. As long as you have something on your stomach I don't care.” Just as you started speaking Jongho had pulled away from you to move over to his smoothie before Hongjoong got a hold of it. You missed the warmth of him already. 

“You look beautiful by the way,” Hongjoong said between sips of the smoothie he chose. “Are you doing anything special today?” 

“Thank you Joongie, I kinda just wanted to look nice. But, I also need to do some last minute birthday party shopping. Maybe a day out on the town with the team too, two birds one stone y'know.” He nodded and the both of them watched you as you walked over to your smoothie behind the bar. You grabbed your phone and paused your music and shot off a message to the team.

Once you had the drink you walked over to Hongjoong and started trying to fix his bedhead with the hand you had available. He closed his eyes and let you mess with his hair until you were satisfied that it looked halfway decent. Once you stepped away he smiled at you, one of his absolutely disarming smiles. You returned it and took another sip of your drink. 

“Yah you fluffy little monster where is your mom?” As soon as you heard Wooyoung ask one of the giants that you snorted and the smoothie almost came out of your nose. Hongjoong watched you with wide eyes and moved to rub your back while trying to hold back his own laughter.

“Hyung we are down here,” Jongho responded between quiet giggles. Quick footsteps made their way down the stairs. Wooyoung appeared with a large smile and a curious look at you. Holding up your hand you signaled for him to wait a second.

“Which one is the fluffy little monster?” Wooyoung bit his lip and looked at the other two who were smiling at him. He raised his hand and ran it across the back of his neck before muttering a curse at himself. 

“It was Toothless, I didn't think you would hear that, that's why I asked him.” The three of you standing in front of the bar burst into laughter at the response. There was red moving down his face and neck the longer he stood there. Hongjoong had grabbed a hold of your arm to steady himself. Jongho was leaning heavily on the bartop. 

“Aish,” Wooyoung muttered before passing you and grabbing one of the smoothies. Shortly after San and Yeosang made their way down the stairs hand in hand. The both of them looked happy as could be as they greeted the room. The after shower glow was still lingering on their skin. Yeosang and San both approached you and gave you twin kisses on both of your cheeks. You felt your face flush and tried to hide your smile at the simple affection. 

“Sannie the strawberry smoothie is the one on the far side of the bar if you want it. Sangie, you're welcome to any one of them, they are all different flavors.” They both nodded and moved to grab one. 

About thirty minutes passed and you were chatting with the group of boys before an alarm went off. Everyone’s eyes fell to Hongjoong who was turning off the alarm. 

“We need to get to KQ for our schedule.” Whines echoed around the room from the other boys. You chuckled at them and their pouting faces, you were the first one to get up and put your glass into the small sink. As soon as you started moving the rest of them did; not without complaints though. You moved up the stairs and saw Beans stretched out on the floor in the middle of the living room in a ray of sunlight. Making your way over to her you ran your hand over her back, specifically making sure to avoid her stomach, but it still earned you a small smack to the back of your hand. 

“Don’t be mean,” you huffed walking away from her and to the mudroom to put on your shoes. You settled on the small bench and started putting on one of your favorite pairs of shitkickers. 

“Yah! Don’t swing at me you menace! How dare you!” A chorus of laughter followed Wooyoung’s yelling. You peeked around the corner to see him messing with Beans. She was happily half assed swinging at him while he tried to scratch her belly.

“You fell for the oldest trick in the book Woo.” He turned to look at you and smirked then started sauntering over to you. When he made it to you he tilted his head at you and grinned before placing a chaste kiss on your lips. Your eyes widened just lightly as he walked away from you and into the mudroom. Hongjoong approached next and squeezed your hand as he walked past. Turning into the room you watched as he surveyed the select few hats you had on the hat rack. He plucked the wide brimmed hat that was on top of everything and approached you. You were smiling at him as he approached, he gently took your hand and led you to sit down on the bench. 

“Stay there.” You nodded at him and he stepped away from you to walk up the stairs. Seonghwa came into the mud room next and looked curiously at you. 

“He told me to stay here, I dunno what he is up to but I would rather listen than incur his captain scolding,” he snickered at you and placed a kiss on your head before grabbing his shoes and sitting next to you. Wooyoung dramatically plopped on the other side of you and laid his head on your shoulder. 

“I could stay here forever, it's so nice.” You leaned your head on his and smiled at the notion that you created a safe space for them. 

“You are all welcome here any time, the door code is the same as the gate code which Sannie has.” He nodded against you. The other boys were shuffling about and some of them had walked out to San’s car to leave their bags in it. Hongjoong appeared a minute later with a couple of bobby-pins and a large grin. He waved Wooyoung off of your shoulder and moved to stand between your legs. You looked up at him while he gently put the wide brimmed hat on your head and started affixing it with the bobby pins. He was so focused, his tongue was just barely sticking out between his lips as he put the final bobby pin into your hair. Taking a step back he surveyed his handwork, under his gaze you could feel the heat rush to your face. His eyes met yours and a smile spread across his face. 

“There you go, Nae Sarang (My Love).” You stood and turned to look in the mirror that was in one of the hidden cabinets. He had settled the hat more on the back of your head making it look almost like a halo crown. You beamed at him through the reflection. 

“Joongie, this pulls together the outfit so well, I need to come to you for fashion more often.” He attempted to hide the smile that was going to split his face. The apples of his cheeks were turning a cute shade of red at your praise. You turned around, stepped forward to get closer to him and gently leaned down to place a kiss on his cheek. If he could have gotten more red he would have, the smile he was attempting to hide broke out across his face. He couldn't make eye contact with you, just choosing to keep his head down. 

“Y/n-nie. Joongie. We need to get going if we are going to make it on time.” Seonghwa was peeking his head into the mud room. You nodded and stepped into the garage, the rest of the boys that rode with you the other day followed you in. You pushed the garage door opener before stepping up to Aria. Just as the door fully opened you heard a shout of your name. Turning to look who was yelling, Wooyoung, San, Mingi and Yunho approached you. Mingi beckoned you over to which you shook your head at him and approached. Just as soon as you got into range he grabbed you into a tight hug and left you with a peck on the lips. 

“Have a great day Y/n-nie,” he whispered as he pulled away. The other three followed a very similar pattern. Once you knew they were happy with their goodbye you headed back into the garage to get into the car. When you were settled in you smiled at the four in your car and started pulling out of the garage. Along the forty five minute drive Seonghwa’s hand ended up in yours over the center console. You pulled into the KQ parking garage and headed to your normal parking spot. As soon as you had the car in park Seonghwa left a light kiss on your lips. The three in the back settled with kisses on your cheek. You watched as they walked into the building, Yeosang was the last one in and he gave you a small wave before going in. You smiled at him and returned the gesture. 

When he was out of sight you took a minute to yourself. Leaning your head against the steering wheel you let a large smile split across your face. Holy shit. This is real life. You are dating Ateez. A squeal left your lips before you could reign it in. You started celebrating, you were dancing in your car like a maniac but you didn’t have a fuck to give.

 As soon as you recovered you realized that you had to go in to grab your computer bag. You shut off Aria and made your way into the building smiling at some of the people you recognized. Maddox approached you with a smile, you and he had a quiet understanding and a blooming friendship. 

“What's got you all smiley?” You looked at him and grinned wider. 

“I just had a really good past couple of days.” 

He looked you over again with a squint. “Sure,” He dragged out the ending of the word suspiciously, “Either way you're absolutely glowing, it looks good on you.”

“Thanks Maddox,” Eden yelled his name from somewhere behind you. He turned around and when he looked back to you he gave a mock salute before leaving your side. You hadn't even realized that you made it to your KQ office. Stepping into the room you looked over everything, The others must have come to get their things some time before because the room was void of any bags and the Harnesses were hung up on the small rack you had for them. You grabbed your shoulder bag and camera before making your way out the door. As soon as you turned around you caught a glance of Yunho, his eyes met yours and he gave you a wink before returning to whatever he was doing. You chucked at him and made your way back out to your car. 

You made it into the studio and just barely got settled before Aurora burst into the room with one of the largest grins on her face. She was wearing a cute dark blue summer dress with her dark hair in a half up half down style showcasing the blue peekaboo she had underneath. You could really tell what her favorite color was today. 

“Bestie, you have some piping hot tea to spill!” She was nearly shouting as she plopped herself onto the couch next to your desk. Willow and Forrest both appeared in the doorway. Willow was wearing a cute light blue off the shoulder blouse and some ripped skinny jeans. Her hair was braided down one side and the rest of it had been curled with an iron, that must have took her for fucking ever with the mane she had. Forrest was wearing a black tee under a deep green shirt with matching green pants. His copper wolf cut was styled and had a small ponytail. All three of them looked absolutely amazing.   

“Yes, I do but we have expensive things in here and I would rather you not have a big freak out like I know you will in here.” You got up out of your chair and led them to the round table. You sat down and motioned for the rest of them to follow. As soon as they sat down you clasped your hands together in front of you on the table. You started to fiddle with the dragon ring you had on. 

“Girl, it's just us, you don't have to be nervous.” You looked over each of them and couldn't hold back the small smile that spread across your face. 

“As of a couple of days ago I have eight boyfriends.” Right as the words left your mouth Aurora leapt up with a frantic squeal, Willow let out some of the loudest laughter you had heard from her, and Forrest stood up from his seat and lammed his hands on the table in a dramatic motion, “No fucking way!” 

Aurora ran around the table and hauled you up to your feet. You were laughing the entire time as she threw her arms around you and started jumping with you. Willow and Forrest joined in on the hug effectively almost stopping the bouncing. The four of you stood there giggling like little girls hearing the juiciest gossip there ever was. As soon as you separated you wore a bashful smile. 

“Tell us absolutely everything!” Willow sat you back in your seat by the shoulders. When they all sat down and made themselves comfortable you launched into the story of the past two days. Each time you spoke of kissing one of the boys you could feel the heat burning on your face and the butterflies return to your stomach. They always cooed at you and lightly made fun of how red you were. 

“They're all so whipped for you already and you haven't even been together for that long” You glared at Forrest, he was wearing a smug grin while he leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed. 

“They were whipped before they were even dating. This is nothing new.” Shooting your glare to Willow she started laughing at you. Rolling your eyes you slumped into the seat farther.

“Alright, enough of teasing me, I mentioned going to the mall earlier, do we want to go? Aurora I need to at least buy your lunch for the polaroid pictures.” She rolled her eyes at you for even offering but eventually nodded. You all came to an agreement on where you should go and made your way to your car. As soon as you were settled you took off and made your way over to the mall. 

“You guys go ahead, I have to make a call,” they all nodded at you as you pulled out your phone and tapped on the contact name, it took a couple of rings before he picked up with a large smile. 

“Hey, Y/n-nie!” You smiled back at the blonde.

“Hi Lix! I have some interesting questions for you.” He raised his eyebrows. 

“Okay shoot!” 

“First, are you doing anything today? Like any kind of schedule?” 

He shook his head, “nope, we all have the day off, in fact Jinnie and I were about to do some baking. Well more me doing the baking and him stealing bites; but I digress.” You heard Hyunjin’s whine in the background before he popped into the frame. 

“Hi Y/n-nie! Long time no see!” 

“Hi Jinnie! It has been too long, one of these days we need to get together and do lunch or something, I have so many photos you would love!” 

“I’d love that! Also, how is your garden going?” 

“It is doing amazing, lots of the trees are starting to drop fruit, the koi are out in full force this year, and the peonies are absolutely huge; it's quite a sight to behold. I also finally got the fairy lights up in the willow tree! You would love it, it looks like something straight out of a fairy tale.” 

“I might have to come back over and repaint it! I really loved just being out in the middle of nowhere where no one could disturb us while I painted and took pictures.” Felix was just watching Hyunjin talk to you with a lovesick grin on his face. They were such a cute couple. 

“You are welcome any time, just let me know and I can clear my day for you to just come and be yourself in the forest.” 

“Deal!”

“Okay,” you chuckled, it is too easy to wander into a completely different conversation with the fellow artist. “We are totally getting off topic, I have a request for you, if you both are up for it that is.”

“Sounds suspicious but I'm listening,” you let out a laugh as his Australian accent got just a little stronger. 

“So, you know Ateez right?”

“Yeahh?” Both of them tilted their heads at you with furrowed brows.

“So, I’m going to be throwing a surprise birthday party for Yeosang at my house and I was wanting to know if you would be willing to bake him a cake and make some other sweets. We are going to be celebrating tomorrow. I already have some reference pictures for the theme, all I need is a good baker with a little bit of time on his hands.”

“Oh that's so sweet of you! I am totally down for that, I'll need to get some ingredients but other than that I should be able to get them done by the end of the day!”

“Yayy!! Thank you Lix! I'll send you the pictures!”

“Of course! Thank you for thinking of me! I am so happy I can help.” 

“Who wouldn't think of the kindest Aussie baker when they need a cake and sweets. I’m just happy you have the time, I know you and the other kids are crazy busy here recently.”

“Yeah, but we love it. We’ll let you go Noona, I've got some baking to do!” 

You let out a laugh, “Bye Lix and Jinnie, see you soon. Thank you again!” you hung up the call and celebrated, things were falling into place for Yeosang’s birthday. The only thing you needed to do was get the decorations and a gift or two. 

You made your way into the mall and started looking for your team. Walking into the large building you felt like a million bucks. This was the happiest you had been in a long time. 

You were making your way over to one of your most frequented stores for all of your jewelry. On the way you ran into the team, Willow, Forrest, and Aurora were talking and laughing at some of the ridiculous things Aurora pointed out to them. Smiling as you walked over to join them Aurora spotted you immediately and beckoned you over to see what she was pointing at. As soon as you made it over to her you looked in the window, there was a frog butler holding a tray with toilet paper on it. 

“What in the fucking world?” You burst into giggles. Willow and Aurora joined the giggle fest, the three of you sounded like cackling hyenas.

“I have no idea but I kinda want it” You turned to look at Forrest with your eyebrows pinched together while you tried to hold back your laughter. He shrugged his shoulders and started walking off toward your favorite jewelry shop. You followed him into the store and started browsing the many pieces. As you walked around one piece caught your eye. It was something you would have never even fathomed wearing. Behind a glass case was a silver body chain with a moon that would land below your sternum. From the moon there were three chains hanging on either side that would go around your hips. It was stunning, and would go well with the dainty hand chain your Granny got you forever ago. You looked at the price and cringed, it was at the very top of the price range you were comfortable spending on a single piece of jewelry. Maybe another time, you grabbed your phone out of your small bag and took a picture of it and the tag so if you had the opportunity you could come back for it later. 

As you continued to browse around the store another thing caught your eye, this one was more costume jewelry than anything but it was definitely your style. You peered into the case and looked over the ring, it was a set of what looked like vampire or werewolf teeth. Just as you were going to grab someone to inspect the ring closer an employee popped up out of nowhere and grabbed it for you. You thanked the woman standing behind the counter as she handed you the box. It had been carved with such detail you knew you had to have it. You looked at the price and smiled, this was something that you could do, and it was a steal for genuine silver. 

“I'll take it,” you handed her the box and followed her around to the checkout. She had you done and out the door in record time. You bowed to her as you left and walked out to be met with Willow watching as the other two entered a perfume shop. Her nose was too sensitive to go into some of those shops, she would be a sneezing mess by the end of it. You stood next to her and watched as Forrest and Aurora took turns spraying different smells on the small cards. Forrest handed her one and she immediately sniffed it and made one of the most disgusted faces you had seen from her. She held it out and away from her like the damn thing was on fire. Both you and Willow fell into quiet laughter at her reaction. 

Several minutes later they both came out of the store with large grins on their faces, one bag each. Forrest was grinning like a madman and pulled out a small roller of something and handed it to you. As soon as you looked it over you smacked him, maybe a little too hard, on the shoulder. He had bought you the pheromone perfume. 

“You dickhead.” His and Aurora’s responding laughter echoed off the tiles in the large open area. You glared at the two of them before shoving it into your ring bag and walking away. They all muttered behind you and you heard Willow burst into laughter as well. You held your middle finger up above your shoulder as you walked away from them. Following the familiar path you went to one of your comfort stores. As soon as you spotted the Lego store you practically jogged into it to hide away from those loving assholes. They knew you well enough that this would be the first place they would come looking for you. 

You were browsing through the isles around the store, your eyes caught on some small keychains. There was a pair that made a heart and just a little farther past those you saw Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy linked together. You snagged both of them immediately knowing who you would be gifting them to. 

Turning around you looked to see if any of them followed you, not seeing them you started meandering farther into and around the store. As you walked you resisted the urge to buy a second Millennium Falcon to give to Seonghwa; even if he had to keep it at your place. You browsed around and decided to grab the Beauty and the Beast castle; which you had been wanting for a while. Making your way over to the check out you smiled at the young cashier. She recognized you and smiled back, as she was checking you out she asked how everything was going. You stood and spoke with her for a few minutes updating her on what had been happening; as best you could without giving too much away. She told you about her schooling as an engineer and how she was almost done and she was excited to move on to her next adventure; much like you were when you were her age. Another customer approached and you bid her goodbye. 

As you were walking out of the store your phone pinged. You made your way over to a small common area and settled on a chair that was farther away from most of the people. As you were setting down your larger bag Aurora and Willow came out of the store adjacent to you. They sat on either side of you in their own respective chairs. You pulled out your phone and looked at the notification, it was from Captain. As soon as you opened it your jaw dropped and you let out a flabbergasted noise before shutting your phone off and all but throwing it back into the bag in shock. Both of the women next to you looked at you curiously. 

“I will be right back, I need to make a call right quick.” You stood up, set your small bag down in your seat and wandered away. As soon as you got out of earshot you grabbed your phone back out of your bag and called Hongjoong. It took a couple of rings for him to pick up. 

“Hey Shutterbug, what's up?” There was general chatter in the background as he asked. Some of the boys who were with him echoed their greetings loud enough for you to hear. You nearly popped a vein out of your forehead, he was acting like nothing was out of the ordinary. 

“Hi Songbird—“ you took a breath in and out to get your heart under control, “—Is there any particular reason I just got a notification that you sent me a large sum of money?” He chuckled at you.

“I wanted to spoil you.” You rolled your eyes; this man. Some of the chatter in the background stopped. Knowing them, they all gathered closer to Hongjoong and were listening to your conversation.

“I hope you can feel my eyes roll from here.” You muttered under your breath before speaking up “You did not have to send me that much money, or anything at all. I am absolutely fully capable of spending my own money.”

“I know you are, but I wanted to treat you to getting your nails done. Think of it as me helping you get ready for fashion week.” He paused like he was contemplating his next words very carefully. 

“Just let me spoil you” his voice was almost pleading, but it held an undertone of finality; like he wasn’t going to let you out of this. 

After lingering for a minute and debating the risk of the possible scolding you would get if you sent it back to him you huffed, “fine.”

“Treat the rest of your team as well. All of you worked hard on the MV.” 

“Thank you, you really didn't have to do this but I appreciate it, and I am sure they will too.”

“It’s my pleasure, our treasure. If you need more, let me know” In the background you heard several noises of agreement; of course they would take his side. 

“The amount of money you sent me will be plenty for all of us.”

“Y/n. Let me know if you need more, even if it isn't for nails.” His tone left no room for arguing; it may have also sent a shiver up your spine. He even pulled out your government name, which momentarily surprised you; that was something he did not do often. 

“Yes Captain.” You were rolling your eyes so hard you thought they might disappear into the back of your head. Through the phone there were some small snickers of the other boys. You could also practically feel his eye roll through the phone; which prompted a small smile from you. 

“Good, I love you, send me pictures when you are done.”

“I will, I love you too.” 

“Oh, and Shutterbug.” 

“Yeah?”  

“Get something black and white.” Before you could respond or give him some sarcasm he hung up on you. You looked at the screen in disbelief before putting it back into the bag. This was going to be a power struggle. An independent woman and a man determined to spoil the living shit out of you. Actually, if you knew the others it would be several men determined to spoil the shit out of you. You made your way back to where you left the girls, Forrest had plopped into a chair right as you were approaching. 

“Alright, so change of plans, we are getting mani pedis, then lunch, then party shopping.”

“Why the sudden disappearance and change of plans? Is everything okay?” Willow was looking you over in that motherly assessing way. 

“Everything is fine, just my boyfriend being a stubborn man is all.” The three of them exchanged glances and looked back at you. Their eyebrows were raised and they were failing miserably at hiding their smirks.

“Don’t look at me in that tone, let's just go and we can discuss it further later without people listening in.” You glanced over at the girls that had appeared a little ways away from you. They were chatting quietly but you knew that they would absolutely freak out if you mentioned even one of your boyfriends names out loud. The reason you knew, they both had Aniteez strapped to their bags; one of them being a very good representation of said stubborn boyfriend. 

They nodded at you and Aurora took the lead. Her and Meadow both absolutely love to get their nails done any time they can; and it just so happened her favorite place to go is in the mall you chose today. You followed her to the opposite side of the mall and entered the very green shop. The windows and most of the walls were lined with plants and various art and photos.

“Aurora!” The girl behind the counter squealed. You chuckled at the enthusiasm they both shared as they hugged. They started speaking quickly back and forth and motioning around, a couple of times they motioned to you.

“Come on guys! Let’s get set up for Mai.” The three of you made your way back following the two chatterboxes to one of the more private rooms. As you stepped into the room the scent of potting soil and fresh air overtook you; it was just like walking into your greenhouse. You immediately knew you would like this girl. The art that hung on the walls was all black and white, and then you noticed it.

“You did fucking not,” you stepped toward the canvas hanging in the center of all of the other art on the wall. Aurora was looking at you with one of the largest grins. You didn’t just recognize the photo, you were the one that took it. For a minute you just stared at it, this picture was one that you hadn’t seen in a very long time. It was of a woman who was perched on a stool with her legs crossed holding a skull while she shook her head. This shoot was one of your prouder moments from college in the states. Admittedly you absolutely hated the assignment that produced that picture, even if it had been one of your favorite photos to this day. 

“Mai, this is Y/n. She is the one that took the photo I gave you.” Your eyes flicked to the woman standing there, her eyes were comically wide as she took in the information. Immediately she bowed deeply to you, as soon as she came back up you started waving your hands in front of you trying to stop her many thank yous and praises of the picture. 

“I am so happy you like it,” you approached and took Mai’s shaking hands into both of yours with a smile. She was grinning ear to ear before offering you another bow. You shook your head at her, the smile never left your face. Aurora broke the small moment up by gently taking Mai’s hand out of yours and bringing her over to the colors lining the wall. You turned to make your way over to Forrest who was watching you guys carefully. 

“What are you going to get done, tree man?” You bumped your shoulder against his and he scoffed with a roll of his eyes. 

“I was just going to get a basic mani pedi, nothing too extravagant, what about you? Anything spark your fancy?” 

“I was just going to get a mani pedi too, but it was requested I get something in black and white so I have to do something at least a little fancy.” Just as Forrest was opening his mouth to speak, your phone pinged. Grabbing it out of your bag you checked your messages to see the name of the group chat you had with the boys changed. 9 Makes 1 Team. The grin that escaped you was of absolute adoration for the men on the other side of this chat. Forrest was looking at your phone with you and you heard a small huff of laughter.

Just as you got into the actual chat the notifications started exploding. All of the boys were sending black and white nail art designs. You turned your phone fully toward Forrest and he let out a loud laugh at the several messages that kept popping up. There was a range of various options they were supplying you with, some longer and pointier than you knew you could tolerate. Some were short and sweet but most of them were very intricate with the designs. They kept pouring in, just as you were about to silence your phone one caught your eye. You quickly tapped on the photo before it disappeared in the flurry of messages.

Taking time to just look at the photo you decided this was it, it was simple and elegant without being too flashy. The majority of your nail was going to be styled like a French tip but instead of a normal french tip it looked like clouds or smoke. It would alternate between black and white and on each finger there were going to be designs of stars and maybe some moons. Forrest let out a hum of approval before you were called over to the chairs to start. 

You sat there for a few hours while Mai did your nails. Conversation flowed between the five of you naturally, Aurora even told you you could talk about your boys with her as she was within the community. You chatted with her animatedly about anything and everything under the sun, from your boys to her partner. Even when the conversation drifted you weren’t in an uncomfortable silence. All of you were just content to just bask in the calm atmosphere in the room. 

When it came time for you to pay you followed Mai to the register, and as soon as you tried to hand her the card for everyone she adamantly refused you. You battled back and forth with her about it saying you got a lot of things and used her products. She still wouldn’t let you pay, she just made you promise that if you were going to get your nails done that you would come to her, and possibly bring the boys she heard all about. When you finally reluctantly agreed, after about five minutes of bickering, she smiled wide. You thanked her with a small bow and made your way out of the store, a loud grumble came from beside you. Turning toward Willow you were met with her staring down at her stomach like it was alive. 

“I guess it is time for lunch then, Where do you want to go?” She looked at you and smiled sheepishly. 

“Honestly, the small seafood place we walked by earlier smelled really good.” You linked arms with her and made her lead the way. Just as you were about to sit down at a table someone tapped you on the leg. Turning around you smiled as you were met with a shy young boy. You assumed his father was the one standing not too far behind him with a smile on his face. You crouched down to be on his level. 

“Yeosanim (Ms. or Madam), your tattoos are really pretty.” The little boy wasn’t really looking at you and you just barely caught his words. Your heart melted and you reached out to him. His eyes snapped up to yours as you laid a hand on his arm. He had just barely seen the tattoos you had because of the long flowy sleeves; and yet he still liked them. 

“Thank you so much, would you like to look at them a little better?” He was frantically nodding while you checked that it was okay with his dad; who had many tattoos of his own. A small nod and a quick smile was all the confirmation you needed to gently roll up your sleeve to show him your arms. His eyes sparkled with wonder as you showed him the various intricacies of your sleeves. He gently traced some of the lines on your right arm. You were watching him with a large smile. 

“Alright buddy, eomma is waiting for us back at the table.” His eyes looked up at yours and he jumped into your arms to give you a hug.

“Thank you yeosanim (Ms. or Madam).” He whispered as you wrapped your arms around him. You were looking at the dad, the smile never left his face as he mouthed thank you. 

“Of course, I am very happy you asked me about them, they are my pride and joy” he stayed there with you for a second before he released you. With a quick polite bow he ran back toward his dad. A hand presented itself before you and you accepted the help up from Forrest. Aurora and Willow were watching you with smiles as you sat down next to Willow. 

“If that didn’t give me baby fever I don’t know what would. He was absolutely adorable.” Willow gushed leaning her head on your shoulder. You giggled and laid your head on top of hers.

The majority of the time was spent giggling at your stupid inside jokes and chatting. The food got to your table and it went quiet, the only noise surrounding the four of you was the clinking of silverware and chopsticks. When you finished you discreetly handed the waiter your card before any of them could even think of protesting. You had almost perfected this throughout the years with them, but you might have to change up your ways if you would be able to pull this over on the boys in the future. 

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

Once he was finished helping with the track Hongjoong looked at his phone. There were a lot of notifications that he swiped through but one caught his attention. Clicking into it he was met with a video of you squatting in front of a small boy who looked to be about four. He pressed play and watched the interaction unfold. You were so gentle with him as he looked at your tattoos in awe. He could feel his heart melting at the sight, if seeing the other boys with children didn't absolutely melt him into a puddle this definitely did. 

“Yah, why are you so distracted hyung?” Hongjoong didn't look up from his phone as he continued watching the video. The little boy had thrown his arms around you after someone off the screen spoke to him. He watched you rest your head against the boy’s for a brief minute before he separated from you, bowed and took off. Hongjoong’s eyes flickered up to Yunho who was watching him intently patiently waiting for an answer. He figured it would be best to just show him. With a smile he handed his phone to the tall man. As soon as Yunho noticed it was a video of you he started smiling. Mingi approached and set his head on Yunho’s shoulder and watched the video as well. Both of them were smiling from ear to ear as they watched. 

“She is so good with kids, some people would have just waved him off.” Hongjoong nodded and took the phone that Yunho was offering him. 

“She is, I wonder if she has any nieces or nephews or maybe even siblings.” Mingi was still resting against Yunho as he spoke. 

Hongjoong nodded, “She’s just an amazing person overall, her being good with kids doesn't surprise me in the slightest.”

“Who’s good with kids?” All of their eyes moved to San and Wooyoung who just walked back into the room. Hongjoong wordlessly handed San the phone. They all watched as Wooyoung grinned and started smacking San in excitement. He was just grinning at the video before watching it again.

“That’s our girl” he muttered as he handed the phone back to Hongjoong. It didn't even make it back into his hand before Yeosang spoke.

“What did Y/n-nie do?” Everyone turned to look at Yeosang, Seonghwa and Jongho who just walked back into the room with some food tins. San looked over at Hongjoong to make sure it was okay that he handed them his phone. Hongjoong smiled at San and nodded. He handed the phone to Seonghwa who immediately set the food tin down to hold it in both hands. Yeosang and Jongho got close and watched the video. Yeosang was trying to hide his smile and Jongho was absolutely beaming. After the video finished Jongho gently took the phone from Seonghwa and started tapping on the screen. A few seconds later all of their phones simultaneously dinged. He moved over to Hongjoong and handed him his phone back with a smile. Wooyoung and San let out small twin squeals as they rewatched the video on their own phones. 

“This side of Y/n-nie doesn’t entirely surprise me. I figured she would be good with kids because of the conversation she had with us a while ago about helping teach the kids at her dojang.” Everyone’s eyes fell to Yeosang who was watching the video again. Everyone seemed to forget that he listened to everything, even if recalling it may have been an issue; apparently that fact wasn't the same when it came to you.

“That's right! I forgot that she helped with them, now I want to see it in person.” It was San who spoke up after Yeosang. 

“Aish, you just want to see her in the dojang kicking people's butts like a badass, don't be so innocent.” Yeosang deadpanned. Everyone burst into laughter as San turned as red as a tomato. 

“She can throw me around any time and I would totally be okay with it.” All  eyes fell to Wooyoung who was grinning like a mad man. Some of them laughed while most of them rolled their eyes at him with fond smiles. 

★☆☽ Timeskip ☾☆★

After you got some red and black decorations all of you were weaving in and out of the stores on the second floor of the mall. Then It struck you, you still needed to get Yeosang a present for his birthday. You spent all this time finding and picking the perfect decorations for the party but you didn't even have presents yet; the fuck were you thinking? 

“Rora, does Mai’s place have self care things for sale? Like face masks and the works.”

“Yeah, she has some of the best things I have ever used, I almost exclusively shop with her when it comes to that stuff. Do we need to go back?”

“Yes, I have a birthday boy to buy things for and what better way to do that than spend some money at a friend's salon who didn’t let me pay earlier.” Aurora was beaming at you before she started dragging you back to Mai’s. You were almost jogging across the mall when a cute souvenir shop with lots of different keychains stood out to you. You halted in your tracks which made Aurora, who was hanging on to you, almost fall. Before she could even say anything your roles were reversed and you were dragging her into the small store. 

Immediately you saw the ones that had all kinds of dogs on them. You made your way to it and started looking for a Doberman. After just a minute of looking Aurora pulled two off the rack and showed them to you. One was a 3D silver Doberman charm with a claw hook and the other she was holding was a cute tag that says ‘I love my Doberman’. You burst into laughter and gently took them from her. She was grinning at you as you looked them over. 

“These are perfect!” Aurora ended up bursting into giggles with you as you walked over to the counter to pay for the trinkets. The cashier was looking at the two of you like you were crazy; a small price to pay for the absolute happiness that was radiating from you. As soon as she handed them back to you you stuck them in the ring bag and walked out arm and arm with Aurora. This time she wasn’t dragging you but she did have a skip to her step as you were walking. 

When you made it back to Mai’s shop the other woman approached you with a large smile. “Back so soon?” You nodded at her and exchanged a grin with Aurora. 

“I need one of every skincare, facemask, and any other things similar that you have please.” Her eyes widened and she gave you a skeptical look. 

“Are you sure? We have a lot here.” 

“Yes, I have plenty of people I can share with and it’ll pay you guys back for the services we got earlier; just don’t tell Mai.” She laughed with a nod at you before wandering back to the room you assumed they were stored in. It took her several trips, even with full arms, to get everything. Your smile only grew at the thought of making each of your boyfriends participate in something Yeosang loved. She told you the total and you immediately gave her your card. 

“Thank you!” You chirped as she was handing you the bags. Once you had everything situated across your arms you gave her a large smile and a polite bow before leaving. 

“Bye Hana! See you soon!” Aurora was animatedly waving her hands before turning to walk with you. 

“I think we need to make a trip to the car, I don't want to walk around like this.” She hummed her agreement. While you were walking you had to readjust your arms a couple of times so the bags wouldn’t cut into them. Aurora took the opportunity of you shifting some of them again to take a couple of the bags from you. 

“Y’know, a self care night is something that wouldn't be complete without matching outfits.” Your eyes widened, you hadn't even thought of that, it would be so much fun. 

“This is why we are friends,” you felt the smile on your face get wider. She started laughing at you while you continued on the pathway to drop the shit ton of bags off in Aria. 

“What in the world did you do? Why do you have so many bags?” The closeness of Forrest’s voice made you jump out of your skin. Willow let out a snort and hid behind her hand. 

“I wanted to get some things for the boys, sue me.” You continued walking after recovering yourself.

“I don’t think that is some, it’s more like everything.” He was most likely trailing behind you like a puppy.

“Fuck off.” You rolled your eyes at his teasing. 

“So, I assume since you are literally at least ten pounds heavier than normal because of these bags we are heading out.”

“I’m just dropping things off and coming back, I still have some more things to buy. All of this is gifts, activities and decorations.” The trio followed you out to Aria as you were speaking. Before you could ask Willow had pulled the keys out of your small bag and was popping the trunk for you to put all of the things in. 

As soon as you were finished settling things in the trunk you pushed the button to close it. Looking down you saw the red marks from how heavy the bags were. You rubbed your forearms and started making your way back into the mall, just as you were approaching the threshold you felt your phone buzz. Stopping in your tracks you pulled out your phone, the team paused but kept going as you waved them off.

You put your phone back in your bag before resuming on your mission. You had an idea of matching PJs to get for everyone; if you could find it it would go perfect with the theme. As soon as you made it to the clothing store you made a beeline for the comfy clothes section. As you were scanning over everything your eyes caught exactly what you were looking for. You approached the rack and grabbed nine pairs of the red and black buffalo check pants before grabbing just some plain black t-shirts. This would work out well, they could leave these at your house and have clothes to change into if they unexpectedly stayed the night. While you were walking to the front of the store you got several weird looks for carrying that many pairs of the same thing. You approached the cashier and set all of the clothes onto the counter. She gave you a look like she wanted to ask about it but she didn't. When she was finished she handed you the bags of clothing with a small smile. 

“Thank you,” you bowed to her before taking your leave. She said something under her breath about weird foreigners, you shook your head at her and continued on your way. As you walked out of the store you caught Willow and Aurora in a lingerie store. You snickered at the two of them looking at the lace before moving toward the bench Forrest was perched on. 

“You really spoil these men, you know that?” 

“I haven't had anyone to spoil other than you goons for the past several years, I have the spare money, why shouldn't I?” He shrugged at you and continued looking at his phone. You settled on checking in on yours as well. No one had messaged you but you assumed Felix would be getting finished soon as it had been several hours. The rustling of bags caught your attention, when you looked up you were met with Aurora and Willow standing there with new bags in their hands. Their partners were in for some fun tonight.

“Do we have everything? Anything else that any of you can think of I might need for the party?”

“You have decorations, presents, activities and matching pjs. I think you are covered.” Aurora nodded along with Willow as she listed the things off. 

“Okay, are we ready to go? Do you guys have any other stores you want to go to?” 

“I hit all of the things I wanted to so I’m good.” 

“Me too,” Aurora chirped

“Me three, in fact, I'd like to head out, Asher is home and making dinner.”

“Oh boy, we better get going before you turn into a rabid monster.” You snickered at Aurora’s comment before getting up and motioning for someone to lead the way. Willow was the first to move, you followed her and heard a snort behind you. Fucking children.

★☆☽ Timeskip ☾☆★

You pulled into the garage and immediately started moving to get everything out and into the house. It took you several trips up and down the stairs to get everything relatively where it needs to be in the basement. As soon as you sat down on the couch in the basement your phone started ringing. 

“Noona!! We are heading to you with the sweets! Also, I may have mentioned your cats around Minho hyung while he was helping me in the kitchen and he demanded that he come with us. And Binnie hyung is just tagging along for the fun of it.” His voice dropped to a whisper “I think he needed to get out of the studio cause he was going crazy.”  There were some muffled shouts of protest in the background. You snickered, no wonder he and Woo were besties.

“That is perfectly okay Lix, the more the merrier! I just got home and settled so you couldn't have had better timing.”

“Yayy! Okay, I'll let you go. I just wanted to let you know we were on the way! See you shortly!”

“See you soon boys, drive safe. The code is still the same, just come on in when you get here.” 

“Sounds good Y/n-nie!” 

You hung up the call and immediately started dialing San. He picked up almost immediately. 

“Hi Jagi (sweetie)!” 

“Hi Sweetheart! Are you near any of the other boys?” 

“Yeah but I can leave for a minute if you need me to.” 

“If you wouldn't mind that would be great, I have some top secret information for you.”

“Okay, give me just a second.” There was some rustling in the background and the click of a door. 

“Okay, I’m out on the balcony, what top secret intel do you have for me?” 

“So, I have recruited a couple of people to help me with the sweets for Sangie’s birthday, and I know Hwa and Woo would absolutely love to see them. I was wondering if you would be able to wrangle them away for the rest of the evening and come to my house, you can even stay the night here if you want.”

“Yeah, that shouldn't be an issue. Who did you recruit?” 

“So it started as just Felix and Hyunjin but it evolved into Minho, who was helping Felix bake, and I guess Changbin is just tagging along for the hell of it.” 

“Wait, like Stray Kids Felix, Hyunjin, Minho, and Changbin?” 

“Yep! I've known them for a little bit, I was one of the freelance photographers they used on several occasions for promotions. Felix and I have been good friends since his runway debut with LV, he actually baked me some goodies for personally giving him the pictures I took instead of making him go through LV. He and Hyunjin have also been out to the house after Felix decided to surprise him with a cute picnic date and paint out by the greenhouse and garden.”

“Wow, I didn't realize you knew them, that's awesome! I will see if I can get Hwa and Woo out and around” 

“Perfect! I am so excited, don't tell them, I want to see the surprise on their faces when they get here. The other boys are already on their way so as soon as you can get them out and around that would be great”

“I'll do my best, but you can't expect Wooyoung not to blow up your phone with questions about this,” You laughed at the thought of the dozens of messages he would send. 

“That's okay, I'll just leave it somewhere and conveniently find it when you get here.” It was his turn to laugh.

“Alright I'm going to go get them around, I'll see you soon Jagi (sweetie). I love you.”

“See you soon! I love you too Sannie.” he hung up the phone and you couldn't help but to kick your feet in excitement. You get to see some of your friends that you haven't in a while and simultaneously surprise a couple of your boyfriends. It's a win win. Peeling yourself up and off the couch you made your way upstairs to turn on some of the lights. When you got up the stairs you were met with Beans laying in the middle of the floor playing with one of her kicker toys. She was rabbit kicking it so violently that she was practically scooting across the floor. You snickered and left her to it, gently stepping around her as you continued to move toward the kitchen. If you knew the boys that were coming over here they would love to have some snacks so you started prepping a charcuterie board. As soon as you started opening things up and getting the things set out Mocha appeared on one of the stools closest to you at the island. 

“I know exactly what you are here for and you are absolutely shameless, your toots are going to be so rank” you broke off a part off the cheddar block you were cutting up and held it out to her. She immediately took it from you and started chowing down. With a shake of your head you started cutting things up again and arranging them to look pretty. When she was finished she got off the chair and made her way into the nook presumably to curl up on the large bed. 

As you were slicing everything up you came up with a million dollar idea. With quick footsteps you made your way over to your office. You grabbed one of your spare cameras, the small remote that connected to it, and the small tabletop tripod off the shelf connected to your desk. With the push of a button it came to life and you did a little dance of celebration that it was almost fully charged. Making your way back out to the kitchen and great room you looked for the perfect spot to place it without being too obvious. You settled on putting it on the far corner of the island, you placed it and started looking at the viewfinder to see where it would be best angled. When you were satisfied that it would capture everything you left it alone. You tucked the remote into the small pocket on the back of your hip inside the skirt. Resuming your earlier cutting you smiled to yourself, this was going to be perfect. 

A little while later you heard the door alarm ding letting you know that it had opened. Thankfully you just finished setting everything out on the board. 

“Sweets delivery for Y/n-nie!” You peeked around the corner, standing there with a large smile on his face and a box in his hands was Felix. He quickly walked over to where you were situated by the island, set the cake down and gave you a huge hug. You wrapped your arms tightly around him and laughed. 

“Hi Lixie! It's so good to see you.” He squeezed you and you swayed with him as he kept you wrapped in a hug for a minute. Right after he let you go, Hyunjin approached you and gave you the same treatment. 

“Hi Jinnie!” He squeezed you gently and pulled away from you with a grin. The smile that was on your face just got wider; if that was possible. You turned to the other two boys that were standing there. 

“Hi,” you bowed to them. “It's wonderful to officially meet you both outside of a professional environment.” After you straightened back up you walked over to Minho to gently take the two boxes from him. He gave them to you with a small smile. You made your way to place them and the other box into the fridge. Then you moved the small plates and charcuterie board into view. 

“You are welcome to anything, I've got some fresh fruit as well if you would like some of that.” 

“You know the way straight to that man’s heart,” Felix muttered. You snickered and watched as Changbin approached and filled his plate. 

“Thank you.” He said with a small bow before sitting at the corner of the island.

“Of course, I always try to have some kind of snack when having company over. He nodded at you and sat down to start eating. You turned to look at Minho who was surveying all of the pedestals scattered around the living room and ceiling. With a few clicks of your tongue the giants appeared from various parts of the house. Toothless peeked his head out of the top of the treehouse, you didn't even know he was in there; the camouflaged heathen. Mocha waltzed in from the nook and the padding of her feet caught Minho’s attention. He turned around to locate the sound and saw Mocha first, his eyes got comically wide as he saw her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some of the squeezable tubes of cat treats before approaching her and sitting in the doorway of the nook. Hyunjin burst into laughter and Felix followed. You were trying very hard not to do the same. She approached him, sniffed his outstretched hand and then headbutted him. 

“That’s Mocha, the resident gentle princess.” He opened the treat and gently squeezed it to offer her some. As soon as Beans heard the familiar sound she came bounding in from up the stairs, she narrowly missed Felix and Hyunjin as she drifted over and butted in. 

“That’s Black Eyed Beans, or just Beans for short, she is the crazy one in the house.” A choked noise came from the corner of the island Changbin was sitting at. You looked over to him with a tilt of your head, he waved you off before he started coughing. Felix and Hyunjin moved over to sit on either side of him and started to pat his back. Quickly you made your way around the island to get him a glass of water. You set it next to him and he nodded at you in thanks. He gulped down the water and almost immediately seemed better. 

“You okay Binnie?” he looked up at you and nodded.

“Sorry, I haven't heard a name like that before it took me by surprise,” his voice was raspy as he spoke. 

“That’s okay, I completely understand, my boyfriends had the same reaction the first time I said it around them too.” 

“Boyfriends? Plural?” Your eyes flickered to Felix who was looking at you curiously. Hyunjin was looking at you in an almost identical way. They spent entirely too much time together.

“Yeah, it is fairly new that's why you haven't heard about it yet.” They both nodded and started snacking off of Binnie’s plate. The door dinged again and put your hand up to your mouth to hide your smile while moving your other hand to your back. You took a small step back and to the side, making it seem like you were checking who was at the door, while you moved you pushed the record button and heard the subtle click alerting you that it started. All of the men sitting at the island whipped their heads up to look at you. Minho quickly stood up, effectively sending the girls scattering. 

“My Rose! We are here. What did you need help with?” Wooyoung was the first one to burst through the door, he took his shoes off and made his way over to you with a large smile. The four boys in the kitchen were perfectly hidden at the corner of the island. As soon as Wooyoung got close enough he glanced over and then looked back at you. You watched in real time as his eyes widened and he slowly looked back at the boys sitting at the island. Both Felix and Changbin stood and stared at Wooyoung who was frozen. Nothing could have prepared you for the screaming that started. They started pointing at each other and asking what the other was doing here. Hyunjin stood up and moved away to be out of the middle of the screaming match, he ended up just behind you. Minho stepped away as well but he stayed behind the island to watch everything unfold, he briefly looked at you with a smirk; he figured it out. Now It was comically like the spiderman meme. 

San and Seonghwa approached quickly when they realized Wooyoung was yelling in almost gibberish. You watched as Seonghwa realized that Minho was standing behind the island, his eyes widened and he turned to look at you before looking back at Minho. San made his way over to you and wrapped his arm around you before placing a gentle kiss on your temple. Felix’s eyes widened as he saw the gesture. 

“Weh Weh Weh, hang the fuck on. Noona, for the love of god please explain yourself.” Everyone’s eyes fell to you and a snicker bubbled its way up your throat as his accent changed back and forth between Korean and Australian several times. 

“Lix, Hyune, Binnie and Minho, this is San, Wooyoung and Seonghwa. Three out of the eight of my boyfriends. Sannie, Woo and Hwa, this is Felix, Hyunjin, Changbin, and Lee Know. My friends who helped me with our Sangie’s sweet treats for the party tomorrow. I could have sworn you knew each other, my mistake.” You shrugged your shoulders with a wide smile. Felix’s jaw dropped and he looked between all of you. As soon as the shock wore off everything turned into a hug fest. All of them were chattering with each other and it made you extremely happy that you could put something like this together for everyone. Reaching behind yourself you grabbed the small remote and stopped the recording. Hyunjin ws close enough to hear the click of the recording turning off, he turned to look at the camera and back to you. 

“You recorded that entire thing didn't you?” He was whispering just loud enough for only you and San to hear. Both of you looked at him and you nodded with a smile. 

“I figured that it would be absolutely hilarious to share with the rest of your groups. And it is a good memory to capture, something we can all look back on and laugh about, especially when it comes to the faces all of them made when they realized everything.” 

“You are a genius, I didn’t even think anything of you having a camera out and on a tripod, I thought you may have just been recording yourself cooking or something.” 

“And that is exactly why it worked out so well.” Hyunjin shook his head at you with a smile. San squeezed your hip, you turned to look at him and he was smiling at you, his dimples making their glorious appearance. 

“Y/n-nie” you turned to look at Felix “You said something about your willow tree being lit up with fairy lights earlier, can we see it?” 

“Of course! Get some shoes on and I'll take you to it.” The boys scattered and went to put on their shoes. As they walked away from the central location you went to your office to grab a neck strap for the camera. Once you had it you made your way back to see the boys hanging out by the back door. Wooyoung and Changbin hadn't stopped talking since they stopped screaming at each other. You moved to the camera and gently took it off the tripod before attaching the neck strap and handing it to Hyunjin. 

“I know you will want to take pictures, take as many as you want and I will get them to you.” His responding smile was radiant as he gently took it from you and put it around the back of his neck. Felix gently took his hair out from under the strap before placing a kiss on his cheek. You watched the interaction with a smile before you stepped past all of the men and opened the door, as soon as you did the motion sensor lights kicked on. With a flourish you herded them out to the porch. When all of them were out you made sure to completely close the door so the giants wouldn't get out. You started leading the way out, as you moved past some of the lanterns started lighting up. San caught up with you and intertwined your fingers together. You led the boys out around the pool and down toward the winding cobbled path. As you were walking you heard several shutters from the camera which made you smile. 

After walking for a few minutes the willow came into view. You stopped and turned to look at Felix and Hyunjin, the latter let out a very loud gasp and immediately moved to start taking pictures. 

“Wahh, that’s so pretty,” looking around you saw Changbin staring at the tree in the distance. 

“Y’know what makes it even better is that is where Lix and Hyune had their first ‘official’ date. They sat under that tree for hours before it got too dark to see each other.” Changbin moved to look at the couple in question, they were beaming which was all the confirmation he needed. “They were actually the reason I put the fairy lights in the tree” 

“Come on, let's go see it!” Felix was bouncing excitedly. They both started following the familiar path to the willow hand in hand. The other groups followed them. You and San ended up bringing up the rear right after Minho and Seonghwa who were locked in conversation. 

You paused with a flinch as you stepped on something, there was a lightning bolt of pain in the soul of your foot. Picking up your foot you inspected what happened, it was just a small twig but it ended up catching you just right to cause a small spot of blood to well. 

“Why didn't you wear shoes?” You looked over to San who had stepped closer to you before kneeling down to inspect the small spot the twig left. 

“Generally I don't wear any when I come out here, it's no big deal Sannie it just caught me off guard.” 

“Nope, I’m not taking that.” He turned his back to you, “Get on princess.” He was looking at you over his shoulder. You acted like you were going to accept so he turned back around to face the front, but before you got close enough you picked up your skirt and bolted down the pathway. You barely caught the shake of Seonghwa’s head as you ran around him and Minho with a giggle. You heard San yelling for you to come back. You were laughing in spurts while you were running, Wooyoung and Changbin had stopped in the middle of the path to see what was going on. As soon as they caught sight of you running straight for them with San behind you they separated to stand on either side of the path. 

You ran past them with a large smile. You caught up to Hyunjin and Felix who were a considerable amount ahead of you in the beginning. You waved as you ran past them and took the left turn in the fork of the path to head toward the willow. There was somewhere you could break his line of sight; you just had to make a sharp turn to be able to get to it. When it came into view you sped up and dropped your skirt, thankfully because of the slit that went up to your upper thigh it did not hinder you too much. You pumped your arms and flung them out to fling yourself to the left around one of the lantern poles. You executed it perfectly and started running through the trees.

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

“Where did that ninja go?” Wooyoung asked Felix who was laughing at your hasty exit. San was almost out of breath as he approached the rest of the men in your company tonight. 

“Woo, she gives you a damn good run for your money.”  San was hunched over slightly trying to catch his breath. 

“She is probably headed to the other side of her property which I assume she hasn't shown you guys yet.” Seonghwa, Wooyoung, and San’s eyes moved over to Hyunjin who was just grinning at them. 

“Do you guys know where it is or are we playing hide and seek with her now?”

“We know where it is, but you probably are going to be playing a little bit of hide and seek with her anyway.”

“So what I am hearing is we have to play hide and seek with an actual ninja?” 

“Pretty much” Felix agreed with a large grin.

“Come on, we will take you to her,” Hyunjin grabbed Felix’s hand and started walking toward where you disappeared. 

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

Once you were satisfied that you had enough of a lead on San you slowed and started walking. You hadn't had the chance to get this completely paved yet but it was on your list. You knew Felix and Hyunjin would show the others where you were, now it was just a waiting game. As soon as you saw the moongates you smiled. The smell of peonies was strong as you approached the first of the five gates. You continued through the rest and you let your hand travel up to touch the small flowers that were hanging from them. The small lights of the gazebo came into view and you smiled. You sped up just a little and walked in to plop on one of the chairs.

You listened to the sounds of nature as you leaned your head back. You caught sight of the huge ginkgo tree situated behind the gazebo, it was the entire reason you made this garden. You saw it and knew you had to showcase it. 

Closing your eyes you basked in the beginnings of the moonlight. Today was a really good day, and tomorrow would be better. You were going to get to spend some more time with your boyfriends before you left for Paris. And you would get to spoil them too, they deserved it for how hard they worked. You smiled to yourself at the thought of their faces when they realized you technically got all of them something. Bringing your head back to its normal position you looked over the garden. The peonies were toward the first moongate, as each moongate passed it transitioned into forsythia, azaleas, hydrangeas, and then roses; all of which were large bushes. However the biggest thing you were proud of over here was the young cherry blossom and plum blossom trees flanking the gazebo and making an arc from the ginkgo.

You heard steps and light banter in the distance. Time to play a little bit of cat and mouse. You got up and started moving toward the first moongate with silent steps. You rounded the side and hid between a couple of the largest peony bushes. The steps got closer and you watched San, Wooyoung and Seonghwa creep slowly past you. You reached out your arm and poked Seonghwa in the leg as he passed. You quickly retracted your arm so he wouldn't spot you. He leapt up and away from you with a small squeak. Being in all black was really going to work to your advantage here. You decided to move your hat so it would be able to cover more of your face. Gently you took out the bobby pins, you held them while you adjusted the hat. You peaked out of the bush you were in and looked back toward where they came from. 

Changbin, Felix, Hyunjin and Minho were all standing a little ways back. Minho’s sharp eyes caught yours immediately. You gave him a grin like Joker before putting your finger up to your lips. He nodded back at you and pointed you out to the rest of the boys. As soon as Felix saw you he slapped a hand over his mouth. Hyunjin was already smiling at you with the camera in his hands, you could see the small red light indicating he was recording this for you; just like you had for them. Changbin was wide eyed, he wouldn't have seen you if Minho hadn't pointed you out to him. Turning back to your targets you saw Wooyoung was close, they all seemed to be looking for you throughout the garden. You looked at the bobby pin in your hand and snickered before launching it at him. It hit its mark perfectly, his hand flew up to the back of his head before he whipped around with a yell. You leaned back and put your head down so he wouldn't catch the white of your grin. 

“She has to be around here somewhere, where the hell could she be hiding?” You picked up one of the decorative stones close to you and threw it toward the third moongate surrounded by azaleas. All three of them jumped and whipped toward where the sound was. You quickly and silently made your way around and to the opposite side. You situated yourself on the other side of the small brick wall lining the garden. You peeked your head over the side and looked to see where they were. San was the closest but he was looking the other way. You took the risk and vaulted yourself over the wall, as soon as you landed you hit the deck and scooted so you couldn't be seen. The small amount of noise you generated caught his attention as you expected. There was a small stick within your reach, you grabbed it and prepared to poke him with it as he got closer. As soon as you could see his shoe you reached out with the stick and poked him in the ankle which you dropped immediately after so it seemed like he just stepped on it. You could have sworn he made it at least three feet off the ground, he let out a squeal that was a half whine. 

He moved quickly over to Wooyoung and started clinging to him. You took their distraction as your next chance. You scooted away from the base of the huge bush and got up onto your haunches. You bounced a couple of times to get your momentum going before you launched yourself the best you could out and over the Forsythia. You hit the ground and immediately got up to hide behind the large stone moongate. You hid there for a minute watching the faces of the boys across from you. Minho was smirking at you, a few seconds later he gave you a subtle thumbs up. You tipped your hat to him and moved quickly to vault over the other small brick wall. You crouched and moved as quietly and quickly as you could toward the big tree behind the gazebo. You made it close enough and rounded the end of the wall and to the huge tree trunk.

“I haven't seen her even once, do you think she went back up to the house?” Wooyoung’s voice was the one that seemed closest, if he was so was San. 

“That is a possibility, let's check out the gazebo before we leave.” Seonghwa was most likely not too far behind them, they all seemed to be relatively in the same place if their voices were anything to go by. You crouched close to the ground and practically crab walked around to move the swing in the gazebo. The responding squeak was exactly what you were looking for to catch their attention. Footsteps approached and right as they stopped you leapt out from behind the swing and yelled, “Boo.” 

All three of them jumped and let out ear piercing squeals. If Seonghwa had pearls on he would be clutching them, Wooyoung was standing there just staring at you with wide eyes. San, whose shoulders dwarfed Wooyoung's, was cowering behind him. Sitting on the banister of the gazebo you threw your legs over it and stepped between the chairs to stand next to Seonghwa. You heard the echoing laughter of the other four boys as they approached. Felix was laughing the hardest out of them with Hyunjin right behind him. They were absolutely thrilled that it wasn't them this time. 

“Woo, you were right she's a damn good ninja. She got you guys good.” Changbin had approached the duo and slapped a hand on Wooyoung’s shoulder. 

“I couldn't have done it without some help,” you glanced over at Minho and he was genuinely smiling at you now. You held out your hand in a fist bump motion and he leaned over to return it with a shake of his head. 

Seonghwa looked over to his friend “you traitor,” he grumbled.

“I have no alliance, I am just here for the cats and the chaos. Which she executed flawlessly.” You doubled over and let out the laughter you had been holding back the entire time. All of the boys looked at you like you were absolutely crazy before joining you. You were laughing so hard you had to reach out to Seonghwa to keep yourself from falling over. He gently steadied you and stepped closer so you could lean on him. 

“Alright, now that I have officially shown my boys what I am capable of, do we want to head back up to the house?” All of them echoed their agreement and you started leading them back the way you came. On the way you paused to gently grab and separate one of the peony stems, you made sure there weren't any ants on it and then handed it to Hyunjin. He was smiling at you and he pulled you into a quick side hug. 

Once all of you made it back to the house you started bidding Minho, Changbin, Hyunjin, and Felix goodbye. 

Felix was the first to approach you with his signature large smile. He pulled you into a hug and practically squeezed the life out of you. You let out a breathless giggle, “we really need to do this more often, maybe we can get both groups together and have a pool party sometime soon.” 

I agree, but you have to promise me that we start going out for lunch more regularly

“Deal, schedules permitting.” He nodded and released you, you held out your pinky to him and he linked his with yours. Hyunjin approached the two of you and handed Felix his peony before he handed you the camera back with a large grin. You took it and set it to the side before pulling him into a hug. 

“You will love the pictures I got," he murmured to you while squeezing you. 

“I always do Jinnie, I'll send them to you as soon as I can, it might be something I do in my downtime in Paris next week.” He nodded against you and let you go before stepping back to Felix who handed him the peony back. 

“Keep him in line, he is a handful.” Changbin was next, you grinned at him and looked over your shoulder to Wooyoung and San. 

“I will try my best, I can't guarantee anything though,” You turned back to Changbin, he laughed at your answer and pulled you into a quick hug. You looked over to the last one of the visiting boys. You knew he wasn't one for much skinship so you settled with another fist bump. He smiled at you and returned it. 

“Let me know if you want to come over and see the children, they love people and would absolutely love another human heater to hang out with.” 

He chucked at you and shook his head, “be careful I might actually take you up on that offer.” 

“I wouldn't have offered it if I didn't mean it.” He smiled at you and stepped back. You paused before remembering the rest of the boys they were going home to. 

“Oh! Can one of you tell the rest of the boys hi and tell Minnie he is a bitch for me?” Felix nodded and moved to grab Hyunjin’s hand. 

“They’ll be mad we got to see you and not them." He laughed, “Seungmin is absolutely going to be causing trouble because he didn't get to see his favorite photographer.” That prompted a laugh from you. You and Seungmin had a quiet understanding; both of you were very similar in the way you saw the world. You were haters together and always caused trouble when you were in the presence of the other; much like you and Wooyoung. The nicknames you gave each other were absolutely horrible and sometimes they got you into trouble. 

“We will see you soon, Y/n-nie, take care of yourself and let me know how the sweets come out.” 

“See you soon Lixie, you know I will. Drive safe.” All of them waved at you as they made their way out the door. You turned to the boys that were standing there watching you say goodbye to your friends. 

“Hi, did you like my surprise?” Wooyoung was the first to move as he trapped you in a tight hug. He was swaying with you and you closed your eyes as you rested your head on his shoulder. 

“Thank you, tonight was so much fun and I am so happy I got to see Binnie and Lixie. You will have to tell us more about how you know them later because you tuckered me out” You pulled back and put your hands on his cheeks while you leaned your forehead against his. 

“I am glad you liked my surprise, I'll tell you everything as soon as we have some more time.” You left a small peck on his forehead before looking over at the other two who were holding onto each other. They also looked fairly tired.

“I have something for all of you, you three are the first ones to know about this but you cannot tell the others at all until tomorrow night for Sangie’s surprise party.” The three of them nodded at you with small looks of confusion. You walked away from Wooyoung and made your way quickly into the basement where all of the bags from earlier were. Sorting through them you found the sizes you got for the three boys upstairs and yours. As you were walking up the stairs you heard them chattering quietly. You stepped into the main portion of the room and saw all of them moved to the couch to lounge against each other. They all looked up at you with sleepy smiles. Making your way over to them you presented the outfits in front of you with a large smile. Seonghwa’s eyes widened as he realized you got matching outfits. 

“These are both for the party, and for you to have here in case you unexpectedly spend the night.” Wooyoung was the first to move to you as you held his out to him. He was beaming and rushed off to change in the half bath, his excitement must have fueled him enough to get him out of his languid state. San grabbed his, kissed your cheek and made his way after Wooyoung. You caught sight of him taking off his shirt before he even made it to the bathroom. You turned back to Seonghwa with a small blush, he was already smiling softly at you. 

“You spoil us,” he got up and gently grabbed the set you held out for him. As he took it from you he noticed that you still had one more outfit. He looked at you with a tilt of his head and you giggled softly at him.

“I may have gotten myself one too, just for the fun of it.” You shrugged, it was his turn to smile and giggle at you. He gently grabbed your hand before leading you toward the stairs. You followed him to your bedroom, he let go of your hand and gently pushed you toward your closet so you would change. With a light shake of your head you turned and walked away from him and into the closet. You made quick work of changing and decided to set out your outfit for tomorrow. You had been planning on wearing this since you thought of the theme for Yeosang’s birthday. When you were finished you stepped out of the room to see Seonghwa lying in the middle of the bed cuddled up with Toothless who was lying toward the edge. 

“That’s my spot you heathen,” you made a shooing motion to Toothless as you crawled into the bed to settle yourself next to Seonghwa; who was watching you with amusement. 

“Yah, where did you guys go?” Wooyoung was yelling from what sounded like the bottom of the stairs. 

“We are in my bedroom waiting on you two.” You heard some footsteps making their way around the house before they started up the stairs. They both appeared in the doorway with matching smiles and outfits. All you could do was grin at the two of them. San’s eyes widened as he took you and Seonghwa in. 

“You got some too?!” You nodded at him and the smile you wore got just a little bigger. He was the excited one that dragged Wooyoung along for once. Both of them got onto the bed and got comfortable behind Seonghwa. You took the covers that were toward the foot of the bed and flung them over all of you the best you could. 

“Thank you for this evening my moon, I really appreciate you doing that for us.” Seonghwa’s voice was soft as he spoke. 

“I’m happy you had a good evening my star.” He nodded at you with half lidded eyes, you placed a kiss against his forehead before you pulled him toward you. He was laying on your arm and you started running your fingers through his hair slightly scratching his scalp. He relaxed farther against you and let out a hum. You looked over to the other two in the bed, They had immediately scooted closer to Seonghwa and made themselves comfortable. You reached out your free hand which Wooyoung almost immediately took. He settled it against Seonghwa’s hip and San put his hand on top of the both of yours. Not too long after their steady breathing and Wooyoung’s constant soothing motion across the inside of your wrist put you to sleep.

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Next Chapter (Chapter 20 Coming Soon)

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[breadedloafs]

down to read anything you post on this fic ngl

Next Update BtL

🎥 Series Masterlist 🎥

Hi Moonpies! I have a few things I wanted to discuss and share with you.

So, I am getting close to having 100 followers! First of all, thank you for following me I appreciate and adore all of you 🖤🖤🖤 Secondly, I would like to do something special for it but I am not quite sure what I want to do. That's where you guys come in, I am debating on a couple of things. The first being a small blurb for each member. The second would be releasing some of the raw deleted scenes from BtL. Please let me know which one you would like to see in the comments! (If you chose the blurbs please leave me some recommendations for them as well!)

On to the next thing, I am working on the next chapter of BtL. As of right now it still has a ways to go to get it to where I want it to be. That being said it might take a little longer to get out. I know I have been trying to update over the weekends but this one is lengthy and I have changed it two to three times already. I am so excited for it and your reactions to it. Don't worry its not angst, I feel like I may have tortured you guys enough. (for now 😘🖤)

To tide you over here is a sneak peek! (these are subject to small changes)

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Hongjoong appeared a minute later with a couple of bobby-pins and a large grin. He waved Wooyoung off of your shoulder and moved to stand between your legs. You looked up at him while he gently put the wide brimmed hat on your head and started affixing it with the bobby pins. He was so focused, his tongue was just barely sticking out between his lips as he put the final bobby pin into your hair. Taking a step back he surveyed his handwork, under his gaze you could feel the heat rush to your face. His eyes met yours and a smile spread across his face. 

“There you go, Nae Sarang (My Love).” You stood and turned to look in the mirror that was in one of the hidden cabinets. He had settled the hat more on the back of your head making it look almost like a halo crown. You beamed at him through the reflection. 

“Joongie, this pulls together the outfit so well! I need to come to you for fashion more often.” He attempted to hide the smile that was going to split his face. The apples of his cheeks were turning a cute shade of red at your praise. You turned around, stepped forward to get closer to him and gently leaned down to place a kiss on his cheek. If he could have gotten more red he would have, the smile he was attempting to hide broke out across his face. He couldn't make eye contact with you, just choosing to keep his head down. 

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

Just as you were about to sit down at a table someone tapped you on the leg. Turning around you smiled as you were met with a shy young boy. You assumed his father was the one standing not too far behind him with a smile on his face. You crouched down to be on his level. 

“Yeosanim (Ms. or Madam), your tattoos are really pretty.” The little boy wasn’t really looking at you and you just barely caught his words. Your heart melted and you reached out to him. His eyes snapped up to yours as you laid a hand on his arm. He had just barely seen the tattoos you had because of the long flowy sleeves; and yet he still liked them. 

“Thank you so much, would you like to look at them a little better?” He was frantically nodding while you checked that it was okay with his dad; who had many tattoos of his own. A small nod and a quick smile was all the confirmation you needed to gently roll up your sleeve to show him your arms. His eyes sparkled with wonder as you showed him the various intricacies of your sleeves. He gently traced some of the lines on your right arm. 

“Alright buddy, eomma is waiting for us back at the table.” His eyes looked up at yours and he jumped into your arms to give you a hug.

“Thank you yeosanim (Ms. or Madam).” He whispered as you wrapped your arms around him. You were looking at the dad, the smile never left his face as he mouthed thank you. 

“Of course, I am very happy you asked me about them, they are my pride and joy” he stayed there with you for a second before he released you. With a quick polite bow he ran back toward his dad. A hand presented itself before you and you accepted the help up from Forrest. Aurora and Willow were watching you with smiles as you sat down next to Willow. 

“If that didn’t give me baby fever I don’t know what would. He was absolutely adorable.” Willow gushed leaning her head on your shoulder. You giggled and laid your head on top of hers.

★☆☽ O ☾☆★

There also might quite possibly be a big surprise in this chapter.

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

Likes, comments, and reblogs are greatly appreciated!

Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!

Thanks for being patient with me and for reading! <3 Moonie

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[breadedloafs]

Pairing: Hongjoong x reader, Seonghwa x reader, Yunho x reader, Mingi x reader, Wooyoung x reader.

Summary: Five eight-year-old boys aboard the slave ship Crimson Serpent form an unbreakable bond with five-year-old y/n. before she's sold at auction. Despite their failed rescue attempt, they swear a blood oath on her teddy bear to find her.Fifteen years later, now feared pirates leading the ATEEZ

Warnings: Slavery/Human Trafficking, Separation/Loss, Violence, Eventual Smut. SA(not by any main characters) mxm

Authors note: it’s a long one! The next few will be long, mostly relationship development and smut! Double check the warnings for each chapter!!💜 The relationships are still y/n and the 5 main guys, I’m still undecided on what y/n and yeosangs relationship will be!

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Masterlist

Chapter 15

Sanctuary

Morning light filtered through the small porthole of Seonghwa's quarters, catching dust motes in golden beams. Y/n stirred slowly, momentarily disoriented by unfamiliar surroundings until memory returned—the previous night with Seonghwa, their passionate connection, his discovery of her scars, and most surprising of all, his acceptance of them.

She hadn't meant to reveal that part of herself so soon. After so long, hiding her scars from everyone except Yeosang, exposure felt dangerously vulnerable. Yet Seonghwa's reaction—rage at Blackwell rather than pity for her—had been oddly comforting. His careful touch afterward, treating her damaged skin as something precious rather than shameful, had unlocked something she'd kept tightly guarded for too long.

The steady rise and fall of Seonghwa's chest beneath her cheek told her he was still asleep. This itself was unusual—the quartermaster typically rose before dawn to begin his daily inspection of the ship. Seeing him relaxed in sleep, features softened without his usual precise control, created a warmth in her chest that had nothing to do with physical desire.

As if sensing her attention, Seonghwa's eyes fluttered open, immediately finding hers with unusual clarity for someone just waking. "Good morning," he said, voice rougher than its usual measured tone.

"Good morning," she replied, suddenly shy despite their intimacy the night before. "You slept late."

A small smile touched his lips. "I had reason to be tired."

The subtle reference to their activities brought warmth to her cheeks, but she held his gaze steadily. "The great quartermaster, neglecting his morning duties. The crew will think the world is ending."

"Let them wonder," he said, reaching up to brush a strand of hair from her face. The casual intimacy of the gesture felt more significant somehow than their passionate encounters. This was Seonghwa without calculation or precision—simply a man touching a woman he cared for.

His fingers traced the curve of her jaw, his expression growing more serious. "Are you... well? After last night?"

She knew he wasn't just asking about physical comfort. "I am," she assured him. "Better than I expected."

Relief flickered across his features. "Good. I was concerned I might have been... overzealous in certain moments."

A laugh bubbled up from her chest at his formal phrasing. "Only you could make that sound like a quarterly ship inspection report."

His ears reddened slightly, but a smile tugged at his lips. "Force of habit."

"A habit I find oddly endearing," she admitted, pressing a light kiss to his chest.

Seonghwa's arms tightened around her, his chin resting on the top of her head. "I spoke with Hongjoong last night," he said after a comfortable silence. "After you fell asleep."

"I know," she murmured against his skin. "You came back to bed and told me."

"You remember that?" He sounded surprised. "You seemed mostly asleep."

"Years of light sleeping," she explained. "Real rest was a luxury that Most of us didn’t have."

His arms tightened fractionally around her, a protective gesture that spoke volumes. "We're changing course," he said, shifting to lighter topics. "Heading to—"

Three sharp knocks interrupted him, followed immediately by the door swinging open with theatrical flair.

"Good morning, lovebirds!" Wooyoung's cheerful voice filled the cabin as he backed in, carrying a large tray. "I come bearing sustenance for the recently reunited!"

Y/n instinctively clutched the sheet higher, but Seonghwa's reaction was more dramatic—he sat bolt upright, nearly dislodging her from her comfortable position.

"Wooyoung!" he hissed, voice tight with mortification. "You're supposed to wait for permission after knocking!"

"Where's the fun in that?" Wooyoung grinned, turning to face them with exaggerated innocence that dissolved into theatrical delight at their disheveled state. "Oh my! What have we here? The perfectly arranged quartermaster looking decidedly... disarranged?"

He set the tray down on Seonghwa's desk with a flourish, seemingly untroubled by the death glare being directed at him. The tray held an impressive array of food—fresh bread, honey, sliced fruits, and two steaming mugs that smelled wonderfully of coffee.

"I must say," Wooyoung continued, making a show of examining them both, "this is a VAST improvement over your usual morning state, Seonghwa. I've never seen your hair actually acknowledge the existence of gravity before."

"Get out," Seonghwa ordered, though the effect was somewhat undermined by his obvious embarrassment.

Y/n laughed, surprising herself with how freely it came. "You know, Wooyoung, you have quite the talent for walking in on compromising situations. First Mingi and me in the medical bay, now this... I'm starting to think you have some sort of sixth sense."

Wooyoung's face lit up with unholy glee at her participation in the teasing. "It's a gift," he declared, placing a hand dramatically over his heart. "Some people have an eye for art or an ear for music. I have a perfect sense of timing for catching my fellow officers in delightfully scandalous moments."

"It's not a gift, it's an invasion of privacy," Seonghwa muttered, though his tone had softened slightly at Y/n’s easy humor.

"Privacy?" Wooyoung gasped in mock outrage. "On a pirate ship? My dear quartermaster, that's like expecting dry feet in a thunderstorm!"

"Perhaps you should consider knocking and actually waiting for a response next time," Y/n suggested mildly, though her eyes sparkled with amusement.

"And miss that magnificent blush currently spreading across our quartermaster's perfect cheekbones?" Wooyoung clutched his chest as if wounded. "You ask too much, my lady! Besides," he added with a theatrical wink, "I'm performing an essential service—ensuring our beloved officers are properly fed after their... exhausting activities."

"Wooyoung! Out!" Seonghwa's voice had risen slightly despite his attempt at control.

"Without even receiving proper thanks for my generosity?" Wooyoung placed a hand over his heart in mock offense. "After I slaved over a hot stove to prepare this magnificent breakfast? After I carefully selected these specific peaches because they reminded me of the blush currently spreading across your perfectly sculpted cheekbones?"

Y/n couldn't help it—she laughed, the sound surprising even herself. The sheer absurdity of the situation, combined with Wooyoung's theatrical performance and Seonghwa's mortification, broke through her usual reserve.

"You still need to leave. Now." Seonghwa stated firmly.

"So commanding," Wooyoung sighed dreamily, leaning against the desk. "Is he this authoritative in other contexts too?" he asked with an exaggerated wink. "I've always wondered if the quartermasterly precision extended to ALL activities."

“Woo” Y/n shook her head at him and giggled. 

"Fine, fine," Wooyoung conceded, moving toward the door with deliberate slowness. "But the captain wants you both on the quarterdeck within the hour. We're tracking a favorable wind that should speed our journey homeward."

He paused at the doorway, a genuine smile replacing his theatrical expression for just a moment. "It's good to see you both happy," he said with surprising sincerity. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the seriousness vanished beneath his usual playful demeanor. "Though I must say, Y/n, I'm DEVASTATED you didn't try MY quarters first. I assure you my morning-after service includes far more entertainment and significantly less blushing!"

"OUT!" Seonghwa commanded, reaching for something to throw.

Wooyoung ducked out the door with a musical laugh, calling back, "The coffee's hot but not as hot as you two last night! Yunho's cabin is near yours, and he said the NOISES were—"

The door slammed shut, cutting off the rest of his sentence, but his laughter echoed down the corridor.

Seonghwa fell back against the pillows with a groan, one arm flung across his eyes. "I'm going to kill him."

"No, you won't," Y/n said, settling against him again. "You care about him too much."

"That is unfortunately true," Seonghwa admitted grudgingly. "Though at moments like this, I question why."

Y/n reached for his hand, intertwining their fingers. "Because he brings light into even the darkest situations. Because his theatrics hide a perceptiveness few recognize. Because he makes you laugh when you forget how."

Seonghwa turned his head to look at her, surprise evident in his expression. "You still see so much."

"I’m good with observation," she reminded him. "Another survival technique."

A shadow crossed his face, reminding her of his reaction to her scars. Before he could slip back into guilt or anger, she leaned up to kiss him passionately, cutting off his thoughts. "The coffee smells wonderful, and we apparently have less than an hour before we're expected on deck."

Recognizing her attempt to shift the mood, Seonghwa nodded, sitting up with her. "Yes, I should brief you before we meet with the others."

"Brief me?" she asked, slipping from the bed to retrieve the tray, keeping the sheet wrapped around her. "That sounds ominously official."

"Not like that," he assured her, watching as she brought the breakfast back to bed—a decidedly informal act that seemed to both please and slightly scandalize his orderly nature. "Hongjoong has set course for our home base. I was about to tell you when Wooyoung interrupted."

"Home base?" Y/n settled back beside him, arranging the tray between them. "I assumed the ATEEZ was your home."

"It is, in many ways," Seonghwa acknowledged, accepting the coffee she handed him. "But we also have a more permanent location. Somewhere secure, where we can make repairs, resupply, and..." he hesitated, "rest."

Something in his tone caught her attention. "You're being deliberately vague."

A small smile touched his lips. "Perhaps. Hongjoong thought it might be nice to surprise you."

"Now I'm intrigued," she said, breaking a piece of bread and automatically dividing it in half, causing Seonghwa to smile softly. "When will we arrive at this mysterious location?"

"Two days, if the wind holds," Seonghwa replied, accepting the half she offered him with visible pleasure at the familiar gesture. "Sooner if we catch the currents Hongjoong is tracking."

Y/n nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. The rich flavor surprised her—much better than the standard ship's brew. Wooyoung must have used his private stores for this breakfast.

"You should prepare yourself," Seonghwa said after a moment, his tone more serious. "For questions from the others. About us. About... what's developing between you and them."

Y/n met his gaze steadily. "You mean about Mingi and me in the medical bay. About Hongjoong and me in his quarters."

Seonghwa nodded, his expression carefully neutral despite the personal nature of the topic. "It's an unusual situation."

“It’s the only way this situation could go.” She stated. 

Seonghwa studied her, surprise and understanding dawning in his expression. "You've thought about this."

"Since the first day aboard the ATEEZ," she confirmed. "When I began to suspect who you all were. When I saw how you'd maintained your connections to each other." She picked up a slice of peach, examining it thoughtfully. "Five boys became five men while searching for me. Each formed their own bond with me as a child, each carried their own memory of me through fifteen years, each offers something different now. Why would I choose just one connection when all five helped me survive? For me, it’s all of you or none, I would never choose."

"And Yeosang?" Seonghwa asked carefully.

A small smile touched her lips at his perceptiveness. "Yeosang and I have a different history. One I'm not ready to share fully, even with you. Not yet."

To his credit, Seonghwa didn't press. "You don't need to explain or justify anything," he said instead. "As Hongjoong pointed out last night, after years without choices, you deserve to make all of them now."

The sentiment—so similar to what she'd just been thinking—created unexpected warmth in her chest. These men truly did understand something fundamental about her needs, even without her having to explain everything.

"Thank you," she said simply.

"For what?"

"For seeing me," she replied. "Not just the person you remember or the woman you hoped to find, but who I actually am now. Scars and all."

Seonghwa reached out, brushing his thumb across her cheek in a gesture of such tenderness it made her breath catch. "I should be thanking you," he said quietly. "For allowing me to see, after I spent so long hiding behind duty and guilt."

For a moment, they simply gazed at each other, something profound passing between them that required no words. Then, with typical practicality, Seonghwa glanced at the small clock on his bedside table.

"We should dress," he said, regret evident in his tone. "The captain will be waiting."

"Always the responsible one," Y/n teased gently, setting the breakfast tray aside.

"Someone has to be," he replied with a hint of a smile, "especially when Wooyoung seems determined to embarrass me at every opportunity."

"I like seeing you embarrassed," she admitted, rising from the bed. "It's a side of you few get to witness."

His eyes followed her movement appreciatively. "You'll see many sides of me, I suspect, that others never do."

The promise in his words—of continued intimacy, of shared vulnerability—created a pleasant anticipation for whatever lay ahead. As they dressed in comfortable silence, Y/n found herself looking forward to this mysterious "home base" with unexpected eagerness.

After fifteen years believing herself forgotten, she had not only found her childhood protectors but was now apparently heading toward a place they considered home. The irony wasn't lost on her—that freedom had come not from escape but from being captured yet again, this time by the very people she'd spent fifteen years remembering in secret.

As Seonghwa finished buttoning his immaculate uniform jacket, she noticed him checking his reflection with unusual attention, fingers touching his neck with a slight frown.

"Looking for something?" she asked innocently.

His ears reddened slightly. "Hongjoong mentioned a... mark. Last night."

Understanding dawned, and she couldn't help the small smile that curved her lips. "Just above your collar on the left side," she confirmed. "Though your uniform mostly covers it."

Seonghwa's expression was so mortified that she had to laugh. "The perfect quartermaster, marked by something he can't control," she teased gently. "How terrible for your reputation."

To her surprise, after a moment of obvious discomfort, his expression shifted to something more deliberate. He stepped closer, one hand coming to rest at her waist.

"Perhaps," he said, his voice dropping lower, "I don't mind quite as much as I should."

The admission—that he valued their connection above his perfectly maintained image—touched her deeply. Before she could respond, he leaned down to press a brief but meaningful kiss to her lips.

"We should go," he said as he pulled away, though reluctance was evident in his tone. As they left his quarters together, stepping into the corridor with its busy morning activity, Y/n felt something she hadn't experienced in fifteen years—a genuine sense of belonging that had nothing to do with ownership and everything to do with choice.

The quartermaster walked beside her, his usual perfect composure slightly undermined by the barely visible mark on his neck and the lingering softness in his eyes when he looked at her. For all his attempts to return to professional demeanor, something fundamental had shifted between them. 

The quarterdeck was already busy with activity when they arrived. Hongjoong stood by the helm, examining charts with Yunho while Wooyoung leaned against the railing nearby, engaged in animated conversation with Yeosang. All four looked up as Seonghwa and Y/n approached, their reactions varying from Hongjoong's knowing smile to Wooyoung's exaggerated wink.

"Ah, our final participants have arrived," Hongjoong announced, folding his chart with practiced ease. "And only three minutes late—a remarkable improvement over my expectations."

Seonghwa's ears reddened slightly, but his voice remained steady. "The quarterdeck is an unusual location for a strategy meeting, Captain."

"This isn't a strategy meeting," Hongjoong replied, his gaze moving briefly to include Y/n. "It's an announcement."

He gestured for the others to gather closer, creating a small circle of confidants amid the busy deck. The regular crew members maintained a respectful distance, continuing their duties while casting curious glances toward the officers' impromptu gathering.

"As most of you already know," Hongjoong began, his captain's voice pitched to carry to their small group without broadcasting to the entire ship, "I've adjusted our course. We're heading home."

Yunho's face broke into a wide smile, while Wooyoung actually clapped his hands together in undisguised delight.

"It's about time!" Wooyoung exclaimed. "My garden will be completely overgrown by now."

"Your garden is always overgrown," Yeosang commented dryly. "That's what happens when you plant things with no regard for organized growth patterns."

"That's called 'natural beauty,' my methodical friend," Wooyoung shot back, unperturbed. "Not everything needs to be arranged in perfect rows like Seonghwa's Flower garden."

"Focus, gentlemen," Hongjoong interrupted, though his tone was fond rather than scolding. His gaze shifted to Y/n. "We should arrive in approximately two days, assuming favorable winds."

"So I've been told," Y/n replied, glancing at Seonghwa. "Though no one seems willing to tell me exactly what this 'home' is."

A significant look passed between the officers—a silent communication that spoke of shared secrets and agreed-upon silence.

"You'll see when we arrive," Hongjoong said with a mysterious smile. "Some things are better experienced than explained."

"How cryptic," Y/n observed, studying each face for clues. Yunho looked slightly guilty under her scrutiny, while Wooyoung's excitement was barely contained. Yeosang maintained his usual composed expression, though something in his eyes suggested anticipation. Even Seonghwa, standing beside her, seemed to be suppressing some private satisfaction.

"What about Mingi?" Yunho asked, concern evident in his gentle voice. "The journey might be hard on him."

"I've already consulted with Yeosang," Hongjoong assured him, nodding toward the doctor. "We'll take extra precautions during the voyage, but he believes the benefits of reaching home far outweigh any risks of travel."

"Indeed," Yeosang confirmed. "Mingi's recovery will progress more efficiently in a stable environment with proper facilities. I've already begun preparations for his transfer."

"And the ship?" Seonghwa inquired, ever the practical quartermaster. "The damage to the gun deck requires more extensive repairs than our standard maintenance."

"Which is precisely why we're heading home," Hongjoong replied. "We have everything we need there—materials, workspace, time." His gaze returned to Y/n. "And I think we've earned a period of respite."

There it was again—that subtle undercurrent running beneath their conversation, something they all understood but weren't explicitly stating.

"You're all being very mysterious," Y/n observed, her curiosity piqued despite herself. "This must be quite the home to inspire such secrecy."

"It is," Yunho said earnestly, then caught himself with a slightly embarrassed smile. "I mean, we think so."

"I've been planning renovations to my quarters for months," Wooyoung added, practically bouncing with excitement. "I have fabric samples hidden in my sea chest!"

"Yes, we know," Seonghwa said dryly. "You've been inflicting your 'design vision' on all of us since our last visit."

"You'll be grateful for my exquisite taste when you're enjoying the new dining area," Wooyoung sniffed dramatically. "Not all of us want to live in a space that looks like a naval academy dormitory."

"As entertaining as this interior decoration debate promises to be," Hongjoong interrupted with practiced patience, "we should discuss the practical matters of our journey." He turned to Seonghwa. "I'll need your assistance plotting our approach to avoid the naval patrols near Meridian Point."

"Of course," Seonghwa nodded. "I'll prepare alternative routes this afternoon."

"Yeosang, you'll oversee Mingi's care throughout the voyage," Hongjoong continued. "Yunho, I want you to prepare the smaller launch boat for possible use when we reach the coastal approach."

"And me?" Wooyoung asked eagerly.

Hongjoong's lips quirked in a small smile. "You'll inventory our remaining supplies and prepare a comprehensive list of what we need to restock upon arrival."

Wooyoung's face fell slightly. "Inventory? That's Seonghwa's job."

"Seonghwa will be busy with navigation," Hongjoong replied smoothly. "Besides, don't you want to ensure we purchase the correct spices this time? I recall some rather dramatic complaints about the quality of the cardamom after our last resupply."

"That wasn't cardamom," Wooyoung muttered. "It was sawdust with delusions of grandeur." But he nodded, accepting the assignment despite his grumbling.

"And me?" Y/n asked, catching them all by surprise.

Hongjoong studied her for a moment, then smiled. "You'll assist wherever you choose," he said simply. "This ship is as much yours as ours now."

The sentiment—so casually delivered yet so profound in its implications—created a moment of silence among them. After captivity where her every move was dictated by others, this simple acknowledgment of her autonomy felt like a gift beyond measure.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

Hongjoong nodded, understanding flowing beneath the simple gesture. Then, with the practiced ease of a captain who knew when a moment needed to end, he straightened and addressed them all.

"Back to your duties, gentlemen. We have a homecoming to prepare for."

As the officers dispersed, Hongjoong moved closer to Y/n, his voice dropping for her ears alone. "Walk with me?"

She nodded, falling into step beside him as he led her toward the port railing, where they could speak privately despite the busy deck around them.

"Seonghwa told you we're heading home," he said, not really a question.

"Yes, though he was frustratingly vague about what that means," she replied. "You all seem to be keeping quite the secret."

A smile touched Hongjoong's lips. "Not a secret so much as a surprise."

"Joongie," she said, her voice gentle but firm, "I've had enough surprises in my life. Most of them unpleasant."

His expression softened with immediate understanding. "You're right. I hadn't considered that perspective." He leaned against the railing, looking out over the water. "It's a house. A large one, on a secluded stretch of coastline. We purchased it five years ago when our... ventures... became sufficiently profitable."

"Pirates with a permanent address," Y/n mused. "That's rather unconventional."

"We've never been conventional pirates," Hongjoong reminded her with a small smile. "Our mission was always different from others who fly the black flag."

"Finding me," she acknowledged, the weight of those fifteen years of searching settling between them.

"Yes." His hand moved unconsciously to the pocket where Mr. Hugs had traveled for so long—the habit persisting even though the bear now belonged to her. "But while that was our purpose, we needed practical considerations too. A secure place for repairs, storage for supplies and treasures too valuable to keep aboard ship, somewhere to heal when injuries required more than shipboard medicine could provide."

"Like Mingi's wound," she observed.

"Exactly," Hongjoong agreed. "Yeosang does remarkable work with limited resources, but some recoveries need more than a rolling ship can offer."

Y/n studied him, sensing there was more to this story. "But that's not the only reason you established this place."

Hongjoong's eyes met hers, something vulnerable flickering in their depths. "No," he admitted. "It wasn't."

Before he could elaborate, a crew member approached with an urgent question about their course adjustment, pulling the captain's attention away. Hongjoong addressed the matter quickly, then turned back to Y/n with an apologetic smile.

"Duty calls, I'm afraid. But we'll continue this conversation soon. Perhaps when there are fewer interruptions."

The promise in his voice—of private revelations yet to come—created a pleasant anticipation in her chest. As Hongjoong moved away to attend to his responsibilities, Y/n remained by the railing, feeling the wind in her hair and watching the horizon where their mysterious home apparently waited.

Whatever secrets they were keeping about this place, she trusted that—unlike most surprises in her life—this one was meant for her happiness rather than her harm.

The next two days passed in a flurry of activity as the ATEEZ sailed toward its mysterious destination. True to their word, the officers maintained their secrecy about the exact nature of their "home," though each dropped tantalizing hints that only heightened Y/n’s curiosity.

Wooyoung spoke enthusiastically about his garden and the kitchen that was "actually civilized, unlike this floating pot closet." Yunho mentioned stargazing platforms and a telescope that would make the constellations he'd taught her seem close enough to touch. Seonghwa, in rare moments of unguarded excitement, described a library with floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with books from across the known world.

Even Mingi, still recovering in the medical bay where Y/n spent much of her time, would smile mysteriously when she asked direct questions. His condition improved steadily as promised, the stability of their sailing and Yeosang's careful attention accelerating his healing beyond initial projections.

On the dawn of the third day, Y/n woke to Hongjoong's voice calling all hands on deck. She reached the main deck just as the ATEEZ rounded a dramatic cliff face, revealing a sheltered cove nestled between towering rock formations. The natural harbor offered perfect protection from storms and prying eyes alike—deep enough for the ATEEZ to approach shore yet concealed from passing ships by the curving cliff walls.

But it wasn't the tactical perfection of the harbor that took Y/n’s breath away. There, set back on a gentle rise overlooking the cove, stood a house—though "house" seemed entirely inadequate a description. Mansion might be more accurate, or perhaps estate. The sprawling structure of pale stone gleamed in the morning light, its elegant architecture harmonizing with the natural beauty surrounding it.

"Welcome home," Hongjoong said quietly, appearing beside her at the railing.

"That's your home?" Y/n asked, unable to keep the astonishment from her voice.

"Our home," he corrected gently. "And yes."

As the ATEEZ glided toward a well-constructed dock at the base of the property, Y/n noticed many features that spoke to both practicality and beauty—a boathouse large enough to shelter several smaller vessels, meticulously maintained gardens that transitioned from formal near the house to wild and natural as they approached the cliffs, and what appeared to be a workshop built into the side of one cliff face, likely for ship repairs.

"It's magnificent," she breathed, still struggling to connect the notorious pirates with this elegant estate.

"Wait until you see inside," Wooyoung said with barely contained excitement as he joined them. "The exterior is Seonghwa's precise vision, but the interior has benefited from my superior design sensibilities."

"Your 'superior design sensibilities' gave us a dining room with seventeen different patterns competing for attention," Seonghwa observed dryly as he approached, though his eyes remained on Y/n’s face, watching her reaction carefully.

Before Wooyoung could launch into what was clearly a long-standing argument, movement on the dock caught Y/n’s attention. Two young men stood waiting, waving enthusiastically as the ATEEZ approached. One was powerfully built with broad shoulders that suggested significant strength despite his relatively compact frame. The other was leaner with sharp features and a fluid grace evident even in stillness.

"Who are they?" Y/n asked, curious about these strangers who seemed so familiar with the crew.

"Ah," Hongjoong smiled broadly, waving back at the men. "Jongho and San. Our caretakers and fellow crew members. They stay behind when we sail to maintain the property and keep watch."

"They were cabin boys like us," Yunho explained, joining the gathering at the rail. "Brought aboard The Crimson Serpent after you were taken to auction. They've been with us from the beginning of our search, though they weren't there when we first met you."

This new information surprised Y/n—she hadn't realized there were others who shared the childhood connection to that fateful ship.

As the ATEEZ docked with practiced precision, the two men on shore helped secure the mooring lines. The broad-shouldered one—Jongho, she assumed—single-handedly managed a rope that would normally require two crew members, confirming her impression of his strength.

"Captain!" the leaner one called up, his face splitting into a wide grin. "You're back early! And with a full hold, judging by how low she's sitting in the water."

"More than a full hold, San," Hongjoong called back. "We've found her."

Both men on the dock froze, identical expressions of disbelief crossing their faces. Then they erupted in shouted questions and exclamations, talking over each other in their excitement.

"The gangway," Seonghwa ordered nearby crew members, his voice steady despite the obvious emotion of the moment. "And prepare to transport Master Gunner Mingi with full medical precautions."

As the crew rushed to comply, Y/n felt a moment of unexpected nervousness. These men had built this magnificent place while searching for her. What expectations might they have? What disappointment might they feel if she didn't measure up to fifteen years of imagining?

Seonghwa seemed to sense her unease, his hand finding hers briefly in a reassuring touch. "They'll love you," he said quietly. "Just as we do."

The simple statement, delivered with such certainty, steadied her. As the gangway settled into place, Hongjoong offered her his arm formally.

"Would you do me the honor of being the first to disembark?" he asked, a meaningful look passing between them. "It seems fitting, given everything."

Understanding the symbolic importance of this moment, Y/n took his arm. Together, they descended to the dock where Jongho and San waited, their expressions a mixture of excitement and awe.

"Jongho, San," Hongjoong said formally, "this is Y/n. The girl we've been searching for."

San was the first to recover, executing an elegant bow that somehow managed to be both respectful and slightly theatrical. "We've been hearing stories about you for fifteen years," he said, straightening with a warm smile. "It's an honor to finally meet the legend in person."

"Legend?" Y/n questioned, surprised by the term.

"What else would you call someone who inspired five boys to become the most feared pirates on the seven seas?" Jongho asked, his voice surprisingly gentle despite his imposing physique. He bowed as well, more formally than San but with equal warmth. "Welcome home, Y/n. We've been keeping it ready for you."

The statement confirmed what she'd begun to suspect—this place had been created with her in mind. Before she could respond, Wooyoung burst past them, unable to contain himself any longer.

"Enough formal nonsense!" he declared. "She's been waiting in suspense for days! Let's show her everything!"

What followed was a whirlwind tour up the winding path from the dock to the house itself. Jongho and San fell in alongside the officers, filling them in on developments during their absence while sneaking curious glances at Y/n. The easy camaraderie between all seven men spoke of years of shared purpose and deep friendship.

The house was even more impressive up close—three stories of elegant architecture with wide windows capturing breathtaking views of the ocean. A covered veranda wrapped around the entire structure, offering shaded outdoor space that caught the sea breeze.

"Mingi designed most of the architectural elements," Yunho explained as they approached. "Though Seonghwa insisted on symmetry and Wooyoung demanded 'flair.'"

"Which he got in moderation," Seonghwa added, shooting Wooyoung a meaningful look.

Inside, the house opened into a grand entrance hall with a sweeping staircase. Unlike the ostentatious display of wealth Y/n had seen in Blackwell's mansion, this space felt welcoming despite its grandeur—comfortable furnishings mixed with beautiful pieces, warm colors bringing life to elegant spaces.

"Yeosang's medical suite is through there," Jongho explained, pointing to a wing off the main hall. "Should we prepare it for Mingi?"

"Please," Yeosang nodded. "I'll supervise his transfer once the space is ready."

As Jongho departed on this errand, the others continued showing Y/n through the house. Each room revealed another aspect of the men who had created it—Hongjoong's study filled with maps and navigation instruments, the library Seonghwa had described with its wall of windows overlooking the sea, Wooyoung's kitchen that drew an exclamation of delight from Y/n with its abundant space and clever design.

"You should see his garden," San told her with a conspiratorial grin. "It's as chaotic as he is, but somehow everything thrives."

"Unlike your training room," Wooyoung shot back good-naturedly. "Which is as regimented as a naval academy."

"Structure breeds excellence," San replied with mock formality that made everyone laugh.

Throughout this tour, Y/n noticed how the officers kept exchanging meaningful glances, particularly as they approached the house's upper floor. Their excitement was almost palpable, creating an anticipation that made her both curious and slightly nervous.

"There's one more room we'd like to show you," Hongjoong said finally, leading her toward a corridor on the third floor where large windows framed a spectacular ocean view. "Though perhaps 'show' isn't quite right. It's more like returning something that's always been yours."

He stopped before a set of double doors at the end of the hallway, carved with an intricate compass design that matched the ATEEZ's flag. The other officers gathered around, their expressions a mixture of anticipation and uncertainty.

"What is this?" Y/n asked, looking between their faces.

"See for yourself," Hongjoong suggested softly, gesturing toward the doors.

With a flutter of nervousness in her stomach, Y/n grasped the handles and pushed both doors open at once.

The room beyond took her breath away. Spacious and filled with light from floor-to-ceiling windows, it was unlike any room she'd ever been given during her captivity. A large bed with fine linens occupied one wall, while comfortable seating areas created spaces for reading and relaxation. A writing desk positioned to capture the view stood near the windows, equipped with everything one might need for correspondence or journaling.

But it was the personal touches that truly stunned her—shelves lined with books carefully selected to match interests she'd expressed as a child, a telescope positioned at the perfect angle for stargazing, small wooden animals displayed on every surface, each bearing Mingi's distinctive compass mark.

"We built this house five years ago," Hongjoong explained quietly as Y/n stood speechless. "But this room was the first thing we designed. Every addition, every renovation since then has been made with you in mind—a place you could call home when we finally found you."

"We kept adding things we thought you might like," Yunho continued, his gentle voice thick with emotion. "Books you might enjoy, views you might find peaceful."

"Even when years passed without finding you," Seonghwa added, "we never stopped preparing for the day you would come home."

Y/n moved slowly through the room, touching items with trembling fingers—the soft fabrics, the carefully chosen books, the wooden animals Mingi had carved specifically for this space. On the bedside table stood a small, intricately carved wooden box. When she opened it, a melody began to play—the same lullaby Yunho had once hummed to help her sleep aboard The Crimson Serpent.

"How did you remember all this?" she whispered, turning back to them with tears in her eyes. "I was just a five-year-old girl you knew for three months, fifteen years ago."

"You were never 'just' anything to us," Wooyoung said, uncharacteristically serious. "You were our little bird, our star, our treasure."

"Our dove," Seonghwa added softly. "Our shadow."

"The promise that kept us going when nothing else would," Hongjoong finished. "This room is yours, Y/n. Not because we own you, but because we've been keeping it safe until you could claim it."

The distinction—so important after fifteen years of being treated as property—broke the last of her composure. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she looked around at this space that had been created with such care and hope.

"Thank you," she managed, the words utterly inadequate for the emotion overwhelming her. "All of you. For remembering. For searching. For building this place even when you had no guarantee you'd ever find me."

"Even if we never found you," Yunho said gently, "we needed a place that honored the promise we made. This house, this room—they kept us focused on why we were searching, not just who."

San and Jongho had remained respectfully at the doorway, understanding this moment belonged primarily to those who had known Y/n as a child. Now San stepped forward slightly.

"We may not have known you then," he said, "but we've been part of the search from the beginning. This house has been our responsibility in their absence—keeping it ready, keeping it safe. It's been an honor to help prepare for your arrival, even when we weren't sure it would ever happen."

"And now that you're here," Jongho added with a warm smile, "we hope you'll think of this as your home, not just theirs."

The generosity of these men who had never even met her until today—yet had helped maintain this space in the hope of her eventual arrival—added another layer to the overwhelming emotion of the moment.

Y/n looked around at all seven men, seeing the mixture of hope, joy, and uncertainty in their expressions. They had given her something beyond price—not just physical shelter, but a place created with love and maintained with hope despite all odds.

"I don't know what to say," she admitted finally.

"You don't need to say anything," Hongjoong assured her. "This room—this house—is yours, regardless of what you decide to do next. Your freedom isn't conditional on gratitude or obligation."

Once again, he had understood exactly what she needed to hear. After fifteen years of conditional existence, this unconditional offering touched something deep within her.

"I think," she said after a moment, wiping tears from her cheeks, "that I'd like some time. To explore this room properly. To... absorb everything."

"Of course," Seonghwa nodded immediately, understanding her need for space. "We have Mingi to settle in any case, and the ship to secure."

"Take all the time you need," Yunho added gently. "We'll be nearby when you're ready."

One by one, they filed out, each offering a small gesture of reassurance—Wooyoung's theatrical wink, Seonghwa's gentle nod, Yunho's warm smile, Hongjoong's understanding gaze, Jongho’s respectful bow, San’s friendly wave.

When the doors closed behind them, Y/n stood alone in the center of the room—her room—created by men who had spent fifteen years searching for her. The magnitude of their commitment, their unwavering purpose, their absolute refusal to forget her, was almost too much to comprehend.

She had believed herself alone in the world, forgotten by anyone who had ever shown her kindness. Yet all that time, these men had been searching, planning, building—creating a home where she would be safe, where she would belong, where she would be remembered.

For the first time since she was five years old, Y/n felt truly, completely at home.

A gentle knock on the door roused Y/n from her thoughts. She'd been sitting by the window for nearly an hour, watching the activity below and trying to process everything that had happened.

"Come in," she called, turning from the view.

The door opened to reveal Yunho's tall frame, his gentle expression a welcome sight after the emotional whirlwind of the day. He carried a small tray with tea and what appeared to be some of Wooyoung's honey cakes.

"I thought you might like something to eat," he said, his voice soft as always. "It's been hours since breakfast, and I hear your breakfasts tend to be interrupted." A small smile played at his lips, suggesting Wooyoung had shared the other morning's events with the others.

"Is walking in without waiting going to become a habit with all of you?" Y/n asked with a teasing smile.

Yunho's ears reddened immediately. "I would never—" he began, then noticed her expression and relaxed. "Ah, you're joking. Sorry, I'm a bit... nervous."

"Nervous?" she asked, genuinely surprised. "Why?"

He set the tray down on a small table near her and hesitated, seeming unsure whether to sit. Y/n patted the space beside her on the window seat, a clear invitation.

"Because this moment has been fifteen years in the making," he admitted as he carefully lowered his large frame onto the cushioned seat. "And now that it's here, I find myself afraid of disappointing you."

The vulnerability in his admission touched her deeply. Unlike Wooyoung's theatrical gestures or Hongjoong's carefully chosen words, Yunho's honesty was so straightforward it disarmed her completely.

"You could never disappoint me," she said sincerely. "You've all done so much—searched for so long, created this place..." she gestured at the room around them. "It's overwhelming in the best possible way."

Yunho's smile warmed his entire face. "We wanted it to be perfect for you."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the distant sounds of the ocean filtering through the open window. Y/n accepted the cup of tea he offered, the familiar aroma bringing back memories of quiet moments aboard The Crimson Serpent when they would sneak her warm drinks on cold nights.

"How is Mingi?" she asked finally, the question that had been at the forefront of her mind since their arrival.

"Better," Yunho replied, his relief evident. "Yeosang has him settled in the medical suite downstairs. It's much more comfortable than the ship's medical bay—an actual bed rather than a treatment table, proper lighting, all the equipment Yeosang could want."

"Is he awake?" 

"In and out," Yunho said. "The journey tired him, though he'd never admit it. Yeosang gave him something to help him sleep through the transfer from ship to shore." His expression softened further. "He asked about you when he was last awake. Wanted to make sure you liked your room."

Y/n felt a warmth spread through her chest at this. Even injured and in pain, Mingi's thoughts had been of her comfort. 

"I'll visit him soon," she promised. "Once he's had time to rest."

Yunho nodded, then reached into his pocket. "He asked me to give you this, actually. Said it was important."

He held out his large hand, opening it to reveal a small wooden carving—a tiny ATEEZ ship, complete with sails and the distinctive compass insignia, small enough to fit in her palm yet detailed enough to identify immediately.

"He made this for you yesterday," Yunho explained as she took it, turning it over carefully in her fingers. "Said it was to mark your journey home."

The significance of the gift—a physical representation of the voyage that had brought her here—created a lump in her throat. Like all of Mingi's creations, it carried meaning beyond its simple form.

“He shouldn’t have, he’s still injured.” She said, smiling to herself. 

"He's been waiting to give you something," Yunho continued, his voice soft with understanding. "Ever since you revealed yourself during the battle. But he wanted it to be perfect."

"It is perfect," Y/n whispered, running her finger over the tiny sails. "Just like everything else you've all created here."

Something in her tone made Yunho study her face more closely. "You seem... overwhelmed."

"I am," she admitted, meeting his concerned gaze. "In a way I never expected. After believing I was forgotten, to discover not only that you were all searching for me, but that you built... this." She gestured around them. "A home. A life. A place where I might belong. It's almost too much to comprehend."

Yunho's large hand moved to cover hers, the gentle touch so characteristic of him. "You don't have to comprehend it all at once," he assured her. "We've had fifteen years to build this place, to imagine your return. You're allowed time to adjust, to decide what you want."

"What if I don't know what I want?" she asked, vulnerability emerging through her usual composure.

"Then you take the time to discover it," he replied simply. "We didn't search for fifteen years only to rush you into decisions now."

The wisdom in his words settled something within her. Unlike the calculated responses she had grown accustomed to during captivity, Yunho's gentle honesty offered authentic connection without expectation.

"You always knew how to make things seem simpler," she observed, remembering how he had once explained complex star patterns to a frightened five-year-old, breaking overwhelming concepts into understandable pieces.

Yunho smiled, a hint of his boyish charm showing through. "Some things don't change, I suppose."

"Like what?" she asked, curious about how he saw himself after all these years.

He considered this thoughtfully. "Hongjoong still leads with his heart disguised as strategy. Seonghwa still needs everything in its proper place to feel secure. Wooyoung still finds humor where others see only darkness." His smile deepened. "And I still believe the simplest explanation is usually the truest."

"And what's the simplest explanation for all this?" Y/n asked, gesturing around them.

Yunho's eyes met hers, a gentle certainty in their depths. "That we loved a little girl who taught us about courage when we were just children ourselves. That we never stopped loving her even when she was taken from us. That everything we've built since then—the ATEEZ, our reputation, this home—has been an attempt to create a world where she might be safe if we ever found her again."

The simple honesty of his answer brought fresh tears to Y/n’s eyes. This wasn't strategic calculation or diplomatic phrasing—it was pure truth, offered without expectation.

"That's a lot of love to carry for fifteen years," she whispered.

"It never felt heavy," Yunho replied, his voice as gentle as his touch. "It felt like purpose."

Without conscious thought, Y/n leaned forward, her hand reaching up to touch his face. Yunho remained perfectly still, his eyes wide with surprise but making no move to either encourage or discourage her gesture.

"May I?" she asked softly, her fingers hovering near his cheek.

He nodded, the simple movement communicating volumes.

Her fingers traced the line of his jaw, exploring features that had changed from boy to man yet remained unmistakably his. Yunho's eyes closed briefly at her touch, a small sigh escaping him.

"I used to dream about finding you," he admitted, voice barely above a whisper. "About showing you the stars from somewhere safe, instead of a pirate ship. About seeing your face when you realized you were truly free."

His vulnerability created an answering openness in her. "I used to recite your names every night," she confessed. "Like a prayer or a spell. Joongie, Hwa, Woo, Yuyu, Puppy. It was the one thing they couldn't take from me, because they never knew it existed."

Yunho's eyes opened, meeting hers with a depth of emotion that took her breath away. "Yuyu," he repeated softly. "No one has called me that in fifteen years."

"No one has called me 'star' in fifteen years," she countered, remembering his nickname for her.

A smile touched his lips. "And yet you still are," he said. "Even brighter now than you were then."

The compliment, delivered with such genuine admiration, warmed her from within. This wasn't calculated flattery meant to elicit specific response, but honest appreciation offered without expectation.

Without overthinking, Y/n leaned forward and pressed her lips gently to his. Yunho remained perfectly still for a heartbeat, then responded with equal gentleness, one large hand coming up to cradle her face with exquisite care.

Unlike her passionate encounters with Hongjoong or Seonghwa, this kiss held a different quality—tender rather than urgent, soft exploration rather than hungry claiming. When they parted, Yunho's expression was one of wonder mixed with uncertainty.

"I didn't come here expecting that," he said honestly.

"I know," she replied with a small smile. "That's part of why it happened."

Understanding dawned in his eyes. Her every interaction had been calculated for maximum advantage, genuine connection without ulterior motive had become precious beyond measure.

"You should rest," Yunho said after a moment, though reluctance was evident in his tone. "It's been an overwhelming day."

"Will you stay?" she asked, surprising herself with the request. "Just for a little while? Tell me about the stars visible from here."

The smile that lit his face was answer enough. As the afternoon light began to soften toward evening, Yunho moved to the telescope positioned by her windows, adjusting it with practiced ease.

"You can see different constellations from here than from the ship," he explained, the excitement of sharing his passion overtaking his earlier shyness. "The cliffs block some of the horizon, but they also shield from harbor lights, making the stars clearer."

As he spoke, pointing out familiar patterns and introducing new ones, Y/n felt a peace settle over her that had nothing to do with the magnificent room or the safety of their hidden cove. This connection—freely given, freely accepted—represented something she had been denied for fifteen years: genuine choice.

With Mingi's wooden ship clutched in one hand and Yunho's gentle voice filling her ears with stories of the stars, Y/n felt the first real stirrings of something she had almost forgotten how to recognize.

Hope.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Taglist: @hopeless-lovex0 @frankielou02 @jilxxasu @kur0kki @lezleeferguson-120 @uniquecloudbread @miniverse-zen @symmieangela @monstacheol @ateezswonderland @comicnerd557 @pixie0627 @fumaluvr @princesscallie @green-moon @starryjoong-jeongcheollie @wiccanmetallicrose @atinyapple1117 @sassy-snassy @soulphoenix1618 @wxnderingthoughts @mdurir @awkward-fucking-thing @herpoetryprincess @stickystickyjam @0-beemzy-0

[breadedloafs]

The Leaders | Chapter VI

"maybe a place where light and darkness meet, the choice between truth and lies is mine."

masterlist

ot8!ateez x f!reader, mafia au

chapter warnings: drinking, illegal businesses, mentions of violence, war/military and weapons, almost car accident, maknaes are finally introduced! wholesome interactions with the maknaes, hongjoong is the unintentional tease, yunho is the intentional tease, yeosang is the oblivious tease.

chapter wc: 13.8k

chapter synopsis: the crescents share updates, deciding to dig deeper into the unknown identity of the anonymous funder. yeosang reveals that the rv spies are protecting you from a threat that is not secretary park and the anxiety of that unknown threat weighs on you heavily. yunho hints at the nature of the crescents’ relationship and you decide to take some time to think about it. The bosses finally tell you about their drug project and hongjoong asks you to accompany them to edenary as their partner, where they will be making a new deal. you confront secretary park there, but the night ends in tears, especially when you conflict with the boss. the underboss is there to make you feel better.

prev chapter recap: you are supposed to meet assemblyman wi with hongjoong. seonghwa tries his best to calm you while hongjoong gifts you an infinity clasp bracelet which only confuses you further. when you meet the assemblyman, hongjoong admits that he’s trying to make you ‘a leader’. you successfully make assemblyman wi agree to investigate secretary park with the keyword of ‘strictland’. while you relax with san, yeosang has a meeting with wendy and learns that the rv spies are protecting you from threats that they refuse to reveal– the real threat is not secretary park. worried, yeosang decides to call a meeting with the boys without your knowledge. you practise shooting with the warehouse boys and you learn that yunho has actually placed bets on how you won’t be able to shoot a single target. agitated, you cheat a little and have the warehouse boys win the bet. you also ask them to look into their anonymous funders as you learn more about the weapons project. finally, you confront yunho who teases you to no end but takes you to a place from his childhood to show you how he learned to aim. the night takes an unexpected, intimate turn.

You once heard about the butterfly effect. It was fascinating to hear how the most infinitesimal flutter of their wings could end up creating a ripple of change through time itself– unimaginable and irreversible change. 

Sometimes, you would trace back the events of your life to understand which flutter of a pair of wings, or which pebble thrown in the lake led you to where you were today, at Room no. 1 at the Crescent Bar with all of the boys around you– probably a consequence of a series of small and insignificant decisions coupled with some big decisions. 

It was surreal how you went from an observer of the Crescents to being a part of the Crescents yourself.You never thought their little actions would make your heart move so much and never did you imagine that they would create their space in your heart in such a short period of time. Instead of sneaking peeks from the office window, you sat among them and noticed that your presence didn’t change anything. 

Your presence didn’t make them wary and you found the nature of their conversations remained the  same as without you. They were including you in their discussion and making you feel comfortable with the little things- asking for your opinion as if it mattered (yes, they insisted it did but it was still hard to believe so), pouring wine for you, putting food in your plate, and even–

Even paying attention to the little details– the slight raise of your brow whenever you didn’t fully agree with something, the curling of your fingers as you picked on your skin when all eyes were trained on you, the exchange of glances with San when you both found something funny, the pointed look towards Yeosang when Hongjoong would play boss with you, the pointed look in Hongjoong’s direction when he would point out a discrepancy in your argument. 

The way your eyes naturally fixed on Seonghwa whenever you needed assurance, which was kind of funny because this man was mainly the reason you were here right now. The way you would avoid Yunho’s eyes when his fingers would intertwine with yours with a promising squeeze in hopes of providing some sort of comfort or agreement. The masking of your laughter when Jongho shared a cheesy joke and the partnering with Wooyoung whenever you had something funny to add to the argument since your sense of humour matched with his the most. And finally, the way you would look towards Mingi for help whenever you felt like you were being driven into a corner by any one of them.

You were the most relieved to realise that your presence didn’t change their dynamics, yet, there was an inevitable change in their interactions so they could be attentive towards you, and you to them. You fitted right in. It was not a missing piece of the puzzle, rather, the puzzle itself changed to accommodate you. You wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“Luna? Are you alright?”

It was both Yunho’s voice and his comforting squeeze of hand that brought you out of a trance and you blinked,  appreciating the call.

“Oh, I’m perfectly alright. Just zoned out for a moment.”

You were alright. Your heart felt full at the sight of the boys chatting and eating, Seonghwa scooping some more rice for you and nudging you with his hand on your shoulder, pointing at the food. “I make sure everyone eats.”

“I finished two bowls, Sir.”

“Well, this one is still full,” he said. “Eat.”

“Yes, Sir,” you mocked, downing a drink, not oblivious to the snickers from the boys who overheard this little interaction. You sent a glare in their direction before giving in and begrudgingly taking a bite. You couldn’t disobey the underboss and expect to get away with it. 

“Alright, if we’re all done eating and fooling around,” Hongjoong called after a few moments, grabbing everyone’s attention. “General Wi called to let me know that he thinks we’re right to suspect Secretary Park. He sent his men to tail Park Sunghoon and they got ambushed and barely made it out alive.”

Jongho grunted at the news, brows scrunching in thought. “Could Sunghoon be acting on his own, though?”

Hongjoong looked towards you for an answer and you shook your head. “I’m not sure if anything has changed in the past couple of years, but our father never allowed him to stray too far. He’s always had him on a leash, you could say. Might be part of the reason why Sunghoon rebels so much.”

“Right,” Hongjoong nodded. “General Wi did find something odd. He used his connections to find out if Secretary Park has been out of the country recently, and discovered that he’s been frequenting Halaland for a considerable amount of time now.”

“He could have some other dealing going on in Halaland?” San wondered, always giving anyone the benefit of doubt. “We should look into that.”

“Or if he’s visiting Strictland,” Mingi began. “He can’t simply go to Strictland from Eden. That would be too obvious. You need a permit to visit Strictland from Eden but if I’m recalling correctly, you can visit Strictland without a permit if you’re a Hala local. He could have easily tagged with some locals then.”

“Yeah, he wouldn’t simply go to Strictland from here if he was involved in something illegal,” you agreed with Mingi. “He can go to extreme lengths to hide something he doesn’t want the world to know about.”

The boys had a feeling that you were referring to yourself too and they exchanged glances. Yeosang was the first to speak. “We can check if he’s had any reason to go to Halaland first before we assume that he’s up to something in Strictland. Are we still in contact with Suho’s gang?”

“It’s been radio silence for a while but I’ll make a call or send a message– I can’t promise a positive response,” Jongho said and you wondered if being half-Hala ever earned him some benefits. Was he really friendly with the gang based in Halaland? “We didn’t really end things on a good note.”

“It’s fine, we can look for some other means too,” Seonghwa suggested. “Maybe the RV spies.”

“The RV spies?” You repeated, the name foreign on your lips. “Who are they?”

“A spy network of women,” Seonghwa was smiling and you thought there was a secret concealed within his words. “You remember Winter? She’s one of them. They’re really good at disguise and have dirt on literally every person in Eden– even the common man.”

You let that sink in. Seonghwa had a meeting with Winter the other day and the sight of her rocked a familiar yet distant memory in your head. You were positive you had come across her in Edenary. So she was a spy? 

“If they’re that extensive and meticulous, they would know a lot about me, right? Maybe things that even I don’t know about.”

“Yeah, we considered contacting them when we were looking into your background,” Yunho admitted and you made a face, making him laugh a bit. “We never got to that, though. We had other sources.”

“Kihyun?” You asked and he nodded in confirmation. 

“And Hongjoong was quick enough to figure it out himself,” Seonghwa added, amused as he recalled that night.

“Yeah, well, it was very obvious. Your father may have done a good job hiding you but you didn’t really do a good job hiding yourself,” he commented.

“Well, I wasn’t really hiding myself,” you lied and he caught that, raising a brow in challenge. “More like… delaying the inevitable.”

The boys laughed at that, Jongho filling everyone’s glasses again and you all cheered before drinking. 

“Oh, one last thing,” Mingi began, having just recalled his recent findings. “We officially know the identity of all of our anonymous funders save for one.”

“And you’ve tried everything?” Hongjoong asked and when Mingi nodded, he settled back in thought. 

“How old is the source?”

“September 1966,” Mingi said and the room fell silent as everyone tried to recall the events from four years ago.

You remembered that time well. “I came back to Eden from Wonderland on 14th August, 1966.”

“And President Han Hyojoo was assassinated on 17th August,” Wooyoung scratched his chin. “There were a lot of protests and things were bad for a while– even in September. Right?”

“Yes,” Yunho took a deep breath. “I think it was in September when the Siren Rebel Party laid its foundations. They feared martial law would be imposed on Eden, but President Lee won the elections– he was a favourite at that time.”

“Pity votes,” Wooyoung huffed, folding his arms. “I never liked that man. His smile scares me.”

While some of them burst into laughter, teasing Wooyoung’s unwarranted dislike for the President of Eden, Seonghwa noticed how you fell silent. “What are you thinking?”

“Why was President Han assassinated?” You wondered. “I mean, yeah, she obviously had enemies, but wasn’t she from a long line of politicians? She wasn’t the first female president either. Didn’t she contribute a lot to rebuild Eden?”

“She did,” Hongjoong said, “alongside President Son until his term was over, and then she won the elections yet kept a strong partnership with President Son. They were quite a pair.”

“And Lee Jinwook was basically a nobody even while he was a politician until his wife got killed,” Wooyoung said. “Then he started collecting pity votes.”

“I think Wooyoung has got some personal beef with President Lee,” Jongho laughed. “He’s always after him.”

“You would be too if you look closely,” Wooyoung wasn’t having any of it. “We all know that he only won because of his late wife, and now he thinks he’s something.”

“Well, Eden has been stable in his administration so far, and we’re almost nearing the end of his term,” Yeosang tried. “He doesn’t really have enemies.”

“Isn’t that odd?” You narrowed your eyes. “If President Lee claims to be continuing his wife’s legacy, and his wife got killed because someone had a problem with how things ran, wouldn’t they get rid of him too?”

“That… is a good point,” San shifted uncomfortably. 

“What is the difference between President Lee’s administration and President Han’s?” You asked, looking around. “He can’t be running things exactly the same way, right?”

“It’s mostly the same, with a few changes,” Seonghwa said. “Attempts to try to improve the relation with Halaland, which shouldn’t be odd because we can’t be at the risk of war all the time. More contributions to the healthcare system and that we can owe that to Secretary Park, and then… a few personnel and administration changes. President Son retired from politics altogether– there was some tension between them.”

You bit your lips in thought. You really needed to refresh your history because something was gnawing at your mind; a connection that was present and felt an arm’s reach away but you couldn’t grab it. 

“Do you think it’s got anything to do with our anonymous source?” Hongjoong asked. “I don’t want you wasting time on what-ifs. If you’re sure there’s a connection, then we can investigate.”

You nodded, making a mental note to talk to Seonghwa about this later. You might be shooting an arrow in the dark but you could never be too sure. “I just think the timing is odd. President Lee wouldn’t need to make sure there are enough weapons in Eden illegally. So it’s got to be someone who was sure President Lee would not be doing enough for Eden’s defence.”

Mingi agreed, “They think the President is still not doing enough considering how we receive our paychecks regularly.”

“Alright, let’s assume there is a connection but don’t let it narrow the focus of your investigation,” Hongjoong concluded and he started giving instructions around the table. The meeting was over and you would all be separating ways now. 

“Do you have a moment before you leave?” Yeosang asked when you were picking up your belongings, the warehouse boys just having shared farewell hugs with you. There was still a smile on your face from when Wooyoung kissed your cheek and looked pointedly at Yunho– you weren’t sure if Wooyoung was aware that you and Yunho had crossed some boundaries, but it was still amusing to watch Yunho roll his eyes and scoff before leaving. Wooyoung said they would be having dinner at BB Trippin soon and you were also invited.

“Sure. I was only going to go home,” you said and followed him to his office. You dumped your things on his desk as if you still belonged there– perhaps, you did. The office looked more unorganised than usual with empty glasses lining the table, a few bottles in the corner and documents strewn everywhere. 

“Have you been drinking?” You asked. Yeosang was a drinker, but he was never untidy.

“Ah, yes,” he scratched the back of his neck. “I can explain the mess– I was looking into a few things recently and uh…”

“And Luna is not here anymore to clean up after you?” You finished for him. “No new bookkeeper?”

“I’m the bookkeeper now,” he said in all seriousness and you passed him a warning look. “Alright, I’m considering Jeonghan for the post.”

“Jeonghan would make you do all the work while he naps or fools around,” you pointed out but you both knew you were joking– he was really clever and you were considering suggesting him to Yeosang anyway. “So, what’s this about?”

Yeosang waited until you settled down and then he took a seat in front of you across the desk. He was watching you in thought and you let him have a moment to sort his thoughts out.

“I worry about your safety, Luna,” he started. “And it’s why I want you to be honest during our conversation. I know you have your own secrets but I really need to confirm a few things so we know what we’re dealing with.”

“Okay,” you nodded, narrowing your eyes in suspicion and confusion. 

“The boys do not know that I’m having this conversation with you because we agreed not to tell you, for now,” he told you and you blinked in surprise. They told each other everything. “But after this meeting, I think we should talk. And if you wish so, our conversation can remain between us unless we feel that we should let them know for safety reasons.”

“Alright,” you shifted uncomfortably. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Are you sure your father is the only one who means to harm you?”

Oh. 

“I mean… Sunghoon might?” you suggested. “He’s always been after me for different reasons. Sibling rivalry, if you can call it that.”

“Yeah, but if Secretary Park is after you and Sunghoon is aware of it, then he wouldn’t need to interfere, right?” Yeosang said and you shrugged in agreement. “Can you think of any other person who might be after you? Anyone who might have a grudge against you? Anyone from Eden or Wonderland?”

“Did something happen?” You asked again, your voice laced with worry.

“Nothing, but we got a tip recently. The RV spies didn’t reveal who they meant, but they were sure that Secretary Park is not the real threat that you should be worrying about.”

Cold washed over you as his words registered, a montage of your life flashing through your eyes in an attempt to recall any falling out you’ve had with someone who was not your family, or any time you might have intentionally or unintentionally caused harm to someone or said something unkind.

“I… can’t think of anything, Yeosang,” you looked at him and he immediately moved to hold your hands in his, squeezing them reassuringly to ease the despair in your voice. “Why would someone be after me? My father has a reason, even though it’s not justifiable, but why would someone else be?”

He only shrugged in response. He had no answer either and from what he knew, you had lived a pretty secluded life.

“Could it be Assemblyman General Wi? I might have rubbed off on him the wrong way–”

“I don’t think they meant him. They didn��t say anything explicitly but… you must understand that RV spies are assassins. Usually, they are employed to get rid of a person or an organisation. But for the first time, I’m hearing that they’re protecting someone.”

“Who?”

“Who do you think?” He cocked his head and you exhaled in disbelief. “They think whatever information you have is valuable enough that they have to make sure that it’s not in the wrong hands. I think if they haven’t killed you yet, that means they’re okay with you sharing that information with us.”

“Very helpful, Yeosang,” you muttered and he stifled a smile.

“They’re protecting you,” he chastised, squeezing your hands softly for good measure. “Whoever you are or whatever you’ve heard while you were in Edenary is worth enough that the most notorious spies and assassins are trying to protect you. And they think they’ll be doomed if you get hurt.”

“That can’t be true,” you wrenched your hands away from Yeosang, shaking your head furiously. “I’ve told you everything that I’ve heard.”

“And I believe you,” Yeosang responded cautiously. “I just want you to think again, yeah? You don’t have to worry– you’re safe. You can take your time and think if there was something that was odd and didn’t make sense back then. It might make sense now. Your time in Edenary, in Wonderland and when you came back… I know it’s overwhelming but can you do that for me?”

You nodded absently, getting up and clutching your bag in one hand, about to leave when Yeosang stepped in front of you and gave you a disapproving look.

“Don’t let it get to your head, Luna,” he placed his hands on the dip of your shoulders, locking eyes with you. “You’ll be okay.”

“Why do the rest don’t know about this meeting, Yeosang?” You asked, unable to keep the scepticism from your tone. “Do they still not trust me after all I’ve done for them? After all I’ve given them?”

Yeosang shook his head. “They trust you, and we all mutually agreed to try to get the RV spies to talk or look into it ourselves, because we didn’t want to overwhelm you,” he admitted. “We knew you’d take it to heart. They don’t like to see you anxious.”

“What do they care if I’m anxious or not?” 

“I thought you knew by now, Luna, that we care. All of us do.”

“Then why did you tell me now?” You asked, barely a whisper.

“Because I’ve known you longer than they have,” he smiled. “And I know that if you’re aware of this, you might be less cross with us than if you find out later. I owe you one, remember?”

He was making up to you for getting you involved with them– for assigning you bookkeeping without telling you the consequences of that job. You avoided his gaze as you smiled but you felt guilty for snapping at him. 

The boys really just wanted to make sure that you were at peace. They would rather inconvenience themselves to find out the answers than have you restless.

Yeosang hooked his finger under your chin, making you look at him and you both dissolved into chuckles as you tried to pull away from him. You quickly gave up and let him bring you in for a hug, his arms wrapping around you securely and his steady voice assuring you that you would be okay, that you had nothing to worry about. That they would keep you safe. You buried your nose in the crook of his neck, taking deep breaths and he kissed the top of your head. 

When you drew away, his hands slid down your arms to hold your hands and he noticed the cuff bracelet on your wrist, lips curling into a smile as he recognised it.

“Do you always wear it?”

“Yeah,” you raised your arm to look at the silver bracelet. It looked like he was aware that Hongjoong had given it to you, and now that you knew that Yeosang had feelings for you that were not entirely platonic, it was strange to see not a hint of jealousy or envy on his face. Instead, his eyes gleamed and you poked his chest.

“You’re weird, Yeosang.”

“Nothing I haven’t heard before,” he scoffed, watching the bracelet on your wrist for just a moment longer before he looked at you. “Let me know if you feel like it’s too much, okay?”

“Which part?”

Yeosang had a faint smile on his lips as he tucked your hair back and caressed your cheeks in the process. “Whichever part feels too much?”

“I don’t understand when you all are going to stop trying to talk to me in circles and say something,” you almost cried out. “That part is too much.”

“Is there something you’ve been wanting to hear?” Yeosang cocked his head, amused. “Or… did something happen? Something you’d like to tell me about?”

You narrowed your eyes at him. “Is there something you’d like me to tell you?”

“Hmm… let’s see,” he trailed his finger down your temple, his thumb subtly swiping at your bottom lip, perhaps an indication that he did know. “I’m just wondering if you found the answer to the question you asked me last time.”

“What question?” You asked softly, feigning innocence as you curled your fingers around his hand that rested on your cheek. “Why don’t you remind me again?”

Yeosang only chuckled, knowing very well that perhaps, you were done playing games with them– or at least him. He drew back, raising his hands in defeat.

“Maybe when you’re ready to answer it.”

“Yeosang,” you warned. “You’re all in this together, aren’t you? At least some of you.”

“Whatever do you mean?” He raised a brow in challenge, opening the door for you. “Have a good evening, Luna.”

The rain continued to pour without a break for the remainder of the week and more. The sun would rarely come out but when it did, it would be heavily concealed by clouds and just offer a sheen of glimmer on the wet pavements and roads of Sector 1. The days remained bleak, a reflection or perhaps a fuel for your gloominess. 

Although nothing significant happened after your conversation with Yeosang a few days ago, it still weighed heavily upon your heart. The shift in your mood didn’t go unnoticed by your colleagues Eunha and Jihoon, though they didn’t comment on your lack of contribution to conversations and how your smile didn’t meet your eyes anymore. They had a feeling that if they probed, you wouldn’t offer anything in return. 

They didn’t need to either, for there were plenty of people worrying about you. Yunho, for instance, who was quick to realise something was up and confronted you the other night when you were in his office finishing up a report.

You tried to avoid the question by dismissing the change in your energy as exhaustion but he wasn’t having any of it. You figured you were obvious, especially in front of him. It was hard to look at him without wanting to open up your heart to him, especially when his presence was so welcoming.

“Won’t you talk to me about it?” He pleaded in a mellow voice and an even softer gaze, his eyes rounding and brows scrunching.

There. Your weakness.

“Yunho. You can’t look at me like that,” you tossed the pen on the table between you and slumped back, folding your arms as you softly admonished. “This won’t work on me anymore.”

“What?”

“Those eyes of yours,” you said and he choked on his laughter. He proceeded to loosen his tie, the top button of his shirt conveniently unbuttoned already. Strands of hair messily fell over his forehead and you had to physically restrain the urge to run your hands through his soft hair.

“I’d say it’s working,” he smiled almost victoriously, leaning forward. “Can you really not talk about it?”

You pressed your lips tightly in consideration before you finally gave in. You were only human, after all. “Yeosang told me about how the RV spies are protecting me from some threat that is not my father.”

Yunho whistled in realisation. Of course that was bothering you. “I knew he was going to tell you.”

“I expected you would tell me.”

“Well, I was the one who insisted that we don’t tell you yet for exactly this reason,” he looked at you pointedly and you hid your face behind your hands, guilty. “You’re all worried now. Anyways, I wouldn’t believe anything they say right away without verification, though they’re a pretty reliable source.”

You uncovered your face. “Don’t tell the rest that I know, okay?”

Yunho laughed softly but agreed. “So? Any thoughts about who might be interested in you?”

“I wouldn’t be in this state if I had it figured out,” you almost cried out. “I have been very low-profile until I started working here in the office. I can’t think of anyone who would want to get rid of me– for what? For the information I possess? What information exactly, because what I have right now only threatens Secretary Park… unless…”

“Unless Secretary Park’s secret is someone else’s secret too?” Yunho finished for you and you nodded. “Do you recall who exactly was the person your father was discussing the Strictland matter with?”

“I only caught a glimpse and I didn’t recognise him– I must have seen him for the first time,” you said. 

“Do you think you could recognise him if you see him again?”

“Maybe?” You wrapped your arms around yourself. “If they’re trying so hard to hide it, and if the person who’s after me must be someone my father has partnered with on the Strictland matter, It must mean whatever is happening in Strictland is actually taking place… right?”

Yunho didn’t need to answer that– he was sure that if you were not hiding anything else from them, this might be it. 

“We’re taking care of it, okay? You really don’t have to worry about it– or if you have to worry, don’t think about it too much. You don’t have any answers yet, and that’s okay.”

You offered him a weak smile and got up to place the compiled folder on his desk. When you were about to go back to sit across from him, he patted the space next to him instead.

“Come here.”

You felt butterflies in your stomach at the way his voice sounded like a command. You could resist, but his gaze was incredibly pulling so you settled next to him, keeping a respectful distance between your bodies.

“Is that all you’ve been worrying about?”

“Well… obviously not,” you shot him a look but when his fingers curled around your hand, you didn’t snatch it away. “I don’t know what you want from me, Yunho.”

“What I want doesn’t matter,” he started but you shook your head.

“You’ve talked to Yeosang, haven’t you?” You asked and he didn’t respond, searching your eyes. “And he’s talked to you. You all talk to each other. You’re all far too close with each other. I’m noticing that recently.”

“Really?” He said in an almost mocking tone. “And what other observations has our little secretary made?”

“Yunho,” you called in a warning tone. “I’m not trying to judge you or probe into whatever it is that is going on between you guys. But I am beginning to understand that you’re all a team and everyone knows everything about each other.”

“And?”

“And…” you sighed, looking at your joined hands and sliding your thumb across his skin. “I don’t know.”

“What do you want from us?” Yunho asked softly. 

There it was. Us. It was never a ‘me’. It was always an ‘us’.

“What do you mean by ‘us’?” You raised a brow.

“Are you sure you’re ready to hear that answer?”

Oh, fuck him. He was literally steering the conversation in the same direction that Yeosang had.

“Well, you can stop confusing me for once and talk,” you snatched your hand away this time. 

“How can I talk when I don’t know what you want from me, or from Yeosang?” Yunho raised a brow,a teasing smile plastered on his face. “We kissed. You like Yeosang.”

“I like you too,” you added and immediately regretted it when you saw his grin grow wider. “Does it not bother you? That I like him and you both?”

Yunho only smiled and looked down, trying to form a response but failing to because this was a confession–

And this meant that Seonghwa really was right about you. He was one meticulous bastard.

“Does it bother you?” Yunho asked, and you finally realised that this was the question you should be asking yourself.

Does it bother you that you like Yeosang and Yunho? Does it bother you that you were attracted to San and that one soft look from Seonghwa made you feel like you could soar into the skies? Does it bother you that the Captain– Hongjoong– meant so much to you that the bracelet he gave you was becoming an anchor for you to remind you that you were safe, protected, and perhaps, wanted?

Could any of it be the beginning of something beautiful and unknown, or had you finally lost your mind?

“Don’t get lost in there,” Yunho scooted closer, planting a kiss on your temple and remaining close. “Just do me a favour and figure out your feelings about us first, will you? I can’t explain anything until you’re sure that… that you want us like we want you.”

“What does that mean?” You asked, stomach twisting into knots though your heart raced in anticipation.

Yunho wasn’t going to answer that, but he could help ease your confusion a little. “It’s okay if you choose one of us, or none of us. We will respect your decisions. But… you can also choose more of us. We don’t mind.”

Suddenly, everything started to make a little more sense– the subtle glances the boys would exchange among themselves when you were in the room. The way Seonghwa always looked like he knew something about you that even you didn’t. The way Yunho must have known Yeosang liked you before he kissed you and still told him– and the way Yeosang knew Yunho had kissed you and wanted to hear it from your mouth. The way he looked at your bracelet knowingly– was it a marker that you were theirs now? 

Oh, and how San was almost flirting with you as of recently. The thing Wooyoung had said about you not just being their secretary, but a part of their inner circle– just what did being a part of their inner circle entailed? And the way Mingi and Jongho were so welcoming and friendly towards you– while they had not done anything to make you feel like they had crossed some platonic boundary, you were suddenly reading too much into everything.

“Does it overwhelm you?”

“Of course it does,” you admitted but when you didn’t flinch away from him, he took that as a positive sign. “I need time.”

“Of course. You have all the time in the world. There really is no rush,” he brushed the pad of his thumb along your cheek in soft, slow caresses.

“And I want you to stop swaying my feelings.”

Yunho’s head dipped down in silent surrender to guilt, though the smirk creeping on his face threatened to give him away. “I’m sorry but I can’t resist that. Not until you give me a solid rejection.”

“Ah, let’s end it then–”

“Hey!” He placed his hand over your mouth to keep you from finishing the sentence and you burst into giggles, even more so when you tried pushing him away, but before you knew it, he was almost on top of you with a finger on his mouth shushing you, his hand on your mouth dampening your laugh until you stopped, realising the tangled position that you were in and feeling warmth course through your entire body– warmth that made you shiver as if you were cold instead.

“Quiet, okay?” Yunho whispered and you nodded, eyes wide. “And don’t reject me right now.”

He pulled his hand away, rubbing the smear of the lipstick at the corner of your mouth when he discovered it, his lips parting in concentration and when he was done, he looked into your eyes to find them laden with–

Desire. It had to be desire. If your eyes weren’t indication enough, the way your breath quickened was.

Yunho licked his lips instinctively, his breath getting heavier with want and you wondered if he really wanted you as badly as you wanted him. Ignoring that you both had agreed to give you some space, you pushed yourself upwards just a bit, crowding his personal space and his breath hitched when he found you inches away.

It was electrifying to know that someone wanted you back for once and when you looked at him pleadingly, he crashed his lips on yours, making you fall right back on the couch. You looped your arms around his neck and kissed him back with equal enthusiasm, arching into him and he caught your body in an embrace with one arm around your back and the other cradling the back of your neck. 

While your kiss at the park had been passionate, this one was putting it to shame– he poked his tongue inside your mouth at the first opportunity, deepening the kiss and then angled his face to kiss you better. His hand travelled down to your waist and a suggestive squeeze elicited a moan from your mouth which he was quick to swallow with a kiss. When you finally drew back for breath, he rested his forehead against yours for just a moment before proceeding to trail kisses down your cheek, along your jaw and then downwards, burying his face in the crook of your neck.

“Yunho,” you softly whispered, relishing the feeling of his warm breath against your skin, running your fingers through his hair lovingly. He hummed against your neck, resting his lips on the juncture of your neck, realising that perhaps… he should have waited. You both should have waited.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t end this on a good note. He looked up at you with an understanding smile, washing away all your worries. And then he peppered kisses all over your face, eliciting a shy smile. With a final few pecks to your lips, he nodded in satisfaction.

“Yeah, I’ll give you your space.”

You laughed darkly, shaking your head. Patting his chest twice, you got out of his embrace which was a struggle in every sense.

“Maybe we should start including Seonghwa in our meetings too so we don’t end up making out each time we’re alone.”

“Oh, he would enjoy that,” Yunho commented and you raised a brow but he only shook his head, ending the conversation.

It was electrifying to know that someone wanted you back. And not just someone…

But someone else too, and perhaps more.

Despite your recent interactions with the boys, the looming threat over your head came to be the reason that your mood turned as bleak as the evenings of Eden. Yunho asked you if it was something he did but you assured him that you were more worried about figuring out who was after you and how it was tied to Strictland.

Seonghwa, of course, also noticed the shift in your mood. He was aware of everything that had gone down the past few days and he wondered if now was a good time to tell you about the recent deal they were preparing to offer to a certain business figure– the deal that would originally have been Secretary Park’s. Hongjoong insisted that now was the only time and since the new contender was from Wonderland, your opinion might prove to be valuable again.

“Luna?” He called, having been watching you for a few moments. You had been staring out through the window for the past few minutes and his voice almost made you jump. “Is everything okay?”

“Yep. Just… admiring the weather,” you pointed outside, the clouds rumbling with comical timing.

“Brilliant weather, innit?” Seonghwa chuckled. “Can you join us for our meeting?” 

“Of course,” you answered, beginning to wrap up the files on the table. “I’ll join you in a few moments.”

When you entered the boss’ room, Hongjoong and Seonghwa were already in the middle of a discussion seated across from each other on the sofas. You took a seat next to Seonghwa.

“We have a business contender regarding our drug approval,” Seonghwa began. “The one that we almost signed with Secretary Park.”

“Oh, that’s… great news?” You looked between them, unsure if it was good news since you had little to no knowledge about the drug they intended to get approved. It was still a secret known only amongst the bosses and a selected few employees.. “Who is it?”

“Madame Tiffany Hwang– she is a respectable business figure in Wonderland. Have you heard about her?” Hongjoong asked.

“She’s the owner of quite a few businesses,” you recalled, having seen the face in the newspaper of Wonderland quite a lot during your time there. “I don’t really remember which ones but her most notable endeavour has to be SNSD, the tech company. She’s the CEO, I believe?”

“That’s right,” Hongjoong passed you a file which contained information on Madame Tiffany’s business and a little background check. She was a Wonderland citizen who was going to be visiting Eden to expand her business and possibly do a collaboration with a tech company here. “She visited Edenary a few months ago. We acquainted ourselves and she showed interest in investing in other businesses. I think she’ll take up our offer.”

“Why?” You wondered out loud. “From what I know, she’s a very well-established figure in the business world. What would she be gaining from investing in your pharmaceutical business?”

“The upper hand,” Hongjoong smirked and you looked at Seonghwa who nodded. “The drug we aim to launch is one already known amongst the elite class of the continent– we’re talking Halaland, Wonderland and Utopia among other countries. I suppose she’ll be gaining power, at the very least.”

“Can you tell me more about this drug?” You asked. 

Hongjoong looked at Seonghwa and the underboss nodded, leaning forwards and speaking in a low volume. “That drug… It's called silver light. We discovered its existence during the war when one of our soldiers came across a batch accidentally. We started using it as a numbing drug during medical emergencies– it seemed to work better than the painkillers we had in reserve so we kept it for the extreme cases.”

“After the war ended,” Hongjoong added, “I did a little digging in. I found out that the batch we used up was meant for the highest ranking military. They rarely fought at the scene so I wondered why they would need such a drug, but then I realised it wasn’t a medicine– not yet. It was just a drug that was consumed for pleasure.”

“So while people laid their lives for this land,” Seonghwa sighed deeply in conclusion, “the elites kept such a medically beneficial drug for entertainment purposes.”

“Oh my god,” you were thoroughly surprised at their revelation. “That’s… ridiculous. I served as a medical assistant for about two years in the war but I never heard of such a drug.”

“No one in Eden is aware of its existence save for the elites who consume this drug for pleasure,” Hongjoong told you. “It’s an opioid based drug so it is banned not only in Eden but the entire continent. The only way we get our hands on this drug is through underground channels. You bet that once we make it public that we’re trying to launch it into the market for medical purposes, the elites will do anything to stop us.”

“Does anyone else know about this yet? Secretary Park?” You asked.

“No, but he must suspect something considering that he’s from Edenary and is himself a pharmaceutical company owner,” Seonghwa answered. “It would be strange if he’s aware of its existence and hasn’t tried to launch it or, well, use it in one way or another.”

You nodded slowly. “Are you sure Madame Tiffany will be the right person for the deal?”

“That’s why you’re here,” Hongjoong resigned back, crossing his legs, a faint smirk on his lips. “We’ll be the judge of that, and if you have any connections in Wonderland who could do you a favour and conduct another background check on her… that would be much appreciated.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” you confirmed. You were familiar with your aunt’s gang and could probably ring them for this. 

“We’re short on time though. Madame Tiffany is arriving in Edenary in a week. Her schedule is going to be packed so we can’t say if she’ll visit Sector 1. We should be prepared to make a visit to Edenary, and if it looks like she’s the right investor, we will prepare to make arrangements and receive her here.”

You made an impressed face at Seonghwa. “Looks like you’re getting busier soon.”

“We are getting busy,” Seonghwa smiled deviously. “What do you think about joining us on our visit to Edenary?” 

“Me? Edenary?” You gaped at him. The air in the room suddenly felt too cold despite the nervous sweats now oozing out of your body. “But…”

“I think it’s about time you stopped hiding in the shadows,” Hongjoong said, clasping his hands together. “Secretary Park will be there, as well as a lot of politicians and business people. You might recognise most of them, and from what I know, a lot of people might recognise you too.”

“Secretary Park,” you muttered. “Are you sure about this?”

“I think it’s a good opportunity to let him know that you’re no longer afraid of him,” Seonghwa mused. 

“And an even better opportunity to find out who really wants to get me,” you said, referring to the information you learned from Yeosang and the men exchanged glances. “I’m aware. It has to be someone from Edenary since they only took action after I got involved with your company. If it was a local, they had plenty of opportunities to get rid of me.”

“Right…” Hongjoong shrugged in acceptance. “So? Are you willing to accompany us as our secretary? Are you willing to announce to the world that you are a part of our inner circle? Because your visit to Edenary will be changing a lot of things, Luna.”

You straightened, feeling a surge of confidence boost through you. If the bosses of the Crescents were willing to trust you, you were not going to let them down. “It’s a good opportunity to tie up loose ends,” you said. “I need to have a talk with my father. It’s long overdue.”

“Perfect,” Hongjoong clapped. “We leave in two days. Wipe that grim look off your face, Luna. Show them what you’re made of.”

It felt surreal to enter the capital of Eden through the Sector 1 gate, the diamond-shaped carvings on the gates bisecting as the metal frame opened with a loud creak, true to its old age. The eight gates around Edenary that opened to the eight sectors– or rather, enclosed the capital of Eden within its confines– were as old as Eden itself. Each gate was colossal and identical in its built but with a unique carving on it that was representative of its sector. 

Since Sector 1 was known for Maddox and Co., the famous luxury jewellery shop that was established by the royals of Eden who were big fans of diamonds, the gate had diamond shaped carvings on it to honour the memory of the shop’s origin. It truly was a magnificent sight and it was your first time seeing the gate so you couldn’t help but peek through the window as you crossed the invisible line that indicated your entry into the capital.

It was just as fascinating to enter Edenary as an outsider from Sector 1, of all the sectors. Any person belonging to the upper class usually resided in Sector 2 if not in Edenary. Sector 2, situated in the western region of Eden, was home to the monarchy once and had the Royal Palace in its heart. The Royal Palace was now a government office, sort of an unofficial parliament house after the monarchy was abolished. Sector 2 could have been your home if your life had taken a different course of events. 

If the other passengers in the car noticed your enthusiasm, they didn’t comment on it. Seonghwa, however, could not hold back the light chuckle when you turned in your seat to watch the gates close from the rear window. The leather seats of Hongjoong’s Bentley car suddenly felt too hot– or perhaps, it was the embarrassment seeping into the seats through your body. 

“What?” You retorted, your lips curling into a pout in embarrassment as you tried to match the gaze of the underboss who was seated on your left, clad in a classic tweed suit. “It’s my first time seeing the Sector 1 gate.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Seonghwa raised his hands in surrender, an amused smile plastered on his face. Hongjoong, who was seated in the front, spared you both a glance from his half-nap and let out his signature scoff.

“Seonghwa had a worse reaction when we first saw the gate. He’s probably reminiscing, let him be,” the boss said and Taeyong, the boss’ bodyguard and designated driver of sorts, laughed in agreement.

“He wanted to take a moment to admire, which meant the moment could last half an hour, so I had to physically restrain him,” Taeyong recalled. “He was salty with me for two whole days.”

“I wasn’t,” Seonghwa muttered and you were once again surprised by the almost childish banter that ensued. It really was a rare sight to have the boss and the underboss of the Crescent Company quibbling, and even better that their crew members like Taeyong were on almost casual terms with the Crescents. You were suddenly reminded of Jaemin, the young informant who everyone at the office adored. 

The Crescents truly were different and so human, and you wished they did more to mend their reputation. 

You resorted to watching out of the window while the men chatted. The bare deciduous trees that bordered the highway started to thin as you drew closer to the heart of the capital, revealing more familiar sights of civilization– farmhouses, shops, and warehouses. Before you knew it, you were in the middle of the town where most of the offices and government buildings were located and where the elites of Eden resided. 

You quietly let the dreary, almost lifeless colours of Edenary imprint on your eyes, making silent notes of what changed since the past few years that you stepped in Edenary, which was not much. Just less nature and more artificial spaces. The people sauntering in the streets still looked as pompous as ever, dressed to the max, too absorbed in the newspaper in their hand or occupied with the pet they were walking. 

“The Eden Dome,” Hongjoong’s caught your attention, prompting you to tilt your head to look at the building through the front– the magnificent presidential office with a washed out cerulean blue dome in the middle. The dome along with the accents of gold on the building seemed to be the only colour in Edenary.

Or at least, that’s what it felt like to you. The Eden Dome was President Lee’s office. Your father’s workplace. 

The road curved around the domed building and opened to Eden Square, a large fountain in the middle marking the heart of the capital. You steered towards the left to the residential area where you would be staying in an apartment owned by Hongjoong. One of his crew members, Jaehyun, was a resident there along with a young guard who went by the name ‘Ten’. They were supposedly in charge of handling the Crescents’ Edenary affairs (and spying). 

As the car came to a halt in front of one of the many apartment buildings, you could almost see yourself as Park y/n, the daughter of a businessman running an errand for her father, scrambling through the streets with documents in her hands, the hat on her head threatening to fall off with the wind. You were almost back to being the twenty-one year old who did anything and everything to earn at least one phrase of acknowledgment from her father. 

Oh, how you wished your father would look past your birth status and see that you, too, were capable of great things. Things that even his son wasn’t capable of. He could have given you one chance, and everything would have been different–

“Luna?”

It was your boss’ voice that reminded you that you were no longer related to Secretary Park. That you were almost his rival now. Seven years wasn’t a short amount of time and things would never go back to what they were before.

You shivered involuntarily and nodded to let the boss know that you were okay before grabbing your things and following the men inside the building. 

Somehow, your heart raced with anticipation– not to meet perhaps the most famous businesswoman in the continent, or to finally be a part of the Edenary crowd, but to see the unfiltered rage behind your father’s eyes when he would see you standing with the leaders of the most extensive underground organisation of Eden.

You missed Yunho.

Or rather, his warning about the Edenary crowd echoed in your head. You once mentioned to him that you kind of missed the feeling of being an Edenary citizen and how you always wanted to attend one of the business parties that your father was always talking about. He had initially found it amusing and you wondered why, but his words were starting to make sense now. He was right to believe that the Edenary crowd was overwhelming and that they watched every move you made as if they were vultures, waiting for a chance to grab a bite.

It was suffocating, and you almost wished you were back at the office or having late night snacks with your roommate Wendy. 

It was ultimately Seonghwa’s presence in the room, constant and reassuring, that calmed you. He would catch your eye and exchange a subtle nod, or smile in a way that was only meant for your eyes. Whenever he would pass by you, he would pat your cheek or squeeze your shoulder, silently praising you for your performance here. After all, everyone in the building tonight was a performer, masking their schemes and presenting a carefully crafted facade.

While Seonghwa’s presence in your peripheral vision calmed you, it was Hongjoong who kept you grounded and focused. You were Hongjoong’s partner tonight. Before your arrival here when you were getting ready for the event, Hongjoong had knocked on your door and entered with a satisfied smile when he found you standing straight and proud in front of the mirror, practising your posture.

“I was half-sure you’d be moping in a corner but Seonghwa was right. You look lovely.”

You consciously tugged at the silk fabric of your black dress, thanking him and looking back at your reflection. You decided that you did not have to be from Edenary to look like you belonged here– Hongjoong was proof of that. Dressed in a fancy black suit with a sequined jacket, he looked nothing short of elegant. As he stood behind you, looking at your form in the mirror, you wondered if your outfits were matching on purpose– not just you and Hongjoong, but Seonghwa as well, in his own black sequined suit. Your elbow-length gloves matched them perfectly. Even though it might be a calculative move, it felt intimate.

“I have another something for you,” Hongjoong started and you turned to him, giving him a warning look which he ignored. 

“I can afford my own dresses and jewellery, Sir,” you told him, already having argued about how the ‘company’ paid for your dress tonight, but he only continued to wave the small package in his hand and you reluctantly took it, opening the box inside to find a pearl necklace.

“Kim Hongjoong,” you called his full name for the first time out loud, making him chuckle deeply. “Tell me you rented this.”

“I got it for you,” he corrected.

“But… it’s Maddox and Co.,” you almost cried, knowing how valuable it must have been. “You can’t keep giving me things like this.”

“And who says I can’t?” He raised a brow. “I always get something for the boys. I can get things for you too.”

When you only responded with another glare, he let out a dismissive huff and proceeded to pick the necklace from the box, beckoning you to turn. Hesitantly, you did and swept your curls up so he could put the necklace on for you. When he was done fastening it, he placed his hands on your shoulders, admiring how the pearl sat between your collarbones.

You could not complain– it was absolutely magnificent.

“It matches your ring,” he said with a wicked grin and you scoffed in disbelief. He got you that necklace not only to match with your ring, but to let Secretary Park know that the ring wasn’t the only valuable thing in your possession anymore. Somehow, that did nothing to ease your nerves, though when Hongjoong squeezed your bare shoulders, you smiled in acceptance. You could wear this tonight. 

“Remember to stand tall just like this,” Hongjoong said before letting go. “And stay by my side. You’re not a bookkeeper or a secretary tonight– or even anymore. You’re just Luna of The Crescent Company, got it? You’ll make a name for yourself tonight.”

“I don’t understand why you’re allowing me to,” you told him. It was the simple truth, a question that nagged you time and time again.

“Because darling,” Hongjoong stepped closer, almost whispering in your ear now, maintaining eye contact through the mirror. “You’re my weapon now. I’ll proudly wield you. Just like I am your shield and you’ll use me when you need protection.”

A weapon and a shield. What a pair you made. And oh, he acted like your shield alright. While introducing you to the guests at the party, he didn’t let anyone question your position in the company or your status. You were just Luna of The Crescent Company– someone important enough to have made it here. They could wonder all they want.

“Here he comes,” Hongjoong leaned forward to whisper in your ear while you were sipping on your drink, distracted by the familiar faces in the crowd, though hardly anyone recognised you. 

You were at Mr. Jang’s residence, the co-owner of Eden News. He was a pretty influential person in Eden and it was always an advantage to be in his good graces. Hongjoong’s announcement made you think that he meant the host himself was here.

Except when you turned and followed the direction of his gaze, you frowned in confusion as you tried to locate the host but instead, found someone else entirely.

Secretary Park Byung Eun. Your father.

He seemed to be just as startled to see you, his gaze briefly sliding past before his attention snapped back. HIs face fell pale when he realised that your partner tonight was none other than Kim Hongjoong of The Crescent Company. 

He, of course, pretended to be unfazed as he approached you, pretending as if he intended  to greet Hongjoong. He could not act as if he hadn’t seen the pair of you now. Hongjoong rested his hand on your back, lightly caressing it in both reassurance and warning and you took a deep breath, the pearls around your neck suddenly feeling heavier than the fur scarf that was draped on your shoulders.

“Colonel Kim,” Secretary Park’s voice almost echoed inside your head. “Been a while.”

It had been a long time since you heard the man’s voice. You physically restrained yourself from reacting, though your resolve was starting to crumble.

“It has,” Hongjoong’s grin was giving him away. “I see you’ve met Seonghwa?”

“Always a gentleman,” your father nodded, not meeting your eyes. Even though you were right in front of him, he was pretending he could not see you.

It had always been like this. He still looked the same– clean shaven face, droopy lids and wavy hair. Perhaps, he looked a little older than the last time you saw him which was about three years ago, but he was still the same man and it irked you so much–

“Meet Luna,” Hongjoong said and your father finally met your eyes. “My partner.”

You looked at Hongjoong in surprise– partner? Perhaps, your father was just as shocked, the frown deepening on his face as he tried to grasp what Hongjoong meant by the term ‘partner’. 

Hongjoong only smiled casually, his hand moving to rest on the side of your waist and your father made an impressed face.

“Partner… I see,” he looked at you, scanning your face. “Didn’t realise you were interested in business… Luna.”

A warning. Hongjoong must have sensed that, because he answered for you. “Sometimes, we don’t see what’s right in front of our eyes, isn’t that right, Mr. Park?”

When Secretary Park raised a brow, Hongjoong looked down with a laugh. “I mean… she was right in front of me for a while. It just took me a long time to figure out how valuable a partner she makes.”

“Right,” Secretary Park sighed in resignation. “But sometimes, we think too highly of someone. Sometimes, we even think too highly of ourselves, eh?”

It was the same phrase you’d heard so many times. Yet… hearing it now felt like as much of a stab as it did when you were younger.

“You must think very highly of me then,” you scoffed, unable to hold back the distaste in your tone. “I trust you got a message, recently?”

The message was the warning that Yunho had sent through his men to Secretary Park. He was not to mess with you or any of them again. Truly, your father must think highly of you if he wanted to eliminate you, right?

“Received,” he said with a fake smile before shifting his attention to the boss. “So, Colonel Kim. Who do you plan to use as bait tonight? A certain major general turned assemblyman has been sniffing in places he shouldn’t be. I trust you’ve got nothing to do with it?”

Hongjoong raised his hands in mock surrender. “I wouldn’t know anything. I tend to keep away from politics as much as I can,” he smoothly lied– he was both behind it and a bit too interested in politics recently. “I can look into it for you? If that’s what you’d like?”

“No need,” he raised his glass in toast. “Thank you very much.”

“Ah,” you huffed. “Must be something you want to keep under the covers.”

“Wouldn't you know all about that,” he narrowed his eyes. You only tightened your smile in response.

“We’re only here to get acquainted with Madame Tiffany, just like everyone else,” Hongjoong interrupted, breaking the war of glares.

“Oh, so that’s who your new business partner is going to be?” Secretary Park asked.

“If we’re lucky to make a deal, sure,” Hongjoong shrugged. “As a businessman yourself, you must know that it’s a trial and error process of meeting potential partners. It’s a shame our deal fell through.”

“Truly,” Secretary Park scoffed. “Madame Tiffany, huh? I really hope you shake hands with her then.”

While the smirk he passed you went unnoticed by Hongjoong, you recognised that expression very well. This certain curl of his lips indicated that he knew more than he let on– that he was winning and you were going to meet defeat in the worst way. You felt the hair on the back of your neck rise in warning, especially when he himself offered to introduce you both to Madame Tiffany.

You reluctantly followed the boss, Seonghwa joining you on your way to the main hall and asking if you were alright. You shrugged it off because now was not the time, though you wish you could warn the bosses that something was amiss.

You spotted Madame Tiffany, in all her glory, in the middle of the room with all eyes on her even though she was deep in a conversation with someone. Everyone seemed to be waiting to catch her attention, and truly, she looked every bit like the rumours you had heard– beautiful in her pale pink dress, elegant and strong in the way she carried herself with her confident smile and straight shoulder, naturally exuding a subtle air of power.  

But you could not get the look in your father’s eyes out of your head. You had requested a background check on Madame Tiffany through Madame Cha, your aunt. As a Wonderland local, she must know if Madame Tiffany was all that she appeared to be. If there really wasn’t anything more to her and she was just a businesswoman looking to expand her empire, that would be ideal. 

Secretary Park offered to introduce Hongjoong to Madame Tiffany, which was an unusual move from him. You may not have been to any of the business parties in Edenary when you lived here but you knew that your father was the type of person who would never help another person if they benefited from something. Everything that he did was meaningful and ultimately resulted in the downfall of whoever crossed his path. You often wondered why President Lee kept such a man as his secretary– perhaps, because he needed someone like him as his shield?

And then you were reminded of Hongjoong’s words. You were his weapon, and he was your shield, but you supposed that sometimes, a weapon was used to protect oneself too, just like a shield was used to strike at times. 

“Mr. Kim,” Madame Tiffany shook hands with your boss. “I’m glad to have finally met you. I’ve heard so much about your business.”

Hongjoong seemed pleased. “All good things, I hope.”

“Wonderful things,” she smiled. “Especially about your contribution to Eden after the war. It’s truly remarkable.”

“Well, I look forward to our scheduled meeting tomorrow then,” Hongjoong placed a hand on his chest and bowed. “Perhaps, we’ll be able to contribute more to Eden’s wellbeing.”

“It would be an honour,” Madam Tiffany mimicked his greeting and Hongjoong spotted an acquaintance, saying he would be back in a few minutes. As soon as he was out of earshot, you turned to Seonghwa who was watching you carefully.

“What do you think about Madame Tiffany?”

“Seems like you’ve got something on your mind,” Seonghwa said in a low voice, shaking his head. “Not here, though. We’ll talk when we get back.”

You nodded, noticing your father at the end of the hall, beckoning you to join him in an empty room that seemed to be a study. You looked at Seonghwa. “Can I go talk to my father?”

“Of course, love. Are you sure?” He asked, tucking a curl behind your ear. “If you want me to come with you, I can. Or if you don’t want to talk to him, I can let him know–”

“No, I… I should talk. It’s been a while, and there’s a lot I haven’t said to him,” you let out a short, sad laugh. “Not the best time for confrontation but I think he’s up to something. I should do this.”

“You don’t have to,” Seonghwa insisted, holding your hand. “But if you wish to, I won’t stop you.”

You squeezed his hand to let him know that you would be okay. Taking a deep breath, you moved towards the room and went inside, keeping the door ajar just in case.

“Luna, is it now?” Secretary Park asked almost nonchalantly as he circled around the desk in the room before taking a seat.

“Yeah, but you would know all about that, wouldn’t you? Considering how you’ve been keeping tabs on me.”

“Come on,” he scoffed, sparing you a glance. “Can’t a father check on his daughter every now and then?”

“Sure,” you folded your arms and narrowed your eyes. “If by check, you mean almost killing me and the people around me, sure.”

“Well, I did order you to keep a low profile,” he reminded you. His tone was no longer playful. “But look at you. Couldn’t stay away from the spotlight in Edenary, could you?”

“You ordered me to keep a low profile and then disowned me, in case you forgot. Cut my name off from the family register and all, right? What makes you think you have any control over my life anymore?”

“You’ve always been feisty like that, y/n,” he clicked his tongue. “It could cost you a lot– but it looks like I won’t have to pull any strings now. You will bring the downfall of the company and the gangsters you love so much now.”

“If they’re gangsters, what does that make you?” You narrowed your eyes. “You can’t tell me your hands are any less dirtier than theirs.”

“Y/n,” he called in warning but you shook your head. 

“Don’t ever come after me or mine again,” your voice shook as you warned him, the years of anger starting to make their way up to your throat from your gut. “Unless you want to start a war that you can never win.”

Secretary Park scoffed loudly but it soon turned into a fit of mocking laughter and you watched him clutch his stomach as he bent over, wiping his eyes. 

“My dear, I wish I could tell you just what you have gotten yourself into,” he sighed, shaking his head in amusement. “But figures. You’ll be finding out soon anyway. You should have never stepped foot where you do not belong.”

Infuriated, you left the room and went straight to the table to down a drink which did nothing to calm the rage coursing through your veins. There was too much going on and you felt the urge to let it all out in the form of a scream or something worse–

“Luna,” Seonghwa’s voice sounded behind you but you didn’t turn, clutching at your glass dangerously hard. He placed a hand on your arm almost cautiously, caressing the bare skin. “Are you okay?”

“Just give me a moment,” you sniffed, looking up and willing the tears to go back inside. “I’ll be fine.”

“We’re leaving soon,” he squeezed your arm but you gently pushed his hand away before you turned to look at him. You saw a hint of hurt in his eyes and you wished you could tell him that you were only pushing him away because you were afraid you would break if he looked at you or touched you with such care. 

“I’ll go sit in the car– Taeyong’s outside, right?” You asked and Seonghwa nodded, escorting you outside and waiting until he spotted Taeyong. You shut yourself inside the car and took deep breaths, hoping that by the time you would be back and having a meeting to discuss how to move forward, you would be okay.

But you were very obviously far from okay. The car ride was awfully silent and Hongjoong seemed to have an inkling of your meeting with your father which was why he did not initiate a conversation. When you were back at the empty apartment, the three of you settled in the living room and Hongjoong lit his pipe.

“Any luck with the assemblymen, Seonghwa?” 

“Since the elections are near, they’re being cautious,” Seonghwa loosened his tie as he spoke.  “But I did get an idea of the political tide. It’s still in President Lee’s favour and there's a high chance he would be re-elected unless a scandal breaks out. But then… his image is too clean. I met General Wi as well. He said something about how he’s losing votes because of the Siren Rebel Party. He’s almost sure one of the rival politicians might be funding them so he can be out of the game– he is the second in lead right now.”

“Yeah, General Wi is desperate now. I’d honestly like to see some change too– President Lee should retire before someone digs up something about him and tarnish his image,” Hongjoong said, taking a long smoke and looking at you. “What do you think, Luna?”

“About?”

“Everything,” he put his pipe away. “What do you have to say about tonight? Do you think Madame Tiffany will make a good business partner?”

“I’m not sure, just like you,” you began and he nodded. “But… it was strange how Secretary Park reacted. He’s never the type of person to be a middleman in a potential deal, yet he was so willing to introduce the two of you. Madame Tiffany and him seem to be acquainted already– which, okay, they’re both business owners. But when I was talking to him in person,” you looked at Seonghwa who urged you to continue. “He said something about how I’ll soon be finding out what I have gotten myself into, and that… I would bring the downfall of the Crescents? I’m not quite sure if he was just saying this to rile me up or if he meant it.”

“Hmm… sounds like empty threats to me.”

“They’re not,” you shook your head. “He always means what he says. And I would like to warn you that when we meet Madame Tiffany tomorrow, keep in mind that they may be acquainted in more ways than they let on. If Madame Tiffany is in cahoots with Secretary Park… that could be the downfall he was talking about.”

“I have a feeling he said all of that just so you could try and stop me from making the deal with Tiffany,” Hongjoong said. Seonghwa hummed in agreement. He could not deny that Hongjoong’s logic made sense too. “We have to entertain this possibility too. We’ve done our background check and everything seems okay, which is why we’re here in the first place.”

“Well, I still haven’t heard from Madame Cha, which means she’s looking into it,” you said determinedly. “She’s got connections with the underground channels in Wonderland and will be able to confirm if Madame Tiffany is good news or not.”

“We might not hear back from your aunt though,” Hongjoong shrugged.

“We will,” you insisted. “And if you rush, you might be doing exactly what Secretary Park wants you to do.”

“Well, you know what I think?” Hongjoong scoffed, leaning forward. “I think you’re letting your emotions regarding your father influence your judgement.”

“We must consider every possibility,” you said through gritted teeth, the emotions you had tried so hard to suppress making their way right back. “And Madame Tiffany is here for a few weeks. We can wait it out before we shake hands with her.”

“And miss a golden opportunity?” Hongjoong tsk-ed. 

“Remember that you missed your ‘golden opportunity’ when I warned you about Secretary Park,” you said and Seonghwa cleared his throat, wanting to calm the tension in the room but you and Hongjoong ignored it. “It could have cost you everything.”

“Luna, I’m sorry to burst your bubble but we are an old criminal organisation and we do not need to rely on your imposing opinions to save ourselves. We have other means,” Hongjoong reminded you and you settled back in resignation. “I will consider your words, but the decision is ultimately mine.”

Seonghwa grunted in warning but the damage had been done. 

“Right,” you bit your lips, your vision getting blurry. “For a second, you sounded exactly like the person I’ve been running away from. All that talk about being your partner but that’s what my opinions are to you? Imposing?”

Hongjoong realised that he had said too much that he didn’t really mean, or that he should have worded it differently. The vulnerability in your eyes made his stomach curl with regret. He glanced at Seonghwa who looked like he wanted to get up and comfort you but before he could do anything, you muttered that you were retiring for the night and went to your room.

Seonghwa sighed, looking at his partner. “Well done. Impressive way to handle the situation, Joong.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Hongjoong angrily sucked the pipe. “I meant it.” 

“But you regret it,” Seonghwa was smiling. Hongjoong spared him a glance. “Bad timing. She wasn’t alright after the meeting with her father, I told you.”

“Both sides of the coin, Hwa,” Hongjoong said. “Mine and hers. It’s going to be your decision– I can’t deal with her right now.”

“Yeah, you’re smitten,” Seonghwa laughed. “And you don’t know what to do about it for once. You always make a fool out of yourself when you’re like this.”

Hongjoong looked at Seonghwa angrily but when Seonghwa walked to him and caressed his hand, he calmed down. Hongjoong sighed deeply. 

“Has my heart hardened far too much for my own good?”

Seonghwa only shook his head. “I know why this deal means so much to you. But she’s right– we have to be cautious and consider every factor. With this Strictland business, we’re realising that even we do not fully know what’s happening in the underworld, right?”

“She’s a part of the Crescents now,” Hongjoong said. “I’m trying to hone her critical thinking skills. She needs that in order to survive– especially where it concerns Secretary Park.”

“He’s still her only family,” Seonghwa reminded him. “Let’s cut her some slack. I’ll go talk to her, okay?” 

When you heard the familiar soft knocks on your door, you wished you had locked the room– you were in no state to be seen, crouching in a corner with tears running down your eyes and your gloves and scarf sprawled on the floor near you. You did not respond to the knocks.

“Luna? Can you please open the door for me?”

You sniffed and took a deep breath. “I’m fine. It’s okay.”

“Please?” He said. “I won’t leave until you do.”

“Lord, give me strength,” you muttered under your breath. “Come in.”

Seonghwa hesitantly opened the door, looking around and finding you in the corner next to the vanity, wiping your eyes. “Good heavens, Luna.”

“I told you I was fine,” you said, laughing at your own comment and he chuckled as he settled down on his knees in front of you. You hid your face in your hands, a fresh stream of tears running down your face. “I’m not crying because of the boss.”

“You can curse at him if you want. It can be our little secret,” Seonghwa said and you shook your head. “Also, you can call him Hongjoong. You don’t always have to address him so formally.”

“Okay, Mr. Park.”

“Seonghwa for you,” he tsk-ed. “Look at me. Come on, talk to me. What happened earlier?”

“I don’t know,” you wiped your eyes, looking at your hands and sighing– your mascara must be smudged everywhere on your face. “I didn’t expect it to be so… anticlimactic, the meeting with my father. All he had to offer was threats and warnings. I don’t understand how he can be so cruel towards me.”

“Was there something else you were expecting from him?” Seonghwa asked softly, caressing your hand. 

“Not really, but… at least a ‘good to see you’re well’? But then, he wants me dead so maybe I’ve been stupid to expect that.”

“Oh, dear,” Seonghwa pulled you closer, prompting you to settle on your knees instead of keeping them upright as a barrier between you two. “Tell me you said something he deserved to hear.”

“I did,” you sniffed. “I told him not to come after me or mine ever again unless he wants to start a war he can never win.”

A smirk creeped up the underboss’ lips, sending a stirring of nerves in your stomach. “Me or mine, huh?”

“I had to say something–”

“You did well,” Seonghwa said, cupping your face and wiping your eyes, nodding in acknowledgement. “You did so well, love. And I’m glad you stayed strong. You don’t ever have to break in front of your father anymore. You can break in front of me, in front of any of us but– never him.”

You looked at Seonghwa, truly looked at him. His eyes glinted with a million unsaid things, but even in the dim light of the lamp, you could tell that they held admiration and something like pride. Something you always wished to see in someone’s eyes when they looked at you.

“Why do you cry, love?” He asked, wiping the tears that threatened to roll down your cheeks. You didn’t even realise that you were crying silently now.

“I don’t know,” you told him. “Seonghwa– can I really break in front of you?”

Something unreadable flickered across Seonghwa’s face. “You can. With me, or Hongjoong, or any of us, you can be yourself. We’re here– I’m here for you. You never have to feel alone again.”

You tightened your lips, stifling a sob. Seonghwa only smiled, scooting closer to plant a kiss on your forehead. You let out a shaky breath and then went still as he kissed your cheek. 

“Won’t you look at me?”

The deep timbre of his voice sounded inside your skull. You kept your eyes shut and he wiped the remnants of the tears away from your lashes before kissing both your eyelids, his soft lips like feathers of an angel's wing shielding you from everything that hurt you. Your hands tangled in his shirt as he continued to pepper light kisses all over your face, the sound of his breath making your heart flutter uncontrollably. However, he stopped right when he kissed near your mouth, his hands almost shaking as he cradled your jaw and pulled back to gauge your reaction.

“Look at me.”

“I’m scared,” you opened your eyes and your gaze stuck on his plump lips. “I don’t understand why you all want me. I don’t understand why we’re here, like this.”

He only smiled in answer. “Is it too much?”

“That’s the thing,” you scoffed in disbelief. “I don’t think it is.”

Seonghwa sucked in a breath, his grip on your neck tightening just a fraction though you spotted hesitation in his eyes. Before you knew it, you were leaning forwards– or perhaps, he was the one who closed the distance between your lips, instantly leaning into you with a force that had you resigning back against the wall. You tangled your fingers in his soft hair– god, he was a good kisser and he wasn’t letting you breathe for one second.

He broke apart for breath, only to tilt his face and kiss you at a different angle and you moaned into the kiss, unintentionally tugging at the length of his hair that made him bite your lower lip. You couldn’t help but think of the way Yunho had kissed you the last time in the office just as desperately, if not more. Yet with Seonghwa, it felt so different, especially the way he held your face and sucked at your lower lip.

With a peck to his lips, you drew away, almost sobbing again at the way he looked like he needed to kiss you again– he met your eyes, conveying that and you let him kiss you softly.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered and he shook his head.

“What for?”

“I don’t know,” you sighed and pursed your lips. “I need to figure out my feelings, Seonghwa. I can’t go around kissing any one of you.”

Seonghwa chuckled. “But you can–”

You shook your head adamantly though his permission made your head spin. “Give me some time.”

Seonghwa exhaled, nodding. “Alright. I can do that.”

A moment passed where the two of you simply stared at each other’s eyes, trying to navigate through the storm of emotions clouding them. You were so close that you could hear his soft breaths and the warmth emanating from his body felt welcoming, almost compelling you to come closer. 

“Do you want me?” You asked in a soft whisper and he almost choked on his own breath.

“You can’t just ask that all of a sudden,” he gave you a pained smile. “Are you ready to hear the answer?”

Oh, they were messing with you for sure. There was no way Yeosang and Yunho also had the same thing to say. “There’s no bet going around, is there?”

“We would never do that,” his assertive tone was an answer enough. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Luna, but we… we’re a really tightly-knit group. We value relationships. And you’re a part of our group now, yeah? We don’t want to do anything to jeopardise our relationship with you.”

“And this…” you looked at the small distance between you two. “This won’t jeopardise it?”

“It’s not that complicated, if you’re willing to hear us out,” Seonghwa settled back, playing with the hem of your dress. “We’re just… one. We’re a single unit, if you will. We’ve been through a lot together, and we continue to walk together. You can be a part of that, or you can just continue being our little secretary,” he chuckled and you laughed lightly. “It’s up to you.”

“I’ll… I’m thinking about it, I really am, but most of all, I’m just preparing myself to hear it from one of you,” you admitted and he suddenly looked hopeful. “But you– the boys, all of you. You’re close in more ways than you show it. Am I right?”

He smiled in answer. “Is it obvious?”

“It really isn’t,” you frowned through your smile, wondering if he was admitting it. “Seonghwa… this won’t change us, will it? This won’t doom us, right?”

“It won’t,” he assured you. “And we won’t let it. It can be your salvation if you want it to be, or your doom if you let it be.”

“Geez, thanks for that,” you said.

Your teasing and laughter grew louder, filling the space in the living room where Hongjoong was still present. He gulped down the last of his drink and set the glass on the table with a smile he would never let anyone see.

next chapter

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taglist pt 1:

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[breadedloafs]

oh wow…. i’m glad at least mingi was the nicer one out of the two(granted it was mostly for personal goals, but hey it’s smth). also i love the little hongjoong thought moments, ugh the dude is such a cutie simp

The Places Between Us: The Undead Soldier: (OT8 x Fem!Reader)

Pairing: Song Mingi x Fem!Reader | Side pairings: Hongjoong x Fem!Reader, Ateez x Reader.

Genre: Smut, angst, fluff | AU: fantasy!au,

Word Count: 6k

Summary: Carted away by Mingi like a prized lion, YN is taken through the dangerous woodlands of the North. Through lycan infested lands, General Mingi is generous. Very generous.

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT!

Overall Tags: dub-con, mind control, enslavement, kidnapping, forced breeding, monster fucking, sex work, mentions/implications of abuse, mentions/implications of SA, stockholm syndrome, public sex, exhibitionism, humiliation, degradation, breeding kink, bigdick!Seonghwa, bigdick!Yunho, DoubleDick!Yunh, face fucking, throat fucking, undead sex, sex w/ undead, belly bulge, anal sex, anal fingering, vaginal sex, multiple positions, multiple orgasms, squirting/vaginal ejaculation, slight size kink (height wise), overstimulation, facials, cum swallowing, choking, dom!ateez, sub!reader, tit fucking, sex toys, bondage, multiple partners, threesome, orc!jongho, naga!seonghwa, demon!hongjoong, dragon!yunho, undead!mingi, goblin!yeosang, lycan!san, lycan!wooyoung.

Taglist: @binniesbabe @stay-tiny-things @oiminho @babymbbatinygirl @sopematesxx @pirana10 @juicyjaxxy @corgilover20 @kinkymaminicole @londonbridges01 @readerofallthingss @dvbkie099 (if you want to be tagged for future chapters, let me know in the replies)

Part 2: The Dragon Prince < | > Part 4: The Goblin Merchant

****

You woke up in your bedroom again. The smell of chamomile came faintly off the sheets and pillows, and you knew who was beside you. 

“Morning, love,” he rolled onto his side, eyes still closed as he pulled you close. 

“Morning.”

The both of you laid naked, entangled in one another like snakes. His lips, plush and warm, pressed to your cheek, then made their way to your lips. The whole thing might have been a terrible dream, and this was reality. You snuggled into Hongjoong further, nuzzling him and pecking his lips. 

“Come back to me,” you heard yourself whisper. “Please, come find me.”

“I will,” he pushed black strands from his face, then kissed you. “I promise.” 

“I don't know how much of this I can take.”

“You're tough. You'll make it.”

“This is different. This thing…I feel like it's stripping away everything I am. I feel nothing but tired and sore afterwards. It takes only a small suggestion before I'm dying for it. I don’t know if I will….What if you don't come in time or it somehow progresses and I lose it completely?”

“That isn't going to happen,” he assured you. “I am coming for you, YN. I will never leave you to suffer like this…” he cupped your cheek and kissed you. “Things haven't gone how we planned, but we adapt. We work with it. Please, don't worry. I have a way or two of fixing the worst parts of the curse. You might even start welcoming it.”

“I doubt that.”

“Well, you never know. You seem to really enjoy Mingi and his sentient hands.”

You turned away shyly. Yes, the Undead general might have grown on you since you started your journey. The cage, you learned, was more to keep his men out than to keep you in. He didn't force himself upon you, only doing it when you asked him to help relieve your symptoms. He did the bare minimum, but it was still better than the last two. 

“We'll be together soon. I promise.”

The soft circling sensation gently roused you from sleep. You tried finding the exact source of the reaction, but your hazy brain couldn’t find it. A faint chill brushed over exposed parts, which made the warmth more noticeable. You rolled over onto your side in the bed of hay, but the hardness remained latched to you. Long digits slid across your sex, making circular motions over the bare lips. Another mass stayed on your exposed breast, rubbing its palm against your hard nipple. The two sides combined to stoke the mark in your back. 

“Did you not get enough last night?” you giggled sleepily, grinding into the hand between your legs. 

The lower hand answered by rapidly rubbing your clit with its thumb. You muffled your moans with your tunic, which had come undone while you slept. Your excitement boiled when the one on your chest scurried to your ass, gripping the cheek before you pulled one side to let it further in. It circled the tight ring in time with its partner, which started prodding a finger in by the second knuckle. Pleasure burns your entire body, bringing on a slight heat even in the chilly atmosphere outside the cage. You couldn't stop yourself from grinding into them both. You became nearly dizzy from their teasing. 

“Ooh, just like that,” you breathed when a finger went into your ass, filling both holes. “Yes, both ends…good boys…keep going like-ah, yes, please, one more…”

Two fingers met each other inside you, and you already felt yourself shaking. You barely registered the cage door creaking open or the footsteps coming your way. Looking over your shoulder, you saw Mingi kneeling behind you….

Minus his head…

“Managed to get away too, hm?” you giggled breathily. 

One of the hands instantly grabbed his throbbing cock to tap on your ass. Lacking the mortality of normal men, Mingi did not feel warm at all. Every part of him shocked your hot skin whenever he touched you. It added a new feeling that made you wriggle in his grasp. It became more noticeable when the hand on your cunt brought his tip to your entrance. The left hand having nowhere to go crawled up to your face and you accepted two fingers into your mouth. Your moans went around the lukewarm digits as Mingi slowly pushed his cock inside. Being full in all three entrances was like a dream. You pathetically mewled and rocked in all ways to get more pleasure out of it. You could honestly get used to this. 

“Ugh, there you are!” Mingi’s voice came from somewhere below. “I've been looking for you everywhere.” 

Pink tentacles helped Mingi slither into the cage. He'd told you when he drowned at sea, an octopus made its home in his skull. It was the only thing keeping his head attached to his body. He hid his smirk when he saw what the rest of him was up to. 

“A nice way to wake up, huh?” He smirked when you nodded, an answer muffled by his fingers. “I had trouble getting away from a meeting,” he came closer, “But I couldn't stop thinking about last night.” One tentacle reached up to wipe hair from your face, “You did so well, and didn't waste a single drop. I thought you'd tire after the third round, but you surprised me. I've only ever seen an Undead go that long.” 

The tentacle left your hair for your chest, sliding between body and floor to encompass your breasts. The slimy, cold tendril lightly squeezed them while the suction cups latched to your skin. You took full advantage of the appendages filling and caressing you by haphazardly pushing into them. The fingers in your ass stayed fully to the last knuckle, only pushing and pulling once in a while as his cock pounded your wet sex. Another tentacle reached down and you cried out when it started mercilessly flicking your clit. 

“Lay on your back,” Mingi ordered, “And keep those legs wide open.”

His hands moved away to let you roll onto your back. Your hips moved around as the emptiness became more pronounced. You would've reached down to your clit if Mingi didn't get there first. Tentacles wrapping around your thighs, he pressed his face right to your center and started rolling his tongue around it. Unable to shake him off, you could only buck around as he slurped and sucked your clit relentlessly upside down. You breathed deeply when his body pushed his dick back inside; you put his hands on your chest, which they delightfully started grabbing and teasing. The overwhelming pleasure turns your mind blank. You could only comprehend the sensations building in you: Mingi’s cold tongue on your clit sent sparks to the core where his hard tip pushed until you saw stars. The thumbs brushing over your nipples was like throwing kindling into a blazing fire. You never wanted it to end. It was the most enjoyable thing you'd ever felt and you immediately understood why Yunho’s wives loved entertaining him. 

Mingi’s hunger grew when your walls tightened around him. He flicked his tongue on your pussy sideways as he picked up the pace. Unable to move away, you were forced to come. Your moans filled the cage, your orgasm strong and causing your body to tremble on the wooden floor. You chased down your climax, savouring the sweet bliss his touches brought. As it came down, Mingi only lifted your legs further up and charged deeper. You grabbed his broad shoulders, fingers digging into the cloth sleeves of his shirt and to his stiff skin, needing to hold onto him. 

“Cum in me,” you panted, trying to push up into him but not by much. “Fill me with your cum, please. Please, please?”

“Oh, you want my cum, huh?” Mingi said, his voice causing a slight vibration on your clit. 

“Yes, yes, please!”

“Cum for me again, and I'll give you every drop.”

His hands snapped back to his empty wrists in soft clicks: his head left your sex and slid back up his body to the empty neck hole. Fully put together, Mingi turned you around before bringing you back onto him. Hands holding fistfuls of hard straw, knuckles pressing into the floor, you used it to steady yourself as you began riding him. Mingi’s deep, low groans mingled with yours each time you grinded and whirled your hips with him inside you. You swore his cock, thick and long, snaked around in time with you and twitched against your g-spot. Head tilting back, you thought you might be on fire. The strain on your muscles burned and ached, but the mark on your back kept you going. A driving force of desperate need drove you to lifting and lowering your hips despite the struggle. Nothing ever felt this good. Nothing ever made you feel as complete as having something buried in you. How could you want to get rid of this feeling when it brought so much joy and pleasure? 

“The best view I’ve ever had,” Mingi groaned, landing a few swats to your ass cheeks. “You look so good just like this. You’re gonna stay like this as long as I want.” 

“Ye-yes,” you huffed, whimpering when he kept smacking your backside. “Can I ride it like this all day? Don’t le-leave. Just stay here and let me have-have your dick.”

“I like the sound of that.” 

When he pulled them apart, you hoped he’d slide a digit or two inside, but he didn’t. He only rolled, kneaded and spanked them. It wasn’t until you felt something shift to your left that you turned your head. On the edge of the cage sat your crow. You knew it was yours by how strange it acted. The shaking of the cage did not startle or cause it to fly off. It remained firmly planted as its black eyes looked at you. The sneaking suspicion this was not a regular crow crossed your mind, but you couldn’t focus on it for too long. Mingi’s head slammed right into your center at a mind-numbing feeling, and you started shaking again. You leaned forward when his hands lifted and spread your cheeks, giving him a good view of his dick sliding in and out of you. 

The crow bounced a little further down as if wanting a look itself. Hongjoong liked watching sometimes, you knew. He’d hide in your closet while you worked, silently jerking off in private until you finished. Then he’d shove himself in your mouth and down your throat, muttering degrading words as you swallowed his load. You wished he were there now. You pictured his dark eyes observing you from the corner, his hand wrapped around his stiff erection, and mouth hanging open in his groans. Mingi might be good, but nobody made you feel how Hongjoong did. You’d do anything to please him. You went to lengths you’d never do for any other man, not even if they paid, but you did for him. 

“Stay still, stay still,” Mingi huffed, breaths turning into higher whines as he started pushing up into you. 

Soon, cold globs spilled your sex and you stayed firmly planted to let him finish. It was a strange feeling every time, even now that you expected it. You yelped and giggled when more came. It tingled, and you rocked your hips with hopes of getting more.

Like he’d promised, Mingi didn’t stop. He took you in various positions, an Undead soldier who could go for hours without tiring at all. Your body began wavering, every muscle growing stiff and sore from the exertion, and your mind numbing to the pleasure. Only the crow saw you slowly spiral into the drooling wreck your curse will soon make you permanently. You didn’t know what time it was or where you’d gone when Mingi finally pulled out of you. 

“You’re incredible,” he huffed, eyes closed as he laid beside you. “I wish I could keep you.”

“You won’t be?”

“No,” he shook his head, “Sadly not. I’m taking you to the Grey Lands until Lord Kim can come get you.”

‘The Grey Lands?”

“Some people call it the Graveyard or Deadville,” he said in a bored voice, “But it’s home. It’s near the Crescent Mountains where he lives, so it’s the most sensible place for you to be. If I want some favor with Kim, I think bringing him his special pet will get it for me.” 

“Favor?”

“Yeah,” he rolled onto his side, “I might be a general but I get restrictions too. I want to go on leave before the war, and I can only do that with his help. If I take care of you, he’ll see you’re safe and he’ll give me anything I want.”

“Why can’t you just ask?”

“He’d have to open the portal between the living and the afterlife,” he said, “And that’s a big ask of him.”

“What makes you think he’d do it?”

He smiled at you, “Because he’s been looking for you since Yunho kidnapped you.”

This caught your attention, “How do you know that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You have his brand on you. You’re carrying his curse, so obviously he must have some use for you. I would’ve thought it’d be gifting you to someone, but clearly that’s not it. I figured I’d give you back, then get what I asked for.” 

“I guess that’s a good plan.” 

Fuzziness and pain kept you from putting pieces together. You laid in the hay bed, sprawled out naked and feeling lukewarm semen leaking to the floor. The sweat started chilling on your skin, and you shivered from the cold. 

“It’s a good plan, I won’t lie. I might give it to him when I have you in my arms again.” 

“General,” an Undead soldier came up to the cage carrying a tiny scroll in his skeletal fingers, “A message from Command.”

“Leave it on my desk,” he said, sliding to you and kissing your cheek. “I’m enjoying my pet right now.”

“I’m afraid it cannot wait, sir,” he replied. “It’s from Lord Kim personally. It has his seal.” 

Mingi shot right up, pushing black hair from his face and trying to hide the panic. “Give it here,” he reached through the bars to take the scroll. 

He moved away from you. The soldier’s eyes fell on your sweaty, naked body and you turned away in shame. The soldiers took to watching whenever Mingi entered your cage. Not needing to breathe much, they hid in the shadows like ghosts and watched. Their pale eyes glowed in the darkness, sending chills down your spine. You recalled last night when a whole group watched on, stroking themselves and groaning. The sight of their bluish sperm leaking onto the floor intrigued and disgusted you. You grabbed your tunic to cover yourself from him, but he did not look away from you.

“Good…” you heard Mingi mutter under his breath, “Good…Exactly as I planned it…I had no idea you were this special to him, though. Normally, he allows the suffering to continue.”

“I, um, suppose, sir?” The soldier gulped, moving closer to get a better look at you. You shifted away. “General, the men and I were wondering when you wish to press onward. We’re walking through Lycan territory, and the packs here don’t take kindly to outsiders.”

“I’ve never known my men to be afraid of a bunch of dogs.”

“They’re hardly dogs, sir.” 

“Get ready to move, then. His Lordship says he’ll meet us at home base,” he said, rereading his letter. “You, get up and get dressed,” he said to you hurriedly, “Come with me.” 

After waiting for you to put on your tunic, he grabbed your arm and tugged you out of the wagon. He paraded you through the encampment, his comrades groaning in delight as you passed them. Their whispers and chuckling reached your ears, and you stared at the ground. You knew they remembered last night. Visions of it made you sick. The curse warped your mind, burrowing all kinds of thoughts into you. You know soon enough you will not care if they watch or not. You will be so gone, you'd want them to join and feed the never ending hunger. They likely knew this too, and you trembled. 

Mingi’s tent was the largest, though very bare inside. A cot put to the side with a trunk, he had a table of maps and documents with writing utensils. He kept his armor on a chair, with his weapons leaning against it. It was a long sword with a bone handle, and a shield with a crow. You stared at the shield as he began rifling through his trunk. It was fully black, its wings outstretched under a crescent moon. Dark winds flapped overhead, brushing your head lightly and you saw your crow perch on the edge of the square shield. You approached him with a weak smile, plopping into a seat beside it. Stroking his head, you fed it some seeds. 

“Ugh, I think I'm dead, bud,” you sighed, eyes falling closed. “Everything hurts. This thing will be the end of me for sure.” You studied the shield, “Is this you?” you tapped the crow. “Nah, I doubt it. It'd be funny if it was though.”

“Who are you talk-” Mingi stood, holding an old book, and paused when he saw the crow. “How did he get in here?”

“He flew, obviously,” you stretched, then winced from the pain. “Is the big bad general afraid of birds?” you teased, giggling at his apprehension. 

“That one? Yes. Has he been following you this whole time?”

“I think so? I mean, what are the odds I'm meeting a crow everywhere I go?” You stroked his feathers lightly. “I don't mind it. He's alright, and good company.” You saw the book in his hand, and said, “What’s with the book?”

“Your curse is worsening,” Mingi noted as he put the book down. With a wave of his hand, a bottle and a bag of herbs floated out of the trunk and on his desk. “You used to have reservations. Now they’re breaking. Soon, you’ll be humping anything in sight.”

“As I've been hearing all the time,” you said, shifting as a stinging pain shot through you. “It isn't so bad in the moment. The pain after is the bitch though.”

“Exactly. It’s taking its toll on your body and your mind,” he said. “His Lordship has asked me to-yes, perfect! It’s right here!” He skimmed through a page in the book, “I forgot he’d given this to me. It should be here.”

“What should be? The spell to lift it?” 

“Oh, he'd never divulge that kind of magic to me,” he chuckled, “This will make it more enjoyable versus painful. He must like you a lot if he actually cares about the effects. It's strange. Normally that's the entire point of The Hand of Lust. Curses are supposed to be bad…Get on the cot,” he said. 

“This will make it go away?” you asked hopefully, laying on his soft bed. The pain in your body radiated, almost throbbing like a heartbeat. “Please tell me it will.”

“The curse? No. The pain? Yes,” he replied, snapping his fingers. Right away, the herbs floated into the bowl where a pestle started crushing them. 

He lifted your tunic over your stomach. The sudden exposure tingled your mark, and you nearly sobbed. Not again. You just finished. You couldn't take it anymore. The soreness intensified each time your clit throbbed, the vulnerability alone arousing you. The urge to reach out for his groin came to you, and you writhed on the bed. You squeezed your eyes shut, keeping your hands close to your chest. This turned out to be a mistake, because the slight brush on your breast caused a ripple. It felt stiff, and ached when you brushed it a second time. Yet, you wanted Mingi to wrap his lips around it. You wished he'd unstick his hand and shove his fingers back inside you one more time. 

“Mingi, please, do something,” you whined, clutching the covers. “It aches all over…” Twisted on the bed, the urge flaring and you brushed it again. The connection between the sensitive spot and your cunt made it throb, which brought tears to your eyes. Your hips rocked for friction, but only found the air.

The past two days on the road were a blend of pleasure and pain. Whenever Mingi entered your cage, you felt nothing but hungry lust. It was like joining a feast where you kept eating even if you’d gotten full. The time between each round became shorter; your body yearning for his touch even after everything in you begged for an end. At times, you came onto him, grabbing parts of him to keep in the cage and use as you liked. You assumed this was the curse’s control over your mind at play. Namjoon said you’d soon be unable to stop yourself. You feared the day that happened, where your choices will be stripped from you and you’d hunger for nothing but that physical satisfaction.

“My friend told me there was no counter-curse,” you whimpered, eager to lift your tunic off to soothe the heat rising up around your neck.

“Yes, because he likely didn’t know it,” said Mingi. “I’ve studied the magical arts for hundreds of years, YN. I’m sure I know things that your little townie friend doesn’t.” He finally landed on the right page, and let the book levitate beside him. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before. I highly enjoy fucking your brains out, but I do feel guilty at the end result. You’re always in so much pain after, and my salves and potions cannot be used too often.”

“Psh, tell me about it.”

You weren’t fond of the purple, lumpy healing potions Mingi fed you whenever you finished. It was meant to clear your mind, but after two days of constant consumption, it now made you vomit. The salves, the iridescent sticky paste, brought on rashes if constantly used. It began another weight of suffering for you to bear. 

You laid flat on the bed, eyeing Mingi’s hands as they dipped into the bowl beside him. The golden oil peppered with the crushed leaves dripped from his fingers and onto your thighs. The mere feeling of the thin droplets sliding down your skin beckoned your arousal. He scooped more to drizzle over your swollen, sore lips and you let out a soft moan.

“Mingi…please, don’t,” you sobbed, tears streaming from your temples into your hair.

“It’ll only hurt for a moment. I need you to stay still and quiet for me, okay?” he said in the gentle, comforting tone he’d used after sex.

He began muttering in a rough, foreign language you couldn’t understand, occasionally glancing at the book in front of him. Long fingers danced over your body, not reacting to your constant shaking as you pictured them all over you again. Soon, you bit down on your lower lip to suppress a scream when he touched you. Rough hands slid down and within your inner thighs, the massage easing your sore muscles but enticing your curse. You tightly shut your eyes when his thumbs pressed to the sides of your cunt, rubbing the thin oil into the folds starting to dampen at his touch.

Mingi did not seem affected by this change. His pale eyes remained concentrated on his work, which you felt grateful for at least. Mingi did not enjoy your suffering as he’d have his men believe. He treated you so gently since you’d been on the road: making sure you were clean, well fed and comfortable in your little cage. He comforted you with stories of his adventures late at night, stroking your hair and placing kisses where he could. He’d been the nicest of the men you’d met so far. It was you who constantly teased and allured him. You had a sense Lord Kim’s influence and constant watching kept him from doing anything too painful to you.

Unable to break his incantation, you weren’t warned when he slid two fingers inside. You shook your head involuntarily, the tears of your entrance stinging at the substance coating them and sobbed harder. The curse made it enjoyable, but your pain heavily outweighed it. He kept the movement slow and thorough, making sure to get every crevasse he could before sliding back out. You took several deep breaths to ease the painful stinging, almost as if trying to become one with the pain. However, after a few minutes, the pain there ceased all at once.

“Better?” He asked, hands sliding up your body to your breasts.

“Yes.”

He dropped more fragrant oil over your chest, the thin oil sliding off them to the curves before he went to work. The oil made his movements slippery and smooth, stimulating the painful itching in your nipples. He muttered another long incantation as his thumbs went in circles, starting from the center and moving to the wrinkled areolas. Then, he massaged both of them with his full palms. The ache did not pain you as much here, causing more pleasure as he started further up to your shoulders and then your arms. His hands worked like magic. They relieved every dull ache, lifting off the heaviness in your muscles and bones. He did not grip too hard, but applied enough pressure to work it out of you.

When he flipped you onto your front, you felt yourself floating on clouds. The calming scent coming off your skin and the incense combined with Mingi’s hands pushed out every thought in your head. You nearly forgot where you were. Even when he spilled more oil onto your buttocks, immediately spreading it as he kneaded them, you barely registered it. You only whimpered when he drizzled more between them, likely taking a moment to watch it trickle down before using his thumbs to alleviate the stinging.

“Oops,” he said, his thumb happening to push past the rim and inside you, “Sorry. It’s just so slippery,” he didn’t withdraw the digit but instead started pushing and pulling, “And your body is so pliable now. It’s as if it wants me in there…”

“Mingi,” his name came out in a soft sigh.

Your body did not fight him off. The tiny bit of pressure blossomed into pleasure rather than pain. You snuggled into the pillow, arms wrapped under it as he removed his thumb. More oil dripped down your back as he straddled your thighs and worked on your shoulders. Though, you noticed a certain hardness poking your ass whenever he leaned forward. You wanted him to pull it out to stuff in you, whichever hole he wanted, they both felt prepared enough.

“It’ll still affect your mind, and your body will tire after a time,” he said. “I sadly cannot lift it from you completely, but this must be a bit of a reprieve, right?”

“Yes,” you nodded, eyes closed to savor the sensations. “Yes, it is.”

“How about we test it out?” he suggested, though he knew your answer. “I’ve never done this before. I want to know if it works properly.”

“Mmm, please.”

With a bit of shifting, Mingi withdrew his cock and pressed the head to your dripping sex. You clutched the underside of the pillow, moaning into the soft cotton inside as he traced it. Your mark still burned, but your body did not. It felt more relaxing than frustrating. He kept himself up on one hand as he slid the other between the mattress and your tits. The gentle squeeze mixed with his head splitting you open deepened your need for his full length. Mingi then kept you trapped underneath him with his body laying on top of yours, hands grabbing your nipples as he fully plunged in your pussy. His low grunts matched your whiny moans, the both of you slowly diving further into bliss as the tension built up.

“Fuck,” he breathed in your ear, “I swear that oil made your pussy even better than before. You’re so much tighter and warmer.”

His cold cock didn’t affect you like before, becoming more desirable to you than intimidating. His hands felt like cooling ice balls instead of prickling icicles. It did not warm up even as he started thrusting faster and harder, hitting the deepest part of you each time so you saw fireworks. Mingi knew your body by now, and eagerly chased down the orgasm he sensed at the end. You prayed he gave it soon. His own twitching cock let you know he was barely hanging on, and you purposefully clenched to milk him. His come. His cold, sticky, sweet come that he’d pumped into every hole you offered the previous two nights became your goal. You imagined him filling each one again, forcing it inside you until you were leaking all over.

He grinned above you when your body spasmed. He continued the same pace and played with your nipples as you came around him. It was better than anything. His sheets bundled underneath you, they acted as a specific friction to your clit and you came harder. His moans starting to elongate and deepen, you begged him to finish in you again so he did.

“Cum in me,” you begged breathily, “Cum deep in me. Please, Mingi, please fill me up, please.”

“Trust me,” he replied through gritted teeth, “I’m going to give you every single load.”

He shuddered, moans turning into faint, cracked gasps as he pulsed in every stroke. You whimpered at the cum spraying your insides again, enjoying the chilly sensation instead of recoiling. Like before, once Mingi finished, you wanted to go again and he didn’t stop you. Laying on the opposite end of the bed, he watched you ride him once more, holding onto your bouncing tits the entire time. You knew how much he liked them, and didn’t hesitate to hover them over his lips. The little cot squeaked in each movement, only encouraging the both of you to match the sound it made. Nothing else penetrated your thoughts except getting more of him. It became your singular thought as Mingi had you in other ways; he came inside you every time, forcing his come in your throat, your ass or your cunt whenever he orgasmed. Without the physical pain to distract you, you couldn’t stop yourself from enjoying him.

As the crow near the bed looked on…

****

You laid in Mingi’s bed, your entire being a pool of jelly on the sweaty sheets. The hazy euphoria of your final orgasm left you feeling light-headed. The curse’s magic still lingered inside you, but you were able to fight it off this time. You kept a tight lid on it as you watched Mingi, unbothered by the exertion, pull his clothes and armor back on. Despite being a walking corpse, Mingi appeared well put together aside from his hands and head. You saw unhealed wounds on his torso and arms, dead muscles having turned black and bloodless. It must’ve been like cutting paper; nothing to show but dead flesh. Years of fighting on battlefields and sparring with his men shaped out Mingi’s lean figure, appearing to have more muscle on his old bones. It was when he turned around that you saw the same crow-and-moon symbol on his left shoulder blade.

“That symbol,” you said, resting on your front, “What does it mean?”

“It’s Lord Kim’s mark,” he answered, pulling a cotton shirt over it. “We all bear his sigil on our bodies somewhere. It’s a sign of our loyalty to him. He did raise us from the dead, after all.”

“Why?”

“He needed an army.”

“For what?”

“Well, YN, every lord has some kind of army to defend his lands.”

“But people say he’s a demon. Aren’t demons supposed to be all powerful?”

“They are and he is, but he can only do so much on his own. Every magic being has their limitations,” he said. Stepping into his trousers, he pulled them to his narrow hips as he said, “Not to mention, he needed one to stop the former Northern King from destroying the rest of us.”

“Former Northern King?”

“Yes, King Argos. He was a total prick,” he scoffed. “He starved his people. He raised high taxes on the magical races and demanded they pay tribute to him in order to keep their homelands. He was the one who pushed the Naga off the mainland and into the Caper Islands. He’s the reason the Dragonites keep to themselves, and only have their volcano range now. The goblin and fae races were almost wiped out when he took over their lands. The man was a damn colonizer,” he said, eyes narrowed. “He’d force his own religion and ideology on the people there; his soldiers put up encampments and forts, their constant presence a reminder of our subservience to them. Not to mention all the things he stole: The Naga’s golden throne, several priceless inventions from the goblins, magical artifacts from the fairies, and all the resources he could find.” You saw anger flare in his milky eyes, the memories pouring back into him like water. “The magical races were slaves to humans for generations before Lord Kim appeared. He…He became our savior. He came with his beasts-”

“-Beasts? What beasts? You mean like the octopus Seonghwa has?”

“Bigger and worse,” Mingi answered. “Cora, The Kraken, was used to knock out Argos’s naval ships. The Wyvern, Aerion, turned his camps and forts to ashes. The Minotaur, Cerebus, and the Chimera joined in various battles on land. They’re huge, nasty and vicious beasts that only serve Him. No man or magicfolk alive could defeat them.”

Hearing the word ‘Kraken’ brought back a faded, dark memory. Closing your eyes, you thought back to when you had crashed. You remembered the encompassing, suffocating water filling your lungs, limbs starting to fail as pressure squeezed your lungs, when something caught hold of you. Large dark eyes glowing at you from the abyss. Long tentacles wrapping around you easily. The swiftness and strength it used to carry you through the ocean and up onto land. Thinking about them rattled your bones, and you hugged your pillow tighter.

“Anyway, he came with his beasts and magic to destroy Argos’s tyranny for good,” he continued. “He liberated them one by one. He gave the races back their lands and helped those who needed it to rebuild. He became the new Northern King, though I personally believe he doesn’t see himself as a king.”

“Seonghwa mentioned only letting Yunho onto his island because of him.”

“Yes, the Naga and Dragonites have been at each other’s throats for centuries. Don’t ask me why, nobody really knows anymore,” he added quickly. “It’s an old feud that started with their ancestors and it’s gotten passed down since then. But, His Lordship needs them to finally work together or at least be civil with each other. Their fighting has cost lots of lives and lands. He can only let it go on for so long before they’ve destroyed half the land.”

“And they listen to him?”

“Everyone does. He’s wise and old. Plus, they both owe him debts that can never be repaid.”

Rolling onto your back, sleepiness starting to take over, you imagined the intimidating figure living atop a cold mountain.

“Does he have a name?” you asked.

“I’m sure he does, but nobody knows what it is.”

“How come?”

“I don’t know,” he said rather thoughtfully, tying his vest as he wondered. “I guess nobody has asked or he’s never offered it? Everyone I know has always called him ‘Lord Kim’ or ‘His Lordship’ or ‘His Excellency’. We'll be seeing him in The Grey Lands, so you can ask then. You know, when you’re done sucking him off or something.”

“My friend told me only he can lift my curse. Would he…Would he do it if I asked?”

Mingi didn’t answer right away. His eyes looked over at the crow jumping around on the ground, pecking into the dirt, then back at you. 

“I don’t know.”

“I had a runestone to trade for it, but I lost it when the boat went under,” you frowned, recalling the small stone with its strange mark on the side. “They said I could use it as a payment.” 

“A runestone might’ve worked for a lesser demon, but he doesn’t need runestones. He has plenty.”

“Then what would he want?”

“That’s easy: you, lovely.” 

You dreaded what that meant. This ‘Lord Kim’ might not lift your curse at all and make you his mindless sex slave. It weighed down your high with fear, and you curled into a ball. He won’t save you. He’d likely enjoy your torment considering you’re human. A demon who took down an entire human army and their king likely has no love for them. He’ll like having you as a slave. You shut your eyes to let the exhaustion sink you into your dreams. 

“I'd never make you my slave, love. If anything, I'm yours.”

Yet, before you could fully go under, shouting came from outside the tent.

****

A/N: Uh-oh, what the hell's happening now? Well, at least she's gotten some kind of relief. Thanks for reading this chapter, and the lovely comments you guys leave me <3 Remember to reblog and like <3